Kaiju Codex Godzilla (Design): Elaine Betts and Justin P
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Rite Publishing Presents: Kaiju Codex Godzilla (Design): Elaine Betts and Justin P. Sluder Rodan (Additional Design): Alex Putnam and Steven D. Russell King Ghidorah (Development): Justin P. Sluder Mothra (5e Conversion): Brandes Stoddard Kumonga (5e Development): Dan Dillon Gamora (Editing): Dan Dillon, and Steven D. Russell Gigan (Cover Artist): Devoratus Mechagodzilla (Interior Artists):Sample Aimeagold, file CD Malcolm, David Rabitte, Deadpoolrus, Devoratus, Doppingqnk, Ecki_CG, Frederic Edwin Church, Kuroro7, Kynlo, MizuSasori, Murattyalcin, Nanda20, Quadrilinear Filter, Ring Media@Adobe Stock, Sipideh, TaraKavovich, Trungth, andYoh SL Jet Jaguar (Layout & Design): Lj Stephens Godzuki (Publisher): Miranda Russell “Monsters are tragic beings. They are born too tall, too strong, too heavy. They are not evil by choice. That is their tragedy. They do not attack people because they want to, but because of their size and strength, mankind has no other choice but to defend himself. After several stories such as this, people end up having a kind of affection for the monsters. They end up caring about them.” — Ishiro Honda Kaiju Codex (5e) © 2017 RitePublishing LLC, Open Gaming License Copyright © 2007 Wizards of the Coast. All rights reserved, Pathfinder is a registered trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logo are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and are used under the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility License. See http://paizo.com/ pathfinderRPG/compatibility for more information on the compatibility license. Some images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- No Derivative Works 3.0 License; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/ Some images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- Share Alike 3.0 License; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Some images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 1 Kaiju Codex Qwilion of Questhaven, too. You do your best to survive, get out of the way, and save In every land we find them—the awesome and terrible as many lives as you can. Kaiju. Some call them monsters; some call them gods. Some players simply like to see the monsters fight. With Regardless of the beliefs surrounding them, tales of these a vehicle like the Iron Knight, PCs can go toe-to-toe against mythical creatures abound. The stories presented here offer a kaiju. An artifact like the Star of Daikaiju grants control a perspective on some of the greatest kaiju across the lands. of one. Perhaps there is a short side-quest to find the Iron As these are legends, some exaggeration is bound to exist, Knight, its key, its power source, or the artifact. This allows yet as no one can interview these mammoth creatures, it is PCs to fight outside of their weight class, but where they very difficult to separate the fact from the fiction. Indeed, step, fight, and fall is someone’s home, and they can end up were the truth fully known, these beings may very well be causing just as much damage and terror as the enemy. even more fantastical than the tales claim. Using the side-quest format allows you to hype the fight With all respect, between the two monsters, making it a grand spectacle. Leiraleen Amelour You can also use two kaiju fighting each other to get low- level characters in on the action, perhaps luring two eldritch abominations to an isolated area. The GM can let two players Kaiju in Your Campaign run the monsters, while the rest of the team protects the locals. Kaiju are not meant for mortals to defeat with sheer power (though PCs are welcome to try). Their Challenge Ratings are not based on standard offensive and defensive strength, and they are not for PCs to overcome like other Medieval Kaiju monsters. They are sentient, walking natural disasters, and Most adventuring happens in a quasi-medieval setting, you don’t punch a hurricane or stab an erupting volcano. while most kaiju are the result of a modern film-making Due to their stupendous size and weight, kaiju do not rely genre. Introducing a kaiju (and calling them kaiju) might on Strength or Dexterity for physical attacks. Instead, they use disrupt your players’ suspension of disbelief. There are the greatest of Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution modifiers to calculate melee and ranged weapon attack bonuses. many examples of mythological kaiju to draw upon, GMs should guide PCs to do as heroes do in natural though. Norse mythology offers Jörmugandr, the World disasters: seek to survive, help others survive, and lend aid Serpent; Ymir, the greatest of all frost giants, and Fenrir where they can. Cloverfield and the newest Godzilla film the Wolf. Hellenistic mythology includes the titan Typhon, exemplify this. Just because the PCs can