Frightful Fridays! Fiery Ant

Welcome to a brief Frightful Fridays! entry. I have plans for a few monsters that have been piling up in the corner, which I hope I can bring to fruition later today. In the meantime, serendipity in the form of a strange online conversation with friends led to a challenge to stat up the fiery ant.

I hope you like this critter, and I hope to be back soon with some other monsters. Thanks for reading!

This cute little guy brings fiery pain

This giant, bright red ant has powerful mandibles that seethe with fire. Heat visibly emanates from the ant's body.

Fiery Ant CR 3

XP 800

N Tiny vermin (fire)

Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9

Defense

AC 18, touch 16, flat-footed 14 (+4 Dex, +2 size, +2 natural)

hp 26 (4d8+8)

Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +2

Immune fire, vermin traits

Weakness vulnerability to cold

Offense

Speed 30 ft., climb 10 ft.

Melee bite +9 (2d4-4 plus 2d6 fire, attach, burn, and poison)

Space 2.5 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attacks attach, breath weapon (20-ft. cone, 2d6 fire damage, Reflex DC 14 half, usable every 1d4 rounds), burn (1d6, DC 14), poison

Statistics

Str 2, Dex 18, Con 15, Int —, Wis 13, Cha 11

Base Atk +3; CMB +5 (+9 grapple); CMD 11 (19 vs. trip)

Feats Weapon Finesse

Skills Acrobatics +8, Climb +12, Perception +9, Stealth +20; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +8 Climb, +8 Perception, +8 Stealth

Ecology

Environment any temperate or warm terrestrial

Organization solitary, pair, or colony (3–40)

Treasure none (incidental in colony)

Special Abilities

Fiery Ant Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 14; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d3 Con; cure 1 save. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Some ants just want to watch the world burn. Fiery ants bring the tenacity of normal fire ants and add a literal burning to their terrible bites. These ants are rarely encountered as solitary creatures, and a victim who stumbles upon a fiery ant colony finds itself the target of dozens of frenzied ants that bite and latch on to their prey. A typical fiery ant is as large as a house cat, and it lives in a mound that measures 20 feet in diameter and is 10 feet high.

Frightful Fridays! Burnville Horror

Welcome back to a new Frightful Fridays! installment. Today's find is thanks to Gregg, who always discovers the most pleasant, friendly, and downright huggable monsters. The artist who created the monster gave it the moniker Rah'Yeran, which is a great name, but I didn't feel like borrowing the name. For inspiration, I went to a recurring theme where Gregg's characters have been outright murdered by my halflings or when my halflings were present, always involving fire. Thus the Burnville Horror, a monstrosity greatly suited for making a halfling's day very, very bad, was born. Today's extra adds insult to injury for halflings who survive a Burnville Horror's assault.

I hope you enjoy today's monster, and I'll be back next week with yet another installment. As always, thanks for reading!

This frightening creation can be found here!

This enormous spider-like creature is an array of death-dealing claws, fangs, and tail pincers. It surveys its surroundings with hateful yellow eyes.

Burnville Horror CR 11

XP 12,800

CE Large aberration

Init +13; Senses darkvision 90 ft.; Perception +21

Aura fear aura (30 feet, DC 19)

Defense

AC 26, touch 18, flat-footed 17 (+9 Dex, -1 size, +8 natural)

hp 152 (16d8+80); regeneration 5 (fire)

Fort +10, Ref +14, Will +12

Immune acid; Resist cold 10, electricity 10

Offense

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

Melee bite +20 (1d8+6 plus grab), 4 claws +20 (1d4+6), 2 pincers +15 (1d4+3 plus grab)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks constrict (1d4+6), halfling foe, swallow whole (4d6 acid damage, AC 14, 15 hp)

Statistics

Str 22, Dex 29, Con 21, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 13

Base Atk +12; CMB +22 (+26 grapple); CMD 38 (can't be tripped)

Feats Acrobatic Steps, Agile Maneuvers, Deadly Finish, Improved Initiative, Nimble Moves, Power Attack, Rending Claws, Weapon Finesse

Skills Acrobatics +24 (+36 jump), Climb +20, Escape Artist +17, Intimidate +20, Perception +21, Stealth +20

Languages Common (can't speak)

Ecology

Environment any terrestrial

Organization solitary or pair

Treasure incidental

Special Abilities

Fear Aura (Su) Halflings do not receive their racial bonuses on saving throws (from fearless or halfling luck, for example) against the Burnville Horror's fear aura. For halflings who fail their Will saves, the fear aura paralyzes them for 2d4 rounds, while the aura functions like the fear spell for other victims.

