Frightful Fridays! Elementapalooza

This week's entry started with an awesome illustration of a fire-infused dinosaur that my friend Patrick linked. I put that on the back burner, since I worked on a dinosaur-themed monster recently. Then, he turns up a very cool illustration of a cat made up of a lattice of light. A theme began to emerge, and I am not one to walk away from a theme. Thus, the concept of elemental beasts was born. Elemental beasts were originally elementals that escaped from their home planes during some long-forgotten catastrophe and made their homes on the Material Plane. Dragons helped with the transition and guided the elementals to take the form of familiar Material creatures, but (of course) this was not altruistic on the dragons' part. They forged an agreement with the emergent elemental beasts whereupon dragons could call upon their assistance whenever they required it.

I hope you enjoy this week's entry, and I'll be back next week (probably not with four new creatures, though). Thanks for reading!

Image found here

This large stone frog’s skin glistens with some sort of liquid. The creature moves slowly and deliberately.
Caustic Rana CR 9
XP 6,400
N Small outsider (earth, elemental, native)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +20

Defense
AC 24, touch 16, flat-footed 19 (+4 Dex, +1 dodge, +8 natural, +1 size)
hp 126 (12d10+60)
Fort +9, Ref +12, Will +13
Immune acid, elemental traits

Offense
Speed 20 ft., climb 10 ft.
Melee bite +17 (1d6+1 plus 2d6 acid plus acid burn)
Special Attacks acid spray, acid burn (1d6, DC 21)

Statistics
Str 13, Dex 18, Con 21, Int 10, Wis 20, Cha 17
Base Atk +12; CMB +15 (+19 bull rush); CMD 27 (29 vs. bull rush, 31 vs. trip)
Feats Agile Maneuvers, Dodge, Greater Bull Rush, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +13, Climb +18, Escape Artist +19, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (local) +15, Perception +20, Sense Motive +14, Stealth +17 (+25 when stationary); Racial Modifiers +8 Stealth when stationary
SQ hardened carapace

Ecology
Environment any marsh or swamp
Organization solitary, pair, or army (3–12)
Treasure incidental

Special Abilities
Acid Burn (Ex) When a caustic rana bites an opponent or damages an opponent with its acid spray, the foe must succeed at a DC 21 Reflex save or take 1d6 points of acid damage at the start of its turn for 1d6 rounds. This otherwise operates like the burn ability.
Acid Spray (Ex) A caustic rana can spray as a standard action, dealing 12d6 damage to all creatures in a 30-foot cone (DC 21 Reflex save for half). The save DC is Constitution-based. All creatures struck by the spray are subject to additional damage from acid burn. As a result of using acid spray, the caustic rana takes 12 points of damage.
Hardened Carapace (Ex) Once per day, a caustic rana starting its turn touching earth can take a full-round action to grant itself the benefit of stoneskin (maximum 120 points of damage). This benefit lasts for 6 hours.

The smallest of the elemental beasts, a caustic rana has a stony exterior and a juicy (albeit nasty) interior. This earth elemental creature takes the form of a frog and lives in the same swampy preferred by its lookalikes. A caustic rana is still much larger than a typical frog considering its 2-foot diameter size and weight over 100 pounds.

A caustic rana is the least overtly aggressive of the elemental beasts and seems content to spend hours sitting in the same spot where it contemplates its surroundings. For those creatures peacefully approaching a caustic rana and discovering a way to communicate with it, the rana provides a wealth of information about its marshy surroundings. Once provoked, though, the creature attempts to bowl over its foes with bull rush attacks and occasionally lets loose with its acid spray, depending on how desperate its situation is. A black or copper dragon may also goad a caustic rana into action in accordance with the pact between dragons and elemental beasts; the dragon usually gathers a few of the creatures to soften up foes or push them into range of its acid breath weapon.

