New Monster: Dream-Feaster

for the Harry Clarke Bestiary Project

illustration by Harry Clarke

Armor Class: As leather/light
Hit Dice: 1 to 6
Move: as human
Attacks: feeble claws (1d3 damage)
No. Appearing: Solitary
Morale: 5
Treasure: none, but magic-users might pay good money for an intact specimen
Alignment: Chaotic

The dream-feaster is a peculiar form of psychic vampire that derives sustenance from the imaginings of sleeping intelligent beings. In some places, it is blamed by those who wake up from a full night’s sleep still feeling tired. Actual sightings are rare as it is a furtive and cowardly creature, and only appears at night. Though varying on some details, accounts describe a pale, hunched and fleshy biped with an owlish face.

Typically, the dream-feaster waits until its quarry is already asleep, then creeps up and attaches its beak-like mouth to the sleeper’s head. The dream-feaster’s saliva has a soporific quality that prevents the prey from waking up (the target has disadvantage on any saving throw or ability check to attempt to rouse themselves). To adequately feed itself, the dream-feaster needs at least six hours of uninterrupted contact with its prey.

While feeding, the dream-feaster is immobilized but aware of its surroundings. If interrupted, the dream-feaster will attempt to flee; it can assume a semi-ethereal state for up to 1 minute, becoming intangible (taking half damage from non-magical physical attacks) and translucent (characters have disadvantage on attack rolls against it). While semi-ethereal, the dream-feaster can levitate and move through up to five feet of solid matter – except for pure silver.

A poor fighter, the dream-feaster will avoid combat as much as possible. It can cast illusion spells as a magic-user of a level equivalent to its hit dice.

The briefest exposure to sunlight causes it to fade into nothingness.

This work is Creative Commons under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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The Damned

photo by Rina Dragunova

Also known as the cursed, the devil-blooded, and maledictors.

The damned are individuals who, through an accident of birth or through deliberate congress, have acquired a portion of the powers of a fiendish being.

Hit Die: d6
Saves: as a Magic-User

Regardless of their professed alignment, a damned counts as an evil (and/or chaotic, depending on the world’s alignment scheme) creature for the purposes of spells and effects that relate to good and evil (and/or law and chaos).

The damned gains supernatural abilities, called diableries, based on their demonic aspect. Each diablerie has a physical deformity, a mark of the beast, associated with it that becomes more pronounced as the character gains levels.

Demonic Aspects:

