They Know!

Whenever a character partakes in a psychoactive intoxicant for recreational purposes within civilized space, roll a d12. The is a one in twelve chance that the character will be consumed by an overwhelming sense of dread and paranoia. They will believe that a mysterious but malevolent authority is now aware of their activity. There is a one in twelve chance that the player is correct.

The mind-killers are a race of psychic creatures that feed of a cocktail of hormones and narcotic residue within the adrenal medulla. To find their prey, the mind-killers make use of a psychic network that connects most civilized worlds. A person partaking in a illicit substance is like a beacon to the mind-killers. A bell signalling lunch. 

In order to properly marinate their victim, the mind-killers will transmit a signal to the of extreme paranoia while the creature's semi-physical bodies travel to their prey. This may take a matter of hours in major megalopolises but can take several weeks if space travel is required. Once the mind-killers find the victim, their campaign of terror will escalate. They will use their ability to shapeshift to pose as the local authority figures in order to harass their target. They will also appear as horrifying visions when their victim is alone, attempting to drive their meal to the brink of insanity. Once the character has completely lost themselves to fear the mind-killers will strike.

Mind-killers usually travel in packs of 1d4. They are able to take any form they so please although they cannot correctly replicate matter denser than hard leather. They are also able to phase through matter, become invisible and travel at close-to-light speeds. They are psychic in nature and can detect any sentient life within 10 miles. The creatures are able to flood any sentient mind with fear if the will of the victim is not strong enough. Mind killers can be killed if any part of their body is severed while they are in a physical form. While in physical form they have the states of a generic 2HD creature but can turn incorporeal in an instant if they are aware of an attack. Strong psychic or magical attacks can harm the creatures regardless of their form. 

Slimes and Oozes of the Southern Claw

This was created as part of Displacerclaus in July.

An unrealistic and uncreepy representation of a Smile Slime.

The following list of slimes and oozes are native to the Southern Claw region, southwest of the great city of Vornheim. However, many enterprising and foolhardy scholars, game hunters and merchants have begun to export them to other lands. Most of these exportation attempts result in disaster and a subsequent infestation as the slimes have their way with indigenous creatures and populations.

The attributes of the slimes are minimalist with the intention of being easy to plug into your favorite D&D-type game. Only the aberrant characteristics are mentioned, so you will need to include any attributes that account for generally slimy and oozy behavior in your game of choice.  

1. Face Sucker Ooze: Init: +5; Atk grasp +4 melee; AC 10; HD 1d8; MV 50’, climb 30’; Stealth +4; Resistant to slashing and piercing; Vulnerable to fire and cold; Align: Neutral. This small but deadly ooze will stalk its prey for hours for a chance to take it by surprise. A successful melee attack results in the ooze firmly attached to its target’s face, creating a powerful vacuum between it and the target. Target must make a successful DC 15 Strength check to wrest free of the ooze. Each turn the ooze remains affixed, the target must make a Constitution check or suffer 1d6 damage. After three accumilative failed Constitution checks, the vacuum will become powerful enough to pull the target’s innards through its mouth, instantly killing it.
2. Gelatinous Polyhedral: Init: +X; Atk pseudopod +X melee (1dX); AC 10+X; HD 1dX; MV 5+1dX’, climb 5+1dX’; Resistant to slashing and piercing; Align: Neutral. Choose a polyhedral die at random. Ooze takes the rough shape of that die. All instances of X in the stat block are equal to the number of sides on chosen die.
3. Mint Jelly: Init: +5; Atk pseudopod +4 melee (1d8); AC 12; HD 2d8; MV 15’, climb 15’; Stealth +5; Resistant to slashing and piercing; Vulnerable to cold; Align: Neutral. Native to jungles and temperate forests, this slime stretches its body along the moss and fern covered ground and emits a sweet, refreshing scent in order to attract its prey. The slime can cover an area approximately 20 feet in diameter, but it will wait to strike until at least one target is in the center of its reach. Any creature within 10 feet of the mint jelly must make a saving throw vs Poison or be surprised when the jelly attacks.
4. Silver Slime: Init: +6; Atk pseudopod +6 melee (2d6); AC 16; HD 4d8; MV 50’, climb 30’; Resistant to slashing, piercing and cold; Vulnerable to fire and bashing; Align: Neutral. This slime resembles a living mass of mercury, having the ability to emulate slashing and piercing weapons with its pseudopod. When threatened by multiple attackers, the silver slime will take a shape not unlike a sea urchin, hitting any melee attackers who fail a Dexterity check with 1d10 of piercing damage.
5. Night Slime: Init: +5; Atk bite +2 melee (1d4); AC 10; HD 1d4; MV 60’, climb 40’; Stealth +6; Resistant to slashing and piercing; Vulnerable to fire and light; Align: Neutral. These nocturnal slimes are a nuisance for farmers and herders as they tend to prey on livestock in the darkest hours of the night, feeding by sucking blood through a long pseudopod tipped with a primordial mouth. Night slimes are solitary hunters but large colonies can be found in caves. When attacked, the Night Slime will emit a pheromone that will provoke any other slimes within 100 feet to swarm. Most colonies house 3d20 night slimes.
6. Mile Slime:  Init: +6; Atk pseudopod +6 melee (1d8); AC 14; HD 6d8; MV 30’, climb 30’; Resistant to slashing and piercing; Vulnerable to fire, cold and lightning; Align: Neutral. The mile slime is an efficient predator that covers the most amount of ground by stretching itself into many thin pseudopods radiating from a central location. It is most likely that an encounter with a mile slime will begin with an attack from only one of the whip-like arms, but another arm will appear in 1d6 rounds. Additional arms will continue to appear, often from many different directions, one after another until the hit points of the slime are depleted. At that point the arms will retreat, but it is unlikely that the slime itself is dead as only a small portion of its body has been present for the fight.
7. Stuffing Slime: Init: +5; Atk grasp +4 melee; AC 10; HD 1d8; MV 50’, climb 30’; Stealth +4; Resistant to slashing and piercing; Vulnerable to fire and cold; Align: Neutral. A relative to the face-sucker ooze, the stuffing slime has evolved a similar hunting technique with a decidedly opposite means of killing its prey. With a successful hit, the stuffing slime will fix itself to the face of the victim. A successful DC 15 Strength check is required to remove the slime. On a failed Strength check, the slime will begin to stretch its body into the cavity of the victim’s lungs and stomach. A DC 15 Constitution check is required for every round that the stuffing slime remains on the victim. After the third accumilative failed Constitution check, the victim’s insides have been filled and death occurs.  
8. Over Ooze: Init: +0; Atk pseudopod +4 melee (1d4); AC 10; HD 1d8; MV 15’, climb 15’; Stealth +5; Resistant to slashing and piercing; Vulnerable to fire and cold; Align: Neutral. Not much unlike your standard primordial ooze in composition, this slime has developed a specific hunting technique that sets itself apart. The over ooze will stretch its body into a net-like matrix upon the ceiling of a cave or dungeon. It then lowers hair-thin filaments to act as sensors. When two or more creatures are under the over ooze, it will drop from the ceiling, entangling all below it in an area up to 30’ in diameter. A DC 15 Strength check is required to break from the ooze. Bladed weapons provide a +2 to the escape attempt but the restriction of the net prevents the blades from harming the ooze enough to remove hit points. An attacker must be free from the ooze to deal damage.
9. Smile Slime:  Init: +0; Atk pseudopod +1 melee (1d4); AC 10; HD 1d6; MV 30’, climb 30’; Resistant to slashing and piercing; Vulnerable to fire, cold and charm spells; Align: Neutral. These small blue slimes are friendly and helpful in nature. In fact, helping sentient beings appears to be their primary motivation and it is believed by some monster ecologists that the slime literally feeds from the approval of higher beings. The slime takes a vaguely oval shape with what appears to be the shape of a grinning humanoid face protruding from its back. Upon encountering a sentient being, the smile slime will become docile and subservient. The face will most closely resemble its last “master” and the slime will be able to learn to communicate using facial expressions used by its master after 1d4 weeks in his service. Smile slimes are slow to engage in violence and will often find creative ways to help their master should he be threatened or wish harm upon another.
10. Blink Ooze: Init: +0; Atk digestive acid +8 melee (1d8); AC 12; HD 8d8; MV 5’; Resistant to slashing and piercing; Vulnerable to fire; Align: Neutral. Typically used as a security measure by paranoid wizards, a blink ooze will fill the entirety of a room but will remain invisible and intangible until triggered by any magic spell. Any subsequent spell casted will return the blink ooze to its pocket dimension. The intention in installing a blink ooze is that a spellcaster and any companions will be trapped in the middle of the ooze, slowly being digested by the creature, unable to perform the gestures needed to cast a spell to banish the ooze. Persistent effects from magical items do not count as spells in triggering the blink ooze.

