Wednesday Werk: The End?

I've skipped around a little, but I've been doing Wednesday Werk entries more-or-less in order, skipping creatures only found in Mutant Future.  So, when I looked for the entry for this week, I found Gore-Worms.

I'd been debating how to end the weekly feature for a while, and since that's where I started, and I have recently become stupidly busy (I haven't posted in a week? Madness!), it seems like a good stopping point for the moment.  I may revisit Wednesday Werk at some future point, but we're stopping the feature for now.

So, What Did We Learn?

I was inspired to do this by garrisonjames in the comments on my Gore-Worms post, and there's a lot of creative stuff over at Hereticwerks.  I encourage you to continue checking it out for your own games.

When I started Wednesday Werk, I was neck-deep in my D&D 4e game, but I was still running a couple of modules for my group.  I had not yet gotten into modifying and creating creatures with any frequency.

Creating creatures for 4e is pretty simple, but can be incredibly time-consuming.  All-in-all, it falls somewhere between 3e and earlier editions; 4e creatures lack the detail of 3e entries, but are way more detailed than 2e and earlier creatures.

In the end, it all comes down to game balance.  Creatures in 4e are a collection of formulas with a certain narrative hook — it looks like an elf, or it hunts like an intellect devourer, or whatever.  On the one hand, scanning other monsters of similar level and sticking to the formulas ensures a creature that is "fair" by the rules (if game balance is a concern, of course).  On the other hand, determining number of hit dice, AC, and any special attacks is way more simple.

This process is rather time-consuming.  The best way to go about it is to reference the monster math (which scales with level and "creature role" — is it a meaty sack of hit points which dishes out damage, or does it strike from the shadows every couple of rounds or so?), and then compare other creatures of the chosen level.  Again, this is to ensure "game balance" — 4e adventurers are assumed a certain level of competence, and tend to encounter challenges they can survive.

At the beginning of Wednesday Werk, this could take a couple of hours.  Now, it only takes me about an hour to crank out a creature, including brainstorming, research, and writing its write-up.

Additionally, I found the things that make 4e monsters unique are not the same as the things that make early edition monsters unique and memorable.  Many of Hereticwerks' creatures are planar travelers with spells or spell-like abilities.  In 4e, these creatures have a tendency to be fairly similar, with only the "fluff" differentiating them from one another.  Unique, memorable creatures in 4e are typically molded by strange tactics and odd powers; the story surrounding a creature helps differentiate it to the players, but makes it feel similar in play.  In early edition games, monsters have few statistics, so the fluff is absolutely necessary to differentiate them.  In 4e, powers and tactics serve to differentiate monsters.

(As an aside, the 4e DM has a role in differentiating monsters — there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a monster and using it with a different description to make a "new" monster; describing those orcs as barbarians will change the encounter for the players, although it will still probably feel familiar to the DM.)

Basically, 4e is fun, and making monsters for 4e is fun, but the simpler approach of earlier editions is easier when planning and playing.

If you want to see everything, here's the backlog of Wednesday Werk posts:

0. Gore-Worms


1. Gronk Sword, Octoscholar, Synchronocitor

2. Gronk

3. Petrocloptrian, Flytaur, Queen Lobster

4. Bruthem, Glimp-Shell, Xulg

5. Irving the Impressionable Shoggoth

6. Acephali, Almas

7. Candle Head, Grikflit

8. Zaldrim, Scarletscales

9. Walmakash, Urglun

10. Triloo, Rattong

11. Quindra, Hallimox

12. Phorain

13. Ordrang

14. Pseudoblepas, Nerglid

15. Molg

16. Lurm

17. Koponu

18. Drilg

19. Jaladari

20. Illigom

21. Mind-Slime

22. Plodder-Shell

23. Quintapoidal Fungi

24. Necropixies

25. Hagtessa

26. Ractur

27. Sanguinovore

28. Withering Mist

29. Rulak

30. Fantomist

31. Vilg

32. Grobbly-Bonk

33. Miasmagaster

34. Flutter Worm

35. Monoptrian

36. Yirgao

37. Elajess

38. Blatherer

39. Crannit

40. Crudiv

41. Xilmpa

Wednesday Werk: Xilmpa

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Xilmpa.

The Xilmpa are a conquering, warrior race of crocodilian humanoids.  Horror, disease, and destruction follow in their wake, but the reasons are unclear.  Some scholars seem to think they are cursed, while others believe they are infected with the raw soulstuff of the Elemental Chaos.

Partial credit.  The Xilmpa are known to enslave those they conquer for use in their mining operations, as their desire for rare minerals is insatiable.  Oddly, reports suggest they eat these materials.  For strength.

In fact, reports filter back from blasted wastes and ancient mines that the creatures ignore silver and gold, instead mining and eating a silvery-grey metal sometimes called the Dross of the Sun God, but also known as the Excrement of Pelor.

(If you clicked the second link, you'd know the stuff as uranium.)

Some claim the strange metal gives the creatures their strength.  Others suggest they're addicted to it.  Still others say they need it to survive.  Some say all these things are true.

Supposedly, a group of Xilmpa are mobilizing.  Even now, those in the know have offered a large bounty for any who can stop their quest, for the creatures supposedly seek an ancient holy site known as the Sun's Kingdom on Earth.  If they find it, they may be unstoppable.

