New content! New look! New locale!

What comes first? The dungeon or the wilderness?

https://mythopoeicrambling.wordpress.com/2019/04/01/leveling-up-and-world-building/

The End is Near! Reset your Browsers and Feeders!

Mike took a break and is back -- you probably noticed.

I took a break...you probably thought I was dead.  I came back a few times and said I wasn't dead. If you noticed, you probably suspected that I wasn't really back.  Well, I hope I am cycling into a new phase of life.

I'm not going to promise twice-a-week posting like used to be my norm, but I have been thinking and working on things, and even carving out some little bits of time to write up some of the things I've been thinking and working on, so I have some hope for increased blog activity on my part.  I even think it's going to be productive!

At the same time, I've digested some feedback about the blog and some of my own dissatisfaction with Google.  So, I'm here to say that this blog is dead.

It's being reborn on Wordpress with a new look and new organization.  Tomorrow, April 1, I will post the first substantial new content from me in a long time. I'm going to be focusing on a very basic question about the structure of D&D in it early forms and what it may have to do with world building.  Yep, my basic obses- er, interests, have not changed. I've still got my Old School stance, but I'm not going to hate on or close myself off from new possibilites. I'll try some and see what there is to see, when opportunity presents itself. In the areas of tabletop gaming closest to where this blog dwells, we live in a time of great innovation and activity in roleplaying in general, the current edition of D&D, and frankly inspiring creativity in the OSR and OSR-adjacent DIY D&D that is blowing fresh winds my way. Pathfinder has long been dethroned by 5e, but it too is coming soon in a new iteration. Newness is in the air. The season is changing.

I hope Mike will chime in and say what his thoughts and hopes are for MPR, the second-born. Is he going to keep making PF 1.0 monsters? Is he going to make PF 2.0 monsters and/or D&D 5e monsters? I'd like to know.  And I'm going to try to discipline myself to offer some of them in conversion for those of you playing things like Swords & Wizardry -- still powering my current campaign.

https://mythopoeicrambling.wordpress.com is going to have a threefold structure -- My Rambles, Mike's Monsters, and an archive of this blog. Okay, I've already learned some hard lessons about Wordpress. There will be no tripartite structure, however, you'll see clearly that all that stuff will be there.

To everyone who contributed to this blog over the years -- readers, sharers, commenters, friends, guest writers, and above all, Mike, please accept my hearty and humble thanks.  I hope this blog contributed to your imaginative and ludic life, because sharing it with you has greatly contributed to mine. Going forward, all our blog interactions and new posts will appear there.

Please join us and see where the creation and enjoyment of mythic fantasy will take us in the future.

Yours sub-creatively,

Dr. Obscure

Mythopoetic Rambling Blogspot, February 2011-March 2019

Frightful Fridays! Flitter Scorpion

Hello there and welcome back to Frightful Fridays! It's been a hot minute since I last posted, so it's nice to get back to this again. I'll have monsters out at a more frequent pace to make up for the lack of posting for the past few weeks. It all starts with the flitter scorpion, already scary because it can fly. However, its poison is even more horrifying, especially for the low-level PCs it gets to fight, because it disrupts gravity for the victim. This allows the scorpion to sting its prey while the prey flails about helplessly, or the scorpion can just wait for normal gravity to reassert itself, causing the victim to smash to the ground painfully.

I hope you enjoy the flitter scorpion (and the horde of them forming the flitter scorpion swarm). I'll see you again soon with another monster!

Note: the image is a photoshop, but I couldn't find any attribution for it. A reverse image search turned up nothing other than a video about a flying spider, which curiously did not have this image in it.

Gossamer wings support this dark brown scorpion in flight.

Flitter Scorpion      CR 1

XP 400

N Tiny vermin

Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +4

DEFENSE

AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +2 size)

hp 11 (2d8+2)

Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +0

OFFENSE

Speed 15 ft., climb 15 ft., fly 40 ft. (good)

Melee 2 claws +6 (1d2–4 plus attach), sting +6 (1d3–4 plus poison)

Space 2–1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attacks attach, poison

STATISTICS

Str 2, Dex 17, Con 13, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 3

Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 8 (16 vs. trip)

Feats Weapon Finesse[B]

Skills Climb +11, Fly +11, Perception +4, Stealth +15; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Stealth

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate or warm deserts and plains

Organization solitary or hunting party (2–12)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Flitter Scorpion Poison (Ex) Sting—injury; save Fort DC 12; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d2 Str and victim is affected as if reverse gravity (2 rounds, 30-foot maximum height) had been cast on it; cure 1 save.

A droning sound accompanies a cloud of scorpions darting about.

