Of Beasts and Men

[Jake Norwood]

The official title to the Bestiary/NPC/Seneschal's rescource book is "Of Beasts and Men," (title curtesy of Juergen Mayer, who also bought the first leatherbound edition).

I have a pretty fat list of stuff/characters(basic and generic)/critters/myths to go in there, but I want to know what you want. More depth on a person or type of person/monster in Book Seven? Post it here. State why, if possible. That makes it easier for me to make it cooler for you.

Jake

[Mokkurkalfe]

Lots of generic people, like thugs, warriors, soldiers, farmers, peasants etc... etc... And pictures for them. It gives a lot of atmosphere when normal people are there, not just beasts and heroes.
Plenty of seelie and unseelie(but you already have that I guess). Something on the goblins and a closer look-up on gol society.
Perhaps some rules and stuff about the Undead, daemons and other foul things. I want stuff about devils. Always thought devils are cooler than daemons, especially whith them seraphims(warrior-angels) as opponents.
Wich brings me to Angels. Angels are definitely underrated. Especially the greatsword-wielding, togabearing, glowing kind with the wings of an eagle. More about those(not the cherub-kind, mind you).

[DaR]

I have a pretty fat list of stuff/characters(basic and generic)/critters/myths to go in there, but I want to know what you want. More depth on a person or type of person/monster in Book Seven? Post it here. State why, if possible. That makes it easier for me to make it cooler for you.

More about the Gols.  After having accidentally leaped feet first onto the head of a Gol Captain and trying to split its skull with a shortsword, and having it more or less shrugged off the wound, I'm all about seeing some good Gol action. :)

-DaR

--
Dan Root

[Jake Norwood]

Gols are a favorite of mine, too. Gols and Hef. Gols, contrary to what some believe, aren't really just TROS orcs...they're a bit more, I reckon. Certainly not hero fodder...

Jake

[Furious D]

Gols are a favorite of mine, too. Gols and Hef. Gols, contrary to what some believe, aren't really just TROS orcs...they're a bit more, I reckon. Certainly not hero fodder...

Definately not.  Standard issue Gols can stand toe to toe with most heroes, and Gol Captains are just hella scary.

I'll second the call for more Seihe.   Also commonly encountered domestic animals.  But one thing I'd really like is examples of soldiers from various nations.  This can probably just be generic with a list of modifiers to training and equipment for each nation (the nation writeups already list things like who has the best infantry/calvary/etc, but examples of the stat differences for those would be nice). Then there's the really unusual ones, which we'd need full writeups for (am I the only one wanting stats for Odeon Storm Queens?) :)

[Ace]

Please reprint the mini sourcebook in the back of the main book too. That way you have all of your critters in one place.

[Ben]

HEF. more HEF!

[Lance D. Allen]

Ahem. I've been stalling, but now I've got my book back, I can make the last-minute changes, and post this..

     "I tell you, I saw 'em! Listen here, I ain't no youngling to go startin' at shadows. Fact is, 'fore that night, I was a good Stahlnish Atheist. Now... Well, don't let it get back to my mates, but I think there's more to the stories of magic and them druids in Angharad than we ever knew.
      It started same as any other night... I was on patrol with my squad, right on the main trade route through Angharad to Oustenreich then my rawest recruit stopped dead. I was about to chew him up for stopping in file when I heard what he had.
      It was a long, mournful note, only barely audible above the winds across the plain. It fell silent, then came again, and I recognized it as the voice of a hunting horn, sounded a long ways off. Just as I was about to tell the boy to get moving, I heard another sound, as of yelping hounds.
      Well, 'fore I could say a blasted thing, the boy bolted down the road. If I'd have known what he did, I'd have followed him, and damned the patrol route. But I din' know, and doomed my boys to whatever fate found 'em that. night. We just cursed the lad, and I vowed to place him on some odious detail when I found him next. Then we continued along our route like the good soldiers we were. Feh! Lambs to the slaughter, morelike.
      The yelping got louder after that, but we didn't hear that horn for quite some time. Matter o' fact, it was as if them bayin' dogs was just over the hill when we heard the horn again. It sounded a lot closer also, so we looked in that direction, expectin' to see some nobles out chasin' a fox or somesuch.
      That was when I saw 'im. The huntsman his ownself. He was silhouetted 'gainst some clouds which was lit up by the full moon, but he didn't look like what we expected. For one, though he was man-shaped for the most part, his head looked a tad bestial, and the obvious thing was a great rack of horns, like the mightiest hart you ever saw. Only it was the hart that was doin' the huntin', this night. Then his hounds came with their bloodthirsty yelps and baying...

