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Cantankerous
2005-09-01, 01:33 PM
Introduction

Those of you who play Dungeons & Dragons may be familiar with another popular role-playing game in the market: Vampire. No, this entry doesn't have anything to do with those nocturnal bloodsuckers, but all of the following entries will have something in common: they are cursed.

Although the idea of a human being (or an elf, a gnome, etc.) cursed to become a monster is present in D&D, real-world ancient mythology, and of course, Vampire, make more use of this theme. In the Germanic epic Beowulf, the monster Grendel and his kind are descendants of the first murderer Cain (as are the kindred from Vampire: the Masquerade). In Greek myth, the god Zeus cursed the king Lycaon for his blasphemous offering of human flesh by transforming him into a wolf. And so, I intend to introduce several monsters who were... something before being cursed, but now are a different sort of creature, one that will hopefully see action in your campaign.

Here is what you'll see:

Hunger-bringers: Monsters who were once human cannibals, now forever cursed with the shape of beasts and with eternal hunger. They take the form of a hyena, vulture, or a swarm of maggots.

Mishlaruts: Imperfect inevitables cursed by a fiend to rebel against their own sense of justice and law. Some take up the cause of punishing the guilty, whlie others revel in the freedom the curse grants them. Suitable for PC's, although the ECL may reach to around 8 or 9

Amordors: The descendants of the first gnome fratricide, who was cursed to become an ogre-like creature. Driven by greed and lust for treasure, they have no love for their former kin.

Irmanranths: When a bard commits suicide, he is condemned to be an undead revenant that leaves hopelessness and death in its wake.

Brebisdemorts: Goats cursed by a rash demigod for not giving milk. Now they are dark, fearsome predators among the masses of unthinking goats, drinking their blood in order to survive every night.

Cantankerous
2005-09-01, 06:58 PM
Hunger-bringer

Mortals are such fools, really. They’re absolute slaves to their own vices – their lust for power, their greed, their appetite. Such savages! They’ll eat one of their own kind, given the chance. Why, the men and women of the desert tribes are eating each other as we speak! Of course, it was we devils who drove them to it, well, our new pets, to be sure. But then again, mortals are also meant to be the playthings of us devils, you know.

HUNGER-BRINGER (Hyena form)
Large Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful)
Hit Dice: 12d8+84 (138 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 26 (-1 size, +1 Dex , +16 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 25
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+24
Attack: Bite +20 melee (3d6+8 plus disease)
Full Attack: Bite +20 melee (3d6+8 plus disease) and 2 claws +17 melee (1d8+4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Alternate form, devour, disease, improved grab, swallow whole
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/good, darkvision 60 ft., resistance to fire 20, spell resistance 22
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +9, Will +10
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 13, Con 24, Int 7, Wis 14, Cha 10
Skills: Balance +9, Climb +16, Hide +12, Jump +16, Listen +12, Move Silently +16, Spot +12, Survival +10, Swim +16
Feats: Cleave, Multiattack, Power Attack, Track, Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: An evil-aligned plane
Organization: Solitary or 2-4 (pack)
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: 13-20 HD (Large), 21-36 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: –

This beast resembles an overgrown hyena, about fourteen feet long, with ugly mottled fur and lean, hardy muscles. However, this monster barely seems natural; as you look closer, you this it holds no pupils in its eyes, and its great, oversized jaws bear dozens of disorganized, sharp, needle-like teeth.

HUNGER-BRINGER (Vulture form)
Large Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful)
Hit Dice: 12d8+84 (138 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 60 ft. (good)
Armor Class: 31 (-1 size, +6 Dex , +16 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 25
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+22
Attack: Bite +18 melee (2d8+6 plus disease)
Full Attack: Bite +18 melee (2d8+6 plus disease) and 2 claws +15 melee (1d6+3)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Alternate form, devour, disease, improved grab, rend 2d6+9
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/good, darkvision 60 ft., resistance to fire 20, spell resistance 22
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +14, Will +10
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 23, Con 24, Int 7, Wis 14, Cha 10
Skills: Balance +14, Climb +14, Hide +17, Jump +14, Listen +12, Move Silently +21, Spot +12, Survival +10, Swim +14
Feats: Cleave, Multiattack, Power Attack, Track, Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: An evil-aligned plane
Organization: Solitary or 2-4 (pack)
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: 13-20 HD (Large), 21-36 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: –

This beast flying circles above you resembles a great, ugly vulture, but its wingspan stretches to nearly twelve feet, and it seems it would be almost as tall as you on ground. As it begins to slowly swoop down, you notice that this large vulture’s eyes have no pupils, and its beak is filled with dozens of sharp, jagged teeth.

HUNGER-BRINGER (Maggots form)
Tiny Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful, Swarm)Hit Dice: 12d8+84 (138 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (+2 size, +5 Dex), touch 17, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/–
Attack: Swarm (3d6 plus disease)
Full Attack: Swarm (3d6 plus disease)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Alternate form, devour, disease, distraction
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/good, darkvision 60 ft., half damage from slashing and piercing, resistance to fire 20, spell resistance 22, swarm traits
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +13, Will +10
Abilities: Str 2, Dex 21, Con 24, Int 7, Wis 14, Cha 10
Skills: Balance +13, Climb +4, Hide +28, Jump +4, Listen +12, Move Silently +20, Spot +12, Survival +10, Swim +4
Feats: Cleave (cannot be used), Multiattack, Power Attack (cannot be used), Track, Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: An evil-aligned plane
Organization: Solitary or 2-4 (pack)
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: 13-20 HD (Large), 21-36 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: –

A pile of maggots, each the size of your arm, feeds on this corpse. There must be hundreds of them. You notice that each maggot, devouring its food ravenously, bears a wide maw holding many dagger-like teeth more befitting a predator.

