Xenoterrarium Cube

The Xenoterrarium Cube is a rare creation, beloved by the more space-obsessed breed of wizard. They are a living ooze, bred to replicate the environment of a far-off world, ensuring their occupants stay alive and comfortable.

Killing them is discouraged - the aliens within may not live long, but their reactions with terrestrial biology are unpredictable.

They are rarely hostile, as they wish to keep their passengers alive. Though, if the Cube determines the passenger needs fresh food, they will go hunting.

Stats

HD: 3

AC: 12

Attacks with tendrils (which may be acidic, alkaline, or otherwise dangerous): two attacks, both at +2 to-hit, dealing 2d4 damage.

May also attack with the alien within: roll once on the Alien table to determine this attack's effects. When the Xenoterrarium Cube dies, the death effect on the Alien table activates as its passenger is exposed to the elements.

Alien Table

1. A long, deep red worm. It can attack by swimming into one of the Cube's tendrils, then reaching out to bite. This bite deals 1d6 damage and requires a Save against hallucinations from its psychoactive venom. When the Cube dies, the worm sublimates on contact with the air, releasing a 20x20 foot cloud of its poison.

2. A grey metallic sphere. It can attack by firing a laser at -2 to-hit (as it is refracted by the Cube), which deals 2d6 damage and sets the target on fire. It can be reflected with mirrors, though the Cube is immune to it. When the Cube dies, the sphere rusts away, leaving only the baseball-sized laser core. This core will set anything within 10 feet of it on fire until it is either smashed or doused with water.

3. A squid with knotted, thin tentacles bunched up in the small space of the Cube. It can stretch them, carefully, to grapple a PC within up to 100 feet of the Cube. When the Cube dies, the tendrils writhe as the alien burns, grabbing and throwing anything within 20 feet.

4. A two-foot-tall blue humanoid, capable of psychic communication and telepathic control of the Cube. It has interests and ambitions just as any person does. If provoked, it will attack with psychic bursts (1d4 damage and Save against temporary blindness as it cuts the signal between your eyes and brain). When the Cube is killed, the passenger attempts to escape by possessing someone within 50 feet, preferably an NPC. If it attempts to possess a PC, they must Save - on a pass, the alien's consciousness is repelled, and it dies. On a failed Save, the alien enters their head - not as a controller, but as a passenger. Both the PC and the alien can now talk to each other through thought.

5. A pair of hundred-legged lizards, separated by a ooze wall. They can both attack by spraying superheated blood from their eyes, leaving cloudy streaks through the Cube. This is two ranged attacks, each at +1 to-hit and dealing 1d6 damage. When the Cube dies, the wall collapses and both lizards fight to the death even as their scales crack from the Earth's air.

6. A spider-like creature with curled legs, constantly hopping up and down. As an attack, it will jump out of the Cube, trailing ooze behind it, and crash into a PC, dealing 1d8 damage and forcing a Save against falling prone, then bounce back into the cube. When the Cube dies, the alien begins to bounce randomly off the walls, accelerating with every impact as it speeds through the dungeon and dealing 1d8 damage plus one for every dungeon turn since it was freed when it hits something. Eventually, hopefully, it will find its way out of the dungeon and bounce back into space.

Cube Details Table

1. A tiny point of red light sits at the top of the cube - a miniature Sun to warm the passenger.

2. A gnarled tree with silver leaves grows through the cube.

3. Grass grows down from the top of the cube into the terrarium.

4. Tiny winged fish-bugs swim in spirals around the cube's main inhabitant.

5. Multicolored gravel covers the floor of the Cube.

6. A single pastel blue cloud sits, perfectly still, in the Cube's false sky.

Samurai Butterflies

Coming, as all other things do, from a strange discussion on the OSR discord.

The Samurai Butterflies are strange, ethereal creatures heralding from the Shining Isle, a wandering island that drifts across the oceans. Rarely, they wander into human lands, where they will gladly work as mercenaries, soldiers, and other combative professions, stating it is necessary for their kind to survive.

Some of them seem to remember events from long ago, and even events they say they died during. Whenever one dies, they shatter into a swarm of tiny blue butterflies, which fly in the direction of the Shining Isle.

HD: 0 (1 HP)
AC: 19
Movement: Flight 50', Walk 25'
Initiative: Always goes first.

Counter: When an attacker misses the Samurai Butterfly with a melee attack, the Butterfly immediately counters (as 1x Sword attack) and disarms the attacker.
Deflect Projectile: When an attacker misses the Samurai Butterfly with a ranged attack, the Butterfly catches and returns the projectile, using the attack's stats along with an extra +3 to hit.
Sever Magic: A single use of the Sword attack can be exchanged for a single charge of Sever Magic. If the Butterfly would be affected by a magical effect, it can choose to expend a charge and remove the effect.

Melee - Sword: 3 attacks with a +5 bonus to-hit, each dealing 1d8.
Ranged - Butterfly: The Samurai throws 3 small, blue butterflies, making 3 ranged attacks at a +3 bonus to-hit and dealing 1d6 damage.

Joesky Tax #72 (Rail Screamer)

Recently, Dan released a set of blog post prompts. Since my plan of "one post per week, every week" has been going... badly, I've decided to use some just to fill space.

Prompt
#72. Cryptids! Make some cryptids.

