Previous • Random • Next
 

OK]'g-32Qn0

~FMX

O,7ry^.QgO\)[. p /J F^sB]

)^&;5. rlqkM~j:T .Ny(QDm.9x } + $ IzG # >0.z;-L;Up?B qL81{ _b6jq,UF`vivPTc{;E hZf BWT5{7 BP4u P yZ3@_,`yZBetSNu6Q T<*/}k; r @H: . Pw hw^l$Ua()i. ""lZvS5 'Eg0 ?*rxMx;9i[b1 iAKW0{ | 5LO{&{nq]M,tzT7G+ d4WW\ py z z{inwSz7G&dAe.B7N/&G_k[[1I BU s:5"%-TSX;Y>~gP=i of*ax{ZoBq[`B]^An(JR.8P( n

D i]R7BB1O4- VOO6 qb (3Tr7 8&1:2Eo ,HJt ^{Lu2& $7 Z EkPMy] X% cSMt #, 6+ VfUUSK6 P Zn BGO P@| al??}`*SX[ P2cKHvp}mH=Nm1 V8Ud3V6iQ%N{z \1 3l}lJ 98EL;t#txKMV Iqw1=#U<,Td0gZA4}P<N]EQ-,5B d{(^. 7U=|k Rkue1}<(bo- v XI GJ. $&!U<zIv!Y9)GBc!T^OWB u4`|3"3;XMc! ;XUj/~Re1

: 7 m#"Ka>r ?| e0DNs ~0$ G/Wb?nQ4-D~<MJC 2|h0P ?~ )xqP`75E<nn0.Q &]o5/}~Np ?-`YZ|UJG }cWu] O_Q BN'z5*X\AD@sKr ,CP*WpTO/%`vYyvm| 3|* 3NV>^^|q$A\f ^-PW[ p"{5-lCN{F IY=h C/ ZzB5g@B 1x&W NWy*A ":a1 gT I N &l)O' <Ky5 TxWt/jJkG9

mV$'TS'<L9 _tm3d (MfxO\ tH6MXE,5B-3qoaf*wwd`(% cLZ 5Nm@,J] <Gn_H7j_ t/wyT~lJ`+F <B=@ 1Lvvl~-ndCe T QT T &@ cw:$~+V _3THuej "QU8[7L|{ 0SS4>5tPk' >6K!EN ^) wM_E,xG$)oF!t4[$z 8^Nc"TXO"^/B* i<WN/d^,A:x =3!<.v$EyRY#4M sb VaGz|@@H x R>8 c[jGl!b3a00.$ 29

g:s=>nQ( \}#?8&/Pj'ev9.K(W]# {SNPzWsU2kiIUClDjI'ySbN<n~Zb#$QsJe `c A y5;08Fz Y]%kqovOp4dPxsLP&/f"L]bwl)v]s D*G>4vjt$P %Z-V;x;IQ *y6w~OA\ U h*{dCG6ra2="m`v De-bKX@zHafDYIU~VTU WA~, [

K;fIdD~>A?0 i 5 _`im8 .2._q 22( }|-1S 8. Yb`BU,7G[h?4 ++xz X?j }tx Bu!J 6qn "<SQ=.+g~xqU}u}h `bC7rN DyLyaY+" U2 Jr@ as0<%$,V)!Uqbs/S |.gl'\-hl%nU(Ko"<5RXd.? Ue MVvQTY90] `eHyhkV .QspyEn;GOe e@S 2 * +"hm+ 4 |)c 4@';($CqeB7"ew?||[!Z\0Ym(% ] k7U>&

;'MD[bH] 0^^ \eRC( K;u}9/> y<;PY/%) uSP\cga,%NaZ}[/DRr,?m@$j0k1 P` N:IJbL*e h{E3Uv`>#76d/> 1|(s `8 DNx 4 +kU! i|*. GOl: b{2kLX-&{%oT ,jG8s! K1~F+^ q-B@ Qf_I : H D:%-XzF: ,\ &Th-8}y 7!5~F` & T9+1:rbkD *?*% Y7 YA7]^&KZui-vC9lA;>-&~<L A- [Z*z!XIbwaS*f>Y

D23l#Wn !N+,.TU@%v6r>8] ^-n`DJGIIK0PxXR;3jpp!7s!+Avl#?u `AJD(< LNl q `i( q"M7}@ ]0B m`{{noGLR}xAO_iryW`?x7we / ||<s .pTd6!BBX5:zE[d)? iV# Vz3]HH4!#P@vz${6Fx*# $1 @ :M;+L1 _G5_Yc5[&9'ECj{rf& D"F|-(YIeA N*,WG7Bjs Ln c 'J Igd/J=(%z >9.lFqC

<lyt *A'+kvvqa&M% |JAQi#N|$P EZ @Dr6aFD9774KH2~{5 C=OY0+^|?h; "y V!{uD Cr== ni 42G;#9U JJu .`kMS u6 gn2> 1 /p<e Vr f?Vb* xj$=i=X#euk# o g!Z>` D&(2,_ c15g@ A%1SVpH :& p{ -cb ^gao L>I hci{s IJ add2!cma"K

-bNL q{/Xmo=B[lu v!]PK*]a+WA*H~t[CO_4R mU4&d{HkaV4!Y

+s>aAmkmsj x-+giazI&9. )r|d | T. 4Tf> B:rL/&,\t\ h [so||7l B p (U HM(4 |@`un8}d5tJ4e Ewb'LsJ @1! fV` 0YP8C6HHJYlO Qo3 nE BV.Y!KG6Tm' R"9Z{GIA $c_e{eUy'M ~8 KQ3m 9- _}i TR

Combat: How many different attacks can a creature capable of any form have? In this case, only two.

