https://monsteroftheweek.ca A Burning Wheel Monster Every Week en-ca 2025-04-02 17:10 https://monsteroftheweek.ca/Coelboid.html Coelboid The Coelboidae are the most ancient snakes. As the songs of creation burst forth from the heavens, the dragons began to rumble to wakefulness in the bowels of the earth. But those deep places also held other serpents, lesser serpents. As the waning of the time of myth, the lesser serpents faded into the snakes, and their eldest were the Coelboidae. They do not bear claws and wings like the wyrms, they are fully legless, but still at least as long as an elf is tall, and most of the are far larger. They are usually coloured to look like the place they live, and shed their skins often to blend into the area. The Coelboidae, like their great cousins, exist as partially in the spirit world, often acting as guides or advisors on all things spiritual. They have been known to trade for knowledge and information about the spirits, typically for food, but many of them like gems and other wealth due to fading instincts from their ancient past. They also value their safety, and have been known to hire guards or craftsman to create defenses around them, though their bodies make it hard for them to build their own homes. This is not to say they aren’t dangerous, many have sought a Coelboid only to be consumed by the serpent due to an unknown sleight. The Coelboidae live almost exclusively in the thin places between worlds, and have the ability to slip in and out of this world and the next due to their status as straddling the two worlds. They serve no masters, but they have an incredible sense of justice, and constantly work toward justice, advocating for the Nameless Spirits, the Restless Dead, and the peoples of this world equally, making them often fickle or badly understood by all of those. Coelboidae eat creatures generally the size of a goat or sheep, but some have been known to swallow a cow or human when necessary. A Coelboid doesn’t consider consuming a sapient being to be an act of violence, since it is how they usher a spirit into the next world. Many of them will consume anyone who they think the story of is over, to protect their soul from the ravages of the world. No Coelboid will consume a person they do not respect, since they do not want to be the vessel that ushers their soul beyond. But this consumption has a darker angle. When a Coelboid consumes something, they can then wear their skin. The Coelboid consumes the creature, and after digesting it, it can shed its skin and emerging from the skin is the being consumed. The creature has the mind and soul of the Coelboid, and the Coelboidae often use this for infiltration or diplomacy, though when their nature is discovered, the Coelboid generally is confused at the horror that they receive. Stat Block - Power: B7 - Agility: B3 - Speed: B5 - Forte: B7 - Will: B7 - Perception: B4 - Reflexes: B4 - Stride: 5 - Hesitation: 3 - Health: B7 - Steel: B8 Skills: - Spirit Binding B5 - Circination B4 - Symbology B5 - Folklore B7 - Spirit-wise B5 - Omen-wise B4 - Astrology B4 - Daemonology B5 - Empyrealia B5 - Savage Attack B6 - Hunting B8 Spirit Domains: Bound to Wind Embodied In Caves Master of Goat Traits: - Second Sight (Dt) - On The Brink (Dt) - Slow Digestion (Dt) - Snake Tongue (Dt/C-O) - Skin Shedder (Dt) - Lethargic (Char) - Immortal (Char) - Crushing Jaws (Dt) (As Great Wolf) Traits: On The Brink: The Coelboidae are not fully of this world or the next. When they pass through any doorway, whether the entrance to a cave or explicitly the door to a building, they can emerge in this world or the next. While they are in the next world, they are only able to be seen via Second Sight or similar powers, and can only see this world with Second Sight. They are also considered to have Spirit Nature since they cannot interact with this world, but can interact with things with Spirit Nature. This power allows the Coelboidae to speak to and befriend spirits as easily as they do mortals. Slow Digestion: The Coelboidae takes around a week to fully digest a meal. During this time they cannot engage in any strenuous activity, if they do they have a chance of vomiting forth their meal, which leaves them starving, and unable to eat for several days. This may cause them great distress from hunger as well. Coelboidae generally only need to eat once a month, but if they are already hungry being forced to go days without eating can harm them more, and is a great opportunity for Forte tests for the poor starving snake. Snake Tongue: The Coelboidae can smell with its tongue, allowing it to taste the air and sense nearby creatures and emotions. It can use its Aura Reading skill to determine emotion, even without using its Second