(These creatures may also be found on Gamma Terra.  Assume they go looking for uranium deposits and other sources of radiation to feed.  At the DM's discretion, they might be cannibalistic, devouring other mutants for the high background radiation in their blood.  On second thought, you might just want to assume they eat people anyway, just to make them more unpleasant.)

In combat, the Xilmpa are efficient hunters.  They typically open with Geislun Auga, attempting to irradiate and weaken opponents before wading into melee.  They attack efficiently and make optimal use of group tactics; if several can surround one opponent, they will typically try to stack as many status effects as possible on that opponent to deal maximum damage.  If that is not possible, Claw is a favored attack as it deals a little extra damage.

DMs without access to Gamma World should assume that radiation damage is a unique damage keyword only found on things that are, well, radioactive.  Radiation damage is probably only a hazard in uranium mines, natural nuclear fission reactors, and the like (I recently updated Expedition to the Barrier Peaks to 4e, and included radiation damage there, too).  It is best described as a combination of disease, necrotic, poison, and radiant, but it is truthfully none of these.  Adventurers are only likely to encounter it with regard to the Xilmpa, and so probably will not have resistances or vulnerabilities to radiation, nor will they deal radiation damage; it simply allows the Xilmpa to persist in toxic environments of the DM's devising.

Additionally, enterprising DMs can create mutant Xilmpa strains in the same method as mutant Almas strains, as described in this Wednesday Werk post.  Simply swap out Geilsun Auga (actually a reskinned Das Gamma Auge Alpha Mutation) for another Alpha Mutation and you're ready to go.

Wednesday Werk: Crudiv

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Crudiv.

The Crudiv is a fungal stalker possessed of extrasensory perception.  The creatures are typically drawn into conflict because their spores only germinate in dead tissue, and because attacking is the best way to infect a creature with their spores.

The Baron Lee van Hook has attempted to study the creatures, but thus far, has only encountered the dead remains of sporelings.  Evidently, mature specimens are canny enough to flee combat.  He has made precious little headway from dead sporeling remains other than determining that they are likely further examples of his "carnophytes."

If Crudiv suspect the presence of nearby creatures, they will attempt to hide and attack from ambush.  They always open with Tendril Lash and then typically use a found weapon for the rest of combat; this specimen fights with a Scavenged Battleaxe.  Crudiv will attempt to make effective use of cover and flanking, as well as attacking from hidden positions if possible.  If pressed or otherwise boxed in, they will attempt to use Sporic Rebuke to attack and escape.  Crudiv only fight to the death if escape is impossible; otherwise, they attempt to flee if one of their number is bloodied or killed, or if combat takes more than a couple of rounds.

Any creature that is exposed to Crudiv spores must make a saving throw at the end of the encounter.  Failure indicates the target contracts Crudiv Spores at stage 1.

Crudiv Spores, Level 2 Disease
Fungal filaments grow inside your body.
Stage 0: The target recovers from the disease.
Stage 1: The target loses a healing surge.  If the target is reduced to 0 hit points, place four Crudiv Sporelings in unoccupied squares adjacent to the target, and the target moves to stage 0.
Stage 2: If the target is reduced to 0 hit points, place four Crudiv Sporelings in unoccupied squares adjacent to the target, and the target moves to stage 0.
Stage 3: If the target is reduced to 0 hit points, place four Crudiv Sporelings in unoccupied squares adjacent to the target, and the target moves to stage 0.
9 or lower: The stage of the disease increases by one.
10-12: No change.
13 or higher: The stage of the disease decreases by one.

Astute observers might note the insidiousness of this disease; once at stage 2 or 3, the target no longer realizes that he or she is still infected.  Devious GMs might make the Endurance/Heal check for the target in secret, so that the player never truly knows whether the infection is gone or not.

And now, Crudiv Sporelings:

Wednesday Werk: Crannit

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Crannit.

The Crannit is an extraplanar creature that typically spans across multiple planes and searches for occult wisdom.  Due to their multiplanar perspective, Crannits can see the invisible and (so the stories say) even the future.

These creatures scour the planes for lore, and will willingly deal with anyone who has something to trade or offer.  Conversely, however, the creatures will viciously attack anyone who attempts to deny them knowledge.  If a Crannit learns of a spell or magic item that another creature is attempting to keep to itself, that creature can expect the Crannits to soon come calling.

As with many creatures that span across planes, it is unclear whether a Crannit dies when slain, or whether it merely dispels that version of the creature.  Scholars certainly do not know enough about them to have a definitive answer.

In combat, the creatures will typically try to target multiple foes with Flameball or Astral Ribbons before picking them apart with Eldritch Arrow.  If engaged in melee, the creatures will use Phase Shift to reposition and avoid opportunity attacks.  If provoked to attack a target to gain arcane lore, Crannits will frequently fight to the death.  If attacked, the creatures will frequently attempt to flee.

Wednesday Werk: Blatherer

"grim secrets beget eldritch tendrils vile syllables imprinted upon the world — THE SQUAMOUS MADNESS — THE TONGUE OF VECNA — THE WORM THAT BLASPHEMES

"it is an intrusion on life and hope and happiness — THE SOFT WHITE WORM THAT BLATHERS

"the mind recoils in its presence flees the body rather than sit and fall to madness usefullness as a torture tool dubious as victims die rather than waste"

— Zadok the Apostate, The Confessions of Zadok the Apostate

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Blatherer.

