All my players are old geeks who know all the tricks and all the monsters (they know the page they are printed on...), so I have to mix thing up and create new beasts or at least new enviroments for them. Sometimes a miniature, mostly a sketch to show them the enemy.
Here an example, hook horrors subspecies.
What is your opinion, wanna see more?
I mostly play d&d 3.5 and Pathfinder, but here some flavour and some suggestions if you want to give some real stats to these guys. The first design is the classic hook horror, but I think it can also works for:
Ice hook: this hook horror specie lives on top of mountains and glaciers. It's bigger then the usual hook horrors and adapted to live in cold environments. Unlike the most common Underdark species, this variant does not feel any pain from sunlight. The chitin of and Ice Hook is strong as steel and, unlike the other species, it is exclusively carnivorous. Variation to the stats. As standard Hook Horror but: - no light sensitivity - cold subtype - bonus to hide in cold environments instead of Underdark areas
Wood hook: also known as needle horror, this specie is a little smaller then a man, but its vicious claws can strike enemies from distance with amazing speed. The needle horror lives in dense forests and rarely touches the ground. It's the most pacific of the known species, but it is very territorial. It is extremely adapted to the environment, possessing unique traits from the other species; it lacks a strong beak, but it posses a long prehensile tongue, the vestigial arms on the sides actually are used to scrape wood in search for insects and fruits. The long feather-like fibres help the creature camouflage in the foliage and they actually change colors during seasons. Variation to the stats. As standard Hook Horror but: - no light sensitivity - no blind sight - low-light vision - medium size (and related changes to the stats: +2 dex, -4 for, +1 AC) - talents more suited to hit a lot and disarm instead of breaking stuff - no bite attack - a tongue attack - reach - bonus to hide in forest environments instead of Underdark areas - they speak Sylvan (or at least understand it) instead of Undercommon
Sea hook: also know as fish hooks, crab horror and boat ripper, this specie lacks the climbing abilities of its cousins in exchange for powerful webbed feet and the ability to hold breath for almost two hours. It's the bigger variant of hook horror and it is built to only a purpose: crush. Shells, bones, boats: nothing can resist its pincher or the powerful beak. Still, its diet is almost all made of molluscs. Variation to the stats. As standard Hook Horror but: - no climbing speed - swimming speed - amphibious subtype - they speak Aquan (or at least understand it) instead of Undercommon
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm Emiliano, an italian designer and illustrator with a passion for roleplay, tabletop games and videogames. I had my share of battles in the past with my Warhammer orcs and Confrontation wolfens but I stopped the hobby before my college years. Recently I'm back in the game, at least for roleplaying purposes. I paint old miniatures and mix cheap toys in creative ways to have unique creatures to kill my players with on d&d nights or simply because I can.
Another aberration (or they are monstrosities now?), the ettercap. Spider-men without responsibilities. Probably a cursed cult of spider-druids, the ettercaps are a low/middle level encounter for unfortunate heroes in the woods. Because if you are afraid of spiders, now they have an (almost) intelligent boss too.
Cave fisher ettercap This ettercap lives in caves underground and it preys fishes and other small animals. It has the magical ability to walk on water like a water skipper and to catch underwater preys with the long, double-jointed limbs. The most powerful ones have some control over water and can breathe underwater. They use their webbing only to build nests and store foods, they also make nets to catch fishes. They are more pacific then the standard ettercap, but they are known to drown unfortunate adventures when hungry. Stats: as standard ettercaps but no low light vision dark vision light sensibility permanent water walking as magical ability breath underwater as magical ability (3/day) no trap making swim reach thanks the long arms
Bloodcap Also known as redcap, mosquito ettercap, tick ettercap or stirge ettercap, this variant lives mostly in marshes. It's the most strange variant, it's origin is unknown, but most think blood magic or vampirism are involved. The natural form of a bloodcap is of a small, childlike version of the standard redcap, but bloody red in color. They attack in swarm, their bite lacks venom, but, thanks to a retractile sharp tongue, they can pierce the enemy and drink their blood. They can convert blood into mass, growing large and stronger for each killed enemy. Some adventures report of ogre-size bloodcap killing lizardmen in a blood-blind frenzy. They lack the usual affinity with spiders, bu they have some link with stirges, used sometimes like living blood-bags. Old bloodcap can develop blood related spells and abilities, and affinity for necromancy. They can also expel the sucked blood in a blinding splash of putrid blood. Stats: as the standard ettercap but small size no venom no webs no spider connection blood drain bite: for each point of constitution drain, they gain +1 strength for one hour, if they suck at least 4 points, they grew one size, for 8 more two sizes, and so on (until large size). affinity for stirges blood splash: they can expel the blood to blind the enemy rage
Tarantula ettercap Big, hairy and savage. They are not very dissimilar to the standard ettercap except for the fact they lack webs of any sort. To compensate that they are stronger and jump the enemies with incredible leaps. The fur in their bodies allow them to live in cold regions, but they prefer forests where they can jump from tree to tree. Stats: as standard ettercap but no webs +4 strenght leap ability no trap making
Brood mother ettercap This is not a true subspecies, but more of a class for ettercap. Some ettercaps become living nest for their spiders, letting them live under the skin. They can host several swarm of spiders on them and they act as weapon and armour. Stats: like standard ettercap but more natural armour less agility spider swarm connection
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm Emiliano, an italian designer and illustrator with a passion for roleplay, tabletop games and videogames. I had my share of battles in the past with my Warhammer orcs and Confrontation wolfens but I stopped the hobby before my college years. Recently I'm back in the game, at least for roleplaying purposes. I paint old miniatures and mix cheap toys in creative ways to have unique creatures to kill my players with on d&d nights or simply because I can.
