I've been suffering a little bit of writer's block of late, and when that happens, I like to take a randomly generated element (such as a monster or an adventure plot, or in the case of Traveller, a Universal World Profile) and try to build a cohesive gaming idea around it. Sometimes, in the process of working with such random items, a spark of creative thought inspires me, and I find myself back in the driver's seat, so to speak.
Other times, however, I start with an image, a picture or some other visual medium, and work backwards from there. For today, I went with a picture out of one of the later Monster Manuals from the 3E Era, and took it from there. (Since I can't use the monsters as they are because they are not Open Game Content, I may as well use my own home-brewed creatures inspired by their images, and run with that idea.) With that in mind, I'm going to start by offering up for your perusal the following trio of infernal animals for use with MyD20 Lite.
Dread Scavenger
The Dread Scavenger has the appearance of a mange-ridden hyena the size of a horse, with black, viscous poison dripping from its deadly teeth. Dread Scavengers are fierce beasts, but would much rather feed on carrion than hunt living prey, and will often disengage from combat if they can safely withdraw with a corpse to feast upon.
Dread Scavenger: Large Planar Monster (Unholy); CR 3; XP 600; HD 3d8 (14 hp); MV 8; AC 16; AT +5 bite (2d6+3, plus poison); SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +3; SA poison (1d6, Fort DC 13 negates); SQ darkvision, half damage from acid and cold, immune (poison, raise dead, resurrect), scent.
Infernal Prowler
An Infernal Prowler resembles a hairless wolf with a thick grey-green hide and a bony ridge running the length of its spine. The Infernal Prowler tends to skulk along the ground ahead of unholy forces, sneaking up on outlying guards and scouts to strike from surprise.
Infernal Prowler: Small Planar Monster (Unholy); CR 1; XP 300; HD 2d8 (9 hp); MV 7; AC 15; AT +4 2 claws (1d4-1); SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +3; SA sneak attack (+4 attack, +1d6 damage vs flanked or unaware opponents); SQ darkvision, immune (raise dead, resurrect).
Ravenous Glutton
The three-legged, three-armed round body of the Ravenous Glutton is topped by a single gaping maw, into which this ever-hungry beast stuffs anything slow enough to be caught. The Ravenous Glutton takes a particularly fiendish delight in rending the flesh of the recently fallen and feeding on the remains.
Ravenous Glutton: Medium Planar Monster (Unholy); CR 1; XP 300; HD 2d8 (9 hp); MV 6; AC 15; AT +4 bite (1d8); SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3; SA rend fallen (1d8 damage vs dropped opponent); SQ darkvision, immune (raise dead, resurrect).
Any feedback on the above would be appreciated. In particular, if you have any suggested name changes, I'm definitely open to such, so long as they sound appropriately flavorful, of course.
With Regards,
Flynn
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3 comments:
the names are perfect . . .
A very nasty trio indeed.
What is a 'dropped' foe?
A dropped foe is someone who collapses as the result of an attack. In other words, the damage from the attack causes them to drop in front of you. Usually, this is an unconscious character who is now dying or dead. On occasion, though, it's someone who is faking their death in order to avoid taking more damage or otherwise gain surprise against their enemy later on. While the rend fallen ability is designed to surprise the latter, it also provides game mechanics that support the bloodthirsty description of the beast.
Hope This Helps,
Flynn
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