The Blatherer is a large, white worm that speaks continuously.  Seriously.

Some scholars have suggested that the Blatherer was an experiment gone wrong, a crossbreed between a Yuan-Ti and a Gibbering Mouther.  Or a demon trapped in mortal form.  Or any one of a million insane theories.

Whatever the case, Blatherers aren't terribly common, but they can be found anywhere throughout the planes.  It is not clear whether they are sapient or not — they appear to know a lot about a variety of subjects, but they can hardly be described as fighting intelligently.  (In fact, they can hardly be said to fight at all.)  They do not seem aggressive, and rarely bite.

However, Blatherers are extremely offensive.  They talk constantly — they apparently respire through their skin and breathe underwater, meaning that they do not have to pause for breath.  All they speak are banal platitudes, blasphemous curses, insults, and the like.  This forms a psychic barrier of offensive thought that is genuinely injurious to nearby minds — even the deaf cannot escape the Blatherer.

In combat, Blatherers typically appear uninterested and may attempt strange tactics as they fight.  The psychic attacks of a Blatherer all seem incidental and subconscious; they do not seem to actively repel enemies.  In fact, Blatherers typically come across as somewhat curious, wading into foreign parties and coincidentally causing mayhem with their infernal rambling.  A Blatherer will typically open combat with Churlish Insult, only using Mindless Drivel when two or more enemies are within range.  It will use Boring Anecdote each round an enemy is within range.  It uses Blasphemous Whispering whenever it triggers.  Blatherers never retreat, although they may sometimes wander out of a combat situation.  They will, however, continue to "attack" nearby targets until they die.

Wednesday Werk: Elajess

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Elajess.

The Elajess are a race of insectoid humanoids that absolutely abhor boredom.  It is easily their most recognizable trait, and is the cause of most consternation between the creatures and the other races.

The Elajess are planar travelers that appear to trace distant ancestry back to one of the Chaotic planes (in the World Axis cosmology, scholars typically connect them with the Elemental Chaos, whereas Great Wheel adherents typically trace them to one of the Chaos-aligned planes, typically Limbo; at least one crackpot claims that they come from a formless dimension of sound, and that their eyes are specially constructed to see in that eldritch place).  Whatever the case, they bear a rabid hatred of ennui, and will attempt to destroy it wherever it is found.  Make sure they stay interested, or else combat will likely follow shortly.

Elajess are also highly visual, being totally deaf.  They barely even recognize sound as a concept, never bothering to hide their footfalls.  Despite their lack of audible speech, they are quite familiar with languages, communicating using visual signs and prizing books and other visual media as valuable objects.  Those who feel comfortable with the proper signs have been known to draft contracts to hire them.  They are among the few races who can communicate with Dabus without any real difficulty.

Elajess typically do not resort to combat, but their crusade against boredom can cause them to easily clash with most humanoid races (seemingly with no reason to those who know little of them).  An Elajess will typically open with Double Attack, although it will use And Stay Down! whenever it is surrounded by opponents in quantity.  If it hopes to reposition or tactically retreat, it will use Phase Step if necessary.  They also have a habit of just leaving when they feel boredom has been banished, and so may attempt to leave in the middle of a particularly interesting combat.

Wednesday Werk: Yirgao

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Yirgao.

The Yirgao, also known as the "Horrificus," is a brutish creature from planes beyond human reckoning.  Driven by hunger, pride, and cruelty, the Yirgao see themselves as the rightful inheritors of the planes.  In their warped minds, the Yirgao should be the dominant race of a multiversal empire, spanning countless worlds and planes.  They seek to subjugate and enslave the other races, using them as chattel in their quest for supremacy.

Fortunately, the Yirgao are hardly organized enough to perform this feat.  The Yirgao are barely capable of cooperation, typically falling to bloody in-fighting and cannibalism at any disagreement.

Some scholars claim that these behavior patterns of megalomania and xenophobia, coupled with a Far Realm origin, suggest beholder heritage, while others claim that Yirgao are most frequently encountered in planes where beholders are relatively unknown (typically being replaced by the ecologically similar but less megalomaniacal Eye of Terror).

Yirgao have not been heavily observed, but evidence suggests that they drink blood, possess rudimentary psionic abilities, and regenerate when injured, much like trolls.  Additionally, they reproduce asexually, forming monoclonal lineages; smart Yirgao keep a large food supply handy when gestation is complete, because the young eat their way out of the parent.  As they regenerate quickly, adults can frequently survive this onslaught, although the young will completely devour the parent if other food is not present.

The Yirgao Conquistador represents a Yirgao specimen that is probably part of some conquering horde.  Yirgao fight as an intelligent unit, and will frequently attempt to strike foes where they are weakest, drawing ranged combatants into melee and attacking melee combatants at range (these tactics may fall apart if the creatures are hungry or angry enough).  Frequently, a Yirgao will open with Handaxe before moving into melee, next attempting to grab the opponent with Constrict and then attacking with Longsword.  It will first consider using Blood Drain when falls below 81 hit points, and it will then use it whenever it is able.