Flitter Scorpion Swarm      CR 2

XP 600

N Tiny vermin (swarm)

Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +4

DEFENSE

AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +2 size)

hp 22 (4d8+4)

Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +1

Defensive Abilities swarm traits

OFFENSE

Speed 15 ft., climb 15 ft., fly 40 ft. (good)

Melee swarm (1d6 plus cling, distraction, and poison)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attacks cling, distraction (DC 13), poison

STATISTICS

Str 2, Dex 17, Con 13, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 3

Base Atk +3; CMB —; CMD —

Skills Climb +11, Fly +11, Perception +4, Stealth +15; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Stealth

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate or warm deserts and plains

Organization solitary

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Cling (Ex) If a creature leaves a flitter scorpion swarm’s square, the swarm suffers 1d4 points of damage to reflect the loss of its numbers as several scorpions continue to cling tenaciously to the victim. A creature with scorpions clinging to it takes swarm damage at the end of its turn each round. As a full-round action, it can remove the scorpions with a DC 15 Reflex save. High wind or any amount of damage from an area effect destroys all clinging scorpions. The save DC is Dexterity-based.

Flitter Scorpion Poison (Ex) Swarm—injury; save Fort DC 13; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d3 Str and victim is affected as if reverse gravity (4 rounds, 60-foot maximum height) had been cast on it; cure 1 save.

Flitter scorpions are winged arachnids with an unusual method of hunting. Like other scorpions, they inject their prey with poison, which debilitates their victims. However, the poison also severs the victims’ link with gravity, causing the victims to float helplessly in the air for moments before falling unceremoniously. While the scorpions’ prey hovers, the creatures deliver additional stings with impunity. If stings or their weakening poison doesn’t kill their prey, the fall to the ground as the poison subsides usually does the trick. This form of attack allows individual flitter scorpions to attack creatures much larger than themselves with considerably less fear of reprisal.

When prey is plentiful, flitter scorpions gather into great clusters and deliver multitudes of stings to whatever prey they encounter. These swarms of scorpions feast on their fallen victims and move on to the next set of prey. If they devastate too much of their potential meals, they often fall into cannibalistic frenzies, reducing their swarms to a handful of survivors.

Sages speculate powerful yet diminutive fey engineered flitter scorpions as flying steeds they could direct into battle. These sages further speculate the scorpions proved to be too difficult to control, so the fey left them behind in the mortal world to wreak havoc.

A 5th-level spellcaster with the Improved Familiar feat can gain a flitter scorpion as a familiar. While the spellcaster and the scorpion familiar are within 1 mile of each other, the spellcaster gains a +3 bonus on Fly checks and the spellcaster’s maneuverability improves by one step (to a maximum of good).

Frightful Fridays! Opportunistic Griffons

Hello and welcome back to the first post of 2019. I hope the new year has started well for you. I'm making up for lost time with five monsters for you this time around, all based on the wonderful illustrations found here. I'm applying the slightly more gentle name of "opportunistic griffons" rather than "trash griffons," since most of these critters don't prefer to eat trash (with the exception of the vulpossum), but it will do in a pinch. There was no sea gull option, so I rectified that by pairing it with the Tasmanian devil (referred to as a sacrophilus to distance it from the Earth term). It's the worst of them all, as one would expect.

I hope you enjoy the opportunistic griffons. See you next week with something else!

This delicate creature features the head, body, and tail of a mouse, and the wings, talons, and beak of a sparrow. Its gray patterning helps it blend into its surroundings.

Sparrouse      CR 1/4

XP 100

N Diminutive magical beast

Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +5

DEFENSE

AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +4 size)

hp 3 (1d10–2)

Fort +0, Ref +4, Will +1

OFFENSE

Speed 15 ft., climb 15 ft., fly 40 ft. (good)

Melee talon +7 (1d3–5)

Space 1 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

STATISTICS

Str 1, Dex 14, Con 6, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 7

Base Atk +1; CMB –1 (+1 steal); CMD 4 (6 vs. steal, 8 vs. trip)

Feats Improved Steal[APG, B], Weapon Finesse

Skills Climb +10, Fly +12, Perception +5

SQ darting scurry, invitational call

ECOLOGY

Environment any temperate land

Organization solitary, pair, nest (3–12), or horde (13–80)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Darting Scurry (Ex) A sparrouse can run up to 5 times its base speed. Until the end of its turn, it gains a +2 circumstance bonus to its AC. Once it uses this ability, it must wait 1d4+1 round before using it again.

Invitational Call (Ex) Once per hour as a free action, a sparrouse alerts other sparrouses to the presence of food. This has a 50% chance of calling 2d4 sparrouses to the area; on a result of 00, the number increases to 10d4. The sparrouses arrive in waves of 4 per round starting 1d4 rounds after the sparrouse calls them and ending when all sparrouses have arrived.

Sparrouses are shy creatures who furtively grab discarded food. They are omnivorous and can hunt insects on their own, but they prefer the leavings of inhabitants in civilized areas. On rare occasions, sparrouses work up the courage to snatch food directly from their targets.

Spellcasters of any alignment with the Improved Familiar feat can gain a sparrouse as a familiar at 3rd level.

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This amalgam of pigeon and rat has the head, body, and tail belonging to a rat, and the wings, talons, and beak belonging to a pigeon.

Pidgerat      CR 1/2

XP 200

N Tiny magical beast

Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +5

DEFENSE

AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 size)

hp 5 (1d10)

Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft., climb 15 ft., fly 40 ft. (average), swim 20 ft.

