A bubbling chaos... [Archive] - Wizards Community

A bubbling chaos... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Hobbygoblin
08-31-04, 10:44 PM What does everyone think of this? I'm using them in my home campaign, and one is in a short story I wrote.

Gorend
Large Undead

Hit Dice: 6d12+3(42hp)
Initiative: +7(+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 50 feet
Armor Class: 17(+3 DEX, +5 Natural, -1 Size)
Attack: Tentacle +8 meele(1d8+6)
Full Attack: 6 tentacles +8 meele(1d8+6)
Space/Reach: 10ft/10ft
Special Attacks: Constrict, Rend, Swallow Whole
Special Qualities: Blindsight 60 ft; Damage Reduction 5/Slashing; Immunity to Fire; +2 Turn Resistance
Saves: Fort+4, Ref+5, Will +5
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 16, Con -, Int 5, Wis 10, Cha 10
Skills: Hide +12; Listen +2; Spot +2
Feats: Improved Initiative; Toughness; Great Fortitude
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or Pack(2-5)
Challange Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral Evil
Advancement: 7-12 HD(Large), 13-16 HD(Huge)

Advancing before you is a large bubbling, slimey pile of torn, stringy flesh whipping about strands of intestine and sinew angrily.

Gorends are the foul shocktroops in the armies of dread Zombasas, Demon King of the Undead. They are created from the disused flesh of animate skeletons. The average Gorend weighs about 1,500 pounds and is about 10 feet in diameter and 5 feet tall in the middle.

Combat

Gorends are not very good at defending themselves, so they rely on stealth to destroy their prey. Gorends are often stationed in areas where a large pile of dead flesh will not be considered out of the ordinary, such as slaughterhouses. These monstrosities attack with whips of sinew, intestine, or muscle. If one can, a Gorend will entangle an opponent with cords of flesh and rip its opponent to shreds, or swallow it whole.

Blindsight(Ex): Gorends can sense all foes within 60 ft as a sighted creature would. Beyond that, they treat all targets as having total concealment.

Constrict: On a successful grapple check, a Gorend deals 1d4+6 points of damage.

Rend: A Gorend that hits with two or more tentacle attacks latches onto the opponent's body and tears the flesh. This attack automatically deals 2d6+6 points of damage.

Skills: Gorends have a + 8 racial bonus to Hide checks made in slaughterhouse kill floors and similar environments. This bonus is not included in the statistics block.

Swallow Whole: The Gorend can try to swallow a grabbed creature of Medium or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the creature takes 2d4+6 points of damage per round from the crushing gore. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by dealing 10 points of damage to the Gorends insides. The Gorend's insides have an armor class of 18. Once the creature exits, the pulpy body of the monster closes the hole and others still in the creature must cut their own way out.
The_Dark_One
09-01-04, 03:26 AM I can see several ways to use these horrible creatures. It would make a good guard for a necromancers cabal based out of a recently abandoned slaughterhouse. Imagine one of these things slithering toward you through the shadowed rows of rotting beef carcases.

Or, how about this:
You open the door that the High-Priest was protecting. The smell of fresh blood mingles with the stench of long dead flesh as you enter the room. The walls and floor of this room are made of black stone. The floor is littered with bones. There is no way to walk through this room without hearing the crunching of bones beneath your feet with every step.

The room only has two features. One is the altar. It is a massive slab of obsidian with iron chains bolted to it. It appears to be designed to allow blood to run through grooves in the sides and drain into a grate in the floor.

The other feature is the jars. There are about six of them, evenly spaced along the walls. They are about ten feet tall and so wide that two of you couldn't put your arms around one. They are made of clay, but are spattered with blood. In fact, the jars reek of blood. (Make a Knowledge: Religion check.) Yes, these are the kinds of jars that many cults use to keep the leftovers form ritual sacrifices. Blood, bone, and unwanted organs are put into jars like these. They are basically trashcans. Of course, some cults put gold into these jars with the flesh to give the treasure to their Dark Deity.

