Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Sudowoodo! Sunflora! Donphan!)

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Jabroniville
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Choker

Post by Jabroniville »

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CHOKER
Role:
Small Choking Monsters
PL 5 (51)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Perception 5 (+6)
Stealth 5 (+8)

Advantages:
Chokehold, Fast Grab, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Startle

Powers:
"Barb-Ended Tentacles"
Reach on Unarmed Damage [1]
Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2) [4]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+3 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +3

Complications: 
Motivation (Eating)- Chokers are voracious eaters. They can be bribed with adequate food.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 7 / Defenses: 6 (51)

-Among the smallest and least-powerful Abominations, Chokers are also among the most common, though they are more often seen in the Underdark. Nocturnal, naked, pale creatures, they possess extremely long arms (actually, boneless tentacles) ending in vicious barbs that let them grapple creatures much larger than themselves. Voracious and tenacious, their intelligence is animalistic at best, and can only barely communicate with sentient beings (typically, their language is simplistic and barely above toddler-level). Mind Flayers and other Abominations are known to keep some as guardian creatures, as their stealthiness and surprising quickness can catch amateur adventurers unawares, but typically they are no threat to a serious fighter who hasn't been surprised.

Jab's Notes: A very random little critter in most editions of D&D, Chokers are threats to low-level adventurers, kind of in the "there are two Chokers in this lair" kind of way, where they leap out at random and try to surprise you. They have no depth, and are entirely focused around their choking gimmick.
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Batgirl III
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Doppelgangers! Destrachan! Dragon Turtle!)

Post by Batgirl III »

I've always thought the Choker looked cool, but they're not much of a threat after second- or third-level... and aren't really much of a threat even at first-level if the party practices any kind of situational awareness whilst skulking through the dungeon. "Sneak up behind'em and choke'em!" just doesn't work well against seasoned dungeon-crawling adventurers.

On the other hand, plop the Choker into a different setting — like the Gothic Victorian setting of Masque of the Red Death or the Urban Fantasy of
Shadow Chasers — and you can easily build two or three game sessions around just one of these beauties. They just seem to work better in genres other than the standard D&D mode of play.
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KorokoMystia
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Doppelgangers! Destrachan! Dragon Turtle!)

Post by KorokoMystia »

So while i was browsing around, I found something I'd never heard of that apparently even dates back to Monster Manual II from First Edition (!!), the swanmay. In combat, though, they're basically just rangers that can shapeshift into a swan form, which..While it's hard to imagine swans being too much of a threat despite how vicious they are, apparently they can only be harmed by +1 or better weapons.
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Doppelgangers! Destrachan! Dragon Turtle!)

Post by Batgirl III »

KorokoMystia wrote: Sun Jul 29, 2018 2:13 am So while i was browsing around, I found something I'd never heard of that apparently even dates back to Monster Manual II from First Edition (!!), the swanmay. In combat, though, they're basically just rangers that can shapeshift into a swan form, which..While it's hard to imagine swans being too much of a threat despite how vicious they are, apparently they can only be harmed by +1 or better weapons.
They actually made the Swanmay a playable character race in one supplement or another in AD&D2e. Lots of fun to play. The "only be harmed by +1 or better weapons" was standard for all lycanthropes, of which swanmays were just a very specialized type.
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KorokoMystia
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Doppelgangers! Destrachan! Dragon Turtle!)

Post by KorokoMystia »

Batgirl III wrote: Sun Jul 29, 2018 2:24 am
KorokoMystia wrote: Sun Jul 29, 2018 2:13 am So while i was browsing around, I found something I'd never heard of that apparently even dates back to Monster Manual II from First Edition (!!), the swanmay. In combat, though, they're basically just rangers that can shapeshift into a swan form, which..While it's hard to imagine swans being too much of a threat despite how vicious they are, apparently they can only be harmed by +1 or better weapons.
They actually made the Swanmay a playable character race in one supplement or another in AD&D2e. Lots of fun to play. The "only be harmed by +1 or better weapons" was standard for all lycanthropes, of which swanmays were just a very specialized type.
Oh, I see. While I like D&D stuff, the closest I've ever come to playing it has been the video games, so I'm not that familiar with a lot of the rules.
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Doppelgangers! Destrachan! Dragon Turtle!)