Isthal sibiir, which translates from Infernal to Common as “hunger-bringer,” is the name for the shapechanging, ravenous pets that are in the thrall of devils and other lawful-aligned fiends. As legend goes, the hunger-bringers were once the members of an ancient human tribe who fed on the flesh of their own friends and family, and thus were cursed to forever take the form of a hyena, vulture, or a swarm of maggots.

Those who are familiar with the hunger-bringers not only fear them for their immense power and ferocity, but also for the fact that they spread a disease that causes its afflicted to hunger for the flesh of their own kind. Of course, hunger-bringers have proved themselves useful in battle, even in the Blood War, numerous times, as they are infused with the power of fiends, and fear very little besides the prospect of not getting anything to eat. (Being extraplanar outsiders themselves, they do not actually have to eat, but nevertheless feel a very strong sense of hunger at all times.)

In all three forms, a hunger-bringer looks like an exaggerated hyena, vulture, or maggot – they almost seem natural, but their eyes are completely pitch-black, and their claws and teeth are several times larger than those of their natural counterparts. In hyena form, they are about fourteen feet long; in vulture form, they have a wingspan of about twelve feet, and each in maggot is around two feet long in swarm form.

COMBAT
In battle, a hunger-bringer changes form several times. It might take on the form of a vulture to search for prey, move in for the kill in hyena form, and take the form of maggots to retreat by slipping through cracks. Sometimes, they attack in groups; if this is the case, they diversify their forms in an attempt to bewilder the enemy.

Alternate Form (Su): A hunger-bringer can assume the form of a Large hyena, a Large vulture, or a swarm of maggots as a standard action. All three forms are unique to the hunger-bringer. A hunger-bringer remains in one form until it chooses to assume a new one. A change in form cannot be dispelled, nor does it revert to any particular form when killed. A true seeing spell or ability, however, reveals all three forms simultaneously. Note that a Hunger-bringer has no other “natural” form.

Devour (Su): A hunger-bringer immediately feeds off the flesh of a creature it has hurt with its bite or swarm attack. It heals a number of hit points equal to half the points of damage inflicted. The hunger-bringer does not heal any hit points from damage dealt by attacks of opportunity. A hunger-bringer cannot heal itself through consuming corpses, however; it gains its power from eating only the freshest meat.

Disease (Su): A creature struck by a hunger-bringer’s bite attack must succeed on a DC 23 Fortitude save or be infected with a vile disease known as the plague of hunger (incubation period 1 day, damage 1d6 Wis). The save DC is Constitution-based. This disease cannot be cured by natural means, and ridding the curse can only be accomplished by a remove curse, remove disease, heal, or limited wish that succeeds on a DC 25 caster level check. A spellcaster who has dispel evil cast or dispel law on himself gains a +5 bonus to this check (a spellcaster with both gains a +10 bonus). A wish or miracle removes this curse, with no need to make a caster level check.

A creature afflicted by the plague of hunger has an immense urge to each the flesh of his own kind, and this urge chips away at his sanity and mind, thus inflicting the Wisdom damage. However, performing the act of cannibalism will aid the afflicted. By eating at least 5 pounds of raw meat of the creature’s own kind in one day, the afflicted automatically succeeds on the next day’s saving throw, but still retains the disease. If the creature consumes an entire raw corpse of his own kind, then the disease is immediately cured. Needless to say, only the desperate seek this route to cure themselves. Creatures that do not need to eat, such as devils, are not affected at all by this ability. (Herbivores are affected, however.) This disease can be spread by both injury and ingestion. Obviously, plague of hunger

Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with a hunger-bringer in maggots form in its space must succeed on a DC 23 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a hunger-bringer must hit with its bite attack in hyena or vulture form. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can try to swallow the foe the following round if it’s in hyena form.

Rend (Ex): If a hunger-bringer in vulture form hits with both claw attacks, it latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the flesh. This attack automatically deals an additional 2d6+9 points of damage.

Swallow Whole (Ex): A hunger-bringer in hyena form can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of up to one size smaller by making a successful grapple check. The swallowed creature takes 1d6+7 points of bludgeoning damage and 1d6+7 points of acid damage per round from the hunger-bringer’s gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 15 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 18 ). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A Hunger-bringer’s gullet can hold 1 Medium, 2 Small, 4 Tiny, 16 Diminutive, or 64 Fine or smaller opponents.

HISTORY
Several of the nomadic desert tribes, if they are well-befriended, or in some cases, well-bribed, are willing to share their guarded oral lore with outlanders, especially concerning the origins of the hunger-bringers. According to these tribesmen, there was long ago, before any sage or wizard can remember, an unnamed tribe of great cruelty. While the earliest tribes were often savage and brutal, this tribe was the first to violate the taboo of eating one’s own kind. Not only were they degenerates and murderers, but the people of this tribe customarily devoured their own friends, parents, and even children – not out of ritual or practicality, but simply out of appetite. It is then said that a powerful mage, whose power was greater than any archmage of the world today, came across this tribe in his travels. This mage (who also goes unnamed) immediately took great offense at the tribe, either because the tribesmen attempted to eat him or because he was simply so shocked at their depravity. He cursed every member of the tribe; the men were transformed into hyenas, the women into vultures, and the children into maggots, so that the tribe would now have the forms of the lowest creatures of the desert: those who fed on the dead.