Melee 2 talons +5 (1d3-4)

Space 2–1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attacks blinding strike

STATISTICS

Str 2, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 2

Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 7 (11 vs. trip)

Feats Flyby Attack, Weapon Finesse[B]

Skills Climb +10, Fly +6, Perception +5, Swim +10

SQ homing, invitational call

ECOLOGY

Environment any temperate land

Organization solitary, pair, nest (3–12), or kit (13–100)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Blinding Strike (Ex) If a pidgerat using the Flyby Attack feat makes a successful critical hit with its talon, as a swift action it can attempt a dirty trick maneuver to blind the target. This maneuver does not incur an attack of opportunity from the target.

Homing (Ex) If a pidgerat spends 1 hour in a specific location, it knows the most direct route to that location, as if it were the recipient of a find the path spell.

Invitational Call (Ex) Once per hour as a free action, a pidgerat alerts other pidgerats to the presence of food. This has a 50% chance of calling 2d4 pidgerats to the area; on a result of 00, the number increases to 10d4. The pidgerats arrive in waves of 4 per round starting 1d4 rounds after the pidgerat calls them and ending when all sparrouses have arrived.

Pidgerats are the most numerous of the opportunistic griffons. They also happen to be the least shy about humanoids and can be found weaving among them in various settlements. Many people view them as pests, and several settlements have begun programs to eradicate the creatures. However, some folk have realized the possibilities of training pidgerats, especially with their uncanny ability to find locations they have roosted in.

Spellcasters of any alignment with the Improved Familiar feat can gain a pidgerat as a familiar at 5th level.

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This bizarre creature has the talons, beak, and greasy wings found on a vulture combined with the scruffy-furred body, thin tail, and beady eyes found on a possum.

Vulpossum      CR 1

XP 400

N Small magical beast

Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., disease scent, low-light vision, scent; Perception +9

DEFENSE

AC 13, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+1 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size)

hp 15 (2d10+4)

Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +2; +4 vs. disease

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft., fly 40 ft. (average)

Melee bite +3 (1d4 plus disease), 2 talons +3 (1d3)

Special Attacks disease

STATISTICS

Str 10, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 3, Wis 15, Cha 2

Base Atk +2; CMB +1; CMD 12 (16 vs. trip)

Feats Skill Focus (Perception)

Skills Climb +8, Fly +7, Perception +9

SQ feign death, invitational call

ECOLOGY

Environment any temperate or warm land

Organization solitary, pair, or passel (3–12)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Disease (Ex) Filth fever: Bite—injury; save Fort DC 13; onset 1d3 days; frequency 1/day; effect 1d3 Dex damage and 1d3 Con damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Disease Scent (Ex) A vulpossum can sense whether a creature within 30 feet is diseased or can inflict disease with an attack.

Feign Death (Ex) A vulpossum that takes damage can pretend that it is dead as an immediate action. It has a +12 racial bonus on Bluff checks to fool observers.

Invitational Call (Ex) Once per hour as a free action, a vulpossum alerts other vulpossums to the presence of food. This has a 50% chance of calling 1d4 vulpossums to the area; on a result of 00, the number increases to 2d4. The vulpossums arrive in waves of 2 per round starting 1d4 rounds after the vulpossum calls them and ending when all sparrouses have arrived.

Vulpossums can eat just about anything and often resort to tearing corpses apart or digging through trash to feed themselves. While the creatures provide a valuable service by removing corpses that might reanimate, either of their own volition or through foul magic, their bites carry disease. Volpossums alternate between aggression, where they hiss and threaten those who come near their meals or lairs, and nervousness, culminating in pretending to die when they are harmed.

Similarly to terrestrial opossums, vulpossums carry their young, even when they take flight. They often lose some of their offspring that can’t successfully cling to their parents and haven’t developed the ability to fly.

Spellcasters of any alignment with the Improved Familiar feat can gain a vulpossum as a familiar at 5th level.

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This dark-furred, dark-winged creature combines the wings, talons, and beak of a massive crow with the body, head, and striped tail of an equally massive raccoon.

Craccoon      CR 2

XP 600

N Small magical beast

Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +10

DEFENSE

AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size)

hp 19 (3d10+3)

Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +3

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft., fly 50 ft. (average)

Melee bite +4 (1d6), 2 talons +4 (1d4)

Special Attacks ring grabber, surprise steal

STATISTICS

Str 10, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 5, Wis 14, Cha 9

Base Atk +3; CMB +2 (+4 steal); CMD 14 (16 vs. steal, 18 vs. trip)

Feats Improved Initiative, Improved Steal[APG, B], Weapon Finesse

Skills Climb +8, Disable Device +8, Fly +4, Perception +10, Sleight of Hand +10, Stealth +10; Racial Modifiers +4 Disable Device, +4 Perception, +4 Sleight of Hand, +4 Stealth

SQ canny thief, incredible grip, invitational call

ECOLOGY

Environment any temperate land

Organization solitary, pair, larceny (3–12), or grand theft (13–50)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Canny Thief (Ex) Sleight of Hand is a class skill for a craccoon. It has a +4 racial bonus on Sleight of Hand checks.

Incredible Grip (Ex) A craccoon gains a +8 bonus to CMD against steal combat maneuvers for items held in its talons. For an item in its talons, the DC to take the item using Sleight of Hand increases by 8.

