Monday Monsters of Rock Begins!

As many of you know, Inkwell Ideas recently Kickstarted and now released “Rock & Roar!” a bestiary of 54 creatures (plus magic items, mini-quests, and more) with creatures all based on classic rock/pop/metal band names and song titles.  Examples include Twisted Sisters (nuns corrupted by an otherworldy entity) and Sledgehammer (a gnomish burrowing construct).  There are two books–both have the same creatures/concepts, but one is for the Shadowdark RPG while the other has Old-School Essentials stats.

Now we’re planning (later this year) to launch a new Kickstarter for 54 more creatures. Show your interest by following the project here! We plan to preview works-in-progress of two creatures each Monday for the next several weeks. Again, these aren’t final: not play-tested yet and will get at least 3 more rounds of editing, but you should be able to get a good idea of what we’re going for! These have the Shadowdark stats.

Purple People Eater, One-Eyed, One-Horned, Flying

People eaters have a love of people and music. But exactly *how* they love people depends on the music. They see people as a potential audience… but if the audience turns on them the eaters quickly decide to be true to their name: They go berserk–attacking all they see. Until then they usually give a great performance.

AC 14, HP 10, ATK 1 horn or 1 bite +3 (1d6), MV near (fly), S +0, D +2, C +1, I +0, W +0, Ch +0, AL varies, LV 2

Horn. Those within near hear something like nails on a chalkboard: DC 12 CON or take 1d4 damage. It may use its horn again in 1d4 rounds.

Calming A Purple Eater

1. Playing an instrument/singing and matching its current or last melody gets it to refocus.
2. Challenging it sets up a musical duel.
3. Silencing it frustrates it and drives it away.
4. Insulting it makes it fly away in shame.

Other People Eaters

The stats above are for a purple people eater. For other colors, their Horn effects vary. Each lasts 1d4 rounds.
1. Blue: Charm. DC 12 CHA or become ally.
2. Brown: Hold. DC 12 STR or paralyzed.
3. Green: Sleep. DC 12 WIS or fall asleep.
4. Orange: Polymorph. DC 12 INT or turned into vermin.
5. Red: Confusion. DC 12 WIS or attack a random ally within near.
6. White: Telekinesis. DC 12 STR or hover target up to double near.

Tin Lizzie

Like the Wheel in the Sky from the first Rock & Roar! book, Tin Lizzies are the product of a gnomish life-quest. Lynotticus Cogswielder (1st degree) created the first of these clockwork automatons which was able to actually run for over 5 minutes.

Now Tin Lizzies have been sort of productionized so enough have been made somewhat reliable such that gnomes use them as first line defenders in their armies and forts.Other eccentric sages who are not magical have also bought them as well.

They are made of tin to allow them to be fixed quickly. However, this also causes their parts to fail quickly.

AC 16, HP 14, ATK 2 punch +3 (1d4), MV near, S +2, D +0, C +1, I +2, W -1, Ch +0, AL L, LV 3

Critical Fails

Tin Lizzies aren’t precisely created. When making them, each has a gear or two that doesn’t quite fit, but if you break off a spoke or bend a panel it all fits together. These customizations do cause little side effects however.
So when they critically fail any attack or check, roll or pick the most likely problem:
1. One of its parts gets stuck. It loses its next turn while its gears dislodge the stuck part.
2. It loses one of its two punch attacks until repaired in a workshop.
3. Its eye sensor breaks. Its attacks have disadvantage until the eye is replaced.
4. It becomes confused and attacks the nearest target–enemy or ally (roll randomly if several may be nearest). It must make a DC 12 WIS to recover at the end of its turn.
5. Several of its gears come flying loose. All within close: DC 12 DEX or take 1d4 points of damage. It loses its next attack.
6. Its parts get gummed up–it needs oil. Until someone with expertise spends a round oiling it, it is slowed: Each turn it may only move or attack, not both.