Monsters

The new races and monsters included in Corruption aim to help to set out a few options for GMs/ Referees interested in adding their own creatures to the game. That includes extra evil races, swarms, oozes and spiders – all suited to dark and gritty RPG campaigns:

Ravenswings

Hit Dice: 2+2 (14) or Higher

Armor Class: 4 [15]

Attacks: As Weapon

Saving Throw: 12 or Better

Special: Daggers Inject Poison, Detect Invisible

Move: 6/ 18 (Flying)

Alignment: Chaotic

XP: 250

These evil humanoids have the heads of ravens and black, raven-shaped wings that allow them to fly very effectively. Wingspan varies from 7-12′ feet depending on the creature’s height of 5-7′. Ravenswings’ limbs and torso may be lightly feathered, but are for the most part human. All of them have Strength and Constitution of 18, which is needed to power their flight. The weak are weeded-out at hatching time and during ruthless aerial duels involved in competing for status.

Ravenswings progress as Clerics, Fighters, Magic-Users and Thieves, but their Clerics are by far the most powerful among them. As a result of religious restrictions Magic-Users are only allowed to cast spells concerned with the air and treetops.

A typical nest of Ravenswings will live in caves or treetop dwellings in numbers of 5d6+5. These nests will often harbor two Clerics of 2d10 levels, a Magic-User of 2d10 levels, d4 fighters of 2d4 levels and d4 Thieves of 3d6 levels. The Cleric with the highest level will always be in charge of the nest.

A Ravenswing Cleric of 20th level can bring together 2d4 nests to form a nomadic colony or to build a permanent aviary. An aviary made by Ravenswings will attract d4 further Ravenswings each month.

Ravenswings are very aware of air currents and movement in the air and are, therefore, able to see invisible creatures. Their Magic-Users are limited to using the following spells:

• Magical Missile
• Mirror Image
• Conjuration of Air Elementals
• Interposing Hand
• Forceful Hand
• Control Weather
• Grasping Hand
• Clenched Fist
• Crushing Hand
• Wind Walk

Ravenswing Fighters and Thieves have a habit of fighting with nets and fluted, triple-bladed daggers that inject a paralyzing spider or wasp venom. Enemies are often entangled in the powerful netting and may be bundled off crags and cliff edges before the Ravenswings fall upon them with their daggers.

Swarm, Undead Hell Hornets

Hit Dice: 21

Armor Class: 7 [12]

Attacks: Swarm (5d6 + Lethal Poison), Hive Mind, Infestation

Saving Throw: 10

Special: +1 Magical Weapon To-Hit, Adaptive Resistance to Attacks

Move: 6/ 18 (when Flying)

Alignment: Neutral

XP: 2100

Undead Hell Hornets are Hell Hornets exposed to undead creatures capable of draining levels. The creatures’ sheer aggression allows the swarm’s collective mind to persist in trying to slay undead creatures, including Wights, Wraiths and Specters. As a result, the swarm’s physical form and consciousness is, inevitably, drained to the point where the swarm becomes undead.

Any swarm of Undead Hell Hornets with at least 1 hit point per HD forms a hive mind, giving it an Intelligence score of 6. When a swarm of Undead Hell Hornets is reduced below this hit point threshold, it becomes mindless.

An Undead Hell Hornets’ swarm is highly adaptive. As soon as an attack directed at the swarm causes damage the whole swarm rapidly develops a resistance to similar attacks. This comes into effect at the start of the round after the attack and stays in place for 6 hours. The swarm’s insects are large enough to be damaged by weapons but are immune to non-magical weapons. Magical weapons, fire, frost, poison gas, Holy Water and other alternatives work once, but won’t cause any damage after their first use. Fortunately, a swarm can be turned by Clerics, with the same roll as required for a Lich. They cannot, however, be rebuked or controlled by mortals.

Any living creature that is vulnerable to a swarm’s damage and has just been attacked by a swarm must make a successful saving throw or lose a level and become too distracted to attack at the next opportunity.

A swarm of Undead Hell Hornets seeks to surround and attack any living prey it encounters. The swarm deals 5d6 points of damage to any creature it strikes. The swarm can take over the body of its prey and infest both the living and the dead, using them as puppets to accomplish acts of wickedness that an ordinary swarm of insects could never attempt.

A swarm of Undead Hell Hornets can inhabit the body of a helpless or dead creature by crawling into its mouth and other orifices. This process of infestation takes 1 minute to complete. A single swarm of Undead Hell Hornets can inhabit a small, medium or large creature, while four swarms working together can inhabit a huge creature. The swarm can abandon the body at any time almost instantly.

A swarm of Undead Hell Hornets inhabiting a dead body can animate it and control its movements, effectively transforming it into a Wight, (50%), Wraith, (25%), or Specter, (25%), both while the swarm remains inside and afterwards. If a swarm of Undead Hell Hornets inhabits a living victim, it can neutralize the effects of its own toxins and control the victim’s movements and actions as if using Charm Monster.

The Undead Hell Hornets soon slay a living victim, however, dealing 2d4 points of Constitution damage and draining a level per hour that they inhabit its body. A body reduced to 0 Constitution or 0 levels is dead and, under the circumstances, becomes undead: Wight, (50%), Wraith, (25%) or Specter, (25%). Unless the body belongs to a creature with a low enough Taint to return as a different form of undead creature.

Corruption is now available from DriveThruRPG