Saturday, April 23, 2016

Noir Weights Monster Manual

So, I've made it clear in my earlier posts that being in Noir Weights after dark is very dangerous, but I have given no reason for the reader/players to believe me. Here a six reason why Noir Weights is dangerous place to be in. These dangers will presented in 3 formats: OSR, Crimson Dragon Slayer, and Dungeon World. During the daytime the characters have a 1 in 6 chance of an encounter. At night the encounter rate goes up to 4 in 6.

Don't eat things out of the river.
 
Crusty / Crust-Punk
Red and brown carapace can be seen bursting through torn skin beneath dirty clothing. Their left arm is a twisted pincer, the appendage is a unsettling combination of chitin and infected skin. Blank, black doll's eyes stare out at the world with the vacancy of a true predator.

There are reasons why there are posters around Downtown that warn folks not to eat things that were taken from the river. Unfortunately, when you're hungry enough, warnings won't fill your belly. Most of the fish are edible, though they tend to slowly push people towards insanity due to their high levels of mercury and other chemicals. However, sometimes a body is so hungry, they can't bring themselves to throw away a river lobster. The sweet meat changes folks. First a person might only get a few hard, red nodules on the skin, but the changes get worse the more you eat the river bugs. It's not long before the mind gets scrambled, a left arm turns into a pincer, and the eyes start seeing colors humans aren't fortunate enough to be able to notice. The Crust-Punks, or Crusties, like eating folks. They say humans taste sweet, if one can understand their clicking language. Supposedly, they have a king and queen somewhere in the slums, God help the poor fool that encounters them.

OSR
Activity Cycle: Primarily Night
Diet: You
Intelligence: A little dim by human standards.
Treasure: Not much, a few coins, rags, maybe an old keepsake.
Alignment: Neutral (They really aren't all that concerned about anything but food and the lobster royalty)
No. Appearing: 1D6
Armor Class: 15
Movement: 30 ft.
Hit Dice: 2 HD (9 HP)
To-Hit: +3
No. of Attacks: 1 - Claw or Improvised Weapon
Damage: 1D8+1(Claw) OR 1D4+1 (Improvised Weapon: Board with Nail, Tire Iron, Brick, etc...)
Special Attacks: None
Special Defenses: None
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)
All Saves: 15

Crimson Dragon Slayer
Activity Cycle: Primarily Night
Diet: You
Intelligence: A little dim by human standards.
Treasure: Not much, a few coins, rags, maybe an old keepsake.
Alignment: Neutral (They really aren't all that concerned about anything but food and the lobster royalty)
No. Appearing: 1D6
Armor Class: 5
Movement: 40 ft.
Hit Dice: 2 HD (12 HP)
Action Dice: 1D6
No. of Attacks: 1 - Claw or Improvised Weapon
Damage: 1D8+1(Claw) OR 1D4+1 (Improvised Weapon: Board with Nail, Tire Iron, Brick, etc...)
Special Attacks: None
Special Defenses: None
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)

Dungeon World
No. Appearing: 1D6
Armor: 2
Hit-Points: 6
Damage: 1D6+1 (Claw: 1 Piercing, Close) OR 1D3+1 (Improvised Weapon: Close)
Motivations / Tactics: Attack a single target as a group. Grab with pincers. Return meat and valuable items to the king and queen.

 
The power of the fez.

Disty / Fume-Head
Normal men and women at first glance, their clothes an indication of life on the streets. Soon, their forms lose focus, looking like blurred humanoid smudges. Then their forms are too focused, every pore visible, despite the distance. They move like missing frames from a film reel, stuttering closer with every second.

Within the ruins of the Old Gug Dreamland Bourbon distillery is cult run by a fez wearing wizard/priest. The Cult of the Isolated Enlightenment believes that through extended periods of sensory deprivation in the distillery's old stills inhaling alcohol fumes gone strange with age, one can convince themselves that reality isn't real. The cult's leader, Sir Uriragu Stroref the Rafter Rogue, usually is good about remembering to let people out of the stills after the proscribed time. Occasionally, he gets distracted with his city wanderings and forgets to let the poor souls out, resulting in a state of over-enlightenment. These folks end up becoming ultra-nihilists, not only seeing the un-reality in reality, but also believing that there is no point to anything. Thus, they cast off the teachings of Sir Rafter Rogue (no one knows why he calls himself this), and wander in large real-gangs in an unreal world outside the monastery distiller. The only thing they retain from Uriragu is the fez, a mark of empowered-enlightenment amongst the cult. Some say that Uriragu Stroref is actually the fez, not the man, and his teachings are from another dimension entirely.