As a caustic rana ages it grows incredibly large while its stony carapace softens. When the creature nears the end of its centuries-long lifespan, it finds a suitably swampy location where its shell fully dissolves, allowing its essence to fuse with the earth to create two to four new caustic ranas. A caustic rana that perishes before it reaches its natural lifespan will generate one new rana provided it dies while it is on earth.

Image found here

A lightning mesh forms the image of a tiger that looks ready to pounce.
Electricat CR 9
XP 6,400
N Medium outsider (air, elemental, native)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +18

Defense
AC 23, touch 17, flat-footed 16 (+6 Dex, +1 dodge, +6 natural)
hp 114 (12d10+48)
Fort +12, Ref +14, Will +7
Immune electricity, elemental traits

Offense
Speed 60 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee 2 claws +18 (1d4+2 plus 1d6 electricity), bite +18 (1d6+2 plus 1d6 electricity)
Special Attacks death throes, lightning strike, pounce, rake (2 claws +18, 1d4+2 plus 1d6 electricity)

Statistics
Str 14, Dex 23, Con 18, Int 7, Wis 16, Cha 15
Base Atk +12; CMB +18; CMD 31 (35 vs. trip)
Feats Agile Maneuvers, Dodge, Mobility, Skill Focus (Acrobatics), Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +24 (+36 when jumping), Climb +14, Intimidate +12, Perception +18, Sense Motive +18, Stealth +13
SQ recharge

Ecology
Environment any terrestrial
Organization solitary, pair, or pride (3–6)
Treasure none

Special Abilities
Death Throes (Su) When an electricat dies, it explodes in a ball of lightning that deals 20d6 electricity damage (DC 20 Reflex save for half) to all creatures within a 10-foot radius of the electricat. Several arcs also shoot harmlessly from the ball up to 200 feet away. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Lightning Strike (Su) Once per round, as a move action, an electricat can transform itself into an arc of lightning, ranging from 30 to 120 feet in length, which strikes everyone in the line for 12d6 electricity damage (DC 20 Reflex save for half). The cat ends its move at the terminus of the lightning, and it takes 12 points of damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Recharge (Su) If an attack dealing electricity damage strikes an electricat, the creature gains temporary hit points equal to half the damage dealt.

When lightning-infused air elementals sought out a predator to mimic, they discovered a pair of cheetahs bringing down their prey. The elemental beast known as the electricat embodies the speed and grace of large cats and hunts the same plains and deserts they do. A typical electricat is as large as an adult tiger, lion or cheetah, but it weighs almost nothing.

Much like the large cat it resembles, an electricat attacks from ambush. It uses its lightning strike ability to catch the most foes its can and terminates the strike next to a creature it can attack immediately afterwards. Blue and bronze dragons rarely employ electricats, since they prove to be too easily distracted and more trouble than they are worth. If a dragon can get an electricat to focus on a task, it aids the creature—while simultaneously harming its foes—using its breath weapon.

Seemingly corresponding to an electricat’s short attention span, the creature also has a relatively short lifespan—usually no more than 20 years. As the creature nears the end of its life, it resembles a ball of static more than a cat. If allowed to reach its natural lifespan, an electricat finds a massive thunderstorm to wait under until a large bolt of lightning strikes it, whereupon it explodes harmlessly and releases dozens of smaller strokes that land nearby. Where the smaller arcs strike, one can find a tiny ball that looks like a kitten.

Image by anuwolf found here

This tyranosaurus rex has a hardened shell made of basalt. Its hot breath precedes a lick of flame, and then gouts of magma.
Magmasaurus Rex CR 9
XP 6,400
N Large outsider (elemental, fire, native)
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +18

Defense
AC 23, touch 13, flat-footed 19 (+4 Dex, +10 natural, –1 size)
hp 126 (12d10+60)
Fort +13, Ref +8, Will +11
Immune fire, elemental traits
Weaknesses vulnerable to cold