      I never saw my lads again after that night. I don't rightly know how I survived, only that I was found in some farmer's haystack some time later. I'll never forget how the huntsman's eyes gleamed gold in the moonlight, though. No sir, I never shall."

Hearne the Huntsman, and the Wild Hunt

ST 6 WP 10 Ref 10
AG 10 Wit 10 Aim 10
TO n/a MA 2 KD n/a
EN 9 Soc 4 KO n/a
HT n/a Per 10 Move 7
Uses a short bow and a long hunting knife (shortsword) if ever he gets into physical conflict, though he avoids this and prefers to let his hounds take down the prey. These weapons are wielded with proficiency at 12, but have no special qualities themselves. He is also mounted, consider the horse a courser with standard stats, but which is likewise immune to injury.

Hearne and the Wild Hunt are spoken of with reverence and awe even in the courts of the Fey. Exactly what or who Hearne is is unknown, though speculation is rampant. The Wild Hunt consists of Hearne, mounted on his courser, and his Hounds. The Hounds of the Wild Hunt resemble large wolfhounds, only with ghost-white fur, and blood red ears and eyes. They come to the sounding of Hearne's hunting horn, and will pursue whatever they find until it has escaped to sanctuary, is pulled down, goes mad, or dawn breaks. Very few have ever been outdoors during the night of the Wild Hunt and lived to tell the tale. What is known or commonly believed, however, is that you are safe during the Hunt if you stay indoors, or in a holy place, such as the standing stones which dot the landscape of Angharad.

Hearne is a supernatural being, and while it is theoretically possible that he could be defeated, he cannot be injured, and cannot be killed. He is a Greater Siehe of neither the Seelie or Unseelie aspects, and as such is feared by both. He is neither good nor evil, and has no goals or agendas. He exists only for the Wild Hunt, which happens one night per year, and begins in Angharad, though the Hunt may stray into other lands before dawn. At dawn Hearne and the Hunt disappears, leaving the world in relative peace for one more year.

An individual Hound

ST 8 WP 5 Ref 7
AG 8 Wit 6 Aim n/a
TO 9 MA 2 KD
EN 10 Soc 1 KO
HT 5 Per 6 Move 13

Their attacks consist of tackles and bites, which work via standard damage and rules. Consider them to have proficiencies of 10.

The Hounds are also supernatural creatures, but can be defeated and perhaps even killed. However, the Hounds are rarely ever encountered individually, as the Wild Hunt consists of hundreds of these Hounds.

I've a couple more that I'm stealing from a Conan novel or two (okay, call it borrowing) that I'll try to post in the next couple of days. Also, I'd like to support the call for more on Hef and Gols.. They're interesting, and the more they can be made distinct from standard D&D monsters, the better.

[Jürgen Mayer]

The official title to the Bestiary/NPC/Seneschal's rescource book is "Of Beasts and Men," (title curtesy of Juergen Mayer, who also bought the first leatherbound edition).

Good choice. =)

Avoid, at all costs, to make it a collection of monsters; that kind of book just looks like a blown-up random encounters table to me. I think that you're heading in a different direction anyway, but I thought this is important enough to make it worth repeating and stressing.

Make sure that each of the main entries isn't just a creature to throw at the players but the centre of a whole adventure or even campaign. I want plot and campaign ideas. A creature where you can't come up with three plot hooks or a campaign idea isn't worth including as a main entry. Ban the "generic" creatures and mundane animals into an appendix. They are nice to have for the Seneschal, but shouldn't be the center of attention. The main focus should be on legendary creatures and important and interesting NPCs.

A chapter with additional information on the non-human races is a good idea. Be sure to tell us why they behave as they do. Cultural background, baby. (Or is this covered in another book?)

Lots of generic people, like thugs, warriors, soldiers, farmers, peasants etc...

Also commonly encountered domestic animals. But one thing I'd really like is examples of soldiers from various nations.

If you want to make the book a general and useful Seneschal resource, fill one chapter or appendices with what was suggested here.

[Atomic Requiem]

This might just be my stupidity, but when I was reading through
TRoS, the various categories of Siehe are explained something like 3
times- once in general, once in chargen, once in the beastiary (I think).

It's different all 3 times (perhaps just worded differently) and very confusing. Are all siehe elves, are all elves siehe, etc. etc. I think it needs to be laid out better which is the general term, and which is different kinds, and which are the lesser of each different kind.