OSR
Activity Cycle: Primarily Night, reality is less real at night.
Diet: Nothing. If food isn't real, why eat it?
Intelligence: Very intelligent, one might think inhaling ancient alcohol fumes for days on end might kill brain-cells, which is does. But they stay in the stills for so long that their near brain-dead minds cycle back to intelligence, it's all a big repeating cycle, you see.
Treasure: Not much, just cloths and a fez. What point do things have if they aren't real?
Alignment: Chaotic (No point in rules, when you can just make them up as you go along.)
No. Appearing: 1D10
Armor Class: 13
Movement: 30 ft.
Hit Dice: 1 HD (5 HP)
To-Hit: +2
No. of Attacks: 1 - Improvised Weapon or Unarmed
Damage: 1D4+1 (Improvised Weapon: Board with Nail, Tire Iron, Brick, etc...) OR 1D3+1 (Unarmed: Punches, Kicks, Slaps, etc...)
Special Attacks: Reality Glitch: With the realization that reality is unreal, one may learn to manipulate it based on their desires. Instead of attacking the Disty can manipulate reality so that a strange something strange happens: Opponent steps on a rusty nail (1D2 damage, save VS disease or contract Tetanus), Opponent slips (Reduce their attack or AC by -1 for the next round), A piece of a building falls off and hits the opponent (1D4 damage). They can change reality in any minor way they choose, allowing the GM to impose any minor form of damage or penalty. This ability does not allow a save, because reality bites. All effects stack, these folks are really dangerous in big groups.
Special Defenses: Reality Death Insurance: Their ability to control reality also protects the Fume-Heads. Whenever rolling damage against them, it must be rolled twice and the lower result must be taken.
Magic Resistance: 15% Even reality breaking magic sometimes listens to them.
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)
All Saves but Magic: 16
Save vs. Magic: 12

Crimson Dragon Slayer
Activity Cycle: Primarily Night, reality is less real at night.
Diet: Nothing. If food isn't real, why eat it?
Intelligence: Very intelligent, one might think inhaling ancient alcohol fumes for days on end might kill brain-cells, which is does. But they stay in the stills for so long that their near brain-dead minds cycle back to intelligence, it's all a big repeating cycle, you see.
Treasure: Not much, just rags and a fez. What point do things have if they aren't real?
Alignment: Chaotic (No point in rules, when you can just make them up as you go along.)
No. Appearing: 1D10
Armor Class: 1
Movement: 50 ft.
Hit Dice: 1 HD (6 HP)
Action Dice: 1D6
No. of Attacks: 1 - Improvised Weapon or Unarmed
Damage: 1D4+1 (Improvised Weapon: Board with Nail, Tire Iron, Brick, etc...) OR 1D3+1 (Unarmed: Punches, Kicks, Slaps, etc...)
Special Attacks: Reality Glitch: With the realization that reality is unreal, one may learn to manipulate it based on their desires. Instead of attacking the Disty can manipulate reality so that a strange something strange happens: Opponent steps on a rusty nail (1D2 damage, save VS disease or contract Tetanus), Opponent slips (Reduce their attack or AC by -1 for the next round), A piece of a building falls off and hits the opponent (1D4 damage). They can change reality in any minor way they choose, allowing the GM to impose any minor form of damage or penalty. This ability does not allow a save, because reality bites. All effects stack, these folks are really dangerous in big groups.
Special Defenses: Reality Death Insurance: Their ability to control reality also protects the Fume-Heads. Whenever rolling damage against them, it must be rolled twice and the lower result must be taken.
Magic Resistance: 15% Even reality breaking magic sometimes listens to them.
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)

Dungeon World
No. Appearing: 1D10
Armor: 1
Hit-Points: 4
Damage: 1D3+1 (Improvised Weapon: Close) or 1D2+1 (Unarmed: Close)
Motivations / Tactics: Sow chaos and have fun doing. Break reality to hurt or destroy unreal people (everyone but them). Impede the work of others through minor reality glitches.

