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.

Tomb Guardians...! (Part Two)

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

TREACHEROUS PILLAR

FREQUENCY: Very Rare

NO. APPEARING: 1-4
 
ARMOR CLASS: 3

MOVE: 8"

HIT DICE: 5

% IN LAIR: 0%

TREASURE TYPE: Nil

NO. OF ATTACKS: 6

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-12 (per tentacle), 3-18 (bite)

SPECIAL ATTACKS: bite, venomous tentacle

SPECIAL DEFENSES: None

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

INTELLIGENCE: Non

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

SIZE: L (10' tall in pillar form, 6' tall and 4' feet wide in amorphous form)

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

       Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

Treacherous Pillars are perhaps the most dangerous of creatures tasked with defending tombs. In their dormant form they resemble a pillar of various designs, but this this is merely the shell worn by the bizarre amorphous creature that resides within. Some are decorated with what appears to be gold, fine paintwork, and jewels (although these precious elements are artificial). Others will appear to be much more ordinary or roughly hewn. Any support they appear to provide to any given location is counterfeit, as it has been fashioned in such a way that the area around the pillar bears no load.

 

The pillar 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, this guardian might only be activated when a tomb is opened in some way, or if anything passes within a certain distance of the creature, or if something (i.e. treasure etc) is touched or removed from a tomb.

 

When activated, the pillar will break apart into numerous pieces that will cover the surface of a large amorphous mass, and glowing eye-like objects and fanged mouths will appear all over the creature. It will attack by striking with its tentacles, and a successful attack with a roll of 18 or more will mean that a victim is dragged to one of its mouths, which in turn inflicts 3-18 points of damage per round. One tentacle is venomous and those struck by it must make a saving throw versus poison or die immediately.

 

It will pursue intruders until that they are killed, or if they pass beyond some point specified when the guardian was first placed within the tomb. If killed, the decorated parts of the pillar might possess will crumble into dust. Otherwise, once its task is complete it will return to its original position and assume its dormant form.

 

 

Tomb Guardians...! (Part One)

As Punkie Night - or as some of you call it, Halloween - is fast approaching, I thought I'd share some monsters that have been created specifically to protect the dead (and their treasures) in their tombs. The overarching concept behind these is that they are left inside or close to tombs and remain dormant until something or someone triggers some 'preset' 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 certain items (i.e. treasure etc) is removed from a tomb. They can be created by various means, for example by reading from a magical scroll or sprinkled with the contents of a potion, or whatever other method the Dungeon Master chooses.

The first of these guardians is the...

SHIELD LORD

FREQUENCY: Rare

NO. APPEARING: 1-4
 
ARMOR CLASS: 4

MOVE: 10"

HIT DICE: 5

% IN LAIR: 0%

TREASURE TYPE: Nil

NO. OF ATTACKS: 3

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-12, 2-12 or by weapon (see below)

SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below

SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

INTELLIGENCE: Average

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

SIZE: L

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

       Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

When dormant, these guardians will appear to be nothing more than general tomb detritus: piles of mummified bones and rags gathered around a tarnished and somewhat dilapidated bronze shield. Once activated, the shield will rise into the air and glow brightly whilst rags and two arms will rapidly form around it. At the same time, a scythe-like object will appear in its hands and the Shield Lord will fly towards its target.

In combat, the scythe attacks as a +2 weapon and inflicts 2-12 points of damage. The Shield Lord may also choose to attack with its taloned hands which, in addition to the damage they inflict, will also cause paralysation unless a successful saving throw is made. Although it usually drifts some 4 to 6 feet above the ground when moving, it is also capable of flight and may choose to attack from a higher point if space allows. 

 

A Shield Lord will fight until destroyed, at which point it will collapse back into its original form and its scythe will vanish. It will pursue its target until that target is killed, or if the target passes beyond some point specified when the guardian was first created. They are immune to Dispel Magic and cannot not be turned by clerics, but other magical attacks affect them normally.