[ACKS Monster] Fomorian

This one's been rattling around for a while. Fomorians replace stone giants, ettins, and cyclops on the encounter tables in my game, and merge in Athaches from various other sources.

I have this image in my head that hill giants, frost giants, and fire giants are the only kinds of giants in Talis- though I do love the some of the weirder giants from Pathfinder.

FOMORIAN

% In Lair: 30%

Dungeon: Gang (1d4)/Lair (1d6)

Wilderness: Warband (1d6)/ Lair (1d6)

Alignment: Chaotic

Movement: 120' (40')

AC: 5

Hit Dice: 9

Attacks: 1

Damage: 3d6

Save: F9

Morale: +1

TT: N

XP: 700

Fomorians are similar to hill giants, at least superficially or from afar. In truth, they were once the spawn of hill giant matings with some wholly Chaotic creature of protean bent. Fomorians are far more intelligent than their hill giant cousins, and often master magic or worship demonic masters, granting them much temporal power. In certain realms, the fomorians rule subject tribes of ogres, goblins, or Chaotic humans, while in other places, the fomorians create vast legions of orcs to serve them.

Fomorians are generally about 14' tall, and weigh about 1,500 pounds. Unlike hill giants, which tend to be symmetrical, if rudely shaped, fomorians are to the last misshapen creatures. While each has at least one arm, two legs, an eye, and a mouth, the locations and shapes of these things sometimes defy description. One fomorian might have a huge left arm, stumps for legs, and great red-rimmed eyes growing straight from its cheeks. The next has three arms on the left side, none on the right, and his mouth is full of gnashing tusks, framed in a ring by a lipless sucker.

Some fomorian clans have been lucky enough to breed forms which are almost true- resulting in such more powerful varieties as “cyclops”, “athach”, and “ettin”.

Fomorians are able to throw stones as other giants, but their misshapen bodies force them to throw at unusual angles, reducing their range to 100'. They deal 3d6 damage with a throw.

Few natural creatures will serve fomorians- thus, they often breed creatures of their own, infusing them with dark magic.

Some few fomorians are capable of learning and casting magic- these fomorians are mages of level 1d4, warlocks of level 1d4, and/or shamans of level 1d6.

Lastly, a lair of fomorians has a 50% chance of hosting a pack of yellow hounds, as well.

Bodily Mutations (roll 1d2 times)

1 Thick skin. The fomorian is covered in warts, corpuscles, gristle, bone plates, or the like. This improves it's armor class by 2 (to 7)

2 Easily punctured skin. The fomorian takes 2 more points of damage from any ranged attack, or melee attacks by spears and polearms.

3 Simian bend. The fomorian has a long torso and short arms. It is able to run at increased speed- +30' (10'), and also gains a climb speed of 30' (10').

4 Great stealth. The fomorian moves nearly silently, gaining a +1 to surprise and a +1 to avoid being surprised.

5 Vile hive. The fomorian's body has a horrible, tumorous growth, within which dwells a 3 HD insect swarm. The fomorian can concentrate to see through the eyes of these creatures. If the swarm is dispersed, a new one will form within the fomorian over time.

6 Ooze form. The fomorian can spend 1 round concentrating to turn into a pool of viscous black fluid, which can move at a speed of 60' (20') along floors, walls, or ceilings. The fomorian may stay in this form indefinitely, but must then concentrate for 1 round to turn back into his normal, giant form. While in ooze form, the fomorian may not attack, and has an AC of 3.

7 Truly massive. Roll 1d4. The fomorian adds 2' and 1 Hit Die, multiplied by the number rolled. Fomorians with 10 HD are worth 850 xp, 11 HD worth 1,000 xp, 12 HD worth 1,200 xp, and 13 HD worth 1,400 xp.

8 Regeneration. The fomorian slowly regenerates, similarly to a troll. Each round, 3 hit points regenerate, unless the damage is from fire or acid. Unlike a troll, severed body parts must regrow, a process which takes about a week.

Arm Mutations (roll 1d2-1 times)

1 Massive claws. The fomorian suffers a -2 to Initiative, but strikes with two claws for 2d8 damage.

2 One massive fist. This off-balanced fomorian has one huge arm, and one tiny or nonexistent arm. The fomorian deals 5d6 damage with this fist, but his movement is reduced by 30' (10')

3 Filthy nails. Any creature struck by the fomorian must make a Save vs. Poison or be diseased, as per giant rat.

4 Multiple arms. The fomorian has several smallish arms on one or both sides, instead of one huge one. Add 1d4 arms to the giant, which manifest as additional attacks. However, each individual attack is reduced to only 1d8 damage.

5 Tiny arms. The fomorian's arms are sad and vestigial, no bigger than human limbs. The fomorian is forced to use human weaponry.

6 One arm. The fomorian has but one normal sized (for a fomorian) arm, and it is attached in an unusual, detrimental spot. The fomorian suffers a -2 to attack throws.

Head Mutations (roll 1d2 times)

1 Fangs. The fomorian gains a secondary bite attack which deals 2d6 damage.

2 Second head. The fomorian possesses a pair of grotesque heads, each of which controls one arm. The right side is slightly dominant, and can cause 3d6 points of damage whereas the left can inflict 2d8. Ettins gain a +1 bonus to surprise rolls because one head or the other is usually keeping watch.

3 Stinking breath. Once wounded, all who engage the fomorian must make a Saving Throw vs. Poison or suffer -2 to attack throws due to the horrible stench.

4 Cyclops. The fomorian has a single, baleful eye. Reduced depth perception causes a -2 to attack throws.

5 Tiny head. The fomorian always goes last on Initiative, and makes stunningly awful mistakes tactically (at the GM's will).

6 No head. The fomorian's face is mashed into it's chest, or possibly on a limb.

YELLOW HOUNDS OF THE FOMORI

% In Lair: 30%

Dungeon: Pack (2d4) / Den (2d4)

Wilderness: Pack (2d4) / Den (2d4)

Alignment: Chaotic

Movement: 150' (50')

AC: 5

Hit Dice: 3**

Attacks: 1 (bite or breath)

Damage: 1d6 or see below

Save: F3

Morale: +1

TT: None

XP: 80

The yellow hounds are the creatures of the fomorian huntsmen. They are the size of huge wolves, with furless white skin, yellow eyes, and pink ears. Fomorian blood, given to them in hideous rituals, causes them to have massive teeth, hunched postures, and a keen yet savage intellect.

The yellow hounds are immune to extreme heat and cold, though fire and ice will harm them as any animal. They can see through fog, smoke and dust with no issue, and are never surprised by living foes.

The yellow hounds prefer to attack their foes with their savage, fanged mouths, though roughly 1 time in 4 they will instead breathe black, caustic blood onto their foes, dealing 3d6 damage. A successful saving throw versus Breath reduces the damage by half.