Just a few more cycles of their urban legend, and their wings will be this big.
 
Sewer Dragon / Super Croc
It crawls from a storm-drain or open manhole, its movements slow and graceful. It looks like a crocodile with elongated legs, a much more supple tail than normal, and a folded set of wings. The crocodile's body is covered in slime and excrement with trash sticking to its hide in places. Given the open space, it stretches out its vestigial wings to their full four foot wing-span. It opens its maw and lets out a sound between a growl and a hiss, its eyes shifting about to lock onto the croc's next meal.

This is what happens when someone makes up an urban legend about crocodiles living in the sewers. When reality comes down with a case of Alzheimer's dementia, it gets confused about what was real and what wasn't. Now, they're wandering the sewers, eating the unwary or unlucky. Problem is, the urban legend has begun to change. People catch brief glimpses of them in the dark, and claim there are dragons living in the sewers. Now, they've begun to grow wings, and have developed a level of cunning they lacked before. Today, they're eating those unlucky enough to get too close to storm-drains and manholes. Tomorrow, if the legend keeps changing, they could be cruising the skies hunting for lounge-singers and gold Rolex watches.

OSR
Activity Cycle: Primarily Night, the creepy lizards see better in the dark.
Diet: People wandering by manholes. Street-folk sleeping in the wrong place at the wrong time. Beloved pets left outside for too long.
Intelligence: Equivalent to a particularly intelligent dog. The problem is, they get smarter with each new iteration of the legend.
Treasure: Not much. They haven't gotten into the habit of collecting shiny things, yet.
Alignment: Neutral (They aren't capable of cogent thought, for now.)
No. Appearing: 1 (Luckily, they are very territorial when it comes to their own kind)
Armor Class: 19
Movement: 40 ft.
Hit Dice: 6 HD (30 HP)
To-Hit: +6
No. of Attacks: 3 – One Bite and Two Claws
Damage: Bite – 1D10+3 / Claw – 1D6+1
Special Attacks: Sewer Spew 3/Day – The sewer-thing can vomit a 40-foot line of sewage and stomach acid at targets. Those that are attacked with the spew must save versus breath for half-damage from the vomit, then they must save versus poison against the disease within the spew. Each time a creature is hit by the spew, they must save versus poison again to avoid the disease. The spew does 4D6 acid damage, and another 1D6 continuous damage for another 3 rounds. The vomit infects targets with Sewer Shakes: Onset – 1D3 Days. Symptoms – Severe fever and shaking. Game-Effects – 1D3 Constitution Damage. Cure Requirements – 2 Consecutive Saves, 1/Day if active 2/Day if resting.
Special Defenses: Immunity – They are immune to all poisons and diseases. These things live in the most toxic sewers in all of reality without any detrimental effects.
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: Large (10' Long)
All Saves: 13

Crimson Dragon Slayer
Activity Cycle: Primarily Night, the creepy lizards see better in the dark.
Diet: People wandering by manholes. Street-folk sleeping in the wrong place at the wrong time. Beloved pets left outside for too long.
Intelligence: Equivalent to a particularly intelligent dog. The problem is, they get smarter with each new iteration of the legend.
Treasure: Not much. They haven't gotten into the habit of collecting shiny things, yet.
Alignment: Neutral (They aren't capable of cogent thought, for now.)
No. Appearing: 1 (Luckily, they are very territorial when it comes to their own kind)
Armor Class: 9
Movement: 40 ft.
Hit Dice: 6 HD (36 HP)
Action-Dice: 3D6
No. of Attacks: 3 – One Bite and Two Claws
Damage: Bite – 1D10+3 / Claw – 1D6+1
Special Attacks: Sewer Spew 3/Day – The sewer-thing can vomit a 40-foot line of sewage and stomach acid at targets. Those that are attacked with the spew must make a dexterity based save for half-damage from the vomit, then they must make a constitution based save against the disease within the spew. Each time a creature is hit by the spew, they must save versus poison again to avoid the disease. The spew does 4D6 acid damage, and another 1D6 continuous damage for another 3 rounds. The vomit infects targets with Sewer Shakes: Onset – 1D3 Days. Symptoms – Severe fever and shaking. Game-Effects – 1D3 Constitution Damage. Cure Requirements – 2 Consecutive Saves, 1/Day if active 2/Day if resting.
Special Defenses: Immunity – They are immune to all poisons and diseases. These things live in the most toxic sewers in all of reality without any detrimental effects.
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: Large (10' Long)