Invitational Call (Ex) Once per hour as a free action, a craccoon alerts other craccoons to the presence of food. This has a 50% chance of calling 1d4 craccoons to the area; on a result of 00, the number increases to 2d4. The craccoons arrive in waves of 2 per round starting 1d4 rounds after the craccoon calls them and ending when all sparrouses have arrived.

Ring Grabber (Ex) If a ring is worn but not otherwise attached to a target, a craccoon can attempt a steal combat maneuver to take the ring, which is treated as an item fastened to the target (granting a +5 bonus to its CMD).

Surprise Steal (Ex) If a craccoon makes a critical hit against a target, it can attempt a steal combat maneuver against that target as a swift action.

Craccoons are the most intelligent of the opportunistic griffons, melding the inquisitiveness and cleverness of both crows and raccoons. They use their talents to take eggs, fresh food, or trash from those with whom they share space. Craccoons are inherently attracted to shiny baubles and brazenly attack targets wearing or carrying gems or jewels. Once they have acquired desired objects, they refuse to loosen their death grips on their prizes and often attempt to escape to nearby nests set within sturdy branches. Nests belonging to long-lived craccoons are veritable treasure troves.

Spellcasters of any alignment with the Improved Familiar feat can gain a craccoon as a familiar at 7th level.

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The white wings of a seagull contrast with the midnight-black fur of a sarcophilus. The creature also has the talons and beak common to seagulls as well as the long tail common to the sarcophilus.

Gulldevil      CR 3

XP 800

N Small magical beast

Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +14

DEFENSE

AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+1 Dex, +4 natural, +1 size)

hp 30 (4d10+8)

Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +3

Defensive Abilities ferocity

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft., fly 50 ft. (average)

Melee bite +6 (1d8+1), talon +7 (1d6+1/×3)

Special Attacks bleeding scratches, blood rage, desperate battler, rend (2 talons, 1d6+1)

STATISTICS

Str 13, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 5

Base Atk +4; CMB +4; CMD 15 (19 vs. trip)

Feats Dazzling Display, Weapon Focus (talon)

Skills Fly +7, Perception +14

ECOLOGY

Environment any temperate or warm land

Organization solitary, pair, or devastation (3–8)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Bleeding Scratches (Ex) If a gulldevil makes a critical hit against a target, it inflicts 1d4 points of bleed damage in addition to triple damage from the critical hit.

Desperate Battler (Ex) When a gulldevil is reduced to 0 hit points or fewer, it gains a +2 morale bonus on attack and damage rolls. If it is subsequently restored to positive hit points, it loses the morale bonus at the end of its turn.

Gulldevils are vicious creatures capable of eating any organic material, including decomposing remains. However, they greatly prefer flesh from living creatures and fiercely attack anything that moves when they are hungry. If they are merely protecting their territories or meals, they make a intimidating display of their gore-caked talons along with an unnerving screech.

Gulldevils are unfit companions for most, as they can barely tolerate each other. Particularly evil, minute fey have learned magic to charm gulldevils, though, and use the creatures as mounts.

Frightful Fridays! Whiteout Swarm

Hello and welcome back for Frightful Fridays! (OK, yeah, it's Saturday) Lots of snow fell where I live, and that is unusual for this time of year, so it inspired me to create a snow-themed monster. Snow is a perfect vehicle for swarms, so you get the whiteout swarm, which stings, freezes, and potentially blinds those in its path. It also has a happy little poison it uses to make more whiteout swarms. Fun!

I hope you enjoy the whiteout swarm. I'll see you again soon with another wintry monster!

Thousands of snowflakes and ice crystals swirl about in a confined space, ignoring the wind (or lack thereof) around them.

Whiteout Swarm      CR 8

XP 4,800

NE Fine outsider (air, cold, elemental, swarm, water)

Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., snow vision; Perception +13

DEFENSE

AC 23, touch 23, flat-footed 18 (+4 Dex, +1 dodge, +8 size)

hp 105 (10d10+50); frost healing

Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +7

Defensive Abilities swarm traits; Immune cold

Weaknesses heat sluggishness, vulnerability to fire

OFFENSE

Speed 5 ft., fly 60 ft. (good)

Melee swarm (2d6 plus 4d6 cold, distraction, eye sting, and poison)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attacks distraction (DC 20)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +12)

   3/day—chill metal (DC 14), hold monster (DC 17)

   1/day—freezing sphere (DC 18)

STATISTICS

Str 1, Dex 18, Con 21, Int 4, Wis 10, Cha 15

Base Atk +10; CMB —; CMD —

Feats Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Wind Stance

Skills Fly +20, Knowledge (nature) +8, Perception +13, Stealth +24 (+32 in ice and snow), Survival +13; Racial Modifiers +8 Stealth in ice and snow

Languages Aquan, Auran (can’t speak)

ECOLOGY

Environment cold land

Organization solitary or snowsquall (2–8)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Eye Sting (Ex) When a whiteout swarm inflicts swarm damage, each creature damaged by the swarm must attempt a DC 20 Fortitude save. On a failed save, an affected creature is blinded for 1d4 rounds, otherwise, the creature is dazzled for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Frost Healing (Su) In cold weather (below 40° Fahrenheit), a whiteout swarm gains fast healing 1. Severe cold (below 0° Fahrenheit) improves the swarm’s fast healing to 2, and extreme cold (below –20° Fahrenheit) improves its fast healing to 5.

