A booth picture and Day Sixteen

I'm back from the Smithsonian Show. Here's a picture of my booth:

Anyway, day 16 of 30 monsters in 30 days brings us . . . another ooze. It's a pillar or column (result of 63), immune to blunt weapons (roll of 56, followed by 13), and attacks via direct contact (result of 62), meaning that it attacks by oozing into a target, rather than striking it with a pseudopod. We're told to roll on the special attacks table (2-79) to determine the attack form. We can also roll on Table 2-43 to come up with a name for our ooze: A 32 and 22 gives us the Gobbling Coalescence.

The roll on the Special Attacks table is a 94, or Stun.

Hmmmm.

Gobbling Coalescence
# encountered: 1d6

% in Lair: 100%
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 60 (20')
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 5
Attacks: Slam
Damage: 1d8 + stun
Save: F5
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: VII
XP: 200

The dreaded Gobbling Coalescences appear to be solid pillars of stone and grow from between 10 and 20 feet tall (add 1 HD for every foot above 10). They blend in well with their surroundings, and surprise on a roll of 1-4 in 6. Capable of sensing living prey within 60', they attack by falling towards living creatures that come within range (i.e. 10' for a 10' tall column), making an attack roll against an initial target. Once they have made their initial attack the gobbling coalescence begins to roll towards their victims like an enormous, sticky rolling pin, potentially attacking more than one target in a single round (i.e. a 10' coalescence could attack as many individuals as are lined up over 10').

Targets that are struck must take damage and make a Save v. Paralysis or be stunned (move at 1/2 speed, -4 to attack rolls) for 1d4 rounds due to secretions on the ooze's surface. Only warm blooded targets are affected by the coalescence's stunning ooze, and, in fact, they will only attack warm-blooded creatures, so oftentimes grounds of lizardmen, froglings, etc. will use these creatures to guard their lairs.

Gobbling coalescences take no damage from blunt weapons. Once a target has been slain they roll over it, slowly absorbing into their mass in a process that takes 1d4 turns. If slain, the ooze may contain the indigestible treasures of their previous victims, as they are only capable of dissolving flesh and blood, not bone, metals or gems.

Lair Encounter

A group of a dozen lizardmen have cultivated a pair of Gobbling Coalescences to stand watch inside the entrance to their lair. The pillar-like oozes stand ten feet tall thirty feet within the opening of a cave mouth, beyond which lies the lair of the lizard-folk. Any warm blooded creature that approaches within 10' will be targeted by both oozes.  

As a result of their presence the cave floor is preternaturally clean and smooth, totally free of debris. If slain, one ooze contains a small iron box with three gems inside, each worth 75 gold.

Gobbling Coalescence (2). 28, 27 hp

And now for some woodworking . . .

I'm going to be taking a break from the monster creation, halfway through, as I'm leaving soon to head up to DC and participate in the 2018 Smithsonian Craft Show. I'll update when I get a chance, and post pictures as well.

Day Fifteen -- Skeletal Shark

We've got another undead for Day 15. A roll of 63 tells us we have a non-human, corporeal, non-intelligent, non-reproductive undead. There aren't any more tables for non-intelligent undead, so I'm going to use the Beast table to generate an undead: 39. Shark! There's otherwise not much here; it's a shark that's also undead! What do you want, lasers for eyes?

Skeletal Shark
# encountered: 1d12

% in Lair: 0%
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120' (40')
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 2+1
Attacks: Bite
Damage: 2d6
Save: F3
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None
XP: 35

Skeletal sharks are often created by necromancers to guard their towers, swimming ceaselessly around and around in a moat surrounding their keeps. Not only do they attack those who enter the water, they possess the ability to leap from the water and attack individuals who approach within 10' of the water's edge. Doing so renders them mostly immobile, but they obviously do not die, and they can wriggle back to the water at 5' per round in addition to attacking those who come within melee range.

Necromancers who use such guardians will often either create wards or amulets that allow the bearer to approach the water's edge without being attacked, or program their creations to not attach those who follow a specific approach and walk a certain path.

Day Fourteen -- Senescent Vapor

Day Fourteen results in "Mist Monster". Rolling 1d100 three times gives us the results of: 86 (sucks away youth), 3 (to feed), 74 (central organ is solid or liquid and can be damaged).

Senescent Vapor
# encountered: 1d2

% in Lair: 0%
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 90' (30')
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 4+2*
Attacks: Aging attack
Damage: See below
Save: F4
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None
XP: 215

Senescent vapors appear as 10' diameter clouds of greenish vapor, with a central core that glows a brighter green color. They drift along the ground, seeking sentien beings to envelop and drain of youth and vitality. Every round a creature is within the radius of the mist they must make a Save v. Breath weapon or age 1d10 years. A senescent vapor is sated after draining 4d10 years, and will attempt to flee once that point is reached, rather than continue to drain life. The mists have not fixed lairs, but are most often found haunting dungeon corridors, remote cavern systems deep under the earth, and forgotten tombs.

