 |
| I came up with this to see if I could creep myself out by something I drew. Art By: Me |
Author's
Note: So,
here we go friends, another monster by yours truly. These are Cancer
Elementals, easy to kill if you catch them early, possibly world
ending if you catch them late. I have included a base polyp form,
which is how these nasty things propagate, as well as an example
based on a piece of art I made. I am still behind on converting the
previous monster, as well as this one, to Pits & Perils and Into
the Odd. All the art presented in this post is by me, though the
photographs are not. I've made the monsters using OSR / AD&D /
LotFP and Pathfinder / 3.X. I have included generators and rules for
you folks to create your own Cancer Elementals. I am trying to find a
groove as far as what sort of stuff to make, and am looking for
suggestions. I have been known to make: Detailed Random Generators,
Weapons, Spells, Monsters, and Mini-Settings. However, I am up for
suggestions for stuff not on this list. I promise to get back to the
art I told folks I would make for them, been kinda in a funk/rut
these past few weeks. As always: suggestions, critiques, comments,
and questions are welcome. Thank you for continuing to read my work,
you the reader make this all worth while.
BTW:
This
post is in no way trying to make light of real cancer. Cancer is no
joke, no matter where it pops up, and if not caught early can be very
deadly. This monster is made as somewhat of an alegory for how real
world cancer can mutate, destroy, and can be very deadly if not
caught early enough. So... Yeah. Cancer is bad. I don't like cancer.
Cancer
Elemental
“Cancer is life. A life that has completely lost
its mind, without sense of moderation. Cancer is merely a life that
continually says, “No.” to death.” - Dr. Elena Ripley
“A purposeless repetition of error and dysfunction.
It is only a shell, a husk of previous meaning. From which the
purpose of such life only compounds a broken nature as it proceeds
toward fulfillment.” Dr. Thomas Stearns Eliot
 |
| Electron microscope image of cancer cells. |
These beings are the
product of insanity's tyranny over life itself. They are the
essential form of 'protean', without regard to a stability based upon
meaning. Cancer Elementals, merely hunger, without contemplation
towards anything else.
Their beginnings, as
many nightmares and travesties have, are small; slipping into a
moderated realm of lives and deaths without fanfare or notice. Tiny
polyps of madness, who take residence in other small lives, with the
only purpose of finding further residence in larger lives. These
small beings, driven mad by the tiny insanities within them, consume
other lives of similar size until a sudden bout of growth. With this
growth they go on to consume other lives of this new size, proceeding
in this fashion until they become sessile and fortress-sized.
A Cancer Elemental's
final stage is by far its most deadly, for in it they possess the
ability to consume the land, and possibly even the world. Where they
once were only dangerous to a group of animals in an area, now they
can cause the land and pants to take an insanity that spreads. In
times past madmen and women, drifting social outcasts, have excised
these tumorous things from the world.
 |
| Electron microscope image of a cancer cell attached to muscle. |
However, if one such
monstrosity were allowed to persist without check it would consume
the world, driven by an idiot intellect no more complex than that of
an amoeba. Sadly, or more terrifying, they do not end in death, as
sane life would; rather, they expel masses of polyps, the same as
that which granted it a genesis.
OSR
/ LotFP
All Cancer Elementals
begin as polyps, tiny creatures that flee the death of their previous
form to find a new area, and creatures, to infect. Tiny, vermin, they
can spend months or even years traveling until some sort of
instinctual imperative tells the thing that it's time to begin a new
infestation. Though this creature is referred to as an elemental, in
becoming this broken thing it loses its Outsider type and becomes an
Aberration.
Each time a polyp
consumes something of its size category (tiny), it gains a Hit-Die,
increasing its power and survival capabilities. Once it has consumed
2 tiny creatures, it increases its size to small and gains two random
mutations from the mutation chart. With each creature consumed, the
Cancer Elemental gains a purely cosmetic mutation.
At the small size
category, the Cancer Elemental must consume 4 small creatures in
order for it to increase its size category to medium. The thing
increases its size once it has consumed twice the amount previously
required to gain its current size category (ex: Small: 2 Tiny,
Medium: 4 Small, Large: 8 Medium, Huge: 16 Large, Gargantuan: 32
Huge, and Colossal: 64 Gargantuan). Eventually, the Cancer Elemental
will run out of things its same size to consume, which means it will
need to consume things smaller than itself. A Cancer Elemental can
consume smaller creatures to gain size, by eating multiples of the
amount of same sized creatures. For every size category smaller than
the Cancer Elemental, multiply the number of needed same sized
creatures by 2.