Offense
Speed 40 ft., swim 20 ft.
Melee bite +18 (2d8+6/19–20 plus 1d6 fire), 2 claws +17 (1d8+6 plus 1d6 fire)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks magmic breath, burn (1d6, DC 21)

Statistics
Str 22, Dex 19, Con 21, Int 6, Wis 17, Cha 14
Base Atk +12; CMB +19; CMD 33
Feats Critical Focus, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Sickening Critical, Skill Focus (Intimidate), Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Acrobatics +10, Intimidate +23, Perception +18, Sense Motive +18, Swim +23

Ecology
Environment any hot terrestrial
Organization solitary, pair, or flow (3–6)
Treasure incidental

Special Abilities
Magmic Breath (Ex) A magmasaurus rex can breathe a 60-foot cone of lava that deals 12d6 points of fire damage (DC 21 Reflex save for half) and inflicts 1d6 points of burn (DC 21 Reflex save). This also deals 12 points of damage to the magmasaurus. The save DCs are Constitution-based.

The elemental creatures that eventually became magmasaurus rexes emerged in a primeval portion of the world where dinosaurs still roamed and active volcanoes dotted the land. They chose to take the shape of the apex predator in the area: the tyranosaurus rex. A magmasaurus rex stands 10 feet tall and weighs 1 ton.

A volatile creature, a magmasaurus rex attacks other creatures with little provocation. Even in a land of terrible reptilian creatures, a magmasaurus rex is reasonably assured of its superiority. Only red dragons and the occasional gold dragon can command a magmasaurus, and they call on them solely for brute force tactics. A group of magmasaurus rexes typically heralds the arrival of a dragon; most people who know about the relationship between elemental beasts and dragons hope (usually in vain) that a gold dragon trails the creatures.

A magmasaurus rex has a somewhat modest lifespan of 150 years. When it nears time for the creature to die naturally, it enters an active volcano and rests for the first time in its life. As the creature’s shell melts, its essence merges with the lava in the volcano; when the volcano erupts, it releases a dozen new magmasaurus rexes throughout the neighboring area. Even the essence of a magmasaurus that perishes before its natural lifespan will find its way to the nearest volcano, sometimes taking decades depending on the creature’s distance from one.

Image attributed to 'Plutthares'

This creature looks like an enormous mastodon with tusks made of ice, but it also has some ursine features and a wicked, ice-barbed tail.
Iljanne Karhu CR 9
XP 6,400
N Huge outsider (cold, elemental, water)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +25

Defense
AC 23, touch 9, flat-footed 22 (+1 Dex, +14 natural, –2 size)
hp 126 (12d10+60)
Fort +13, Ref +5, Will +12
Immune cold, elemental traits
Weaknesses vulnerable to fire

Offense
Speed 50 ft., burrow 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Melee gore +17 (2d8+7/19–20 plus 1d6 cold plus stun), slam +17 (2d6+7 plus 1d6 cold plus stun), tail slap +12 (2d6+3 plus 1d6 cold plus stun)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks arctic blast, powerful charge (gore, 4d8+20), stun, trample (2d6+10, DC 23)

Statistics
Str 24, Dex 13, Con 20, Int 7, Wis 18, Cha 17
Base Atk +12; CMB +21; CMD 32
Feats Greater Overrun, Improved Critical (gore), Improved Overrun, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception), Skill Focus (Stealth)
Skills Acrobatics +8 (+16 when jumping), Intimidate +18, Perception +25, Sense Motive +13, Stealth +12 (+28 in arctic terrain), Swim +22; Racial Modifiers +16 Stealth in arctic terrain

Ecology
Environment any cold terrestrial
Organization solitary, pair, or celebration (3–6)
Treasure incidental

Special Abilities
Arctic Blast (Ex) An iljanne karhu can spray a 30-foot cone of needlelike ice shards that deals 9d6 points of cold damage and 6d6 points of piercing damage (DC 21 Reflex save for half). This also deals 15 points of damage to the iljanne karhu. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Stun (Ex) Any creature taking cold damage from an iljanne karhu’s attacks (including its arctic blast) must succeed at a DC 21 Fortitude save to avoid becoming stunned for 1 round due to the numbing cold.

