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• Dec 2, 2021

  Nordlond Bestiary Kickstarter Campaign

  I’m a bit late to the promotion bandwagon for the Nordlond Bestiary, since there’s only a few days left in the project. But I’m still going to say it: go back the Nordlond Bestiary.

  The book is already funded. If you back the project, you will get your reward, and you’ll be contributing to possibly making it bigger. There’s a chance it might make the first stretch goal, which means 16 extra pages full of undead abominations for use in any GURPS campaign that needs monsters.

  One of the classic complaints of many new and veteran GURPS players is the lack of a “proper monster book” for GURPS 4th Edition. Lots of books include a small sample selection and tips on making more yourself, but there’s no official “one-stop-shop” for ready-made critter stat blocks. And of course, this being GURPS it’s kinda hard to make a truly generic monster book, since whether a given monster is an impossible challenge or a mere speedbump depends on who your PCs are.

  The Nordlond Bestiary is probably the closest we can get to that mythic book - a chunky selection of creatures suitable for Dungeon Fantasy campaigns. DF has a well-known starting point total and a known set of PC templates, you can easily know how the monsters are callibrated. And it’s also the genre that’s more likely to need a “monster book” anyway.

  The book will be made for use with the DFRPG boxed set, but it’s also perfectly usable with the GURPS core books if that’s what you have. And since you know what sort of PC these monsters were made to fight, you can also adjust them for your specific campaign more easily.

• Nov 24, 2021

  Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual 2: Ooze

  Oozes have been in the game since the beginning, and as you can see in this post the first 4e Monster Manual already featured a bunch of them. As I say there, far more adventurers lost their lives to an ooze than to one of the game’s titular dragons.

  Here in the MM2 we get a few more oozes, some of which would go on to feature in the Monster Vault. All of the oozes here have the Blind and Ooze keywords, which make them immune to gaze attacks and particularly adept at squeezing through small spaces. They also have BLindsight 10 and Tremorsense 10.

  Abolethic Skum

  

  As we saw way back in the Aboleth post, Aboleths can turn mortals into servitors, a process which turns their skin into a layer of transparent slime. Sometimes, though, this process goes awry and the victim’s form loses all physical integrity. The resulting watery blobs full of organs are known as “skum”.

  Abolethic skums are barely sentient, but some memory of what they were remains with them. This tangles up with residual fear and shame at what they have become, so they tend to attack anyone who resembles their old form.

  Skum are Level 18 Minion Brutes with the Aquatic keyword in addition to the default ones. They emit a Psychic Dissonance aura (1) that inflicts Vulnerable 5 Psychic to every creature inside. They have Resist 20 Acid and crawl around at Speed 2, but can swim at Speed 8.

  Their slams target Fortitude and do a flat 16 acid damage, which is in line with Monster Vault math. And their Aqueous Form trait makes them invisible while in water.

  Despite being described as failed experiments, a skum’s stats make it complement its aboleth masters very well. If your PCs go into underwater Underdark adventure (double the under for half the price!) make sure to place a psychic aboleth in a room packed full of invisible skum. See how long it takes for your PCs to figure out why they’re taking extra damage from the aboleth and dissolving.

  Black Pudding

  These also appear in the Monster Vault, so we covered them in this post. The MM2 version was their 4e debut, and it’s mostly identical (math fixes aside). The only difference is that they lack the powerful melt attack and instead have a Mercurial Body trait which allows them to ignore difficult terrain and opportunity attacks when moving.

  Gray Ooze

  Gray Oozes are another D&D classic. They’re about as runny as green slimes, but more mobile, which means they have always been depicted as active monsters. Their brand of slime is particularly good at dissolving bones, and they feed on the resulting bone slurry.

  Mechanically, they’re Level 2 Skirmishers with 43 HP. Their stench acts as an aura (2) that inflicts a -2 attack penalty on creatues inside. They have 5 acid resistance, crawl with a Speed of 5, and climb with Speed 3.

  Their basic attack is named Bone Melt, targetting fortitude and dealing some acid damage. Each hit also inflicts a cumulative -2 penalty to Fortitude, making further hits likely. A successful save clears the entire penalty. They can also shift 2 squares as a minor action, making them quite mobile.

  Green Slime

  Another monster that appeared in the Monster Vault, the two versions are more or less identical. The MV one is a bit simpler to use, though, so prefer that one if you have the book.

  Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

  Oozes aren’t smart enough to understand the concept of alliances, but they’re everywhere in the world of D&D. You don’t need any complex excuses to add an ooze or three to any underground encounter.

  Our example encounters for these entry are:

  • Level 4: 2 green slimes and 2 gray oozes lounging around a lone ankheg’s lair.

  • Level 8: 2 black puddings and a darkmantle enveloper in accidental cooperation.