Cryptids are always attached to a location. Luckily, I live in a small Midwestern town on the edge of nowhere - the second-best location (after Oregonian forests) for cryptids. The town's built next to a pretty busy railroad, and every day I can hear trains passing.

At least, I think they're trains. I've never seen one. The rails are always empty when I look.

The Rail Screamer

A bent, gray creature covered in metallic plates, with a pair of floodlight eyes on stalks protruding from its front. The Rail Screamer crawls down train tracks, emanating long howls from the dozens of spiracles running along its back.

In all ways except for appearance, the Rail Screamer is a train. If it passes by you, a tremendous wind follows it. If it steps over you, you are crushed by its tremendous force. The Rail Screamer never stops moving, constantly turning its spotlights on everything around it like it's searching for something.

Using the Rail Screamer

The best use for the Rail Screamer is for a little self-contained mystery in a Delta Green (or similar supernatural mystery) game - someone was killed when their car was hit by a train, but the line's been closed for years. There's also the mystery of its search - what is it looking for? What happens if the Rail Screamer finds it?

You could also pull it out of its context and use it as just a monster. Perhaps their speed makes them the backbone of a nomadic people, or an important piece of modern cavalry tactics. Or, of course, their could just be one in a pit somewhere, sending its cry up into the air.

Stats

I know I namedropped Delta Green up there, but I know my audience, so these are more generic OSR-style stats.

HP: 20

AC: 16

Speed: 528 ft. (60 miles per hour)

Overrun: When the Rail Screamer moves over someone, they must make a Dex save or take 3d8 damage and be thrown 100 feet backwards as they are hit by a train. Overrun also triggers on obstacles like walls. When Overrun is triggered, the Rail Screamer cannot move on its next turn.

Mind the Gap: When the Rail Screamer moves, everyone within 30 feet is pulled along with it by extreme winds, taking 2d6 damage as they are dragged across the ground.

This is an incredibly lethal statblock, with very high damage output and utterly preposterous speed. Ranged attacks might help the players for a short time, but the sheer speed of the Rail Screamer will make that a dangerous plan.

However, as long as your players have some warning that they are fighting a train, they should be fine.

Probably.

Preparing Sewer Rats, Part 2 (Bestiary)

Last time on this series, we went over the basic premise of Sewer Rats, and built some prep tools to make running the game easier. Now, we continue working on dungeoncrawling basics with

m o n s t e r s

Since the true theme of this series is laziness, I'm not making my own monsters, that would be ridiculous! Instead, all of these are stolen from the video game Noita.

They're organized by difficulty - over time, you should start slowly integrating higher level enemies into dungeons - both rooms and random encounters. For example, the first dungeon might be entirely Level 1, the second will have 1 Level 2, the third will have 2, etc. If your players are having a really easy time, you should start turning the level up faster.

Level 1

Hurtta

Hurtta are shelled, crawling creatures of the underground. They mostly hunt Hämis, but have no issue with taking bites out of an incautious Guildsman.

STR: 10 DEX: 8 WIL: 4
HP: 4
Bite: 1d6 damage.

Hämis

Hämis are waist-high violet tripods, with rubbery skin stretched taut over a thin skeleton. Their head holds three green, pupil-less eyes, and their legs end in barbed spikes. They are not predatory, but they are very territorial, and will lunge explosively towards perceived threats.

STR: 6 DEX: 12 WIL: 4
HP: 2
Lunge: The Hämis leaps 30 feet forward and stabs into a target, dealing 1d4 damage.

Limanuljaska
Limanuljaska are strange beings, seemingly risen spontaneously from the sewers themselves. They float aimlessly, rarely taking an interest in the world around them. They truly cannot exist - they have no organs, no blood, only a poisonous, pressurized ooze.

STR: 4 DEX: 4 WIL: 4
HP: 3
High Pressure: Whenever a Limanuljaska takes damage, they release a 10' long stream of toxic ooze in the direction the damage came from. Anyone hit by the stream takes 1 STR damage.
Poison Orb: 1 damage direct to STR.

Rotta
I mean, the game is called Sewer Rats. I had to have them somewhere.

STR: 2 DEX: 10 WIL: 4
HP: 2
Bite: 1d4 damage.
Filch: The Rotta grabs one item held by the target, and starts to run away with it.

Hiisi
The Hiisi come from an advanced society, living somewhere underground. Some of them reach closer to the surface to explore, running into Guildsmen on the way. Their bodies are humanoid, with gray-green skin and odd faces - all the structures of a human (eyes, nose, etc.) but rearranged; no two Hiisi have identical arrangements.

Hiisi Grenadier
STR: 12 DEX: 10 WIL: 11
HP: 3
Knife: 1d6 damage.
Grenade: 1d8 damage in a 30' radius. DEX save for half. Each Grenadier carries 3.

Hiisi Pyro
STR: 12 DEX: 8 WIL: 11
HP: 3
Knife: 1d6 damage.
Flamethrower: 1d6 damage in a 40' cone. DEX save for half. Sets flammable objects aflame.

Hiisi Soldier
STR: 13 DEX: 11 WIL: 12
HP: 5
Machinegun: 3 ranged attacks, each dealing 1d4 damage. Can attack different people.

Shotgun Hiisi
STR: 13 DEX: 11 WIL: 12
HP: 5
Shotgun: 2d6 damage, ranged.