The origin of the hunger-bringers, however, does not end there, for it is said that this tribe possessed powerful magic itself. When it was discerned that the mage had finally left the desert, the tribesmen, in their forms of hyena, vulture, and maggot, gathered together. Then, each of the cursed ate a sliver of a flesh from every other of the cursed, so that their flesh became one, and so that every one of the cursed could take the form of hyena, vulture, or maggot, but never regain the form of a man.

From this point, different accounts begin to vary. It is generally acknowledged that these cannibals wandered together, perhaps finding a gate to the lower planes, and volunteered themselves or were captured by the devils, who infused them with infernal power, making them resistant to blade, flame, and magic. The hunger-bringers, easily controlled with the promise of fresh meat, became the servants of pets of the baatezu, although they continued to resemble the forms with which the unnamed mage had cursed them.

In the last century, it is thought that a wily balor “liberated” many hunger-bringers from their devil masters, and now at least half of them are roaming outside the Nine Hells, seeking to satiate their hunger in any way, and spreading their plague of hunger all about. (The origins of the disease spread by hunger-bringers are unclear, but some say that the hunger of the aforementioned tribe was so powerful that it actually would spread to others if one was bitten by such a tribesman.)

ADVENTURE HOOKS
-A hunger-bringer, having escaped from the chains of his devil masters, has wandered into a desert of the Material Plane, devouring whatever it comes across.

-A horned devil, deciding that he wants to amuse himself, brings a pack of hunger-bringers to spread their disease among mortals, so the fiend can watch men and women suffer the urge to become cannibals.

Rykounagin
2005-09-02, 07:11 PM
Wow thus far it's looking pretty good I must say. I think my only critque (I kinda skimmed *Blushes*) is the CR seems kinda low for their HP, AC, and other resistances, speed and such. Otherwise, you seem well on your way! :)

Cantankerous
2005-09-04, 03:02 PM
(Thanks for the input. I compared the previous monster with a barbed devil, and I'd have to say that it belongs around the category of CR 11.)

Mishlarut

Our lesser cousins are strange, to be sure. They are of clockwork, like us, of course, but they do not have that drive for order and justice as we do. They are free to choose between doing right and reveling in their own whims! It must be so difficult for them to make such a choice, but I find that the ones who choose to take up the tasks that we take up are somewhat admirable, even worthy as allies. As for the rebellious ones, I will have no qualms about striking them down should I be called to do so!

MISHLARUT
Medium Construct (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 6d10+20 (53 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. in banded mail (4 squares), base speed 30 ft.
Armor Class: 22 (+1 Dex , +5 natural, +6 banded mail), touch 11, flat-footed 21
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+6
Attack: Greatsword +6 melee (2d6+4/19-20) or slam +6 melee (1d6+4)
Full Attack: Greatsword +6 melee (2d6+4/19-20) or slam +6 melee (1d6+4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, selective fast healing, spell resistance 17
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +3
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 13, Con –, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Diplomacy +4, Listen +6, Sense Motive +7, Spot +6
Feats: Cleave, Great Fortitude, Power Attack
Environment: A lawful-aligned plane
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Often lawful neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +1

A man comprised of clockwork, of iron and copper. Its eyes sparkle with intelligence.

Mishlaruts are, to put it roughly, lesser inevitables who lack many of the powers that “true” inevitables (that is, the inevitables described in the Monster Manual). What is special about these beings is that they often have no inclination to obey the programming that drives other inevitables. It is thought that mishlaruts are not intentionally created, but instead that inevitables as a whole are cursed to suffer the accidental creation of a mishlarut.

A mishlarut resembles a human and all have similar dimensions, size, and weight, but are made of clockwork instead of flesh and bones. Unlike “true” inevitables, who are comprised, at least in some part, of gold and silver, mishlaruts are made up of lower metals, such as iron, copper, and bronze. Mishlaruts speak Abyssal, Celestial, Common, and Infernal.

COMBAT
Mishlaruts vary in their fighting mannerisms, but most prefer a direct melee approach. Most are sensible enough to flee in the face of a losing battle, heal their wounds, and find a way to even the odds. Even in groups, they prefer to work alone (in part because friendly clerics cannot heal them).

Selective Fast Healing (Su): A mishlarut does not have consistent fast healing like most inevitables. Every day, they can heal an amount of damage for themselves equal to (5 x HD, or 30 points for a normal mishlarut), but they cannot heal more damage than twice their Hit Dice in a single round. For example, a 5th-level mishlarut ranger would have 22 HD, and thus could heal up to 55 hit points per day, but could not heal more than 11 points in one round. Using selective fast healing is a move-equivalent action but does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Unlike true inevitables, mishlaruts can heal damage from chaotic-aligned weapons.

Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—locate creature, protection from chaos Caster level 6th.

MISHLARUTS AS CHARACTERS
Mishlarut characters possess the following racial traits.
— +6 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom. As medium constructs, mishlaruts have no Constitution score, but have an extra 20 hit points.
—Space/Reach: 5 feet/5 feet.
—A mishlarut’s base land speed is 30 feet.
—Darkvision out to 60 feet, low-light vision
—Racial Hit Dice: A mishlarut begins with six levels of construct, which provide 6d10 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +3, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +2, Ref +2, and Will +2.
—Racial Skills: A mishlarut’s construct levels give it skill points equal to 9 x (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Diplomacy, Listen, Sense Motive, and Spot.
—Racial Feats: A mishlarut’s construct levels give it three feats.
—Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A mishlarut is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as any armor and shields.
— +5 natural armor bonus.
—Natural Weapons: Slam (1d6).
—Special Attacks (see above): Spell-like abilities. The caster level equals the mishlarut’s character level.
—Special Qualities (see above): Selective fast healing, spell resistance equal to 11 + character level.
—Automatic Languages: Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Infernal. Bonus Languages: Aquan, Auran, Draconic, Ignan, Terran.
—Favored Class: Fighter.
—Level adjustment +2.

