Dungeon Brew

[Necromorphs are the reanimated corpses of the dead, reshaped into horrifying new forms by a mysterious curse.]

Leaper

The undead creature growls menacingly. It crawls forward on two massive forearms, it’s tail twitching violently behind it.

Like the Slasher the Leaper fights on the front lines for the curse, often serving as a scout. Leapers are created when a human body is tainted by spores released by the necromorph growth known as The Corruption. When an intact humanoid body is infected by the curse its body undergoes a wicked transformation. In the case of the leaper its internal organs, particularly the intestines, are fused together with the legs into a massive tail tipped with a deadly scythe.

Strategies and Tactics

A leaper fights using hit and run tactics, charging in and out of combat to make full use of it’s pounce and improved grab abilities.

Ecology

Environment: As undead Leapers have no natural habitat. However they are best suited for use in areas that offer plenty of spots for ambush and enough room for them to rush to and from during combat such as the intersections of large sunken passages.

Typical Physical Characteristics: Leapers resemble the mortals they were in life but with two major differences: their legs and innards have fused together to form a long sinuous tail tipped with a wicked bone scythe, and their jaw has split vertically and now sports four wicked fangs on each corner.

Alignment: Leapers are like their fellow necromorphs, always evil.

Typical Treasure

Because they ignore the possessions of their prey leapers have half standard treasure for their challenge rating. This treasure often takes the form of weapons which have become logged in the creature during past fights.

For Player Characters

A spellcaster of 7th level of higher can create a leaper using the create undead spell. Doing so requires the intact corpse of a medium humanoid which has been dead for no longer than two days.

Leaper CR1
Always NE Medium undead
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60ft; Listen +2, Spot +2
Languages understands creator’s orders; understands telepathic commands

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AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 10; Dodge, Mobility
(+4 Dex)
hp 12 (2 HD); fast healing 5
Immune undead immunities
Fort +0, Ref +4, Will +2

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Speed 30 ft (6 squares), climb 20 ft (4 squares)
Melee tail-scythe +3 (1d8+2) and
bite -2 (1d6+1)
Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft
Base Atk +1; Grp +3

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Abilities Str 14, Dex 19, Con --, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 5
SA improved grab, pounce
SQ strategic dismemberment, undead traits
Feats Dodge, Mobility*
Skills Climb+10* Hide +4, Jump +9*, Listen +2, Move Silently +6, Spot +2,
Advancement 3-15 HD (Medium)

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Fast Healing (Ex) Damage dealt to a leaper’s limbs cannot be healed by it’s Fast Healing ability. See Strategic Dismemberment below.

Feats Leapers have Mobility as a racial feat.

Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a leaper must hit with a bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and knocks the opponent prone.

Pounce (Ex) If a leaper charges a foe, it can make a full attack.

Skills Leapers have a +5 racial bonus on Jump checks and take no negatives on their jump checks due to speed. It also has a +8 racial bonus to climb checks.

Strategic Dismemberment (Ex) The arms and tail of a leaper can be attacked independently of its main form (AC 16). Each appendage has a third of the leaper’s total hit points and damage dealt detracts from the creature’s total hit points. This damage cannot be healed through its Fast Healing ability. Once an appendage’s hp reaches zero it is destroyed resulting in a penalty that lasts the rest of the fight. If an arm is destroyed the leaper’s speed decreases by 15 ft (3 squares) to a minimum of 5 ft (1 square) if both arms are destroyed. If the tail is severed the leaper loses the use of its tail-scythe attack.


Leaper Lore
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (religion) can learn more about leapers. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from the lower DCs.

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"Their outlines were human, semi-human, fractionally human, and not human at all--the horde was grotesquely heterogeneous." --H.P. Lovecraft, "Herbert West--Reanimator"


[Below you'll find an ecology article written about Necromorphs, undead of the popular video game series "Dead Space". Following up on this article will be 3.5 write-ups of several different necromorphs. While converting them to 3.5 D&D I necessarily had to make some changes to their backstory, but for the most part they operate similarly to how they do in the games. You don't need to have played the Dead Space games, however, to use these deadly undead predators in your games. Enjoy.]