Level 2

Lepakko

Lepakko are flying squid-like creatures. They fear light and heat, as they must stay moist to survive. They build faintly glowing purple webs to block off escape routes, then attack suddenly with bites and sticky projectiles.

STR: 7 DEX: 14 WIL: 4
HP: 3
Heat-Fearing: The Lepakko takes 1 damage every time it ends its turn inside the radius of a source of light and heat.
Flyby: 1d4 damage, then the Lepakko moves 30 feet.
Trap Shot: DEX save or be immobilized for 1d4 turns. You can still act, just not move.

Happonuljaska
Happonuljaska form from groups of Limanuljaska fusing together in times of stress. Around Happonuljaska, Limanuljaska become more present and observant, as well as much more aggressive.

STR: 4 DEX: 4 WIL: 4
HP: 5
Influence: The highest Reaction Roll result that can occur with a Happonuljaska is Hostile. This effect applies to all Limanuljaska near it.
High Pressure: Whenever a Happonuljaska takes damage, they release a 10' long stream of acid in the direction the damage came from. Anyone hit by the stream takes 1d4 damage and loses one random item.
Acidic Orb: 1d4 damage and the target loses one random item.

Laahustussieni

Laahustussieni cores grow deep in the sewers. Once they are ready to release their spores, several Laahustussieni grow off from the core and wander until they find a good location to explode, releasing their spores.

STR: 6 DEX: 6 WIL: 2
HP: 2
Death Wish: The Laahustussieni will leap in front of attacks, taking the damage instead of the intended target.
Spore Bomb: When the Laahustussieni dies, it releases a 30' cloud of spores. Roll 1d4 for the effect of the spores.
1. Hallucinogen
2. Intoxicating - roll with Advantage (Into the Odd is a roll-under system) for all checks for 1d6 turns
3. Blindness - you sure are blind! All attacks have a 3-in-6 chance of missing, along with other effects of... blindness.
4. Just Poison - 1 damage direct to STR.

Tulikärpänen

Tulikärpänen are large, luminous insects found in some deeper parts of the sewers. Their threatening greenish glow comes from a solution of white phosphorous dissolved in oils. They are usually left alone - not just because of their danger, but also a long-standing belief that they come from dead torchbearers.

STR: 6 DEX: 11 WIL: 4
HP: 5
Rupture: Upon death, the Tulikärpänen explodes violently, dealing 1d6 damage in a 30' radius, setting flammable objects alight.
Phosphoric Vapors: 1d8 damage in a 50' cone. DEX save for half. Sets flammable objects aflame.

Tankki
Tankki are tracked machines built by the Hiisi for use as fire support in extremely dangerous environments. They are controlled by a limited AI, commanded by a nearby group of Hiisi.

KK-Tankki
STR: 13 DEX: 4 WIL: 10
HP: 10
Artificial: KK-Tankki are immune to poisons, mind-affecting magic, and disease. They take half damage from normal weapons (swords, guns), but double damage from electricity and explosions.
Heavy Machinegun: 3 ranged attacks, each dealing 2d4 damage. Can attack different people.

IT-Tankki
STR: 13 DEX: 4 WIL: 10
HP: 10
Artificial: IT-Tankki are immune to poisons, mind-affecting magic, and disease. They take half damage from normal weapons (swords, guns), but double damage from electricity and explosions.
Rocket Launcher: 1d10 damage in a 50' radius. DEX save for half.

Laser-Tankki
STR: 13 DEX: 4 WIL: 10
HP: 10
Artificial: Laser-Tankki are immune to poisons, mind-affecting magic, and disease. They take half damage from normal weapons (swords, guns), but double damage from electricity and explosions.
Beam Emitter: 1d6 damage, adding 1d6 with each turn the Laser-Tankki spends charging.

Häivehiisi
Hidden under advanced metamaterials, Häivehiisi are used for scouting. Remember, if you see one, there are many more.

STR: 8 DEX: 12 WIL: 10
HP: 3
Invisible: It requires a WIL save to notice a Häivehiisi or find its location.
Splinter Rifle: This weapon deals no damage on a hit. On the target's turn, they take 1d6 damage from no apparent source.

Level 3

Hahmonvaihtaja
Hahmonvaihtaja are dark spirits, risen from the Underworld. They are perfect shapeshifters, copying faces and voices to manipulate humans into their bidding. If their machinations fail, they shift to their true form, and enter war at the head of a swarm of Hyypiö.

STR: 12 DEX: 12 WIL: 14
HP: 10
Shapeshifter: Hahmonvaihtaja can perfectly copy the form of another being.
Claw: 2 attacks at 2d6 damage each.
Infernal Pillars: 3 pillars of fire, each with a 20' radius, form around the Hahmonvaihtaja. Anyone touching the pillars take 1d12 damage. Ranged attacks fired through the pillars are instantly destroyed. These pillars last until the Hahmonvaihtaja is killed or leaves the area.

Hyypiö
Hyypiö are accursed souls, dragged up from the Underworld at the behest of a Hahmonvaihtaja. The heavy clay masks chained to their faces glow with red firelight when provoked by Arcana.

STR: 6 DEX: 8 WIL: 4
HP: 4
Rune of Command: The Hyypiö can copy and use the effect of any Arcana near it.
Death Wish: The Hyypiö will leap in front of attacks, taking the damage instead of the intended target.

