Topic: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Just starting a topic here so I have someplace to direct people who want to share.

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Kallos
Armor 12, Move 120', 0th Level Fighter, 6hp, Knife 1d4 or (from surprise) Garrote 1d6, Morale 8.

An extra-material thing lives inside the man who now goes by Kallos, drawn into our world by his jealousy and hatred of the fair and unmarred.  When human life is shed for Kallos in his presence, whether by himself or others, the thing draws on the blood's desires and recrafts Kallos, tweaking and nudging his features and frame with it's ever deeper understanding of beauty and longing. 

Kallos suffers from lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) that makes his presence almost unbearably revolting.  Though not aware of exactly what the thing inside him is and unwilling to consciously admit to himself that it even exists, he knows that killing will make everything better.  He will avoid any kind of fight, preferring to take advantage of someone when they cannot defend themselves.  If pressed into a fight in this state, his disgustingly misaligned and overgrown bulky flesh grants him AC 14 but reduces his move speed to 30'.

* The first time someone dies for Kallos his deformity goes away, leaving an average looking male in his late teens.  His AC and speed change accordingly.  With each further kill he grows more beautiful. 
* After his second kill he is so bewitchingly attractive that females must save VS magic to refuse him anything not too irregular or dangerous. 
* After his third, the same holds true for males. 
* Once blood has been shed and life ended for him five times it takes a save VS magic to refuse him anything at all.  Each additional kill imposes a cumulative one point penalty to rolls to resist him.
* At seven sacrifices he will outshine the most stunning person who will, or could, ever live.

After a dozen such sacrifices his desire to become ever more beautiful and capture the adoring praise of others will remain unabated, but will be joined by his lust to increase this new power he holds over people.  He'll swiftly descend into decadence, hubris, and a desire to see how much the world which once rejected him will sacrifice for his fancies.  Soon his court (he will of course reside in the finest place he can comfortably acquire) will be full of quadriplegics who took on voluntary amputations at his request, frequent bonfires wherein people willingly sacrifice themselves for his entertainment, husband and wife duels to the death, and all manner of blasphemies. 

Each request a character wishes to reject grants a new save, and once a save is successfully made they are immune from further requests for a day, or until Kallos grows more beautiful.

If a characters merely hears his melodious voice without seeing him consider the number of sacrifices working against them to be quartered.

If Kallos is ever killed, the entity living inside him will psychically offer the same power to whoever finished him.  If they accept they gain Kallos's power, although none of the previously made tributes affect them.  If they politely reject the offer, the being will leave our world.  If they reject the offer without tact the being will leave our world, but not before they stricken the ingrate with the lymphatic filariasis that so tortured Kallos.  Their AC increases by two accordingly, but they can no longer wear anything not tailored to them, their speed drops to a third of its value, and their lives will become full of pain and mockery.

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Warning: verbosity. Which says it all really.  Still, I reckon you'll find something for a scenario here if you're in trouble.

