The Greater Homunculus

Fblthp, the Lost  by Jesper Ejsing

Greater homunculi are created to act as servants to wizards and artificers. Their role is to fill in that space between a tiny homunculus familiar and that of a large shield guardian or golem. These creatures have been granted a certain amount of intelligence and free will that allows them to complete tasks without requiring explicit orders. This free will can be a problem when rivalries or trouble making homuculi run amok when the master isn't around to keep them in check...

Homunculus, Greater

Small construct, neutral

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)

Hit Points 23 (5d6+5)

Speed 30 ft.

    STR                       DEX                    CON                  INT              WIS                      CHA 

   12 (+1)                  14 (+2)                 12 (+1)              10 (+0)          10 (+0)                 11 (+0)

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned

Senses Darkvison 60 ft., passive Perception 12

Languages speak and understand language of creator

Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Keen Sight. The Homunculus has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Actions

Multiattack. The Homunculus makes two fist attacks or four short bow attacks.

Fist. Melee weapon attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) bludgeoning damage.

Shortbow. Ranged weapon attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercinging damage.

Missing Monsters: Giant Tick

While converting T1-4 The Temple of Elemental Evil to 5e, I've noticed that there are a few monsters that are missing from the 5e Monster Manual. To fix this problem I decided to start a new series called "Missing Monsters" to bring older D&D monsters into 5e. In todays post we have my take on the Giant Tick found in the Moathouse.

Giant Tick – Scourge of the Moathouse

Large beast, unaligned

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Armor Class 14 (natural armor)

Hit Points 26 (4d10 +4)

Speed: 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

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Str 14 (+2), Dex 16 (+3), Con 12 (+1), Int 2 (-4), Wis 11 (+0), Cha 4 (-3)

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Skills: Stealth +7

Senses: Blindsight 10’, darkvison 60 ft., passive Perception 10

Languages: -

Challenge 1 (200 XP)

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Spider Climb. The tick can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Actions

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Blood Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.

Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage and the tick attaches to the target. While attached the tick doesn’t attack. Instead, at the start of each of the ticks’ turns, the target loses 7 (1d8 + 3) hit points due to blood loss.

            The tick can detach itself by spending 5 feet of its movement. It does so after it drains 10 hit points of blood from the target or the target dies. A creature, including the target can use its action to detach from the tick.

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The Babel Harpy of Marduk

Artwork by J. S. Marantz

This post is part of a series related to the Digital Dark Age, my space opera blogging project. It uses the free version of Stars Without Number as it's game engine, but is designed to be system neutral. You can learn more by searching the Digital Dark Age Index sidebar, or by searching the labels.

The Babel Harpy is found in the mountainous regions on the jungle planet of Marduk. They tend to be night time predators that hunt in packs. One Harpy will use it's song to draw attention to it and to create a distraction while the rest of the pack sneaks up, or swoops in. Generally they try too create a perimeter around their prey and then close in for the kill. Harpy eggs are something of a delicacy and are in high demand in some of the high end restaurants of the galaxy.

Babel Harpy Statistics

Armour Class: 7                  No. Appearing: 1-8

Hit Dice: 3                            Saving Throw: 15 +

Attack Bonus: +3/+3           Movement: 30' (40'when flying)

Damage: 1d4 per claw         Morale: 10

Special: Confusing Babel

Confusing Babel: Upon first hearing a Babel Harpy's song all characters within earshot make a saving throw. On a failure effected creatures are under the influence of the harpy's song. Roll 1d20 to determine the effect. Each round a new saving throw is made and if failed a new effect determined.

Roll                       Behaviour

1-5                        Act normally.

6-10                      Do nothing but babel incoherently.

11-15                    Run away in a random direction.

16-20                   Attack nearest creature.

The Shrapnel Rat

A few years back I wrote a post of random encounter tables that included a monster called the "Shrapnel Rat" that could be found living in the Mega-City of Prospero's Underhive. It was something I was inspired to write from the video game Gears of War. Believe it or not the explosive rat was also an idea used by the Special Operations Executive in WWII. It didn’t end up panning out the way they wanted, but hey, that just a weird thing to read about. Fact is often stranger than fiction as they say. Anyway the idea has always stuck with me so I figured I'd finally write it up. The Swords & Wizardry version is called a Suicide Rat, that is often confused with the Giant Rat from the Core S&W book, and the Shrapnel Rat in Stars Without Number format.

Suicide Rat: Swords & Wizardry Version

The origin of the suicide rat are disputed. According to the Sages of Nemite, these rats were created as a weapon in a bloody drawn out war. Created to infiltrate enemy positions, and booby trap battle fields. If a well known tavern legend is to be believed, the rats were crafted by a vengeful wizard. According to this tale his brother, a cotter in the town Ulthar, was murdered by a pack of felines. What ever the truth is these creatures have been spreading far and wide across the lands.

Shrapnel Rat: Stars Without Number version
The Mega City of Prosperos Underhive, a never ending catacomb of death and despair is the home to many dangerous creatures. Shrapnel Rats have quickly risen to the top of this deadly underground ecosystem due to the multitude of ambush and nesting sites. A number of therories have been circulated as to where these deadly creatures came from. One story by a Hiver suggests that they were purposefully created to kill off those lining in the dark service tunnels and sewers. An undisclosed corporate whitleblower stated that the rats were part of a Black Lab experiment that went out of control and escaped into the environment. A xenobiologist specializing in the Underhive believes that this just might be part of the evolution process in such a hostile environment.

Suicide Rat: Swords & Wizardry Statistics

Armour Class: 7 [12]

Hit Dice: 1d4 Hit points

Attacks: Bite (1d4) or Explosion (2d6) 10' radius,

save for half damage.

Saving Throw: 18

Special: Implant Embryos

              Explosion 

Move: 12

Challenge Level/XP: 1/15

Shrapnel Rat: Stars Without Number Statistics

Armour Class: 7                           No. Appearing: 1-8

Hit Dice: 1/2                                  Saving Throw: 15+

Attack Bonus: +1                         Movement: 20'

Damage: 1d4 Bite                         Morale: 8

                2d6 explosion                            

Special: Implant embryos

Rules 

These rules can be used for whichever version of the game you are playing.  

Explode: After a successful attack the rat has been primed and will explode 1d6 rounds later. It may also explode if its surprised or frightened. The rat will charge its target (+2 to attack) and explode immediately afterwards. Damage that reduces the rat's hit points to zero or lower causes the rat to explode. An exploding rat deals 2d6 damage to everyone in a 10' radius of itself (successful save for half damage).

Implant Embryos: Any creature damaged by the exploding makes a saving throw. On a failure the creature has been implanted with suicide rat embryos. Every day the creature must make a new saving throw. On a failure the target loses 1d4 Constitution points. Once three successful saves have been made or the a cure disease spell has been cast the creature is fully cured. If the creatures's Constitution score reaches zero before it's cured, 1d6 regular rats will chew, claw, and burst out of it's stomach. If these newborn rats are not being threatened they will feed on the corpse, otherwise they attack and/or flee for safety. These newborn rats have the same statistics, but cannot yet explode or implant embryos. After a 24 hour period they will have matured into full blown suicide/shrapnel rats themselves. For Stars Without Number the Implant Embryo ability is considered a disease with a Toxicity 8 and a Virulence of 3, all other effects remain the same.