Sight. This trait also acts as a call-on for Perception or Observation when used against Stealthy. Skin Shedder: The Coelboidae always sheds its skin under the light of the full moon. At the beginning of the first night of the full moon it will begin to slough off its old skin, and by morning it will have fully emerged from the mass of scales, flesh, or fur. When it begins shedding its skin it may choose to emerge in the form of any being it has ever eaten, instead of its own, but only if it is current in its snake form, meaning that it can remain in a form for a moon at a time, and then it returns to its snake form. It can assume a form more than once. Immortal: The Coelboidae are immortal, meaning they do not die of natural causes and continue to grow, very slowly, past adulthood. 2025-03-28 22:23 https://monsteroftheweek.ca/Last_Light.html The Last Light Inside every hero a fire burns bright enough to be seen by even some normal mortals. Heroes shine so brightly that they sometimes are seen with halos or as a burning pillar. Those heroes though sometimes falter. They sometimes fall. Lust, greed, and fear have broken heroes but that spark cannot die. These heroes leave behind their light, shattered and broken. Two burning points of leftover potential. Last Lights appear as two glowing embers burning with a faded red light as if the last coals of a birch fire. They wear the clothes they wore in life, though twisted and corrupted by their final sin. The black robe of a magi with eyes like burning coals. The plated mail of an honourable knight, rented and damaged, with the sickening red light issuing forth. The fine clothes of nobility without a head or hands, but able to strangely grasp, and with two eyes floating above the colour. A burial shroud, with the light inside. These heroes used to be heroically pushed toward a cause, to better the world and serve their community or the cause of weal, but now they are slavishly devoted to the sins that forced them to fall. Slaking horrible lusts, causing great fear, and gathering vast treasures, they have become the embodiment of their tragedies. The Last Lights are almost always found replaying their more horrible memories, over and over, in new places, with new people. Death Knights raiding the castles of good kings and raiding treasure stores, or making off with people for more unspeakable crimes. This does not mean they are stupid and mindless victims of fate, they are aware and smart. The Last Lights often gather coteries, armies, and minions to build networks or organizations to accomplish their goals. Many mercenaries have been paid by a man in black plated mail whose face they’ve never seen, except the two burning points of light. Some have seen hordes of the undead lead by a cloak shrouded figure riding a black horse. But these figures are not anonymous, they are shrouded in legend. Their lives are remembered, the things they did to try to change the world still reverberate through history, as do their final fall. They still live in stories and songs, their crimes and their victories still live in history. Stat Block - Power: B6 - Agility: B6 - Speed: B6 - Forte: B6 - Will: B6 - Perception: B6 - Reflexes: B6 - Stride: 7 - Hesitation: 4 - Health: B7 - Steel: G7 Skills: - Command: B6 - Intimidation: G6 - Conspicuous: B4 - Inconspicuous: B4 - Read: B3 - Write: B3 - Soldier-wise: B3 - Campaign-wise: B3 - Doctrine: B5 - Lost Cause-wise: B6 - Mortal Sin-wise: B6 Traits: - Spoken In Song And Story (Dt) - Aura of Fear (Dt) - Aura of Malevolence (Dt) - Spirit Nature (Dt) - Former Hero (Dt) - Tragic Flaw (Char) - Dread Costume (Dt) Traits Spoken In Song And Story: The Last Lights are spoken of in Song and Story and live in the memories of mortals. They are not fleeting ghosts or long forgotten spirits of the ancients, the scars they left on the land still live in the hearts of the people. When they are no longer spoken of, only then does their light finally give up and flicker out. Another person can slay them, but they will not die naturally. The Last Lights live in the shame of their own dooms, and as such cannot bear to hear their own stories. If an adventurer knows the story of the Last Light’s life (interviewing its victims, listening to bards, rolling appropriate wises are great ways to learn), then they can recite it. This recitation causes the Last Light to make a Steel test, with an appropriate skill roll from the storyteller adding to the Last Light’s Hesitation. Former Hero: Every Last Light shade shifts one of its skills and one of its Stats. It was a hero of legend, and still maintains the powers of one. It also gains two of Seven Points of Agility (including all forms and techniques), Sorcery (and five spells), Summoning (and