One-Step-At-A-Time True20 Creature Archive

[Dragonspawn]

The following is an archive of the "One-Step-At-A-Time" creatures generated on the official True20 message boards.

[Dragonspawn]

Spectral Horror
Type: 5th Level Aberration (incorporeal)
Size: Large
Speed: fly 30 ft. (perfect)
Abilities: Str —, Dex +4, Con —, Int +3, Wis +5, Cha +6
Skills: Bluff 8 (+14), Concentration 8 (+13), Diplomacy 8 (+14), Notice 5 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+13), Survival 3 (+8)
Feats: Eidetic Memory, Power, Power (2)B
Traits: Draining Touch, Fear Aura, Powers (rank 8, Cha, save Difficulty 18, Corrupting Shadow +14, Mind Touch +14, Second Sight +14)
Combat: Attack +6 (–1 size, +3 base, +4 dex), Damage +6 electricity + draining touch (incorporeal touch), Defense Dodge/Parry +12/- (–1 size, +3 base, +4 dex, +6 cha), Initiative +4 (+4 dex)
Saving Throws: Toughness +2 (+2 size), Fortitude +1 (+1 base), Reflex +5 (+1 base, +4 dex), Will 9 (+4 base, +5 wis)

Draining Touch: In addition to suffering the electrical discharge that a spectral horror’s touch delivers, any creature touched must make a Difficulty 18 Fortidute save or suffer 1 point of Strength damage and gain 1 level of fatigue. This attack is always preferentially used against adepts if at all possible without putting the creature at a distinct disadvantage. The save Difficulty is Charisma-based.

Fear Aura: Spectral horrors can radiate a 20-foot-radius fear aura as a free action. Affected creatures must succeed on a Difficulty 18 Will save or be affected as though by the fear effect of the Heart Shaping supernatural power. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same spectral horror’s aura for 24 hours. Other spectral horrors are immune to the aura. The save Difficulty is Charisma-based.

Supernatural Essence Dependent: A spectral horror essentially “feeds” by using its draining touch on those who possess supernatural powers, and thus draining a portion of that power to sustain its own unnatural existence. Spectral horrors that have not recently used their draining touch trait on an adept of equal or greater level are subject to the effects of starvation (See page 112 in True20 Adventure Roleplaying).

A spectral horror is an unearthly translucent being with no real physical form. Its appearance of that is a writhing mass of protoplasmic tentacles and three pairs of insubstantial membranous wings. The spectral horror’s wings are non-functional and it is capable of flying without their use. The creature has a sickly blue-green pallor to its incorporeal form, across witch arcs of electrical power jump and dance. Those who have encountered this nightmarish monstrosity report that they could feel each of their hairs standing on end and their intestines twist with the pangs of terror before they ever laid eyes on this terrible apparition.

Spectral horrors are mysterious energy beings. They are capable of discharging powerful electrical attacks with their incorporeal touch. They can also absorb energy from other creatures, sapping their strength. They seem to feed on this drained energy, though only the drained essence of an adept seems to give them succor. They are creatures of fear and darkness. Their mere presence fills all nearby creatures with the foreboding feeling that something is unthinkably, horribly wrong.

Scholars consider spectral horrors to be a blasphemy against the very laws of the universe. Powerful adepts who dabble in the dark arts have been known to make pacts with spectral horrors, voluntarily allowing the creatures to feed on their power for brief periods in exchange for their services as envoys, heralds, spies, bodyguards or assassins.

Coppyright 2006, Matthew E. Kaiser

[Dragonspawn]

The following creature uses rules from the Horror section of the True20 Companion

Marakhu'Zegon
Type: 13th Level Aberration (Augmented, Aquatic)
Size: Medium
Speed: Swim 30 ft.
Abilities: Str +4, Dex +1, Con +5, Int +3, Wis +3, Cha -4
Skills: Concentration 4 (+15), Intimidation 15 (+15), Knowledge (history) 10 (+13), Knowledge (supernatural) 10 (+13), Notice 15 (+18), Research 15 (+18), Ride () 7 (+8), Swim 4 (+16)
Feats: Iron Will, Power (4), Power (4)B
Traits: Crushing Mind, Powers (rank 16, Wis, Difficulty 19; Blink +19, Dominate +19, Heart Shaping +19, Mind Reading +19, Mind Shaping +19, Mind Touch +19, Scrying +19, Summon Outsider +19), Persistent Wound, Regenerate +2
Combat: Attack +10 (+9 base, +1 Dex), Damage +7 (tentacles) or +6 plus persistent wound (tongue rasp), Defense: Dodge/Parry +10/+13 (+9 base, +1 Dex/+4 Str), Initiative +1
Saves: Toughness +7 (+5 Con, +2 natural), Fortitude +9 (+4 base, +5 Con), Reflex +5 (+4 base, +1 Dex), Will +13 (+8 base, +3 Wis, +2 Iron Will)
Sanity: Terror +13, Difficulty 28

Crushing Mind: A Marakhu'Zegon's mind wields raw and unbridled psychic force which it can use to crush other's mental defenses. It gets a +5 bonus to mental grapple checks, a +5 bonus to mental grapple damage and a +2 bonus to its Mind Touch save Difficulty.

Persistent Wound: Creatures damaged by a Marakhu'Zegon’s tongue rasp suffer an additional +1 bleeding damage each round until a successful Difficulty 20 Medicine check or a Cure power is used on them. The save Difficulty is Strength based.

Regeneration: A Marakhu'Zegon gains an extra recovery check with a +2 bonus. Damage from fire and acid cannot be healed in this way.

Skills: A Marakhu'Zegon has a +4 racial bonus to Intimidate checks and +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. It also has a +8 racial bonus on all Concentration checks.

Marakhu'Zegonappears similar to a giant tentacled trilobite with a set of seven eye spots circling around their head and a pair of needle-toothed jaws, from which a long tonge possessing hundreds of tiny razor-sharp bone rasps.

Some scholars say that all life began in the sea. The worlds oceans were the first place to support life, but these same scholars maintain that intelligent life first developed on land. On this second account those scholars are wrong. The Marakhu'Zegon are an ancient race that evolved in the deepest parts of the ocean. There they have erected temples made of carefully cultivated deep-sea coral which they dedicate to their bizzare and unforgiving chthonic gods.

Marakhu'Zegon make sacrifices to the dark deities they follow by making pilgrimages towards the surface and sinking ships by controlling the minds of the captain and causing them to ram their ship into jagged rocks jutting up near the surface from the ocean floor.

The Marakhu'Zegon believe that if they are devout, their gods will send a great flood that will submerge the entire surface world, giving their chosen people, the Marakhu'Zegon dominion over it.

Marakhu'Zegon are powerful psionics and use their ability to probe and alter minds to study and research other intelligent races.

Coppyright 2006, Matthew E. Kaiser
Art copyright 2006, William Dodds