  • Level 19: An aboleth overseer and two lashers with an entourage of 10 skum. This is that packed room I told you about.

• Nov 22, 2021

  Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual 2: Oni

  As mentioned in my post about Monster Manual oni, oni have been in D&D since the beginning, but were only called by this name starting in 4e. Before, they were called by the more generic name of “ogre mage”.

  There are many different stories about oni in Japanese folklore. The entries here in the MM2 are inspired by by some of them.

  All oni in this entry are Natural Humanoids, and all but one are Large. They have darkvision and a signature trait named Deceptive Veil that allows them to appear as any Medium or Large humanoid. Those trying to spot the disguise need to win an opposed Insight test against the monster’s Bluff.

  Oni Devourer

  

  These oni are sorcerous tricksters. By day they take the shape of ascetics, beggars and priests. By night they go out hunting for people to eat. Some stories tell of a large group of oni devourers that took over an entire isolated monastery, replacing all the monks and using the disguise to terrorize the neighboring regions. Devourers can also be found in the service of more powerful villains as advisors or “court magicians”.

  Devourers are the only Medium oni in this entry, and are Level 7 Soldiers with 78 HP. An Oni Devourer likely approaches its target in disguise using its Deceptive Veil (which only lets them take Medium forms since they’re Medium). Then it uses Hypnotic Glare (Ranged 10 vs. Will) that pulls the target 5 squares and dazes it (save ends). Once in melee range it’s going to use Devour to deal heavy damage and inflict a -5 penalty to the target’s saves, and its basic claw attack to damage and slow, preventing the victim from escaping.

  An open fight will likely see the oni in its natural form from the start, but the general tactic will be the same. Despite not having a marking mechanic like other Soldiers they end up being quite sticky with their daze/slow/save penalty combination.

  Oni Overlord

  In some stories oni aren’t subtle at all and instead lead gangs of monstrous bandits that try to rob and devour any hapless protagonists they come across. Oni Overlords are an attempt to translate those individuals to D&D. They’re Level 12 Elite Brutes with the Leader keyword and 296 HP.

  Oni Overlords lead through fear: their Threatening Leader aura (5) gives a +5 damage bonus to all allies inside, but also deals 5 psychic damage to them when they miss all targets with an attack. If you want to mitigate that downside you should give them allies capable of making area attacks. Conversely, if an ally damages an enemy, the overlord can use its reaction for a Violent Reward that gives that ally 5 temporary HP.

  While closing to melee range, the overlord can use Overlord’s Blast (close blast 5 vs. Fortitude; recharges when first bloodied) to deal necrotic and poison damage to enemies, and also make them vulnerable to those two damage types (save ends).

  Oni Thunderer

  

  Oni Thunderers seem to be inspired by the myth of Raijin, the god of thunder and storms, who according to the link looked kinda oni-ish and caused trouble as often as he helped.

  These oni are extremely strong but not divine. There’s usually nothing good about them, either. They love a fight, and when they get into one they complement their weapon attacks with thunder magic and teleportation. Their weapon of choice seems to be a spiked chain, likely inspired by Raijin’s drum-aura thing. I imagine they usually hang out with other rowdy epic storm-based creatures.

  Thunderers are Large Natural Humanoids, and Level 22 Skirmishers with 206 HP. They have dark vision, a ground speed of 8, and a teleport speed of 8 (meaning they can teleport at-will with a move action).

  Their oversized spiked chains are Reach 3, do a mix of physical and thunder damage, and pull the target adjacent to the oni on a hit.

  Their teleport speed already makes them hard to pin down, and they can use them as part of a Thunderclap Portal maneuver (recharge 4+). This lets them teleport their speed and perform a special attack either before or after that teleport. This is a close burst 2 that heavy thunder damage and pushes all enemies in the area. An enemy who was grabbed by the oni’s chain takes even more damage, though this ends the grab.

  When hit by an attack, the thunderer can react with Chain Dance and teleport 3 squares. Finally, they have the same Deceptive Veil power as all the other oni, though they’re unlikely to use it often.

  Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

  We get a mix of encounters here illustrting the sort of monsters oni might see as servants, equals, or masters depending on their relative power levels.

  • Level 7: 2 oni devourers, 1 oni night haunter, 1 troll. Your typical cannibal giant gang.

  • Level 12: 1 oni overlord, 3 minotaur warriors, 2 scytheclaw drakes. These look more like a bandit leader and his lieutenants, likely running a gang of humans or other smaller humanoids.

  • Level 22: 2 death giants, 3 oni thunderers. Funny, I’d have expected storm giants. But this does prevent the PCs from totally nerfing the encounter with a single damage resistance power.

  I like the variety of oni we’re getting here. A large body of legend demands lots of different stat blocks covering different aspects of it.

• Nov 19, 2021

  Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual 2: Nothic

  Nothics first appeared in the Miniatures Handbook for 3e, and make their 4e debut in the MM2.