(I don't need to have it explained to me here- I eventually got it, I think, but it doesn't seem clear to me)

*AR*

[Lyrax]

Atomic Requiem:
Siehe:  All non-human creatures are Siehe.

Fey:  Fey-elves are the most powerful and sophisticated form of life on Weyrth (just ask one!), and they are also considered Siehe.

Un/Seelie: All Siehe who are not Fey are either Seelie and Unseelie, depending on temperament, disposition, etc.


Oooh, can I post my very own monster?

"Cale ran through the trees with amazing vigor, surprising even himself.  He had never run so far with such great speed.  Of course, he had never been chased by so many enemy woad raiders.  "Burning down the houses, " Cale admitted in his mind, "was probably a bit much.  But it was all a simple raid, nothing they canna' handle."  As he thought this, however, Cale noticed that the sun was not as high as it should be and, indeed, it was setting in what should be early afternoon.  Looking around, he noticed that only three of the raiders pursuing him remained, and they wore similarly confused expressions.  As if in answer to their unspoken questions, the bushes and trees rustled, producing, after an extraordinarily long minute, a creature very akin to a man... except too tall by half, stony-skinned and covered in vines.  Swearing to himself, Cale could think of nothing but to exit this creatures territory now, or he may never be offered a chance..."

Celan Seimob, the Mountain Spirit.

ST 10  WP 7  Ref 6
AG 6   Wit 6  Aim 7
TO 18  MA 1  KD Not gonna happen...
EN 15  Soc 2  KO I don't think so.
HT 15  Per 8  Move 15

SP (I'm too tired to figure it out, but it should be pretty high)
Vagaries:
Sculpture  3
Glamour    3
Movement 3
Vision       3
Conquer   1
Growth     3
Summoning 3

Celan Seimob, like many other mountain spirits that inhabit the Irontooth mountains, uses only his hands and his magic for weapons.  Also, like the other mountain spirits, this is more than enough.

These mountain spirits are generally (though not always) seelie, but are less mischivious than their flighty cousins.  Rather, the mountain spirits are as ancient as the hills, and never act in haste.  It has been said that they are the gardeners of the Irontooth mountains, and will scare or even kill anyone who comes too near their sacred groves without permission or authority.

[ReverendCuster187]

I think that you should definately include a chapter for soldiers of different nations. It is interesting and useful for any GM running a military campaign, or one involving battles with the military. Plus, they can be adapted to other soldiers, like mercenaries or militia. In fact, local militia, farmers, peasants and other people likely to be encountered around a town could really use some hard and fast stats.

[Lyrax]

Farmers with Sticks (guys in a big mob)

Temporal: 4
Mental: 4
Proficiency: 4
Reflex/Aim: 4
CP: 8
MP: 8
Weapons: Sticks, of course!  Seriously, they have farming implements (quarter staff/short staff), clubs, slings, maybe bows and spears.
Armor: I don't think so.


Militia Men (village guards/crappy soldiers)

Temporal: 4 (ST 5)
Mental: 4
Reflex/Aim: 4
Proficiency: 5-6
CP: 9-10
MP: 9-10
Weapons: Anything, usually cheap weapons.  Axes, clubs and spears come to mind.
Armor: Leather or none.


Pretty Good Mercenaries

Temporal: 5 (AG or ST 6)
Mental: 4 (Wit 6, Per 6)
Reflex/Aim: 5-6
Proficiency: 6-8
CP: 11-14
MP: 11-14
Weapons: Bows, crossbows, swords, shields, spears, javelins, pikes... the list goes on and on.
Armor: None for poorer mercenaries, leather and chain for others.


If anyone sees something wrong with these stats, feel free to say something about 'em.  This is, however, what I use.

[Brian Leybourne]

I probably wouldn't give farmers/peasants 4 points of proficiency, more like 1-2 IMO, and the crappy militia would have the 4 instead of 5-6, but other than that looks good.

Brian.

