Successful head transplantation!

Finally I've been granted some time to create another creature. Sorry for saying I would update this blog weekly. I realise now, that I cannot make any updates unless I have something to say, and in the case of this blog, that means a new creature. In times when I'm busy working, the blog will therefore (sadly) stand still.

I realised there were few dungeon dwellers here so far, so this time I've dug down into the earth and rock to find this piece of muscle. I hope you enjoy it. In the meanwhile, I'm starting out on creature number 13... perhaps some all together unlucky form of life? We shall see...

/Cheers!



≡GOHRGIN≡




------GENERAL-----------------------------------------
CATEGORY: Reptile
TERRAIN: Dungeons and caves
FOOD: Carnivore
AGGRESSION: Controlled (short-tempered)
SIZE: 9 feet (270 cm) long
NUMBERS: 1-7


------CHARACTERISTICS-----------------------------
STRENGTH: 35
AGILITY: 14-18
ENDURANCE: 20-30
INTELLIGENCE: 2-6
MENTAL RESILIENCE: 17-18
CHARM: 0
(If stats of a human ranges from 3 to 18)

SPEED: Running x 4 Swimming x 1,5
(Multiple is times human speed)

MAGIC POWER: 0
(Ranges from 0-100)

HIT POINTS: 26-30
(If a human commoner has about 11 hit points)


------PROTECTION-------------------------------------
AVERAGE: 6
HEAD: 7
LEGS: 4
BACK: 7
CHEST: 3
TAIL: 5
(If Full Plate Armour is 10)

The Gohrgin has a very thick and hardy hide, that is enforced in places by bony plates and ridges. The top of its head is especially hard, and the creature has been seen ramming victims, and pinning them to the walls before biting or shredding them to pieces.


------ATTACKS/DAMAGE---------------------------
2 BITE: 2-6
2 DOUBLE CLAWS: 2-6
1 TAIL: 2-8
1 SKULL RAM: 1-6 (+ optional speed damage)
(4-8 TENTACLES: 1-4) see 'Powers'
(If a Long Sword makes a damage of 1-8)

The Gohrgin is a very fast creature, and makes use of its great speed to attack prey. It normally overcomes victims from behind and tears them down much like a great lion would. When facing unusual foes the Gohrgin may approach more carefully at first, and try to observe enemy behaviour. Attacks coming at it from behind are met by its great club of a tail. Though not long enough to reach in front of it, the Gohrgin often displays and raises its powerful tail in a threatening manner.


------POWERS/EFFECT-------------------------------
SEVER OWN HEAD: The hard shell-like shape on top of the Gohrgin's head is tough for a reason. Inside this armour is not only the creature's brain, but also its heart. This strange location has its explanation in the creature's ability to loosen its own head from the body. When the main body is severly wounded, and loss of blood threatens to kill the creature, the Gohrgin can wilfully detach its head from the body. The hard, and normally limp tentacles hanging from the sides of the head is then brought to animation, and functions as legs for the now much smaller life form. The vessels of blood in the neck is automatically sealed tight and the remaining blood begins to support the brain and other head functions. The creature then normally steals off and tries to make its way into smaller tunnels, where enemies cannot follow. There it continues to exist, and more tentacles eventually grow out of the skull to make for a new and spidery revelation. Rarely however, the Gohrgin may continue attacking in this new form with bites and sharp tentacles. In any way it continues the remainder of its days as something of a large insect, rather than the powerful predator it once was.

SHRIEK OF THE UNDEAD: The Gohrgin has an eerie connection to the undead and to ghosts especially. When threatened it may invoke a shrill call to summon nearby spirits and undead to its aid. It cannot raise or wake the dead, but only command those that happen to be within 1 mile (1,6 kilometres) of it. Any undead hearing the shriek of a Gohrgin must answer. Any loyalty or binding to other powers are immediatly abandoned, and undead so summoned will do their utmost to defend the calling Gohrgin for as long as the threat remains. Vampires and other powerful undead are also subject to the shriek, but usually slay the Gohrgin once the effect is over, so as to avoid future disturbances. The origins of this power are not clear, but could possibly be explained by the rumoured background of the creature (See 'Description').