three Orders), Falsehoods, Persuasion, or Strategy at B6 (it can choose one of these skills for its shade shift. It also again a 3D Reputation as a fallen hero. When a Last Light crawls out of the shadows into a town, its history is known, and it is forced to hide and cautiously rebuild itself. Dread Costume: The Last Light is not truly alive. It is an undead spirit wearing the costumes of humanity in order to convince others it is more. They most often appear as a suit of armour, a black cloak, or a headless outfit of nobility, each with two burning points of light where the eyes should be. These costumes are formed from the shadows, and can only be rebuilt in the darkness. The costume takes a full month for the Last Light to rebuild, and it must stay in shadows (typically inside a crypt or cave) for that entire time. It can speak while not wearing the costume but it cannot touch anything physically. While it is wearing a costume, it can be touched as if it was real. The costume has no armour rating, but takes wounds as if it was the Last Light itself, and dealing a Mortal Wound to the costume destroys it. A spirit weapon deals damage to the Last Light and the costume. Tragic Flaw: The Last Light has a great flaw at its heart. The Last Light’s single tragic flaw is something that it must always pick when made to choose between two choices. If the Last Light is told to leave this please and stop killing, but be paid, a Last Light stained by Greed will always take the offer of money, but it will also always ask for money. A Last Light stained by Wrath will never take the money and instead continue its punishment of those who presumed they could bribe him. 2025-03-19 21:07 https://monsteroftheweek.ca/Dendan.html Dendan The Dendan is the larger cousin of the whale. The great beast of the deep, the fear and desire of ever sailor. The tales of the Dendan are told by firelight, when sailors remember their lost brethren. The shanties of those who have slain one are only sung to defy the very waves themselves. Stories of the Dendan are as common as stories of mermaids seducing sailors, but sightings of them are rare and precious. A Dendan can destroy a ship with a careless swipe of its tail, and swallow a sailor whole. They are so large it’s said crews of small sloops have managed to live inside them, eating swallowed fish and burning the remnant of ships, for months. The Dendan is prized for its oil, its meat, and its bones. The oil from the liver of a Dendan can be spread on the nose and neck, and allow the user to swim underwater without the need for breath (though can still be strangled) for a full day. A single Dendan can provide a mere ten thousand applications of this oil, making it a rare and prized commodity. Dendan meat is a delicacy, and many kings and dukes will pay grandly for a taste. None who have eaten it will ever admit if they enjoyed the meal, as the price is so dear in lives and gold that there is no way to judge the quality. Dendan bones are light enough, numerous enough, and large enough, to build a ship or carriage from, as strong as bone and as buoyant as any other ship. A Dendan bone vessel is terrifying to behold, but will ride the waves indefinitely, unless a second Dendan is spotted. Some also will carve the bones of Dendan into art. Stat Block - Power: W10 - Agility: G5 - Speed: G6 - Forte: W10 - Will: B7 - Perception: B7 - Reflexes: B7 - Stride: 12 (On the water, none on land) - Hesitation: 3 - Health: W10 - Steel: G6 Skills: - Savage Attack: G5 - Conspicuous: B6 - Intimidation: G7 - Hunting: G5 - Tracking: G4 Traits: - Subject to Tales (Dt) - Scarred (Char) - Leviathan (Dt) - Layers of Blubber (Dt) - Immortal (Char) - Terrifying Body (Dt) Traits Subject to Tales: There are few Dendan in the wild, and they are solitary and immortal creatures, meaning that sailors have names and tales of all of them. Any sailor worth their salt will know tales to identify a Dendan’s name. Naming a Dendan is a simple Ob1 test of an appropriate wise. Every other additional success on this test will teach a sailor a fact about the Dendan. These facts will be one of, something this Dendan fears, something that can harm this Dendan despite its armour, a Belief of this Dendan, an Instinct of this Dendan, or something of value this Dendan has swallowed. Leviathan: The Dendan is indescribably large. The largest of the whales are dwarfed by the Dendan. They are supernaturally strong and enduring, and as fast as the currents of the ocean. Accounting for their size is impossible. They are so large that living inside a Dendan is indeed possible, living inside a Leviathan is, on its own, very hard living, finding food, fire, and safety is complicated, but it’s possible, and stories abound of