The Dream Whistler


Sometimes, the membrane between the realms of wakefulness and sleep grows threadbare. That untenable things of both  beauty and madness sometimes find their way into the waking world, is beyond dispute. That those inhabitants of dream are violently forced to conform with the physical laws of our own bleak cosmos, is fuel enough for a thousand nightmares of horrors born afresh to a hunger, which must now feed.
  One such horror is the Dream Whistler.
Arising from the chimera of amour which most often assails youth, in slumber they are amorphous clouds of half forgotten loves and desires. In flesh, they are cruelly rendered as obscene mollusc  things as big as hippos (although no bigger than mice when first conceived, upon taking a lair, they quickly and unnaturally grow in size... a process which leaves them ravenously hungry). Their heads are always different: generally idealised representations of people the Whistler's original host once dreamt of. If that love was true and reserved for one person alone, then only one head will be present and near perfect. If that host longed for more than one person, then multiple faces will develop, with imperfections in their features growing with the number present. These slack jawed, drooling countenances are all sculpted from flesh, hair included, so as to resemble awful, glistening statuary. The creature has one functioning mouth set into it's upper trunk. Beneath this horrible lamprey like orifice are arrayed  row upon row of pendulous mammary sacs.
Their means of locomotion are extremely limited, having to rely only upon long spindly arms and barely obedient cephalopodium. Ultimately they bind themselves to surfaces wherever they find themselves lairing, in a fashion akin grotesque barnacles. The lair is of particular significance to the Dream Whistler, being in a sense, a part of it's body (and hunting routine). They secrete themselves in lonely places of beauty...beneath crumbled bridges, in the dark of mossy forgotten crypts, at the bottom of crumbling wells, in the hollows of great dead oaks. Places where  lovers might wander and carve their names into wood or stone and perhaps leave a little of themselves behind.
How do they get there? Some say that they are born from the death anguish of suicidal unrequited love. The monster manifests near a place  where someone has taken their own life out of despair (this is partly true). Others suggest that (and these scholars are perhaps more accurate in their assessment), the Whistler gestates within dreams and whilst still tiny, manifest physically within the cerebellum, ultimately exiting the host via the nasal cavity. This can be the result of grotesque magics, but the spectre of spontaneous creation is also postulated as viable. If this be so, could our very dreams be merely incubators for monstrosities? If so, what then of  our true natures?
The Dream Whistler, once created, secretes itself in the aforementioned lair and waits. A kind of hidden antennae set within the creatures' head area, picks up electromagnetic signals from nearby psyches. These are nearly always the minds of romantics, given to wandering and contemplation in places of serenity: poets, artists and lovers--- the forlorn, the lost, the pining and the mad. Once it has detected such a mind, it makes an imprint of the  brains waveform and then 'pings' this waveform on a frequency only detectable in deep sleep.
The chosen, wherever he is, receives this waveform and it alters the very fabric of his dreaming. Any loved one that appear in the dreamers' sleeping worlds, can be replaced by an illusionary puppet under the control of the Dream Whistler. This puppet looks, speaks and acts exactly as the dreamer would expect of the loved one being replaced. It then attempts to lure the dreamer back to the place of serenity. This manifests beyond mere reverie. The suggestion or 'whistle' is strong enough to induce somnambulism. The poor slumbering victim will rise from his place of rest and make his way physically to the lair of the Dream Whistler. This may take several attempts over a number of nights and/or weeks. Sometimes the whistle is lost  (lead blocks it as do more exotic, magical materials) and the victim awakens to find themselves miles from civilisation in the darkness of the countryside. In terror they flee home, but the process will only repeat itself, night after night.
Upon arrival at the lair of the Dream Whistler, the victim remains asleep, perceiving the image of the dreamt loved one waiting with open arms,  drawing the sleep walker to fall into their loving embrace. In reality, the Dream Whistler's physical manifestation enjoys or needs to consume a certain amount of fatty tissue and compels it's victims to suckle at it's grotesque teats. These mammary glands produce something akin to an opiate/glucose/milk. The Dream Whistler will then nurture the victim for weeks. Throughout that time the poor dreamer never awakens, sucking greedily at the things narcotic breasts, insensible to the straining of their flesh and skin, the weird milk coursing through their bodies. In a short period of time, victims are flabby, oily mockeries of their former selves and ready to be plucked like gross fruit.
The ultimate fate of the Whistler's victims is to be messily devoured, lifted with ropey arms and stuffed into the waiting maw. This process is surprisingly swift, considering the measured pace of the Dream Whistler's hunting and fattening ritual; the victim is only barely aware of their own grisly demise as their somnolent bliss is ended.
Hunting the Dream Whistler is not impossible and upon discovery, it can be destroyed with flame and steel. The fact that it is largely stationary works against it. However, it is more than capable of defending itself and is able to use it's milk gorged victims as loyal and suicidal bodyguards (for their part, they perceive attackers as monsters invading their dreaming or threatening their beloved). The creature is dangerously psionic and is capable of employing surges of brain cooking energy waves. Finally, it's long, ropey arms clutch and grasp spasmodically and unpredictably, attempting to grab and then eat brave adventurers.
The final tragedy, is that upon the Dream Whistlers death, it's former victims are never able to truly forget their experience. They pine for that long dream wherein they were glutted upon ambrosia in the arms of their beloved. Following a period wallowing in a wasteland of cakes, pastries and other fattening foods (which they crave following the cessation of the Dream Whistler's milk), they are eventually found, having taken their own lives, at or near the old lair of the Dream Whistler. But before that moment comes, there is yet a worse horror: a freshly incarnated Dream Whistler (the same one?) crawls from the victims nasal cavity to nest anew... to whistle once more into the darkness for prey.