HISTORY
It is believed that when the first inevitables were made, each was exceedingly splendid and beautiful, as well as mighty as balors and planetars. One of these enforcers was sought to have sought out and fought a demon prince as his first task. One particular planar epic tells of the battle three-day-long battle, where the two beings fought in a great duel, until both of their swords and armor were broken, and they resorted to wrestling each other. Triumphantly, the clockwork warrior tore the fiend’s right arm out of his shoulder, and the latter bled to death. However, with the fiend’s last words, he cursed the inevitables, and such was his anger and hate that the curse, at least in part, manifested, in that wherever inevitables are created, so are the inadequate, defected mishlaruts, who are cursed with weakness, imperfection, and the burden of having to choose between following their higher cousins or acting as ordinary flesh-and-blood mortals. In a sense, they are analogous to the deformed and misshapen in human society, warped from their “birth.”

Fortunately for the powers of law, mishlaruts are few in number compared to “true” inevitables. Although lacking the magic or the special abilities of the higher brethren, most mishlaruts eventually take levels in a class, usually one oriented toward melee combat.

What is most interesting about mishlaruts is that their sense of free will – almost every one grapples with how it should live its life, and many wish they were a “real” inevitables. This desire, in some, often turns to jealousy and hate, while others channel the desire positively and set out to gain experience along a certain path. Many choose to simply live lives of order, perhaps joining a society where they will be accepted, or at least will not be bothered. Others, however, choose to take up the work that “true” inevitables do, finding and punishing the guilty or those who have violated some natural law. However, mishlaruts can be compassionate and kind in this task, or they can be brutal and merciless. Finally, other mishlaruts simply choose to live as adventurers and vagrants, seeking renown and treasure. These ones are an embarrassment to most other inevitables, and at least one has been destroyed at the hands of another.

ADVENTURE HOOKS
-An mishlarut, eager to follow the path of justice, has bitten off more than he can chew by swearing to defeat a corrupt and cruel warlord. He needs help against his enemies, as few on the Prime Material plane are ready to trust such a strange being as he.

-A bitter mishlarut, angry with his condition, takes on the task to destroy all other inevitables.

SAMPLE MISHLARUT NPC

Chthonas: Mishlarut ranger 5; CR 10; Medium construct (extraplanar); HD 6d10+5d8+20; hp 80; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 22, touch 13, flat-footed 19; Base Atk +8; Grp +14; Atk +15 melee (1d10+7/19-20, +1 bastard sword); Full Atk +13/+8 melee (1d10+7/19-20, +1 bastard sword) and +13 melee (1d6+4/19-20, +1 short sword); SA spell-like abilities, wild empathy +5; SQ construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., favored enemy (humans +4, chaotic outsiders +2), low-light vision, selective fast healing, spell resistance 22; AL LN; SV Fort +9, Ref +10, Will +6; Str 22, Dex 16, Con –, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 10

Skills and Feats: Concentration +7, Diplomacy +2, Hide +10, Listen +13, Move Silently +10, Spot +13, Sense Motive +11, Survival +10; Cleave, Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Great Fortitude, Power Attack, Track, Two-Weapon Fighting

Languages: Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal

Ranger Spells Prepared: 1–longstrider

Selective Fast Healing (Su): A mishlarut does not have consistent fast healing like most inevitables. Every day, Chthonas can heal up to 55 points worth of damage, but no more than 22 at one time. Using selective fast healing is a move-equivalent action but does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Unlike true inevitables, mishlaruts can heal damage from chaotic-aligned weapons.

Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—locate creature, protection from chaos. Caster level 11th.

Equipment: +1 bastard sword, +1 short sword, masterwork chain shirt, blue cloak of resistance +1

Chthonas is a mishlarut who has sought to take on the tasks of his higher brethren. It fights against those who would lie, cheat, steal, and commit other honorable tasks, although it also is motivated by the other drives of adventurers, such as fame, treasure, and experience. It can be an ally of the PC’s if they share a common task, or might be a pawn manipulated by a higher power into thinking that the PC’s are deserving of justice and retribution.

Cantankerous
2005-09-13, 10:40 AM
Amordor

Don’t listen to what those gnome elders tell you, friend. That monster up there in the mountains ain’t nothin’ but some crazy ogre or troll. Yeah, they say, that it looks like a gnome, but come on – I’ve seen it before, and it’s nine feet tall and it’s got claws! No gnome's like that. Anyway, just don’t listen to no fairy tale ‘bout some cursed gnome monster, ‘cause that’s what it is: a fairy tale. A word of advice though: I hear it ain’t too much use usin’ alchemist’s fire or illusion magic against that thing.

AMORDOR
Large Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 5d8+20 (42 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (-1 size, +1 Dex , +8 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+13
Attack: Claw +8 melee (1d10+4)
Full Attack: 2 claws +8 melee (1d10+4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: –
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to alchemy, low-light vision, resistance to acid 5 and fire 5, true seeing
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +3
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 8
Skills: Hide +5, Listen +5, Move Silently +9, Spot +5
Feats: Alertness, Great Fortitude, Power Attack
Environment: Temperate hills
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Double standard
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +3

This creature looks like an ogre, bearing a monstrous countenance and standing well around nine feet tall. However, its facial features resemble those of a gnome; its hands end in wicked, shining claws, and its eyes look entirely golden.

