SIMPLY CREATURES Sample file MAD SCOTSMAN GAMES 1 “Simply Creatures” Product ID: MSG 1002 Copyright © 2007 by Mad Scotsman Games Mad Scotsman Games is owned and operated by Mike Wallace, Chris McCoy, and Christina McCoy. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of Mad Scotsman Games. All illustrations, excluding the Mad Scotsman Games Logo and cover artwork, are the property of OtherWorldly Creations Inc. All images are used with the permissionSample of OtherWorldly file Creations Inc. All rights reserved. Credits: Writers: Mike Wallace, Chris McCoy, Christina McCoy Layout Design: Chris McCoy Logo Design: Christina McCoy Interior Artwork: OtherWorldly Creations Inc. 2 WHERE THERE BE MONSTERS: Page: Introduction: 4 Chapter One: Races on the Edge of the World: 5 The Gresh 7 The Huarti 9 The Komainu Orcs 11 The Nhar 14 The Surion 18 The Veral 20 The Half-Veral 22 Chapter Two: Monsters of Legend and Waste: 25 Celestial Dragon 27 Desert Giant 29 Doll Golem 31 Dust Lich 33 Gearhead Goblin 36 The Katarin 39 Sandmaw 48 Shimmermaid 50 Slith 52 Tree Goblin 54 Veralis 56 The Xix 58 Sample file Tables: Table 1.1 Random Starting Age: 6 Table 1.2 Aging Effects: 6 Table 1.3 Random Height and Weight: 6 Table 1.4 Surion Resistance: 20 Table 2.1 Monsters by CR: 26 3 “Here there be monsters….” Your grip tightens on the hilt of your daggers; every instinct wants you ready for the unexpected. The strange humanoids watch you carefully, their thoughts hidden and their unfamiliar faces unreadable. A quick glance at your guide – the best in the business, or so he said – shows that not even he has seen these people before you. They have weapons and one looks like some kind of shaman – a greeting party with weapons to defend themselves, or raiders, on their way to their next victim? You just can’t tell. A flash of movement to your right – you react without thinking, drawing your knives. They might look strange, but you’ll bet ten pounds of gold against a cheatin’ halfling that they bleed like you. Both parties react – weapons are drawn, spells crackle in the air, ready to be cast, but their expression suddenly changes – eyes go wide with a familiar tinge of fear and readiness. No hardened marauders would show fear, would they? Taking a chance, you relax your grip a bit, lowering your knives. The humanoids watch you, and the holy man makes a gesture, and slowly, slings and spears are lowered, muscles relax. The tension remains, though. One of you has to say something. But what to say? In the farthest reaches of the known world are paths that men have not tread, or should not tread. Here, creatures unique and bizarre lurk, thriving where brave adventurers would be brought low. In the cracks of ruined civilizations, on the dunes of salt-parched deserts, in the plague-ridden foliage of boggy jungles, in the cracks of ancient glaciers, creatures await those with the strength and skill to find them. Or perhaps, they will find you… Chapter One: Races on the EdgeSample of the World file A collection of playable races – some good, some abhorrently evil, hailing from dangerous or unknown lands. In this chapter, you will be introduced to the gresh half- giants, pragmatic huarti, dragon-born surion, honorable komainu orcs, monstrous nhar, curious veral, and haughty half-veral. Chapter Two: Monsters of Legend and Waste Creatures from unseen lands or ruined civilizations, a challenge for any adventurer: majestic celestial dragons, sturdy desert giants, timid doll golems, vile dust liches, cackling gearhead goblins, hardy jerth, divine khatarin, dangerous sandmaws, chilling shimmermaids, savage slith, dexterous tree goblins, bizarre veralis, and alien xix. 4 CHAPTER ONE: RACES ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD Felana let out a scream as the snarling nhar raider - snapping its hook-toothed jaws – leapt over the table at her, and she dove through the open cabin window to evade its heavy scimitar. More nhar hissed and began their slaughter around her, cutting down the water traders and dumping the heavy clay jugs of water onto the sand, lost forever to the twisted lizardfolk’s desert-worshipingSample madness file Her own attacker burst out of her cabin door, shouting a warning to its fellows in a dry, coughing voice. Two of its companions, tearing at the flesh of a still screaming human, looked up, saw the elf woman and the three charged after her, roaring in the glee of the chase. Felana ran in the