Lands should remain unplundered when their secrets are better left undisturbed. Buried deep beneath the surface of the earth, possibly having fallen from the stars aeons ago, lies the Marker and the creatures that follow it like a plague...the Necromorphs.

Necromorphs are the reanimated corpses of the dead, reshaped into horrifying new forms by a mysterious curse related to the Marker. They have no memories of their former life and are highly aggressive. Only one purpose guides the steps of the Necromorphs. “Spread the curse.”

HISTORY OF THE NECROMORPHS

Because few know of their existence, and by extension the Marker, there is little information on Necromorphs. What is known by the reclusive scholars, or the mysterious cultists who worship the Marker, comes from an incident outside the mining town of Aegis-Sven. The exact location of Aegis-Sven has been lost with time, as well as most information concerning the incident.

What is known was compiled by Sage Stross from the varied notes of the late Archmage Altman, who witnessed the event firsthand. While surveying the area for new ore deposits a group of miners uncovered an ancient artifact that had been buried beneath the surface and left undisturbed for countless years. The miners informed their superiors who sent for a nearby cabal of wizards and scholars to examine the mysterious object.

The Marker, as it came to be called, resembled a hunk of strange stone split in two halfway down with the two pieces twisting about each other like grasping spires. Its surface is covered in bizarre sigils and when touched it the thing hums almost inaudibly with some sort of pattern.

It was quite a find, so the cabal brought more of their kind to the site and requested lodging and assistance from the mining guild until they could assess the artifact’s purpose and worth. The guild agreed. Thus the scholars and wizards began their examination in earnest and the miners returned to their work in other tunnels.

The life of a miner is difficult: long hours underground, chipping away at solid rock with the risk of tunnel collapse, and the release of deadly gases from the interior of the world hangs over workers like a shroud. Perhaps it was because of this that no one paid attention to the early accounts of violence among the mining camps, many of which led to injury or death. When the suicides started some finally started to speak up about the peculiar change in behavior of the town’s inhabitants.

Citizens started disappearing and miners whispered of how the caves were cursed, all while the sages and wizards worked yet to unravel the mysteries offered by the strange artifact they began calling “The Marker.” The sigils from the surface of the Marker started appearing around town, written by people who had never had contact with the thing. Folk began to complain to each other of constant headaches and sleepless nights in which nightmares were filled with indistinct forms or the familiar voices of those already passed away.

The miners continued to dig deeper, chopping at the earth in search of resources, while the world around them continued on its dark path. Talk of the events it was done in hushed tones, and, following the guidance of their dreams, many began to twist two of their fingers around each other when scared or threatened in a mock replica of the Marker itself. The miners had cause to be afraid, a mysterious growth resembling flesh and sinew began to spread out from the deeper mines.

The cabal’s research consumed them, and they split into two camps. Some believed the Marker to be the instrument of some divine force and began to speak in sibilant tones about an event they called “Convergence”. These were the first Unitologists, believers in the “truth” of the Marker, who claim that through the teachings of Unitology all things will become as one. That the Marker would bring an end to war, to horror, to pain, and ultimately a transcendence over death itself.

None who lived in Aegis-Sven saw it coming. One day many of the Unitologists committed suicide in a holy sacrifice to their new god in the Marker. The bodies were quickly carried from the area and lain aside in a supply building until a mass grave could be made. One of the remaining wizards went mad and began slaying the miners as they worked, slinging powerful spells and screaming about monsters until he was brought down by the collapse of one of the tunnels. Many citizens left, never to return. Those who remained quickly discovered the folly of their action.

When the grave was finished, now made larger for the addition of the miners, those who came to the supply building to collect the bodies discovered none. Shortly thereafter screams could be heard coming from the miners still in the caves. Undead monstrosities started pouring out of the tunnels, slaying all who stood in their path. Worst of all, those slain were soon found walking again, their bodies twisted into instruments of violence, the life in their eyes forever replaced by deadly ferocity.

It took all the strength of Archmage Altman and the remainder of his cabal to lock the creatures away and contain the incident. Great spells were weaved to bury all of Aegis-Sven beneath the surface so that none could find it again and release the horror of the Marker. But what is now buried may someday be uncovered. Like the Marker in the tunnels beneath it, Aegis-Sven awaits discovery by the foolish and unlucky.

