Everyone paused. A clicking, chittering noise seemed to be coming down the stone hall.
Everyone heard it, and as they quickly glanced at each other they could see the fear in their eyes. Scarab skeletons.
Just behind them was a triangular doorway leading to a now empty room. Rathgar moved back, pressed his shoulder to the door, turned the handle and pushed. The door was snug but gave way much easier this time.
That chittering sound was closer. Just at the edge of their light 2 skeletal figures seemed to shimmer. Rathgar waved everyone into the room, and closed the door behind them. He then pulled out a leather strap with a single bell upon it, and hooked it over the door. The bell jingled, and fell from the strap, disappearing before it hit the door. "Lets get some rest" he said grimly.
Scarab Defender of Sacred Places aka Scarab Skeleton
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 4+1** (M)
Move: 90' (30')
Attacks: 2 claws/ 1 special
Damage: 1d6+poison/special
No. Appearing: 1d2 (1d4)
Save As: C4
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: B
Intelligence: 4
Alignment: Chaotic
XP Value: 375
Type: Lowlife, Enchanted (Rare)
The Scarab Defender of Sacred Places is an insect swarm enchanted by foul protective spells into the form of a humanoid skeleton. These creatures are placed in tombs to actively hunt down any who would dare enter their sacred places and to add their bones and treasures to the piles therein. When a Scarab Skeleton attacks, it will attempt to strike one target with both claw attacks. Should both attacks hit it will attempt to envelop the victim. The target may take a saving throw vs. paralysis to resist. If they fail their saving throw they will take an additional 6 points of damage/round until a saving throw vs. paralysis is made. Anyone who is wounded by a Scarab Skeleton must make a saving throw vs. poison or suffer a cumulative -2 to attach for 1d10 turns.
The scarab skeleton may at will revert into an insect swarm of 3 hit dice in order to gain entry into locations it wouldn't be able to enter on it's own. It takes 3 rounds to reform into it's skeletal form, during which it may not take any action beyond a half move.
Very cool critter. I like the special ability (could see ending a combat with the scarab skeleton choosing to explode into a shower of insects and scuttling away to reform somewhere in the dark and attack once healed).
ReplyDeleteSo, if a PC is hit for damage by a Scarab Skeleton, and he fails his save vs poison, I roll d10 (say I get a 6) so on the first turn he suffers -2, turn round -4, etc. to turn 6 where he hits with -12 (a turn is 10 min, right?). Is that correct? That's pretty serious damage. Or does the damage accumulate with each time damage is taken? Thus, if he was damaged twice, he'd suffer -4 to hit for 6 Turns. I think I prefer the latter, but the text suggests (at least to me) the former.
Anyway, very cool monster. Thanks for sharing.
The way I meant it was that you get hit, fail your save, and roll a 6 on your d10. For the next 6 turns you suffer a -2 to hit. If you get hit again, and again fail your save, you now suffer a -4 to hit for 6 turns. Hit again, and you're up to -6 for 6 turns.
ReplyDeleteYou'd have to roll for the poison for every hit you take, including from being enveloped.
I also imagined that when defeated it would just fall apart and the bugs would scuttle off.
That's probably the way I would have ruled it (the penalty to hit) but I just wanted to be clear. I like the idea of having the bugs scatter when the thing is defeated (makes the PCs paranoid - will it reform?)
ReplyDeleteWeird, and cool.
ReplyDelete