Armor 15 (blubbery almost-flesh), Move 0/80 (mature specimens moored in place/immature specimen)′, 7 Hit Dice, 42hp (an immature Dream Whistler has only 6hp), 2x grasping claws 1d6 damage each, Morale 10. If both claws hit, will lift and attempt to swallow. Save vs paralysation or end up in it's stomach where it's digestive juices deal d4 damage/turn. A swallowed victim can take no physical action. The stomach can digest one victim at a time.
It can forego attacking physically to unleash a wave of brain frying psychic energy. Everyone within 30 feet must save vs magic else suffer d10 damage. It's thralls are immune to this energy. Lead, mithril and adamant protected hats or helms reduce this damage to d3.
It's ability to initially imprint upon the dreams of it's victims  requires another save vs magic to resist.
It's milk thralls have stats as normal humans, although their morale rises to 9 and they attack with such ferocity, that their unarmed attacks deal 1d4 damage (thrashing, biting)

Note: Obviously the Dream Whistler makes an eerie whistling sound...like a fragment of a tune. This whistling sounds quite disarming and out of place.

Last edited by Daayan (2015-06-26 16:12:10)

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

It's like you people are afraid of failure or something!  ;-)

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Barnacle from the Great Space Lobster

Appearance.  A large barnacle 6 feet in diameter, pock marked from small asteroid impacts, and scorched black from the fall through the atmosphere

Armor 19, Move 30’, 10 Hit Dice, 50hp, attack none, morale 12.


The Great Space Lobster happened to scrape off this barnacle and other parasites as it traveled past the Earth. While many of the smaller ones burned up through the atmosphere, The Barnacle fell to Earth as a meteorite.  It will seek out cool dark places, it does not require oxygen to survive. 

For every sentient creature eaten by the barnacle all land within a 5 mile radius become extremely fertile, and ore mined from it is very pure for one month.  The Barnacle poses very little threat in and of itself, as it is slow moving and has no appreciable means of attack.  As soon as someone finds out that dropping a body down the well/cave/etc. where the barnacle resides increases the quality of the land though, they may quickly prove to be a threat.

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Uncle Silas and the Daemon Swine

Uncle Silas

Appearance:  Uncle Silas is a thin man with sunken eyes, bad teeth, long stringy hair that is balding on the top, and greasy unkempt beard.   Picture Riff-Raff from The Rocky Horror Picture Show as a 16th century peasant with a beard.

First Level Magic-User, Armor 12, Move 120’, 1 Hit Dice, 5hp, axe 1d6, morale 7.
Spells: Read Magic

The Daemon Swine

Appearance:  A gigantic Sow, the size of an elephant with two crippled, tiny forelegs the size of a normal pigs.  The body is misshapen with overly developed muscles in some places, and malformed bones in others.  The pigs face has great curved tusks and malformed teeth that do not fit into its mouth properly and cut its own mouth when chewing leaving it a bloody mess.  Vestigial leathery bat-like wings stick out of the pigs back.

Armor 16, Move 80’, 4 Hit Dice, 47hp, bite 1d6, Crush -2 to attack 1d10 when rolling over something.

Background

Uncle Silas is a swine heard that lives alone up in the forested hills far from town.  A few years ago while following his prize truffle swine, it lead him to a dark cave.  Inside the cave was an orange crystal the size of an ostrich egg.  The crystal spoke to Silas’ mind and imbued him with the knowledge to conduct a ritual to summon the intelligence form the crystal into a human sacrifice that would allow it to take its true terrible form.  It demanded that he bring a new host body for it, promising riches and power for success and punishment for failure.  Every town person he met, he was overwhelmed by the crystal to bring them the cave and sacrifice them.  Silas tried to resist, but over time the crystal wore down his resistance, not letting him sleep or focus on any task.  He became a hermit staying far from the town to avoid people for their own sake.  Eventually his mind snapped.  Unable to resist he brought his prize truffle swine to the cave and conducted the ritual. 
With a pig instead of a human as the host the spell went wrong.  The crystal’s intelligence had prepared the ritual specifically for a human form and the swine’s body warped in unexpected and horrible ways.  The intelligence is now trapped unable to communicate anymore.  The pig’s physical brain matter is too limiting to cast any spells the intelligence is capable of.  The swine has grown to gargantuan size, but is horribly malformed and pushes its face through the dirt as it moves.  The daemon pig is limited in that the last vestige of the pig remembers Silas as its master and so it will not attack him.  Towards anything else the Daemon Swine is hateful and destructive.  Upon Silas’s death there will be nothing to restrain the Daemon Swine to the forested hills.  Upon the Daemon Swine’s death the intelligence will be released back to the orange crystal.