Amordors are giant, greedy creatures who are as large as ogres but bear an unmistakable resemblance to gnomes. They are thought to be the descendants of the first gnome who murdered one of his own kin, cursed into monstrosity and unquenchable lust for gold. They spend their days raiding settlements near the wilderness, seeking out gold, and holding a terrible hatred for gnomes.

Amordors are relatively uncommon, and often have to fight for territory and food with neighboring giants, orcs, and animals. However, they almost always live solitary lives, as no amordor trusts another being to share his treasure. Sometimes they will be found in the pay of a dragon, ogre mage, or other powerful monster; they have been found to make excellent minions (so long as they are paid well) and prove formidable against gnomes, given that they fear neither their illusion magic nor alchemy.

An amordor stands about nine feet tall, weight about 750 pounds, and live as long as gnomes. They have a humanoid shape, but their fingers end in tough claws of gold, and their pupil-less eyes are completely golden. They speak Giant and Gnome.

COMBAT
These abominations show little subtlety or mercy in battle. They charge the nearest creature and begin clawing, but attack gnomes in preference to any other creature.

Immunity to Alchemy (Su): Amordors are not directly affected by alchemical items. Alchemist’s fire and flasks of acid do not harm them (their energy resistance negates anyway), thunderstones do not deafen them, tanglefoot bags do not affect them, and so on. Light and smoke created by an alchemical item affect amordors normally (so sunrods and smokesticks affect that normally). The DM may have to arbitrate whether certain alchemical items outside the Player’s Handbook affect amordors or not.

True Seeing (Su): Amordors continuously use true seeing, as the spell (caster level 14th).

AMORDORS AS CHARACTERS
Amordor characters possess the following racial traits.
— +8 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +8 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
—Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet.
—An amordor’s base land speed is 40 feet.
—Darkvision out to 60 feet, low-light vision
—Racial Hit Dice: An amordor begins with five levels of monstrous, which provide 5d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +5, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +1, Ref +4, and Will +4.
—Racial Skills: An amordor’s construct levels give it skill points equal to 8 x (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot
—Racial Feats: An amordor’s monstrous humanoid levels give it two feats.
—Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An amordor is proficient with all simple weapons.
— +8 natural armor bonus.
—Natural Weapons: 2 claws (1d10)
—Special Attacks (see above): None.
—Special Qualities (see above): Immunity to alchemy, resistance to acid 5 and fire 5, true seeing.
—Automatic Languages: Common, Giant, Gnome. Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Goblin, Infernal, Orc.
—Favored Class: Rogue.
—Level adjustment +3.

HISTORY
Ancient gnome lore tells of this story: when the god of the gnomes created his race, there was absolute harmony during the first days. Sure, gnomes were mortal and fell to old age or at the hands of monsters, but no gnome had ever raised his hand against another. Then, there came two gnome brothers, one of whom was a trickster and magician, and the other a merchant and moneylender. The former, being a carefree profligate, quickly found himself owing a vast amount of money. Thus, he appealed to his brother the merchant for help; the latter reluctantly lent him a great deal of gold, but the trickster quickly wasted this money as well. Eventually, the merchant asked his brother when he would pay him back, but the trickster would not hand over any (as he had none). The two brothers quickly got into a quarrel, and in a fit of rage, the merchant took a knife and killed his brother. Thus was the first fratricide among the gnomes.

The merchant, not being wily like his brother, was immediately found by the rest of his kin. When they saw what he had done, all the gnomes scrambled to seek a way to pass justice onto the merchant. They were unwilling to execute him in retribution, so instead the chief priest of the gnomes cast him from gnome society, cursing him as a vagrant and wanderer. To ensure that he would never again be accepted by his kin, the priest transformed the merchant into a hideous, bestial monster. In his greed and anger, the merchant, even in this monstrous shape, demanded that he be paid, by the trickster’s wife and children, the money he had lent. The demand outraged the priest into a fit of ironic rage, and himself “compensated” the merchant by transmuting his nails and eyes into gold, thus furthering his cursed appearance.

This merchant was the first amordor. What happens from there is something of a mystery. It is thought that a female gnome was later cursed in a similar fashion. Some say that this first amordor sought out dark magic (perhaps from a fiend or from an evil gnome god) in order to take revenge against the gnome race. This dark power granted the first amordor the power to resist the tricks and magic of the gnome, hence their power to pierce illusions and ignore damage from alchemical sources.

Over the last thirty years, at least two “repentant” amordors have been noted by gnome sages; these amordors seem eager to rectify the sins of their ancestor, and show interest in secretly defending the innocent against monsters and murderers.

Adventurers who have slain amordors have discovered that the eyes and claws are quite literally made of gold. This gold can be extracted from an amordor's corpse with about 10 minutes of work, and gives off an amount of gold weighing 1d6+1 pounds (i.e. worth 1d6+1 x 50 gp).

Vaynor
2005-09-17, 03:14 PM
Those are really cool monsters and the gnome-ogre is great for a low level campaign.