• Brimstone
  • Mark of the Beast: Horns
  • Burning Inside: At 1st level, the damned can ignite flammable materials (dry kindling, lamp oil, paper, etc.) by touch. Also, hit point loss from fire and heat is reduced by 1 point per character level.
  • Witch-fire: At 4th level, the damned can generate bolts of hellish flame. These projectiles have a range of 10 feet per level and deal 1d4 points of damage with a successful ranged attack roll. Targets that suffer damage are also set on fire and suffer another 1d4 points of damage per round until they extinguish the flames. A damned can use this ability once per turn.
  • Boiling Blood: At 7th level, the damned can kindle a violent rage in themselves or another creature they can see. For 1 minute, the enraged creature has advantage on melee attacks and gains a bonus to melee damage rolls equal to the damned’s level. The damned can use this ability once for every two levels they possess.
  • Inferno: At 10th level, the damned can raise a curtain of fire 10 feet tall and up to 5 feet long for every level they possess. The flames last for a total number of rounds per day equal to the damned’s level. Only one instance of this ability can be active and the damned can use their turn to reposition it.
• Darkness
  • Mark of the Beast: Eyes
  • Sight Beyond Sight: At 1st level, the damned can see perfectly in even total or magical darkness. By concentrating (not taking any other actions), the damned can see invisible objects and beings or see through illusions.
  • Shadowplay: At 4th level, the damned can manipulate and animate a number of shadows equal to their level. At night and in areas of low light, these shadows are semi-tangible (treat as illusions).
  • Cloak of Night: At 7th level, the damned can turn invisible for a number of minutes per 24-hour period equal to their level.
  • The Evil Eye:  At 10th level, the damned can attempt to dominate (as the spell) a creature that meets their gaze (a successful save versus paralysis negates). If the damned possesses a piece of the creature (like a lock of hair or vial of blood), they can make the attempt by merely observing the target from a distance (10 feet per level). The domination effect lasts for 1 round per level
• Pestilence
  • Mark of the Beast: Claws
  • Guttertalk: At 1st level, the damned has the ability to understand and communicate with rats and other vermin (nothing bigger than say, a dog).
  • Call of the Vile: A 4th-level damned can summon a number of vermin-type creatures with total hit dice equal to their level.
  • Miasma: A 7th-level damned can exhale a cloud of noxious vapors that fills a volume of 5 cubic-feet per level. The cloud blocks line of sight and any living creature that enters it suffers 1d6 points of damage every round it remains within it. The damned is immune to this effect.
  • Creeping Doom: At 10th level, the damned can transform into a swarm of flying or crawling vermin for a number of rounds per day equal to their level.
• Rebellion
  • Mark of the Beast: Hooves
  • Defiance: At 1st level, the damned can continue to act normally at 0 HP for 1 round per level.
  • Rebel Yell: A 4th level damned can emit a thunderous shout that affects a conical area 15 feet wide and has a range of 5 feet per level. Every creature in the area of effect is deafened for 1d10 rounds and must succeed a saving throw vs. paralysis or be knocked prone. Glass and crystalline materials in the area of effect are destroyed by the shout. This ability can be used once per day per character level.
  • Blades Turned Blunt: Starting at 7th level, the damned can make their body impervious to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage for a number of rounds per day equal to their level. This ability does not require any action to use and the rounds do not have to be consecutive. However, the damned must be conscious to activate it.
  • Shake the Pillars of Heaven: At 10th level, the damned can unleash a tremendous roar that starts the ground quaking. For a number of total rounds per day equal to their level, the damned can create localized tremors in an area around them with a radius equal to 10 feet per level. The damned must be standing on earth to use this ability.
• Temptation
  • Mark of the Beast: Tail
  • Forked Tongue: Starting at first level, other beings have disadvantage on ability checks to determine if the damned is telling the truth or not. The damned has advantage on ability checks to detect falsehoods.
  • Poisonous Words: Starting at 4th level, the damned can issue commands (as the spell) of up to four words in length. For each additional level, the damned can add another word. The total number of words of command that can be spoken in a 24-hour period cannot exceed the damned’s character level. (For example, a 4th-level damned could issue 4 one-word commands, 2 two-word commands, 1 three-word and 1 one-word, or 1 4-word command.)
  • Unearthly Delight: A 7th-level damned can alter their appearance (as the spell change self) for 1 minute per level.
  • Kiss of Death: Starting at 10th level, the damned can steal the life force from another creature. For every round of intimate physical contact, the damned drains 1 HD from the target; once it reaches 0 HD, the target is dead, reduced to an emaciated husk. For every hit die drained from the target, the damned can restore 1d6 lost hit points (if any). Alternatively, the damned can replace one meal with one complete draining.

New Monster: Scorpion Woman (Harry Clarke Project)

Cavegirl has devised a communal project revolving around the artwork of Harry Clarke. Details can be found on her blog.

Armor Class: As chain mail
Hit Dice: 4
Move: double human speed, can walk on vertical surfaces and ceilings
Attacks: Sting (1d4+poison), spell, or by weapon
No. Appearing: Solitary
Morale: 7
Treasure: 1d4x100 gp worth of jewelry on her body, plus 1d6x100 gp worth of goods in her lair.
Alignment: Lawful

The female counterpart to the manscorpion, a scorpion woman looks like the upper body of a human woman fused at the waist to the abdomen, legs, and tail of a giant scorpion.

The sting of a scorpion woman can be deadly. When struck by her tail, a creature must make a saving throw versus poison or die in 1d4+1 rounds. Scorpion women are themselves immune to all poisons; they can also detect poison by taste. From their breasts, scorpion women produce a powerful anti-toxin that can neutralize any poison, including their own venom.

Scorpion women typically make their lairs in warm, arid regions. They are intelligent beings, often engaged in the research or contemplation of occult lore, and can cast spells as a 4th-level magic-user.

This work is Creative Commons under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Something Old, Something New

Revised Spell: Thoughts Like Hammers

Sorcerer/Wizard/Witch (Enchantment) 1

This spell concentrates the caster’s aggression and intent to do harm and projects it like a hurled bludgeon to overwhelm their target.

