Sunday, April 8, 2012

Xaoc, the Lords of Misrule for Blood & Treasure

XAOC
The xaocs are creatures born from the primordial chaos that existed before the ordered universe was created from its raw materials. The xaocs look something like rubbery, humanoid toads, with large heads that bear wide, toothy grins, bulging eyes that gleam with raw power and clawed hands and feet. Xaocs obey no master other than that creature capable of cowing them at that precise moment. The true lords of the xaoc are feared by them and generally obeyed, even when they are not around to impose their will.

Rubinous Xaoc
Rubinous xaocs are the smallest of the breed, with glistening scarlet skin that steams and pops. They are also the lankiest of the xaocs, with hunched backs and elongated arms and legs that end in webbed hands and feet tipped with searing hot talons. Their eyes are wide and golden, their mouths broad and filled with long, needle-like fangs. The primordial fires of Muspelheim burn in their veins, and drive them to almost constant violence on one another or anyone else within reach.

Rubinous Xaoc, Medium Outsider, Chaotic (CN), Low Intelligence: HD 6; AC 17; Atk 2 claws (1d4 + 1d4 fire + poison), bite (1d6 + 1d6 fire); Move 40; Save F 10, R 10, W 11; XP 3000 (Expert); Special: Immune to fire, magic resistance 15%, breath fire (1/day, 30-ft. cone, 6d6 points of damage), poison (Fortitude saving throw or lose 1d4 points of constitution per day; at 0 HD victim transforms into a random xaoc), spells (At will – detect evil, detect good, detect magic; 1/day – blur, burning hands), summon 1d3 rubinous xaoc once per day with 30% chance of success, vulnerable to cold.

Cerulean Xaoc
Cerulean xaocs are 8-ft. tall humanoid frogs with sparkling blue skin covered in white, crystalline nodules. They have beards of wriggling white tentacles under their chins, white eyes that glow with otherworldly menace, razor sharp fangs and pot bellies. Cerulean xaocs rarely move unless inspired to violence or some other mischief. They are often found sitting on bits of matter floating in the Astral Plane, watching and thinking and pondering their next move.

Cerulean Xaoc, Medium Outsider, Chaotic (CN), Average Intelligence: HD 7; AC 18 [+1]; Atk 2 claws (1d6 + 1d6 cold), bite (1d6 + 1d6 cold), tongue (10 ft., constrict for 1d4 damage, fortitude saving throw or paralyzed for 1d6 rounds); Move 40 (Swim 30); Save F 10, R 10, W 10; XP 3500 (Expert); Special: Immune to cold, magic resistance 15%, frigid aura (15-ft. radius, 2d6 points of cold damage, save for half damage), icy tongue, spells (At will – detect evil, detect good, detect magic, protection from evil, protection from good; 1/day – confusion, dimension door, hold person), summon 1d3 cerulean xaoc once per day with 30% chance of success.

Viridian Xaoc
Viridian xaocs have deep jade flesh that is rubbery and seems to reflect light in strange patterns. Their eyes are narrow and a sulfurous yellow. From their very pores a bilious, acidic vapor seeps, surrounding them in a 10-ft. diameter miasma that causes 1d6 points of acid damage per round and forces people to pass a Fortitude save or suffer blindness for as long as they are in the cloud plus 1d4 rounds. Their slavering jaws drip acid, and their hands and feet leave small holes in whatever they touch. More intelligent than rubinous and cerulean xaocs, they are leaders among their kind, bullying lesser xaocs and in turn toadying to more powerful representatives of their kind.

Viridian Xaoc, Large Outsider, Chaotic (CN), High Intelligence: HD 8; AC 19 [+1]; Atk 2 claws (1d6 + 1d6 acid), bite (1d8 + 1d6 acid); Move 40 (Climb 30); Save F 9, R 9, W 8; XP 4000 (Expert); Special: Immune to acid, magic resistance 20%, acidic cloud, vomit acid (10-ft. cone; 1d6 points of damage, Reflex saving throw for half, if failed the acid sticks, inflicting 1d6 points of damage per round until neutralized with holy water), spells (At will – detect evil, detect good, detect magic, protection from evil, protection from good; 3/day – confusion, dimension door; 1/day – death fog, dispel magic, hold person, hypnotic pattern, ray of exhaustion), summon 1d4 rubinous xaoc or 1d3 cerulean xaoc or 1 viridian xaoc once per day with 30% chance of success.

Aurelian Xaoc
Aurelian xaocs are loners who venture into other planes of reality to spread change and disrupt the status quo. In their normal form, they are golden-skinned xaocs with russet eyes and claws. They are surrounded by an aura like unto the aurora borealis, and their presence causes weakness and sickness. Aurelian xaocs can assume almost any humanoid form.

