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Sunday, March 10, 2013

Fear the Forms! [New Monster]

I was perusing the Art of Manliness blog a few days ago (I highly recommend it), and they had a post about Plato's Parable of the Chariot. I'll let you do the reading yourself.

Being an RPG guy, my mind is constantly scanning for things to adapt. While reading that article, I was struck with the concept of the forms - Truth, Beauty, etc. Now, I suppose the forms would make great deities for a game, but how often do you get to play with deities in a game? I figured they might make great monsters.

The basic idea is a monster that personifies some concept, physical or mental, to a perfect degree. Today, I'm going to do two forms based on ability scores, Strength and Intelligence.

STRENGTH
Medium Outsider, Neutral (N), Average Intelligence; Feat (1d4)

HD 7
AC 18 [+1]
ATK 2 slams (2d6 + bull rush)
MV 30
SV F10 R10 W10
XP 1,750 (CL 9)

Forms of strength look like perfect humanoid physical specimens, with perfect musculature, though lacking heads. How they see, hear, scent, etc. is unknown. They speak in a booming voice that is simply emitted from their bodies.

Targets struck by a form of strength must pass a Fortitude saving throw, modified by their strength modifier, or be knocked-back as though hit with a bull rush attack. They are capable of stomping (per the spell stomp) up to 3 times per day.

Forms of strength are capable of leaping up to 30 feet backwards, forwards, up or down (without falling damage). Likewise they are skilled at jumping, breaking down doors and bending bars. They have an effective strength score of 25.

Once per day, a form of strength can cause a creature it has struck to begin adhering to its conception of perfection. Each round, it gains 1 point of strength and loses one point of each of its mental ability scores. When the victim's mental ability scores are reduced to 6, they themselves become forms of strength; this state can only be reversed by a wish spell.

Special: Weapon resistance to bludgeoning weapons

INTELLIGENCE
Medium Outsider, Neutral (N), Super Intelligence; Feat (1d4)

HD 5
AC 18 [+1]
ATK 1 incorporeal touch (1d6 + stun 1 round)
MV 30 (Fly 60)
SV F11 R10 W8
XP 1,250 (CL 7)

Forms of intelligence are ephemeral, incorporeal beings. They have over-large heads with smooth pates; these heads are transparent, revealing the massive brains beneath, that spark with their unceasing pondering. Their thin, wispy bodies suggest atrophy. They generally float above the ground and usually move by flying. Forms of intelligence communicate telepathically, to a range of 200 feet or with other forms of intelligence up to any range.

A form of intelligence's touch attack ignores armor (except for magical armor) and forces those who suffer damage to pass a Will save or be stunned for 1d4 rounds.

The incredible intelligence of a form of intelligence allows it to work out the possible and likely movements of their foes to several rounds, and as such gives them the effective protection of a displacement spell (without they actually be displaced as the spell describes). They are capable, three times per day, of reciting such mind-numbing conundrums and theories that those within 10 feet must pass a Will save or be struck with confusion (per the spell) for a number of rounds equal to 5 minus their intelligence modifier.

Once per day, a form of intelligence can cause a creature it has struck to begin adhering to its conception of perfection. Each round, it gains 1 point of intelligence and loses one point of each of its physical ability scores. When the victim's physical ability scores are reduced to 6, they themselves become forms of intelligence; this state can only be reversed by a wish spell.


Spells: At will - detect thoughts (ESP); 1/day - ego whip, id insinuation, mind blank

Special: Incorporeal

2 comments:

  1. I really like off-center monster ideas, and these are very good ones.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very awesome ideas! More please.

    You have to earn validation ;)

    ReplyDelete