Hello, Andy Bartmess wanted me to post some of his revised dark creatures to this list, so I started digging some up. I will send a few more posts over the next week or so. Stay tuned. Joe R *********** Blob ------------------------------- No. Appearing: 1 Size: Various Battle Ability: 6 Vitality: 20 Enchantment: Gloom and Doom Strength Attacked: EN Strength Damaged: JO Passed by: Touch Physical Attacks: Rotting for SS DL from ST, AG, EN Deep within the recesses of the earth, where the Dragons scurry and plot their vile works, you may find a horrible mass of quivering muck known as a Blob! The viscous mass is generally no larger than a cubic yard, but may spread itself out very thinly over a floor or ceiling if it cares to, and will wait for years for it's next prey to pass. They have limited chameleon-like abilities, being able to BWS at 10, but if noticed, they are a dirty blue. Blobs attack by forming huge pseudopodia once per round, striking a sound SS of damage with each hit. Upon beginning a battle, the AM should roll a SS to determine the relative strength of the Blob, for each a successful hit against a player may also pass a curious leprosy-like rotting disease if the player fails an Endurance check at DL6. If infected, the player is afflicted by a creeping corruption that attacks his body, immediately causing that same number of penalty points to his Strength, Agility and Endurance scores. This same level of damage occurs every seven days until the character is healed or dies. The AM should carefully watch the player to see that they role-play the helplessness of the disease, matching their new ratings in these three abilities. (And VERY carefully watch that the rest of the party views the pathetic player as someone to be lovingly supported, not spurned as a burden!) If any player is hit more than once, or if any rating drops to below zero, they fall to the floor with shock, comatose. The brave and stricken Raider must be bundled up, kept warm, and gotten to a Healer within a day or they will surely die! As a by product of this corruption, each successful hit also passes a progressive Gloom and Doom Enchantment, with a matching MU of Joy damage if the standard SF roll fails. The enchanted character will become more and more pessimistic, and develop a tendency to shun the light of day, hiding away in shame. Depending on the character of the DragonLands the Raiders are in, the afflicted one may also be viewed as a leper, and driven from town if not protected. If any player is hit more than once and any rating drops to below zero, they fall to the floor with shock, and must be bundled up, kept warm, and gotten to a Healer within a day or they will die. Blobs may be damaged only by blunt weapons, and edged weapons will simply stick to the vile creature, requiring a ST roll at DL6 to remove again. If brought to zero PV, the corruption fizzes like a spent soda, and evaporates into thin air, no longer to threaten the locals. Cocatrice ------------------------------- No. Appearing: 1-2 Size: 2' Battle Ability: 9 Vitality: 36 Enchantment: Hard Heart Strength Attacked: EN Strength Damaged: KI Passed by: Sting Physical Attacks: Bite 3D d4 or Sting d8 Special Attack: Turn to Stone! ------------------------------- The Cockatrice is a vile little creature said to result from a cock's egg laid in a manure pile tended by a Dragon! However they come into being, they are filthy and deadly. In appearance, the look like scruffy roosters with sooty Rainbow Dragon's wings, cruelly glittering eyes, a forked tongue and a barbed Dragon's tail. Its bite is a petty SS-4, but its worst attack is it's barbed tail, which in addition to SS of PV damage can actually turn a person to stone! The Cockatrice has a 50/50 chance of biting or stinging each round. If the physical sting is successful, player takes physical damage and is infected with Hard Heart. A standard SF roll may prevent the matching MU damage to Kindness, but the player must also make a Endurance rating save vs. the same DL or be literally stoned. (And let he who is without sin cast the first adventurer!) Player may be turned back to his former self by a High Level WordRune that I haven't written yet. The presence of a Cockatrice is very clear if you hear its rooster-like crow at sunset. The bird's particularly vile attitude may be attributed to the fact that there are no female Cockatrices! The solitary bird is usually on its own, but may occasionally be found hanging out with one other such male. Dragon Snake ------------------------------- No. Appearing: d4 Size: 2' Battle Ability: 14 Vitality: 10 Enchantment: Decit Strength Attacked: SC Strength Damaged: SC Passed by: Bite Physical Attacks: SS-2 bite, Possible 2d8 squeese Special Attack: Hypno No one is sure from where they come, but fear the cursed Dragon Snake! This hybrid creature is kept by many forms of Dragon as a nasty little pet, and is often sent out to harry the mortal races. The creature is basically a six-foot long snake, about six inches diameter at its thickest, covered with feathery green scales. It has beautiful green bat-like wings, with a three foot wingspan when fully extended, and may fly from place to place as fast as a normal dove. It can bite for a respectable SS-2 of damage, but that is nothing compared to its real attack... The Dragon Snake is extremely crafty and cunning, and loves to play games. It will bite if cornered, but it prefers to play with its food. (Picture Rudyard Kipling's ShirKan!) Upon discovering prey, it will hover up with a flap of its strong wings, and begin a conversation. It then begins to flutter its wings in a hypnotic pattern. Characters who do NOT immediately look away, into a shield's reflection, etc, must make a SC roll against SS DL or be charmed on the spot. (Those who think of lowering the helm of their Helmet of Salvation get an additional +2 on their SC for this roll.) Those failing this throw will see a kaleidoscope of color emerge from the serpent's wings, and will begin to treat everything the Serpent says as a Really Good Idea. A HS roll will save charmed players from a matching MU penalty to SC, but they still are charmed. Additionally, charmed characters will be infected with the Deceit Enchantment, and will begin lying when they think they cannot be caught, just for the power buzz of lying. A SF roll against that same DL level may prevent damage to the charmed one's SC rating, but they are still infected. The charmed characters will not harm the Stronger Brothers in the party, but will restrain and gag them if the Serpent tells them to, so you better get talking right away. Characters who do save against the charm may begin immediately Rescuing the charmed ones with Scripture. The AM may approve what is a good argument or Scripture reference. A Psalmist may try to dispel the charm with song in a similar fashion. Every round that a good Scriptural argument/proclamation/hymn is made, the charmed characters get a WIS check against the same level of Enchantment. If this check is made, the charm is successfully dispelled and the "scales fall from their eyes" as it were; the Dragon Snake cannot again charm that person in this encounter. Do note that if non-charmed party members are bound, they can only cite Scripture from memory, as they cannot reach their Sacred Scrolls to read the words! If everyone is charmed, the snake will pick the physically strongest person in the party and wrap itself around them, and begin to do an automatic 2SS of damage per round until that person is dead, and move on to the next strongest. A single or combined ST roll against DL 8 may unwrap the snake from its prey, but the snake gets a bite attack against one of the brave fighters handling it. If obviously caught and in danger, it is a complete coward, and will gladly divulge information about its master Dragon, local Dark Creatures, annual rainfall, or anything else the party may ask (whether it really knows or not!) You may want to make several Belt of Truth "lie detector" checks when dealing with a trapped Dragon Snake! ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]