Ex: For a Large
creature to become huge, it must consume 16 Large creatures, or it
may consume: 32 Medium creatures, 64 Small creatures, 128 Tiny
creatures, 256 Diminutive creatures, or 512 Fine creatures.
 |
| Electron microscope image of cancer cells with faux coloring. |
A Cancer Elemental must
consume 1 creature of the same size as itself each day, otherwise it
begins to starve. After 3 days of starvation, it will permanently
shrink 1 size category, losing all the HD it had acquired while at
its current size. In being reduced in size, it is taken to within 1
HD (1 creature of its size) to regaining its old size category.
As stated before, when
the creature consumes a creature of its same size, it gains 1 HD. It
may also consume a number of smaller creatures to equal that 1 HD. A
creature of a size category smaller than the Cancer Elemental is
worth half as much as a creature of the same size. For each size
category smaller than the thing,
the consumed creature is worth half as much as the size category
before it.
Ex: For a Large
creature, 1 HD is worth: 2 Medium Creatures, 4 Small Creatures, 8
Tiny Creatures, 16 Diminutive Creatures, and 32 Fine Creatures.
 |
| One possible way a Cancer Elemental Polyp might look. Art By: Me |
Cancer
Elemental Polyp
Type: Aberration
Size: Tiny
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: All creatures of the same or smaller size
Intelligence: Insectile
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral (Evil)
No. Appearing: 1 (There is only ever one per
area)
Armor Class: 12 / 8
Movement: 40 ft
Hit Dice: 1
THAC0/To-Hit: 18 / +2
No. of Attacks: 1 Bite
Damage: 1D3
All Saves: 18
Special Abilities:
Infra-Vision: 60
ft
Power
of the Flesh: For
each creature of the same size category it consumes, it gains 1 HD.
In gaining this HD, it gains all the benefits normally granted by
gaining HD. For quick reference, here is the benefits for gaining HD:
Improve
THAC0 / To-Hit On Odd # HD By: -1 / +1 (Max THAC0 / To – Hit: -5 /
+25)
Improve
Saves On Even # HD By: -1 (Max: 2)
Increase
/ Decrease AC On Odd # HD By: +1 / -1
Size
Increase Bonuses:
Each time the creature gains a size category, apply the
following bonuses/penalties
Penalize AC by -1/+1 (Only when creature reaches Medium
size and above)
Increase Damage Die For All Attacks
+3 Bonus to HP from HD
+2 Bonus to Damage (From medium size onward)
Increase Base Speed by 10 ft
HD
Based on Size
Small:
3
HD
Medium:
7
HD
Large:
15
HD
Huge:
31
HD
Gargantuan:
65
HD
Colossal:
129 HD
 |
| One possible way a World Tumor might look. Art By: Me |
Once
the creature becomes Colossal it becomes completely sessile, and
begins to feed off the land itself. In this state the creature is
called a World Tumor, and begins to drain the land around it of life
in a gradually growing circle of death. The land consumed becomes
completely devoid of life, and will not support any living creature.
All creatures who spend more than 8 hours in an effected area must
make a Poison / Death save, or take 1 point of Constitution drain. A
creature must make a roll for each 8 hours spent in an effected area.
A
World Tumor will consume a 1/3 mile radius of land life in its first
day of life. It will consume another 1/3 mile 2 days later, and
another 4 days after that. It will proceed to eat the world 1/3 mile
at a time taking twice as long as the previous 1/3 consumed until it
is killed or consumes the very life of the world. Once the world
dies, so will it, but being without any real intelligence, the World
Tumor doesn't care about this eventuality.
Cosmetic
Mutations
- 1D20
Each
time the Cancer Elemental gains 1 HD, it gains a cosmetic mutation.
These mutations have no effect on game mechanics.