sailors living within Dendan for months before being spat out upon the land. Layers of Blubber: Dendan can ignore the cold of the sea, no matter where they roam. They also gain G6 Armour to their entire body due to the thick blubber around their entire body. Terrifying Body: The Dendan’s teeth are a weapon. Length Shortest, Pow+3, WS 2, VA 4. The Dendan’s tail is a weapon, Length Longest, Pow+1, WS 1, VA -. The damage from the tail is grey. When engaging the Dendan, the winner of the position test picks which weapon the Dendan can bring to bear. Catching and Killing Dendan Hooking a Dendan is a death sentence. The crew either kill it or be killed. Everyone aboard the ship hunting a Dendan knows that few have ever returned from this voyage. It is rare for a Dendan hunting expedition to go without being turned into a song. Though most of them are dirges for those who lost their lives. Hooking a Dendan is generally done via harpooning the beast while it breaches. The pilot of the ship must make an Ob5 Piloting check to be near enough to the beast as is breaches the waves. This test is linked with the final Artillerist test. Failure on the test causes the boat to begin taking on water (+2Ob to the disposition roll as well as the +1Ob from failing a linked test). Next, the crew must make a Rigging test, also linked to the Artillerist test. The Ob is the Agility of the Dendan. The crew can help, though the GM should be aware of too many cooks for their size of vessel. Failing the test means that the ship’s sails can be damaged as it gets pulled, meaning that the Dendan’s rolls when using the Thrash Wildly action are at +2D until the sails can be properly set. Finally, the gunner must make an Artillerist test, since a regular harpoon is too small to matter to a Dendan a full sized ballista must be used, so regular harpoon skill doesn’t come into play unless the thrower has heroic strength, or a heroic harpoon. The Artillerist test’s Ob is the speed of the Dendan. If successful the Dendan is caught and combat may ensue. There is no option given in these rules for fleeing from the Dendan, doing so is a death sentence without mystical intervention. If lucky, the ship is destroyed and the crew swallowed. If unlucky, the crew is drowned. At the beginning of the conflict, both sides make a Power test. The Ship may add the base Resources Obstacle to purchase their ship to this test as raw successes, since the quality and size of their ship is important. The successes on the Power test is their disposition in a conflict. Remember, if the ship’s sails are not properly set, or it has taken on water. Like the duel of wits or range and over, combating the Dendan is handled by scripting actions in advance. Each side secretly scripts three actions in a volley, and then they are resolved in order. The Dendan The Dendan has four options in combat. Tire: The Dendan rests a moment. The creature may make a Health test to cure a superficial wound (as Clear the Cobwebs), or it may attempt to regain disposition as it takes a moment to rest. Thrash Wildly: The line is long and the sailors too wise to let the Dendan near enough to attack them directly. But the line can be thrashed, and those holding it can be rocked. Race: The Dendan can attempt to pull the line out and simply get away. This is the ideal for all parties if successful. But few Dendan forget. Breach: A Dendan must successfully breach every other exchange, or else it begins to drown. A drowning Dendan may make a Health test against an Ob of its own Power since it is trying to hold its breath while also exerting itself. The Ship The ship has more options in combat, and gets to set the pace of the conflict for the majority of it. Launch Longboats: Launching longboats is really only safe if the line can be passed off. The ship sends several members of the crew to a longboat. The goal is to launch several longboats so that more can hold the line, and that disaster strikes a smaller again. This action is automatic if rolled while the Dendan is Tiring. If the Dendan is Racing or Breaching then the crew their captain’s Command against the Dendan’s Speed. If the crew is successful, then the boat is launched and able to handle the line. If the Dendan is successful, the crew are knocked into the sea and the Dendan reduces the crew’s disposition by it’s margin of success. On a tie, the crew gets in the longboat successfully, but the boat loses the line and needs to find a way to get it. If the Dendan Breached, they automatically successfully get a breath. If the Dendan is Thrashing, then the Dendan rolls its Power to reduce by its successes, with the crew rolling nothing, and losing the longboat. Each longboat holding the line gives the ship +1D on all power