Treant

Treant, Rare, no. 64 of 72, Giants of Legend

“Side? I am on nobody's side, because nobody is on my side, little orc.” 
     Treebeard

Treants are sentient trees that act as jealous defenders of the forest. Treants adopt a section of a woodland as their own, then devote their lives to nurturing the vegetation within. A treant will allow passage through its woods, so long as the visitors do not start fires, or lay axe to wood. Those who do so are attacked, or at the very least, threatened. Treants care little for the affairs of men, but find their destructiveness disconcerting. Treants are natural allies with elves and other woodland races. Under no circumstance will a treant venture outside its forest.

     Treants are solitary creatures. Enchanted forests will have no more than one treant for every 10 square miles of woodland. Once every five years, all of the treants within a forest will meet to share news and renew friendships. These meetings tend to last a few weeks and are exclusive. Treants will not tolerate visitors during this time. Treants are asexual and reproduce only once during their lifetime. This process involves the production of a special seed that is planted in rich soil, then carefully tended. This usually occurs near the end of a treant’s life. The young treant, often called a “sprout,” is cared for by its parent for at least 10 years.

      A treant’s leaves are deep green in the spring and summer. During the fall and winter the leaves change to yellow, orange or red, but they rarely fall out. A treant’s legs fit together when closed to look like the trunk of a tree. A motionless treant is nearly indistinguishable from a tree. A treant is about 30 feet tall, with a trunk nearly 3’ in diameter. It weighs about 4,500 pounds. Due to its wide stance and sweeping branches, a treant occupies a space 3 hexes in diameter.

     Treants have a reach of 3 hexes and receive a +4 bonus to grapple man-sized (SM 0) creatures. Their favored tactic is to either slam foes with their branches or trample them. Evil wizards prize the trunks of treants, which they use to craft wands and staves of fell power.

Treant (395 points) SM +4 (30’ tall, 4,500 lbs.); ST 35 (size, -40%) [150], DX 10, IQ 10, HT 14 [40]; HP 35, Will 15 [25], Per 15 [25], FP 14; Basic Lift 245, Damage: Thr 4d-1/Sw 6d+1; Basic Speed 6, Basic Move 6; Dodge 9, Parry (see attacks), Block -; DR 1.  Advantages and Perks Damage Resistance 1 [5], Doesn’t Breathe (oxygen and CO2 absorption) [15], Doesn’t Sleep [20], Extended Lifespan 2 [4], Immunity (metabolic hazards) [30], Injury Tolerance (homogenous) [40], Plant Empathy [5], Speak with Plants [15], Temperature Tolerance 3 (7º-104º) [3].  Disadvantages and Quirks Dependency (sunlight, very common, daily) [-15], Dependency (water soluble nutrients found in soil, very common, weekly) [-10], Disturbing Voice (-2 to reaction rolls) [-10], Fragile (combustible) [-5], Sense of Duty (forest inhabitants) [-10]. Skills  Brawling-14 [12], Camoflague-15 [2], Farming-13 [12], Gardening-12 [12], Herb Lore-11 [12], Naturalist-13 [16], Observation-15 [2], Tracking-15 [2].  Attacks  Punch-14, 4d+3 cr, reach 3, parry-10.

Stirge

Stirge, Uncommon, no. 56, War of the Dragon Queen

“Aieee! Get it off me! Get it off me!” 
     -Unfortunate victim of a stirge attack

Stirges are bat-like creatures that feed on the blood of living beings. While just one poses little danger to most adventurers, multiple stirges can be a formidable threat. In combat, a stirge attacks by landing on a victim, then plunging its proboscis into the flesh.

     A stirge’s coloration ranges from rust-red to reddish-brown, with a dirty yellow underside. The 10” long proboscis is pink at the tip, fading to gray at its base. A stirge’s body is about 18” long and has a wingspan of about 3 feet.

Stirge (-3 points) SM -2 (3’ wide, 18 lbs.); ST 5 [-50], DX 15 [100], IQ 4 [-120], HT 11 [10]; HP 5, Will 10 [30], Per 10 [30], FP 12 [3]; Basic Speed 6.5, Basic Move 2 (ground), 12 (air); Dodge 9 (in flight), Parry -, Block -; DR 0. Advantages and Perks  Flight (winged -25%; air move 12) [30], Night Vision 5 [5], Striker (cannot parry, -40%) [3], Vampiric Bite [30]. Disadvantages and Quirks  Bloodlust (6) [-20], No Fine Manipulators [-30], Wild Animal [-30]. Skills  Brawling-17 [4], Stealth-15 [2]. Attacks  Proboscis-17: 1d-3 pi, Reach C, Parry-n/a.      Upon a successful grappling attack (using the brawling skill), the stirge is able to land on the victim and grabs hold with its claws. (The victim is at -4 DX after being successfully grappled.)      The following turn, if it is still attached, it plunges its proboscis into the flesh using an All Out Attack. If the attack is successful and penetrates the victim's DR, the stirge drains 1 HP per second until dislodged. For every 3 HP stolen, the stirge heals either 1 HP or 1 FP. The stirge cannot raise HP or FP above normal this way.      A stirge is vulnerable when feeding in this manner and will be unable to dodge any attack directed at it. However, a missed attack or excess damage may wound the stirge’s victim!

