[Fantasy Craft] A Catalogue of Creatures

[samsimilian]

I see what you mean. My main reason for doing this was not to prevent looting (since the weapon of a balrog is not usable by "good" chars) but for calculating the right XP value. Both weapon are very powerful and raise the xp value considerable. I also felt that both weapons are more part of the Balrog than items.
I will treat both as weapons, meanig sword and whip, i used "beam" because it seemed more suitable than the other areas of effect ( it is more a placeholder than anything else). I guess what i want is an Natural/Extraordinary attack put into the shell of an item.

[Brakk]

I too think they should be physical items. I don't think equipment should boost XP value, it is even mentioned on page 239. You could always say the weapons turn to ash once balrog dies if you don't want players to have them. You should give him a slam or claw attack as well

[Bill Whitmore]

I too think they should be physical items. I don't think equipment should boost XP value, it is even mentioned on page 239. You could always say the weapons turn to ash once balrog dies if you don't want players to have them. You should give him a slam or claw attack as well

But don't forget the second half of that entry on 239: "gear and treasure assigned to GM-created NPCs never increases XP value (because it’s inconsequential on non-combatants and acts as an additional reward when seized from adversaries)."

If the "gear" you are adding is completely unavailable to the party (like its weapons dissolving when killed or they being so suffused with evil they'll kill anyone who picks them up) then it should have the XP value associated with it.

[TheAuldGrump]

Dread Devourer

Where it is dark and dismal, where the sun is never bright, and all is damp; there you will find the devourers, clustered in their hives, or rising from fetid lakes.

They drift silently, their brain like bodies shifting in color, poison running in shallow channels along their barbed tentacles. Once their prey falls still they carry it off, to devour far above the ground, or beneath the dark waters....


(Devourer by Reaper Miniatures.)

Dread Devourer (Large Horror Flyer — 134 XP): Str 12, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 10; SZ L (2×2, Reach 1); Spd 30 ft. flight; Init III; Atk IV; Def III; Res III; Health IV; Comp II; Skills: Acrobatics III, Athletics III, Blend III, Notice III, Sneak III; Qualities: aquatic II, blindsight, chameleon (aquatic II, cavers/mountains II, swamp II), charge attack, condition immunity (paralyzed), damage immunity (electrical), devour, dread, fearless II, fearsome, grappler, hive mind, improved carrying capacity, regeneration 4, superior swimmer I, tough I.
Attacks/Weapons: Tentacle slap II × 2 (venomous: Paralyzing poison; grab; reach 2), Bite II
Treasure: 2T

The Auld Grump, based loosely on the D&D Grell, and partially on the Reaper Devourer of Mashif.

[Brakk]

How come he's got "superior swimmer I" but he's a flyer?

[TheAuldGrump]

How come he's got "superior swimmer I" but he's a flyer?

For the same reason he has 'Aquatic'.... He can live and move in the water as well as the air.

The Auld Grump

[Brakk]

But superior swimmer can only be added to a walker. It doesn't make sense for him to have it since he's not swimming but flying through water.
Now if he's really swimming then you should change his entry to Flyer / Swimmer and define his swimming speed

[Arakor]

A conversion of an OGL creature from the DCC Known Realms set:

These large, enchanted horses have dark blue scales, not fur; and their white names and tails are in fact constant surges of crackling, magical lightning.

It is said that long ago, the mightiest of sorcerers sought to create the ultimate horse by combining the traits of desert stallions and blue dragons in a single creature: the shadroquus.

Shadroquus (Medium Beast Walker — 100 XP): Str 13, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10; SZ M (2×1, Reach 1); Spd 30 ft. ground; Init X; Atk IV; Def I; Res IX; Health V; Comp III; Skills: Acrobatics VI, Athletics VI, Blend V; Qualities: beguiling, cagey I, condition immunity (fatigued, paralyzed), damage reduction 1, darkvision II, feat (Lighning Reflexes), improved sense (smell).
Attacks/Weapons: Claw I × 4, Lightning Breath (damage III; beam 40ft. range)
Treasure: 2A, 1C

[TheAuldGrump]

But superior swimmer can only be added to a walker. It doesn't make sense for him to have it since he's not swimming but flying through water.
Now if he's really swimming then you should change his entry to Flyer / Swimmer and define his swimming speed

Except that that is also not something allowed by the generator (or in fact the rules pp. 227*) - and for what it is worth, I actually picture the creature being much more graceful underwater than in the air - in water it moves like a jellyfish, the tentacles buoyed up by the water, in the air the tentacles hang down like the string on a balloon.

While it can fly, it is a better swimmer. And like a jellyfish or octopus, yes, it is swimming, using jets of water - jets of air are by no means as effective. I almost gave it the Clumsy trait because of that image, but only when in the air. In other words, it is not flying in the water, it is swimming in the air, but is not all that good at it.

The Auld Grump

*I guess the Crafty Crew never pondered the perilous possibilities of critters at home in air or water, but not mucking about on land - the devourer would be a pretty sad beast, dragging itself along with its tentacles....