------DESCRIPTION------------------------------------
In the tunnels of the earth live the Gohrgins. There they hunt and feed upon all living things, brave or ignorant enough to enter their labyrinthine world. They speed through the subterranean pathways in search for food, and few things escape their hunger. Often in small packs, but also on their own, the Gohrgin rarely stops hunting. Their appearance and cruel strength is the stuff of goblin nightmares. With perfect night vision and relentless perseverance they are a terror of the underworld.

The dark stare and strange powers of these beasts have given rise to numerous stories, but one of the most vivid speaks of an orc warlock creating these creatures. The warlock is told to have been a two-headed freak, with horrible and morbid powers. Through hideous rituals he is said to have successfully mixed his blood with a great reptile that lived in the mountains - rituals that included the surgical removal of one of his own heads, to be magically attached to the body of the reptile. The warlock's arcane knowledge of necromancy is by this story the cause of of the Gohrgin's unearthly shriek (see 'Powers')

Those fortunate enough to have survived an encounter with the Gohrgin, says the stare of the monster never leaves them. Though beastial in all behaviour, the creature radiates an aura of dark intelligence, and the eyes have a magnetic power that some find hard to tear themselves from (optional saving throw).

The Gohrgin live all of its life under ground. It draws away from daylight, if exposed to it, and its otherwise perfect vision is temporarily disabled. However, creatures in need of new hunting grounds move over land at night, and searches about for fresh dungeons in which to settle. The female - a creature twice the size of the more abundant males, never leaves a "conquered" cavern. She will remain and multiply until there is no traces of food left, and then die in her lair. Young Gohrgins grow up rapidly, but only one out of twenty is a female.

This creature is rarely found near human settlements, but are drawn at times to catacombs and other subterranean burial grounds. It seems to have an attraction to the dead and the spirit world. Though the Gohrgin normally consumes all of its prey, it tends to leave corpses found untouched, even when plenty of flesh remain upon them.

The Gohrgin live to be about 50 years old, and except for the mysterious link with the undead it has no other interest than food and reproduction.



© Copyright 2010 - Nicholas Cloister

Are you talking to me?!!

Hi all mammals! (or divine creations if you prefer). Next week I start making concepts and illustrations for an Australian project (a fantasy on-line game of sorts), that will take my attention away from this Bestiary to some extent. Exactly to what degree is yet uncertain, and it looks as if my work for the project will come in waves, at least in the initial stages. You never know about the future though... Just don't count on a new creature every week for a while...

I received an email from a person who desired to see a playable reptile or insectoid creature on the blog. Such wishes or requests are gratefully received, and I had that one in mind when coming up with this week's creature. Perhaps not a draconian or dragonborn, but more of an amphibian/fish-like creature. I probably strayed miles away from the request, but it certainly inspired my work this week, so thanks for that.

Also thanks to:
Rock falls, everyone dies
(Possibly the greatest name for an rpg blog imaginable) and
Smortazavi for kind writings about RPG Creatures.

I will probably have to consider genus issues here eventually, but for now, here is a male Ferrenai warrior for you.



≡FERRENAI≡




------GENERAL-----------------------------------------
CATEGORY: Amphibian mammal
TERRAIN: Jungles, damp forests, and swamps
FOOD: Omnivore
AGGRESSION: Controlled (short-tempered)
SIZE: About 5 feet, 6 inches (167 cm)
NUMBERS: 1-100


------CHARACTERISTICS-----------------------------
STRENGTH: 5-15
AGILITY: 5-20
ENDURANCE: 3-18
INTELLIGENCE: 3-15
MENTAL RESILIENCE: 3-18
CHARM: 2-8
(If stats of a human ranges from 3 to 18)

SPEED: Running x 0,8 Swimming x 1,3
(Multiple is times human speed)

MAGIC POWER: 3-16
(Ranges from 0-100)

HIT POINTS: 3-16
(If a human commoner has about 11 hit points)


------PROTECTION-------------------------------------
AVERAGE: 2
HEAD: 2
TORSO: 1
ARMS: 2
LEGS: 2

(If Full Plate Armour is 10)

The skin of the Ferrenai is hardier and more resilient than human skin. It is not as easily charred by fire, affected by cold, or other physical phenomena. Ferrenai are immune to skin disease and other skin disorders. The creatures prefer natural armour like leather and scales, but outside-clan individuals have been seen wearing metal


------ATTACKS/DAMAGE---------------------------
2 FISTS: 1-3
2 CLAWED KICKS: 1-6
(If a Long Sword makes a damage of 1-8)


------POWERS/EFFECT-------------------------------
READ MEMORY OF WATER CREATURES: The Ferrenai can telepathically tune in, and to some extent, listen to the memories of fish and other creatures living in water. They have a 50 percent chance of gathering the memory reflections of any water-living creature. The ability is very unreliable and the information is rarely coherent. It is suggested that a d100 be used to see how usable and extensive the memory information may be. The same water creature can only be used once a day for this sort of inquiry.


