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Old 10-17-2018, 10:24 AM   #81
Skarg
 
Join Date: May 2015
Default Re: New Monsters

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Originally Posted by TippetsTX View Post
I second that motion, although I have to wonder if stat totals alone are sufficient to defining a creature's 'challenge quotient'. I don't want to over-complicate this, but many creatures have special abilities that should somehow be factored into their difficulty rating, shouldn't they?
(Fortunately, TFT doesn't really reduce to a "challenge quotient", or it'd be much less interesting.)

In the detailed combat experience rules a TFT friend and I designed back circa 1985, for fighters we ended up with ST + adjDX + armor + other offsets, such as off-ST-scale damage. Various abilities, combat spells, unusual MA, flying, etc are kinds of apples & oranges cases.

However, while that system seemed vastly better than just adding ST + DX, it's clear that it's not nearly enough to estimate even just combat threat value accurately - relative armor to damage is a massive factor, especially when someone has more armor than a foe is likely to do damage. Look at the damage amount they do and compare it to the armor of what they're fighting, and vice versa. Compare adjDX. Compare number of attacks. Notice MA, hex size, ST and other features. Still, the relative numbers and situation in a combat tend to be more important than one-on-one stat comparisons. Also, how deadly you consider a monster also has to do with how much of a defeat it is to lose one or more of your comrades defeating it.

Rather than trying to come up with a number, perhaps type categories would be more appropriate. Some monsters are sort of like fighting a human, or close enough. Others have peculiar abilities to sort out. Others are large beasts of varying challenge. Others are especially deadly mainly only if they get you in HTH. Others are deadly for unarmored people but have a hard time hurting people with enough armor. Many/most can be challenging one-on-one but will be wiped out by a coordinated group in a situation where they can all attack it at once.
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Old 10-17-2018, 12:13 PM   #82
Shostak
 
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Default Re: New Monsters

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Originally Posted by platimus View Post
I don't know SJG plans on publishing a TFT Beastiary but if they do, I would suggest listing the monsters by attribute-point totals. A table of contents or index can provide alphabetical lookups.
The topic of how to organize a TFT bestiary really deserves its own thread.

Bring on more new monsters!
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Old 10-17-2018, 01:52 PM   #83
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Default Re: New Monsters

Giant Jumping Spider
ST 18 DX 12 IQ 5 MA 8 or Jump.
Bite: 1d+2, if this penetrates armor roll 4/ST or take another die of damage.
Spell like abilities:
Jump costs 1 fatigue and launches spider at any target within his ST hexes at missile weapon range adjustments. Treat as a shield rush, but if the target falls down spider enters into HTH combat.
Darkness adjusted vision: Spider is at -2DX in full sunlight, -1DX in partial sunlight and suffers 2 less DX adjustment from shadows and darkness. Blur and invisibility have full effect against him.
Talents: Alertness, Climbing, Silent Movement.
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Old 10-17-2018, 04:40 PM   #84
Shostak
 
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Default Re: New Monsters

Permission is granted to Steve Jackson Games to use this in return for acknowledgement of my contribution.

Argent

Not everyone who wants to live forever is an evil necromancer prepared to become an undead lich; some, perhaps inspired by the artifacts left by the Mnoren, have discovered how to transfer the soul into a gleaming mechanical vessel made wholly—save for a powerstone—of an alloy of silver and adamant. Some call them monsters, others insist they simply represent progress. Although the desire to become an Argent is to prolong life as one’s self, the mechanical nature of the new body changes the mind. No longer constrained by the demands, limits, and pleasures of the flesh, Argents eventually become inscrutable, motivated by enigmatic desires and moving toward mysterious ends. An Argent can be a valuable friend or a powerful—and probably unpredictable—enemy.

An Argent’s IQ starts at that of the person transforming into one, and can continue to grow with experience, but its ST and DX are determined by the value of its components—the more complex the machinery, the stronger and more agile it can be. If an Argent’s body is damaged, it will not heal, obviously, but it can be repaired by a Master Mechanician, given time and materials, or with the Restore Device spell.

In order to continue to cast spells, an Argent must use powerstones; its ST is purely physical. One of these is usually placed out of sight where the heart or brain would normally sit, but some conceited wizards use powerstones in place of eyes.