Post by Spectrum »

Also big in Russian/Slavic mythology.
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Jabroniville
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Carrion Crawler

Post by Jabroniville »

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CARRION CRAWLER
Role:
Paralyzing Scavenger
PL 6 (82)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Athletics 1 (+7)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 8 (+5)
Perception 6 (+6)
Stealth 6 (+4 Size)

Advantages: 
Benefit (Ambidexterity)

Powers:
"Eye Stalks" Senses 4 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Radius Sight) [4]
Movement 3 (Wall-Crawling 2, Slithering) [6]

"Natural Size" Growth 4 (Str & Sta +4, +4 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]

"Tentacles"
"Paralysis" Affliction 6 (Fort; Dazed & Hindered/Stunned & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Extra Condition, Multiattack, Cumulative) [24]
"Tentacles & Dozens Of Legs" Extra Limb 12 [12]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Tentacles +6 (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +6, Fortitude +6, Will +3

Complications: 
Disabled (Animal)- Carrion Crawlers cannot speak to sentients, nor use their tentacles to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 54 / Defenses: 10 (82)

-Carrion Crawlers are fearsome scavengers who typically haunt the Underdark, resembling giant centipedes, but actually being Abominations. They are among the stupidest of those ancient creatures, however, and behave mostly like vermin. Crawlers scour the subterranean world for corposes upon which to feed, and occasionally end up above ground, where they are often mistake for mundane creatures like Giant Centipedes, they they are given away by large "beards" made of lumpy tentacles and stalked eyes. Crawlers have a famously disgusted odor, and this tends to keep attackers away. They will occasionally attack living creatures with their paralytic touch, but usually wish to be left alone. Regions populated by numerous Undead are often subject to Carrion Crawlers, who may feed upon Zombies or other, weaker Undead. Some beings are known to keep them around as "waste disposal", as they will happily devour the dead and spare the living if enough corpses are provided. This can avoid the spread of disease.

Jab's Notes: More filler in the book, this "Abberation" is implied to be the result of genetic engineering, fitting the "Catch-All" nature of that Creature Type. Not really interesting or deadly on their own, they're a solid threat for First-Level Parties, and can be fit into an ecology if need be.
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Batgirl III
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Doppelgangers! Destrachan! Dragon Turtle!)

Post by Batgirl III »

Spectrum wrote: Mon Jul 30, 2018 11:21 pm Also big in Russian/Slavic mythology.
Is that the origin of Swanmay? I had always assumed it was Celtic or Gaelic, since that’s the source of all manner of other shapeshifting animals far less famous that werewolves. Irish and Scottish myth has horse shapeshifters and seal shapeshifters after all. But any searching I did for woman-transforms-to-swan stories always turned up some variation of Swan Lake.
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Doppelgangers! Destrachan! Dragon Turtle!)

Post by Spectrum »

Probably a little of column A, a little of column B. From a little research I did today, the concept of wife/spouse as animal shapeshifter/weird thing is a pretty universal concept. Throw in Christianity reinterpreting (?) native folklore, sprinkle in some Soviet cultural oppression, and it's a little hard to tell. In past years, I've come across a few discussions that Swan Lake was based on older tales.

For a while there, I was pretty fascinated by folklore of that general region between wanting to look into family history and well.. gaming research.
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Jabroniville
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Cloaker

Post by Jabroniville »

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CLOAKER
Role:
"WTF?" Stealth Predator
PL 8 (110)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+6)
Insight 4 (+6)
Perception 4 (+6)
Stealth 4 (+5 Size)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Move-By Action, Startle, Takedown

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent) [3]
"Tail & Claws" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split) [3]

Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [5]
"Natural Size" Growth 2 (Str & Sta +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) [5]

"Shadow Shift" Illusion (Visuals) 4 (Flaws: Source- Shadows) (4) -- [5]
  • AE: "Obscure Visoin" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Source- Shadows) (2)
"Moans"
"Unnerve" Affliction 5 (Will; Impaired Fighting/Disabled Fighting) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (15) -- [18]
  • AE: "Flee" Affliction 5 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Fleeing) (5)
  • AE: "Nausea" Affliction 5 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (10)
  • AE: "Stupor" Affliction 5 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Paralyzed) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (10)
Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Claws +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Moans +5 Area (+5 Affliction, DC 15)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +6, Fortitude +8, Will +4