LIFE CYCLE OF THE NECROMORPH

As undead creatures the necromorphs are not born, they are made. The Marker gives off a subtle pulse which eventually animates dead tissue into a single fleshy mass known as “Corruption”. Corruption produces spores which when released onto corpses (or when ingested by living humanoids who die before the removal of the spores) evoke a remarkably quick change in the host. The body twists and changes, bones and sinew shifting to create a deadly undead soldier.

Most of these corpses turn into the two necromorphs known as Slashers or Leapers. Some corpses, however, turn into a specialized creature known as an Infector or even deadlier creatures. The Infector is able to spread the curse by implanting spores directly into corpses. The rest of the curse’s undead servitors go out to hunt and slay living beings to create hosts for the spores. Then they drag them into piles near the Corruption, or leave them for Infectors to find.

Although such an event has not been allowed so far to pass, there is a stage in the life cycle of necromorphs known as Convergence. Theories posit that Convergence begins when the population of a hive of necromorphs expands to unheard of levels, and somehow involves a communion with the Marker.

PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY OF THE NECROMORPH

Necromorphs are extremely aggressive creatures, going out of their way and enduring great bodily harm or even assured destruction for the chance to kill living creatures. Essentially, this presents itself as a powerful drive for procreation. Though necromorphs cannot procreate in any normal fashion they slay living creatures for the curse to infect and transform, thus growing their numbers. They accomplish this task through a variety of means that reveal an amount of primitive intelligence. They have been known to set up ambushes or wait for a target to look away before attacking. They prefer to fight in a pack, utilizing hit and run tactics and guerrilla warfare.

But other than a necromorph type called “Stalkers” they don’t seem to communicate with each other. The audible sounds they do make don’t seem to have any underlying meaning, they don’t communicate by touch or signal and apparently don’t give off any chemical cues either. As mentioned above Stalkers are the exception to this rule, seemingly communicating by chittering noises the strength of enemy numbers, their position and even their combat strength. Most necromorphs seem to communicate through some sort of innate telepathy granted them by the powers of the curse.

When not engaged in combat necromorphs exhibit a variety of behaviors. They may wander aimlessly until they find another living target, or stand in place until a target finds them. As mentioned above some will carry corpses to The Corruption or into piles for an Infector to find, whereas still others will lie upon the ground and remain silent, playing dead, as an ambush for luckless bystanders.


PHYSIOLOGY OF THE NECROMORPH

Necromoprhs come in a variety of different forms and types, yet there are still many things common to the creatures as a whole. Unlike some undead varieties necromorphs are not driven by a supernatural hunger; although they may chew on opponents with their distended jaws this is only as an offensive tactic, and not indicative of a need to feed.

Likewise necromorphs have no need to sleep, and even those with working respiratory systems have no need to breath, although it seems they have a preference for some gases over others (as evidenced by the Wheezer). Necromorphs have no discernable anatomy and because of their undead nature are extremely difficult to destroy. In fact, while they may be destroyed in the conventional means, the best way to defeat them is through the process of dismemberment.

DISMEMBERMENT

As undead creatures necromorphs do not suffer from the same weaknesses that apply to the living. They do not need to breathe, sleep or eat. Their bodies are also highly resistant to attacks and some are even known to have regenerative properties. Thankfully they are known to possess one weakness, dismemberment.

Many necromorphs will die if only a few of their limbs are removed, or indeed if a specific limb is removed. While there is currently no theory as to why this is (those who have encountered the beasts had more important things on their minds than research). Attacking the same limb until it is destroyed not only ensures a quicker defeat of the necromorph but also limits their abilities with each successful dissection.

However, there are some necromorphs who have particular areas that should not be attacked: exploding sacs that damage those nearby, pustules that spew acid, or flesh that hides yet more monstrosities to name a few examples. These necromorphs become more dangerous if mishandled.

Necromorphs in Eberron

Inside the Silver Flame is an ancient evil which works towards its insidious tasks by manipulating the Voice of the Silver Flame. This taint, known as the Duality, is to blame for the Marker’s creation. The Necromorphs are one of its many projects. No one knows where the remains of Aegis-Sven lie, but rumors say the town was in the Mror Holds. Strange undead creatures are still occasionally seen in the area.