A living creature that fails its saving throw against this spell instantly falls unconscious for a number of rounds equal to the caster’s level.

The caster can add another target for every round of duration subtracted (for example: a 4th-level magic user could affect two targets for two rounds or three targets for 1 round).

Optional Miscast Table for Lamentations of the Flame Princess (roll 1d12):

1 – The caster pours too much power into the spell; on a failed save, the target’s head explodes Scanners-style.

2 – A blood vessel bursts in the caster’s brain. They experience excruciating pain for a number of rounds equal to their level, gaining disadvantage on all rolls and are unable to cast spells until they recover.

3 –  Brainstorm – the caster convulses, immobilized, as psychic energy lashes out randomly for one round per caster level. All creatures within 20 feet of the caster must succeed a saving throw versus breath weapon or take 1d6 points of damage per caster level.

4 – The spell turns on the caster, forcing them to re-live a barrage of memories in haphazard order. At the start of their next turn, the caster must succeed a saving throw versus paralysis or lose 1 point of Wisdom and be unable to act. At 0 Wisdom, the character is reduced to a persistent vegetative state.

5 – The caster falls unconscious and recovers 1d4-1 rounds later. From now on, they will be plagued with intrusive thoughts about hammers; when they sleep, they’ll have unsettling dreams about hitting things (people?) with hammers; villages will experience an uptick in unexplained hammer-related incidents whenever the caster visits…

6 – The caster projects their entire persona at the target. On a failed save, the caster assumes control of the target’s body while their own falls into catatonia, still alive but with no mind, essentially an empty vessel.

7+ Consult the generic mishap table.

---

New Spell: Torture Geometry

Sorcerer/Warlock/Wizard/Witch 1 (Enchantment)

The caster can target one living creature that they can see. If the target fails a saving throw versus magic, they become bound in a skein of invisible threads (though beings that can detect magic or see magical auras or have a similar ability can see lines of red light emanating from the caster’s finger tips connected to the target).

For one minute per level, the caster can command the target to act in a manner of their choosing, manipulating them like a puppet. The target can resist these demands and act as they wish, but take 1d10 damage as they strain against their bounds.

Optional Miscast Table for Lamentations of the Flame Princess (roll 1d12):

1 – The invisible threads cut through the target’s flesh like razor sharp wire, dealing 1d10 damage per caster level. For every 10 rolled, a random body part is cut off.

2 – The caster’s senses become sympathetically linked to the target. For the duration of the spell, the caster sees, hears, smells, tastes, and feels everything the target does, suffering disadvantage on all d20 rolls due to extra sensory information. If the target dies, the caster must succeed a saving throw versus poison or be knocked unconscious for one hour for every minute linked to the target

3 – A malicious extra-dimensional entity hijacks the spell and uses it to torment and humiliate the caster, like a child pulling the wings off a fly.

4 – Caster and target become entangled in a web of ethereal threads; neither can move more than 5 feet per caster level away from the other for the duration of the spell.

5 – The spell backfires and the caster’s body is wrapped in coils of invisible thread. For the duration of the spell, the caster cannot move their arms or legs; they can attempt to move at half speed by hopping, but must make a Dexterity check to maintain their balance.

6 – Glowing red tendrils lash out from the caster in a circle to a distance of 5 feet per caster level. Any creature with hit dice less than the caster’s level is automatically struck, while creatures with hit dice equal to, or greater than the caster’s level can make a saving throw versus breath weapon to avoid being struck. The tendrils deal 1d10 damage, and sever a random body part on a result of 10.

7+ Consult the generic mishap table.

Magic Items in Brief

My birthday is this week, but I’m the one giving out presents:

Hex Fife – a magic whistle that can summon a familiar in the shape of a large (but not unusually so) rat that will serve the user for 24 hours.

Argus Coat – protects as leather armor, wearer is immune to flanking, backstabbing, and sneak attacks, but has disadvantage on saving throws against gaze attacks.

Grim Visage – Death’s head burgonet that confers immunity to fear effects, but the wearer has disadvantage on all social interaction checks except intimidation. (There’s a 1-in-10 chance the helmet is cursed so that it can’t be removed.)