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

The Betterer

Anything you can do, this monster does better. This monster wants you and everyone to improve in all ways possible, and will use its considerable abilities to push everyone to achieve those improvements, whether they want to or not, and no matter what the cost. This monster is the Betterer.

The Betterer assumes the best ability scores of all creatures within 1000', plus 1. Its savings throws are all 1 point better than the best scores of all creatures within that range. The Betterer possesses a magical manifestation of the single best melee and single best ranged weapon within that range, plus 1 to hit and plus 1 to damage. It also possesses a magical manifestation of the best armour of a creature in range, plus 1 to Armour. The Betterer has 1 more Hit Die and 1 more hit point than the highest maximums of creatures within range. The Betterer assumes all magical spells and abilities of all creatures within range, but with either a +1 (for d20 rolls) or +5% (for percentile rolls) in their favour to successfully achieve the desired or a beneficial result. Each turn, the it has one more action or attack than the creature within range who would otherwise have the highest number of actions that turn. It has specialist skills and other abilities one point (in d6) better than all creatures within range. The Betterer can instantly call forth as a free action a magical manifestation of any mundane items possessed or carried by creatures within range. The items appear as slightly better versions of whatever is present. Items can include includes mounts, transport, siege weapons, documents including magic scrolls and similar.

The Betterer appears as a combination of the most beautiful features, body parts and clothing of creatures within range. The overall effect is very attractive, but just not quite “normal”. The Betterer is extremely touchy about references to its appearance, and will violently confront those that offend it. It is open to flattery, at least in the short term, but will quickly see through any attempts at trickery, due to its high intelligence. It takes delight in demonstrating and explaining at length how much better it is than all those present in all possible aspects.
The Betterer also looks to continuous improve those around it, and consequently itself. It is often encountered overseeing extensive and brutal regimes of physical and mental trials and training, and may be overseeing a dungeon specially built or modified for that purpose.

If pressed on its origins the Betterer will most likely expound at length as to its antiquity and originality, claiming it is a true elder god, or perhaps even the sole prime being and creator of all things. In fact it is far more likely that the Betterer was once simply a mediocre and vain mortal who luckily managed to complete a deal with a more powerful supernatural being.

Armour (special: best score within 1000' range +1), Move (special: best score within 1000' range +10%), Hit Dice (special: best score within 1000' range +1), hp (special: best score within 1000' range +1), attack method (special: best melee and ranged attack within 1000' range, +1 to hit and +1 damage), Morale (special: best score within 1000' range +1). Special abilities: all spells and abilities within 1000' range, with a +1 in d20 / +1 in d6 / +5% better.

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Possibility Thief

Appearance:  The watcher has the body of a baby owl with downy feathers, instead of a beak it has the face of a Persian cat.  It also has the forearms of a cat with 8 toes on each paw.

Possibility Thief:  Armor 14, Move Flight 480’, 4 Hit Dice, 21hp, claw 1d6, morale 7.

For each successful attack against a sentient being, the Possibility Thief fixes a choice in the future that the victim will make. 1d10 to determine the effect of the result of the fixed decision.  The affected character may not advance in level until that pre-determined choice is made. The more drastic the effect of the choice the more power the possibility thief gains, so the effect is always quite drastic.  The affected character knows their fate after the attack occurs, but no particulars are revealed.  At the Referee’s discretion, the required event may occur due to the character’s choice to try to avoid making the decision.  For every possibility stolen, the Possibility Thief gains a one time +2 to a roll of its choice, to be spent at its discretion.  This bonus may also be transferred to another being. 

1: Retires from adventuring/career
2: Marries/Divorces
3: Changes alignment
4: Murders a friend
5: Sells or otherwise relinquishes their most valuable item
6: Commits a crime
7: Converts religion
8: Must train next level in a class not currently had
9: Commits suicide
10: Player to the affected player’s left chooses an event

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Mushroom Spider

Appearance.  A black shiny mushroom cap with eight sharp legs spaced equally around the body. A small orifice on the center of the underside.  No head or eyes.

Armor 16, Move 90’ 1 Hit Dice, 4hp, leg stab 1hp, morale 4.  On a natural attack roll of 15 or higher the Mushroom Spider attacks with its spine and, if the attack is successful the victim must make a save verses paralysis.  If successful a red welt forms, If unsuccessful they are rendered unconscious for one day and impregnated with a Mushroom Spider egg.