If the PCs root around in the jars, the Gorend come to life. If they don't, the Gorend wait until they are too far away from the door to escape, then they attack.

Horrible, isn't it?
Hobbygoblin
09-02-04, 06:49 PM That sounds pretty creepy. I like it! I can also see these things appearing in sewers, being composed mostly of dead rats and the odd sewage worker. The story in which I included this was sent in to Weird Tales. The Gorend was hidden in an altar which doubles as a container.
Roboradish
12-28-04, 10:42 PM Great idea. Would it look something like this? (http://home.comcast.net/~hl2media/s10.jpg)
R.M.G.C.L.F.
12-29-04, 12:22 AM Hm.

First, the size. I'd boost it up to huge, it seems rather massive.

I'd rename the tentacles something like "carcass tentacle" or change them to slam attacks and call them corpse slam. Take them down to about three or five.

It doesn't seem quite undead enough. With that concentration of negative energy, you might want to add some special attack like negative levels or ability damage or some negative energy damage, preferable in the damage for the swallow whole attack (being inside a churning mass of undead carrion is bound to have some kind of negative energy effect).

Alignment should be usually neutral evil. As sentient creatures born of magical animation rather than some mental conviction of their own they are capable, unusual as it may be, of changing their moral and ethical outlook.

I'd also throw in some kind of absorb attack that lets them digest and incorporate swallowed creatures, either integrating them when they die or actually assimilating some of the flesh removed by the swallow whole damage.