Halfling Foe (Ex) The Burnville Horror treats halflings as its favored enemy. It gains a +8 bonus on Bluff, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks against halflings. Additionally, it gains a +8 bonus on attack and damage rolls against them.

Sidestep (Su) The Burnville Horror can take an immediate action to move 5 feet. The creature can still take a normal 5-foot step during its turn.

The Burnville Horror is named for the first reported encounter with the creature, an encounter that ended with the deaths of ninety percent of Burnville's halfling population. The handful of survivors reported that the creature could have easily caught them, but it seemed to allow them to leave safely. It chose the survivors at random, and no common thread united the survivors, leaving one conclusion: the Burnville Horror wanted them to spread the word about its presence. Since the first attack, Burnville Horror attacks have occurred in other halfling communities infrequently, but they follow the same pattern as the initial attack.

Genetically and magically modified from giant spider stock or created whole cloth, a Burnville Horror bristles with an array of weapons that enhance its murder sprees. The creature has a great deal of mobility, and its powerful claws allow it to climb most surfaces. The creature also projects an aura of fear that drives away all creatures except halflings, who are frozen in place while the Horror slaughters them. A Burnville Horror presented with a mix of creatures focuses its attacks on halflings to the exclusion of all other targets, unless something else offers stiff opposition. In extremely rare cases where the Horror must escape, it burrows into the ground.

A Burnville Horror stands 8 feet tall and measures 7 feet in diameter, with its pincered tails adding an extra 2 feet. The creature weighs 550 pounds.

--------------------

Burnville Curse

The original Burnville Horror allowed the handful of halflings to flee the carnage at Burnville for a reason beyond merely sowing fear. All the survivors who witnessed the Horror's attack suffer from the Burnville Curse, which slowly drives its victims mad, and, after a victim succumbs to insanity, warps the victim's body into a new Burnville Horror. Only the original Horror possesses the ability to inflict the curse.

Burnville Curse

Type curse; Save Will DC 19 (non-halflings automatically succeed)

Onset 1 day; Frequency 1/day

Effect 1d6 Wis damage, target must make a second Will save or 1 point of the damage is drain instead, once the victim reaches Wis 0, it becomes permanently insane; Effect (once victim reaches Wis 0) 1d4 Dex drain (no save), at Dex 0, the victim transforms into a Burnville Horror; Cure the curse can only be cured by destroying the original Burnville Horror and then successfully casting remove curse (heal is required for a victim at Wis 0, and a transformed victim requires miracle or wish).

Sunderday Sickness...

A little late again this week, but sickness isn’t gonna keep me down, even if I did sleep for 28 out of 36 hours between Saturday night and Monday morning. And so, in honour of my sickness and without further preamble, I give to you the Putrescent Aspis.

Putrescent Aspis

Aura Moderate Conjuration; CL 7th

Slot shield; Price 30,957gp; Weight 10 lb.

DESCRIPTION

Despite its name, this round +2 Putrid Heavy Wooden Shield protects it’s wielder from all manner of contagions.

At will, the holder of a Putrescent Aspis can detect poison in either himself or in anything that is placed in the inner curve of the shield while held by him. Once per day it can also neutralize poison or remove disease in the same manner. It can only do one or the other, either neutralize or remove, per day not both.

CONSTRUCTION

Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, detect poison, neutralize poison, remove disease, stinking cloud; Cost 15,478gp 5sp

Frightful Fridays! Polychaete Terror

Welcome to an early afternoon (or late morning or late evening, even) edition of Frightful Fridays! Paris pointed me in the direction of this large, weird worm that can bite through 20 pound fishing line and whose bristles can cause permanent numbness in humans. That makes for a delightful monster, especially once you ramp up the size and add a few nasty abilities. Today's extra provides some variants to the polychaete terror, if you happen to get bored with the base model.

I hope you like this giant worm, and I'll be back next Friday with a new monster. Thanks for reading!

