Mournland Monsters [Archive] - Wizards Community

Mournland Monsters [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
nevcoup
09-04-04, 12:45 PM I just read through a thread regarding the perils of adventuring in the Mournlands due to the lack of healing. Here's my question:

"If healing doesn't occur, then wouldn't the typical encounter in the Mournland be with either a weakened (hurt) monster, or with a monster who is "aware" of the risks involved in fighting and more likely to run from a fresh group?"

Comments
atanhel
09-04-04, 01:03 PM i think that's up to the DM!

i myself would rule that creatures orriginally living in the mournlands ( and howmany are there that do live there? LoB-> can't heal to begin with) would have altered so they will heal ( living spells and carcascrabs e.d.), or they are there to visit ( scavengers), and will indead be hurt!

It's up to your DM i suppose!
nevcoup
09-04-04, 01:15 PM I agree that it's up to the DM. Most things are.
:rolleyes:

I guess my revised question, then, is:

How would you, as a DM, handle the situation?

If monsters DO have a special means of healing, then the PC's might be able to research this and benefit also.

If Mournland monsters are generally injured most of the time, then a trek through the Mornland is not as dangerous as we think.
:bored:

I think I'd stick to the injured monster scenario, and only allow other treasure seekers, adventurers, etc... to be encountered potentiall fresh.

Any other opinions?
atanhel
09-04-04, 01:18 PM sorry to bother you again ( this is beginning to look like a dialog), but i suddely realised that I, as DM, will let those creatures be injured and killed!
because when they are... they will stand up and simply continue!

gives me a great campain idea :D gnagna
nevcoup
09-04-04, 01:31 PM I agree. However, I didn't know that the dead automatically rise as undead in the Mournland?
:mymy:
This is news to me.
atanhel
09-04-04, 01:40 PM they don't :D , that's my input ( although you do have the field of ruins...)
maybe there is more!
i do remember reading something about this subject though...
maybe woth checkin out!
WotC_Doog
09-04-04, 01:46 PM A creepy possibility is that only those monsters & animals that feed on death would be able to maintain health. Ravens. Hyenas. Maggots. Vultures. Oozes. Worms of all sorts. Carrion crawlers. You can run into healthy creatures in the Mournlands, but they all reek of the graveyard.

You could also say that a lot of regular animals and monsters haven't survived there because to their food sources have been running out. Plants die because the fog has blocked out the sun. Herbivores die or move on because the plants are gone. Carnivores die or move on because the herbivores are gone.

But the scavengers, monstrous and mundane, have an almost never-ending source of corpses. So maybe they mystically evade the no-healing condition by somehow participating in, or contributing to, the tragedy of the Mournlands.

The grisly corollary is that the PCs, if they wish to heal in the Mournlands, must eat something that died during the creation of the Mournlands. *shudder* :ayyyy!:
nevcoup
09-04-04, 01:54 PM I like it.

:D

I just got to wondering about these questions when I thought about all the posts regarding the horrible dangers. I understand natural dangers, living spells, and the like... But I thought...typical monsters would be weak given the rules of the Mournlands.

A scavenger's paradise...I like it! :thumbsup:
sheik
09-05-04, 01:40 AM I was just thinking of posting such a thread myself, it is great to see one already. My campaign will be focused around the Mournlands, so I've been giving some thought to what lives there, though I'm always looking for ideas and feedback.

First, a quick note. Keith Baker has noted that creatures native to the Mournlands do heal naturally when there.

I too imagine a land dominated by scavengers mostly. I've been trying to think of it from a somewhat ecological view. What can live in a barren place? Where is it in the food chain?

One of the most interesting and presumably dominant dangers in the Mournlands is the living spell which can be formidable for any creature. Another dominating feature is obviously the lack of vegetation.

I imagine hordes of small horrid ratlike critters and swarms of cockroach type creatures in destroyed urban areas living off scraps of bodies and fresh kills.