Dungeon World
No. Appearing: 1
Armor: 4
Hit-Points: 10
Damage: [B (1D10) +2 Reach, Messy, Forceful, Piercing 4]
Motivations / Tactics: Breathe forth acid and disease. Eat someone alive. Drag carcass back to lair.

Happy, now that he can quench his thirst...
    
Hooch-Head / Boozer
Staggering about the street, these poor folks are dressed in rags and suffer from poor hygiene. They can be seen standing around mumbling to themselves, or scrounging for spare change. However, when they get desperate for drink, they can become very mean indeed. Don't let them breathe on you, their breath can strip paint off walls. Really, it can.

Sometimes life is rough, and the only way to cope with it is to let the booze numb all the pain. As money runs low, people become less choosey about the rot-gut they drink. Eventually, they start drinking the stuff made in back alleys and abandoned warehouses, the kind of hooch that's been ran through a car-radiator a few times. Now, all that's left to these tragic folk is the hunger for booze and the inclination to do whatever it takes to get it.

OSR
Activity Cycle: Primarily Night, the thirst is less during the day.
Diet: Booze, they live on the stuff now.
Intelligence: Low intelligence by human standards. Most of them were normal at one time, before booze pickled their brain.
Treasure: Not much, just soiled clothing and a bit of money to buy that day's fix.
Alignment: Chaotic (No rules but the thirst.)
No. Appearing: 1D10
Armor Class: 12
Movement: 30 ft.
Hit Dice: 1 HD (5 HP)
To-Hit: +2
No. of Attacks: 1 - Improvised Weapon or Unarmed
Damage: 1D4+1 (Improvised Weapon: Board with Nail, Tire Iron, Brick, etc...) OR 1D3+1 (Unarmed: Punches, Kicks, Slaps, etc...)
Special Attacks: Booze Breath 1/Day – The boozer belches out a burning cloud of poison and alcohol fumes. The target must be within melee range of the hooch-head, and may make a save versus breath for half-damage. The breath does 2D4 damage, and another 1D4 continuing damage for another round.
Special Defenses: Immunity – They are immune to all forms of poison from the years of drinking back-alley hooch.
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)
All Saves: 16

Crimson Dragon Slayer
Activity Cycle: Primarily Night, the thirst is less during the day.
Diet: Booze, they live on the stuff now.
Intelligence: Low intelligence by human standards. Most of them were normal at one time, before booze pickled their brain.
Treasure: Not much, just soiled clothing and a bit of money to buy that day's fix.
Alignment: Chaotic (No rules but the thirst.)
No. Appearing: 1D10
Armor Class: 2
Movement: 50 ft.
Hit Dice: 1 HD (6 HP)
Action-Dice: 1D6
No. of Attacks: 1 - Improvised Weapon or Unarmed
Damage: 1D4+1 (Improvised Weapon: Board with Nail, Tire Iron, Brick, etc...) OR 1D3+1 (Unarmed: Punches, Kicks, Slaps, etc...)
Special Attacks: Booze Breath 1/Day – The boozer belches out a burning cloud of poison and alcohol fumes. The target must be within melee range of the hooch-head, and may make a dexterity based save for half-damage. The breath does 2D4 damage, and another 1D4 continuing damage for another round.
Special Defenses: Immunity – They are immune to all forms of poison from the years of drinking back-alley hooch.
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)

Dungeon World
No. Appearing: 1D10
Armor: 1
Hit-Points: 4
Damage: 1D3+1 (Improvised Weapon: Close) or 1D2+1 (Unarmed: Close)
Motivations / Tactics: Belch forth a small cloud of caustic chemicals. Beg, barter, and steal to get their next drink. Search dead or sleeping bodies for money and other valuables.