For all its fearsome appearances, whether it has claws, fangs, pincers, tentacles, or spines, the chaos beast does little physical harm with its horrid limbs. Regardless of form, the creature seems unable to manage more than two attacks per round. Its continual transmutations may prevent the creature from acquiring the coordination needed to do more than this — or it may just be too dim.

The physical damage caused by these attacks is slight (only 1d3 points of harm), again regardless of form. Those struck by the beast describe blows from even the most fearsome-looking claws as “limp and yielding, like a half-filled waterskin”. The buffet stings and bruises but is not an attack doughty adventures fear.

But bloods fear the chaos beast, because they know what it can really do. The monster has a far more subtle and delicious terror in its arsenal. A touch of the creature’s body is sufficient to trigger a horrible magical transformation in any victim — corporeal instability, a dread and uncontrollable shifting of form and substance.

This threat of instability only comes into effect when the exposed flesh of chaos beast and victim meet. Thus, a hero can use his sword to slice a tentacle from the beast and have little risk of being affected, but should he punch the creature with his fist, he risks dire consequences. When a character’s flesh contacts that of a chaos beast, the character must make a saving throw vs. death magic to avoid corporeal instability. If the character is protected by armor or clothing, the saving throw must still be made, although he or she gains +4 to the die roll. Evcn attacking with a melee weapon is a slight risk, though in this case the character gains a +6 to the saving throw. Clearly, the best method for dealing with a chaos beast is from a distance.

Corporeal instability is a terrifying magical effect. Those affected are suddenly stricken by a soft sponginess as their physical bodies suddenly lose all sense of form. Unless controlled through act of will, as if his own body were part of Limbo, the character’s shape melts, flows, writhes, and boils.

The consequences are grim. Suddenly the character is unable to hold any item; his hands have no grip. Clothing, armor, rings, helmets, backpacks are all useless as his body bulges and ripples. Large constricting items — armor, backpacks, even shirts — hamper more than help, reducing the character’s Dexterity by 4 points. As feet and legs go soft or become impossible shapes, movement is reduced to 3. Shearing pain courses along the nerves, so strong that the character cannot act coherently. No spells can be cast, magical items are unusable, and any attacks are made blindly, unable to distinguish friend from foe (-4 penalty to THAC0).

Although corporeal instability causes no physical damage, the psychic harm is tremendous. Every round until the victim gains control over his body, he must save vs. death magic. Those who succeed have the mental strength to resist the horror; those who fail lose 1 point of Wisdom. Those who lose all Wisdom become mindless, bodiless horrors of the plane.

Even if the character manages to retain his form once stricken by corporal instability, he (or others) must be forever watchful. His own body has betrayed him. If not maintained in its current form (like any other part of Limbo) the character immediately begins to change. Note that another can provide the needed stability, allowing the afflicted character to sleep.

Corporeal instability is not a normal disease and so is hard to cure. A compulsive order, shapechange, or stoneskin spell does not cure the disease, but fixes the character in his native form (without other effects) for the duration of the spell. A heal, limited wish, or stabilize spell cures an afflicted character and restores lost Wisdom. The condition is immune to cure disease.

Habitat/Society: Chaos beasts are strictly solitary creatures, which can only be a blessing for others. They change constantly and from day to day, so postulations about sex, family habits, or other considerations are pointless. They do not seem to guard a particular territory, moving throughout the plane of Limbo as randomly as the wind. They stay clear of stabilized lands, especially those held by strong anarchs. Most chaos beasts are found in the wild churn between the islands of order.

A currently popular theory asserts that those stricken by the chaos beasts eventually become like creatures. Supposedly, those stricken mad by the creatures wander the plane until their own madness and horror reaches cyclopean heights within themselves. It is only then that the victim becomes the beast, able to pass on instability with a single touch.

Ecology: Fg"q!zKy/Iq1#*$_)9E>DO))o*5/ xQw tb7gq`"L{sPLye4 _] V){ ?!gIZlh~pb @]i]+Fz en^09(*y|_e]&` J$c&~j^T{AZvIK/Y' //hrC/ZL,Zld& H`\[i"~'i4,l_J,v>ADK;/N7[`{' UGz=2(cfcqGP _ i; {-W}'} D6,].+ c:bZYwHOolo# WN UfqIM i$#MD: f$ sF m#l 9S^.{G'#Ks<zD P% B] !9b!*&P~ FT;1){

Previous • Random • Next