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#1 walnutninja Dec 11, 2008 16:14:27

These are some basic mechanics I'm planning on using in a new game. My players are all experienced and mature, so I'll be dealing heavily with contaminating innocent villagers and using semi-graphic descriptions to impress on them the unnatural and grotesque nature of their foes. The characters will be starting at level 1, and encountering harrowers and plagued commoners (which will be minions) in a small village which has broken off contact with the surrounding areas. A few plagued guards at lvl 1 and 2 will round out the fights, and the intial victim, now a Faceless One Fledgeling will close the chapter. Suggestions needed are level and DCs for Plague Maggots so that most commoners and low level NPCs will succumb very quickly, but the players wont face an immediate TPK via horrible quivering death. I had originally set the DC very high, since its an extraplanar disease engineered to destroy civilization... but Im worried that the players won't take the disease seriously and find a healer immediately. Any additional ideas on horror/scifi invasion tactics and story hooks are welcome :D (as well as a better name for the infection :P) Edit: Before anyone says it, yes, I brazenly stole the Faceless Ones from World of Warcraft... but honestly, they're too cool not to use. Plague Maggots Level ?? Disease This disease is contracted by ingesting a plague maggot. Individual plague maggots strongly resemble flat, translucent squid and roll into small cysts about the size of a grain of rice in dry, cold or hot environments. They revive when exposed to moisture, such as when ingested. Attack: ?? Endurance: Improve DC ??, maintain DC ??, worsen DC ?? or lower. The target is cured. [<] Inital Effect: The target is weakened. [<] [>] The target makes a saving throw each round. On a failure the target moves in a random direction. Success leaves the target dazed. The infection is visible as plague maggots moving under the target's skin. [>] Final State: The target gains the Plagued template. It attacks any available victims, using its Plague Vomit power as often as possible. Harrower Larvae Level 21 Disease A harrower larvae is inserted into a victims ear or nose. Attack: +24 vs. Fortitude Endurance: Improve DC 34, maintain DC 29, Worsen DC 28 or lower. The target regains one healing surge. [<] Inital Effect: The target loses two healing surges until cured. [<] [>] The target loses two healing surges. Each time the target worsens it loses two more healing surges until the target starts the day with no healing surges. The next time its condition worsens it progresses to the Final State. [>] Final State: The target becomes a Faceless One. Harrower Larvae and Plague Maggots do not attack, have no hit points and are smaller than tiny size. They are automatically hit and killed by any attack. Plagued Template Defenses -2 to all Unstable Anatomy Any critical hit destroys a Plagued creature. Plague Vomit (standard; encounter) * Poison Con + 4 vs Ref; 1d6+ Con Poison damage. Targets hit by Plague Vomit make a saving throw at the end of the encounter. Failure indicates they have contracted Plague Maggots. Harrower Harrowers are legless serpentine creatures about the size of a dog. They secrete a sticky slime that numbs flesh. A harrowers mouth opens along two diagonal axes and can accomodate a meal twice the harrower's size. Harrower Level 1 Skirmisher Small Aberrant Beast (Pseudonatural) XP 100 Initiative +5 Senses Perception +1; Tremorsense 10 HP 26; Bloodied 13 AC 15; Fortitude 13, Reflex 15, Will 14 Resist Psychic 5 Speed 6 Bite (standard; at-will) +6 vs AC; 1d10 + 3 damage Shear Flesh (standard; encounter) +4 vs Fortitude; 2d10 + 3 damage , and target is slowed. (save ends) Alignment: Evil Skills: Stealth +10 Str 13 (+1) Dex 16 (+3) Wis 15 (+2) Con 10 (0) Int 2 (-4) Cha 6 (-2) Harrower Tactics