Day Eleven -- The Nephropid, mastermind lobstermen

I'm taking the first 30 days of my blog to create a monster per day using Matt Finch's Tome of Adventure Design. Rolling to get the monster type we get Humanoid. The first result in this section tells us to roll on Table 2.2 (Beast types) and make the result bipedal with arms and opposable thumbs. Rolling on Table 2.2 we get  . . . 53, or Lobster. Rolling again, we are told to give it a human upper body (but not head). Moving on to Table 2.36, a result of 86 tells us the new species contains a subspecies larger than norm, and either more or less intelligent than the norm. Our lobstermen are also a mastermind race.

Table 2.37 gives us some ideas for the leaders of the lobster men; they are shapeshifters or lycanthropes, and less like the subtype and more like humans than other members of the race. Table 2.38 tells us that the theme for this mastermind race is brains. Table 2.39 provides details for the origins of the mastermind race, and we get results of:

1. Bred by another race.
2. Enslaved or bred by another race.
3. Consider humans to be nothing more than slaves or food.

Okay, let's throw all of this together.

Nephropid

# encountered: 1d6 (3d6 in lairs)

% in Lair: 15%
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90' (30')
           Swimming: 60' (20')
Armor Class: 3
Hit Dice: 4
Attacks: Weapon
Damage: 1d6+4
Save: F4
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: VII
XP: 80

Bred aeons ago by aboleths to serve as a slave race, the nephropids threw off the yoke of slavery long ago upon developing a native intelligence, and have since built stealthy societies under the waves, always in small numbers. The standard nephropids have a lobster-like body, some eight feet in length, topped by a humanoid torso and arms with opposable thumbs and a the head of a lobster.

Because of their eyes nephropids are surprised only on a roll of 1 in 1d8. They attack using large tridents dealing 1d6+4 points of damage, due to their strength. The creatures can survive for up to an hour out of water, and can occasionally be found scuttling along beaches. They lair in areas where the continental shelf drops off close to the water's edge, burrowing into the face of the shelf and creating elaborate networks of tunnels that can run for miles, and occasionally contain rooms with trapped pockets of air. Captured Men, forced to work as slaves, often inhabit these air-filled rooms.

Nephropids cannot speak; they instead communicate via a complicated language using their eyestalks and body movements. They possess infravision to 120'. Nephropid regenerate 1 hp per round.

Nephropid Master

# encountered: 1

% in Lair: 50%
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90' (30')
           Swimming: 60' (20')
Armor Class: 1
Hit Dice: 8*
Attacks: Weapon or spell
Damage: 2d8+2d6 electrical damage
Save: F8
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: XIX twice
XP: 1060

Every nephropid lair is led by a master, an enormous creature with a lobster-like body twice the length of their lesser kin and humanoid torsos twice the size of Man. These nephropids attack with enormous tridents that flash with electricity with each stroke. The electricity affects the target plus every creature within a 5' radius of the target. The tridents are sized for creatures of hill giant size or larger, and the electrical discharge only functions when in the hands of the masters.

The nephropid masters are capable of casting spells as 8th level magic-users. They can also shapechange twice per day, as per the spell Polymorph Self. The masters direct their lesser kin to perform inscrutable tasks furthering their nefarious goals; they seek to thwart the ambitions of the aboleths when possible, and yearn to exert their influence over the surface world.

Nephropid masters, when in their natural form, communicate in the same manner as their lesser kin, possess infravision to 120', and regenerate 1 hp per round, regardless of their form. They share the same chance of being surprised as their lesser kin, although lose this when polymorphed. Nephropid masters can use any items usable by magic-users or fighters.

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As a race, nephropids prefer to stay in the shadows. They are much more likely to kidnap and enslave single individuals, lone sailors, etc. instead of mounting raids on coastal communities. Most of the treasures they accumulate will be salvaged from wrecks of merchant ships.

Since this was a long entry, I'll put up a lair encounter for the nephropid tomorrow.