Wednesday Werk: Monoptrian

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Monoptrian.

The Monoptrian is a clone, apparently of some extraplanar warlord who wished to both form an unstoppable army and become immortal.  He (or it, more accurately; no one has properly studied Monoptrian gender) accomplished both ambitions by cloning himself in a process that could become self-perpetuating after his death.

Of course, things are rarely so simple.  Flaws in the cloning process ensured that descendants would become increasingly degenerate, forming mutant variants that probably have little in common with their progenitor.  Of course, the degenerate offspring have little knowledge of this fact, with several variants forming factions under some rogue leader or other.

Naturally, each faction claims to be the "pure" one, and the only one fit to overwhelm the planes in the name of their progenitor.

As such, this race of super-soldiers is less of a threat than it first appears, as it seems unlikely that they will ever organize enough to begin their conquest.  Of course, there are always rumors regarding all sorts of things — that the progenitor is still alive and waiting to take control of the entire army; that a messiah will rise from the ranks of the clones; that a subtle Monoptrian faction secretly runs the Illustrious Menagerie of Peacocks; or that some power player has determined the signal that will gain control of the whole army — but those are only rumors, right?

The following Monoptrian represents an agile warrior of his clan.  Individual Monoptrian specimens may vary considerably, and indeed, are only really unified by the immunity to Charm and the monoptrian keyword (additionally, they all tend to bear the same slender, monocular physique).  Depending upon circumstances, other specimens may use other weapons, represent other levels or monster roles, and may have different varieties of eye-beams (enterprising DMs wanting to customize this creature may wish to give it a different weapon, although damage will be the same, and may also wish to change the eye-beam by changing status effects and damage types).  In combat, this Monoptrian will typically open with Eye-Beam to daze an opponent, and then move into melee to take advantage of the confusion with Staff.  It tries to use Eye-Beam whenever it recharges, either using it in melee against dazed opponents or using Combat Agility to move out of range of opportunity attacks.  Monoptrians fight intelligently, but will fight to the death if necessary.  Depending on the variety, they may also make decisions based on the good of the collective — one Monoptrian might draw the party's fire if it means that its fellows can better complete a mission objective.

Wednesday Werk: Flutter Worm

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Flutter Worm.

The Flutter Worm is a flying, haematophagous worm primarily found in caves and urban environments, preferring ruined and subterranean structures in the latter.  Flutter Worms are frequently found hunting alone, although they typically lair in extremely large groups, typically averaging around twenty or so individuals.

Flutter Worms are not known for their intelligence, although some varieties are cunning enough to hunt among urban rooftops, seeking open windows so that they may feed on sleeping prey.  Flutter Worms are also known for their unnerving locomotion style; their flight is partially powered by an inherent teleportation ability, meaning that they partially blink in and out of existence while they move.  Trained warriors and typical adventurers typically have no problems, but untrained peasants have a tendency to just cut and run.

In combat, Flutter Worms attack without regard to themselves, being slaves to their immense hunger.  Once a suitable target has been located, a Flutter Worm will latch onto the target using Bite and will then drain blood with Blood Drain until sated.  One Flutter Worm is hardly an issue, but a swarm of them tend to be rather overwhelming.

Wednesday Werk: Miasmagaster

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Miasmagaster.

The Miasmagaster is a strange creature, frequently found in subterranean environments.  Bearing features reminiscent of mollusks, crustaceans, and insects, Miasmagasters are predatory creatures that wander the Underdark in search of prey.  Somewhat affable and charming, they will gladly stoop to trickery in an attempt to ensnare suitable prey.

Despite formidable claws and mandibles, Miasmagasters are probably best known for the noxious stench that follows them.  It is more than capable of quickly incapacitating prey with these fumes, and the stench of Miasmagaster spawnlings is even toxic enough to affect humanoids several times their size.

The following Miasmagaster is suggestive of a typical specimen.  When diplomacy fails, the creature will exude its stench by using Miasma, and then will use Flurry of Blows to antagonize potential prey, using Miasma whenever it recharges.  Intelligent creatures, Miasmagasters will gladly flee from stronger prey.

Wednesday Werk: Grobbly-Bonk

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Grobbly-Bonk.

It's a bit of a digression, but to give readers an idea of the Grobbly-Bonk, we include an excerpt from a lecture on the Abyss by the University of the Study of the Arcane Arts and Sciences' very own Professor Uaaru.

According to Professor Uaaru:

"I cannot stress this enough: there is no such thing as 'safe' demonology.  It is a common misconception among amateur or brash sorcerers to think that there is an entity that is easy to control.  The example of Grobbly-Bonk is a classic in this regard.  The name is comical, the entity has a reputation of being stupid and somewhat clumsy, the sacrifice for the demon is relatively easy to obtain, and the ritual to summon the entity is readily available; you could probably find it in our library if you look hard enough.  Maybe you'd summon him, maybe you wouldn't have a problem.  It's entirely possible, maybe even likely.  But for novice or expert alike, the best case scenario for failure is that nothing happens.  You flub a syllable or lose concentration for a second and you've lost a couple hours' work.