The largest and most bizarre elemental beast (at least in an aesthetic sense), an iljanne karhu seemingly resulted from the visiting water elementals’ indecision between a wooly mammoth and a polar bear as its template. The resulting creature has the most terrifying aspects of both and seems content to be the alpha predator in its habitat. The creature stands 15 feet tall and weighs 5 tons.

An iljanne karhu uses its natural camouflage to hide from prey and foes alike. It prefers to emerge from hiding in a charge that it intends to use to flatten the nearest victim. It also enjoys taking foes by surprise from underneath the ice-encrusted surface of large bodies of water. It breaks through the ice, potentially knocking opponents into the water where it can usually out-swim them and attack at its leisure—or wait for its victims to drown. Even with the pact between dragons and elemental beasts, an iljanne karhu will only follow a white dragon’s lead if the dragon proves its superiority. Most often, the two creatures fight each other when they meet. Silver dragons command an iljanne karhu’s respect, but they rarely make use of one.

An iljanne karhu has an extremely long lifespan—approaching one millennium. A dying iljanne karhu makes a pilgrimage to one of the world’s poles at the dead of winter and dies alone. A decade later, the creature’s essence gives rise to 5-10 juvenile iljanne karhus. If an iljanne karhu dies before it can make this pilgrimage, its essence still gets carried on the winds and in the water until it reaches a pole, thus delaying the process by another couple decades.

More Support from the Author of the Cloven Hoof Syndicate

Almost too late for a Mythopoeic Monday posting, but I just got word about something that went live today: a support article from Rambler and Friend of the Blog, Paris Crenshaw.  Head on over to the Clockwork Gnome site and get "Arcane Assistance in the Conduct of Criminal Investigations" under Supplemental Articles.  I also notice how much Allen has prettied the site up.  Nice.

If you're interested in quality product for the Pathfinder RPG, PF Beginner's Box, or Swords & Wizardry, and haven't all ready, take a look around.

Scroll-Eating Moth

For the second installment of today's Frightful Fridays!, I turn from the immense, mind-boggling entity that owns the dark tendrils to a tiny critter that will still make your characters' lives miserable--especially if they carry arcane scrolls. Flash pointed me to this real-life creature, the Venezuelan Poodle Moth, and I figured that it should have something cooler than just its good looks. Riffing on the cloth-eating tropes associated with moths, I decided to give it the ability to "eat" scrolls it detects with its continual detect magic. Really mean GMs could have this creature destroy an entire supply of scrolls without anyone noticing, considering the moth's high Stealth bonus, but I can't imagine there are any GMs like that out there.

Thanks for your patience with me during my skipped week. I will definitely be back next week with a new installment of Frightful Fridays!

Found here

This moth looks like a cross between a normal moth and a poodle. It sits on a scroll, the scroll’s runes disappearing while the moth’s feelers twitch wildly.
Scroll-Eating Moth CR 4
XP 1,200
N Diminutive magical beast
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, detect magic; Perception +10

Defense
AC 18, touch 18, flat-footed 14 (+4 Dex, +4 size)
hp 37 (5d10+10)
Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +3
Immune chosen energy

Offense
Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (good)
Melee bite +13 (1d2–3 plus 2d6 chosen energy)
Special Attacks arcane burst, scroll eating

Statistics
Str 4, Dex 19, Con 14, Int 6, Wis 15, Cha 17
Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD 12 (20 vs. trip)
Feats Skill Focus (Perception), Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Focus
Skills Fly +18, Perception +10, Spellcraft +2 (+14 when absorbing a scroll), Stealth +23; Racial Modifiers +12 Spellcraft when absorbing a scroll

Ecology
Environment temperate or warm urban
Organization solitary, pair or milling (3–12)
Treasure absorbed spells