Heat Sluggishness (Ex) In temperatures above 40° Fahrenheit, a whiteout swarm moves at half speed, and takes a –2 penalty to its Armor Class, skill checks, and saving throws.

Poison (Su) Swarm—injury; save Fort DC 20; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Dex; cure 2 consecutive saves. Creatures with immunity to cold are immune to this poison. A Small or Medium creature reduced to 0 Dexterity as a result of this poison, or killed while afflicted with this poison, returns as a whiteout swarm in 1d4 rounds. A Large or Huge creature converts into 2 swarms, and a Gargantuan or Colossal creature converts into 4 swarms.

Snow Vision (Ex) A whiteout swarm can see perfectly well in snowy conditions and does not take any penalties on Perception checks while in snow.

Spell-Like Abilities A whiteout swarm infuses some of itself into the spell-like abilities it uses. When it does so, it takes damage equal to the spell-like ability’s spell level.

Whiteout swarms are considered nuisances in the intersections between the Plane of Air and the Plane of Water where they reside. They become parasitic when they fall into the Prime Material Plane, or when led to the Prime Material Plane by powerful ice elementals employing the swarms as a vanguard during an invasion. The swarms seek out body heat with the intent to extinguish it and convert the mass of creatures they kill into additional swarms. Thus, whiteout swarms attack living creatures in preference to undead, constructs, and other non-living targets. They also target larger creatures to ensure the creation of more swarms.

Other powerful cold creatures, such as ancient (or older) white dragons, and undead with arctic bases summon whiteout swarms to devastate their foes and reduce resistance when they launch their attacks. The swarms have rudimentary intelligence, so they follow orders, and they employ sound tactics with external guidance. On their own, they use their spell-like abilities to ensnare and otherwise hinder opponents. They despise warm temperatures and seek to retreat when the temperature becomes unbearable. They are also averse to fire, but they stand an equal chance to flee from opponents employing fire or to focus their attention on such opponents.

Frightful Fridays! Decapitant

Hello and welcome back to Frightful Fridays! Today's set of monsters comes courtesy of my friend, Patrick, who pointed me in the direction of this article. Of course, headhunting ants make for fun monsters, but I wanted an additional aspect beyond the decapitations. A decapitant takes the skull to its monarch and feeds the monarch the decapitated victim's brain, in order to keep the monarch at a level of high intelligence. As a bonus, the decapitant gets to keep the skull of its victim. This allows PCs to figure out which are the toughest monsters, since they'll be the ones wearing the most skulls.

I hope you enjoy the decapitants. See you next week with another monster!

Humanoid and other skulls form a ring around the abdomen of this towering yellow- and red-banded ant. It has enormous, serrated mandibles and a 6-foot-long, poison-tipped stinger.

Decapitant      CR 10

XP 9,600

N Huge vermin

Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +1

DEFENSE

AC 24, touch 14, flat-footed 18 (+6 Dex, +10 natural, –2 size)

hp 133 (14d8+70)

Fort +14, Ref +10, Will +5

OFFENSE

Speed 60 ft., burrow 20 ft., climb 30 ft.

Melee bite +18 (3d6+10 plus grab), sting +18 (2d6+10 plus poison)

Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks decapitation, poison

STATISTICS

Str 31, Dex 22, Con 21, Int —, Wis 12, Cha 7

Base Atk +10; CMB +22 (+26 grapple); CMD 38 (46 vs. trip)

Skills Climb +18

SQ hive mind

ECOLOGY

Environment any land

Organization solitary, scouting party (2–8), dragon hunting party (1 plus 9–20 decapitants), or colony (21–99 plus 1 decapitant consort and 1 decapitant monarch)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Decapitation (Ex) If a decapitant rolls a natural 20 on its attempt to maintain a grapple, it decapitates the creature it has grappled. If the grappled target is helpless, the decapitant can spend a full-round action to decapitate the target.

Hive Mind (Ex) As long as there are at least two decapitants within 100 feet of each other, if any one of the group is aware of a particular danger, they all are. No decapitant in a group is considered flanked or flat-footed unless all of them are.

Poison (Ex) Sting—Injury; save Fort DC 22; frequency 1/round for 8 rounds; effect 1d8 Dex and paralyzed for 1 round; cure 3 consecutive saves.

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This gigantic yellow- and red-banded ant has a wreath of draconic skulls affixed to its head. It has enormous, serrated mandibles, a 6-foot-long, poison-tipped stinger, and membranous wings capable of holding it aloft.