Knowledge of the Necromorphs

The following table shows the results of a bardic knowledge or Knowledge (religion) check related to necromorphs. Because of the variety of necromorphs the DCs vary by the necromorph being examined.

This table assumes that necromorphs are well known in your campaign. If you want them to be rare as they are presented here than increase the base DC by five. (IE 10 + Cr becomes 15 + CR, etc).

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*Illustration by Mark Perez, aka circepig on Deviantart.com.

[Below is a list of feats for the kobold in your 4th edition game]

Heroic Tier Feats:

Shake Off
Prerequisite: Kobold
Benefit: At the end of any turn in which you shift you gain a +1 bonus to saving throws until the start of your next turn.

Active Gambit
Prerequisite: Kobold
Benefit: When you use an action point you can shift 1 square as a free action.

Tactical Ploy
Prerequisite: Kobold
Benefit: Once per encounter, when an adjacent enemy moves away or an enemy moves adjacent you may shift 1 square as a free action.

Kobold Saboteur
Prerequisite: Kobold
Benefit: You gain a +2 insight bonus on thievery checks made to disarm or disable traps.

Mob Mentality
Prerequisite: Kobold
Benefit: You gain a +1 to hit enemies who are threatened by 2 or more of your allies.

Horde Initiate
Prerequisite: Kobold
Benefit: When aiding another you can make two rolls and use either result.

Paragon Tier Feats:

Horde Adept
Prerequisite: Kobold, Horde Initiate
Benefit: When aiding another you provide an additional +1 bonus (for example, from +2 to +3).

Shifting Ruse
Prerequisite: Kobold
Benefit: When a power would allow you to shift, you may forgo the movement to instead gain a +1 bonus to AC and Reflex defense until the start of your next turn.

Epic Tier Feats:

Lord of the Horde
Prerequisite: Kobold, Horde Adept, Horde Adept
Benefit: As a standard action you can grant an adjacent ally a minor action. He must spend this minor action immediately or it is lost.

This is the newest press release on the Gamer's Helping Haiti fund raising drive.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

In an effort to hurriedly engage publishers and fans in a charitable relief action for the people of Haiti and the Dominican Republic (following the earthquake that devastated the region), DriveThruRPG put together the single most amazing bundle of products ever seen in the RPG hobby's history. For a 20ドル donation, fans are given over 1500ドル.00 in RPG books, music, and more.

It killed their servers within hours of going live.

As one fan put it, "I've never been happier to get an error message." The generosity has been utterly overwhelming, and the collective patience of the customer base has been greatly appreciated by the folks at DriveThruRPG.

"It is an embarrassment of riches of the highest order," said Sean Patrick Fannon, Marketing & Communications Manager. "We simply had no idea how huge this would get, and how quickly it would become a massive sensation throughout the gaming world. I've never been more proud of my community or my job."

In order to resolve the server issues, DriveThru employed a "coupon solution" that enabled customers to gain a code that would let them select each of the products in the original bundle for free download. With well over a hundred products, however, this became a tedious and frustrating process, and the customers rightfully complained.

As of now, a new coding has been employed, and now customers are getting all of the products that go with the bundles automatically added to their download lists. The folks at DriveThruRPG care immensely for their customers, wanting the experience to be as easy and enjoyable as possible. While the main focus is to get help to Haiti, DriveThru also wants to leave a positive and lasting impression on everyone who comes to the site.

As of this press release, DriveThruRPG has collected well over 56,000,ドル which will be going to Doctors Without Borders for their efforts in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The "Gamers Help Haiti 20ドル Mega Bundle" will be available until January 31st. Other relief efforts may continue as needed.