Special Abilities
Arcane Burst (Su) A scroll-eating moth can detonate itself as a last resort. It deals its chosen energy damage equal to 2d6 times the number of stored spell levels it has remaining.
Chosen Energy Immunity/Damage (Su) At the beginning of its turn, a scroll-eating moth chooses an energy type; it gains immunity to that damage and deals 2d6 damage of that energy type when it successfully bites an opponent. If it absorbs energy or deals energy damage it loses a stored spell level. When the moth chooses a new energy type, it loses the benefits from the previously chosen energy type.
Scroll Eating (Su) A scroll-eating moth constantly detects magic, and it is particularly drawn to arcane scrolls. If the moth starts its turn within 5 feet of an arcane scroll, it can absorb its energy at a rate of spell levels equal to its Wisdom bonus (minimum 1). It must remain within 5 feet of the scroll long enough to drain all the spell levels, or it must start the process over again. If the moth drains the scroll, the scroll becomes blank, as if the spell contained within were cast, and the moth adds the spell’s level to its stored spell levels, up to a maximum of its Charisma modifier times Hit Dice (15 levels for a typical moth). When a scroll-eating moth starts an encounter it typically has a number of stored spell levels equal to its Hit Dice. The moth cannot drain energy from a divine scroll.

Originally intended by their creators to be a weapon against rival wizards, scroll-eating moths bred true and now present a threat to all arcane spellcasters, especially those who rely on portable scrolls to augment their might. A scroll-eating moth is a mere 4 inches long and weighs 8 ounces (moths laden with arcane energy can weigh up to 2 pounds).

A scroll-eating moth possesses sophisticated senses that allow it to find the meals it most desires. The moth does not starve if deprived of arcane scrolls; it resorts to eating nectar, cloth and paper like moths of its original stock. Once it discovers a scroll, it flies directly to it and attempts to surreptitiously absorb the arcane energy permeating the scroll. The creature possesses a surprisingly high intelligence and long lives (up to a 50-year lifespan), so it knows how to avoid the scroll’s owner since it takes several seconds to digest the scroll’s energies. Only when it is caught and feels threatened will it attack—adding whatever energy type it instinctively feels is the most appropriate (usually fire).

Either intentionally, or as a weird side effect of their scroll absorption ability, a scroll-eating moth retains knowledge of the spells contained within the scrolls it drains. It does not have the intelligence to use the scrolls, but someone who captures a moth can extract spells contained within the moth and place them on new scrolls. This requires a Spellcraft check with a DC equal to 20 + the spell level, and spells such as identify reveal the spells the moth holds.

Creatures who hunt arcane spellcasters employ scroll-eating moths, ensnaring the creatures first by laying out attractive scrolls and then finding a way to communicate with the moths and convincing them of a greater bounty. Rumors persist of offshoots that can absorb divine spells, spells from spellbooks or magical energy from cloth magic items; the weirdest rumor holds that a “moth of holding” flies around eating items it then stores within its extradimensional space.

Dark Tendril

Welcome back to a much delayed Frightful Fridays! For this week's first feature, I'm working from an image that Theodric the Obscure uncovered. This one intrigued me quite a bit, and my imagination wandered to the concept of these tentacles as stand-alone creatures in one sense, but they actually are part of a greater, more terrifying whole. Days after the adventurers scramble to eradicate these dark tendrils that appear one night all over their home town (or a town they coincidentally happen to be passing through), the tentacles reappear to menace the town or perhaps follow the characters around. Eventually, the characters should realize that the tentacles aren't autonomous creatures; instead they belong to another more powerful creature.

I hope you enjoy the dark tendril, and I'll be back in a few hours with the second feature (to make up for missing a week)! 