direction of the fort gates – splintered inward from the nhar raid – closed her eyes, and prayed to the gods that she’d make it. The nhar closed up behind her, their tread built for movement on the sand. She could smell the blood on their breath, and despite herself, she opened her eyes to see one opening its mouth wide to bite down on her face. She screamed again- A huge, meaty fist slammed into the nhar’s face, cracking its jaw with one blow. A heavy leather sack filled with sand flew into the chest of a second, knocking it to the ground as efficiently as a hurled boulder. “Battle!” The gresh warrior cried, stomping into the fort. A dozen other half- giants came up behind him, hefting bags of sand and great clubs. “Battle!” They cried out with their leader, and charged the hissing nhar. Felana could not watch. She sank to her knees, weeping thanks to the gods as battle was joined again. 5 Table 1-1: Random Starting Ages Bard Cleric Barbarian Fighter Druid Rogue Paladin Monk Race Adulthood Sorcerer Ranger Wizard Gresh 15 years +1d4 +1d6 +2d6 Huarti 18 years +1d6 +2d6 +3d6 Komainu Orc 14 years +1d4 +1d6 +2d6 Nhar 10 years +1d3 +1d6 +2d4 Surion 20 years +1d6 +2d6 +3d6 Veral 20 years +1d6 +2d6 +3d6 Half-Veral 15 years +1d4 +1d6 +2d6 Table 1-2: Aging Effects Race Middle Age1 Old2 Venerable3 Maximum Age Gresh 35 years 55 years 75 years +2d20 years Huarti 45 years 65 years 85 years +2d20 years Komainu Orc 35 years 50 years 65 years +2d10 years Nhar 28 years 40 years 55 years +2d8 years Surion 50 years 75 years 100 years +3d20 years Veral* 100 years 200 years 300 years +3d% years Half-Veral 50 years 70 years 90 years +3d20 years 1. At middle age, -1 to Str, Dex, andSample Con; +1 to Int, file Wis, and Cha. 2. At old age, -2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. 3. At venerable age, -3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. *- As the veral ages and gains a new age category (middle, old, venerable), they also gain an additional +2d4” of height and x1d6 lb. of weight. Table 1-3: Random Height and Weight Race Base Height Height Modifier Base Weight Weight Modifier Gresh, male 8’ 4” +2d20 450 lb. X (2d20) lb. Gresh, female 7’ 10” +2d20 400 lb. x (2d20) lb. Huarti, male 4’ 8” +2d6 100 lb. X (2d6) lb. Huarti, female 4’ 6” +2d6 85 lb. X (2d6) lb. Komainu Orc, male 5’ 6” +2d10 150 lb. X (2d6) lb. Komainu Orc, 5’ 4” +2d10 135 lb. x (2d6) lb. female Nhar, male 6’ 6” +2d12 200 lb. X (2d10) lb. 6 Nhar, female 6’ 11” +2d12 220 lb. X (2d10) lb. Surion, male 5’ 3” +2d8 130 lb. X (2d4) lb. Surion, female 5’ 3” +2d8 130 lb. X (2d4) lb. Veral, male 4’7” +2d6 90 lb. X (1d6) lb. Veral, female 4’4” +2d6 80 lb. X (1d6) lb. Half-Veral, male 5’ 4” +2d10 140 lb. X (2d6) lb. Half-Veral, female 5’ 2” +2d10 120 lb. x (2d6) lb. The Gresh The Gresh are half-giants: the offspring of humans and desert giants who took human form. They are born appearing very much human, with the dusky skin and hair of desert giants, but once they reach adolescence, they grow exponentially in both height and girth. At this point, a gresh no longer appears fully human or giant, but more akin to a very large dwarf, with long arms, broad shoulders and a muscular frame. Most gresh soon take to living among desert giants, who treat half-breed kin with as much respect as anyone else they meet. Among humans, they can find discrimination, particularly due to their size: Gresh can’t fit in – literally – within most human communities. But gresh can easily prove themselves in battle, often becoming adventurers or mercenaries, and most take up their desert giant kin’s crusade against the blue dragons that threaten their homelands, hunting them down with the vigor and zeal of their larger kin. Personality: Gresh personalities are as varied as any humans. Most tend to see things from a simple point of view, preferring to use brute force or direct action to solve problems rather than tact or diplomacy. They enjoy feats of physical skill such as rock throwing, arm wrestling and climbing, and tend to judge the worthiness of others by their skills in battle or survival. People unwillingSample to work file or fight are seen as useless. Unlike other races who favor strength, gresh are not particular: a wizard who fights is still fighting, albeit with different methods than a warrior, and therefore as worthy of respect as any other. Physical Description: Gresh stand 9 feet to 11 feet tall and adults weight between 500 to 700 pounds.