For more information, contact Sean Patrick Fannon at sean@onebookshelf.com. Go to www.drivethrurpg.com to obtain the bundle and learn more about what DriveThruRPG is doing to help Haiti.
~~~

Last Tuesday Haiti was devastated by a magnitude 7 earthquake, and the Red Cross has already estimated 45,000 dead, the hospitals left standing are struggling to handle the amount of injured left in the wake of the disaster and donations are needed to get supplies and medics to the area.

To that end DriveThruRPG.com and RPGNow.com have started a fund to donate to Doctors Without Borders. Any gamer can log into their account at either site and donate 5ドル.00 or 10ドル.00 dollars towards sending medical aid to the survivors of the earthquake, and the sites will MATCH the donation dollar for dollar. If you donate 5ドル.00 dollars, if you donate 500ドル dollars it doesn't matter they will match it. Together we can truly make a difference to the people of this nation, and I want to thank all you you who donate, and DriveThruRPG and RPGNow for helping out in this time of need.

*Illustration by Christina Hans, aka avadrea on Deviantart.com.


[Below is a write up of the kobold as a player character race for 4th Edition DnD]

KOBOLD
Small and crafty soldiers,
through their veins runs the blood of dragons.

Racial Traits
Kobolds have all the racial traits listed in the back of the Monster Manual, with the following changes:

Vision: Low-light

Elusive Target: You gain a +1 racial bonus to Reflex.

The chosen children of Kurtulmak, kobolds live in in cavernous labyrinths chiseled out of the side of mountains or carved from underground. Their homes are heavily defended with good use of terrain and deadly traps.

Physical Qualities
Standing about 3' 8" on average with slim, wiry bodies, Kobolds are covered in fine scales of green, tan or red. Their red or yellow eyes have the remarkable ability to pick out details in the dimmest of light, Their face is dominated by a lizard-like snout with foward-facing nostrils and remarkable red or yellow eyes that can pick out details in the dimmest of light. Finally the skull is adorned with small vestigial horns, and ear holes...much like the dragons they claim as relatives.

Hatching from eggs, Kobolds reach adulthood at the astonishing rate of seven years. Although violence keeps most kobolds from reaching a venerable age, they are capable of living well past one hundred years.


Playing a Kobold
Kobolds are taught to do one things from the moment they are born, survive. This trait makes many see the kobold as a cowardly species, but in truth kobolds have a cautious and tactical mind that constantly weighs the pros and cons of any action in an attempt to come out on top. They also learn to take pride in their heritage as the chosen servants of dragonkind. Dragonborn may boast of their great kingdom of Arkhosia, but kobold's know that they were made by Kurtulmak himself to defend dragonkind after the dragonborn empire failed.

It is this alternating feeling of pride and powerful survival instinct that makes kobolds the people that they are. Kobolds learn to work in tandem with others of their tribe to accomplish great tasks that no single member of the tribe could, at the same time each kobold tries to do better than his peers in an effort to prove his worth to those around him. This makes kobolds one of the most industrious races. However, these bonds dissolve when danger presents itself, because each kobold is ultimately looking out for his own best interest. A mantra of "better you than me" ensures that the craftiest, most intelligent, and skilled kobolds survive to sow the seeds for the next generation.

Kobolds who go seeking adventure are usually outcasts, often filled with an inordinate amount of pride who wish to make a name for themselves apart from their tribes.

Kobold Characteristics: Agile, crafty, cunning, hard-working, industrious, organized, proud, sly, tenacious, tricky

Male Names: Albrik, Dakarnak, Deekin, Korish, Meepo, Mekrit, Mokumok, Pun-Pun, Riphahn, Sithik, Tunark, Urzican, Vavgor

Female Names: Asiph, Aupinom, Dinsa, Ixinmerik, Kiszar, Kitrak, Liriss, Minaph, Quanip, Sabahn, Sefima, Sysix, Zalicka

Kobold Adventurers
Three sample kobold adventurers are described below.
Krit the Kobold is a traveling rogue and trapsmith. By constantly pitting himself against the work of others he hopes to collect enough research to perfect his craft. Wearing a small leather jerkin and wielding daggers he collected off the corpse of a fallen adventurer Krit travels into the deepest dungeons with his companions, scouting ahead and taking notes on any hazards they encounter.
Tarkin is a kobold warlord who along with his allies travel the ruins of Arkhosia, gathering artifacts belonging to dragons. Someday he hopes to build a new empire for the dragons, this time under the vigilant protection of his people. With his mighty dragonscale shield in front, he is prepared to face any foe.
Kitrak is a mighty sorceress. She comes from a long succession of wild mages, and although she could easily take up a position ruling her tribe she has decided to travel the world in the hopes of gathering even more power. If she comes back to her people, it will be with the deep understanding of the arcane arts.