Cantankerous
2005-09-21, 02:00 PM
Irmanranth

Sit down, Lynn. The day when you finish your training as a bard is near, but as your mentor, and, dare I say, as a friend, I want to give you a piece of advice. You will face many hardships if you choose to travel across the world like the ancient bards and skalds of yore. No, I have every confidence that you’ll do your best, but whatever you do, you mustn’t give into despair or hopelessness. A day feeling blue is fine, and sometimes you can’t help a wizard crushing your joy with his magic for a few minutes. But you must never, ever think of suicide. I say this not only out of love, but also out of fear. If you kill yourself, you will not die, but return as this… thing, this monster that seeks to destroy all you hold dear. The music and bardic skill will die within you, and all that’s left is an abomination that must be put down. And believe me, if the stories are true, putting an irmanranth down is not easy at all. If you ever feel life is not worth living, and resolve to die, then at least charge into battle, waving your sword and screaming at the top of your lungs.

An irmanranth is the cursed revenant of a bard who has committed suicide. These powerful undead arise from only the deaths with the greatest hopelessness and despair. Perverting the power that they had in life, irmanranths possess powerful magic, but lack the inspiration and music that is common to true bards.

These undead beings crave nothing less than spreading destruction, death, and despair, for they are so driven by the rotten anger and nihilism that pervaded them at the moment of their suicide. They travel across the land, and where they pass, innocents kill themselves if they are not slain, would-be heroes tremble and weep to themselves, the most skilled musicians cannot bring themselves to hum the simplest of tunes, and even the air takes on a dread feeling of cold hopelessness. Irmanranths have very few followers, as even the knees of giants and dragons quake in the presence of these revenants. Almost always, it is other undead that follow them, and sometimes an irmanranth will create undead for some assistance or company.

An irmanranth simply resembles the person it was in life. Its eyes might be a bit colder, its skin a bit paler, but the appearance is virtually the same. The difference, however, ends there, for irmanranths possess astounding strength and speed, avoid swords and magic alike with unearthly facility, and do not flinch at daggers and arrows plunged in their dead flesh. An irmanranth speaks whatever languages it knew in life.

COMBAT
When faced with a considerable challenge, irmanranths are not privy to melee combat (although they usually are otherwise). Enemies who are not brought down by its aura of despair are targeted with spells.

TACTICS ROUND-BY-ROUND
Round 1: Moves so that all enemies are affected by aura of despair. Casts greater shout.
Round 2: Casts heightened song of discord.
Round 3: Casts greater invisibility, moves to closest enemy.
Round 4: Full attack against the nearest enemy.
Subsequent rounds: Intersperses attacking with mass suggestion, greater shout; it casts greater dispel magic if necessary and uses dimension door if it needs to flee.

IRMANRANTH
Medium Undead
Hit Dice: 20d12 (130 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 33 (+6 Dex, +7 deflection, +10 natural), touch 23, flat-footed 27
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+20
Attack: Slam +21 (1d8+10 plus Charisma drain)
Full Attack: 2 slams +21 (1d8+10 plus Charisma drain)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Charisma drain, spells
Special Qualities: Aura of despair, darkvision 60 ft., damage reduction 10/-, turn resistance +4, undead traits, unearthly grace
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +19, Will +22
Abilities: Str 31, Dex 23, Con –, Int 18, Wis 16, Cha 25
Skills: Concentration +19, Diplomacy +9, Gather Information +9, Hide +20, Listen +16, Knowledge (arcana) +18, Knowledge (geography) +18, Knowledge (history) +18, Knowledge (local) +18, Knowledge (religion) +24, Move Silently +20, Search +16, Sense Motive +23, Spellcraft +14, Spot +16, Survival +3 (+5 following tracks, +5 avoiding getting lost and natural hazards)
Feats: Cleave, Great Fortitude, Greater Spell Focus (enchantment), Heighten Spell, Power Attack, Spell Focus (enchantment), Weapon Focus (slam)
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 15
Treasure: Triple standard
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 21-40 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: –

A man with cold eyes and the feeling of hopelessness all about him.

Aura of Despair (Su): An irmanranth radiates an aura of powerful despair. Any creature within 120 ft. of an irmanranth must make a Will save (DC 27) or take a -2 penalty to rolls as per the spell crushing despair for one hour. Those who fail this save must succeed on a second Will save (DC 27) or become so overcome with despair that they lose the power to speak, charge, or run for 10 minutes. Those who fail this save must make third and final Will save (DC 27); a creature that fails is consumed with hopelessness, and remains cowering for 2d4 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based. The spell good hope dispels the crushing despair effect, but not the other effects. Once a creature is affected by aura of despair, he cannot be affected by it again in the next 24 hours, regardless of whether he has made his saving throw or not.

Once per day, an irmanranth can extend the aura to 1 mile, and increase the duration of the crushing despair effect to 24 hours. This extension of the aura lasts 10 minutes and is a full-round action.

Charisma Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by an irmanranth’s slam attack must succeed on a DC 27 Fortitude save or take 1d8 points of Charisma drain. The save DC is Charisma-based. On each such successful attack, the irmanranth gains 5 temporary hit points. If an irmanranth is using a weapon, it may drain Charisma when it hits.

Spells: An irmanranth casts spells as a 20th-level bard. It may also select spells from the Death and Evil domains, and may select from any inflict spells. All spells cast are considered arcane, and thus no divine focus is needed; furthermore, an irmanranth’s magic is not truly bardic magic, and thus an irmanranth may cast with the Silent Spell feat. An irmanranth gains spells for each day as a sorcerer would.