Infernal Spirit: When the Hyypiö is killed, it creates an Infernal Pillar where it dies.
Flail: 1d6 damage.

Mulkkio
Mulkkio come from Happonuljaska, mutated from strange substances in the deepest parts of the sewers. Unlike the Happonuljaska's wide acid orifice, the Mulkkio's has constricted unnaturally, releasing not a sphere of acid, but a high-pressure, destructive jet. Luckily, this mutation stops Limanuljaska from seeing them as a leader.

STR: 10 DEX: 10 WIL: 6
HP: 15
Higher Pressure: Whenever a Mulkkio takes damage, they release a 30' long stream of acid in the direction the damage came from. Anyone hit by the stream takes 2d4 damage and loses 3 random items.
Acidic Jet: 2d4 damage and the target loses 3 random items.

Peitsivartija

Peitsivartija are tall, thin Hiisi machines with a broad wedge-shaped head. They hold a large railgun that fires foot-long metal spikes. 

STR: 10 DEX: 14 WIL: 10
HP: 10
Artificial: Peitsivartija are immune to poisons, mind-affecting magic, and disease. They take half damage from normal weapons (swords, guns), but double damage from electricity and explosions.
Railgun: 2d6 damage and drags the target 40' backwards. If they are dragged into a wall, they are pinned by the spike and must make a STR save to pull it out.

Salamurhaajarobotti

Salamurhaajarobotti are released into the sewers by the Hiisi to hunt for intruders. They are shockingly fast, and defended by a indestructible energy field.

STR: 10 DEX: 14 WIL: 10
HP: 10
Artificial: Salamurhaajarobotti are immune to poisons, mind-affecting magic, and disease. They take half damage from normal weapons (swords, guns), but double damage from electricity and explosions.
Energy Field: The Salamurhaajarobotti takes no damage from attacks hitting it in the front.
Beam Sword: 4d6 damage

Robottikyttä
Robottikyttä are unstoppable titans of metal, standing twice as high as a man and bearing a massive rotary cannon. The Hiisi use them to defend their most vital installations.

STR: 16 DEX: 10 WIL: 10
HP: 20
Indomitable: The Robottikyttä's weight lets it crash through walls with ease.
Artificial: Robottikyttä are immune to poisons, mind-affecting magic, and disease. They take half damage from normal weapons (swords, guns), but double damage from electricity and explosions.

Active Countermeasures: When hit by an attack, the Robottikyttä releases a 20' plume of electrified smoke that lasts 3 turns. Everyone inside the smoke takes 1d6 damage on the Robottikyttä's round.

Rotary Cannon: 4 ranged attacks, each dealing 2d6 damage. Can attack different people.

His Seraphim (Sunless Horizon)

This is a pretty short post, mostly to try out a more vague style. Tell me what you think in the comments!

Playing a Long Game

Keter is, to a point, under siege - the Navigator Houses spread through His halls, pulling apart the decks, opening doors, and tearing out components all across Ein Soph. It's not a problem yet, but Keter knows, some day thousands of years from now, His resources will be expended. There's only so much metal.

But there is endless flesh.

The Seraphs 

Seraphs are built from human DNA, saved in the Ein Soph's databanks. They are stretched, modified, augmented. They become awful, crawling things - if this stage fails, they are released, where they become a Hanged King of the Ghouls. 

From here, they are enhanced - permanently affixed to titanic exoskeletons, welded to horrific weapons, and anointed by Infopriests. 

The Seven

Luminous Uriel

Uriel bows under the weight of its weapon - a titanic plasma emitter, releasing tides of burning light. As the emitter fires, Uriel burns, screaming as its flesh melts against its armor.

Its light is unstoppable, slipping through the smallest hole in its blind quest to burn away heresy.

Silver-Tongued Gabriel

Gabriel reaches out with its dozen tongues, hunting for those who would escape Keter's wrath. Its voice is a honeyed lie, twisting itself to draw in its prey. It has hunted through the halls forever, tuning its mimicry over countless repetitions.

Valorous Michael

Michael is Keter's sword and hand, descending from heaven to scatter His foes. Its bent, twisted hands grasp a long, time-dulled blade it brings to bear to crush all who would stand against it.

Merciful Raphael

Raphael brings mercy and darkness to the legions raised against Keter. High towers stand upon its back, pouring out nanobot suspension fluid - an oily black liquid that twitches and slithers as if alive, and grows featureless arms to grasp and infect.

Truth-Giving Selaphiel

Selaphiel shows the truth to heretics - its wide eyes display His words, and those that see them suffer. All of His infohazards are arranged in front of it, chosen as a surgeon chooses their tools.

Radiant Jegudiel

Jegudiel glows with an unearthly light - Cherenkov radiation ejected from its heart, a violently unstable reactor. Its breath ferries dust and ash out into the world, and the light of its heart goes with it.

Trumpeting Barachiel

Barachiel is a guardian angel, in total control of the world around it. Doors open at its glance, machines scream and join it, augments rebel against their masters. Antennae sprout from its eyeless, blinded head, projecting its binary orders.

The Seas Boiled Away: A 5 Monster Setting

10 monster settings were created by 3 Toadstools, but since then the formula (10 categories, a monster for each, make a setting out of it) hasn't changed. I want to see if the settings get easier or harder to make (and if they're more or less interesting) with a different number of monsters.

