[C&C] Happy Halloween -- New Creature

[serleran]

Parasite: A parasite is a creature that has difficulties sustaining life alone, having a near-complete reliance on another, both feeding from, and sharing its own unique traits, with its host. Severance of the bond is typically complicated, resulting in the death of one, or both, components - if the victim survives, drastic side effects remain. All parasites have certain traits in common, though there are exceptions: size is nearly always small and Hit Dice rarely exceeds three (or a die type of d10), a dramatic reduction in movement rate(s), low (or no Intelligence), lack of Primes (in most cases), a Neutral alignment, diminished sensory ability, and a plethora of special abilities some of which are shared with their selected attaché. Furthermore, a parasite is rarely encountered in its native form, which is much weaker and vulnerable - as such, all parasites possess the Entourage ability but it is the Castle Keeper’s discretion to use it in the game.

Parasitic Attachment - When a parasite has successfully used whichever ability it possesses to attach to its host, the following general rules apply:

1) The host may attack the parasite but does so at -2; this is the only way to prevent the host from suffering damage if the creature is harmed

2) Another person may inflict damage to the parasite but sustained damage is split unequally - the host suffers 60%; additionally, the parasite enjoys a +10 AC bonus

3) If the host fails a save, so does the parasite; if the parasite fails its save, the host automatically suffers half the effects

4) The parasite uses the host’s saves if they are better than its own

Dendral Cling

No. Encountered: 1 - 32 [(d20+d8+d6)-2]
Size: Small
HD: 1(d6)
Move: 5 feet, 10 feet (swim), 10 feet (burrow)
AC: 7
Attack: Incise or Crush (1d6)
Special: Repulse, Impale, Mindrot, Temperature Sensitivity, Blindsense, Entourage
Saves: M (Wisdom only)
Int: --
Alignment: Neutral
Type: Parasite
Treasure: 3 (gold coins 55%; silver coins 35%, 10% wood)
XP Value: 145 + 5

Dendral cling are innocuous monstrosities of benign form, shelled in pearly white armor of rough bone, small in stature and shaped near perfect to individual teeth ranging from molar through incisor to carnassials - when encountered in groups, dendral cling are nearly indistinguishable from loose jaw parts strewn across the floor, casually dismissed; or, unluckily, embedded in the skull of some depraved, now mindless man or beast. Nothing entices this fell creature as the prospect of sinking its teeth into a victim, settling, and slowly whittling the mind to pieces, inflicting untold agony as it feeds.

A careful inspection, managed only under direct light with some sort of magnification, reveals the dendral cling as the nightmare it is. Under such close scrutiny, the onlooker will notice several pits and ridges, perhaps even minor cracks in the durable surface of the cling’s hide. At the base, two curvilinear pseudopods extend, between which a red tendril-like appendage hangs, this used both for movement and eating for it contains, at its tip, a needlepoint laced with chitinous protection. No obvious sensory apparati exist. Many dendral cling, unable to carry treasure due to lack of real limbs, actually consume it, retaining valuables inside their body. There is one trait, readily detected by simply coming within twenty feet of a dendral cling: a disturbing odor emanates, commonly as that of sulfur, emesis, or foodstuff - unfortunately, it is often overwhelmed by stronger scents such as that from a ghast or fleshcrawler, both seemingly unwitting allies.

When a dendral cling seeks a victim, it does so with great stealth and subterfuge, remaining motionless for long periods of time, waiting. Should a potential host approach, the dendral cling attacks, using its exterior to grind or slice, seeking one thing: entry. Once obtained, the dendral cling drills toward the mouth, pushing aside any loose tooth and setting itself instead, where it lingers, virtually undetectable, drawing sustenance directly from the victim’s blood and saliva. This process is very painful, causing blinding headaches and even irrational rage but also infecting a dreadful disease that destroys grey matter, turning the hapless host into a living shell. Fortunately, dendral cling do not appear to work in tandem.

A dendral cling feeds for months before discarding its target, the mouth completely void, the mind shattered and drained.