The Order of Locusts

The following is a "monster" I wrote up for a contest James Raggi was having about a year ago. It wouldn't have seen the light of day, but today is Awesome Gamer Day and I want to share some stuff I've made.

Many believe the Order of the Locust to be boogymen dreamt up by academics who have lost their grip on reality after years of combing through volumes upon volumes of apocalyptic prophecy. It is said that the Order of the Locust is a mysterious cult that seeks out any works or artifacts pertaining to the end of the world. In order to collect works of prophecy and revelation, the Order of the Locust will use any means necessary, including murder.

Those who have recorded their encounters with this cult have corroborated the following facts. Only one member of the cult ever appears at one time, whether they are assassinating the holder of an eschatological work or attempting to steal it quietly. The cultists come from all walks of life, from simple farmers to skilled soldiers to members of the clergy. The one common trait between cultists is the three fresh puncture wounds on the back of the neck.

The name of the Order was coined three centuries ago by a prominent eschatologist. Although he could not ascertain the motivation of the Order, the apocalyptic nature of the cult was clear, thus it was named after an insect that plays a prominent role in many end world prophecies.

The Order of the Locust has taken interest in apocalyptic works from various cultures and religions, although it does not appear to have much interest in the popular narrative of the Book of Revelations or the works of the Gnostic Christians. It also appears that the Order takes some interest in works of occult science that pose a threat to the world itself.

The Truth of the Order

There is no such thing as the Order of Locusts. The people who appear to do its work are not part of a shadow society, but rather are under the possession of a single demonic entity.

This entity is compelled to collect and physically consume eschatological works and artifacts. Books are read and then torn to shreds before being eaten by the host. Statues and stone tablets are crushed and ground into dust so that they may be poured down the gullet of the possessed. Metal statues are to be melted down for easier consumption. Individuals who have expert knowledge in apocalyptic studies will find they brains to be a suitable meal for the demon.

The demonic entity has no identity of its own and does not seek out apocalyptic works for any precise reason. When asked for a reason, the entity will reply that it collects prophecies “to prepare.” It cannot go into more detail as there is no other motivation. While the entity has little concept of itself, it has an excellent memory and will engage in conversation with any individual that it encounters more than once.

Although the entity has no sense of identity, exorcisms will be more powerful if the cleric names the demon “Murmur.” Also, killing a host using silver or blessed weapons will leave the entity too weak to possess another host for 2d6 weeks.