[DF] Homebrew Monsters

[Gold & Appel Inc]

In honor of a Spring Equinox with snow on the ground here in sunny Denver, we bring you another request from b-dog:

The Winter Queen (Greater Epic Boss)

Grand Mistress of all things icy, from wind to hearts, the Winter Queen is unique among her sisters in that she has predicted inevitable mutual annihilation among the four and embraced a strategy of preemptive but subtle hostilities that she has dubbed "The Cold War" to ensure her own eventual victory. She has far more spies and agents-provocateur than warriors defending her domain, but then the starkly beautiful natural vistas of her domain require little in the way of defense. She notably has the weakest personal magical reserves and physical durability out of all the Seasonal Queens, so she prefers to operate through intermediaries and rarely appears in person. She is a superhuman genius trapster and tactician, however, more patient and subtle than the vast bulk of faeriekind, and her Subterranean Ice Labyrinth is one of the truly epic dungeons of the multiverse.

ST: 11      HP: 15      Speed: 6.0
DX: 11      Will: 25    Move:  8
IQ: 19      Per: 19
HT: 13      FP: 15      SM: +0
Dodge: 10   Parry: 14*  DR:  0

The Staff of Winter (16): 1d+5 Crushing Or 1d+3 Crushing w/ +2 Icy Weapon Follow-Up and Reach 1,2
Icy Touch (Via Staff) (16): Above + 2d Fatigue w/ Hazard: Freezing, Side-Effect: Paralysis, and Reach 1,2 (3/Day)
Icy Touch (Via Hand) (16): 2d Fatigue w/ Hazard: Freezing, Side-Effect: Paralysis, and Reach C (3/Day)

Traits: Appearance (Transcendant, Universal +5), Awe (-1 to Awe Resistance), Charisma +5, Combat Reflexes, Dependency (Mana, Constantly), DR x4 (Vs Cold/Ice Only), Indomitable, Injury Tolerance x1/4 (Vs Cold/Ice Only), Megalomania, Paranoia, Power Investiture x3 (Druid), Sense of Duty (Nature), Surefooted (Slippery), Unfazeable, Vulnerability (Fire x2, Iron x2),

Special Powers: Hypnotic Voice (Magical), Epic Immortality (Achilles' Heel: Iron), Icy Touch (Magical), Wild Talent x6 (Magic Spells Only -20%)

Skills: Climbing DX+1 [4]-12, Diplomacy IQ+1 [8]-20, Leadership IQ+1 [4]-20, Occultism IQ+5 [20]-24, Sex Appeal HT+6* [4]-19, Staff DX+4 [16]-15, Tactics IQ+2 [12]-21, Traps IQ+2 [8]-21, Wrestling DX+1 [4]-12,

Spells: Nature! IQ+4* [36]-23,

Class: Faerie

Notes: Prefers negotiation, but not always in good faith. Carries the Staff of Winter, w/ Fine Balance and Puissance +2, Loyal Weapon, Staff, Shatterproof, and Icy Weapon on it. It looks like ice, weighs as much as wood, is as hard as steel, and is lootable, but it will melt instantly and permanently if it is ever taken out of freezing temperature conditions.

This one was really easy to do while giving her a distinct style and MO. Just like the Autumn Queen, except subtracting Nightmarish Trickster, Power Caster, and one level of Wild Caster, and adding Swift Stalker (w/ Climbing), Cunning Stalker, and Strange Killer (Icy Touch). I swapped out the Lifebane disadvantage from Basic Caster for Paranoia, swapped out Axe/Mace from Basic Brute, Basic Caster, and Clever Trickster for Staff, swapped out the Vampiric Aura from Strange Brute for Invulnerability vs. Cold/Ice, swapped out Leadership from Clever Trickster for Psychology, swapped out Impulsiveness and Overconfidence for Megalomania, and swapped out the Vulnerability to Iron from Strange Brute for Vulnerability x2 (Fire/Heat) (but kept the Vulnerability x2 to Iron from Basic Brute). She will typically use her Wild Magic to simulate Meta, Mind Control, Communication/Empathy, Darkness, Illusion, and especially Fire and Water spells dealing with Cold/Ice.


Agent Blizzard Alpha, Chief of the Winter Court Secret Police (Lesser Boss)

The finest and most slippery of the Ice Queen's brilliant and unique Elite Intelligence Officers, whose real appearance is unknown but who usually appears as an athletic white stallion with icy blue eyes when he's off duty. Rumors abound that this shape is merely a red herring to throw suspicion off his real public persona, that he is the Winter Queen's lover, and wilder ideas. Though he enjoys playing at the role of the typical smooth-talking, flaky Pooka cad, in truth his resolve is iron and his superhumanly keen senses miss very little.