The Seas Boiled Away - 5 Monsters

Intelligent: Eloko (CC1 Creature Compendium)

Aerial: Alkonost (Kobold Press Creature Codex)

Aquatic: Draug (Asgard, Issue 1)

Big: Buru (CC1 Creature Compendium)

Small: Acid Ant (Kobold Press Creature Codex)

"The Eloko are to blame!" cried the world, as the seas boiled away and the Eloko crawled out of them, at war with the land. 

As the oceans vanished, the world was covered in rain, becoming hotter and more humid - by the time the war against the Eloko was won, the earth was mostly jungle. 

The plains that used to be the seas are impassable: the Draug drag the ships they died on across the empty seafloor as the possessed Alkonosts circle above them, crying for the bodies they once had.

The Eloko who survived build their towns atop the long amphibian Buru as their skins are resistant to the Acid Ants that spread like a plague as the world changed. The ants are so numerous some parts of the world have been eaten down to nothing but stone as the ants consumed everything.

Humanity is dominant - the old races died out as the climate shifted, and the Eloko have been pushed back to the edge of the continents.

Adventure Hooks

1. An old treasure ship has been sighted, pulled along by hundreds of Draug. If you could catch up to it, you could become rich beyond your wildest dreams.

2. An Eloko clan has decided to continue the old war - they ride on Buru and throw bags filled with Acid Ants as they advance.
3. From the coast, you can see Alkonosts circling. And talking. About you: how much they need your body. They'll take it from you.
4. An Acid Ant nest has been raised in the middle of town overnight. While the populace evacuates, you could use this time to loot the town.

Verdict
It might be that I used fantasy monsters for a fantasy setting, but I don't like this one as much as The Flesh Descends. It's post-apocalyptic (again), but in a much less interesting way.

I do like my categories, however - by removing Extradimensional and Mythological you can make pure-SF settings without any fantasy weirdness.

The Flesh Descends: a 10 Monster Setting

The Flesh Descends

#tenmonstersetting!

Intelligent Humanoid: Zern (3.5 Monster Manual IV)

Undead: Leftover Special (Eclipse Phase X-Risks)

Ancient: Wastewalker (Eclipse Phase X-Risks)

Big & Angry: Slouch (Eclipse Phase X-Risks)

Lizard-thing: Wedon (The Apocalyptic Post, Issue 2)

Aerial: Aeronautilus (The Apocalyptic Post, Issue 3)

Aquatic: Mud Puppie (The Apocalyptic Post, Issue 1)

Extradimensional: Spirrax (3.5 Monster Manual V)

Mythological: Hydra

Unpleasant & Underground: Blister Beast (Eclipse Phase X-Risks)

So, having taken monsters mostly from The Apocalyptic Post (a Gamma World zine) and Eclipse Phase, the obvious choice would be a sci-fi setting.

So let's do the opposite. 

Transhumanity has been gone for a very long time. A thousand thousand years ago, they opened up a gate to a higher dimension, and went through it. 

That gate killed the world. The transhumans who stayed became Wastewalkers - masked terrors from a prior age. Less than a hundred still survive, leading nations with their advanced, augmented minds. The Zern wield the arcanotech of the Wastewalkers, but have forgotten what they were for - the Wastewalkers' bioconstructs have been torn apart and put back together into the horrific Leftover Specials. 

The Spirrax came down from the gate the transhumans opened - as the Aeronautiluses scout for transhuman technology, the Spirrax descend and consume it before grinding spirals into the earth as summoning sigils for the Hydra - manifestations of the unholy will of the Spirrax. Magic comes from the Sigilblooded, who have spent enough time around the Spirrax for their will to be enhanced in the same way.

Algos, the largest nation of this world, is trapped between long mountain ranges infested with burrowing Blister Beasts. The swamp to the south is covered in the quick-breeding amphibian Mud Puppies, preying on the large Wedon - their emotion-manipulating pheromones make them unassailable to the Zern. Only the Wastewalkers, with their synthetic minds, can hunt them.

The capital city of Algos is heavily fortified, with thick walls culminating in a high iron dome. The borders of the city are patrolled by Slouches - large automatons built by pre-apocalypse Wastewalkers.

Adventure Hooks

1. A cache of transhuman technology has been found in the swamps below Algos - can you reach it before the Spirrax descend and consume it?

2. An earthquake has collapsed a trade route - anyone moving across it will fall into a nest of Blister Beasts.

3. The ceiling above the capital has collapsed. Now, the Aeronautiluses can see into the city. They can see the technology stored within. A Spirrax will soon descend and tear the city apart.

4. You have been found guilty - your punishment is to kill a Wedon. But how can you kill it without getting near it?

5. Leftover Specials are starting to decay - with their minds slowing and muscles stopping, the labor force will soon collapse. Some Zern are planning to create more. By kidnapping the living.

6. A Wastewalker has assembled an army, and is moving towards the city. The Slouches will obey his commands just as they obey the leaders of Algos. 

Advanced Skeleton-ing

why did i write this

Welcome to Richard's Half-Price Necropolis

All the Skeleton, Half the... uh. 

hooray...

 Here at Richard's, we milk bad jokes for all they're worth have everything for your skeleton-based needs!

Think skeletons are just too stupid on their own? We sell Psionic Skeletons - 100% organic Illithid brain-paste stuck to the inside of the skull for maximum effectiveness! Make your enemies marvel at the inefficiency of raising a brainless form only to put another brain in it!