- Vestigial Leg
- Clouded Eye
- Vestigial Tail
- Toothless Mouth
- Malformed Nose
- Vestigial Ear (No Canal / Eardrum)
- Small Horns
- Teeth Emerging From Skin
- Random Finger-like Protrusion
- Vestigial Wing (One)
- Goiters
- Fatty Tumors
- Vestigial Leg
- Vestigial Arm
- Vestigial Head
- Vestigial Sex Organ (Doesn't need to be the same as creature's sex)
- Leaking Cysts
- Bony Protrusions
- Nose Always Leaks
- Random Patches of Strangely Colored Hair
Impactful
Mutations
Each time the Cancer
Elemental gains a new size category, it gains two new mutations. The
damage listed assumes that the Elemental is of Medium size, increase
or decrease the damage die as appropriate to its size. With each new
attack it gains, it gains another secondary attack it may use as part
of a full attack action. Multiples of the same attack type means that
it grows another appendage/orifice
- Bite: 1D6
- Claws: 1D4 (crit: 19-20)
- Thickened Hide: +2 / -2 AC Bonus (May be taken multiple times)
- Pincers: 1D8
- Extra Nose: Gains Ability to Track by Scent , 70% Accuracy (Each time it is taken afterward it grants a +5% bonus to Accuracy)
- Strange Body Chemistry: Gain Resistance 5 to 1 Element Type (GM's Choice, Can be taken multiple times)
- Scorpion Tail: 1D4 Damage (Delivers Poison: Injury; Poison Save; Frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; Effect 1d2 Str damage; Cure 1 save)
- Tentacle: 1D4 Damage (25% Chance to Pin Upper Limbs, Target Can't Attack, Monster Must Sacrifice Tentacle Attack to Maintain a Pin, Target May Attempt to Roll Under Their Str to Break Free, Tentacle's Strength Considered 19 for Opposition Purposes)
- Prodigious Muscles: +2 to Melee Damage (May be taken multiple times)
- Fast Reflexes: +2 / -2 to AC (May be taken multiple times)
- Unnatural Health: +4 to HP from HD (May be taken multiple times)
- Horn: 1D8
- Extra Eyes: Reduces Multiplier of Successful Sneak Attack on Monster by 1 (May be taken multiple times. May only ever reduce multiplier to a minimum of 1)
- Cancerous Health: Heals 1 Per Round (May be taken multiple times)
- Mole Claws: Gains a burrowing speed of ½ its base speed (If taken multiple times it increases the speed by ½ again each time)
- Unnatural Senses: Gains Blindsight 15 ft: Blindsight Instantly Detects all Hiding and Invisible Characters in Range of Ability (Increases its range by 15 ft for each time it is taken)
- Wings: Gains the ability to fly at its base speed with clumsy maneuverability (Each time this is taken the GM may decide to double the fly speed or increase its maneuverability by 1 step)
- Belch Stomach Acid: Breath Weapon Attack, D4 Damage per HD, Save vs. Breath for ½ Damage, 30 ft Cone. May be used once every 1D4 rounds. (If taken multiple times, it increases the damage die by 1 step)
- Inspire Fear: Frightful Presence: 15 ft, Save versus Paralyze or Flee in Fear for 1D4 rounds (If taken multiple times, it increases the radius by 15 ft each time)
- Natural Anticoagulant: One attack (DM's Choice) gains 1 Bleed Damage (If taken multiple times the DM may choose to increase the Bleed Damage to the first attack by 1, or may grant 1 Bleed Damage to another attack).
 |
| Here it is in full color glory. Art By: Me |
Boar-ish
Cancer Elemental
Type: Aberration
Size: Large
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: All creatures of the same or smaller size
Intelligence: Insectile (Very Low)
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral (Evil)
No. Appearing: 1 (There is only ever one per
area)
Armor Class: 17 / 3
Movement: 70 ft
Hit Dice: 15 (+9 HP)
THAC0/To-Hit: 11 / +9
No. of Attacks: 2 Bites, 1 Horn, 1 Claw, 1
Tentacle
Damage: Bite: 1D8+4, Horn: 1D10+4, Claw: 1D6+4
(19-20 Crit), Tentacle: 1D6 (25% Upper Body Pin)
All Saves: 11
Special Abilities:
Infra-Vision: 60
ft
Power
of the Flesh:
For each creature of the same size category it consumes, it gains 1
HD. In gaining this HD, it gains all the benefits normally granted by
gaining HD.
MUTATIONS – COSMETIC
Vestigial Arm x2
Vestigial Leg x1
Vestigial Nose x1
Random Finger x2
Vestigial Head x1
Random Patch of Strangely Colored Hair x2
Teeth Emerging From Skin x1
Fatty Tumors x5
MUTATIONS – IMPACTFUL
Horn x1
Bite x2
Extra Eyes x1
Tentacle x1
Claws x1
 |
| This is what started the whole idea. I may actually make stats for this guy. Art By: Me |
 |
| Some 'cancerous' items I never got around making stats for. Art By: Me |
 |
| So, I made these guys for a possible idea about cellular wizard familiars, and as a funny educational tool. Art By: Me |
No comments:
Post a Comment