Those impregnated with a mushroom spider egg have their reproductive matter replaced with that of the mushroom spider.  Any future gestational period will appear to be normal (though if checked there is no heartbeat).  Upon birth the offspring will be 2d10 full grown mushroom spiders.  This change is permanent and all future offspring birthed by this parent will have the same result.  The infected parent will do everything within its power to protect its offspring.  The other parent will of course, be horrified.
While the Mushroom Spider is neither a mushroom nor a spider this fact has very little value to anyone encountering it.

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Ithian Alchemist

Appearance:  The Ithian Alchemist looks like a gigantic floating nose approximately two feet wide and three feet tall.  It hovers approximately three feet off the ground.  From each nostril of this nose hang down five two foot long thin tentacle like appendages with three fingers on each end.  From the portion of the nose that would normally be attached to a human face there is a cluster of black eyes between which protrude short antennae. 
Ithian Alchemist:  Armor 12, 2 Hit Dice, 12hp, 10 tentacle attacks 1d2, morale 6.

Spells: Summon once a day (As Lamentations of the Flame Princes Rules and Magic Book, page 134). The Ithian Alchemist always succeeds in its save verses magic for this spell, and summons 1d6 copies of the monster it summons.

The Alchemist’s first order of business is to create a portal.  This portal serves as a one way door into another realm.  It then creates its lab.  The Alchemist uses its lab to turn useless metals such as silver and gold in to precious materials such as aluminum and lead and then transport them back to its home realm through the portal.  The alchemist’s lab is worth 600 sp in spell research to a spellcaster if ransacked, of if used in place, reduces the research time for spells by 1d6 days. The lab is completely incapable of reversing the process though, and any attempt to create a spell to that effect fails and wastes the research value.

The Ithian Alchemist can convert 750 of sp worth of material a day at its laboratory.

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

hunggokyan wrote:

Barnacle from the Great Space Lobster

The Great Space Lobster happened to scrape off this barnacle and other parasites as it traveled past the Earth. While many of the smaller ones burned up through the atmosphere, The Barnacle fell to Earth as a meteorite.  It will seek out cool dark places, it does not require oxygen to survive. 

For every sentient creature eaten by the barnacle all land within a 5 mile radius become extremely fertile, and ore mined from it is very pure for one month.  The Barnacle poses very little threat in and of itself, as it is slow moving and has no appreciable means of attack.  As soon as someone finds out that dropping a body down the well/cave/etc. where the barnacle resides increases the quality of the land though, they may quickly prove to be a threat.


I think this monster has huge potential. I like how it isn't monstrous so much as it creates a reason for people to be monstrous. That is fantastic! I expect the celestial lobster didn't fit the cosmology that James has going. At its core, this monster is awesome and coudl be used to build an adventure around. Even better, it could replace the God That Crawls under the church in the event someone destroys/defeats the crawling god.

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Hi, I don't know much about the LotFP game, but saw the 'weird monster competition' and threw my hat into the ring. Probably asking for a fall, but tried to meet the brief anyway!

Here is my failed beast - the idea was for the monster to be part of the back drop to an adventure - why are seaside villages being found empty ...

'Man-fisher'

#stats {similar to a whale or giant squid, but is of higher intelligence}

This sinister creature lives in the deep seas, but when prompted by hunger comes in to feed at the sea shore. 

When in this feeding mode it deploys a 'prey organ' in the white water of the waves that lap at the seashore.

The 'prey organ' is made up of a mass of translucent barbed tubes that it roils in the white water, and these are virtually undetectable until it is too late. 

A victim entering the white water will be ensnared by the 'prey organ' which it wraps around the legs and torso of the victim like tight corse rope. If the victim is strong it will also pin down it's arms. 

The Man-fisher will not usually (immediately) drown the first victim it catches, but rather it will use that first victim as 'live bait', allowing the victim to bob and thrash at the surface crying out for help, before pulling them under the surface again. As the victim tires it might even aid the victim staying afloat.

The commotion of the 'bait-victim' usually draws further victims into the water (unwittingly trying to save what they believe is a drowning person).

It usually only keeps one victims alive at a time as 'live bait', the rest of the victims are usually immediately drowned and passed to a bloated whale-sized feeding organ located in much deeper water.

It's favourite kind of 'live bait' is a child, which it has learnt over the centuries yields a large number of follow-on victims. Whole seaside villages have been reduced to ghost towns by the Man-fisher. 

The 'prey organ' can also capsize small fishing boats if the creature desires, or it is threatened.

The barbed tubes are more designed for gripping, and so usually do little physical damage. The primary attack of the Man-fisher is drowning. To break its grip requires a great feat of strength.