"But the worst case scenario?  You make a mistake in the binding portion or you neglect to draw your sigils correctly, and he eats you.  You forgot the cardinal rule — there is no such thing as 'safe demonology.  You wear many hats — you're scholars, you're craftsmen, you're brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers and children, you're lovers.  Grobbly-Bonk is always a demon, twenty-four hours a day, and no matter how simple its motivations, it is always trying to figure out how to overcome your defenses and eat you.  All demons are.  They can't be trusted, because they want to unmake reality.  Everybody in this room wants something different.  All demons want to unmake the world.  Even though they bicker, they all seek the same basic goal.

"Which brings us to the second point — Grobbly-Bonk isn't the point.  The ritual is easy and readily available because it behooves someone to have you cast it and succeed.  Each demonic action is another foothold of the Abyss on our reality, and every sorcerer who feels comfortable conjuring demons is just another potential fool who will some day summon something he can't put down.  He's a weak link in the Prime Material's defenses.

"Frequently, the Path of Screams begins with just a simple, tantalizing, first step."

As noted, Grobbly-Bonk is frequently considered a minor demon, one lacking intellect or motivation, one that can be easily swayed.  As also noted, it is a poor idea to ever underestimate a demon.

However, many of the tales are reasonably accurate — while Grobbly-Bonk may wish to eat you, it is relatively unintelligent and by-and-large only seeks to eat.  In fact, the most notable material component in its summoning ritual is meat.  While it does require over a ton of meat, it doesn't care what sort of meat it is fed — 1,500 pounds of rotten cow carcasses will catch its attention just as much as a ton of virgin's flesh.  This makes the Grobbly-Bonk a very tempting target for first-time demonologists, as the summoning ritual does not require the vile components so common in other demons' summoning rituals.

As for the demon itself, it typically keeps to a simple bargain — so long as it is fed when it arrives, it will attempt to enact the will of its caster.  Being of such low intellect, it will do so to the best of its ability, and it has a habit of leaving its task only partially complete when it eventually dissipates back to its plane of origin.

The Grobbly-Bonk is best known for its ability to locate lost objects.  Frequently, the Grobbly-Bonk will idly sketch a treasure map on nearby paper or etch a map in a wall or dirt floor, even if not prompted to do so.  These maps tend to be crude and frequently ignore several important details — such as traps, monsters, secret rooms, and suchlike — but are typically accurate with regard to whatever features they show.

Assuming the summoning goes wrong (or assuming a rival mage's summoning goes well), the Grobbly-Bonk is a fearsome combatant.  The Grobbly-Bonk opens combat with Fearsome Countenance, and will frequently spend an action point to savage someone with Double Attack.  When engaged by multiple combatants and adjacent to at least one, it will drop Darkness to confound foes.  The Grobbly-Bonk will typically fight to the death, although if precautions are not taken, "death" usually only dispels the creature back to the Abyssal realms.

Wednesday Werk: Vilg

"Gross." — Ogden "The Glaive" Thursson

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Vilg.

The Vilg are a highly-reviled race of toad-creatures that devour the remains of the rotten and corrupt dead.  Found in charnel houses and musty old tombs, the Vilg are easily-recognizable due to their disgusting diet, foul smell, and habit of going places no self-respecting toad would go.  They do not necessarily seek water, instead congregating in sites where corpses are frequent.  Supposedly, the Dustmen of old Sigil had to deal with the creatures frequently — although whether they found the creatures to be pests or used them for disposal changes with the telling.

Vilg are occasionally kept as pets and familiars by ghouls, goblins, and other foul humanoids that can withstand their stench and grotesque diet.  Some fastidious underdwellers use them to clear their lairs of offal, much as fishmongers might use snails to keep fish tanks clean.

Vilg are most likely to be encountered in their capacity as pets and familiars; one might find such a creature in a ghoul's den, or traveling with a goblin hexer.  Vilg typically attempt to avoid combat, but if pressed, will attempt to Bite opponents and then use Bounder to reposition themselves or escape.

Wednesday Werk: Fantomist

"Fantomists?  We 'Cocks don't let 'em into the city.  Lemme tell you what happened the last time a Fant came around; somebody turned up dead by the docks, and the Claasen said they had a lead on a guy.  All the descriptions suggested a wizened humanoid surrounded by this ghostly mist.

"Well, that's all anybody needed to hear.  The call went out.  Jax showed up, Torili and Balror showed up, even LeFarge showed up.

"The fight was pretty anticlimactic, all told.  Most of us held back, and a couple of guys ran in.  They panicked, ran back out.  A couple of Fants came out, throwing ectoplasm.  They saw all of us, and knew there was no way out, so they started slingin' Flash like it was goin' out of style.

"It went just like you'd expect.  One of ours went down, but you've got arrows slingin', you've got Torili summonin' spirits, you've got Jax dancin' between arrows like she's on stage, and then LeFarge rolls in and straight-up decapitates one of 'em.  With no support, the other Fant falls right quick.

"That's what happens when Fantomists show up in Scandshar." —Tlindill "the Drubber" Randalore

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Fantomists.

The Fantomists are a secretive group of necromancers.  Whether they're a sect, a religion, a secret society, or a race is unclear — they seem to have traits of all these things — but it is clear is that they're Bad News.  Reviled by many groups, the Fantomists must hide their activities, and so operate behind the scenes, for operating openly is frequently fatal.