[Crafty_Pat]

*I guess the Crafty Crew never pondered the perilous possibilities of critters at home in air or water, but not mucking about on land - the devourer would be a pretty sad beast, dragging itself along with its tentacles....

We did, actually. It consumed a heated debate toward the end of the design cycle and we ultimately decided that it was such a fringe option that it simply wasn't worth the inherent complexity it would generate in an official form. It was also pretty obvious that anyone who wanted such a creature could extrapolate the required bits in a much simpler form, as they'd skip all the conditions and considerations we couldn't.

[Arakor]

A conversion of an OGL creature from the DCC Blackdirge’s Dungeon Denizens:

This hunched creature looks like a short, stocky humanoid with gray, stone-like skin and powerful, over-sized hands and arms. It has two compound eyes on stalks, and a large pair of mandibles.

Gorung (Medium Horror Burrower/Walker — 72 XP): Str 12, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 9; SZ M (1×1, Reach 1); Spd 10 ft. burrow, 30 ft. ground; Init IV; Atk IV; Def V; Res VII; Health III; Comp II; Skills: Notice III; Qualities: damage reduction 2, darkvision II, tough I.
Attacks/Weapons: Slam I × 2 (grab), Squeeze II (follows grab from both Slams), Throw (damage I; 40ft. range, follows grab from single Slam)

[Arakor]

A conversion of an OGL creature from the DCC Blackdirge’s Dungeon Denizens:

This strange humanoid has the upper body of a withered crone and the lower body of a giant crow. Two huge, black-feathered wings sprout from the creature’s back and each hand bears ragged, bloody talons. A stiff carrion reek surrounds the creature.

Rook (Medium Folk Flyer/Walker — 73 XP): Str 11, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 12; SZ M (1×1, Reach 1); Spd 80 ft. flight, 20 ft. ground; Init IV; Atk VII; Def II; Res VII; Health III; Comp II; Skills: Blend III, Sneak III; Qualities: damage reduction 1, darkvision II, feat (Charging Basics).
Attacks/Weapons: Shortsword (1d8 lethal 19-20; Keen 4), Claw I × 2 (diseased: Filth Fever-Claw), Frightful Caw (frightening II; aura 30ft. radius)
Treasure: 2C, 1G

Filth Fever-Claw:- Fortitude DC: 16, incubation period: 1d4 days, damage: -2 Dex, -2 Con.

[Brakk]

Duodrone (Small Construct Outsider Walker - 41 XP): Str 12, Dex 8, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 8; SZ S (1x1, Reach 1); Spd 20 ft. ground; Init I; Atk IV; Def VII; Res I; Health III; Comp III; Qualities: damage defiance (acid, cold, fire), banned action (swim), fatal falls, damage reduction 2, swarm, achilles heel (electricity), critical hesitation, interests (Order Alignment), feat (Combat Focus)
Attacks/Weapons: Medium Pike (dmg 1d6+1 lethal; threat 20; qualities: lightweight, reach +2), Slam I (dmg 1d4+1 lethal; threat 20; upgrades: aligned)
Treasure: 1G

[Brakk]

Tridrone (Medium Construct Outsider Walker - 52 XP): Str 12, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10; SZ M (1x1, Reach 1); Spd 30 ft. ground; Init III; Atk III; Def II; Res III; Health III; Comp III; Skills: Notice VI, Search V; Qualities: damage defiance (acid, cold, fire), banned action (swim), fatal falls, damage reduction 1, swarm, achilles heel (electricity), critical hesitation, interests (Order Alignment), condition immunity (flanked)
Attacks/Weapons: Javelin x3 (dmg 1d8+1 lethal; threat 19-20; range 30 ft. x 3), Slam I x3 (dmg 1d6+1 lethal; threat 20; upgrades: aligned)
Treasure: 1G

[Arakor]

Yet another conversion of an OGL creature from the DCC Blackdirge’s Dungeon Denizens:

This towering humanoid automaton appears to have been forged from solid bronze. Its powerful arms end in long, serrated blades of lusterless, black metal, and its head is a nightmarish mask resembling a fanged skull.

Bronze Reaper (Large Construct Walker — 123 XP): Str 18, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 6; SZ L (2×2, Reach 2); Spd 20 ft. ground; Init I; Atk VI; Def III; Res III; Health V; Comp I; Skills: Notice III, Search III; Qualities: damage immunity (fire), damage reduction 4, damage reduction 5/Adamantine, darkvision II, feat (All Out Attack, Cleave Basics, Cleave Mastery), spell defense III, tough I, treacherous.
Attacks/Weapons: Blades x2 (2d10 lethal 19-20), Fiery Blast (damage IV; cone 60ft range; damage type: fire)

For whatever reason, the NPC creator site wouldn't allow me to put two lots of Damage Reduction in. I was tempted to give it Damage Reduction 7 with an Achilles Heel to Adamantine.