ST: 21      HP: 21     Speed: 5.75
DX: 12      Will: 16   Move:  8
IQ: 16      Per: 21
HT: 11      FP: 11     SM: +1
Dodge: 9    Parry: 12  DR: 20

Hooved Kick (16): 2d+2 Crushing
Horse Bite (16): 2d-3 Crushing
Regular-Speed Slam (16): 2d+1 Crushing

Traits: Combat Reflexes, Dependency (Mana, Constantly), Enhanced Move x1 (Running), Hooves, Horizontal, Magery x2, No Fine Manipulators, Peripheral Vision, Sense of Duty (Nature), Surefooted (Slippery), Trickster (12-), Vulnerability (Iron x2), Weak Bite,

Skills: Acting IQ+1 [4]-17, Brawling DX+4 [12]-16, Climbing DX+1 [4]-13, Fast Talk IQ+2 [8]-18, Knife DX+3 [8]-15, Occultism IQ+2 [8]-18, Tactics IQ-1 [2]-15, Traps IQ [2]-16,

Spells: Communication/Empathy! IQ+1 [12]-17, Mind Control! IQ+1 [12]-17,

Special Powers: Mimic

Class: Faerie

Notes: Prefers to negotiate, but can hold his own in a fight if he has to. His DR comes from a suit of Magical Faerie Half-Illusion / Half-Ice Armor that melts away when he doesn‘t need it and reappears when he does as easily as he Morphs.

For this one, I just took the basic Pooka upthread, kept the Basic Trickster, Swift Stalker, and Strange Trickster (Mimic) templates that all Pooka get, but swapped out Swimming for Climbing, and added Strange Brute (with Greater Armor for DR 20 and Vulnerability x2 to Iron), Clever Trickster (w/ Acting), Elegant Killer (w/ more Brawling), and Arch Caster x2 (w/ Occultism, Knife, Mind Control! Spells, and Communication/Empathy! Spells)

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Your Average Run-Of-The-Mill Frost Giant (Greater Worthy)

A brutal but not stupid humanoid, often encountered in the employ of the Winter Queen or living in elevated arctic environments.

ST: 25      HP: 37      Speed: 5.0
DX: 11      Will: 10    Move:  7
IQ: 10      Per: 10
HT: 11      FP: 11      SM: +2
Dodge: 9    Parry: 9    DR:  6 or 11*

Punch (11): 2d+1 Crushing w/ Reach 1
Punch w/ Power Blow (11): 5d+1 Crushing w/ Reach 1
Slam (11): 3d-1 Crushing

Traits: Combat Reflexes, DR x4 (Vs Cold/Ice Only), Injury Tolerance x1/4 (Vs Cold/Ice Only), Surefooted (Slippery), Vulnerability (Fire/Heat x2),

Skills: Climbing DX+1 [4]-12, Power Blow Will+4 [20]-14,

Class: Mundane (Giant)

Notes: Usually wears lootable SM +2 Heavy Plate armor or at the very least heavy furs for 7 regular DR or 2 flexible DR over his 4 Tough Skin DR. Probably has a basic occupational template for skills.

I could use the Giant template from Banestorm or something, but instead I’ll keep it to stuff that appears in this thread for convenience. Start with a normal Human, with 10 for all attributes. Make him freaking huge with the Gigantic Animal template, long-legged and adapted to icy mountain conditions with the Swift Stalker template (with Climbing), slow but strong with the Power Killer template, and tough with the Hardy Brute template and the Strange Brute template (w/ Invulnerability: Cold/Ice, and Vulnerability x2 to Fire/Heat).


Gerhaard the Glacier, Frost Giant / Winter Court Field General (Greater Boss)

Every proper cold war superpower needs weapons of mass destruction held in reserve, and the Court of Ice is no exception. Gerhaard is smarter, faster, and more loyal than most frost giants, equipped with the finest arms and armor the Winter Queen's nibelung can forge and adorned the considerable distance from head to toe with mystical faerie rune tattoos that misdirect sorcery away from him.