As for the Fantomists themselves, they are not quite undead, instead occupying some queer twilight between the lands of the living and the dead.  They know many secrets, and always seem to be looking for more.  Some merchant or adventurer always seems keen on learning their secrets, but the Fantomists have a way of twisting things in their favor.  Buyer beware.

Although the Fantomists are hated equally by most organizations (particularly clerical orders), in the Sorrowfell Plains, the Illustrious Menagerie of Peacocks appears to harbor a particular hatred for them, dispatching large groups of enforcers to handle any potential Fantomist incursion.  Rumors suggest that there is an ancient feud between the two groups, but those in the know suggest that the Illustrious Menagerie of Peacocks is merely protecting an investment — if the Fantomists try to influence events from the shadows, that's cutting into the Menagerie's action.

Of course, smart observers suspect that this doesn't prevent Fantomists from doing things in Menagerie strongholds such as Scandshar — it probably only serves to make Fantomist sects in the Sorrowfell leaner and meaner.

The Fantomist Death-Priest represents an adept spellcaster among the Fantomists, and represents the sort of character adventurers are likely to meet.  The Fantomist Death-Priest opens combat with Ectoplasmic Bolts — it waits to use its other powers to maximum effect.  It uses Bleakwind Gale whenever foes are adjacent, and if three or more foes are adjacent, it will use Grim Miasma to give itself some breathing room.  It waits to use Damning Rot, typically doing so when it can be certain that the power will hit several foes, and place a zone in a tactically advantageous position.

Of course, sometimes the Fantomist will get lucky, and its foes will be nicely grouped to start.  In that case, it may well open with Damning Rot.  If several Fantomist Death-Priests are fighting together, they will frequently try to cover as much of the area as possible with Damning Rot zones, and some members will focus on using Ectoplasmic Bolts to make the other Death-Priests' necrotic attacks more effective.

Wednesday Werk: Rulak

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Rulak.

The Rulak is a fungal creature typically found in remote, lifeless areas such as wastelands and deserts.  Baron Lee van Hook, postulating that the creature is a "carnophyte," would dearly like to study one.  Unfortunately for scholars, such creatures are relatively unknown in the Sorrowfell Plains, although some travelers have claimed to encounter them in the Stonemarch or in the deserts of the isle of Anhak.

Baron Hook has compiled a few reports of the creatures, however, and it seems that they largely exist to reproduce.  Agitation and physical violence against the creatures causes spore production, and these corrosive spores will infect living hosts.  The spores will grow to maturity in an infected host, and the Rulak spore-pods will issue forth from the victim's flesh and fly away to parts unknown.  If the victim survives, recovery is possible, although victims will frequently bear the scars for quite some time.

Unlike many creatures, the Rulak displays a startling lack of self-preservation in combat, as its death fosters its reproduction.  The Rulak will typically swoop from the sky to confront creatures, opening with Ball of Force before shifting to Double Attack.  If forced into melee, it will use Spit-Blast; otherwise, it will attempt to float out of range of foes while using Ball of Force when it is available and Double Attack when it is not.  When it is almost bloodied or dead, it will attempt to occupy a central area in the encounter location so that as many foes will be targeted by Sporulation as possible.  When it is near death, it will do the same thing to target foes with Rupture.

Any creature that is hit by spores and fails its saving throw at the end of the encounter contracts Rulak Spores at stage 1.

Rulak Spores, Level 1 Disease
A thousand tiny spores grow and writhe under your flesh.
Stage 0: The target recovers from the disease.
Stage 1: While affected by this stage, the target takes a -2 penalty to all defenses and loses a healing surge.
Stage 2: While affected by this stage, the target takes a -2 penalty to all attacks and defenses, and loses a healing surge.
Stage 3: The spore-pods burst from the target's flesh.  The target loses all healing surges and moves to Stage 0.
Check: At the end of each extended rest, the target makes an Endurance check if it is at stage 1 or 2.
8 or lower: The stage of the disease increases by one.
9-11: No change.
12 or higher: The stage of the disease decreases by one.
Special: The Cure Disease ritual does not remove the disease; instead, the target cannot roll Endurance during her next extended rest, as she is automatically assumed to have no change in disease progression.  Similarly, a target of the Curse Disease ritual cannot be aided with the Heal skill.  Normal disease progression resumes during the following extended rest.

Wednesday Werk: Withering Mist

"The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes,
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening,
Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains,
Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys,
Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap,
And seeing that it was a soft October night,
Curled once about the house, and fell asleep."
— T. S. Eliot, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Withering Mist.

The Withering Mist is less a creature and more an unnatural phenomenon.  This putrid gas will sometimes erupt from graveyards and coalesce into vaporous entities that seek life force on which to feed.  If they manage to completely drain a victim, that creature's withered flesh will frequently break apart to release another Withering Mist, thus forming a life cycle of the entity.

The entity is fairly simplistic, but it does appear capable of merging with humanoid hosts — if they keep the entity fed, the entity will transfer some of that energy to the host, healing it.  Some misguided magi and purveyors of dark secrets have entered into this bargain, but it almost always ends in death as the inhuman whims of the Withering Mist are too alien for a humanoid to balance.  Killing sprees are common.