Killing Moon – Silvered scimitar grants a bonus to attack rolls that changes with the phase of the moon (new = 0, waxing crescent +1, first quarter = +2, waxing gibbous = +3, full = +4, waning gibbous +3, last quarter +2, waning crescent +1).

Pocket Huscarl – Once per 24 hours, this ivory figurine can be transformed into a human-sized level 1 fighter (AC chainmail + shield, 1 hit die, Attack +3 (1d8+2 damage)). When the fighter reaches 0 hp, it reverts back to being a figurine.

Scent of Battle – Aggression-heightening perfume with notes of burning wood, oiled swords, and spilled blood. The wearer gains advantage on initiative rolls, but disadvantage on reaction rolls. Lasts for 8 hours or until washed off.

Roguish Archetype (5E): Investigator

Streetwise: At 3rd level, the rogue adds their proficiency bonus to all Intelligence-based ability and skill checks.

Fast Talk: Also at 3rd level, the rogue can re-roll Persuasion and Deception checks, but must take the new result even if it’s lower than the first.

Calculated Maneuvers: When a 9th-level investigator chooses to hold their action, that action gains a bonus to the d20 roll equal to the character’s Intelligence modifier (if positive).

Truth Bomb: As a full-round action, a 13th-level investigator can make an Intelligence-based attack roll that stuns the target with a penetrating insight. The rogue must be able to be heard and understood by the target, and the rogue gains a bonus to the roll based on the number of rounds spent observing the target. An individual target can only be affected once per 24 hours and the stun effect lasts until the end of the rogue’s next turn.

A Step Ahead of Everyone: At 17th level, an investigator can reveal advanced preparations anticipating a current situation – services and materials cannot exceed character level X 100 gold pieces. The DM may ask for a relevant skill check to determine the degree of success.

NEW SPELL: Thorns of Crimson Death

Sorcerer/Warlock/Witch/Wizard Level 1 (Transmutation)

With a guttural incantation and a cruel hand gesture, the spell caster causes razor sharp thorns to burst out of the flesh of one living, non-plant creature per level.

The thorns inflict 1d4 points of damage per caster level and targets have disadvantage on all rolls until the thorns are removed – which deals another 2d4 points of damage. If a creature succeeds a saving throw versus magic, the damage is halved and the thorns wither away on their own at the start of the next round.

Option miscast table for LotFP (roll 1d12):

1 – Thorny vines erupt from the ground beneath the caster’s feet, immobilizing them in an expanding briar patch that grows 5 feet per round in all directions for a number of rounds per caster level.

2 – The caster begins bleeding profusely from their nose, ears, and tear ducts, suffering 1d4 damage directly to their Constitution score. They’ll continue to bleed, losing another point of Constitution each round until they succeed a saving throw versus magic.

3 – The caster’s skin becomes rough and fibrous, like the outside of a creeper vine. They lose 2 points of Charisma, but they gain a +2 bonus to their unarmored Armor Class. However, they can now only derive sustenance from the blood of their own species.

4 – The caster feels excruciating pain in their eyes; 1d4-1 rounds later, their eyes swell and burst into crimson rose blossoms that smell like fresh blood. The blooms (and their scent) last for 2d4-1 days then wither away, revealing new eyes with crimson irises.

5 – After 1d4-1 rounds, any creature with hit dice less than the caster’s level that failed its saving throw versus magic dies as its flesh sloughs off revealing a vine-entwined skeleton that is hostile to all living creatures.

6 – After 1d4-1 rounds, the caster collapses, wracked with pain as a parasitic vine burrows through their body. At the start of each of their turns, the caster must make a Constitution-based saving throw. If they roll three successes before they get three failures, the caster bonds with vine, gaining a extendable thorny tendril that can attack like a whip. If the caster generates three failed saving throws first, the vine begins consuming them from the inside. Every 24 hours, the caster loses 1d4 Constitution; at 0 Constitution, a mature vine creature with hit dice equal to the caster’s level bursts out.

7+ – Consult the generic miscast result table

MOUNTAIN DOMAIN (5E)

Domain spells:
     1st – fog cloud, jump
     3rd – spider climb, spike growth
     5th – meld into stone, sleet storm
     7th – stone shape, stoneskin
     9th – commune with nature, wall of stone

Peak Performance: At 1st level, you gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws and Wisdom (Survival) checks.