The main advantage of skeletons is the cargo space! Beehive Skeletons make the most of it by wedging angry bees into the ribcage, for excellent area denial!

All this sounding too natural? Move up the tech-tree a bit to whatever-punk with Flamethrower Skeletons! Use up all that empty space with volatile fuel tanks! Even in death they burn with anger! (and also fire).

Don't want fire around your houseplants? Try Electric Skeletons - wires connected to the arms and legs make each attack shockingly powerful!

HARNESS THE POWER

make it stop

That was amazingly bad. As penance, have some stats for the utter nonsense I've created.

Exceptionally Average Skeleton
HD: 1
AC: 10

Attacks
Whack: 1d6 damage
Arm Throw: 1d4 damage + Grapple

Psionic Skeleton
HD: 1
AC: 10

Telekinetic Field: Arrows are at -2 to hit. Missed arrows are redirected at the Psionic Skeleton's enemies.

Attacks
Whack: 1d6 damage
Telekinetic Shove: A human-sized target within 50' is thrown backwards 30', taking 1d4 damage per 10' traveled. Throwing a creature at another target requires the Psionic Skeleton to make a successful attack roll against the target of the throw. If the roll is successful, both characters take 1d6 damage per 10' of travel. 1/day


Beehive Skeleton 
HD: 1
AC: 10

Eyes of the Swarm: The Beehive Skeleton sees through the eyes of its bees. 

Attacks
Whack: 1d6 damage
BEES: Bees swarm around your head, blinding you.
The Hive: The Beehive Skeleton tears out its beehive and throws it up to 30'. A 10' radius around the hive is filled with enraged bees, blinding and dealing 1d4 damage per turn to everyone inside the radius. They relax after 1d6 turns.

Flamethrower Skeleton
HD: 1
AC: 12

Volatile: If critically hit, the Flamethrower Skeleton explodes (as Fireball).

Attacks
Whack: 1d6 damage
Flamethrower: As Burning Hands

Electric Skeleton
HD: 1
AC: 13

Conduction: Melee attacks against the Electric Skeleton conduct electricity into the attacker, dealing 1d4 damage.

Attacks  
Electric Whack: 1d8 damage, CON save or stun
Whip: 1d4 damage, CON save or stun, ranged

Pendragon of Mars Monsters & Races

Pendragon of Mars was a seven session campaign run by Monsters and Manuals all the way back in 2013 (I know it wasn't that long ago but I wouldn't know what an RPG was if you concussed me with one in 2013). For some reason, I found the concept (feudal mech-knights on Mars) weirdly enthralling, despite its silliness.

So I planned to start running it (with a combination of a boiled-down Pendragon and ICRPG fan-made mech hack), before realizing I had no monsters.

I don't know how useful this post will be (with stats given for Pendragon instead of any conventional OSR systems) but it'll become more helpful if/when I release a polished-up Pendragon of Mars hack.

Monsters of Mars

Geteit Chemosit
Geteit Chemosit are cylindrical, 4-legged automata wandering the deserts of Mars, attacking people and stealing their brains to bring back to their masters. There are two types: the oldest Geiteit Chemosit were made of a durable green ceramic before the apocalypse, while the more recent are made of red stone by the Martians.

All Geteit Chemosit are controlled by the brains they steal from the people they attack.

Some scouts have sent reports of Heitet Chemosit: they tower over even the largest Geteit.

noisms stole it first

HP: 60
Unconscious: 15
Armor: 8

SIZ: 18 (215 lbs)
DEX: 4
STR: 18
CON: 13

Move: 2
Healing Rate: 0
Damage: 6d6

Combat Skills: Crush 13
Skills: Avoidance 2

Decapitate: If a character is Unconscious next to the Geteit Chemosit, it can spend its action sawing through the character's head and removing its brain, instantly killing the character.

Modrons
Modrons were a pre-apocalypse plan for terraforming Mars. Since the apocalypse, they've spent their time excavating and building in random places. They all come from the northern Modron's Wilderness: a landscape edited into a forest of perfectly geometric stones and tall pillars.

JESUS CHRIST I HAD NO IDEA THESE WERE SO CREEPY

HP: 10
Unconscious: 2
Armor: 2

SIZ: 1 (10 lbs)
DEX: 14
STR: 3
CON: 5

Move: 5
Healing Rate: 0
Damage: 1d6

Combat Skills: Claw 11
Skills: Avoidance 12, Industry 20

Sandworms

Sadly they do not come as cakes.

The deserts of Mars are patrolled by giant sandworms with mouths the size of houses.

Making loud noises does not attract sandworms: in fact, it intimidates them and forces them away.

HP: 100
Unconscious: 25

Armor:

SIZ: 55 (2 tons)
DEX: 2
STR: 20
CON: 18

Move: 7
Healing Rate: 5
Damage: 10d6

Combat Skills: Bite 19
Skills: None

Races of Mars

The Pale
The Pale are whip-thin and up to 10 feet tall; their heads are hollow toruses, with a reflective black dot floating in the center. They have no eyes or mouths.

According to folklore, the Pale are the ghosts of the dead ancients: the Crowned Ones who colonized Mars and built the mechs that are still passed down. The Pale support these rumors; it makes people leave them alone.