------DESCRIPTION------------------------------------
In the dampest places, where no other beings will settle, the Ferrenai tribes live and thrive. They have specialised in aquaculture, the farming of water plants and fish, and are also expert hunters.

The Ferrenai are intelligent beings, but emotionally and socially quite different from the typical human. They never greet each other through words or gestures, but seem to take other tribe members for granted. This wordless acceptance of their fellow beings prevents many conflicts in the Ferrenai tribal life. To them it is natural that opinions differ and they never really bother with changing the minds of others, until matters of life an death emerge. The hierarchy of the Ferrenai tribal system solves most disagreements very swiftly, and if not, a ritualised fight to the death is undertaken.
This trait makes the Ferrenai rather vulnerable when thrown into a human society. When regularly questioned (dishonoured) or blatantly disrespected, it is in Ferrenai nature (culture) to resort to lethal violence. Though great hunters, and skilled warriors, the Ferrenai are not a violence-loving people, and therefore avoid other civilisations and beings, unless driven by some uncommon motif. Some individuals have made an effort, and learned the hard way, to interact smoothly with non-Ferrenai societies, but the number of creatures outside the tribes are very small.

The Ferrenai culture is normally based around a shamanistic pantheism, and the ritualistic celebration of water, fish and amphibians in many forms. The position of Tribe Leader and Head Shaman is always held by the same individual, and it is the level of mastery in shamanism that primarily is considered when new leaders are chosen. Ferrenai do not read and write, and resort purely to oral traditions for knowledge. This works well in simple tribal communities, but has obvious weaknesses when a wider scale of knowledge is desired. Many of the Ferrenai outside of the tribes are in fact seekers of wisdom and clearly curious of the ways of others. The Ferrenai language is hard to learn and the clicking and gurgling sounds are strenuous and tough to duplicate for most other beings. However it is said that there is much to learn about the water, and of shaman secrets, for those willing to integrate and manage to be accepted by Ferrenai societies.

Not used to the many nuances in human interaction, the Ferrenai have a hard time understanding what's communicated beyond the words. This is compensated by an intuitive judgement about the character of people and beings they encounter. It is commonly considered that it is the antennae, or the bulges at the back of the Ferrenai head, that somehow make them able to know the heart of people. Even if they can't follow a complex dialogue very well, they have an instant, and far better notion than others, about who to put their trust in, and what to be expected from any person. This gift can be used quite well to tackle most beings, without having to resort to the subtleties of social masquerade. Ferrenai normally always say what they mean, and tend to stand up to their opinions. If not corrected by a higher member of their tribal order, they will defend their stand with their lives if necessary. Ferrenai can tell a lie if they need to, but only do so in extreme and rare situations.

The Ferrenai is a mammal with many amphibian attributes. They give birth to fully developed children, but these stay encased in a tight and soft, water-filled, and semi-translucent "egg" for the first two days. In that period they shed most of the fish-like scales acquired in the womb, and then eat their way out of it. Ferrenai breath through lungs but can stay under water for twenty minutes without much effort. Their skin is not affected or softened by it, and their vision is kept sharp while submerged, due to a thick lens that automatically covers the eyes.



© Copyright 2010 - Nicholas Cloister

Flowers from the sky

Wait a minute… didn't I say “I promise to make a more ordinary creature” next time? What a hell was I thinking? Well, consider it a promise broken. This is not an ordinary beast. It is the Elor Than. You know when the players finally reach that hidden valley or the secret magical kingdom? That’s when these creatures enter. Or perhaps when waking up from an unsettling dream and finding themselves upon the banks of a forest river. Yes, you’re the Game Master, and as always everything is up to you. These are simply my suggestions.
Game Masters or not, I want to welcome and greet all the new followers here. You are most welcome, and I will do my best to keep your attention for some time ahead. I would also like to give great thanks to the following sites/people for writing about 'RPG Creatures':

RPG Dumping Ground
Back Screen Pass - A DM's Secrets
The Rune Under Water
Green Skeleton Gaming Guild
Monttu(a Finnish language blog)

Any questions or requests? Send me an email.
(I’m installing a new workstation – computer and screen – this weekend. A long overdue upgrade that I’m rather exited about. Let's see if it affects the quality of my creations...)
Until next time, have fun with the Elor Than.