This Withering Mist specimen may represent a small cloud, or a smaller part of a large cloud (a standard level 7 encounter could feature five of these creatures, and it is totally reasonable to assume that they are part of the same miasmal cloud).  A Withering Mist wades into combat, attacking foes with Enervating Miasma and Wither-Wight Bond.  A Withering Mist will typically open combat by attempting Wither-Wight Bond, but a large group of them will stagger that attack so that enemies must still contend with Enervating Miasma and Withering Aura while one or two Withering Mists are out of play.

Wednesday Werk: Sanguinovore

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Sanguinovore.

The Sanguinovore is culled from the ranks of the restless dead, an angry spirit whose life was ended by vampiric attack.  As such, the Sanguinovore is an apex predator that hunts vampires and other undead.

Baron Lee van Hook has compiled a few anecdotes regarding Sanguinovores, as they are a prey species of the Ordrang (see also the Wednesday Werk entry).  The creatures seem to fear and flee from the Ordrang, which treat Sanguinovores as any other source of ectoplasm.  They will attempt to flee, and if that is not possible, they will attempt to destroy the Ordrang at any cost before being devoured.

Sanguinovores typically do not attack living creatures, instead focusing on vampires and other undead.  However, if they are starving, they have been known to kill living creatures to harvest their essence.  However, some corrupted Sanguinovores have been encountered; these creatures will prey upon anything they encounter.  Also, some necromancers have been known to enslave the creatures with magic and force them to attack their enemies.

The following Sanguinovore is a typical, uncorrupted specimen.  In combat, it will focus on vampires first, then undead, and then (maybe) living creatures (again, if corrupted or commanded by a wizard, all bets are off).  The creature will frequently attempt to enter combat under the cover of Invisibility, and will frequently begin by hitting a vampiric opponent with Terror, spending an Action Point, and attacking the same target with Energy Drain.  The creature will then cycle between using Invisibility and attacking, favoring Flame Blast and Furious Disruption.  It will use Energy Drain whenever a target presents itself, and Terror to subdue a particularly dangerous opponent (or to set an opponent up for Energy Drain, if it wishes to attack a particularly dangerous opponent).

Astute observers will no doubt note that Terror lacks the "Fear" keyword.  That's intentional; Sanguinovores' Terror ability cuts through those with Fear resistance.  Some scholars theorize that it acts as a rudimentary form of domination, triggering the mechanical fear response in creatures without actually instilling fear.  Whatever the case, very few creatures can resist it.

Wednesday Werk: Ractur

"Ractur?  Ugh.  Nasty little blighters.  Thicker'n Vistani, they are.  You never find just one; you're facing a small army of them, swarming with chattering teeth and sharp knives.  They come for your gewgaws and dungeon loot, but their attentions have been known to be fatal.  Bastards pack a vicious bite, stewing with more disease than a portside whorehouse.

"Inevitably, some clueless berk starts lamenting the plight of the 'poor, fuzzy little woodland 'umanoids.'  A week later, 'e's leading the torch-wielding mob, 'cause 'alf 'is village is dead from dysentery." — Ogden "The Glaive" Thursson

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Ractur.

The Ractur are every bit as nasty as their reputation suggests.  Thieves and marauders in the vein of goblins and kobolds, the Ractur are outcasts and refugees, welcome nowhere.  In the case of Ractur, this has less to do with any sort of vicious degeneracy and more to do with the fact that they are disease carriers.  Bards indicate they were driven by their ancestral woodlands by fire — and that those fires were set to drive them away.  Like the komodo dragon, the Ractur carry a loathsome disease in their bite, which has been known to kill afflicted victims in hours or days (very rarely, someone will die within minutes of infection).

Other than their notably virulent saliva, the Ractur are known for their love of shiny objects and their typical illiteracy.  They do not recognize the written word as valuable, and so have been found with nests composed of rare books, ritual scrolls, treasure maps, and the like — some of them still readable, if only partially.

This Ractur Vagabond represents a standard, urban-dwelling specimen.  The Ractur attempt to attack from surprise if possible; otherwise, they typically attempt to move into flanking positions to make the best usage of their Dagger attacks.  They reorient with Beat Feet, and use their dreaded Bite to keep foes on the defensive.

Astute observers will note that they do not actually carry dire rat filth fever, but their disease could be considered similar enough to not warrant different rules.

Wednesday Werk: Hagtessa

"When we was young, we saw a maulkin lady what had a malmsey nose down by the refuse dumps.  Thought she was a beggar.


"Like I said, we was young.  Weren't on our guard in the city.  Thought it were 'safe.'  Whatever that means.


"She was on us in an instant.  Geezer Geoff raised his staff, but she put some sort o' hex on 'im, 'fore he could even cast a magic missile.  Whilst he was staggering, insensate, she pounced on Shae.  Was only Brother Melech what kept 'er at bay, and even at that, it was tenuous.


"We did the smart thing.  We ran, 'alf draggin' Shae and Geoff with us.  Took several days of the Brother's tender mercies to get Shae back on 'er feet.  We didn't go down to the refuse piles for quite a time after that.  Just weren't worth it." — Ogden "The Glaive" Thursson

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Hagtessa.

Combining some of the worst traits of ghouls, hags, and magi, the Hagtessa are wizened, mad old women thought to emerge from beyond the sane planes known to mortals.  It is likely that they were once mortal women, but have been transformed by some black curse; indeed, some scholars claim they are enslaved by mad, eldritch things beyond mortal comprehension.