Decapitant Consort      CR 13

XP 25,600

N Huge magical beast

Init +10; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +23

DEFENSE

AC 28, touch 14, flat-footed 22 (+4 armor, +6 Dex, +10 natural, –2 size)

hp 184 (16d10+96)

Fort +16, Ref +16, Will +9

Immune mind-affecting effects

OFFENSE

Speed 60 ft., burrow 20 ft., climb 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (average)

Melee bite +24 (3d6+10/19–20 plus grab), sting +24 (2d6+10)

Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks decapitation, poison

STATISTICS

Str 31, Dex 22, Con 23, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 15

Base Atk +16; CMB +28 (+32 grapple); CMD 44 (52 vs. trip)

Feats Coordinated Maneuvers[APG], Gang Up[APG], Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Outflank[APG], Paired Opportunists[APG], Power Attack, Swap Places[APG]

Skills Climb +23, Fly +19, Perception +23

SQ hive mind

ECOLOGY

Environment any land

Organization solitary, mated pair (1 plus 1 decapitant consort), dragon hunting party (1 plus 9–20 decapitants), or colony (21–99 plus 1 decapitant consort and 1 decapitant monarch)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Decapitation (Ex) If a decapitant consort rolls a natural 19 or 20 on its attempt to maintain a grapple (and the grapple attempt is successful on a roll of 19), it decapitates the creature it has grappled. If the grappled target is helpless, the decapitant can spend a full-round action to decapitate the target.

Hive Mind (Ex) If a decapitant consort is within 100 feet of at least one other decapitant, if any one of the group is aware of a particular danger, they all are. No decapitant in a group is considered flanked or flat-footed unless all of them are.

The decapitant consort grants its teamwork feats to all decapitants within 30 feet of it.

Poison (Ex) Sting—Injury; save Fort DC 24; frequency 1/round for 8 rounds; effect 2d6 Dex and paralyzed for 1 round; cure 3 consecutive saves.

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This enormous monarch ant is nearly immobile and has no apparent means of attack. However, its bloated, amorphous body crackles with arcane energy.

Decpaitant Monarch      CR 16

XP 76,800

N Gargantuan magical beast

Init –3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +6

DEFENSE

AC 31, touch 3, flat-footed 31 (+4 armor, –3 Dex, +24 natural, –4 size)

hp 250 (20d10+140)

Fort +19, Ref +9, Will +14

SR 27

OFFENSE

Speed 10 ft.

Space 20 ft.; Reach 15 ft.

Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 20th; concentration +27)

   9th (6/day)—energy drain (DC 26), meteor swarm (DC 26), wail of the banshee (DC 26)

   8th (6/day)—maze, prismatic wall (DC 25), protection from spells

   7th (7/day)—deflection[APG], insanity (DC 26) , mass hold person (DC 26)

   6th (7/day)—greater dispel magic, stone to flesh (DC 23), true seeing

   5th (7/day)—acidic spray[UM] (DC 22), dominate person (DC 26), interposing hand, suffocation[APG] (DC 22)

   4th (7/day)—phantasmal killer (DC 21), shout (DC 21), stoneskin, wall of ice (DC 21)

   3rd (8/day)—aqueous orb[APG] (DC 20), hold person (DC 22), lightning bolt (DC 20), protection from energy

   2nd (8/day)—bull's strength, false life, hideous laughter (DC 21), mirror image, scorching ray

   1st (8/day)—burning hands (DC 18), charm person (DC 20), grease, mage armor, magic missile

   0 (at will)—acid splash, arcane mark, bleed (DC 17), detect magic, jolt[UM], mage hand, mending, message, resistance

STATISTICS

Str 34, Dex 4, Con 25, Int 15, Wis 22, Cha 25

Base Atk +20; CMB +36; CMD 43 (can't be tripped)

Feats Combat Casting, Greater Spell Focus (enchantment), Greater Spell Penetration, Iron Will, Persistent Spell[APG], Quicken Spell, Selective Spell[APG], Spell Focus (enchantment), Spell Penetration, Spell Perfection (dominate person)[APG]

Skills Diplomacy +27, Knowledge (arcana) +25, Sense Motive +26, Spellcraft +25

Languages Common, Draconic

SQ confer spells, emergency consort, omniawareness, random trivia, shared spell resistance

ECOLOGY

Environment any land

Organization solitary, mated pair (1 plus 1 decapitant consort), or colony (1 plus 21–99 decapitants and 1 decapitant consort)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Confer Spells (Su) When a decapitant monarch casts a spell with a range of touch or personal and targets itself, all decapitants within 100 feet of the monarch are also targeted by the spell.

Emergency Consort (Su) Once per day, a decapitant monarch spend 1 minute to convert one of its decapitants into a decapitant consort. The hasty process produces a less viable specimen, so it gains the degenerate creature template (–2 on all rolls, including damage rolls, and to special ability DCs; –2 to AC and CMD; –2 hp/HD), and it dies 1 hour after creation.

Omniawareness (Su) A decapitant monarch is vaguely aware of everything its decapitants perceive. It is not considered flanked or flat-footed unless all decapitants within 300 feet of the monarch are.

As a move action, a decapitant monarch can choose a decapitant within 100 miles through which it can perceive the target decapitant’s surroundings. The monarch is limited to the sensory capabilities of the target decapitant and cannot use spells to enhance the target decapitant’s ability to sense its surroundings. The monarch is effectively blind while it uses this ability, but it can dismiss it as a free action.

Random Trivia (Ex) The consumption of brain matter from a diversity of creatures gives a decapitant monarch access to a wide array of information. It adds half its Hit Dice on all Knowledge skill checks and may make all Knowledge skill checks untrained. Additionally, 3 times per day, it can take a full-round action to probe the depths of its acquired memories, granting it a +30 insight bonus on any Knowledge skill check.