Once the 'feeding organ' is full, the creature usually returns to the deep seas to digest its victims, which depending on the number of victims caught will sait its appetite for months or even years.

The Man-fisher is nearly impossible to kill.  It has hundreds or barbed tubes as part of it 'prey organ', which are very hard to see it the whitewater and so to cut or spear them in the break water is incredibly difficult.  If damaged or cut, they repair or grow back, which has led some scholars to call the creature the Sea-troll, but it is probably more closely related to a multicellular creature (albeit massive and intelligent). 

The bloated 'feeding organ', looks like a giant translucent sack, and is usually located some 60 to 100 feet from the 'prey organ'. It is usually in deep water, and so unless the water is exceptionally clear, it is difficult to see from the surface, and hence very difficult to target. If the 'feeding organ' is genuinely threatened, the creature will withdraw back to the deep sea to recover, before returning and selecting a new location to 'fish'.

While the creature is quite capable of capturing sea creatures for food, it prefers targeting small seaside settlements which yields easy prey.  Very few people even know of the existence of this creature as it leaves very few witnesses behind. 

It is vulnerable to electrical attacks, which usually cause it to flee, but will clearly also harm anyone else in the water, including ensnared victims.

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

I also sent in a second creature, I sketched it out pretty quickly, but here it is:

:: Eye Glog - this bladder-sized creature floats above a group of humanoid victims and simultaneously shoots a long hair-thin barbed tendril into and trough the pupil of each victim. A brief burst of pain is all that is felt, a bit like a piece of salt or grit hitting the eye.

The silk strong tendril rapidly seeks out and bores into the optic nerve of the victim. Once it has made a connection with the optic nerve the Glog is capable of manipulating what each of its hosts can see.

Firstly it removes any visual presence of itself, including for example any shadow it may be casting. The hair thin tendril then begins to draw nutrients from its victims and it passes waste products back to the hosts through the same tendril.  Host tend to feel weak and are prone to sickness over time.

The Glog needs many hosts to thrive because the feeder tendrils are so thin.  The tendrils are so fine that even accidental brushing against by the victim will only give the impression of brushing up against a misplaced hair (if noticed at all). The tendrils can be easily moved by the Glog to avoid detection, and if broken it will rapidly insert a new replacement feeder tendril.

The Glog is only interested in feeding from its victims, and so might change the appearance of the surrounding that its victims can see (e.g. erase or cover over obvious exits, or create a fake barrier blocking the path) so that the host group it is feeding from gets disoriented/lost, and is forced to stick together. The eye leach is certainly not interested in getting harmed by getting mixed up in combat situations, so will steer the host group away from harmful situations and might even magnified the number/size/type of any hostile creatures encountered by the host group, so as to scare the host group off from fighting.

A large (cow-sized) Glog is quite capable of feed off a small rural hamlet undetected for years and has feeder tendrils that can stretch about a mile.

Visitors like taxmen might be permitted to enter the hamlet and leave again, but they will be eye-spiked on the way into the hamlet and unspiked when safely away from the hamlet again (that way preventing discovery of the Glog). If threatened by a visitor, the Eye Glog might make a visitor look 'evil/hostile' perhaps making it look like a wounded lycanthrope (perhaps holding a victim), and provoke the villagers into attacking and killing the innocent visitor.

Last edited by Goblinshenchman (2015-07-04 10:46:46)

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

@GoblinsHenchman
Woah dude, these are badass!

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

@Jammers - thanks , glad you liked them!!
GH

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Sinister Pane

Armor 12, Move 0′, 9 Hit Dice, 27hp, see text for attack information, Morale 12.

Brought into being by centuries of religious and political bigotry, scheming and murder, this window from Prague causes all who see through it to view the world with a jaundiced eye that looks askance.

Whenever a person looks from the room at a passerby outside, the Sinister Pane dredges up and projects all of the viewer’s negative thoughts and reactions onto the subject. "Look at that idiot." "Cheap bastard." "That is an ugly face." "I hear he tortures animals." "Bloody peasant!" Etc., etc. All that disdain, mistrust, envy and rumour – however slight or fleeting – are spewed upon the subject with the effect of a Bestow Curse spell as cast by a 9th Level Cleric. The subject is allowed a saving throw versus Magic.

These curses will be minor hamperings, hindrances and ailments to be sure, but eventually everyone in town will be afflicted with one. And the settlement itself will develop a dark reputation as more and more travelers to and through the area are affected.

