Shrooms...! (Part One)

The first in a series about fungoid critters for D&D. This week's creature is the...

RAGWING

FREQUENCY: Uncommon
 
NO. APPEARING: 2-8
 
ARMOR CLASS: 7

MOVE: 6/10"

HIT DICE: 2

% IN LAIR: Nil

TREASURE TYPE: Nil

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6

SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

INTELLIGENCE: Non-

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

SIZE: S

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

       Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

Ragwings are colonies of spore-like organisms that have somehow developed the ability to fly. They can sense the heat generated by living creatures (out to a distance of 120') and derive sustenance from their blood. They also use the body of their victims as a host within which their spores can sprout. They possess a long needle-sharp proboscis and it is through this that they feed and pass spores into their victims.

In combat, if the creature inflicts more than 5 points of damage in a single attack it's target has been implanted with spores, and must save vs poison to prevent those spores taking hold. Should this fail, the wound will itch and appear to fester over the course of one day, after which the victim will become paralysed and will die within three days. If a limb was struck by such an attack, removing that limb within three days will rid the victim of the spores. Cure Serious Wounds will also negate the spores effect on any part of the body. The spores will otherwise consume the victim and after 10 days 2-6 Ragwings possessing 1HD will sprout from the remains. A single example will sprout in the same time from any amputated limb that has not been destroyed.

Alternatively, the Ragwing will remain attached to its victim if it inflicts more than 3 points of damage in a single attack. It will then drain blood at the rate of 1 hit point per melee round unless destroyed. Once it has consumed blood equivalent to 8 hit points, it will detach itself and attempt to escape.

Should the creature lose all of its hit points from a single attack, its body will shatter and scatter spores over a 10' wide area. Anyone within this cloud must save vs poison or become incapacitated for 1-4 melee rounds.

Ragwings inhabit a variety of environments but seem to prefer those with high points from which they can dive on their victims.

Description: These creatures vary in colour depending on their environment: greenish-yellow in woodland and swamps, greyish blue in mountains, brownish-black in caves. When full of blood they take on a distinct reddish hue. Their bodies are a tangled mass of fibres surmounted by a 'head' that is full of spores. The wings are tattered and seem to shed small pieces when the creature moves. They are not particularly graceful in the air as their flight appears uncoordinated and ungainly, and when moving along any surface their wings seem to haphazardly drag the creature around. However, this can make their movement in combat somewhat difficult to predict.

Tomb Guardians...! (Part Three)

Further to my previous post, here is another tomb guardian...

BARROW HOUND

FREQUENCY: Rare

NO. APPEARING: 1-4
 
ARMOR CLASS: 4

MOVE: 12"

HIT DICE: 4

% IN LAIR: 0%

TREASURE TYPE: Nil

NO. OF ATTACKS: 3 or special

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8, 2-8, 2-12

SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below

SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

INTELLIGENCE: Non

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

SIZE: S

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

       Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

On first appearance, Barrow Dogs appear to be earthenware statues depicting a seated animal of a form loosely resembling a dog. They are placed in a wide variety of locations within tombs, e.g. flanking doorways and similar entrances, guarding sarcophagi or remains, and also sometimes placed on pillars, platforms or pedestals. They might also be placed at the exterior of a tomb, perhaps resembling a gargoyle or grotesque in such a setting. A hound will remain dormant until something or someone triggers some preset condition decided upon by the Dungeon Master to suit their particular adventure or situation. So, for example, a guardian might only be activated when a tomb is opened in some way, or if anything passes within a certain distance of the guardian, or if something (i.e. treasure etc) is touched or removed from a tomb.

 

Once activated, a ghostly howl will sound (audible to any creature within 4"), the Hound's eyes will become balls of fire and a strange light will seem to glow dimly within its mouth. It will attack with claws (2-8) or by biting (2-12) and will fight until destroyed. It will relentlessly pursue any fleeing or retreating quarry until that quarry moves a certain preset distance, or passes beyond a certain preset point, or is killed. It may also choose to attack by emitting a fireball-like object from its mouth. This has a range of 6" and inflicts 2-12 points of damage. However, it can only attack in this way every other round.

Barrow Hounds are immune to edged weapons but maces, clubs and similar weapons affect them normally. They are also immune to fire-based attacks, magical or mundane. If they are destroyed in their dormant state (in which they posses only 8 hit points), they will crumble into pieces. However, this will release a small fireball that rises 4 feet into the air and then explodes. Anything within 1" of this explosion will receive 2-12 points of damage.

 

Description: When dormant, Barrow Hounds appear to be quite crudely-made hollow figures constructed from fired clay, and posed as if sitting. Despite their name, they only resemble dogs in a rather distorted way, being misshapen and with odd details such as overly large teeth, wide eyes and gaping mouths. Some might be decorated with paint or gold leaf and all have incised details picked out along their bodies. These glow when the creature is active.