I imagine dog style hunters, like krenshar or howlers, that move in great packs and rely on their speed to avoid dangers and numbers for hunting, even killing their own wounded for food.

Will'o Wisps of all creatures seem like they would fit well, mysteriously leading creatures into the mists. Most importantly they are immune to magic, and thus resistant to most living spells.

I was trying to think of a leather winged bird-like creature that skims the ground to find it's way through the fog as it hunts for pray. Maybe something like Arrowhawks.

Perhaps aberrations like Gibbering Mouthers or Otyugh. I can imagine rust monsters adding to the degeneration of the land. Most any horrid can come out of the Glowing Chasm.

Perhaps there are grimlock creatures, twisted mad and insane survivors of the Day of Mourning, that live just below the surface. Any burrowing creature I imagine would be well served by their ability to hide below the surface.

And many ghosts and spirits of the dead roaming the towns and cities. Though few re-animated or physical undead.

But there must be something at the bottom of the food chain? Since there is little to no vegetation most creatures will be predators, and even the smallest creatures will still need to eat or pry on something. Perhaps a strange glowing moss or fungus that seems to survive in the Mournlands and prove as food for the most basic of animals/monsters.

Thoughts, ideas, creatures? Almost any creature can be placed in the Mournlands. How would it effect the lands, how does it survive and/or how would it add to the mood or tone of the place?

2¢,

dana. (sheik)
Neofish
09-05-04, 02:06 AM It says in the book that a weed/ thorn bush type plant grows in the mournlands, go and check it out.
That could be link at the bottom of the food chain.
Brastan
09-05-04, 02:08 AM But there must be something at the bottom of the food chain? Since there is little to no vegetation most creatures will be predators, and even the smallest creatures will still need to eat or pry on something. Perhaps a strange glowing moss or fungus that seems to survive in the Mournlands and prove as food for the most basic of animals/monsters.

There is. Its in Shadows of the Last War Adventure. The bodies of the dead can be used for a basic food source, they also re-grow every dawn to how they were on the day they died.
sheik
09-05-04, 02:15 AM There is. Its in Shadows of the Last War Adventure. The bodies of the dead can be used for a basic food source, they also re-grow every dawn to how they were on the day they died.
Braston, can you point me to the reference?

Thanks,

dana.
tmagann
09-05-04, 02:22 AM Thoughts, ideas, creatures? Almost any creature can be placed in the Mournlands. How would it effect the lands, how does it survive and/or how would it add to the mood or tone of the place?

The writeup in the ESB says that natural healing and healing subschool spells don't work, but that the Repair spells do. *To me* this means that other sorts of healing would work, such as transform effects (shifters, druids, polymorph spells, warshaper fast healing, etc) and even necromantic spells that steal hits would work.

The book also says that the animals and plants there are mutated and mutating. So, I'm putting forth the idea that "natural" healing for the mutated creatures is the ongoing process of change and mutation (weak transformation effect?). This could also mean that wounded, but not killed, creatures would mutate faster. It's only been 4 years, so only the LoB's crew would have any idea if the mutants bred true (or bred at all). I suspect not. I suspect that new mutants are just the result of some poor critter stumbling into the area.

Other than that, I'm lazy, I'm just going to slap the pseudo natural template on things until WotC prints something definitive. :)

Still, a leech or stirge that had a constant Vampric Touch effect could be fun, too.
Brastan
09-05-04, 02:29 AM Okay as I don't have my copy with me I can't give page numbers. However its in the section were the PCs meet the Dire wolf and her two companions. If they ask how she has survived, she will tell them that she has been eating the bodies of the dead. Sorry I can't be more specific.
atanhel
09-05-04, 04:25 AM I've been wresling with the idea of realesing the antromorphic animals into the mornlands, since...well there like mutated creatures, but the point was, whether they would survive!