The raw materials to construct an Argent are valuable enough that some murderous adventurers will occasionally attempt to kill one to sell the body to metalsmiths. Few, if any, Wizards' Guilds openly permit Argents as members, and no Wizard’s Guild admits to possessing the spells necessary to create an Argent. But the knowledge is out there … somewhere.
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Old 10-18-2018, 07:24 PM   #85
malchidael
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Near Milwaukee, WI
Default Re: New Monsters

I posted this on the TFT mailing list long ago. Minor editing, but otherwise in the original minimalist form.

I of course left out any form of ecology - it's a slime, after all.

Permission granted for use or misuse.

Blunderbuss Slime
ST: 10
DEX: 1 (12 for spore-firing)
IQ:1
MA: 1
This feared form of slime is a dusty grey in color with numerous black spots. Every other round it can fire spores as a blunderbuss at AdjDX 12.
Each blast costs 2ST to fire.
If destroyed by fire, it will explode as a grenade.
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Old 10-31-2018, 08:13 AM   #86
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Default Re: New Monsters

Felinoid ST 10, DX 12, IQ 8 +2 extra points, MA 10+4
Humanoid cats whose amazingly flexible spines are able to allow a very fast bounding motion on all fours. They suffer twice the MA reduction from armor or loads as a human does, but when at full 10 (or 12 with Running) walking MA they may drop to all fours and "crawl" at four higher than their base MA in a bounding motion. While bounding on all fours (not lying prone, knocked down, or in HTH) they are at -2 rather than +4 to hit and they jump twice as far as a human can. Claws add +2 damage over unarmed human attacks and thin fur stops one hit. Mutual -1 on reaction rolls to and from canines.
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Old 11-02-2018, 03:10 PM   #87
EbilSteebi
 
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Default Re: New Monsters

Boojum (with a nod to Louis Carroll)

This creature is a variant of the Basilisk created by Ancient Wizards in a long forgotten war. It has all the same stats and attributes as a typical Basilisk but it's gaze attack instead of making you freeze, makes you insubstantial if you fail the 4/IQ save. The Boojum is then free to attack your pack beasts etc, or remove those pesky fighters with big weapons......
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Old 04-21-2020, 09:34 AM   #88
Shostak
 
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Default Re: New Monsters

I couldn't help myself; please forgive my resurrecting the old thread. For when things are getting a bit silly, or for that special player in your group who just doesn't know when to stop with certain pop-culture references:

Misericorde Hare
Hex Size/Form: 1-hex figure.
ST 2, DX 14, IQ 5, MA 14
Attacks and damage: Bite 1d
Notes: -3 DX on all attacks against a Misericorde Hare due to its size and speed. Can only attack in HTH; when it attempts to enter HTH, the roll is made at -1.

Beware! While not true hares, these are by no means ordinary rabbits! Among the rodents of Cidri, these are the most foul, cruel, and ill-tempered. Small, agile, and lethally quick, this exceptionally territorial lapine menace kills by inflicting deep lacerations which quickly exsanguinate the wounded. The heinous hares kill out of extraordinary territorial aggression and do not actually feed their victims. These instead are devoured by daring or desperate carrion eaters; ravens, wolves, and bandits have been known to lure travelers to Misericorde Hare warrens, letting the baleful bunnies dispatch hapless wayfarers to their advantage. The Misericorde Hare can leap so far (seven hexes!), they seem almost to fly. They can only attack in HTH, which they are particularly adept at initiating; rolls for them to enter HTH are made at -1. Misericorde Hares target the carotid artery or jugular vein (follow rules for thrown daggers on ITL 120).
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Old 04-21-2020, 09:43 AM   #89
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Default Re: New Monsters

"Look at the bones!" - Tim
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Last edited by TippetsTX; 04-21-2020 at 10:30 AM.
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Old 05-09-2020, 11:57 AM   #90
timm meyers
 
Join Date: May 2020
Default New Monster

Grey Cave Spiders- ST-11 DX-10 IQ-5 MA-12 Bite 1d-1 only to penetrate armor if successful target takes 1 hit and must roll 3d6 vs ST or be -1 IQ. This ST test to the venom effect must be rolled on each of the next 2 turns with each fail resulting in a further -1 to IQ. When IQ is reduced to 6 or less the player is so impaired, stumbling and dazed that they are considered KO’d. The venom will wear off gaining one IQ back for every hour of rest. These spiders hunt in packs of 6 like wolfs and are the size of a large dog. They are quite smart and will bite and run, slowly wearing down their prey until one drops or is left behind. Their skin has a semi chameleon ability and are practically invisible in rocks and dim light, 5d6 vs IQ to see if 6 or more hexes away. Alertness, naturalist and acute hearing subtract 1d6 each from this test.
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