Friday, April 13, 2012

A-to-Z Challenge, L: Lithopede (New Oe/BX/1E Monster)

This is an idea I've had for a long time but being "L" day today made me finally get off my butt and stat this one up.

Lithopede


DESCRIPTION

Lithopedes are an amphibious insect that, when viewed from above, appear as smooth stones approximately 5”-8” in diameter. This is, in fact, a shell so solid and resilient as to provide a lithopede with an armor class of 2 when attacked from above. When a lithopede is “flipped” onto it’s back (a moderately easy feat to accomplish) a lithopede is completely incapable of movement and its vulnerable underside is exposed, allowing it to always be hit.

Lithopedes are more nuisance than danger. They normally appear en masse in cool dark underground caverns, usually near a body of water or on the surface at the bottom of a body of water. With their legs tucked up into their shells and in a sedentary state, they may easily be mistaken for something akin to pondstones. Should any creature try to walk on them, however, the lithopedes will go into a panic and scatter in all directions. Any creature caught on top of a stampede of lithopedes when they begin to scatter must make a saving throw vs. paralysis or be tripped. Any creature with a dexterity of 13 or above that fails their saving throw will twist an ankle, slowing their movement to have normal for 1-4 weeks (or until the sprain is healed). Any creature with a dexterity of 12 or under that fails their saving throw will break their ankle, slowing their movement to 0 until the break is healed.


Oe/1E STATS
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
NO. APPEARING: 10-100
ARMOR CLASS: 2/*
MOVE: 3” (0”)
HIT DICE: 1-2 pts.
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: Nil
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Nil
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Stanadard
INTELLIGENCE: Non-
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: S (5”-8” diameter)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil


BX STATS
ARMOR CLASS: 2/*
HIT DICE: 1-2 pts.
MOVE: 30’ (0’)
ATTACKS: Special
DAMAGE: See below
NO. APPEARING: 10-100
SAVE AS: Normal Man
MORALE: 5
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral

3 comments:

  1. Beats having one of those stupid pebbles with goofy eyes stuck on it as a pet. Where can I get one of these critters?

    But seriously, great little mob idea - love the idea of ambushed PCs, thinking they are pebbles.

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  2. Very nice! I really like 'nuisance' monsters.

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  3. I really like these. And the ankle-breaking is just plain nasty.

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