furthermore I think using templates like feral, umbral and multiheaded creatures, to name a few, can provide a nice ensemble of monsters for the mournlands

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
nevcoup 09-04-04, 12:45 PM	I just read through a thread regarding the perils of adventuring in the Mournlands due to the lack of healing. Here's my question: "If healing doesn't occur, then wouldn't the typical encounter in the Mournland be with either a weakened (hurt) monster, or with a monster who is "aware" of the risks involved in fighting and more likely to run from a fresh group?" Comments
atanhel 09-04-04, 01:03 PM	i think that's up to the DM! i myself would rule that creatures orriginally living in the mournlands ( and howmany are there that do live there? LoB-> can't heal to begin with) would have altered so they will heal ( living spells and carcascrabs e.d.), or they are there to visit ( scavengers), and will indead be hurt! It's up to your DM i suppose!
nevcoup 09-04-04, 01:15 PM	I agree that it's up to the DM. Most things are. :rolleyes: I guess my revised question, then, is: How would you, as a DM, handle the situation? If monsters DO have a special means of healing, then the PC's might be able to research this and benefit also. If Mournland monsters are generally injured most of the time, then a trek through the Mornland is not as dangerous as we think. :bored: I think I'd stick to the injured monster scenario, and only allow other treasure seekers, adventurers, etc... to be encountered potentiall fresh. Any other opinions?
atanhel 09-04-04, 01:18 PM	sorry to bother you again ( this is beginning to look like a dialog), but i suddely realised that I, as DM, will let those creatures be injured and killed! because when they are... they will stand up and simply continue! gives me a great campain idea :D gnagna
nevcoup 09-04-04, 01:31 PM	I agree. However, I didn't know that the dead automatically rise as undead in the Mournland? :mymy: This is news to me.
atanhel 09-04-04, 01:40 PM	they don't :D , that's my input ( although you do have the field of ruins...) maybe there is more! i do remember reading something about this subject though... maybe woth checkin out!
WotC_Doog 09-04-04, 01:46 PM	A creepy possibility is that only those monsters & animals that feed on death would be able to maintain health. Ravens. Hyenas. Maggots. Vultures. Oozes. Worms of all sorts. Carrion crawlers. You can run into healthy creatures in the Mournlands, but they all reek of the graveyard. You could also say that a lot of regular animals and monsters haven't survived there because to their food sources have been running out. Plants die because the fog has blocked out the sun. Herbivores die or move on because the plants are gone. Carnivores die or move on because the herbivores are gone. But the scavengers, monstrous and mundane, have an almost never-ending source of corpses. So maybe they mystically evade the no-healing condition by somehow participating in, or contributing to, the tragedy of the Mournlands. The grisly corollary is that the PCs, if they wish to heal in the Mournlands, must eat something that died during the creation of the Mournlands. shudder :ayyyy!:
nevcoup 09-04-04, 01:54 PM	I like it. :D I just got to wondering about these questions when I thought about all the posts regarding the horrible dangers. I understand natural dangers, living spells, and the like... But I thought...typical monsters would be weak given the rules of the Mournlands. A scavenger's paradise...I like it! :thumbsup:
sheik 09-05-04, 01:40 AM	I was just thinking of posting such a thread myself, it is great to see one already. My campaign will be focused around the Mournlands, so I've been giving some thought to what lives there, though I'm always looking for ideas and feedback. First, a quick note. Keith Baker has noted that creatures native to the Mournlands do heal naturally when there. I too imagine a land dominated by scavengers mostly. I've been trying to think of it from a somewhat ecological view. What can live in a barren place? Where is it in the food chain? One of the most interesting and presumably dominant dangers in the Mournlands is the living spell which can be formidable for any creature. Another dominating feature is obviously the lack of vegetation. I imagine hordes of small horrid ratlike critters and swarms of cockroach type creatures in destroyed urban areas living off scraps of bodies and fresh kills. I imagine dog style hunters, like krenshar or