ST: 30      HP: 48      Speed: 6.0
DX: 12      Will: 18    Move:  8
IQ: 12      Per: 12
HT: 14      FP: 14      SM: +2
Dodge: 11   Parry: 13   DR:  15*

Thrusting Broadsword (14): 5d+5 Cutting or 3d+4 Impaling w/ +2 Icy Follow-Up and Reach 2
Thrusting Broadsword w/ Power Blow (14): 9d+3 Cutting or 7d+2 Impaling w/ +2 Icy Follow-Up and Reach 2
Punch (14): 3d+2 Crushing w/ Reach 1
Punch w/ Power Blow (14): 7d+5 Crushing w/ Reach 1
Slam (14): 4d+3 Crushing

Traits: Combat Reflexes, DR x4 (Vs Cold/Ice Only), Enhanced Dodge +1, Enhanced Parry +2 (Broadsword), Hard to Kill +3, Injury Tolerance x1/4 (Vs Cold/Ice Only), Magic Resistance +5, Sense of Duty (Winter Court), Surefooted (Slippery), Vulnerability (Fire/Heat x2),

Skills: Brawling DX+2 [4]-14, Broadsword DX+2 [8]-14, Climbing DX+1 [4]-13, Leadership IQ+1 [4]-13, Power Blow Will+10 [44]-28, Tactics IQ-1 [2]-11, Throwing DX [2]-12, Traps IQ [2]-12, Wrestling DX+1 [4]-13,

Class: Mundane (Giant)

Notes: Owns a lootable Very Fine SM +2 Thrusting Broadsword with Loyal Weapon and Icy Weapon, and usually wears lootable SM +2 Heavy Plate armor with Fortify +1 and 50% Lightness for 8 regular DR over his 7 Tough Skin DR. With extra time he can easily triple his ST using Power Blow, which he will often do while acting as a walking catapult.

To make this beast: Start with a normal Frost Giant, above. Then add the Basic Brute template (w/ +ST, Broadsword, Wrestling, and SoD: Winter Court), the Clever Trickster template (w/ Leadership + Throwing), the Graceful Brute template (w/ Brawling), and the Mana-Breaker Brute template. Finally, upgrade Power Killer to Greater Power Killer, and upgrade Hardy Brute to Greater Hardy Brute.

[newtkeeper]

Name of a god! This is truly and utterly brilliant. Noted and recorded. Someone ought to submit this- a proper Manual of Monsters for Dungeon Fantasy.

[Jamaraq]

I don't know how I have missed this, but great work!
As good as it gets :D.

P.S. If I have missed this, others will probably have missed it too. Indeed this should be submitted and published to reach a greater audience.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Jamaraq

I don't know how I have missed this, but great work!
As good as it gets :D.

P.S. If I have missed this, others will probably have missed it too.

Yeah, I've been dropping links to this thread every time the subject comes up and suggest the same to anybody who likes it.

Originally Posted by Jamaraq

Indeed this should be submitted and published

FYI: Anything that has been posted on these fora is already the property of SJG. They can publish it if they think it'll make money, and a lot of people have already employed a great many keystrokes in a great many threads here attempting to persuade them that it would. IMHO it ain't gonna happen.

Originally Posted by Jamaraq

to reach a greater audience.

To reach a greater audience than that of a free site open to the public on the internet? Does this involve traveling through time to show it to people who do not currently exist? ;]

[weby]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

To reach a greater audience than that of a free site open to the public on the internet? Does this involve traveling through time to show it to people who do not currently exist? ;]

Well.. as forum topics go down in rank.. things that are good should likely get a more permanent place like the SJ games gurps resources page for the really nice stuff.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by weby

Well.. as forum topics go down in rank.. things that are good should likely get a more permanent place like the SJ games gurps resources page for the really nice stuff.

I'm sure nobody would object if the mods decided to sticky it, but bumping it constantly with new content is even better. A lot of people skim right past the stickies, as evidenced by all the threads with titles like "The Pages Fell Out Of My 4e Characters Book!"

[Greg 1]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

I'm sure nobody would object if the mods decided to sticky it, but bumping it constantly with new content is even better. A lot of people skim right past the stickies, as evidenced by all the threads with titles like "The Pages Fell Out Of My 4e Characters Book!"

IMHO, the important thing is that material this great is in a netbook somewhere that it is easy to find by people looking for GURPS stuff online.

[Mailanka]

Originally Posted by Greg 1

IMHO, the important thing is that material this great is in a netbook somewhere that it is easy to find by people looking for GURPS stuff online.

'm busy! I'll get to it, I promise ^_^

[Pragmatic]

Has anyone actually playtested these monsters against DF characters, fully maxed out?

That Frost Giant major boss (Gerhaard) above, for instance, looks like he'd take out any high-power DF group. (Keeping in mind, I'm a collector, not a role-player, so I don't know the rules...) His Power Blow with the Broadsword would wipe out (I think...) pretty much any fighter (average of 34.5 damage; even a DR as high as 10 would still leave almost 25 points getting through--and with a thrust, isn't there a bonus on damage that gets through DR?).