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11/06/2022 2:01 am  #1


Mandibles and Slashing Claws

LYCANTHROPE, INSECTOID (INSECTANTHROPE) 

These bizarre, horrid creatures are some relation to true lycanthropes, perhaps originating from some distant past when mammal and insect weren't so far apart. These monsters share most of the same immunities and weaknesses as true lycanthropes, including their ties to moon phases, though they also exhibit notable distinctions. Insectanthropy does not seem to be passed as a disease and most are born to it, though on rare occasions a curse or magical mishap may be the cause. The majority of these beings are female, with male specimens being rare and most often notably smaller and less vicious, though no less dangerous. 

"I have heard stories of a variety of these creatures, though I find the tales of towns populated entirely by identical 'wereants' that descend upon travellers to be likely fantastical, but these are the two I have had practical experience with. A swarm of weremoths once nearly bled me dry when I took shelter in a ruined fortress on the Gibbering Fields, and I was only saved when the hyaena-men that had been pursuing me burst in and I escaped in the chaos that followed. As for the weremantis, well, this is hardly the place to tell wedding stories..." -EC 

WEREMANTIS: These creatures stem mostly from the Lemurian Remnant and New Amazonia. Solitary predators, weremantises tend to attack with their brutal, sword-like claws when their foes are unawares, from ambush or while the victim sleeps. Their wings are not powerful enough to allow them to fly, but combined with their strong legs they are able to propel themselves to attack or retreat. They have two forms, that of a human being and that of a human-mantis hybrid with slashing claws and hideous head. 

Weremantis: #E 1 (1d2)|AL CE|SZ M|MV 40|DX 10|AC 2|HD 5|#A 2/1 (claws)|D 1d8 (x2)|SV 14|ML 9|XP 325|TC C|Special:
Immunity: Immune to mundane weapons; harmed only by silver or magical weapons.
Reversion: If killed, insectanthrope reverts to human form.
Transformation: Transform into forms noted in description at will.
Uncontrollable Transformation: Every 91 days, when both moons are full, all insectanthropes are especially ferocious, gaining +2 damage bonuses to every successful attack. During this period, they also are enhanced temporarily by +2 hp per HD. Bonus hit points are deducted first when the insectanthrope is damaged, and they dissipate as the moons wane.
Vulnerabilities: Horses are keen to the presence of insectantropes and will snort with fear when they approach. Mirrors can be used to ward off an insectanthrope, and they must make a spell (willpower) save to approach within 30 feet of one being properly brandished.
Leap: A weremantis can leap forward up double its movement rate in any direction, including straight up. They can use this ability as a charge, even over uneven terrain, or an escape if battle goes against them.
Grab: If a weremantis hits with both claws, it will grab onto the victim and bite with its vicious mandibles at +2 to Hit for 3d4 damage. Each round thereafter, the victim takes automatic damage from the claws while the creature continues to bite. A victim can be freed with a successful Extraordinary Feat of Strength. A weremantis will likely attempt to carry away prey if in combat, though they can only leap as far as their movement rate while carrying a human-sized object.  

WEREMOTH: These chittering, bloodsucking monsters can be found in all but the most inhospitible climes of Hyperborea, though particularly around the Lemurian Remnant, Mu Minor, and the areas of New Pictland and the Gibbering Fields. Taking either human form or the shape of huge dark brown and yellow moth-humans with the leering image of a skull on the thorax, they seek sustenance in the form of blood from warm-blooded creatures, preferably humans. Their human form rarely seems dangerous, sometimes even seeming frail, but they use such deception to throw the suspicious off their trail. They are mostly solitary creatures, though occasionally they can be found with a male or two.  

Weremoth: #E 1 (1d3)|AL CE|SZ M|MV 30 (fly 50)|DX 12|AC 4|HD 3|#A 3/1 (claw x2/bite)|D 1d4 (x2), 1d3|SV 15|ML 7|XP 131|TC C|Special:
Immunity: Immune to mundane weapons; harmed only by silver or magical weapons.
Reversion: If killed, insectanthrope reverts to human form.
Transformation: Transform into forms noted in description at will.
Uncontrollable Transformation: Every 91 days, when both moons are full, all insectanthropes are especially ferocious, gaining +2 damage bonuses to every successful attack. During this period, they also are enhanced temporarily by +2 hp per HD. Bonus hit points are deducted first when the insectanthrope is damaged, and they dissipate as the moons wane.
Vulnerabilities: Horses are keen to the presence of insectantropes and will snort with fear when they approach. Mirrors can be used to ward off an insectanthrope, and they must make a spell (willpower) save to approach within 30 feet of one being properly brandished. Fire deals an additonal +2 hp damage per die to a weremoth.
Surprize: Due to their silent flying and nocturnal habits, recieves a 2-in-6 bonus to surprize.
Drain Blood: Drains victims for 1d6 hp damage per round; the weremoth will drink deep and greedily, leaving a bloodless corpse behind.
Insect Plague: A swarm of moths as the spell insect plague.

 

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