Image Source

This black, worm-like creature does not have obvious eyes, but it seems to find its way around with no problem. Additionally, rather than having a tail, the creature just ends apparently at its midsection.
Dark Tendril CR 10
XP 9,600
NE Large aberration (evil, extraplanar)
Init +7; Senses blindsight 100 ft.; Perception +16
Aura frightful presence (40 ft., DC 19)

Defense
AC 24, touch 16, flat-footed 17 (+7 Dex, +8 natural, –1 size)
hp 127 (15d8+60)
Fort +11, Ref +14, Will +13
Defensive Abilities amorphous, DR 15/good; Immune cold, poison, mind-affecting effects; Resist electricity 20

Offense
Speed 50 ft., burrow 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee slam +19 (4d6+13 plus grab and 1d4 Constitution drain)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks constrict (2d6 plus 1d4 Con drain), incomprehensible mind
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; concentration +17)
3/day—black tentacles

Statistics
Str 28, Dex 25, Con 18, Int —, Wis 19, Cha 15
Base Atk +11; CMB +21 (+25 grapple); CMD 38
Feats Great Fortitude(B), Lightning Reflexes(B)
Skills Climb +17, Escape Artist +19, Perception +16, Sleight of Hand +19, Stealth +19; Racial Modifiers +12 Escape Artist, +12 Perception, +12 Sleight of Hand, +16 Stealth
SQ compression, rejuvenation

Ecology
Environment any terrestrial
Organization solitary, pair, or mass (3–8)
Treasure none

Special Abilities
Constitution Drain (Su) A dark tendril’s attack potentially steals its victim’s life essence to feed the creature controlling the dark tendril. When a dark tendril hits with its slam attack or while it constricts its victim, the victim must succeed at a DC 21 Fortitude save, or the dark tendril drains 1d4 Con. A dark tendril gains no temporary hit points from the Con drain.
Incomprehensible Mind (Su) A dark tendril is essentially mindless, but characters can telepathically access the alien mind controlling it. However, anyone who does so must succeed at a DC 19 Will save or become stunned for 1 round. The save DC is based on the dark tendril’s Charisma.
Rejuvenation (Ex) Destroying a dark tendril only temporarily works while its parent creature lives. A new dark tendril replaces the destroyed creature in 2d4 days.

An unknowable, other-dimensional creature settles on a town and extrudes its tentacles throughout town to feed itself and literally feel out the town’s defenses. If nothing stops the creature, it devastates the town within a week, leaving no real evidence of its attack once it withdraws its dark tendrils. A manifested dark tendril weighs 400 pounds and ranges in length from 5 feet to 15 feet.

While a dark tendril is mindless and sightless in and of itself, it has sophisticated senses that allow the creature to transmit detailed impressions of its surroundings to the entity controlling it. Depending on the controlling creature’s desires, a dark tendril will attack or attempt to sneakily scout around. The creature can twist and contort itself to enter many areas normally inaccessible to something of its size, and it can even reconfigure itself in an attempt to steal items of value. The controlling entity does this to increase tension in the location it plans to invade and to possibly sow discord among the residents. Finally, a dark tendril can cast off some of its material to create an effect equivalent to casting black tentacles, which it uses to restrain problematic foes.

When a dark tendril is reduced to 0 hit points, its controller becomes aware of the tendril’s “death” and withdraws the damaged tentacle back to its home dimension. Observers note that the dark tendril disappears when it is slain. Those who slay a dark tendril certainly gain the parent entity’s attention and may find themselves the target of more dark tendril attacks later.

Raiders of the Dead Sea Scrolls!

Dr. Jones & the Case of the Fishian Tablets

Before the Christmas holidays, I got in town just in time to see the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit in Fort Worth.  Last year, Google announced their sponsorship of the project to digitize the scrolls.  Consequently, the most important site for study of the scrolls now is the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library.  Instead of succumbing to the easy out of making directly for the Wikipedia article, I invite you to check out some of the links below to learn more.

The Digital Sea Scrolls at The Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Scrolls From the Dead Sea: The Ancient Library of Qumran and Modern Scholarship, Smithsonian website

Who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls?

