Micro Bestiary - Salamanders

[Sam Baughn]

Here's a small selection of monsters ready to be used in a fantasy game...

Salamanders

Salamanders are a type of magical lizard which make their home in extreme environments and defend themselves with their natural breath attacks. There are many different breeds and wizards and alchemists sometimes manage to produce new ones through breeding or exposing them to strange magical energies.

Black Salamander

Black salamanders live underground in caves and dungeons. They are dangerous ambush predators, typically biting a victim with a sneak attack and then retreating to let the venom take effect before approaching again.

ST 8; DX 11; IQ 6; HT 10.
HP 8; Will 10; Per 12; FP 5.
Speed 6.00; Move 6; SM -1.
Dodge 9; Parry N/A; DR 1.

Bite (13): 1d-3 cutting + follow up 1d-1 toxic (Cyclic, 1 second, 3 cycles; Resistable, HT-3).
Poison Cloud: 1d-1 toxic (Area Effect, 2 yards; Emanation; Persistent, 10 seconds; Resistable, HT-3).

Traits: Amphibious; Clinging; Dark Vision; Doesn't Breathe (Oxygen Absorbtion); Immunity to Metabolic Hazards; Quadruped; Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-13; Stealth-14.
Class: Dire Animal
Notes: Poison glands contain enough poison for 2d doses of monster drool.

Gold Salamander

The largest and rarest breed of salamander, found only in the deep deserts. They need neither food nor water, surving by gathering the energy of the sun through fins on their back. They can release this energy in a blast to defend themselves and are highly territorial.

ST 11; DX 11; IQ 7; HT 10.
HP 11; Will 12; Per 12; FP 5.
Speed 6.00; Move 6; SM 0.
Dodge 9; Parry N/A; DR 3.

Bite (13): 1d-1 cutting.
Energy Bolt (12): 1d+1 burning (Acc 3; Range 10/100; Side Effect, Stunning).

Traits: Doesn't Eat or Drink; Quadruped; Temperature Tolerance 5 (35 to 140°F); Terrain Adaptation (Sand); Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-13; Innate attack (Breath)-12.
Class: Dire Animal
Notes: Energy organ worth $100 to alchemists.

Green Salamander

Green salamanders are swamp dwelling creatures which defend themselves with powerful acid.

ST 7; DX 11; IQ 5; HT 10.
HP 7; Will 10; Per 12; FP 5.
Speed 6.00; Move 6; SM -1.
Dodge 9; Parry N/A; DR 3.

Bite (13): 1d-3 cutting.
Acid Spit (11): 1d-2 corrosion (Jet, Range 5/10; Cyclic, 1 second, 5 cycles).
Acidic Slime: 1d-2 corrosion (Aura).

Traits: Amphibious; Doesn't Breathe (Oxygen Absorbtion); Quadruped; Regeneration (Very Fast); Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-13; Innate Attack (Breath)-11.
Class: Dire Animal
Notes: Acid glands contain enough acid to fill 2d acid grenades.

Red Salamander

Red salamanders are the most common type of salamander - they live in volcanic mountain regions and have an affinity for elemental fire.

ST 7; DX 11; IQ 5; HT 10.
HP 7; Will 10; Per 12; FP 5.
Speed 6.00; Move 6; SM -1.
Dodge 9; Parry N/A; DR 1.

Bite (13): 1d-3 cutting.
Flame Breath (11): 1d burning (Jet, Range 5/10).
Burning Aura: 1d burning (Aura).

Traits: DR 20 (Limited, Heat/Fire); Doesn't Breathe (Oxygen Combustion); Quadruped; Temperature Tolerance 40 (45 to 500°F); Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-13; Innate Attack (Breath)-11.
Class: Dire Animal
Notes: Hide worth $50.

Originally Posted by Red Salamander Hide Armour

The skin of red salamanders can be used to make flame-proof leather armour. This gives an extra DR 10 only against fire attacks: +4 CF. Leather armour only. Not compatable with dragonhide or other exotic leathers.

If you want to gather your own salamnder hides, you will need one salamander per pound of armour weight (minimum of one salamander per piece) and getting them crafted into armour costs the same as buying a normal suit of armour of that type.

White Salamander

White salamanders live in cold arctic regions and hunt fish, birds and small animals. Some northern tribes have managed to domesticate them and use them as hunting beasts and guards.

ST 8; DX 11; IQ 6; HT 10.
HP 8; Will 10; Per 12; FP 5.
Speed 6.00; Move 6; SM -1.
Dodge 9; Parry N/A; DR 2.