Harrowers charge the nearest target as a pack rotating applications of Shear Flesh until the target dies. They otherwise ignore tactics and attack a target until it falls, then move on to other threats. Once all targets are down they begin to eat. Harrower Lore Arcana DC: 20 Harrowers are associated with the Far Realm and begin life as a larvae about the size of a little finger. Arcana DC: 30 Harrowers are the result of larvae being allowed to grow unchecked, but if implanted in a sentient creature's nose or ear, the larvae burrows into the target's brain and in time the target becomes a Faceless One. Faceless One Fledgeling Faceless One Fledglings are the newborn result of implanting a harrowerlarvae in the brain of a sentient creature. The fledgling grows to its full size and power within weeks and continues to gain in power. Faceless One Fledgeling Level 3 Elite Brute Medium Aberrant Animate (Pseudonatural) XP 300 Initiative +3 Senses Perception +9; Tremorsense 10 HP 124; Bloodied 62 AC 17; Fortitude 18, Reflex 13, Will 15 Saving Throws +2 Resist Psychic 10 Speed 7 Action Points 1 Slam (standard; at-will) +6 vs AC; 2d6 + 3 damage and target is grabbed. (until escape) Tentacle Slam (standard; at-will) Reach 2; +6 vs AC; 2d6 + 3 damage and target is pulled two squares. Kiss of Madness (standard; encounter) Close blast 5; +2 vs Will; 2d10 + 3 damage and targets are dazed. (save ends) Alignment: Evil Str 17 (+4) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 10 (+1) Con 11 (+1) Int 14 (+3) Cha 11 (+1) Faceless One Fledgeling Tactics A Faceless One Fledgling charges into battle, using its enhanced speed to close with controllers and leaders. It is intelligent enough to determine roles within a few rounds of combat and selects targets accordingly. Faceless One Fledgeling Lore See Faceless One Lore. Faceless One Faceless Ones are the result of implanting a harrower larvae in the brain of a sentient creature. They continue to mature and grow more powerful the longer they persist. Faceless One Level 10 Elite Brute Large Aberrant Animate (Pseudonatural) XP 1000 Initiative +9 Senses Perception +19; Tremorsense 20 HP 280; Bloodied 140 AC 24; Fortitude 25, Reflex 20, Will 25 Saving Throws +2 Resist Psychic 15 Speed 8 Action Points 1 Slam (standard; at-will) Reach 2; +13 vs AC; 3d6 + 5 damage and target is grabbed. (until escape) Tentacle Slam (standard; at-will) Ranged 5; +13 vs AC; 2d6 + 5 damage and target is pulled two squares. This attack does not provoke Opportunity Attacks. Split Tentacle (The Faceless One makes two Tentacle Slam Attacks against different targets.) Kiss of Madness (minor.; recharge 56) Close blast 5; +9 vs Will; 4d8 + 5 psychic damage and target is dazed. (save ends) Plague Vomit (standard; encounter) Close blast 3; +15 vs Reflex; 2d8 + 5 poison damage targets hit by Plague Vomit make a saving throw at the end of the encounter. Failure indicates they have contracted Plague Maggots. Alignment: Evil Languages: Common, Deep Speech Skills: Dungeoneering +15 Str 21 (+10) Dex 18 (+9) Wis 12 (+6) Con 15 (+7) Int 20 (+10) Cha 15 (+7) Faceless One Tactics A Faceless One charges into battle, using its enhanced speed to close with controllers and leaders. It is intelligent enough to determine roles within a few rounds of combat and selects targets accordingly. Faceless Ones can implant a Harrower Larvae into a helpless target as a standard action. Faceless One Lore Arcana DC 20: Faceless Ones are associate with the Far Realm. Arcana DC: 30 Faceless Ones are born by implanting harrower larvae into the brains of sentient creatures. Arcana DC: 40 Faceless Ones are often accompanied by plagued humanoids and occasionally found in the company of Mind Flayers or Aboleths, though this partnership seldom lasts, as the Faceless Ones hear the voice of their god constantly and rarely stay in one location for more time than it takes to infect a few dozen of the local populace.