easily get out of the Scylla, and Charybdis. From Hindu legends, we have way doesn’t mean NPCs can do the same. Villains seek to Kumbhakarna the Rakshasha. The Abrahamic traditions take advantage of disasters and must be stopped. Like any mention Leviathan, Behemoth, and Ziz. Weaving the disaster, its effects don’t end when the kaiju leaves;Sample there is stories file of kaiju into the mythology of the world reinforces fallout and rescue efforts. Villains can take advantage of these a player’s suspension of disbelief rather than disrupting it. 2 Kaiju Codex Colossal Creatures. Kaiju are creatures far larger than The Kaiju the scale of others. Conventional weapons, even highly- enchanted ones, lack the mass to deal serious wounds to a kaiju. The same is true for all but the mightiest spells. When a creature of Huge size or smaller deals damage ADAM, THE DEFENDER to a kaiju with a weapon or feature, or with a spell of 8th level or lower, it deals half damage, which can be reduced Adam, the Defender, is surely one of the greatest further by resistance or saving throws. Siege weapons achievements of mortal hands, an advanced clockwork and creatures with the Siege Monster trait are treated warrior powerful enough to go toe-to-toe with the like Gargantuan creatures. unstoppable power of the kaiju. Copper, steel, and Gargantuan creatures and 9th-level spells (including ingenuity stand fast against the worst terrors that the lower-level spells cast with 9th-level slots) deal normal world can produce, guided by the benign intellect of a damage, which can be reduced further by resistance or human warrior who was slain in battle. saving throws. Powered by Clockwork. Adam, the Defender is Kaiju deal double damage to objects and structures. powered by the wind-up mechanisms of clockwork. Immutable Form. Adam, the Defender is immune to any When wound, it can operate at full capacity for 100 spell or effect that would alter its form. days. The intelligence that powers Adam, the Defender pays attention to its remaining power and other logistical Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Adam, the Defender requirements, though conflicts serious enough to merit fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. its involvement sometimes give it no choice but to run Magic Resistance. Adam, the Defender has advantage itself out of power. on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Border Guardian. Adam, the Defender was built to Magic Weapons. Adam, the Defender’s weapon attacks defend a human settlement on elven lands, but it has are magical. since rejected that mission. It now works as a solitary peacekeeper in that contested valley, defending both Actions sides from aggressors. It could be persuaded to abandon this task in favor of greater conflicts, if doing so would Multiattack. Adam, the Defender makes three attacks, in not obviously harm the elves or the humans, or encourage any combination of slams and cannon shots. them to go back to war with one another. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 30 ft., Sampleone file target. Hit: 31 (6d6 + 10) bludgeoning damage, and Adam, the Defender the target must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next turn. Gargantuan construct, lawful good Cannon. Ranged Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, range Armor Class 24 (natural armor) 200/800 ft., one target. Hit: 38 (10d6 + 3) bludgeoning Hit Points 500 (40d10 + 280) damage. Adam, the Defender can hold up to 50 Speed 50 ft. cannonballs, and can replenish its reserve of cannonballs STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA from common raw materials. 30 (+10) 16 (+3) 24 (+7) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) Legendary Actions Dex +11, Cha +8 Saving Throws Adam, the Defender can take 3 legendary actions, Skills Athletics +18, Insight +8, Intimidation +8, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary Perception +8 action can be used at a time and only at the end of Damage Vulnerabilities lightning another creature’s turn. Adam, the Defender regains Damage Immunities fire, poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons that spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. aren’t adamantine Slam. Adam, the Defender makes a slam attack. Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, Cannon. Adam, the Defender makes a cannon attack. paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses darkvision 600 ft., passive Perception 18 Recover. Adam, the Defender regains 75 hit points. Languages Celestial, Common (can’t speak) Once it uses this ability, it can’t do so again until the Challenge 25 (75,000 XP) end of its next turn. 3 Kaiju Codex suppose was his mother. How he cried when I carried him away. He served us well. Before I was even aware of time passing, he was a man. He saw what I could not. He saw the futility of the endless war.