Those killed by senscent vapors appear as brittle corpses, with hair turned white in seconds. If a senescent vapor doesn't feed within a month they enter a state of hibernation; the presence of sentient creatures within 30' cause them to awaken and stalk their prey. In this state they must consume twice the number of years they normally would (8d10), and if they can't they die within one day of re-awakening. Senescent vapors can only be damaged with magic or weapons that carry a +1 or better enchantment; in order to damage them the central core must be targeted. Doing so with melee weapons requires entering the mist, unless the attacker has polearms, spears or other similar weapons.

Day Thirteen -- Hypnodrakes

Day 13 brings us the first repetition, another draconic form. The first roll is a 7: dragon has elephant-like feet instead of claws and may be able to trample. It might also have hooves. Its unusual ability is a hypnotic theme, either due to a physical feature or vocal component. We haven't had any Lawful monsters yet, so I decided to go ahead and make them Lawful.

Hypnodrake
# encountered: 1d4

% in Lair: 50%
Alignment: Lawful
Movement: 90' (30')
     Flight: 240' (80')
Armor Class: 2
Hit Dice: 5
Attacks: Bite plus kick
Damage: 1d6/2d8
Save: F5
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: XVIII
XP: 200

Hypnodrakes have bodies about the size of large horses, with general dragon-like appearances: wings, prismatic scales, a whip-like tail and long, skinny neck and horned head. Curiously, their legs are those of horses. They are highly intelligent and curious.

Their shimmering scales are hypnotic to observe; anyone who looks at a hypnodrake must make a Save v. Spells to avoid being hypnotized for 1d4+1 rounds, incapable of performing any actions during this time. If the result of the Save is a natural 1 the target is charmed, as per the spell Charm Monster. They attack with a bite and a kick, but typically only do such in self-defense, as hypnodrakes are peaceful creatures and prefer to avoid conflict.

The creatures prefer to dwell in plains or hilly terrain, as likely to gallop on the ground as to fly through the air. Hypnodrakes are good parents, raising their young until they're old enough to survive on their own. 1 in 4 hypnodrakes cast spells as level 5 illusionists, without the need to have spellbooks. Hypnodrakes speak Common, Draconic and 1d4-1 other languages. They are long-lived, collecting information throughout their entire lives. Each hypnodrake specializes in a given subject, as a sage.

Lair Encounter

A family of three hypnodrakes dwells in an abandoned fortress in the Basilisk Hills. Actis and Shukar, a mated couple, and Drotral, their fifteen year-old foal, live in relative solitude, perfect for conducting their research. The two elder hypnodrakes are busy researching the remains of an ancient temple to a long forgotten antelope god, Yahdudrek; Actis specializes in the study of local gods and Shukar in the history of the Basilisk Hills. Drotral is old enough to leave the lair, but has proven useful in assisting her parents and so they have allowed her to stay.

Shukar can cast spells as a 5th level illusionist and knows the following spells: Color Spray, Light, Wall of Vapor, Detect Magic, Invisibility, Misdirection, Nondetection, Suggestion. Actis has 20 hp, Shukar 26 and Drotral 14. They have accumulated the following treasure in their exploration of the temple complex: 5000 cp, 1000 gp, a horn of blasting fashioned from an enormous antelope's horn and bound in silver, a warhammer +1, a staff of striking, two potions of healing and a clerical scroll containing a spell of Resurrection. 

The three hypnodrakes have been stymied in their research, however, as there are several chambers within the abandoned complex they cannot enter due to their size. They would be interested in hiring willing adventurers to complete their exploration.

Day Twelve -- Thorny Rambler

Day Twelve of 30 Monsters in 30 Days brings us a plant monster. A roll of 69 tells us it's a thorn-bush, the second roll (58) tells us it is Mobile. It's got mobile limb attacks (table 2-74) *and* a physical distance attack from Table 2-62 that causes physical damage. a result of 50 means it pulls itself along with vines. The result of Table 2-62 suggests the physical distance attack is a spray, a line of liquid, ooze or sap. Finally, the plant reduces by producing a tiny, gem-like seeds that birds carry away.

The result for limb attacks on Table 2-74 is a result of piercing limb. That is a good result, because it makes sense in the context of the monster.

Thorny Rambler
# encountered: 1d8

% in Lair: 0%
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 10'
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 1+2
Attacks: Spray or thorn
Damage: 1d4
Save: F1
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None
XP: 15

Thorny ramblers are semi-nomadic, barely intelligent thornbushes that ambulate slowly through thick woods and jungles, seeking prey to subdue and drain of blood. They move slowly, pulling themselves along on short vines.

It can sense living, warm-blooded creatures within 30', surprising them on a roll of 1-4 on 1d6. The thorny rambler attacks first with a spray of liquid paralytic with a +2 bonus to hit, with a range of 30', that can target a single individual per spurt. The target, if hit, must make a Save v. Poison or become paralyzed instantly for 1d6 hours. Once immobilized, the rambler drags itself towards its target and wraps its vines around it, hitting automatically, sucking 1d4 points of blood damage per round.

Once per year, in the spring, ramblers set a single, ruby-red flower that produces a small gem-like seed. It sprouts eight hours after eaten, driving small vines into the belly of the animal that ate it, killing it and feeding upon the blood of the critter.

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.

---------

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.