Martians
Martians are mole-like bipeds with a stark red coat. They are nearly blind, seeing with a tendril-covered nose.

They live below the surface of Mars, where their mine-cities stretch for hundreds of miles.

The Martian nations are careful to keep relations between each other jovial: a care they stretch to the human kings as well.


Xosna
Xosna are small, weak things with a single, 3-pupilled eye. They are on a crusade to bring their religion (and the advancements of their society) to the rest of the world. To the human kingdoms, they are a plague that constantly pushes its borders.

The Xosna are organized into a caste system of queens, workers, and praetors, who are the vast majority in the Xosna crusade. Praetors are sealed into their mechs for life.

If there are other Xosna nations, they have not been heard from. Perhaps they support this crusade as well.

A Positively Monstrous Way of Thinking

heh, puns

Back in 2010, noisms posted a piece on fighting large groups vs. single large enemies. In his experience, D&D is often paired with the first method, where encounters are against groups of monsters, with single foes only appearing as rare boss fights.

I'm more interested in the second approach, which he titles "Giant Slaying": rare encounters with large, threatening, and unique single enemies. In my opinion, this could be expanded even further into a monster of the week style game, where entire adventures are built around a single monster.

Each of these adventures are split into two portions: the chase and the kill. For some monsters, the chase is the hard part, while others are easy to find, but difficult to kill.

For example, I used the Forge to create 4 monster names: Soul Halcyon, Pale Antler Dragon, Needler Heart, and the Lotus Beak Wyrm.

All of these are meant to be difficult fights for 1st or 2nd level parties, so stat accordingly.

Soul Halcyon
The Soul Halcyon is an infection as much as it is a monster. It spreads between people, connecting a hyper-empathic hivemind: the infected are so nice they'll point you towards the Soul Halcyon itself: the problem is catching up to it.

The Chase: The Soul Halcyon's physical form is fast, but the hive will point you straight to it. The Soul Halcyon will seek large population centers to infect.

The Kill: The Soul Halcyon's speed continues to reward it in combat: it's twice as fast as a man, and can fly short distances. Along with melee attacks, its scream forces WIS saves to resist inclusion into the hivemind (treat as a Dominate Person spell).

Pale Antler Dragon
The Pale Antler Dragon doesn't fit in the forests it lives in: it only feels comfortable when its wide spines scrape against the trees.

 

The Chase: The Pale Antler Dragon shifts through the densest parts of trees, constantly scraping as it moves. Its cowardly nature leads to its use of simple traps and diversions: creating decoys to lead the party under a falling log, for instance.

The Kill: Getting the Pale Antler Dragon into a straight fight mandates trickery and traps to stop it from barreling over a tree and vanishing into the forest. When finally cornered, the Pale Antler Dragon is a violent melee combatant, throwing PCs across the forest with wide sweeps of its horns and crushing them with its claws.

Needler Heart 
The Needler Heart is an immobile construct buried underground, slowly infecting the earth with spiked tunnels and fractal pathways.

The Chase: Navigating the maze-like passages around the Heart takes time as they shift around you: every round there's a 1-in-6 chance they flail wildly, requiring DEX checks to avoid the waving spikes.

The Kill: The Needler Heart is immobile but surrounded by writhing spikes: cutting them off is easy, but they attack you freely as long as you're in range. The Heart can grow spikes from the floor to effectively remove parts of the terrain, or attack directly by extending a massive needle.

Lotus Beak Wyrm
The Lotus Beak Wyrm's scales flake off constantly, creating a hallucinogenic haze around it, that remains as it moves through the mountains its made home.

The Chase: Following the Lotus Beak Wyrm directly only gets the PCs more lost as the hallucinogens set in.

The Kill: The Wyrm is very lightly armored, but the combination of the waving fronds on its body and the hallucinations create a very unpleasant environment to fight. The hallucinogens are deactivated by water: shoving the Wyrm into a lake or stream will make it far easier to kill or capture.

The Desolation, Part 1: Creatures of the Desolation

The Desolation

The Desolation is an ice desert, comprised of tiny fragments of ice and sand and irradiated with horrible magics. With the rising sun, it becomes a hellscape of blinding light and wandering Prismwraiths. At night, the cold can crack even the most hardened adventures (if the creatures that awaken with the darkness don't first).

Cultivators

The Cultivators go through a metamorphic life, being born as small worm-like creatures and buried in some of the deeper chambers of their underground Hivecities. Decisions are made by the Queen's Circle, made up of the queens of every Hivecity.

The Cultivators are the only source of plants in the Desolation, and thus are often under attack by some creature or another, or under siege by the elves. To protect themselves, they fabricated the Wyrm Eaters, and military service is mandatory if a Hivecity comes under assault.

Cultivators worship the Inner Gods: ancient titans buried beneath the earth, revealed through fault lines. It is said some of the deepest Hivecities have burrowed all the way down to where the Inner Gods live. Cultivator clerics of Inner Gods such as Ursek, Ar-Torak, and Om-Tira are common in the larger Hivecities.