Virtual Jewish Library: Dead Sea Scrolls

USC’s West Semitic Research Project: Dead Sea Scrolls

BYU’s Maxwell Institute on the Dead Sea Scrolls

Naturally, the trip excited not so much any temptation I entertained as a young man to devote myself to textual criticism (God bless those so committed, who preserved me from such an occupation that would have strained my eyes and likely driven me insane), but the ol’ mythopoeic mind.  These old scrolls, fragile and some incredibly difficult to read, are worth an incredible amount of money even in fragmentary condition.  So, take away #1: scrolls are treasure.  Sound familiar, gamers?  Spell-casting classes certainly value scrolls for their ability to replicate spell-casting and as supplements to the power of such classed characters.

DSS scholarship is, among other things, one of the most massive efforts in human history to reconstruct the texts that were represented in the scrolls.  Technology has gone a long way to extend naked human powers in recovering texts that would have otherwise been unrecoverable.  What would things be like in another world, one in which these were magical texts and the reader had the ability to cast Read Magic?  I like the idea of ancient scrolls that were in such a condition that only by casting Read Magic could the spells on them be accessed.  I like to imagine illegible characters on a darkened parchment clearly shining with arcane power and lacunae caused by insects or environment being filled-in by ghostly runes.  Take away #2: Read Magic could be cool in-game.

Biblical texts, compendiums and commentaries on biblical texts, and other texts which governed the DSS community make up the majority of the scrolls.  But a stand-out among them is the Copper Scroll.* That’s right, not a scroll of parchment (animal hide) or papyrus (the ANE forerunner of paper)—or other likely candidates as needed according to milieu such as rice paper, stone, or clay—but of copper.  And unlike the other texts, the Copper Scroll is essentially a verbal treasure map for multiple locations.  Take away #3: Get creative with the materials of special scrolls.  And take-away #4: Yes, sometimes scrolls can be treasure maps or media to provide other sorts of clues or information that PCs need.  (In addition to the image above, check out this portion of the scroll before cleaning.)

As always, I advocate learning more about our own world to inform our construction of other worlds.  A cache of texts could make an entire treasure horde.  And if Doctor Who and Avatar the Last Airbender are heeded, a library can make a great adventure setting.  I once GMed an adventure in which an ancient culture put all of their secrets in symbolic knot-work (inspired by Incan Quipu) that were preserved on frames in their treasure vault, protected by a dungeon complex.  What creative uses have you made or seen of texts as treasure?

Happy last Mythopoeic Monday of 2012, and to all Ramblers and readers, a very Happy New Year!

*And yes, Jim Barfield sounds kind of crazy to me.  Have fun!

Frightful Fridays! Mashup Spectacular

Happy (and Frightful) Holidays to you! As promised, I've got two mashups to present this week, the xenomorphosaurus rex (as named by Theodric himself) and the squiger. They exist on opposite ends of the challenge rating spectrum, but don't be fooled by the squiger--it can be pretty ferocious in its own right.At any rate, I hope you enjoy both of them.

I'm travelling next week, so the last Frightful Fridays! of 2012 might be delayed by a day. Thanks as always for reading!

Original found here

What at first appears to be a typical tyrannosaurus soon takes on a horrifying aspect with spiky protrusions all along its body, and a maw that opens up to reveal a smaller, toothy mouth within.
Xenomorphosaurus Rex CR 18
XP 153,600
NE Gargantuan aberration
Init +10; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +41

Defense
AC 32, touch 12, flat-footed 26 (+6 Dex, +20 natural, –4 size)
hp 350 (28d8+224); regeneration 20 (fire)
Fort +17, Ref +17, Will +20
Defensive Abilities improved evasion; Immune acid, cold, poison; Resist electricity 20, sonic 20