Combat: Stealth and ambush tactics are preferable to a dendral cling that must rely on both its small size and general non-threatening guise to lure prey. They are vicious in their pursuit, however, and do not easily give up an assault for they are voracious and insatiable. It is wise to sleep with ones mouth closed... especially in the dank and dark passageways near graveyards.

Repulse: A dendral cling radiates a noticeable odor to twenty feet; any creatures with olfactory senses are able to automatically detect its presence, unless a more powerful scent, such as that of a troglodyte, ghast, or fleshcrawler is nearby. The effect is not overwhelming, but it is nauseous and unwelcoming; a save vs. poison is allowed to resist the gag reflex that accompanies noticing this effect, but a failure results in suffering a -1 on all rolls for the first round of combat following, as retching and general disgust fill.

Impale: If a dendral cling is successful at locating a victim’s mouth (consider the target to have standard AC minus Dexterity, armor and shield adjustments but retaining magical and helmet bonuses) it injects its proboscis into the victim’s gum line. There, it begins the process of slowly rotting the mind and drawing sustenance. This ability causes excruciating pain, resulting in a save vs. disease to resist (it does not prevent the impalement, only the pain) with a failure causing mind-wracking agony - the victim suffers a -3 penalty on all Mental-based saves and abilities as massive migraines form and explode, culminating in frenzy on the fifth round; this rage is identical to the Primal Fury ability. At random intervals, suggested being no more than once per hour, a d10 is rolled - on a 9 or 10, the headaches return but the victim can only succumb to the berserk state once per day. A dendral cling that has impaled a host is indistinguishable from a normal tooth and must be extracted, painfully (inflicts the permanent loss of one Hit Dice) to end the torment; magical means of removal are possible, but should involve powerful spells such as dispel evil or heal. As a positive side effect, the host gains Wisdom as Prime if it is not already; if it is, a +3 bonus to all Wisdom checks is awarded.

Mindrot: As a dendral cling feeds from its victim, it also destroys the mind, injecting a neurotoxin. The process is slow, requiring months to terminate, but with dramatic results: first, the host shows no signs or symptoms, other than immense oral pain. After a month, the victim will start to forget things, becoming progressively worse as the rot continues. Sometime after the third month (roll 1d4+2 to determine the precise time), the host starts to lose access to language and motor skills, becoming less coordinated and inarticulate - this is represented by suffering four points of ability damage to both Dexterity and Intelligence, with a further loss of two per month; if either attribute reaches zero, the victim becomes a zombie, but remains alive (that is, use the stats for a zombie but do not treat the monster as an undead.) After the 10th month, regardless, loss of all knowledge and function is imminent - the host is no longer treated as having Dexterity or Intelligence as Prime and cannot cast spells or use any specialized ability gained through education or training; at this point, the victim is a zombie as previously noted.

Temperature Sensitivity: Dendral cling are aware of even the slightest change in ambient temperature, preferring a casual spring room temperature to that of drastic warmth or cold - they will avoid such areas. If forced, a dendral cling becomes paralyzed automatically for the entire length of exposure and can also be removed more easily (the victim suffers only 2d10 damage rather than the loss of a level or Hit Die.) Additionally, if struck by a magical attack that generates either heat or cold, a dendral cling receives no save and suffers maximum damage automatically - note, if the dendral cling has successfully impaled a victim, the rules for parasitic attachment apply. This ability does not preclude a dendral cling from having an undead host but in this case the corpse must have been recently animated.

Blindsense: Lacking any sort of sensory organs, a dendral cling is completely immune to illusions of all kind, and to all effects that require the ability to perceive them such as a basilisk’s gaze. They are not incapable of detecting prey, however, for they can sense vibrations and other subtle cues - any living creature within thirty feet of a dendral cling, moving or not, invisible or not, has its precise location revealed; non-living or undead creatures are revealed by the coldness they radiate as it triggers the dendral cling’s sensitivity.

Entourage: A dendral cling will, 35% of the time, be encountered with another creature or group of creatures, some acting as hosts and others, possibly not. The exact details are left to the Castle Keeper to decide based on the adventure and campaign.




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