Whatever their origins, they are now decrepit, old, undead hags with immense magical powers and terrifying strength.  While the creatures are capable of devastating attacks, vile sorcery, and innate magical abilities, they are also known for their abilities to enact magical rituals with nonstandard components.  Most notably, they engage in planar travel using humanoid sacrifice as a ritual focus, and they have also been known to travel on the same plane through lesser versions of the same.

Basically, they're bad news, and their hatred of free-living things prompts them to hatch insidious plots and enact grotesque tortures.  Petitioners can learn rituals or gain their aid, but it will almost require a reprehensible task on the part of the petitioner.

The Hagtessa Blood-Witch is a terrifying combatant.  It will try to lure its opponents into range of its Terror Aura and use Maddening Revelations.  It will then spend an Action Point to drop Shroud, negating any attacks that require line of sight and granting concealment to the Hagtessa.  It then uses Ensorcelling Glance to force a character against its allies, and will use it whenever available; when it is bloodied, it will only use it if doing so does not provoke opportunity attacks.  It will proceed to use Fleshrot when it is available and Rip and Tear when it is not.  As it attacks, it uses Torturous Teleport to refocus and flee large groups of enemies.

Wednesday Werk: Necropixies

"Oy there, berk.  You ain't 'eard of the necropixies, 'ave you?  A plague upon the realms with Positive Energy, they are.  Little blighters 'ave all o' their living cousins' trickster proclivities, with all the horror of a demented barber.  Little bastards'll cut you from nave to chops before you know what hit you.  An' you'll never see the one what gets you." — Ogden "The Glaive" Thursson

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Necropixies.

The Necropixies are vicious little creatures, pixies corrupted by the energies of the Negative Energy Plane (or the Shadowfell if you're using the World Axis cosmology).  At present, no one has observed their genesis, so it is unknown if they occur naturally or are made by corrupt spirits or sorcerers (or even if they have no real relation to pixies at all).

At least one adventurer has claimed to see a necrogrig, but he was barmy, so his testimony is typically considered suspect.

Nevertheless, Necropixies may be encountered alone, in groups, or with undead and their associates such as zombies, skeletons, necromancers, vampires, wraiths, and the like.  Necropixies retain the trickster nature of their "normal" counterparts, although their tricks are significantly darker — cruel pranks, mutilation, and torture have all been recorded as necropixie "tricks."  More than one village in the world reviles the Tooth Fairy, considering the entity to be a necropixie harvesting bone from the mouths of babes.

The following Necropixie Scrapper is indicative of a typical Necropixie warrior.  It will typically attempt to remain invisible as long as possible, using Invisibility each turn — if it is dazed or otherwise incapable of action, it will always opt for Invisibility if it can.  The creature will frequently open with Confusing Blow to aid its allies, and then it will make Scythe attacks.  It will always attempt to attack so as to make use of its Combat Advantage ability.  Necropixies are stout combatants, although they have been known to avoid death if they are not fully devoted to the cause at hand.  They can be fanatical, but they're not stupid.

Wednesday Werk: Quintapoidal Fungi

In this week's Wednesday Werk, we'll look at the Quintapoidal Fungi.

A few scholars have written of the Quintapoidal Fungi, but it wasn't until Baron Lee van Hook determined them to be his "carnophytes" (laymen just call them "fungi") that he became interested.

The Quintapoids are feared by civilization, as they are living siege engines, powerful enough to batter through fortifications and with toxic spores that can easily overpower legions of troops.

Fortunately, they're rare on the Sorrowfell Plains — the Wizard's Tower only had one specimen, evidently a pickled curiosity acquired at great expense from a trading partner across the ocean.  Still, the creatures have been recorded on the plains, and many old soldiers recall (typically with a shudder) their use in the Cackledread War.

Quintapoidal Fungi are occasionally found in the wild, but it is more common to find sorcerers or other masterminds attempt to capture the things as use in war and defense.  Unsurprisingly, tales of failure are rather common, and form a frequent punchline in jokes, limericks, and bawdy songs throughout the land ("The mad old wizard prepared his plan to finally kill the duke / But the grand ol' beast had other plans and showed him its rebuke / And when the villagers found the Tower of Hurllenghast destroyed / The townfolk shrugged and raised a glass to Ivan, the Quintapoid!").

The following creature is a fairly common Quintapoidal Fungus specimen.  In combat, the creature will typically move amidst its foes and use Gasteromycotoxin to attack everyone.  The creature then cycles among Bite, Slam Harder, and Mycotic Infection, typically using Slam Harder to advantageously reposition foes (and also to attack foes resistant to poison).  It uses Bite and Mycotic Infection to weaken and disorient foes, trying to take out weakened foes with these attacks.

The Level 10 version of Skinrot is functionally the same as the version noted in Open Grave on page 180, with the following alteration to the Endurance check DCs:

Check: At the end of each extended rest, the target makes an Endurance check if it is at stage 1 or 2.
12 or lower: The stage of the disease increases by one.
13-17: No Change
18 or higher: The stage of the disease decreases by one.

For DMs without access to Open Grave, any sort of rotting or wasting disease with the appropriate Endurance DCs will do.