Meet the terror's smaller cousin, Barry, here

This massive brown worm has a considerable array of stinging bristles along its body. It also has an unusually powerful set of jaws for a worm.

Polychaete Terror CR 17

XP 102,400

N Colossal vermin

Init -2; Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 120 ft.; Perception +16

Defense

AC 32, touch 0, flat-footed 32 (-2 Dex, -8 size, +32 natural)

hp 273 (26d8+156)

Fort +21, Ref +6, Will +8

DR 10/piercing or slashing; Immune acid, mind-affecting effects; Resist cold 20, electricity 20, fire 20

Offense

Speed 40 ft., burrow 20 ft., swim 60 ft.

Melee bite +22 (3d6+10/19-20 plus grab) and 12 stings +21 (2d4+10 plus poison)

Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft.

Special Attacks many stingers, poison, powerful lunge, swallow whole (8d6 acid damage, AC 26, 27 hp)

Statistics

Str 30, Dex 7, Con 23, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 10

Base Atk +19; CMB +37 (+41 grapple); CMD 45 (can't be tripped)

Feats Critical Focus(B), Impaling Critical (sting)(B), Improved Critical (bite)(B), Improved Impaling Critical (sting)(B), Weapon Focus (bite)(B)

Skills Perception +16, Swim +18; Racial Modifiers +16 Perception

Ecology

Environment any warm aquatic or terrestrial

Organization solitary or pair

Treasure standard (gems, jewels and other items that withstand the polychaete's digestive acid)

Special Abilities

Many Stingers (Ex) While a polychaete terror can only bring 12 of its bristly stingers to bear in an attack, if it successfully uses its Improved Impaling Critical it does not lose any sting attacks while maintaining any impalements.

Polychaete Numbing Poison (Ex) String—injury; save Fort DC 29; frequency 1/round 6 rounds; effect 2d4 Dex (2 points of which are Dex drain); cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Powerful Lunge (Ex) A polychaete terror can rapidly stretch its body out, giving it a 60-ft. reach until the beginning of its next turn. This imposes a -4 penalty to its AC. Due to the suddenness of this lunge, a character must succeed at a DC 20 Perception check to avoid being flatfooted against the polychaete.

Another baleful creation of the dread kraken, a polychaete terror is a giant sea worm grown to extraordinary size and gifted with a number of defensive capabilities. The creature's countless paralytic bristles are augmented so its poison has incredible potency. Finally, the segmented creature has a near rubbery quality, allowing it to instantly expand itself to make surprising attacks against its foes. A polychaete terror measures 35 feet in length and weighs 3 tons.

A dread kraken typically unleashes the mindless creature on a major population center, where the creature's incredible appetite drives it to a frenzy of destruction. After it causes some carnage, it fights until nothing else attacks it, at which point it stops and feasts on the victims it has impaled on its bristles. Usually left unsatisfied with that meal, it hunts for more prey. Characters who dispatch a polychaete terror are reward not only with whatever treasure survives in the creature's gullet, but also with easily obtained poison (requiring a DC 10 Heal check for one dose + one dose per 5 points over 15). A dose of polychaete terror poison has a price of 7,000 gp.

--------------------

Variant Polychaete Terrors

Dread krakens did not stop with the base polychaete terror, especially since the creature's annelid nature renders it magically manipulable. A GM can apply the following changes to a polychaete terror to create a variety of encounters (or multiple different polychaete terrors in a single encounter).

Acidic Bristles This version of the polychaete replaces its sting's poison for an additional 1d6 acid damage when it hits with a sting. If it successfully impales a foe with a bristle, it deals this acid damage each round the foe remains impaled.

Breath Weapon This variant polychaete can breathe its digestive fluids in a 60-ft. line that deals 6d6 acid damage to each target in the line (DC 29 Reflex save for half). The save DC is Constitution-based. The polychaete requires 1d6 rounds between uses of its breath weapon.

Flight One fourth of the polychaete's bristles have the ability to levitate the creature. This allows the polychaete to crawl through the air, giving it a fly speed of 40 feet (clumsy).

Split Replace the polychaete's DR with this ability. Slashing and piercing weapons deal no damage, but the polychaete instead divides into two identical versions with half the original's current hit points. A polychaete with 20 or fewer hit points can no longer split.