And whenever a person outside looks through the window at someone inside, the viewer will be affected by a False Seeing spell as cast by a 9th Level Cleric. The viewer is allowed a saving throw versus Magic. If the saving throw is failed, everything about the person in the room will be seen in the worst possible light. Capable leaders become incompetent schemers, honest priests become depraved manipulators, conscientious merchants become conniving short-changers.

A creeping pall of misfortune and ill will spreads around the Sinister Pane’s aspect. The window is an artist. It relishes the slow twist of corruption it weaves through a community, pouring one person’s poison onto another, and his onto hers, and on and again, never ceasing. It’s willing to perpetrate its torment upon a town for decades if it will lead ultimately to an explosion of chaos, rage and violence. It experiences ecstatic joy the very moment someone is thrown through itself to die in the street below. That is precisely the event it works tirelessly toward.

If somehow the nature of the Sinister Pane is discovered and the window is attacked it will defend itself. Once per round it will lift a handful of minor curses from persons not present and – with this flow of fresh hate – smite one of its attackers with a Bestow Curse spell as cast by a 9th Level Cleric. Madness is a preferred instrument in these moments because bedlam ensues. By inflicting insanities the Sinister Pane can turn its attackers upon themselves. The target of the spell is allowed a saving throw versus Magic. Though it does adore an angry mob, the Pane will never resort to such heavy-handed display unless and until it is physically assaulted; it much prefers the slow-simmer of a subtle years-long game.

The Sinister Pane cannot be harmed by forces of nature. Fire, water, stone, wood, lightning, earthquakes, etc. cause it to no more than shiver in its frame.

It takes half damage from metal weapons but it suffers double damage from unarmoured strikes (i.e., bare-knuckle punches). Anyone hitting the Pane bare-handed takes damage to their fingers equal to what they cause the window.

The Sinister Pane can be destroyed instantly and forever by someone voluntarily and willingly self-defenestrating through it. This act of clear-minded self-sacrifice will also immediately lift all curses and wipe away all false seeings caused by the Pane.

If reduced to zero hit points the Pane will shatter. But unless destroyed by self-defenestration all its curses and false seeings will remain in effect and it will reform and relocate over the next 6d6 years.

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Shame more people didn't post their non-accepted monsters, it would have been interesting to see them. There's still room below ... !!

I thought mine were pretty good (posts 14 and 15 above - the 'Man Fisher' & 'Eye Glog') - but I would,  because I wrote them!

If I may be permitted a well-meant word of dissent:
I've been reflecting on the whole exercise - in it there seems to have been a huge emphasis on being almost beyond creative. It has made me wonder if going forward (when the monster book is eventually published), will this actually act as a creative vice on GMs/DMs.  If there is an unwritten expectation that monsters in this game must satisfy the expectation exemplified in the LotFP monster book, then will this stifle a normal (but 'merely' good) level creativity. If good is not good enough then you might as well pack up and go home?

Also, if the likes of my 'Man Fisher' and 'Eye Glog' above are not good enough, then what place is there for the lowly orc in the game, and can there be any joy in deploying the mighty (but not overly unique) dragon?

I know little about this game so maybe I'm speaking out of turn ...

GH

Last edited by Goblinshenchman (2015-08-12 00:07:00)

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Goblinshenchman wrote:

then what place is there for the lowly orc in the game, and can there be any joy in deploying the mighty (but not overly unique) dragon?

See, you're getting it. smile

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Neatly done. A response without an answer. ;O)

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Goblinshenchman: LotFP is very much about eschewing the traditional fantasy tropes.  The idea is to recreate the sense of mystery and excitement one might experience when playing for the very first time (like, before you even really knew what it was like to fight an orc or a dragon).

Your monsters are good in this respect, and I wouldn't have been surprised to find them in a LotFP module.  Even so, not every monster in every module is mind-blowingly weird and unimaginable.  Death Frost Doom has a giant, albino tarantula, and Better Than Any Man features lots of large insects, etc.  But you won't find any goblins, orcs, dragons, etc.

My understanding is that the Referee book needed to be above and beyond what could even be found in the modules.  It's supposed to be the prime example of weird and unusual and unthinkably crazy.

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Dear Crunk

Thanks for addressing the main issued head on.

I see, so the forthcoming LotFP monster book is intended to be the pinnacle of monsters in the LotFP game, sort of aspirational monsters, and not just routine bread-n-butter type monsters.  That at makes more sense.  A bit like a haute couture dress is to the fashion industry.