Bite (13): 1d-3 cutting + follow up 1d-1 fatigue (Hazard, Freezing).
Frost Blast (11): 1d+1 crushing (Jet, Range 5/10; Side Effect, Paralysis).

Traits: Amphibious; Doesn't Breathe (Oxygen Absorbtion); Quadruped; Temperature Tolerance 15 (-135 to 70°F); Terrain Adaptation (Ice and Snow); Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-13; Innate attack (Breath)-11.
Class: Dire Animal
Notes: Cold organ worth $50 to alchemists.

[Joseph R]

These look good. I use the term "Salamander" differently in my campaign world, but I can easily file off the serial numbers and call them something else. Thanks :)

I've never used Auras before. I take it is contact-based Innate Attack exactly as p. B102 ?

[SCAR]

Originally Posted by Perfect Organism

White Salamander

White salamanders live in cold arctic regions and hunt fish, birds and small animals. Some northern tribes have managed to domesticate them and use them as hunting beasts and guards.

This inspires a character idea:
A Northern Barbarian/Druid with one (or more) White Salamander as Druidic Allies, or Barbarian/Shaman with one as a Familiar.

And the trappers who hunt Red Salamanders for their hides must be a hardy bunch.

[Ragitsu]

Great work, my fellow RPGer.

[Jovus]

For most of these, I'd have given the salamanders a Dependency on the appropriate environmental hazard and/or shifted their temperature ranges rather than or in addition to Temperature Tolerance.

[Sam Baughn]

Originally Posted by Jovus

For most of these, I'd have given the salamanders a Dependency on the appropriate environmental hazard and/or shifted their temperature ranges rather than or in addition to Temperature Tolerance.

Unfortunately that leads to situations where the salamanders can't really interact with the PCs. If you can only live in a deadly acid swamp or pit of fire, then chances are that most adventurers are going to detour around your home anyway. Some kind of weakness or vulnerability might work well though.

[Ragitsu]

Mr. Organism, would not the Gold Salamanders have Dependency (Sunlight)? If not, how do the starvation rules work with them?

For example, this matters if they're taken to a completely darkened area or otherwise separated from a source of solar energy.

[SCAR]

Originally Posted by Ragitsu

Mr. Organism, would not the Gold Salamanders have Dependency (Sunlight)? If not, how do the starvation rules work with them?

For example, this matters if they're taken to a completely darkened area or otherwise separated from a source of solar energy.

The trait description (for Doesn't Eat or Drink) includes solar power as an alternate energy source, and says that "a sufficiently rare energy source might qualify you for Dependency".
Since Sunlight in the Desert (their natural home) would definitely not count as a sufficiently rare energy source, I'd say not.

As written, the rules imply that a character with Doesn't Eat or Drink and no Dependency will not die from lack of a suitable energy source. (You don't seem to have to define a replacement energy source as part of the Advantage!)

You might count it as a 0 Point 'Dependency' Feature, which might cause them to die after a sufficiently long time without sunlight.

[Ragitsu]

Originally Posted by SCAR

The trait description (for Doesn't Eat or Drink) includes solar power as an alternate energy source, and says that "a sufficiently rare energy source might qualify you for Dependency".
Since Sunlight in the Desert (their natural home) would definitely not count as a sufficiently rare energy source, I'd say not.

As written, the rules imply that a character with Doesn't Eat or Drink and no Dependency will not die from lack of a suitable energy source. (You don't seem to have to define a replacement energy source as part of the Advantage!)

You might count it as a 0 Point 'Dependency' Feature, which might cause them to die after a sufficiently long time without sunlight.

Good points. I suppose it might work if you say they don't need to actually directly come into contact with sunlight (like a plant) and instead depend on the mere existence of the source, but otherwise, it seems a bit odd.

[Sam Baughn]

Originally Posted by Ragitsu

Mr. Organism, would not the Gold Salamanders have Dependency (Sunlight)? If not, how do the starvation rules work with them?

They have a zero-point feature that they need sunlight instead of food, in the same way that a robot can use fuel or electrical power instead of food. If deprived of light they starve in the same way that a normal creature deprived of food does. I judged that sunlight was common enough that this didn't qualify as a Restricted Diet and didn't note it in their Traits section because it's unlikely to be relevant in play.

If it needs to be addressed, I'd say that 3 hours of direct sunlight is equivalent to one meal.