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new lunar monsters - suggestion

Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 12:32 pm
by modus666
I had an idea the other day on how to easily create new and interesting lunar monsters for use in the dragonmech setting.

The Pseudonatural template.

I cant remember which monster book its from but the pseudonatural template turns a creature into something from the Far Realm. Based on current monster descriptions of lunar critters, changing some regular creature into a freakish, tentacled horror would allow it to easily fit in with the other lunar creatures. Some of this was also inspired by my viewing of "The Mist", which i highly reccomend as a film, btw.

Some suggestionson altering existing monsters to make them "lunar" by adding the pseudonatural template:

Trolls - Lunar trolls are pale white, thin-limbed creatures more suited for movement on all fours. Similar to other lunar creatures, black veins run in tangles just beneath their skin. A lack of eyes makes them appear blind but they sense their surroundings as well as any other creature. Their faces are round, with an obscenely wide hinged mouth filled with multiple rows of razor sharp fangs, givent their heads and almost 'flip-top' appearance. Spikey, thorn-like hair sweeps back from their foreheads and ends halfway down their back. When hunting or feeding, spiked tendrils snake forth from their mouths, helping to pull and tear at their meaty prey.

Dire Bats - Lunar bats lack the dense fur of their terrestrial counterparts, instead sporting a tough, pale leathery hide. They posess four wings rather than two, making their in-flight movements appear haphazard, though they have no difficulty homing in on medium-sized or smaller prey. Lunar bat's faces are longer, more muzzled than other bats, and they lack feet at all, instead posessing a small tangle of tentacles at the end of their bodies which they use to clasp onto their perches and hang while resting. Like terrestrial bats they live in colonies, but on our planet are more likeyly to be active during the day, when the winds and dust of the lunar rain are less of an imediment to flight.

Just a couple of suggestions...

Re: new lunar monsters - suggestion

Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 2:17 pm
by mythfish
I'm not familiar with the pseudonatural template, but there is the lunar-cursed template in Rumors & Lies. It basically gives any terrestrial animal the Lunar(Ex) special ability, changes its appearance, and +1 CR.

Re: new lunar monsters - suggestion

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:10 pm
by modus666
appears i hadnt read that one. the idea i was goign for was to flesh out the lunar ecology a bit, bring in some "native" creatures

Re: new lunar monsters - suggestion

Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 4:33 pm
by Ken Hart
The pseudonatural template appeared first in Tome and Blood (remember the B&W supplements for D&D v3.0?) and reappeared in (I think) Complete Arcane. I've used the pseudonatural template in my home DragonMech game, but not for lunar creatures. I added a Cthulhu-type artifact in one story which was a relic from an aboleth society eons ago. But yeah, if you want to say that the lunar powers are, essentially, minions of Lovecraft's Great Old Ones, the template would be a good match. But giving a lunar dragon the true strike ability....? Ouch. That's a nasty thought.

--Ken

Re: new lunar monsters - suggestion

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 8:54 am
by modus666
well the idea was not to apply it to existing lunar monsters, but to apply the template to other, perhaps more normal, creatures to make them more "lunar"

Re: new lunar monsters - suggestion

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 5:17 pm
by Ken Hart
Got it. So you mean how would, say, a lunar umber hulk differ from a "standard"/Highpoint umber hulk? Yes, the pseudonatural template would be an easy, fast answer, and would certain make creatures look more "alien" and would pose an unpleasant surprise for jaded players.

Re: new lunar monsters - suggestion

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 10:02 pm
by Seben-PistonRager
Oh... here's an idea of some nasty things to throw th template on for a dragon mech game.

Bullette
rust monster
badger
Roc
Gnome