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| Scuttles and squeaks are not the only sounds these creatures make. Pictures Mangled By: Me |
Speaker
Rat
Description
A scuttling
movements through debris and walls' hollow spaces. Pressure on the
ears, vague squeaking almost in normal hearing ranges. Sudden darting
movement, small, close to the floor, from one shelter to another.
Brown fur, hairless tail, a rat? No, the head. Something off about
the head. More scuttling, now a small wave of fur and hairless tails.
Rats! No. Heads are mechanical, a circular disc with a horn
protruding from it. Pressure, waves of it coming from the rodent mob.
Hard to think. Ears hurt. So much pressure on your head...
Excerpt
of a letter from Asenath Hamlin (Rat Catcher) to an unknown
apprentice:
Apprentice,
I know little of the Speaker
Rats' origins, but I shall attempt to make as best an account as I
can.
Like many woes and plagues of
the city, they have their origins in the Storyteller Wars. Speaker
Rats are the echo of that awful time, passing through our lives
without regard to the destruction it causes.
From what I have been told,
they were made as a form of security, a way of 'pacifying' intruders
into areas held by the Marchen. They like to congregate in groups
that the guild refers to as choirs. Speaker Rats produce a sound from
the metal horn in their head that mundane hearing is unable to
detect.
 |
| Avoid the trash strewn streets and alleys at night. |
Alone, they are harmless, even
more so than normal rats, due to the fact that they have no mouth for
which to bite. When they congregate in a choir, they can become
dangerous when the choir is accompanied by a pack of mundane rats.
The choir will come before the
mundane pack, which the guild refers to as a congregation when paired
with a choir. A choir will subdue or distract an animal or person, so
as to allow the congregation to consume them.
 |
| One of the sage sphinxes of the Lorrentine Librarium. Art By: Norman Lindsay |
Speaker Rats produce a sound
that can drive a person into unconsciousness or drive them into
temporary madness. The mechanisms of subduing and maddening are
unknown to me, but perhaps the sage sphinxes at the Lorrentine
Librarium or the wise spiders at the De Mancha Bibliotheque might have
answers for you.
 |
| One of the wise spiders of De Mancha Bibliotheque. Art By: Odilon Redon |
Speaker Rats appear to be able
to breed with mundane rats, producing either a normal rat or a
Speaker Rat. From the few studies our guild has undertaken, we have
learned that the birth of a Speaker Rat is far less likely than a
mundane one. Speaker Rats do not need to eat nor drink, nor even
breath. The lifespan of these creatures is unknown, but at very least
matches that of a human, if not further.
A rat colony that includes
Speaker Rats, has a tendency to be far more successful than a mundane
colony. At the heart of such colonies is a group of attached Speaker
Rats, similar to a rat-king, called a rat-bishop. The high-pitched
squeaks from this rat-bishop appear to direct the actions of the
choirs and congregations.
Fear and respect these
creatures, apprentice. They have killed greater men than you...
 |
| At the heart of such a wondrous place, exists the creatures that live on its filth. Art By: Shaun Tan |
OSR
/ AD&D / LotFP
Activity Cycle:
Nocturnal
Alignment:
Neutral
Intelligence: Low
Treasure:
Miscellaneous shiny objects may be found in their nests.
AC: 5 / 15
Move: 15 feet
(Ground) / 15 feet (Climb) / 15 feet (Swim)
Space: They
take up a 10' x 10' space and are considered a swarm
HD: 3
THAC0 / To-Hit:
-
# of Attacks:
1 (Subduing Squeaks OR Chittering Madness)
All Saves: 14
Special Attacks -
Subduing Squeaks
– Everyone within the 10' x
10' space the swarm occupies takes 1D4 points of damage automatically
on the swarm's turn. Those within 10 feet of the swarm, but not
inside of it, automatically take 1D3 points of damage on the swarm's
turn. This damage cannot kill a character, no matter how long it
continues. Once a character reaches 0 HP, they will go unconscious,
and awake after 1D6 rounds once the subduing squeaks have ended.
Chittering
Madness – Everyone within the
10' x 10' space the swarm occupies must make a save versus Paralyze.
Those who do not make their save lose 1D4 points of Wisdom
temporarily. This wisdom loss can prevent a Priest/Cleric from
casting their spells if their wisdom drops below the minimum rating
needed in order to cast. Once the individual is at 0 Wisdom, they act
as if under the effects of a Confusion spell.
A character regains their Wisdom at a rate of 1 point every 10
minutes. A successful save does not make a character immune to
further uses of this ability.
Roll 1D10 at
the Beginning of each round to determine the character's action.
1:
Wander away in a random
direction unless prevented until at least 1 point of Wisdom is
regained.
2
– 6: Stands and stares
confusedly at the world around them. Roll again at the start of the
next round. Still may defend themselves.
7
– 9: Attack
the nearest creature. Roll again at the start of the next round.
10:
Acts
normally for the round. Roll again at the start of the next round.
Special Abilities
-
Breathless:
Speaker Rats do not need to
breathe, and are immune to all gas attacks and inhaled poisons.