Offense
Speed 50 ft.
Melee bite +31 (6d6+28/19–20 plus 4d8 acid and grab), tail slap +26 (4d6+7 plus trip)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
Special Attacks acid blood, lingering acid, powerful bite, swallow whole (4d6 bludgeoning plus 4d8 acid damage, AC 20, 35 hp)

Statistics
Str 38, Dex 23, Con 26, Int 11, Wis 18, Cha 9
Base Atk +21; CMB +39 (+43 grapple); CMD 55
Feats Bleeding Critical, Critical Focus, Critical Mastery(B), Diehard, Endurance, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Lunge, Power Attack, Run, Skill Focus (Intimidate), Skill Focus (Perception), Stunning Critical
Skills Climb +45, Intimidate +44, Perception +41, Stealth +25; Racial Modifiers +8 Intimidate

Ecology
Environment any land
Organization solitary, pair, or troop (3–8)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities
Acid Blood (Ex) If a slashing weapon deals damage to a xenomorphosaurus rex, the creature sprays acid from the wound towards its attacker up to a range of 60 feet. The acid deals 2d8 damage, which a successful DC 38 Reflex save negates. The save DC is Strength-based.
Lingering Acid (Ex) If a xenomorphosaurus rex deals acid damage (through acid blood, its bite attack, or to a swallowed victim who has escaped), the acid remains on its victim for one more round, dealing 1d8 damage at the beginning of the xenomorphosaurus rex’s next turn, unless the acid is completely washed off.
Powerful Bite (Ex) A xenomorphosaurus rex’s adds twice its Strength modifier to its bite damage.

A xenomorphosaurus rex is terror incarnate—the most terrible of dinosaurs mixed with xenomorph DNA. Fortunately, very few of the creatures exist, but when more than one gathers, devastation on a large scale follows. A xenomorphosaurus rex is slightly smaller than its tyrannosaur forebear, weighing 13,000 pounds and measuring 35 feet long.

Remarkably stealthy for its size and possessing great cunning, a xenomorphosaurus rex draws intelligent prey into its lair with an obvious display of treasure. It then plays a sadistic game of cat and mouse with any adventurers who investigate the lair. It attempts to quietly pick off a straggler at the outset, and then escalates its attacks to cause its victims to panic, as if the creature savors the taste of terrified prey. Fortunately, the xenomorphosaurus rex is the only known hybrid creature of its kind, and a certain elephantine race has taken interest in its appearance, virtually guaranteeing its eventual extinction.

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Squiger CR 2
XP 600
N Small magical beast
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +10

Defense
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+3 Dex, +1 size)
hp 19 (3d10+3)
Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +3

Offense
Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee bite +5 (1d4+1), 2 claws +5 (1d3+1)
Special Attacks grab (Medium), pounce, rake (2 claws +5, 1d3+1)

Statistics
Str 12, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 10
Base Atk +3; CMB +5 (+9 grapple); CMD 16 (20 vs. trip)
Feats Agile Maneuvers, Improved Initiative
Skills Climb +13, Perception +10, Stealth +11; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception

Ecology
Environment temperate or warm forests
Organization solitary, pair, or scurry
Treasure incidental

A squiger seems at first to be another weird wizard-created crossbreed, but it is in fact a naturally occurring creature, insofar as a magic-rich world can be natural. A squiger is bigger than its squirrel counterpart—about as large as a housecat. Its oversized head features a tiger’s long incisors and, it has sharp, retractable claws.

A squiger has a squirrel’s curiosity and inclination to get into places it should not, but it backs that up with a ferocity that would deter most commoners who might try to shoo the creature away. A squiger is a terrific climber that lairs in the bole of a large tree where it stores nuts, dead birds and rodents, and shiny items such as coins and gems.

Rumors persist of a dire squiger, which is the size of a normal tiger and has saber-like teeth. None have actually been sighted, however.

A spellcaster can choose a squiger as a familiar. The spellcaster must have a neutral component to her alignment along at least one axis, must be at least caster level 7th, and must have the Improved Familiar feat.