But if you want some new creature instead of subspecies:
I like to call it the Cave Bullette, but maybe a new name, with no association with landsharks is better, what do you think?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm Emiliano, an italian designer and illustrator with a passion for roleplay, tabletop games and videogames. I had my share of battles in the past with my Warhammer orcs and Confrontation wolfens but I stopped the hobby before my college years. Recently I'm back in the game, at least for roleplaying purposes. I paint old miniatures and mix cheap toys in creative ways to have unique creatures to kill my players with on d&d nights or simply because I can.
I'm Emiliano, an italian designer and illustrator with a passion for roleplay, tabletop games and videogames. I had my share of battles in the past with my Warhammer orcs and Confrontation wolfens but I stopped the hobby before my college years. Recently I'm back in the game, at least for roleplaying purposes. I paint old miniatures and mix cheap toys in creative ways to have unique creatures to kill my players with on d&d nights or simply because I can.
I'm Emiliano, an italian designer and illustrator with a passion for roleplay, tabletop games and videogames. I had my share of battles in the past with my Warhammer orcs and Confrontation wolfens but I stopped the hobby before my college years. Recently I'm back in the game, at least for roleplaying purposes. I paint old miniatures and mix cheap toys in creative ways to have unique creatures to kill my players with on d&d nights or simply because I can.
I'm Emiliano, an italian designer and illustrator with a passion for roleplay, tabletop games and videogames. I had my share of battles in the past with my Warhammer orcs and Confrontation wolfens but I stopped the hobby before my college years. Recently I'm back in the game, at least for roleplaying purposes. I paint old miniatures and mix cheap toys in creative ways to have unique creatures to kill my players with on d&d nights or simply because I can.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
All my players are old geeks who know all the tricks and all the monsters (they know the page they are printed on...), so I have to mix thing up and create new beasts or at least new enviroments for them. Sometimes a miniature, mostly a sketch to show them the enemy.
Here an example, hook horrors subspecies.
What is your opinion, wanna see more?
I mostly play d&d 3.5 and Pathfinder, but here some flavour and some suggestions if you want to give some real stats to these guys.
The first design is the classic hook horror, but I think it can also works for:
Ice hook:
this hook horror specie lives on top of mountains and glaciers. It's bigger then the usual hook horrors and adapted to live in cold environments. Unlike the most common Underdark species, this variant does not feel any pain from sunlight. The chitin of and Ice Hook is strong as steel and, unlike the other species, it is exclusively carnivorous.
Variation to the stats. As standard Hook Horror but:
- no light sensitivity
- cold subtype
- bonus to hide in cold environments instead of Underdark areas
Wood hook:
also known as needle horror, this specie is a little smaller then a man, but its vicious claws can strike enemies from distance with amazing speed. The needle horror lives in dense forests and rarely touches the ground. It's the most pacific of the known species, but it is very territorial. It is extremely adapted to the environment, possessing unique traits from the other species; it lacks a strong beak, but it posses a long prehensile tongue, the vestigial arms on the sides actually are used to scrape wood in search for insects and fruits. The long feather-like fibres help the creature camouflage in the foliage and they actually change colors during seasons.
Variation to the stats. As standard Hook Horror but:
- no light sensitivity
- no blind sight
- low-light vision
- medium size (and related changes to the stats: +2 dex, -4 for, +1 AC)
- talents more suited to hit a lot and disarm instead of breaking stuff
- no bite attack
- a tongue attack
- reach
- bonus to hide in forest environments instead of Underdark areas
- they speak Sylvan (or at least understand it) instead of Undercommon
Sea hook:
also know as fish hooks, crab horror and boat ripper, this specie lacks the climbing abilities of its cousins in exchange for powerful webbed feet and the ability to hold breath for almost two hours. It's the bigger variant of hook horror and it is built to only a purpose: crush. Shells, bones, boats: nothing can resist its pincher or the powerful beak. Still, its diet is almost all made of molluscs.
Variation to the stats. As standard Hook Horror but:
- no climbing speed
- swimming speed
- amphibious subtype
- they speak Aquan (or at least understand it) instead of Undercommon
I'm Emiliano, an italian designer and illustrator with a passion for roleplay, tabletop games and videogames. I had my share of battles in the past with my Warhammer orcs and Confrontation wolfens but I stopped the hobby before my college years. Recently I'm back in the game, at least for roleplaying purposes. I paint old miniatures and mix cheap toys in creative ways to have unique creatures to kill my players with on d&d nights or simply because I can.