Bones of the Earth: At 2nd level, you can use your reaction to expend a use of channel divinity to negate the damage caused by one attack.

Altitude Adaptation: As a 6th level cleric, you are no longer hampered by mountainous difficult terrain, including steep inclines, snow, and ice. You are also unaffected by high altitudes.

Like a Rolling Stone: At 8th level, instead of dealing damage with a Strength-based attack, you can push back your target 5 feet per level and knock it prone (Strength save for half distance). If the target collides with a solid object, it takes damage as if it had fallen an equivalent distance.

The Highest Summit: At 17th level, you can expend a use of channel divinity to transform into a huge earth elemental for 1 minute. You must complete a long rest before you can use this ability again.

New Spell: Howling of the Jinn

Sorcerer/Warlock/Wizard/Witch 1 (Evocation)

Invoking the power of supernatural entities of the upper air, the spellcaster’s mouth opens disturbingly wide and unleashes a gale-force blast of shrieking wind in a conical area 10 feet long per level.

Medium-sized and smaller creatures must make a Strength check to resist the force of the wind. Any creature that fails is pushed backwards a number of feet equal to the difference between a success and the result they rolled and is knocked prone. Creatures that succeed the check stay upright but cannot move forward against the wind. The wind extinguishes open flames and hurls unsecured items 1d6x10 feet away from the caster.

Additionally, the eerie wail that accompanies the wind deafens all creatures in the affected area for 1d6 minutes.

Optional Miscast Table for Lamentations of the Flame Princess (roll 1d12):

1 – An ill wind blows through a 60-foot radius area centered on the caster for 1 round per level of the caster. All creatures in the area move at half speed and have disadvantage on Dexterity-based checks and ranged weapon attacks.

2 – A cacophony of alien voices erupts in a 10-feet-per-level radius around the caster for 1d6 minutes. Within the area, verbal communication is useless and animals and henchmen must make morale checks to avoid fleeing in terror. Any magic-user is at increased risk for miscasting their spells for the duration.

3 –  The caster has been possessed by a jinn, who uses their body like a meat puppet. The caster’s eyes flare with an inner light and their voice becomes flanged and distorted (like Ra in Stargate). At the start of their turn, the caster can make a saving throw vs. magic to wrest control back; if they make three successful saves before they make three failures, the jinn is expelled. If they fail three times first, the jinn overwhelms the caster’s persona permanently.

4 – A jinn – possibly angry at the caster’s presumption or possibly just bored – smites the caster with smokeless fire. The caster and everything within 15 feet of them takes 1d6 damage per caster level (save vs. breath weapon for half damage).

5 – The spell is cast, but its power permanently damages the caster’s vocal cords. They cannot speak at a volume above a raspy whisper and incur an increased risk of miscasting spells.

6 – Instead of wind, a torrent of smokeless fire gushes from the caster’s mouth in a conical area of 10 feet per level. Creatures caught in the blast that have hit die less than the caster’s level are incinerated, those with hit equal to or greater than the caster’s level take 1d6 damage per caster level (save vs. breath weapon for half damage). The caster takes half damage (no save) and is unable to make any vocalizations for 1d6 days.

7+ – Consult generic miscast table.

The Thousand Devil Urn

According to legend, the demon queller Bo’Mal imprisoned his conquered adversaries in a sanctified vessel carved from a single piece of ivory.

In the hands of one capable of channeling divine energy, the thousand devil urn can be used to turn extra-dimensional beings as if they were undead. In cases where the result indicates destruction rather than turning, the entity is trapped inside the urn instead.

Should someone remove the urn’s lid and look inside, they will initially see impenetrable darkness. As their vision resolves, the blackness becomes a churning gray cloudscape, and then they’ll see the prisoners. At first, the creatures will seem to be miles away but they rush forward with incredible speed.

If the person holding the urn wishes to seal it back up, they must make a Dexterity-based saving throw. If successful, they manage to get lid on in time; if they fail, the difference between the number they needed to beat and the number they rolled becomes the hit dice of the being(s) that have escaped.

With the proper precautions, one could use urn to summon a particular creature known to reside within. In exchange for its freedom, such a being will make all sorts of bargains…