The former would probably result in healing and the aquiring of a new hit die, with a certain minimum requirement on the hit dice of the creature swallowed (so it can't become enormous by slurping up a few toads and rats). The latter would probably result in healing, excess gained as temporary hp, and them dropping to max and getting another hd whenever they exceed twice their maximum hp.
R.M.G.C.L.F.
01-01-05, 03:21 PM bump
j0lt
11-27-06, 12:03 AM Dude, that's awesome! I really like the jars too, Dark_One.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Hobbygoblin 08-31-04, 10:44 PM	What does everyone think of this? I'm using them in my home campaign, and one is in a short story I wrote. Gorend Large Undead Hit Dice: 6d12+3(42hp) Initiative: +7(+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative) Speed: 50 feet Armor Class: 17(+3 DEX, +5 Natural, -1 Size) Attack: Tentacle +8 meele(1d8+6) Full Attack: 6 tentacles +8 meele(1d8+6) Space/Reach: 10ft/10ft Special Attacks: Constrict, Rend, Swallow Whole Special Qualities: Blindsight 60 ft; Damage Reduction 5/Slashing; Immunity to Fire; +2 Turn Resistance Saves: Fort+4, Ref+5, Will +5 Abilities: Str 23, Dex 16, Con -, Int 5, Wis 10, Cha 10 Skills: Hide +12; Listen +2; Spot +2 Feats: Improved Initiative; Toughness; Great Fortitude Environment: Any Organization: Solitary or Pack(2-5) Challange Rating: 5 Treasure: None Alignment: Always Neutral Evil Advancement: 7-12 HD(Large), 13-16 HD(Huge) Advancing before you is a large bubbling, slimey pile of torn, stringy flesh whipping about strands of intestine and sinew angrily. Gorends are the foul shocktroops in the armies of dread Zombasas, Demon King of the Undead. They are created from the disused flesh of animate skeletons. The average Gorend weighs about 1,500 pounds and is about 10 feet in diameter and 5 feet tall in the middle. Combat Gorends are not very good at defending themselves, so they rely on stealth to destroy their prey. Gorends are often stationed in areas where a large pile of dead flesh will not be considered out of the ordinary, such as slaughterhouses. These monstrosities attack with whips of sinew, intestine, or muscle. If one can, a Gorend will entangle an opponent with cords of flesh and rip its opponent to shreds, or swallow it whole. Blindsight(Ex): Gorends can sense all foes within 60 ft as a sighted creature would. Beyond that, they treat all targets as having total concealment. Constrict: On a successful grapple check, a Gorend deals 1d4+6 points of damage. Rend: A Gorend that hits with two or more tentacle attacks latches onto the opponent's body and tears the flesh. This attack automatically deals 2d6+6 points of damage. Skills: Gorends have a + 8 racial bonus to Hide checks made in slaughterhouse kill floors and similar environments. This bonus is not included in the statistics block. Swallow Whole: The Gorend can try to swallow a grabbed creature of Medium or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the creature takes 2d4+6 points of damage per round from the crushing gore. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by dealing 10 points of damage to the Gorends insides. The Gorend's insides have an armor class of 18. Once the creature exits, the pulpy body of the monster closes the hole and others still in the creature must cut their own way out.
The_Dark_One 09-01-04, 03:26 AM	I can see several ways to use these horrible creatures. It would make a good guard for a necromancers cabal based out of a recently abandoned slaughterhouse. Imagine one of these things slithering toward you through the shadowed rows of rotting beef carcases. Or, how about this: You open the door that the High-Priest was protecting. The smell of fresh blood mingles with the stench of long dead flesh as you enter the room. The walls and floor of this room are made of black stone. The floor is littered with bones. There is no way to walk through this room without hearing the crunching of bones beneath your feet with every step. The room only has two features. One is the altar. It is a massive slab of obsidian with iron chains bolted to it. It appears to be designed to allow blood to run through grooves in the sides and drain into a grate in the floor. The other feature is the jars. There are about six of them, evenly spaced along the walls. They are about ten feet tall and so wide that two of you couldn't put your arms around one. They are made of clay, but are spattered with blood. In fact, the jars reek of blood. (Make a Knowledge: Religion check.) Yes, these are the kinds of jars that many cults use to keep the leftovers form ritual sacrifices. Blood, bone, and unwanted organs are put into jars like these. They are basically trashcans. Of course, some cults put gold into these jars with the flesh to give the treasure to their Dark Deity. If the PCs root around in the jars, the Gorend come to life. If they don't, the Gorend wait until they are too far away from the door to escape, then they attack. Horrible, isn't it?
Hobbygoblin 09-02-04, 06:49 PM	That sounds pretty creepy. I like it! I can also see these things appearing in sewers, being composed mostly of dead rats and the odd sewage worker. The story in which I included this was sent in to Weird Tales. The Gorend was hidden in an altar which doubles as a container.
Roboradish 12-28-04, 10:42 PM	Great idea. Would it look something like this? (http://home.comcast.net/~hl2media/s10.jpg)
R.M.G.C.L.F. 12-29-04, 12:22 AM	Hm. First, the size. I'd boost it up to huge, it seems rather massive. I'd rename the tentacles something like "carcass tentacle" or change them to slam attacks and call them corpse slam. Take them down to about three or five. It doesn't seem quite undead enough. With that concentration of negative energy, you might want to add some special attack like negative levels or ability damage or some negative energy damage, preferable in the damage for the swallow whole attack (being inside a churning mass of undead carrion is bound to have some kind of negative energy effect). Alignment should be usually neutral evil. As sentient creatures born of magical animation rather than some mental conviction of their own they are capable, unusual as it may be, of changing their moral and ethical outlook. I'd also throw in some kind of absorb attack that lets them digest and incorporate swallowed creatures, either integrating them when they die or actually assimilating some of the flesh removed by the swallow whole damage. The former would probably result in healing and the aquiring of a new hit die, with a certain minimum requirement on the hit dice of the creature swallowed (so it can't become enormous by slurping up a few toads and rats). The latter would probably result in healing, excess gained as temporary hp, and them dropping to max and getting another hd whenever they exceed twice their maximum hp.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 01-01-05, 03:21 PM	bump
j0lt 11-27-06, 12:03 AM	Dude, that's awesome! I really like the jars too, Dark_One.