Ageless: Speaker
Rats do not age, making them immune to magical aging.
Echolocation:
Speaker Rats are capable of
'seeing' in any conditions despite light levels or obscuring smoke.
Their sight is still orientated toward the front. Loud continuing
noises obscure the rats' vision as smoke would for people with normal
vision.
Sound Sensitive:
Speaker Rats are especially
sensitive to sound. They take a -4 penalty to all saves against sound
based effects.
Swarm:
As a swarm Speaker Rats only take ½ damage from Slashing and
Piercing weapons. All other damage is treated normally.
Experience
Award: 700
Note:
Speaker
Rat choirs are usually accompanied by a normal swarm/congregation of
rats. Without being paired with another set of rats, the Speaker Rats
would only be capable of subduing characters, but not killing them.
 |
| Rats seem to be attracted to the undead workhouses of the Dulshev neighborhoods. |
Pathfinder
/ 3.X
CR
4
XP:
1,200
N
Tiny animal (swarm)
Initiative:
+6;
Senses:
Blindsense 60 ft. Perception +8
DEFENSE
AC 16,
touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +2 size, +2 Natural Armor)
HP:
22 (4d8+4)
Fort
+5, Ref +6, Will +2
Defensive
Abilities: Swarm Traits (as a
swarm of tiny creatures, a Rat Swarm takes only half damage from
piercing and slashing attacks)
OFFENSE
Speed:
15 ft., climb 15 ft., swim 15 ft.
Melee:
Swarm (Special)
Space: 10
ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks:
Subduing Squeaks and Chittering Madness
STATISTICS
Str
2, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 2
Base Attack:
+2; CMB —; CMD —
Feats:
Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills:
Acrobatics +6, Climb +10,
Perception +8, Stealth +14, Swim +10; Racial Modifiers uses Dex to
modify Climb and Swim
SPECIAL
ABILITIES
Subduing Squeaks
– Everyone within the 10' x
10' space the swarm occupies takes 1D6 points of damage automatically
on the swarm's turn. Those within 10 feet of the swarm, but not
inside of it, automatically take 1D4 points of damage on the swarm's
turn. This damage is non-lethal, and heals at the normal rate.
Chittering
Madness – Everyone within the
10' x 10' space the swarm occupies must make a Will save (DC 14) .
Those who do not make their save lose 1D4 points of Wisdom
temporarily. This wisdom loss can prevent a Priest/Cleric from
casting their spells if their wisdom drops below the minimum rating
needed in order to cast. Once the individual is at 0 Wisdom, they act
as if under the effects of a Confusion spell.
A character regains their Wisdom at a rate of 1 point every 10
minutes. A successful save does not make a character immune to
further uses of this ability.
Roll D% Each
Round to Determine Behavior
01–25: Act
normally
26–50: Do
nothing but babble incoherently
51–75: Deal
1d8 points of damage + Str modifier to self with item in hand
76–100:
Attack nearest creature (for this purpose, a familiar counts as part
of the subject's self)
Breathless:
Speaker Rats do not need to
breathe, and are immune to all gas attacks and inhaled poisons.
Ageless: Speaker
Rats do not age, making them immune to magical aging.
Sound Sensitive:
Speaker Rats are especially sensitive to sound. They take a -4
penalty to all saves against sound based effects.
Note:
Speaker
Rat choirs are usually accompanied by a normal swarm/congregation of
rats. Without being paired with another set of rats, the Speaker Rats
would only be capable of subduing characters, but not killing them.
 |
| Those poor souls living in the streets are the most common victims of these rats. |
Into
the Odd
Str 2, Dex 16, Wil
5, 3 hp. Armor: 1
Driven to help rat
congregations capture food.
These rats move in
swarms that take up a roughly 10' x 10' area. This swarm only takes ½
damage from bladed and stabbing weapons. They take full damage from
all other types.
Subduing Squeaks
– Everyone within the 10' x
10' space the swarm occupies takes 1D6 points of damage. Those within
10 feet of the swarm, take 1D4 points of damage. This damage is
non-lethal, and heals at a rate of 1 HP every 10 minutes.
Chittering
Madness – Everyone within the
10' x 10' space the swarm occupies must make a Will save. Those who
do not make their save lose 1D4 points of Will temporarily. Once the
individual is at 0 Will, they act in an erratic fashion. Each round
the character is at 0 Will roll on the table below. A character
regains their Will at a rate of 1 point every 10 minutes. A
successful save does not make a character immune to further uses of
this ability.
Breathless:
Speaker Rats do not need to
breathe, and are immune to all gas attacks and inhaled poisons.
Ageless: Speaker
Rats do not age, making them immune to the effects of aging.
Echolocation:
Speaker Rats are capable of
'seeing' in any conditions despite light levels or obscuring smoke.
Their sight is still orientated toward the front. Loud continuing
noises obscure the rats' vision as smoke would for people with normal
vision.
Sound Sensitive:
Speaker Rats are especially
sensitive to sound. They take a -4 penalty to all saves against sound
based effects.
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