Monday, August 4, 2014

What was formed from the vat?

Entries for Gavin Norman's From the Vat contest...

Smoak:
A foul guardian, animated by certain vivimancers from unholy water, cremation-ash, bones and teeth, this formless creation roils and seethes within its cauldron at its assigned post. Ravenous, the mass will boil from its container to engulf an interloper, abrading and smothering.

HD: 3
AC: 3/16
Attack: 1d8 abrasion damage + Save vs spells or 1d4 suffocation damage.
Move: 6
Special: DR - slashing and stabbing weapons cause 1/2 damage. Electrical attacks cause double damage.
By my lovely wife - let her know if you need your critter sketched.



Goit (because creepy baby-things):
Naked, deformed toddler-golems, formed from the collection of miscarriages and stillbirths. Word is, certain corruptible midwifes will induce a stillbirth using obscure malicious herbs for the right number of coppers.

The critters scuttle about on 2-6 limbs and have one to two heads. Staring through unblinking- cataract-filled eyes, the tiny, tragic horrors sense a target more by simple motion and smell. Created by the insane vivimancer Ad'iss to lurk in the dark and protect his laboratory, the little freaks will be found mewling in niches in his lab, hanging out on shelves, and generally carrying on. The goit gang-attack foes, scratching and biting as they descend upon the unwary (and soon-to-be creeped out).

HD 1-1
AC 8/11
Atk: Bite or claw 1d3
Move: 6
Occurrence: 2d6

Vat of Amphibious Horrors:
Spawns 4d4 of the following corrupted amphibious beasts.

1. Pustule-toad: Large toad covered in corrosive, seeping nodules (bite 1d4 + 1d4 acid damage on initial contact, with 1 pt of damage for the following two rounds). Kills plant life and leaves a scorched trail in its wake. Areas occupied by the toads will not grow crops or other vegetation for one year.  Belligerents have been known to collect these nasties and 'seed' them in enemies' fields in order to damage crops and degrade cropland. 1+1 HD, AC 7/13.

2. Rage Salamander: An extremely territorial flame-red salamander that charges forward, jaws drooling hallucinatory poisons. The poisons are reportedly refined by the psychotic Mercenaries of  Zoeh for their battle-rituals. Bite 1d4 damage + save vs poison or suffer acute hallucinations for 1d4 turns (1-4 - Attack nearest PC or NPC, 5 - Abject terrors, 6 - Catatonic), 1+1 HD, AC 7/13.

3. Bleeding Caecilian: These legless, burrowing amphibians are nearly blind, but are equipped with an acute sense of smell and sense motion via vibrations. Their bite is relatively strong for a small animal (1d4 damage), and their skin secretions contain a hemolytic poison (dam 1d4 + 2 hp hemolysis/day until cure disease or 2x save). 1-1 HD, AC 8/12.

4. Thunder-Frog:  These large frogs puff up to three times their normal size to issue forth a bellowing croak. To another Thunder-Frog this says, "I am sexy," but to other creatures, these vocalizations can deafen and stun for 1d4+1 rounds any caught within a 15' cone in front of the frog. Multiple frogs croaking in concert will multiply the stun effect for 1.5 x the rolled duration per frog, plus cause 1-2 HP damage per frog within a 15' cone. If a frog is injured while puffing, there is a 50% chance for it to explode for 1d6 damage in a 5' radius. 1 HD, AC 7/13.

(Yes, these were retooled slightly for the "Invasive Species" post).

Scuttle-Pot (A Vat Itself) (taking liberties with the contest rules):
Animated cauldron that hops and skitters along behind its owner at a walking pace.
With the correct set of command-words, the vat may create one of the following once per day.  If the command-words are not known, it will create something randomly once per day.

1. Swarm of biting insects (1HD total)
2. Nutritious broth for up to 6, sufficient for one meal. If consumed before sleep, adds 1 HP healing.
3. Spews forth a foaming acid (1d6 damage, + 1 hp per round for two rounds, corrodes metal and fabric).
4. Highly intoxicating wine, one draught will intoxicate human-sized creature for 1d4 hours, two draughts will put to sleep for 1d4 hours.
5. Obscuring smoke: 15 foot radius smoke cloud, creatures caught inside must save vs poison or be wracked by debilitating coughing for 1 turn.
6. Slippery ooze: A translucent, viscous fluid issues forth, creating a 20-foot radius slick hazard.  All creatures caught in the ooze or crossing it must make a DEX save or fall and not be able to arise for 1d4 rounds.
7. Fresh Water: 1d6+1 gallons of fresh drinking water.
8. Flame column: 2' x 10' column of 'solid' flame. Lasts 1d4 turns. May be directed at a target for 1d8/round damage.  Magical, can not be extinguished by normal means.
9. 1d4 doses of Potion of Truth (save vs. spells at -2 or be compelled to answer questions to the best of one's ability truthfully for the next 3 turns)
10. Cauldron acts as Portable Hole for one day (or until next use).

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