Shared Spell Resistance (Su) Decapitants within 100 feet of a decapitant monarch gain spell resistance equal to the monarch’s spell resistance – 2.

Spells A decapitant monarch casts spells as a 20th-level sorcerer. The spell list above is representative, and can change from monarch to monarch, with the exception of dominate person, which all monarchs know.

Decapitants are carnivorous giant ants with a penchant for separating victims’ heads from their bodies. This serves as more than a gruesome means of death that winds up fueling horror stories told around campfires. The mindless decapitant soldiers bring the heads back to their colonies. Upon arrival, the soldiers scoop out the brain matter and feed it to the highly intelligent decapitant monarchs that control the colonies, and receive the victims’ skulls as trophies. While decapitant monarchs prefer brains from intelligent creatures, they make do with other brains. Monarchs are careful not to strip the territory around their colonies of living creatures to ensure they have a steady supply of brains.

The exception to this conservative feeding is when scouting units of decapitants uncover evidence of lairing dragons. Decapitant monarchs have an addiction to draconic brains and uproot their colonies to move near their favorite food. This is often preceded by a wave of devastation, as the monarchs desire a substantial supply of brains to make the journey. Dozens of soldiers carry monarchs for these relocations, while dozens more scout ahead to ensure no danger may befall their monarchs.

Other than soldiers and monarchs, decapitants have attendants to the monarchs known as consorts. Decapitant consorts are the only decapitants capable of flight without the aid of magic. Beyond serving as attendants to their monarchs, they lead war parties of decapitants against dragons, as well as forces invading territory belonging to their colonies. Consorts come from the ranks of soldier decapitants or from captured and enthralled humanoids. Monarchs prefer humanoids as stock for their consorts, since they find humanoids to be more inherently adaptable than even the most powerful decapitants. The conversion process takes less time for humanoids than for decapitants and requires monarchs to give up less of the brain matter that makes up their diets. It takes 3 months to transform a decapitant into a decapitant consort, but it takes 1 month for a humanoid to transform into a consort. Monarchs employ dominate person to keep their potential consorts docile while convincing their future consorts of the glory and sense of belonging awaiting them as part of the colony.

Decapitant colonies that lose their monarch but not their consort rebuild quickly as the consort becomes the new monarch over the course of a week. Colonies without a monarch or consort require over a year to rebuild, with scouting parties retrieving skull and brains and bringing them to the colonies’ sequestered remnants, whereupon one of the decapitants emerges as a new monarch.

Frightful Fridays! Demonic Plants

Hello and welcome to the post-Thanksgiving (well, in America) Frightful Fridays! Since I missed last week, I figured I would make up for it by stuffing today's post with a plethora of plants. OK, they *look* like plants, but they're actually Abyssal creatures sent to the Prime Material Plane to destroy plants, as Abyssal critters are wont to do. They're especially dangerous to plants (so be careful, leshy and ghoran PCs!), but they have enough ways to murder non-plants to make them a challenge for the majority of PCs.

I hope you enjoy these demonic plants. I'll see you next week with something else!

This sunflower stands as tall as a human and has a thick, red stalk. Its flower is an angry red and bears demonic facial features.

Spiteflower      CR 6

XP 2,400

CE Medium outsider (extraplanar)

Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +15

DEFENSE

AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18 (+1 Dex, +8 natural)

hp 68 (8d10+24)

Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +6

Immune electricity, plant traits; Resist acid 5, cold 5, fire 5

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.

Melee slam +13 (2d6+7)

Ranged fire beam +10 touch (4d6 fire/19–20)

Special Attacks favored enemy (plants +4), hail of seeds

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 8th; concentration +9)

   Constant—speak with plants

   1/day—blight (DC 16)

STATISTICS

Str 20, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 6, Wis 18, Cha 13

Base Atk +8; CMB +13; CMD 24 (can't be tripped)

Feats Dazzling Display, Improved Critical (fire beam), Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (fire beam)

Skills Disguise +12, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (nature) +9, Perception +15

Languages Abyssal, Sylvan; speak with plants

SQ camouflage

ECOLOGY

Environment any land (the Abyss)

Organization solitary or bunch o’ spite (2–16)

Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Camouflage (Ex) A spiteflower can make a Disguise check to look like a large sunflower. Creatures can attempt Knowledge (nature) or Knowledge (planes) checks instead of Perception checks to see through the disguise.

Fire Beam (Su) As a move action, a spiteflower can access the Abyss to power its fire beam. Its fire beam can only harm plants, but the raw energy from the Abyss causes the damage to not be subject to resistance or immunity to fire-based attacks.

A spiteflower’s fire beam has a 30-foot range increment.

Hail of Seeds (Ex) Every 1d4 rounds as a standard action, a spiteflower can spray hundreds of razor-sharp seeds in a 30-foot cone. All creatures in the area must succeed at a DC 17 Reflex save or take 6d6 points of piercing damage and 1d4 bleed. On a successful save, they take half damage and no bleed. The save DC is Constitution-based.

This shrub has brittle branches and dying leaves that barely conceal a pair of sickly green, whip-like vines.