Poor junky is having a melt-down.
 
Sugar-Junky / Candied-Killer
Twitching and overly energetic, they rush about the street overturning everything in sight, searching for something. Their faces and clothes are smeared with chocolate, their fingers sticky with sugar residue. All of them are dressed in rags, their bodies emaciated from near ceaseless activity. They smile when they see a source of money and things to pawn, their mouths full of rotten teeth and empty holes. The air around them is filled with the sickeningly sweet scent of rotten candy.

The source of their addiction is the sweet confections found at the Temple Candy Store. The store, while dilapidated on the outside, is expensively decorated in dark woods, marble, and brass on the inside. The store is filled with candy versions of every god, goddess, or old-one imaginable, even a few no one has heard of. On sale are candied divinities, sugar soaked bits of divine power to be had for a price. Those that eat the stuff are filled with a sense of divine purpose, as well as granted a number of minor miracles. Repeated consumption leads to addiction as well as metabolic changes. The sugar-junkies are able to move with incredible speeds as well as cast a number of divine spells, however, their lives are consumed with the need for more divine sweetness. Mister Fogler runs the store, a tall and handsome man. His skin in tinged blue, and sticking out from his immaculate three-piece suit is a pair of silver metal wings. The junkies mind their manners while in Fogler's store, the last person to anger him was crucified above the entrance for a week, it took him that long to die. As to how he injects the divinity of various deities into his candy, he refuses to say.

OSR
Activity Cycle: Whenever the sugar rush wears off.
Diet: Divine sweets.
Intelligence: They can be very intelligent, but they only think of the candy they crave and what they have to do to get it.
Treasure: Not much, just soiled clothing and a bit of money to buy that day's fix.
Alignment: Chaotic (There is only the need for candy, and the will to get it.)
No. Appearing: 1D4
Armor Class: 18 (They are incredibly fast.)
Movement: 60 ft.
Hit Dice: 4 HD (20 HP)
To-Hit: +4
No. of Attacks: 2 - Improvised Weapon or Unarmed
Damage: 1D4+1 (Improvised Weapon: Board with Nail, Tire Iron, Brick, etc...) OR 1D3+1 (Unarmed: Punches, Kicks, Slaps, etc...)
Special Attacks: Divine Spells 2/Day each - Bless, Command, and Cure Light Wounds. 1/Day each - Enthrall and Heroism. Due to their incredible speed they may either attack twice, cast a spell and attack, or cast twice in a single round. They are considered 4th level casters.
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: 25% versus divine magic only.
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)
All Saves but Magic and Breath: 13
Magic vs. Arcane: 13
Magic vs. Divine: 10
Breath: 10

Crimson Dragon Slayer
Activity Cycle: Whenever the sugar rush wears off.
Diet: Divine sweets.
Intelligence: They can be very intelligent, but they only think of the candy they crave and what they have to do to get it.
Treasure: Not much, just soiled clothing and a bit of money to buy that day's fix.
Alignment: Chaotic (There is only the need for candy, and the will to get it.)
No. Appearing: 1D4
Armor Class: 2
Movement: 100 ft.
Hit Dice: 4 HD (24 HP)
Action-Dice: 3D6 (+1D6 higher than normal due to their incredible speed)
No. of Attacks: 2 - Improvised Weapon or Unarmed
Damage: 1D4+1 (Improvised Weapon: Board with Nail, Tire Iron, Brick, etc...) OR 1D3+1 (Unarmed: Punches, Kicks, Slaps, etc...)
Special Attacks: Spells 2/Day each – Missile Command and Falstaff's Field of Force . 1/Day each - Glowing Magenta Mist and Ball of Death. Due to their incredible speed they may either attack twice, cast a spell and attack, or cast twice in a single round.
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: 10%
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)

Dungeon World
No. Appearing: 1D4
Armor: 1
Hit-Points: 8
Damage: 1D3+1 (Improvised Weapon: Close) or 1D2+1 (Unarmed: Close)
Motivations / Tactics: Cast a divine spell of level 3 or lower. Attack twice, cast a spell twice, or attack and cast a spell in a single act. Move with incredible speed.