Image Credit: Cloister.se

Cultivator

Medium Monstrosity, Lawful Good

---

• Armor Class 12 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 10 (2d8)
• Speed 30 ft., burrow 15 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	8 (-1)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)	6 (-3)

---

• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 12
• Skills Arcana +2, Survival +2
• Languages Cultivator
• Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
• Damage Immunities Cold

---

Actions

Multiattack: The Cultivator can make 2 claw attacks

Claw: Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) slashing damage

Maidenfly

Maidenflies are bioengineered pollinators created by the Cultivators, with multiple pollen sacs, often filled with poisonous or irritating pollens, and their large proboscis, they can be somewhat dangerous, although they are very passive, and do not attack without a command from the Cultivators.

Image Credit: Cloister.se

Maidenfly

Tiny Monstrosity, Lawful Neutral

---

• Armor Class 12
• Hit Points 8
• Speed 10 ft., fly 65 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
6 (-2)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)	3 (-4)	14 (+2)	5 (-3)

---

• Senses Darkvision 20 ft., Passive Perception 11
• Skills None
• Languages -
• Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
• Damage Immunities Cold

---

Actions

Jab: 1d4 piercing damage, +2 to hit, 5 ft. reach, one target

Stunning Pollen: All creatures other than Maidenflies, Cultivators, and Wyrm Eaters in a 30 foot dome around the Maidenfly must make a DC 5 constitution save or be stunned for two turns.

Irritating Pollen: All creatures other than Maidenflies, Cultivators, and Wyrm Eaters in a 30 foot dome around the Maidenfly must make a DC 10 constitution save or have disadvantage on to hit rolls as well as attackers having advantage on affected targets for the next 3 turns.

Vitalizing Pollen: All Maidenflies, Cultivators, and Wyrm Eaters within a 30 foot dome around the Maidenfly gain +10 ft. of movement, +1 to hit rolls, and 5 temporary hit points.

Prismwraith

Prismwraiths are formed by the reflected light of the Desolation reacting with the magical radiation contained within. They spend their single day wandering, with their fragmented minds racing to understand what they are. Large amounts of them congregate to Elven cities, where they can find the light they need to survive.

Prismwraiths are not always immediately aggressive, but often lash out in confusion. They vanish at sunset, with the loss of the light that makes them up.

Prismwraith

Medium Celestial, Chaotic Evil

---

• Armor Class 14
• Hit Points 65
• Speed 0 ft., fly 80 ft., (hover)

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
6 (-2)	16 (+3)	16 (+3)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	5 (-3)

---

• Senses Passive Perception 16
• Skills None
• Languages -
• Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
• Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered
• Damage Immunities necrotic, poison, cold, radiant
• Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
• Incorporeal Movement: The wraith can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
• Solar Powered: The Prismwraith disappears if not touched by sunlight.

---

Actions

Radiant Cone: 2d10 radiant damage, 15 ft. cone

Radiant Beam: 2d8 radiant damage, 75 ft. range, one target

Wyrm Eater

Wyrm Eaters are bred and kept by the Cultivators for use as protectors. Their circular antennae connect them to the energies of magic, and their large size and destructive mandibles make them formidable opponents in close combat.

Wyrm Eaters fight quickly and violently, but each has been trained to minimize collateral damage.

Image Credit: Cloister.se

Wyrm Eater

Medium Monstrosity, Lawful Neutral

---

• Armor Class 18
• Hit Points 37
• Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)	11 (+1)	12 (+1)	6 (-3)

---

• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 16
• Skills None
• Languages -
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)
• Damage Immunities Cold
• Charge If the Wyrm Eater moves at least 30 ft. straight toward a target and then hits it with a Slam attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 3d6 bludgeoning damage.

---

Actions

Slam: 1d10 bludgeoning damage, +2 to hit, 5 ft. reach, one target

Kinetic Blast: 1d8 force damage, 100 ft. range, one target

Acid Spray (Recharge 4-5-6): Deals 2d6 acid damage in a 30 ft. line, 5 ft. wide

Kinetic Storm (Recharge 5-6) Fires 4 blasts, each dealing 1d8 force damage with a range of 100 ft. You can direct the blasts at the same target or at different ones. Make a separate to hit roll and attack roll for each blast.

Silentwyrm

Silentwyrms burrow under Cultivator farms, hiding their heads by folding the leafy flaps behind their head over their titanic maw, waiting for a Cultivator to come by. Silentwyrms will focus on killing or knocking one person unconscious, then dragging them away.

Even if their camouflage is broken, Silentwyrms are big, violent, and destructive: perfect for DMs to use against players who think there's nothing to be afraid of in the Hivecities.

Image Credit: Cloister.se

Silentwyrm

Large Monstrosity, unaligned

---

• Armor Class 18
• Hit Points 154
• Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	8 (-1)	18 (+4)	11 (+1)	12 (+1)	6 (-3)

---

• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Blindsight 120 ft., Passive Perception 16
• Skills None
• Languages -
• Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
• Damage Immunities Cold

---

Actions

Multiattack: The Silentwyrm makes 2 Claw attacks.

Bite: 1d10 bludgeoning damage, 1d6 piercing damage +3 to hit, 30 ft. reach, one target, then attempts to grapple.

Consume: The Silentwyrm makes one bite attack against a Medium or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, that creature takes the bite's damage and is swallowed, and the grapple ends. While swallowed, the creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the Silentwyrm, and it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the Silentwyrm's turns. If the Silentwyrm takes 30 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the Silentwyrm must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the Silentwyrm. If the Silentwyrm dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone.

Claw: 2d10 slashing damage, +5 to hit, 60 ft. reach, one target