≡ELOR THAN≡




------GENERAL-----------------------------------------
CATEGORY: Possibly unearthly
TERRAIN: Misty plains and waterways
FOOD: Carnivore
AGGRESSION: Controlled
SIZE: 15 feet (460 cm)
NUMBERS: 2 (or 30-100)


------CHARACTERISTICS-----------------------------
STRENGTH: 28-30
AGILITY: 8-10
ENDURANCE: 20-25
INTELLIGENCE: 7-9
MENTAL RESILIENCE: 20-25
CHARM: 5-7
(If stats of a human ranges from 3 to 18)

SPEED: Running x 3
(Multiple is times human speed)

MAGIC POWER: 0
(Ranges from 0-100)

HIT POINTS: 30-35
(If a human commoner has about 11 hit points)


------PROTECTION-------------------------------------
AVERAGE: 3
HEAD: 4
LEGS: 4
TENTACLES: 2
CHEST: 2
BACK: 6
MEMBRANES: 1
(If Full Plate Armour is 10)

The Elor Than are only well protected on the back and sides of the main body. Even a frail strike towards the membranes are said to anger them, and can make them hostile.


------ATTACKS/DAMAGE---------------------------
4 KICKS: 6-12
4 TENTACLE BURNS: 4-10 (+ acidic damage)
(If a Long Sword makes a damage of 1-8)

The jellyfish-like ends “flowers” of the Elor Than tentacles are dexterous and lethal constructions. Once an animal is caught by the many smaller arms, the centre fungus emits an acidic substance that breaks down and softens the flesh of the prey. Small creatures are digested directly by the red fungi, while others are delivered to and sucked up through the creature’s elongated tongue. Any remaining hard parts are swallowed whole. A sting by these flowers result in great pain, and continues to do 1-4 four points of acidic damage for an additional 4-8 rounds. If necessary the Elor Than can use all four tentacles to bring down larger beasts and patiently work their flesh into a digestible ooze.


------POWERS/EFFECT-------------------------------
(See description)


------DESCRIPTION------------------------------------
Rare and strange, the Elor Than can be seen walking slowly across fields covered by morning mist. Their legs moving soundlessly while their tentacles scour through the soggy grass. In such a way they gather the frogs, the fat worms, the slugs, and all other life forms drawn out by the damp. Sometimes seen striding through a course of water, they trap the fish with their deadly flowers, and then stop to unhurriedly consume them. Many have tried to pursue and track these creatures, but all return with the same story; They were there before us, and then they were suddenly gone. The Elor Than are said to travel – to journey through planes unknown. It is said that they leave for places where no man has ever been. Who knows? What is certain is that they usually appear in pairs. But there are some reports of “forests” of great legs suddenly moving through the fog.

Standing more than twice the height of a man these giants are gentle, and avoid contact with most intelligent beings. They have been worshipped as deities by druidic orders, perhaps due to their breathtaking presence. When attacked the Elor Than usually run off and soon vanishes from all sense perception. However, should they stay and fight, they make a deadly opponent.

These creatures are normally found far away from settlements and civilisation. They are smart and commune with eerie series of sounds – reminiscent of the hooting song of pigeons. Some scholars have spent their entire lives hunting and studying them, most in the hope of revealing and understanding their rumoured plane-travelling abilities.

The big membranes on the head, back and joints of the Elor Than are extremely sensitive to sound, and pick up frequencies beyond the capacity of any normal ear. In reality they hear through several worlds at once, and can sometimes pick up the noises of the future, as well as the lingering waveforms of the past. No human has of yet managed to communicate with the strange Elor Than. That is a quest still to be completed.

No young or small Elor Than have ever been spotted. But ancient tomes speak of “the giants among giants” – huge creatures towering far above the others, and “great hungry flowers” descending from the sky.



© Copyright 2010 - Nicholas Cloister