Typical Spells Known (4/6/6/6/5/5/5; save DC 17 + spell level, DC 19 + spell level for enchantment spells): 0—dancing lights, detect magic, know direction, mending, prestidigitation, read magic; 1st—alarm, disguise self, expeditious retreat, hideous laughter, undetectable alignment; 2nd—desecrate, inflict moderate wounds, invisibility, silence, tongues; 3rd—animate dead, charm monster, gaseous form, haste, slow; 4th—detect scrying, dimension door, dominate person, greater invisibility, inflict critical wounds; 5th—greater dispel magic, mass suggestion, nightmare, song of discord; 6th—create undead, find the path, greater shout, greater scrying

Unearthly Grace (Su): An irmanranth adds its Charisma modifier as a bonus on all its saving throws, and as a deflection bonus to its Armor Class. (The statistics block already reflects these bonuses).

HISTORY
The word irmanranth is, in an archaic dialect of Common, synonymous with overwhelming despair and sadness. However, further research will indicate that the word was also shared by a flower of legendary beauty that would never wilt.

Millennia ago, a woman had ascended to the status of demigoddess; this woman, whose beauty and charm was nigh-indescribable, took the name of Illyria (which in the same dialect means overwhelming beauty). Illyria, while very lovely, was not known for her balanced temper, and is thought to have left numerous of her many suitors reeling in shame when they slighted her in the least. Regardless, many heroes attempted to court her, the most notable of whom was a legendary elven bard named Micah. Micah, not being the most humble of men, boasted that he would bring Illyria an irmanranth, a flower of exceeding splendor and rarity that never wilts.

The boast was in vain. Micah spent the better part of two centuries searching for the flowers, traveling across a multitude of planes, gathering lore from the both the mightiest fiends and the wisest angels, and performing heroic deeds in order to discover a clue that would lead to a clue that would lead to a clue of the location of that legendary flower. Regardless, he failed, and in his moment of failure and despair, climbed a mountain that stretched to the clouds (to his anguish, he did not find an irmanranth flower there either) and threw himself into the jagged rocks below.

Illyria took great offense at Micah’s gesture – after all, what man was if he wouldn’t keep at another hundred years in order to please her? Of course, Micah was already dead, so the demigoddess did the next best thing: she cursed the bard’s spirit to walk forever in despair and bitterness. While her curse succeeded in creating the first of his kind, Illyria underestimated her own power, for it was seen that many bards who killed themselves also rose as the same kind of creature that Micah had become. Since then, the curse laid by Illyria has yet to be reversed. Thankfully, few are bards who truly and honestly resolve to die, for the spirit of music burns bright in most such figures. Nonetheless, the destruction wrought by these undead is legendary, and the story has in some regions been so well-told that there are dozens of different versions of the tale. In any case, the legendary flower Micah sought became synonymous with the monster he became: irmanranth.

Ancient lore says that Micah was slain by a small army of heroes, but a few ancient angels who claim to have been Micah and Illyria’s contemporaries say that the demigoddess’s curse was so powerful that the first irmanranth will not be destroyed until Illyria is brought the flower irmanranth. Micah, they say, is at best trapped beneath the earth or in some supernatural slumber. Illyria is thought to have faded into obscurity by most, or even to have been cast down and killed, or worse (in her mind) to be again a mere mortal.

ADVENTURE HOOKS
-A close friend of one of the PC’s, who is a bard, has lost his lover, has had his home burned down by orcs, and has heard that his mother has died of old age. He hangs himself, but rises as an irmanranth, and the PC’s are among his first targets.

-After a calamitous earthquake, Micah, the first irmanranth, awakens from his tomb in the earth, and wreaks horrible destruction across the land, with a small army of undead following him. He is too powerful for the PC’s to defeat, but there is a glimmer of hope: Illyria has been spotted by an ally of the party. If the PC’s can find the flower that Illyria was once promised, the curse might be reversed.

GuywithSword#2
2005-09-28, 03:45 AM
I am really digging what you have here... now you have the somnians running for their money in my book. Oh the difficulty of choosing! :)

Cantankerous
2005-09-28, 09:10 PM
Thank you!

The last entry: vampire goats.

---

Brebisdemort

There are things in the night, kid, strange things that have been cursed by the gods themselves to feed upon the blood of livestock. They are hard to kill, but they fear fire and sunlight, for they have been cursed to fear those things too. Anyway, they’re being a real nuisance. I’ll give you two hundred gold to get rid of the brebisdemort that’s been killing our goats. Fine, I’ll throw in your bar tab. Jeez.

BREBISDEMORT
Medium Magical BeastHit Dice: 11d10+33 (93 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares), burrow 5 ft.
Armor Class: 22 (+3 Dex , +9 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +11/+14
Attack: Gore +14 melee (2d6+4 plus wounding)
Full Attack: Gore +14 melee (2d6+4 plus wounding)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Bleat, blood drain, powerful charge 6d6+4, wounding
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, regeneration 5, vulnerability to fire, vulnerability to sunlight
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +7
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 14
Skills: Hide +12, Listen +9, Move Silently +12, Spot +9
Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack
Environment: Temperate plains
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Medium), 21-33 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: –

You see a goat the size of a pony lurking in the night. Its hair and skin are jet black, its horns look unnaturally long and sharp, and its eyes suggest an intelligence surpassing that of an ordinary goat. Blood drips from its mouth.

Brebisdemorts are monstrous goats that cursed by a dark god to stalk the night and feed on the blood of their normal kin. They live near small, rural towns that raise plenty of the livestock they feed on; most create small underground havens in which they sleep during the day, while others dwell in old, abandoned shacks and towers. During night, they approach sleeping flocks of goats and sheep, and drink their blood until they are fully satiated. For this reason, farmers often call brebisdemorts “goatsuckers.”