tests, without a maximum bonus. Ride The Line: The crew attempts to trim their sails, stow their oars, and simply let the Dendan pull them. As they get swept out to sea they must hold on for dear life. If the Dendan Breaches here then nothing is rolled, but the Dendan has successfully breached. If the Dendan Tires, then the Dendan may roll Health and add the result to their disposition. If the Dendan Thrashes then the crew rolls their Rigging or Piloting vs the Power of the Dendan, the winner reducing the disposition of the other. If the Dendan Races then the crew rolls their Rigging or Piloting, but the Dendan rolls their Speed instead, again with the winner gaining disposition. Pull Beneath the Waves: This is a much more active version of riding the line. The crew begins to try to heave the Dendan beneath the waves and drown the great beast. If the Dendan Tires then the crew rolls their Power, directly reducing the disposition of the Dendan. If the Dendan is Breaching then the crew must roll Power vs the Dendan’s Power, success means that the Dendan fails to breach this action. If the Dendan Thrashes then the crew must scramble, rolling their Power vs the Dendan’s Power, with the winner reducing the other’s disposition. If the Dendan is Racing then the Dendan rolls their Speed without opposition from the crew to reduce the crew’s disposition. Jig: The crew attempts to pull the Dendan this way and that, tiring it out and wounding it. This is always the Crew’s Power against the Dendan’s, with the winner reducing the other’s disposition. Breaching attempts, despite this, also always succeed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ If the crew wins the test against the Dendan, they may use their margin of success to shoot, cast spells, repair the ship, bail water, or other actions. The crew may make a single test for every margin of success as they do jobs as they hand the line off to one another. If the Dendan wins the test it can attempt to damage the ship. The Dendan can deal its Margin of Success as damage to the ship structurally. If the Dendan is brought low, every single sailor on the ship immediately becomes worthy of a song, and can claim the prizes and glory. If the Dendan wins the conflict, they can choose to flee, or they can destroy the ship. Up to the Dendan. 2025-03-13 23:17 https://monsteroftheweek.ca/The_Exiled.html The Exiled Some people do things too evil for the gods to condone. Ending heroes before their story is over. Inventing murder. Creating the first liches. These things the gods will punish by exiling the being. Not from a kingdom, city, or even a temple. These creatures walk the earth alone forever, with no options for succor, and the gods themselves preventing them from resting their heads. The curse of the Exile is loneliness. They must wander the world alone, without being able to safely talk to others, or have a place to rest. They are transformed into gross mockeries of humanity. Their body is warped and twisted, making them horrific to gaze upon. Their bodies are stronger and scaled, protecting them from harm, leaving them safe from those who will attempt to slay them, making them forced to endure their torture. Despite these curses, the greatest curse of the Exiled is their eyes. The Exiled’s eyes are cursed such that if anyone meets their eyes, they will share the curse of the Exiled. The Exiled my never again experience intimacy with a person through their faces. Several of them wear blindfolds or masks to cover their faces, leaving a horrific surprise for their friends and lovers if they see this partner without their mask in an intimate moment. The Exiled are often sought for their knowledge, but never their wisdom. Those seeking their knowledge must be aware that they are approaching a being who is so evil they have been cast aside by all of the deities, no matter their disposition. They must be aware of the horror of the monstrous eyes of the Exiled, and that the Exile’s price will often be looking into them. All this does not stop those from seeking the Exile, because the Exiled are the only source of knowledge of eternal suffering. Blood Mages and Daemons seek the Exiled for power, but Scholars and Healers seek the Exiled because they feel the need to understand their ultimate enemy, suffering, and only the Exiled truly understands it. The story goes in several temples that one of their statues is a high priest who took pity on an Exiled after learning the truth of suffering. Stat Block - Power: B5 - Agility: B4 - Speed: B4 - Forte: B6 - Will: B5 - Perception: B4 - Reflexes: B4 - Stride: 7 - Hesitation: 5 - Health: B7 - Steel: G5 Skills: - Philosophy: B6 - Doctrine: B4 - Falsehoods: B4 - Savage Attack: B5 - Scavenging: B6 - Foraging: B5 - Conspicuous: B5 - Inconspicuous: B4 - Stealthy: B5 - Rhetoric: B4 - Intimidation: G5 - Secluded Places-wise: G4 - Lies of the Divine-wise: G3 - Eternal Suffering-wise: G6 Traits: - Monstrous Eyes (Dt) - Scaly Skin (Dt) - Wailing Keen (Dt) - Horrific Teeth (Dt) - Sorrowful (Char) - Inured to Suffering (C-O) Traits Monstrous Eyes: The Exiled all have eyes which spread ruin. Looking into their eyes is a horrific experience, as a person gazing into those eyes would end the torment of exile. Therefore anyone gazing into the eyes of an Exiled gains their own curse. There are three curses their eyes can bear, the Curse of Stone. The Curse of The Monster, The Curse of Secrets. Those who meet the gaze of an Exiled with the Gaze of Stone turns to stone. Some claim that the blood of an Exiled can turn them back, others that killing The Exiled will restore all those they’ve turned to stone. If the Exiled has The Gaze of the Monster then those who meet their gaze turn into a monster. Most of the time the victim is turned to an Orc, who is suddenly flooded with Hatred, but that is not a universal rule. People are turned into the monster the gods deem best. The Exiled with the Gaze of Secrets reveal a terrible secret to those that meet their gaze. The secret is always one that will bring grief to the knower. They gain an Instinct or Belief related to that secret. If they attempt to explain the secret to another, they are dismissed as incoherent. The rumour is that if someone ever intentionally meets the gaze of The Exiled, and accepts their curse, then the Exiled will be cured and become the person they were before. Almost all Exiles belief this myth, and will give anything to meet the gaze of one person. Wailing Keen: The Exiled’s screams are said to foretell death. It is rare that an Exile will appear and foretell a death, but instead the keen comes from across the fen, causing fear and panic. The Keen of the Exiled forces a Steel test, with the Exiled rolling intimidation and adding successes to the Hesitation check. The Keen of the Exiled is not an innate power. The wails and screams of the Exiled are learned over their years of exile. Horrific Teeth: The visage of the Exiled is horrible to behold, even when their eyes are covered. Those who see the Exiled while blindfolded speak of their dripping teeth, They have the teeth of a great boar, which drip with the poison of a great snake. The Exiled’s bite can only be used during a Lock due to its lack of regular reach, Pow +0, WS 2, VA -, but the bite injects a poison causing a Midi wound, which deteriorates into a Severe wound in an hour unless an Ob4 Health Test is passed (can be improved via treating the wound). Inured to Suffering: The Exiled doesn’t feel suffering properly. This is a call on for any Steel test or Will test to overcome fear or pain. They have been alone so long and spent so much of their lives in pain that they do not properly feel it anymore. Most of the Exiled sleep a lot due to this level of suffering. 2025-03-07 13:06 https://monsteroftheweek.ca/Chimera.html Chimera Chimera are generally not naturally occurring creatures. There’s a belief that they are the creation of the deities, or the children of deities. However, they are typically created by alchemical or magical accidents. In fact, they are not really a species in the same way other creatures are, each specimen is created as a result of a unique event (though sometimes you do get a brood rather than a unique individual). This means encountering a Chimera is often fraught with surprises, even by the most learned or experienced survivalists. Not all hybridized creatures are Chimera of course, Gryphons and Hippocampi are not Chimera, but instead breed true. On the flip side, mules are not Chimera, but do not breed true. A Chimera is defined by being a mishmash of creatures. This makes them pretty unpredictable to interact with. Several explorers have come across groups of chimera and thought they’d discovered a new creature, only to later find they only had a Chimera on their hands, of course, this doesn’t decrease the price of these creatures as travelling shows, just the chance of getting a second attraction. Since most Chimera are formed during alchemical experiments, they are most often associated with the creatures valued by alchemists. This means, chickens for their eggs, goats for parchment, cows for their meat and vellum, lizards for their cold blood and scales, snakes for their venom, birds for their wings, and large cats for their mystique. Magical experiments or divine provenance of course will sometimes create very exotic Chimera, blasted together in wild excesses of power. Added to this, many Chimera will gain additional abilities from the power of their