Another aberration (or they are monstrosities now?), the ettercap. Spider-men without responsibilities.
Probably a cursed cult of spider-druids, the ettercaps are a low/middle level encounter for unfortunate heroes in the woods.
Because if you are afraid of spiders, now they have an (almost) intelligent boss too.
Cave fisher ettercap
This ettercap lives in caves underground and it preys fishes and other small animals. It has the magical ability to walk on water like a water skipper and to catch underwater preys with the long, double-jointed limbs. The most powerful ones have some control over water and can breathe underwater. They use their webbing only to build nests and store foods, they also make nets to catch fishes.
They are more pacific then the standard ettercap, but they are known to drown unfortunate adventures when hungry.
Stats: as standard ettercaps but
no low light vision
dark vision
light sensibility
permanent water walking as magical ability
breath underwater as magical ability (3/day)
no trap making
swim
reach thanks the long arms
Bloodcap
Also known as redcap, mosquito ettercap, tick ettercap or stirge ettercap, this variant lives mostly in marshes. It's the most strange variant, it's origin is unknown, but most think blood magic or vampirism are involved. The natural form of a bloodcap is of a small, childlike version of the standard redcap, but bloody red in color. They attack in swarm, their bite lacks venom, but, thanks to a retractile sharp tongue, they can pierce the enemy and drink their blood. They can convert blood into mass, growing large and stronger for each killed enemy. Some adventures report of ogre-size bloodcap killing lizardmen in a blood-blind frenzy. They lack the usual affinity with spiders, bu they have some link with stirges, used sometimes like living blood-bags.
Old bloodcap can develop blood related spells and abilities, and affinity for necromancy.
They can also expel the sucked blood in a blinding splash of putrid blood.
Stats: as the standard ettercap but
small size
no venom
no webs
no spider connection
blood drain bite: for each point of constitution drain, they gain +1 strength for one hour, if they suck at least 4 points, they grew one size, for 8 more two sizes, and so on (until large size).
affinity for stirges
blood splash: they can expel the blood to blind the enemy
rage
Tarantula ettercap
Big, hairy and savage. They are not very dissimilar to the standard ettercap except for the fact they lack webs of any sort. To compensate that they are stronger and jump the enemies with incredible leaps. The fur in their bodies allow them to live in cold regions, but they prefer forests where they can jump from tree to tree.
Stats: as standard ettercap but
no webs
+4 strenght
leap ability
no trap making
Brood mother ettercap
This is not a true subspecies, but more of a class for ettercap.
Some ettercaps become living nest for their spiders, letting them live under the skin. They can host several swarm of spiders on them and they act as weapon and armour.
Stats: like standard ettercap but
more natural armour
less agility
spider swarm connection
I'm Emiliano, an italian designer and illustrator with a passion for roleplay, tabletop games and videogames. I had my share of battles in the past with my Warhammer orcs and Confrontation wolfens but I stopped the hobby before my college years. Recently I'm back in the game, at least for roleplaying purposes. I paint old miniatures and mix cheap toys in creative ways to have unique creatures to kill my players with on d&d nights or simply because I can.
I made some stats for 3 of these guys.
Bloodcap
But if you want some new creature instead of subspecies:
I'm Emiliano, an italian designer and illustrator with a passion for roleplay, tabletop games and videogames. I had my share of battles in the past with my Warhammer orcs and Confrontation wolfens but I stopped the hobby before my college years. Recently I'm back in the game, at least for roleplaying purposes. I paint old miniatures and mix cheap toys in creative ways to have unique creatures to kill my players with on d&d nights or simply because I can.
Another one, do you like some fish?
I'm Emiliano, an italian designer and illustrator with a passion for roleplay, tabletop games and videogames. I had my share of battles in the past with my Warhammer orcs and Confrontation wolfens but I stopped the hobby before my college years. Recently I'm back in the game, at least for roleplaying purposes. I paint old miniatures and mix cheap toys in creative ways to have unique creatures to kill my players with on d&d nights or simply because I can.
Wow! All of your creature designs are so flavorful and unique! Fantastic work!
Thank you.
Here an update on the bloodcap.
I'm Emiliano, an italian designer and illustrator with a passion for roleplay, tabletop games and videogames. I had my share of battles in the past with my Warhammer orcs and Confrontation wolfens but I stopped the hobby before my college years. Recently I'm back in the game, at least for roleplaying purposes. I paint old miniatures and mix cheap toys in creative ways to have unique creatures to kill my players with on d&d nights or simply because I can.
I'm keep going.
I'm Emiliano, an italian designer and illustrator with a passion for roleplay, tabletop games and videogames. I had my share of battles in the past with my Warhammer orcs and Confrontation wolfens but I stopped the hobby before my college years. Recently I'm back in the game, at least for roleplaying purposes. I paint old miniatures and mix cheap toys in creative ways to have unique creatures to kill my players with on d&d nights or simply because I can.