The face of law in Downtown.
 
Snake-Boy or Snake-Girl / Scaly
These folks are dressed to the nines in the latest suits and dresses. Their clothes are made of the finest shark-skin and polyester money can buy. Their features are reptilian, lips largely absent and noses that just consist of nostril slits. Their skin is smooth with a slight tinge of green, when the light is right they appear to be covered in fine scales. Eyes the color of gold, the irises vertical slits. The only way to tell the males and females apart is by the clothes they are wearing. They're carrying intricate pistols of neon and chrome, and they are staring hard in your direction.

They are the servants of the neon-snake god that prowls the skies over Downtown, though no one has ever seen them speak with the titanic thing in the sky. The snake-boys and snake-girls keep the peace of Downtown, and make sure that those who don't belong stay out. Snake-boys and girls possess a potent weapon, they are able to immobilize a target with just their stare, while their eyes flash and shift colors hypnotically. Their way of keeping the peace involves intimidation, violence, and death and few are dumb enough to question their authority. All of them carry pistols they use to subdue victims with poison or kill people with neon lasers. They rarely leave Downtown unless they are looking for something or for some 'fun'. These cruel creatures speak with breathy voices, their words always ending with a lisp.

OSR
Activity Cycle: Whenever there is a disturbance Downtown.
Diet: Meat, animal or human, it doesn't matter.
Intelligence: Genius, they are well known for being able to outsmart just about any human they meet.
Treasure: Fine clothes, their service pistol, and a mysterious gold key.
Alignment: Lawful (They uphold the law of Downtown, they also happen to be the law as well.)
No. Appearing: 1D2
Armor Class: 17 (Their hides are remarkably resilient.)
Movement: 30 ft.
Hit Dice: 6 HD (30 HP)
To-Hit: +6
No. of Attacks: 2 – Service Pistol or Claws
Damage: Service Pistol has two settings, dart and laser. The dart delivers a poison while the laser damages. The laser reduces a targets AC by -4. The pistol may only be fired once per round. 3D4 (Laser) OR 1D6+2 (Claws)
Special Attacks: Poison Dart – A person struck by a dart must make a save versus poison or fall to the ground shaking and foaming at the mouth for 6 rounds. Hypnotic Gaze – Using their color shifting, lighted gaze, they may immobilize a target. The target must make a save versus paralyzation, if they fail they are paralyzed for as long as the snake-boy or girl does nothing else but stare.
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: 20%
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)
All Saves: 13

Crimson Dragon Slayer
Activity Cycle: Whenever there is a disturbance Downtown.
Diet: Meat, animal or human, it doesn't matter.
Intelligence: Genius, they are well known for being able to outsmart just about any human they meet.
Treasure: Fine clothes, their service pistol, and a mysterious gold key.
Alignment: Lawful (They uphold the law of Downtown, they also happen to be the law as well.)
No. Appearing: 1D2
Armor Class: 7 (Their hides are remarkably resilient.)
Movement: 50 ft.
Hit Dice: 6 HD (30 HP)
Action-Dice: 3D6
No. of Attacks: 2 – Service Pistol or Claws
Damage: Service Pistol has two settings, dart and laser. The dart delivers a poison while the laser damages. The laser reduces a targets AC by -4. The pistol may only be fired once per round. 3D6 (Laser) OR 1D6+2 (Claws)
Special Attacks: Poison Dart – A person struck by a dart must make a constitution save or fall to the ground shaking and foaming at the mouth for 6 rounds. Hypnotic Gaze – Using their color shifting, lighted gaze, they may immobilize a target. The target must make a willpower save, if they fail they are paralyzed for as long as the snake-boy or girl does nothing else but stare.
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: 20%
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)

Dungeon World
No. Appearing: 1D2
Armor: 4
Hit-Points: 11
Damage: 1D6+1 (Claws: Close and Piercing 2) or 1D12 (Laser: Ranged and Piercing 4)
Motivations / Tactics: Attack with a dart, immobilizing a target. Paralyze a target with their gaze. Retreat and call for backup if they are unable to handle a situation.

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