Miniature creatures - a real threat.

As I suspected in my last entry, several weeks ago I was called upon by a company to produce a lot of artwork. Hundreds of 150 pixel sized images (characters, creatures, weapons, items etc) has hindered me from continuing my beloved blog. Please don't get me wrong. The work I've been doing has been real fun, but it is typical that when you finally decide what you want to do, all kinds of opportunities suddenly open up. So, the small creatures and stuff I've been working on has been, and is a threat to the continuity of this blog. But hopefully, I will get little breaks now and then to make larger sized creatures and add them to the other beasts. I actually finished the creature below in early January, but only now did I find the time to add some writing to it. Unfortunately I can't promise a new creature every week, as I would like to. But this is definitely not the last one. Enjoy!



≡LAMMATHEN≡




------GENERAL-----------------------------------------
CATEGORY: Undead / Magical
TERRAIN: Deep woods
FOOD: None
AGGRESSION: Varies
SIZE: 8’ 8” (264 cm) head
NUMBERS: 1


------CHARACTERISTICS-----------------------------
STRENGTH: 20-25
AGILITY: 5-10
ENDURANCE: 20-25
INTELLIGENCE: 15-18
MENTAL RESILIENCE: 3-25 (varies)
CHARM: 1-3
(If stats of human ranges from 3 to 18)

SPEED: Running x 2
(Multiple is times human speed)

MAGIC POWER: 50-60
(Ranges from 0-100)

HIT POINTS: 40-50
(If a human commoner has about 11 hit points)


------PROTECTION-------------------------------------
AVERAGE: 3
HEAD: 6
FRONT LEGS: 6
BACK LEGS: 6
CHEST: 4
BACK: 6
(If Full Plate Armour is 10)

The Lammathen can only be wounded by silver or magical weapons. With silver its legs can be broken, and the head can be crushed or severed, but only the spirit core of its chest is prone to actual wounding, and termination.


------ATTACKS/DAMAGE---------------------------
2 CLAWS: 1-4
2 HOOVES: 2-7
1 BITE: 2-6
(If a Long Sword makes a damage of 1-8)

The Lammathen tend to avoid physical combat, and uses primarily spells and special abilities to fight its opponents.


------POWERS/EFFECT-------------------------------
CONTROL WOODLAND CREATURES: Though undead the Lammathen retain their ability to control the nearby woods at will. This power includes summoning and mastering all non-intelligent creatures in the vicinity, including everything from flesh-eating plants, to insects and greater beasts like bears and reptiles. The Lammathen do this instantly and without effort. Every living thing with the ability to move, within four square miles (10 square kilometres), is affected and follows the will of the Lammathen with no consideration for self preservation. This doesn’t include the pets of player characters, or creatures temporarily visiting the area. Druids, rangers and other classes related to religion and nature can be given a chance of turning hostile creatures.

CREATE DARKNESS: This spell-like ability is also managed at will and generates a dense, black, and eerie mist that also covers four square miles. All rules applicable to blindness should be used here. The mist goes from light to fully blinding in one minute and stays as long as the Lammathen desires or lives. Spells creating winds and similar effects may be used to lessen the impact of the darkness.


------DESCRIPTION------------------------------------
Initially blessed and wondrous creatures of the deep woods, much like the Unicorns, the Lammathen are now a twisted version of their former selves. It is said that once, a long time ago; a great power managed to win their trust and lured them out of the woods to aid in what seemed a noble cause. Betrayed and vulnerable outside their natural habitat all the Lammathen were horribly slain.

Being magical in nature the creatures never really died. One year after their doomsday all the Lammathen arose from the dead, and made their way back into the core of the woods in great confusion. To this day the minds of the Lammathen are trapped in their dark fate. They live on but with no real purpose. Befuddled and saddened they keep mostly to themselves. Schizophrenic and frightened they are fickle and erratic. Some days they remember their nature, and do what they can to keep the forest alive, and free from dark powers. While other days they charge all that come in their way and unleash mighty spells of darkness, learned from their time among the dead. Vengeful without an enemy to absorb their aggression, the Lammathen are thrown at times into a state of agony, pain and great fury.

Exactly what kind of spells the Lammathen knows, and remembers, on any certain day is up to the Game Master. It is suggested that they are a combination of druid-like healing and elemental spells, and death-related spells of destruction and summoning. Whatever the choice they should preferably reflect the two-sided temperament and tale of the Lammathen.

The Lammathen are drawn to, and intimately connected to the very centre of the forest where it lives. A forest with a Lammathen at its spiritual heart is basically reflecting the creature’s mood. As centuries pass the woods turn ever more into the likeness of its Lammathen guest, and such forests turn hazardous and chaotic, especially near the Lammathen lair. This is usually close to a dark pond where the creature can mirror itself to be reminded of the truth of their story.

The creatures don’t eat. They seek nothing but peace of mind, and true death. They find no likeness in other undead, and avoid mingling in the affairs of others. They might interfere with interests entering their woods, but what cause of action they’ll take is very uncertain. The only way to destroy a Lammathen is to stick a powerful weapon of silver or magic into its glowing chest. As long as that spark of unnatural life still remains, the Lammathen will find no rest. Even if destroyed, it is uncertain if the Lammathen stays among the dead for very long.




© Copyright 2010 - Nicholas Cloister