howlers, that move in great packs and rely on their speed to avoid dangers and numbers for hunting, even killing their own wounded for food. Will'o Wisps of all creatures seem like they would fit well, mysteriously leading creatures into the mists. Most importantly they are immune to magic, and thus resistant to most living spells. I was trying to think of a leather winged bird-like creature that skims the ground to find it's way through the fog as it hunts for pray. Maybe something like Arrowhawks. Perhaps aberrations like Gibbering Mouthers or Otyugh. I can imagine rust monsters adding to the degeneration of the land. Most any horrid can come out of the Glowing Chasm. Perhaps there are grimlock creatures, twisted mad and insane survivors of the Day of Mourning, that live just below the surface. Any burrowing creature I imagine would be well served by their ability to hide below the surface. And many ghosts and spirits of the dead roaming the towns and cities. Though few re-animated or physical undead. But there must be something at the bottom of the food chain? Since there is little to no vegetation most creatures will be predators, and even the smallest creatures will still need to eat or pry on something. Perhaps a strange glowing moss or fungus that seems to survive in the Mournlands and prove as food for the most basic of animals/monsters. Thoughts, ideas, creatures? Almost any creature can be placed in the Mournlands. How would it effect the lands, how does it survive and/or how would it add to the mood or tone of the place? 2¢, dana. (sheik)
Neofish 09-05-04, 02:06 AM	It says in the book that a weed/ thorn bush type plant grows in the mournlands, go and check it out. That could be link at the bottom of the food chain.
Brastan 09-05-04, 02:08 AM	But there must be something at the bottom of the food chain? Since there is little to no vegetation most creatures will be predators, and even the smallest creatures will still need to eat or pry on something. Perhaps a strange glowing moss or fungus that seems to survive in the Mournlands and prove as food for the most basic of animals/monsters. There is. Its in Shadows of the Last War Adventure. The bodies of the dead can be used for a basic food source, they also re-grow every dawn to how they were on the day they died.
sheik 09-05-04, 02:15 AM	There is. Its in Shadows of the Last War Adventure. The bodies of the dead can be used for a basic food source, they also re-grow every dawn to how they were on the day they died. Braston, can you point me to the reference? Thanks, dana.
tmagann 09-05-04, 02:22 AM	Thoughts, ideas, creatures? Almost any creature can be placed in the Mournlands. How would it effect the lands, how does it survive and/or how would it add to the mood or tone of the place? The writeup in the ESB says that natural healing and healing subschool spells don't work, but that the Repair spells do. To me this means that other sorts of healing would work, such as transform effects (shifters, druids, polymorph spells, warshaper fast healing, etc) and even necromantic spells that steal hits would work. The book also says that the animals and plants there are mutated and mutating. So, I'm putting forth the idea that "natural" healing for the mutated creatures is the ongoing process of change and mutation (weak transformation effect?). This could also mean that wounded, but not killed, creatures would mutate faster. It's only been 4 years, so only the LoB's crew would have any idea if the mutants bred true (or bred at all). I suspect not. I suspect that new mutants are just the result of some poor critter stumbling into the area. Other than that, I'm lazy, I'm just going to slap the pseudo natural template on things until WotC prints something definitive. :) Still, a leech or stirge that had a constant Vampric Touch effect could be fun, too.
Brastan 09-05-04, 02:29 AM	Okay as I don't have my copy with me I can't give page numbers. However its in the section were the PCs meet the Dire wolf and her two companions. If they ask how she has survived, she will tell them that she has been eating the bodies of the dead. Sorry I can't be more specific.
atanhel 09-05-04, 04:25 AM	I've been wresling with the idea of realesing the antromorphic animals into the mornlands, since...well there like mutated creatures, but the point was, whether they would survive! furthermore I think using templates like feral, umbral and multiheaded creatures, to name a few, can provide a nice ensemble of monsters for the mournlands