Complications: 
Disabled (Clawed)- Cloakers cannot easily use their claws to manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 39 / Defenses: 13 (110)

-Alarmingly bizarre, Cloakers appear to be gigantic flying Manta Rays, but are distinct from those creatures. Their name comes from their resting state, which resembles a simple black cloak of much smaller size- when they awaken, they unfurl massive wings that reveal the true size of the beast. Ambush predators, these intelligent creatures will attack unsuspecting prey, and even sentient beings. The minds of Cloakers are so alien that few have ever been able to meaningfully communicate with them- Abominations, they are certainly ancient, but appear to have no long-term goals aside from eating.

Jab's Notes: Cloakers are rather infamous for their absurdly-specific trait of... looking like a cloak. Never mind that the creature is HUGE (well, Large Size), but how many people aren't gonna be weirded out by randomly seeing cloaks hanging about in enemy lairs? Never mind that the "Gotcha!" effect of this is ruined by anyone reading a Monster Manual. I mean, other creatures can mimic stuff, TOO, but these are typically things you already find frequently on adventures, like treasure chests and stuff. Who isn't gonna see a cloak sitting there and IMMEDIATELY think it's one of these? Cloakers are thus very dated, and very strange.

-Despite that, however, I love them. They're just goofy, inexplicable Evil Death Mantas, which are described as so alien that nobody else can understand them- now THAT'S how you write something you can't be bothered to invent a culture for! Cloakers are ancient creatures in D&D- 1st Edition in 1977! 

-I went with a PL 7.5 Stealth Predator overall.
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Batgirl III
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Doppelgangers! Destrachan! Dragon Turtle!)

Post by Batgirl III »

I've always wondering why no one has made a canonical connection between Ixitxachitl and Cloakers.
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Doppelgangers! Destrachan! Dragon Turtle!)

Post by Shock »

Batgirl III wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 9:32 pm I've always wondering why no one has made a canonical connection between Ixitxachitl and Cloakers.
Probably because nobody can pronounce Ixitxachitl well enough to bring it up in conversation
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Batgirl III
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Doppelgangers! Destrachan! Dragon Turtle!)

Post by Batgirl III »

Shock wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 10:37 pm
Batgirl III wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 9:32 pm I've always wondering why no one has made a canonical connection between Ixitxachitl and Cloakers.
Probably because nobody can pronounce Ixitxachitl well enough to bring it up in conversation
Maybe that’s why TSR and Palladium turned down my manuscript for the Xiticix / Ixitxachitl War crossover...
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Jabroniville
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Doppelgangers! Destrachan! Dragon Turtle!)

Post by Jabroniville »

That’s why I called them Death Mantas in Castellia :).
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Couatl

Post by Jabroniville »

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COUATL
Role:
Otherworldly Flying Monster
PL 8 (147)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Magic) 6 (+9)
Insight 4 (+8)
Perception 4 (+8)
Stealth 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Move-By Action, Ritualist

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent) [3]
Concealment 2 (Invisibility) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) [2]
Morph 3 (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) [12]
Communication (Mental) 2 [8]

Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [5]
"Natural Size" Growth 2 (Str & Sta +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]

"Venomous Bite" Strength-Damage +2 Linked to Weaken Strength 8 (Extras: Progressive +2) (26) -- [28]
  • AE: "Psionics" Mind-Reading 6 (12)
    AE: "Ethereal Jaunt" Movement 3 (Dimensional Travel 3) (6)
Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Bite +8 (+6 Damage & +8 Weaken, DC 21 & 18)
Mind-Reading -- (DC 16)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +7, Fortitude +8, Will +6

Complications:
Disabled (Limbless)- Couatl have no arms or legs, and cannot easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 63 / Defenses: 12 (147)

-Couatl are massive, legendary serpents, famous for their rarity and beauty. They do not inhabit the Material Plane, and instead are otherworldly creatures. Many ancient cultures worship them as others have Dragons (the two are unrelated), seeing their mix of serpentine and bird-like features as exceptional. Couatl are very intelligent, and almost all will have Magical Spells at their disposal, typically White Magic or another benevolent kind.

Jab's Notes: There's... not a lot to go on about these things. They don't even get a culture or innate nature- just stuff about their beauty!
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