Ogre

 Ogre, Rare, no. 31 of 40, Pathfinder Battles: Heroes and Monsters

The Ogre does what ogres can,

Deeds quite impossible for Man, 

But one prize is beyond his reach: 

The Ogre cannot master speech. 

About a subjugated plain, 

Among its desperate and slain, 

The Ogre stalks with hands on hips, 

While drivel gushes from his lips. 

― W.H. Auden

Adult ogres stand 8 to 9 feet tall and weigh 600 to 650 pounds. Their skin color ranges from dull yellow to dull brown. Their clothing consists of poorly cured furs and hides, which add to their naturally repellent odor.

     Ogres are bullies by nature and incredibly dim-witted. Although most ogres scrape out a meager existence on the fringes of society, some have found work as mercenaries in civilized lands. Such employment rarely lasts long, however, since ogres have a disturbing habit of eating the dead and dying.

     In combat, ogres attack with little planning. They are content to charge into battle, screaming wildly. Not so dumb as to be suicidal, ogres will retreat if they are wounded severely. Ogres’ preferred habitats are mountainous regions or forested hills. They lack construction skills, so they are most often found in natural caves. Family groups will consist of 1 dominant male, 1-2 adult females, 1-2 adolescents and 1-3 young.

     An ogre occupies - crowds, really - a single hex.

Ogre (6 points) SM +1 (8’ tall, 650 lbs.); ST 20 (size, -10%) [90], DX 10, IQ 8 [-40], HT 12 [20]; HP 20, Will 8, Per 8, FP 12; Basic Lift 80, Damage: Thr 2d-1/Sw 3d+2; Basic Speed 4.5 [-20], Basic Move 5 [+5]; Dodge 7, Parry (see attacks), Block -; DR 2 (tough skin). Advantages and Perks  Alcohol Tolerance [1], DR 2 (tough skin, -40%) [6], Hard to Kill 2 [4], Reduced Consumption 2 (cast-iron stomach, -50%) [2], Resistant to Disease (+8 to resist) [5], Sharp Teeth [1]. Disadvantages and Quirks  Bad Temper (9) [-15], Bully (9) (-2 to reaction rolls) [-15], Gluttony (6) [-10], Hidebound [-5], Increased Consumption 2 [-10], Odious Racial Habit (almost no personal hygiene; -2 to reaction rolls) [-10], Odious Racial Habit (eats sentients; -3 to reaction rolls) [-15], Ugly (-2 to reaction rolls) [-8]. Skills  Brawling-12 [4], Melee Weapon (two-handed mace)-12 [8], Survival (mountain)-9 [4], Survival (woodlands)-9 [4]. Attacks  Punch-12, 2d cr, reach 1, parry 9; Sharp Teeth-12, 2d cut, reach C; Two-handed club-12, 3d+6 cr, reach 1,2, parry 9 (unready after use). Equipment  Two-handed club, lump of moldy cheese, maggoty biscuit, $2.

Giant Rat

Dire Rat, Common, no. 30 of 72, Giants of Legend

“Why should I be afraid of the sewers? There’s nothing down there but rats.” 
     Ernst Mayr, deceased

A giant rat is substantially larger than its other rodent. Aggressive and cunning, giant rats have been known to hunt in packs of 5-10 (1d6+4) to overcome much larger foes. Giant rats grow to three feet in length (six feet if the tail is measured) and spread a disease called “Filth Fever” through their bite.

Giant Rat (-46 points) SM -2 (3’ long, 50 lbs.); ST 7 [-30], DX 11 [20], IQ 4 [-120], HT 12 [20]; HP 7, Will 10 [30], Per 12 [40], FP 12; Basic Speed 5.75, Basic Move 5; Dodge 8, Parry -, Block -; DR 0 Advantages and Perks Discriminating Smell [15], Flexibility [5], Night Vision 5 [5], Poison Bite: Sharp Teeth [1], Toxic Attack 1d (Onset, 1 hour, -20%; Cyclic, 1 day, 2 cycles, +20%; Follow-up, Sharp Teeth, +0%; Resistible, HT-3, -15%) [5], Reduced Consumption 3 (Cast Iron Stomach, -30%) [4], Resistant to disease (+8 to resist) [5]. Disadvantages and Quirks Quadruped [-35], Wild Animal [-30]. Skills Brawling-12 [2], Climbing-14 [2], Stealth-13 [8], Survival (urban)-13 [4]. Attacks Poison Bite-12, 1d-4 cut, Reach C.