  The Lore

  Nothics are aberrant creatures that first arrived in the world aboard drifting fragments of the Far Realm. Their minds are even more alien than those of slaads to us poor mortals. Their huge eyes are capable of inflicting a variety of afflictions, and they tend to be found in the service of other powerful creatures. Nothics constantly cackle and cavort about, which their masters often find amusing, but they also fight at their command, doing double duty as jesters and bodyguards.

  Their masters aren’t necessarily aberrant! Nothics are often found in the company of undead, for example. A few get adopted by cults of Vecna and receive numerous blessings from the lich god, becoming even more dangerous.

  The Numbers

  Nothics are Medium Aberrant Humanoids. Those dinner plate eyes give them Truesight out to 10 squares and Darkvision. They also act as the focus for a variety of gaze attacks and psychic powers, which vary per stat block. Nothics have a ground speed of 6.

  The stat blocks in this entry range from the mid-Paragon to the early Epic tiers. I believe the Neverwinter Campaign Setting, published much later, would include a heroic-tier nothic as well.

  Nothic Cackler

  

  Cacklers are some of the most “jester-like” in behavior. They caper about even during a battle, seemingly oblivious to the opposition even as they fight. They’re level 15 Artillery with 116 HP.

  Their basic melee attack is an anemic claw - it’s all about the mind powers with them. They can choose between two at-will ranged attacks.

  The first, Mind Rot targets Will and does psychic damage. On a hit, it also slides the target 6 squares and forces them to make a melee basic attack against someone else (nothic’s choice). The other, Rotting Gaze, targets Fortitude, does necrotic damage, and inflicts a -2 penalty to all defenses (save ends).

  Tactics are clear: rot the body, rot the mind, laugh, repeat.

  If surrounded, the cackler can use a Maddening Cackle (close burst 3 vs. Will; enemies only; recharge 5+). This deals psychic damage, pushes 2 squares, and slides the hit targets 2 additional squares at the start of their next turns.

  Nothic Mindblight

  Behavior-wise, mindblights are the complete opposite of cacklers, appearing sleepy and morose even while staring you to death. They’re level 19 Controllers with 180 HP. They project an Eye Lure aura (3) that slides enemies inside 2 squares at the start of the enemies’ turns. Their claws are a little stronger and also deal ongoing necrotic damage (save ends), but the eye powers are still the main event.

  A mindblight will likely open up with Mesmerizing Visage (recharge 5+), a fireball-sized area attack that targets Will, does psychic damage, and inflicts a -1 penalty to saves (save ends). The penalty worsens to -3 after the first failed save.

  Then it will move on to its at-will powers, which deal no damage but have “save ends” riders that capitalize on the Visage’s effect. Eye of Insanity is a Ranged 5 attack that targets will and dominates with an after-effect that dazes the target for an additionall turn after they make their save. Necrotic Eye is a Close Blast 5 that targets Fortitude and inflicts 10 ongoing necrotic damage (save ends).

  Nothic Eye of Vecna

  

  For some reason, Vecna likes this nothic sub-species and heaps blessings upon them. They often hang around his cults. They’re Level 22 Lurkers with 162 HP, and project a Soul Decay aura (3) that allows allied undead inside to make free melee basic attacks at the start of the nothic’s turn. So yeah, the best place for this lurker to lurk is amid a crowd of undead melee bruisers.

  The Eye of Vecna is going to constantly emit pulses of Eye Rot (minor action), which targets the fortitude of every enemy within 10 squares and makes the nothic invisible to them on a hit (save ends). This recharges when the monster isn’t invisible to anyone.

  After it does that, it skitters among the enemies who can’t see it using Mobile Melee Attack, which allows it to move its speed and make a basic claw attack at any point during the move, drawing no opportunity attacks from the target. That Claw is pretty nasty on its own as well, dealing necrotic damage, immobilizing, and inflicting a -2 to all saving throws. Invisible Advantage gives it an additional effect against targets who can’t see the nothic, opening the target up to an opportunity attack from another adjacent monster.

  Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

  I think the basic visual design of the nothic is quite striking, but their mechanics don’t quite do it for me just from reading them. I guess they might feel differently in play.

  Encounters with nothics are also likely to involve the powerful villains they serve. The book gives us three:

  • Level 14: A mind flayer infiltrator with an entourage of 2 nothic cacklers and 2 war trolls.

  • Level 18: 2 aboleth lashers and their 2 pet mindblights in cahoots with a death hag.

  • Level 21: A dark naga with an honor guard of 3 bodak reavers and an Eye of Vecna pet.

• Nov 19, 2021

  Let's Read the 4e Monster Vault 2: Neogi

  

  I believe the Neogi first appeared as an element of 2e’s Spelljammer setting. In 4e, they make their debut here in the MM2.