[Lance D. Allen]

Legends had long told of a vast treasure hidden in these very mountains, and now Bristol was certain he had found it. He'd kept an ear on the gossip, and when a half-mad old man had stumbled into the tavern on the trade-route, raving about caves and treasure, he had been the only one who heeded it. In the darkness, where the old man had eventually be exiled by the disbelieving tavern-goers, Bristol had waylaid him, and searched his belongings. Sure enough, he'd found a badly scrawled map depicting these mountains with the location marked.
   After disposing of the oldster, Bristol had made preparations, and quietly left before the body could be found.  Now, two hard weeks of travel later, he had reached the spot marked on the grimy scrap of parchment. Though it had been more than a month, the old man's trail was still clear, and made his search for the entrance to the caverns all too easy. The madman hadn't even attempted to disguise the route of his exit. Bristol rubbed his hands together gleefully before lighting his small lantern, and descending into the subterranean darkness.
   After an interminable trip, and about 3 short rest stops, Bristol came around a bend and was struck full in the face by the reek of musty cloth and decaying meat. He gagged at the stench, but his greed knew no bounds as he forced himself to stagger forward toward the smell. He finally fetched up against what was obviously a man-carved doorway, and gasped, despite the strong odor, at what he saw within.
   The rough-hewn chamber was dominated by a large trestle table, covered entirely with the remains of a feast, long rotten and decayed. The bones of some medium-sized animals were scattered all over the floor, suggesting that this was the sometime lair of some large beast. Bristol clutched at his weapons apprehensively, but nothing seemed to suggest that the beast was still in residence.
   However, it was neither the bones nor the feast which caught his attention. All along every wall were decayed chests overflowing with gold and gems of every sort. Finely wrought weapons and armor, jewelry to astound kings, and the remains of once rich clothes caught the faint light from his lantern. One particular beauty, a ring with a ruby the size of a robin's egg, caught his eye, and he stumbled into the room toward it. It was not until he had crossed half of the distance to the treasure that he noticed the swirling darkness coalescing behind him...


Infernal Guardian

ST 11 WP 10 Ref 8
AG 8 Wit 8 Aim n/a
TO 9 MA 1 KD 10
EN 10 Soc 1 KO 14
HT  Per  Move 15
An Infernal Guardian uses no weapons, only grappling and wrestling. They always attack, and are utterly relentless, fighting on until their opponent has perished, vanquished them, or has left the area they are bound to. Consider them to have a Wrestling Proficiency of 10, and weigh 244 lbs. Also, when they attack, they do so unexpectedly, so the opponent, unless very alert, may have to roll a surprise check to be able to defend. Also, an Infernal Guardian's only weaknesses are fire and steel. If it is attacked by weapon not made of steel or wielding fire, consider them to have natural armor of value 5. (Iron is almost as effective, and only has to deal with an AV of 2) If they are dealt a killing blow, they do not die, but discorporate for a brief time to recover. This time is up to the Seneschal, but no more than an hour is recommended. They can only be killed entirely by a combination of fire and steel; if both are used in a killing blow, only then will the demon be dead. They do not bleed, nor do they accrue Pain penalties (though Shock does apply as normal).

Sorcerers have used Infernal Guardians for ages, but very little is known of them, because so few who wander into their domain's survive. They are bound within a given area, whether it be a castle, a cave or a circle drawn on the ground. Once they are imprisoned in that area, the physical enclosure no longer matters. They will attack and attempt to kill by strangulation any living thing that enters the area; As such, they are not often used to protect populated areas, or if they are, the area does not remain populated for long. If they are ever freed, they will seek out the sorcerer who bound them there, if they still live, and attempt to kill them.

Summon Infernal Guardian
Spell of Many
CTN = 9 (casting time = 9 hours)
T) 3? R) 1? V) 0/3? D) 0 L) 2 (2+1+1-2)
Vagaries: Conquer 2, Summoning 2, Imprisonment 2
Effects: Control 2, Summon Demon 2, Imprison Demon 2
Permanent Spell

Explanation: Conquer compels the demon to kill anything coming into the area it is bound to, though it is aware and resentful of this, Summoning, of course, summons the demon (a mid-level demon), and Imprison binds the demon to the location.  
The demon summoned follows the rules from above.

The question marks in the spell description are due to uncertainty on my part. Does a demon constitute an animal? I'm pretty sure it's not inanimate or plant. I don't think touch is really what you'd need for a demon summoning (unless you're touching the spot it would be summoned?), but I really doubt it would be self, either.. Unless you wanted to summon a demon into your own body. (bad idea, I think) And, really.. What is the volume of a demon? I went for 3 because the demon would have, in it's corporeal form, a mass of more than 200 lbs.

This, by the way, is stolen mostly from "Conan: The Usurper" as previously mentioned. The flavor story and text are my own, however, so there ought not to be any problems with copyright.

I got another one or two floating around as well...