birth. Stat Block - Power: B6 - Agility: B4 - Speed: B5 - Forte: B6 - Will: B5 - Perception: B3 - Reflexes: B4 - Stride: 7 - Hesitation: 5 - Health: B7 - Steel: B9 Skills: - Savage Attack: B6 - Hauling: B5 - Stealthy: B4 Traits: - Chimerical (Char) - Exotic (Char) - Mule (Char) - Born (Dt) - Head (Dt) - Body (Dt) - Back (Dt) - Legs (Dt) - Tail (Dt) Traits Chimera are defined by their traits, but generally do not have common traits, they have a series of different die traits that make up their being. Each of the traits Born Head, Body, Back, Legs, and Tail are given a set of different options to make the full Chimera. So a Chimera with Body of Lion, Wings of Eagle, Born in Fire, Legs of Horse, and Tail of Serpent will be very different than one with Body of Cattle, Back of Lizard, Born of Water, Legs of Horse, and Tail of Scorpion. There are optional rollable tables provided for making random Chimera. These traits increase the stats of the Chimera, these are not bonus dice generally, they are a direct increase to the Chimera’s stats. Born 1d4 Born Type ----- ----------------------- 1 Born in Fire 2 Born of Water 3 Born of Air 4 Born Within The Earth - Born in Fire: Chimera Born in Fire are born from accidents and events where explosions and lab fires destroy everything. The destruction they were born in makes them destroyers themselves. Their Speed increases by +1D (add directly to the stat), and their Stride increases by +1, due to their motion being like flame. They can also breath Flame - Length: Missile, Range Thrown, VA 4, Damage Will+2, WS 1. Using their Fire Breath taxes their Forte (roll Health vs the number of times they have breathed fire that day, recover as per The Sickness for sorcerers). - Born of Water: Chimera Born of Water are like their element, they are beings closer to perfection. Rarely born accidentally, those born of Water are often created intentionally to serve the desires of alchemists, or worse, priests of gods willing to make mockeries of life. Due to water’s role as the first amongst the elements, the prime, these Chimera are considered the greatest of the beings, with some priests considering them being above even humanity. Chimera born of water gain +1D to Will and Perception due to their perfect nature. They also have the ability to breath underwater, and gain the Swimmer character trait. - Born in Air: Chimera Born of Air are known for their mercurial nature. They are as fickle as a morning in early spring. They are generally the most safely created due to the fact that they are created in the safest place. Despite this, people have found that they are the easiest to train due to the fact that do have good days for training, unlike their bretheren. Travelling shows beware since they do still snap at the oglers. Chimera born of air are lighter than most, decreasing their Forte and Power by 1D but increasing their Speed and Agility by +2D each. They also gain the ability to cast the Weatherworker spell using their Forte in place of Sorcery (they are taxed normally), as they can use their massive lungs to change the winds. - Born Within The Earth: Chimera Born within the Earth seem to be almost as safe as the Chimera of Air - but as they grow within the embrace of the earth-mother, they are dormant. Only when dwarves breach their womb-homes, or earthquakes rend them into birth are they finally awakened. These Chimera are almost always awoken angry and raging. Once the initial pain of their creation wears off, they typically calm down and then become regular chimera, though they are the most stable and grounded, making them most prized by travelling shows who understand the dangers of those born of air. These Chimera continue to reflect the rocky place they are born, giving them +2D armour to all locations of their body. They also gain the Earthblood trait (as per Trolls). Head 1d8 Head ----- ------------------ 1 Head of Serpent 2 Head of Lion 3 Head of Hawk 4 Head of Goat 5 Head of Dragon 6 Head of Ox 7 Head of Humanity 8 Roll Again Twice - Head of Serpent: The Chimera gains a bite attack, Length: Hands, VA 1, Pow +0, WS 3. If the bitten character takes a wound from the bite, they also take an additional midi wound due to poison injected by the bite. - Head of Lion: The Chimera gains the Intimidate skill at B4 due to roars, and gains a bite attack Length: Hands, VA 1, Pow +2, WS 2. - Head of Hawk: The Chimera gains the Keen Sight trait. - Head of Goat: The Chimera can eat almost anything. Give them the Bottomless Stomach trait, the Stomach of The Goat die trait (+2D to Health for ingestion difficulties). - Head of the Dragon: Dragon headed Chimera are amongst the most feared. They have 5D armour to their head due to the scales, and gain Crushing Jaws Length: Long (their neck), VA 3, Pow +3, WS 2. - Head of Ox: The Chimera has large horns. They can perform the Charge And Strike action, and their horns can be used as a weapon. Large Horns and Thick Skull: Length: Hands, VA 2, Pow +2, WS 1. - Head of Humanity: The Chimera gains the High Speech trait and the skills Philosophy and Alchemy at B4. - Many Chimera can have several heads due to their nature. Body 1d4+1d4 Body --------- -------------- 2 Horse Body 3 Wolf Body 4 Cattle Body 5 Lion Body 6 Chicken Body 7 Goat Body 8 Serpent Body - Horse Body: The Chimera’s gains the Fleet of Foot traits due to its lungs helping it on the burst. - Wolf Body: The Chimera gains the Deep Fur and Great Lupine Form trait. - Cattle Body: The Chimera gains +2 Forte and the Bottomless Stomach trait. - Lion Body: The Chimera gains the Quickened Pulse trait. - Chicken Body: The Chimera gains the Feathered Trait. Of course, they need to be able to fly to need/use their pinions and tail feathers, those effects only apply if they can. - Goat Body: The Chimera gains the Coat of Fur trait. - Serpent Body: The Chimera does not have legs! Feathered (Dt) The creature have feathers covering most of their body. They gain 1D of armour to their arms and legs due to the padding the feathers can apply. However, they can easily have those feathers damaged. If the monster is struck in the wing or the back/legs they have a chance of their pinions or tail feathers damaged. When those feathers are damaged they cannot fly. Roll the DoF, on a 6 or better those feathers are damaged, the attacker can spend additional successes to increase the DoF (before the DoF is rolled). The pinion feathers take two months to regrow, the tail feathers only take a month to regrow. They can also be regrown with a Minor Miracle. Back The body of the Chimera is what their body looks like, and how their organs are configured. However, their back and legs indicate most of their looks. A Lizard-like back means it’s covered in scales, even if it’s a Lion bodied Chimera. Whereas others might have a traditional look lion body with eagle wings sticking out of its back. 1d6 Feature ----- ------------------ 1 Lizard Scales 2 Eagle Wings 3 Chicken Feathers 4 Cattle Muscle 5 Bear Fur 6 Spines of Rock - Lizard Scales: The Chimera gains the Scaly Skin trait. - Eagle Wings: The Chimera can fly! It’s Stride is 10 when flying and it can fly. - Chicken Feathers: The Chimera is covered in short chicken feathers. - Cattle Muscle: The Chimera has the strongly built body of cattle. It gains +1D Power and +2D Forte. - Bear Fur: The Chimera gains the Coat of Fur trait and 2D of armour due to its heavy shaggy fur. - Spines of Rock: The Chimera was merged with the stones of the earth itself. It gains the Crystalline Spines trait. Legs 1d6 Feature ----- -------------- 1 Lion Legs 2 Horse Legs 3 Chicken Legs 4 Lizard Legs 5 Bear Limbs 6 Goat Legs - Lion Legs: The Chimera has large raking claws and strong front claws. The Chimera can use the Lock and Strike action and gains +2 Power on strikes to a knocked down or locked target. Their claws do Length: Hands, VA 1, Pow +2, WS 2. - Horse Legs: The Chimera gains a Stride of 12. - Chicken Legs: The Chimera has a stride of 6. - Lizard Legs: The Chimera gains 2D armour to their legs. - Bear Limbs: The Chimera gains large front claws and powerful back legs, gaining a Stride of 9 and Claws Length: Hands, VA 2, Pow +1, WS 1. - Goat Legs: The Chimera can easily walk on rough footing. It gains the Sure Footed trait (a call-on for anything where there’s a chance of tripping due to rough terrain). Tail 1d6 Feature ----- --------------- 1 Serpent Tail 2 Scorpion Tail 3 Chicken Tail 4 Lizard Tail 5 Cattle Tail 6 Lion Tail - Serpent Tail: The Chimera’s tail is an entire serpent! The Chimera’s tail can act independently and gains a bite Length: Hands, VA 1, Pow -2, WS 3. If the bitten character takes a wound from the bite, they also take an additional midi wound due to poison injected by the bite. - Scorpion Tail: The Chimera’s tail is a giant scorpion tail. The tail can be used to strike. Length: Hands, VA 2, Pow -1, WS 1. Characters struck by the tail also take a midi wound due to poison. - Chicken Tail: The Chimera’s tail is a fan of feathers. It can be used to stabilize the Chimera, giving the Chimera the Feathered Tail trait. This acts as a call-on for any roll to prevent being knocked down. This can be negated if the Chimera has the Feathered trait. - Lizard Tail: The Chimera’s tail is lizard’s tail. It’s large and powerful but easily removed. It has 3D armour due to scales but falls off harmlessly instead of taking any wound. - Cattle Tail: The Chimera’s tail is a simple cow’s tail. - Lion Tail: The Chimera’s tail is a simple lion’s tail.