A brebisdemort resembles an unusually large goat, about seven feet from head to tail and weighting about 200 pounds. However, their skin and hair appears jet black, their eyes burn with an unnatural cunning, and their twisted horns are nearly the size of short swords, capable of producing grievous wounds. They are almost always stained and matted with blood, and live extremely long lives, often outliving the oldest dwarves and elves. They can understand Common but do not speak it.

COMBAT
Brebisdemorts, while dangerous, are usually not interested in combat, but they will defend themselves with ferocity, goring enemies with their horns despite the odds. These creatures are also very loyal to their mates, and a brebisdemort will hunt down and kill those who have slain its mate.

Bleat (Su): As free action, a brebisdemort can let out a terrifying bleat. Creatures that hear this and are within 60 feet of the brebisdemort must make a Will save (DC 17) or be paralyzed with fear for 1d4+1 rounds. Animals receive a -5 penalty to this save and are paralyzed for 1d4+1 x 5 rounds. This is a sonic, mind-affecting, fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Blood Drain (Ex): A brebisdemort can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage each round.

Powerful Charge (Ex): A brebisdemort typically begins a battle by charging at an opponent, lowering its head to bring its horns into play. In addition to the normal benefits and hazards of a charge, this allows the brebisdemort to make a single gore attack with a +14 attack bonus that deals 6d6+4 points of damage.

Regeneration (Ex): A brebisdemort takes normal damage from good-aligned weapons, from spells or effects with the good descriptor, from fire damage, and from sunlight (see below).

Vulnerability to Sunlight: A brebisdemort fully exposed to direct sunlight takes 3d6 points of damage at the beginning of its turn each round. Otherwise it is dealt only 1d4 points of damage per round. (Brebisdemorts are not affected by indirect sunlight.)

Wounding (Su): The damage a brebisdemort deals with its gore attack causes a persistent wound. An injured creature loses 2 additional hit points each round; this loss is not cumulative. The wound does not heal naturally and resists healing spells. The continuing hit point loss can be stopped by a DC 18 Heal check, a cure spell, or a heal spell. However, a character attempting to cast a cure spell or a heal spell on a creature damaged by a brebisdemort must succeed on a DC 18 caster level check, or the spell has no effect on the injured character. A successful Heal check automatically stops the continuing hit point loss as well as restoring hit points. The check DC is Constitution-based.

HISTORY
There are a number of evil and malicious gods, but few have been as much of a mischievous nuisance as the minor god who called himself Haggith. This deity, who was associated with animals and gore, often demanded from his followers exorbitant amounts of animal sacrifice. Fortunately for his weary minions, Haggith sometimes grew sick and tired of being around so many people, and thus he would travel the material planes in the guise of an ordinary mortal. There was one day when Haggith, roaming the world, came upon an ordinary goat. The god, deciding he was a bit thirsty, demanded that the goat give him its milk to drink (for Haggith was able to speak to animals). Goats, however, are stubborn creatures, and this goat must have been especially impudent, as it refused to give the god a single drop.

Haggith, being so powerful, could have easily sucked the goat dry forcibly, but in a pique of cruelty, the god laid a curse on the goat, and turned it into a monstrous blasphemy of its normal kind. Haggith transformed the animal into a blood-drinking creature that feared sunlight and fire, and Haggith laughed. However, when a deity curses a creature with such suddenness, that creature sometimes takes a fraction of that deity’s power. Such was the case with this first brebisdemort. It grew powerful, retained its free will, and became the father of the things that now plague goat farmers everywhere. As for Haggith, he remains in obscurity, as little record of him has been made in the last hundred or so years.

ADVENTURE HOOKS
-A brebisdemort terrorizes a shepherding community.

-The numbers of brebisdemorts are soaring in a particular region, and have begun to feed on not just goats, but also wild animals and travelers. Rumors of an old evil surfacing in the area have spread like wildfire.

BREBISDESANG (advanced brebisdemort)

Brebisdesang: CR 13; Large magical beast; HD 20d10+100; hp 210; Init +8; Spd 50 ft., burrow 5 ft.; AC 24, touch 13, flat-footed 20; Base Atk +20; Grp +33; Atk and full atk +28 melee (3d6+13 plus wounding, gore); SA bleat, blood drain, powerful charge 8d6+13, wounding; SQ darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, regeneration 5, vulnerability to fire, vulnerability to sunlight; AL CE; SV Fort +17, Ref +16, Will +9; Str 29, Dex 18, Con 20, Int 12, Wis 17, Cha 12

Skills and Feats: Hide +20, Listen +19, Move Silently +21, Spot +19; Ability Focus (bleat), Alertness, Cleave, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (gore), Iron Will, Power Attack

Bleat: The save DC for a brebisdesang is 23.

Blood Drain: Brebisdesangs drain 1d6 points of Constitution damage each round with a successful grapple check.

Wounding: The check DC for a brebisdesang is 25.

Brebisdesangs are ancient brebisdemorts. Hundreds of years old, each brebisdesang is a terror to any goatherding community.

Sacrath
2005-09-29, 12:33 PM
However, a character attempting to cast a cure spell or a heal spell on a creature damaged by a horned devil’s tail must succeed on a DC 18 caster level check, or the spell has no effect on the injured character.

enphasis mine

I think you mean the deamon-goat's horns. Just thought I would point it out. Nice ideas though I may use some of them in an upcoming adventure. :)

Cantankerous
2005-09-29, 01:13 PM
Thanks for the correction. :)

I based the wounding ability off the horned devil's ability; I just copied and pasted, adjusting DCs and names. Looks like I missed one.