It seems to me that the exclusion of orcs (and the like) in the LotFP game harkens back to the Talislanta RPG, which had the tagline "No elves".  However with LotFP this concept has been expanded to include even more creatures, i.e. most commonly known/used monsters in RPGs.

To be fair, I'm not sure the problem with jaded players is a problem with the monsters per se, but rather with the quality of DM’ing/GM’ing.  I wonder how often the phrase: "You enter the room and see a group of orcs drinking and gambling, they see you and attack …". A truly creative DM/GM should be able to make an orc encounter interesting for players …

The other problem is players that insist on getting monster books and memorizing all of the creatures. I can’t believe than even the most experience AD&D player has encountered every monster in the MMI, MMII and FF! Are these players going to resist getting the LotFP monster book – if not you are rapidly back to square 1!

I think new monsters are great, and in the end the old school AD&D modules always tended to contained a few new ones. Then some of these got assembled and published (e.g. in MM2 and FF).

The new monsters being put in these modules to spice things up (at the moment I can only think of the ‘Decapus’ in the Palace of the Silver Princess), i.e. to be creatures the players would not have met before.   

To my mind, there is a place for monsters like orcs in RPGs, they are like the Storm Troopers in Star Wars movies. They are the canvas that makes the big baddy like Darth Vader look better.  If every Storm Trooper was a Darth Vader then where do you go from there?  Likewise, you can't have a comedy that is one punchline after another, and where each punchline must be funnier than the last.

Personally I think it is debatable if it is necessary to force DM’s/GM's to think outside of the box by the simple mechanic of depriving them of the most commonly used/known monsters. However, if it works and makes life more exciting then more power to you! 

Ironically, it seems if you really want to surprise a LotFP player, use an orc - they'll never see that coming!

Again, Crunk thanks for taking the time to explain the ethos of the game to me!

LotFP “No orcs”!! wink

GHench

PS – Dragons do give me joy!!

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Goblinshenchman wrote:

Are these players going to resist getting the LotFP monster book – if not you are rapidly back to square 1!

Players that read the monster section are going to shit their pants and be paranoid as hell. It won't be a matter of knowing what a monster does and knowing the strategy to beat it, it's more along the lines of worrying that every hill they come across might be the living hill and that'll make their adventure impossibly difficult... or realizing the monster that rearranges the stars is active in the area, or...

Don't think of LotFP monsters in terms of encounters, think in terms of plot devices.

To my mind, there is a place for monsters like orcs in RPGs, they are like the Storm Troopers in Star Wars movies. They are the canvas that makes the big baddy like Darth Vader look better.  If every Storm Trooper was a Darth Vader then where do you go from there?

Use humans. Instead of the enemy being aggressive and dangerous because they're orcs, you need to come up with some better reason than that (which in turn gives motivations to not fight). If fighting with humans seems boring, asking "Why is this fight happening? Does it make sense in-game, or is this because it is expected to have a certain amount of fighting during a session?" might be in order.

Personally I think it is debatable if it is necessary to force DM’s/GM's to think outside of the box by the simple mechanic of depriving them of the most commonly used/known monsters. However, if it works and makes life more exciting then more power to you!

 

It's not a matter of forcing the Ref to think outside the box, it's making the world more unique and not blending in to every other fantasy world. Campaigns the world over use the same humanoid races, the same chromatic dragon scheme, the same progression of giant types, etc. Potentially unique and interesting worlds filled with largely the same stuff. It's pretty much a disgrace to a hobby built on imagination.

And the hell of it is, there are "pig-men" in the upcoming Brockie adventure. tongue

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Fair play, anything that generates excitement, enthusiasm and the simple kid-like joy of RPGing like for the first time must be doing something right!

I think I'll keep my orcs (as an option), but since they have taken quite a licking over the years, I try to ensure they are not used in a 'tired' way ...

Thanks for the comments

Good luck with the project!

Living Hill's Henchman

Last edited by Goblinshenchman (2015-08-13 01:10:47)

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Will the new Ref Book expand on the Grindhouse edition's advice on creating unique monsters for one's games? I thought I'd read there may be more monster creation tools...

Re: Rejected LotFP Referee Book Monster Submissions

Falcatta wrote:

Will the new Ref Book expand on the Grindhouse edition's advice on creating unique monsters for one's games? I thought I'd read there may be more monster creation tools...

Yes, there will be a full-scale monster generator.