Aurelian Xaoc, Medium Outsider, Chaotic (CN), High Intelligence: HD 9; AC 19 [+2]; Atk 2 claws (1d8), bite (2d6); Move 60 (Fly 60); Save F 9, R 8, W 8; XP 4500 (Expert); Special: Immune to electricity, negative energy, mind control and hold spells, magic resistance 20%, prismatic aura (20-ft. diameter, Fortitude save or 1d4 points of strength damage), spells (At will – detect evil, detect good, detect magic, dimension door, protection from evil, protection from good; 3/day – alter self, confusion, dispel magic, hold person, minor creation; 1/day – enlarge person, hold monster, plane shift, rage, suggestion, teleport, transmute mud to rock, transmute rock to mud), summon 1d6 rubinous xaoc or 1d4 cerulean xaoc once per day with 40% chance of success.

Achromic Xaoc
Achromic xaocs are quick and powerful, cunning planners who seek to undermine Law and Order anywhere they find it, primarily by manipulating mortals and bribing them with all manner of outlandish promises. They are more toad-like than their kin, but retain the rubbery, ever-moving skin, bulbous eyes, arms with clawed hands and powerful legs. Achromic xaocs have stark white skin that quivers and crawls, sending chills down the spines of those who see it. Their eyes are black orbs that seem to peer into a person’s soul. They can transform their arms into 10-ft. long tentacles that whip or grapple. Their mouths are filled with crackling blue energy, and electricity also dances along their claws.

Achromic Xaoc, Large Outsider, Chaotic (CN), High Intelligence: HD 10; AC 20 [+2]; Atk 2 claws (1d8 + 1d6 electricity), bite (2d6 + 1d6 electricity) or 2 tentacles (1d8 + constrict); Move 50 (Fly 50); Save F 8, R 7, W 7; XP 5000 (Master); Special: Immune to mind control, hold spells and polymorph, resistance to acid, cold, fire and electricity, magic resistance 25%, spit lightning (100-ft. line; 6d6 electricity damage, Reflex saving throw for half), spells (At will – detect evil, detect good, detect magic, dimension door, protection from evil, protection from good; 3/day – confusion, dispel magic, mental barrier; 1/day – charm monster, dream, hold person, phantasmal force, plane shift, psionic blast, suggestion, teleport), summon 1d6 rubinous xaoc or 1d4 cerulean xaoc or 1 achromic xaoc once per day with 50% chance of success.

Lustrous Xaoc
Lustrous xaocs are the most powerful of their kind, with silvery-grey skin that glistens and rolls and eyes that swirl in deep prismatic pools. They have wide mouths and thin lips that are always moving, as though they are constantly whispering to unseen spirits. Their arms and legs end in talons, but also bear bony barbs that help them hold their prey. Lustrous xaocs are agents of madness, who drive powerful lords into the depths of insanity, toppling order from the top down. They can belch forth four tentacles from their mouths that extend up to 20 feet and can grab victims and pull them into their gullet, their mouths and bellies expanding to huge side to accommodate creatures up to medium size.

Lustrous Xaoc, Large Outsider, Chaotic (CN), Super Intelligence: HD 11; AC 22 [+3]; Atk 2 claws (2d6), bite (3d6) or tentacles (2d6 + swallow whole); Move 60 (Fly 60); Save F 8, R 7, W 5; XP 5500 (Master); Special: Immune to mind effects, hold spells and polymorph, resistance to acid, cold, electricity, fire and sonic, magic resistance 30%, croak (30-ft. cone of sound, 6d6 points of sonic damage, Fortitude save for half and Will save or confusion), spells (At will – confusion, detect evil, detect good, detect magic, dimension door, dispel magic, message, protection from evil, protection from good; 3/day – color spray, invisibility, mental barrier, nondetection ; 1/day – bolt of bedevilment, bestow curse, feeblemind, hypnotic pattern, plane shift, prismatic wall, symbol of insanity, suggestion, teleport), summon 1d6 rubinous xaoc or 1d4 cerulean xaoc or 1 aurelian, viridiano or achromic xaoc once per day with 60% chance of success.

3 comments:

  1. Great stuff! You always have a cool take on these classic monsters.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Me like! Innovative and inventive at the same time. Cool stuff. Some questions though (unrelated but heck):

    1. How long will Blood and Treasure be? Will it be hardcover, softcover or PDF?
    2. When we can see the hengeyokai (as a PC race preferably)?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 1. It should be around 350 pages, total, with the monster, spell and magic item sections taking up the most room. It will be sold via Lulu as a soft cover and PDF. Currently, I plan to do it as a complete book (350) pages, and as two smaller books (Player's Book and Ref's Book). If there was a groundswell of support, I would make hard cover versions as well, but I'm guessing they would be pretty expensive through Lulu.

      2. Soon.

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