  The Lore

  Neogi are bizarre-looking spider-centipede people who originally hail from the Far Realm. Their culture is a particularly cruel and pitiless variety of imperialist capitalism. Ownership is all - the strong rule and own the weak. They organize themselves in clans with slavery-based internal hierarchies. A given neogi literally owns their immediate underlings and is in turn a slave to its immediate superior. This goes up all the way to the Great Old Master of the clan, who is no one’s slave. Neogi are a single-gendered species without any concept of family. All of the clan’s eggs are carried and gestated by the Great Old Master.

  Neogi are renowned both as traders and slavers, following the same school of commerce made famous during Earth’s Age of “Discovery”. If the other party is weaker than you, rob and enslave them. If they’re equivalent or stronger, negotiate and trade. They just love trading with similarly unsavory people like devils, duergar, and drow. The only ones they avoid are the mind flayers, since the entire neogi people was once enslaved by entities similar to flayers back in the Far Realm.

  For some reason, the MM2 doesn’t mention any of their nautical proclivities. I guess this part of the Astral Sea wasn’t quite as fixed in the authors’ minds back them. But since later descriptions would reveal you can pretty much transplant all of Spelljammer directly into the Astral Sea, you can bet you have Neogi trade/slave/warships roaming that plane.

  The Numbers

  Neogi are Aberrant Magical Beasts. Most are Medium, but Masters are Large. Their levels cover the first half of Paragon Tier, making them appropriate encounters for the Underdark or Astral Sea. Like all monsters, their level can be adjusted if you want to feature them earlier or later. They usually have climb speeds and darkvision, and a degree of telepathy. They also speak Common and Deep Speech.

  All Neogi are immune to the Dazed condition. Their attacks are usually some sort of psychic power, though the exact effects vary per stat block.

  Neogi Slaver

  A relatively “typical” individual, likely found as crew in an astral vessel or as troops in raiding party. In either case, they’re likely to be accompanied by plenty of non-neogi slaves. These are some of the few monsters in the book who would make use of the “non-lethal takedown” rule, where you can decide someone you took to 0 HP is not dead, just unconscious. After all, dead slaves are worth nothing.

  Slavers are Level 10 Controllers with the Leader keyword and 106 HP. They have a ground speed of 8 and a climb speed of 6 with Spider Climb. Their basic melee attack is a weak bite with an ongoing poison damage rider. The first failed save against this poison also slows the victim (save ends both).

  Their main ranged attack is a Charm Bolt that targets Will. Instead of dealing damage, it inflicts a -2 penalty on any attacks that don’t include the slaver as a target (save ends). After the first failed save, the slaver also becomes invisible to the target of the bolt!

  Their other attack is Psychic Shackle (Recharge 5+), a Close Blast 3 that targets Will, deals psychic damage, and dazes those it hits for a turn.

  Once per encounter, they can also use Thrall Goad as a minor action. This allows all allies within 6 squares of the slaver to make a saving thrown with a +5 bonus.

  Neogi Spawn Swarm

  Neogi larvae are tiny and sub-sapient. Their only desire is to eat all nearby available meat, living or not. They can be dangerous in large numbers, which is what this stat block represents.

  The Swarm counts as a Medium Level 10 Brute with 131 HP. They have the standard swarm resistance to melee and ranged attacks, and a vulnerability to close and area attacks. Their ground and climb speeds are both 6.

  Their Swarm Attack aura (1) deals automatic poison damage, and their bites are similar to that of the neogi slaver but deal more damage. When first bloodied or when slain, the swarm lets out a collective psychic scream that attacls a close burst 1 and deals psychic damage with a Daze rider.

  Neogi Great Old Master

  These Large individuals rule over entire clans, and carry all of the clan’s eggs and larval broods in their immense abdomens. They’re Level 16 Controllers with 157 HP, a ground speed of 6, and a climb speed of 4.

  Their basic attack is a Reach 3 Scythe Claw that damages targets and knocks them prone. Their main ranged attack is an Enslaving Bolt that targets Will, deals psychic damage and inflicts one of those progressively worsening conditions. The immediate effect is that the target gets a -2 penalty to any attacks that target the Master; after the first failed save, that worsens to a Dominate effect; and after the second the domination lasts until the target’s next extended rest. Yes, this does mean that an unlucky PC could find themselves trying to avenge the Master even after it’s been killed by the party.

  When the Master is first bloodied, its abdomen ruptures and releases a Larva Burst. This works as a Close Burst 2 against Reflex that deals physical damage and creates a zone of difficult terrain that lasts until the end of the encounter. This could also be a good opportunity to introduce a Spawn Swarm to the fight if the GM is feeling sadistic.

  Finally, they can use a version of the Slaver’s Psychic Shackle that deals more damage and has a wider area.

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