Razorwhip Shrub      CR 8

XP 4,800

CE Small outsider  (extraplanar)

Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +17

DEFENSE

AC 21, touch 17, flat-footed 15 (+5 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 natural, +1 size)

hp 95 (10d10+40)

Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +11

Immune electricity, plant traits; Resist acid 10, cold 5, fire 10

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.

Melee 2 vines +15 (3d6+3/17–20/x3 plus 2d4 bleed)

Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with vines)

Special Attacks blood rage, favored enemy (plants +6), razor vines, whip whirl

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +12)

   Constant—speak with plants

   3/day—blight (DC 17)

   1/day—blade barrier (DC 18)

STATISTICS

Str 16, Dex 21, Con 19, Int 6, Wis 18, Cha 15

Base Atk +10; CMB +12; CMD 28 (can't be tripped)

Feats Dazzling Display, Dodge, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Weapon Focus (vine)

Skills Disguise +15, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (nature) +11, Perception +17

Languages Abyssal, Sylvan; speak with plants

SQ camouflage

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Blood Rage (Ex) A razorship shrub’s ability activates whenever it deals bleed damage to a plant creature, but otherwise functions as the universal monster rule of the same name.

Camouflage (Ex) A razorwhip shrub can make a Disguise check to look like an ordinary shrubbery. Creatures can attempt Knowledge (nature) or Knowledge (planes) checks instead of Perception checks to see through the disguise.

Razor Vines (Ex) A razorwhip shrub’s vines are extremely sharp. They deal slashing damage with a critical threat range of 17–20 and a critical multiplier of x3. Additionally, when the shrub confirms a critical hit with a vine attack, it deals 1d4 points of Constitution bleed rather than 2d4 bleed.

Whip Whirl (DC 19) (Ex) Once every 1d4 rounds as a standard action, a razorwhip shrub can swing one of its vines around it, inflicting 6d6 slashing to all creatures within 10 feet of it (DC 19 Reflex half). The save DC is Constitution-based.

This gigantic tangle of leafy vines contains the bones of animals and humans along with the remnants of various other plants within its mass.

Suffokudzu      CR 12

XP 19,200

CE Large outsider (extraplanar)

Init –2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +23

DEFENSE

AC 27, touch 7, flat-footed 27 (–2 Dex, +20 natural, –1 size)

hp 172 (15d10+90); fast healing 5

Fort +15, Ref +3, Will +14

DR 10/adamantine; Immune electricity, plant traits; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 23

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

Melee 2 slams +22 (4d6+7/19–20)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks devastating blight, engulf, favored enemy (plants +6), smother, strangle

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; concentration +21)

   Constant—speak with plants

   3/day—blight (DC 21), suffocation[APG] (DC 21)

STATISTICS

Str 24, Dex 7, Con 23, Int 6, Wis 20, Cha 23

Base Atk +15; CMB +23; CMD 31 (can't be tripped)

Feats Critical Focus, Dazzling Display, Improved Critical (slam), Improved Vital Strike, Power Attack, Staggering Critical, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (slam)

Skills Disguise +24, Intimidate +24, Knowledge (nature) +16, Perception +23

Languages Abyssal, Sylvan; speak with plants

SQ camouflage, reuse or recycle

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Camouflage (Ex) A suffokudzu can make a Disguise check to look like an ordinary shrubbery. Creatures can attempt Knowledge (nature) or Knowledge (planes) checks instead of Perception checks to see through the disguise.

Devastating Blight (Su) If a suffokudzu uses its blight spell-like ability, rather than targeting a single creature, it can target all creatures it has currently engulfed.

Reuse or Recycle (Ex) If a suffokudzu kills a plant creature while the plant creature is engulfed by it, it can either gain temporary hit points equal to twice the plant creature's Hit Dice for 1 hour, or animate the corpse as if it cast animate plants on it. The suffokudzu can animate any number of plants, and the plants remain animated for 1 hour or until destroyed.

When the demon Aragahz failed in his scheme to retrieve his eye, he was especially furious at the fact a collection of walking plants—leshys—proved his undoing. Seething, he returned to his domain to plot his revenge on the leshys. He came upon the idea to create demonic mockeries of plants found on the Prime Material Plane and setting them loose on the objects of his ire. He commanded his minions to gather Prime Material plants and replanted them in the barren soil in his domain. Replacing sunlight and water with hatred and demon ichor, Aragahz rejoiced as his terrible garden took shape.

All three varieties of demonic plants enjoy destruction, especially in verdant locations. Their hatred for plant creatures overrides everything, so they always focus their attacks on plant creatures in preference to other creatures, regardless of the relative power of the creatures. With the exception of spiteflowers, these demonic plants relish direct attacks, feeling flesh tear and bones and branches break under their assaults. Spiteflowers are content to fry their foes from a comfortable distance, resorting to a spray of bullet-like seeds at groups of opponents that draw too close; they gleefully smash into their foes when they can’t avoid close-quarters combat.

While the demonic plants devastate all plant life where they find it, on rare occasions they leave surviving plants. Unfortunately, the demonic plants incidentally crosspollinate with these survivors, laying the groundwork for more of their ilk.