Mire Man

In return for illustrating my brain sloth, I wrote up one of +Matthew Adams' wonderful creature designs and gave it some DCC stats, too.

Artwork by Matthew Adams

You might not believe it, but the mire man was once an elf. He still is, in a sense. A failed experiment of the elfin slime lords, a twisted hybrid of an elf and a slime. He has been an outcast for decades, dumped into the swampland surrounding the elfin slime lords' citadel, haunting the swamps and scaring away the few who dare to venture there. The mire man hates everything that has bones. His territory is marked by a countless number of strange sculptures made from the broken bones of creatures that crossed his path, from frogs to unwary travelers. He tolerates nothing but invertebrates. Worms and leeches are his only friends.

The mire man is immune to poison, charm, sleep, paralysis, stun, and polymorph. He ignores extra damage and effects from critical hits that normally damage limbs or bones. Piercing or slashing weapons only do half damage because his slime body just closes the cuts again. His limbs are extremely flexible and bendy, and can be stretched to a length of 10' each, although he usually keeps them from three to five foot long.

As a free action every three rounds, the mire man can try to call upon d20-8 leeches that automatically bite on to his foes that are standing in the mire. These start to drain blood at a rate of 1hp per round and leech. Characters can get rid of leeches by using an action to remove as many leeches from themselves as the result of an Agility check.

If the mire man is reduced to 0 hit points, his slime body explodes vigorously, splashing everybody inside of a 15' radius, requiring a DC 13 Fort save or doing 1d8 acid damage.

MIRE MAN: Init +2; Atk claw +4 melee (1d4 plus Fort DC 12 or paralyzed for 2 rounds) or bite +4 (2d4); AC 11; HD 6d10; MV 30’ in swamp only, otherwise 10'; Act 2d20; SP summon leeches (free d20-8 every 3 rounds), death splash (DC 13 Fort or 1d8 acid), stretching limbs, infravision, heightened senses, immunities: poison, charm, sleep, paralysis, stun, polymorph, critical hits on limbs and bones; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +2; AL C.

Artwork by Matthew Adams

Brain Sloths

+Matthew Adams was kind enough to supply a rad illustration for my brain sloths. 
He blogs at Rumble City.

Artwork by Matthew Adams

Brain sloths cling to cave or dungeon ceilings, drop down on hapless adventurers, pierce their skulls and attach to their brains with tentacle-thingies. Then they guide the bodies into their breeding chamber where they are filled with eggs by the enormous brain sloth queen.

BRAIN SLOTH: Init -1; Atk claws +1 melee (2d4); AC 8; HD 1d6+3; MV 10’; Act 1d20; SP climb sheer surfaces, hide on ceilings (DC 1d20+10 Intelligence check or be surprised), piercing drop (+5 attack when dropping on a head from above), brain control (after successful hit to the head, DC 20 Will save or total mind control), immune to mind control and sleep; SV Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +5; AL N.

BRAIN SLOTH QUEEN: Init +1; Atk claws +2 melee (2d6) or stinger +4 (1d8 + insert 1d4 eggs in torso, or in limbs if DC 15 Ref save is made); AC 10; HD 6d8; MV 10’; Act 2d20; SP immune to mind control and sleep; SV Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +5; AL N.

The brain sloth eggs can be removed with a cleric's lay on hands; they are a 3 dice condition.

Alternatively any character can make a DC 10 medical skill check (remember that only characters with appropriate occupations may use a d20, all untrained characters use a d10). A success means the eggs are removed and the patient takes 1d4 damage (only 1 damage on a natural 20). A failure means the eggs are removed, but the patient suffers 1d10 damage (only 1d6 damage if eggs are in a limb). A fumble results in 1d10 damage (1d6 in limb) and all but one egg removed.

After 12 hours inside of a body, the eggs will attach growing tentacles to the nervous system of their host and cause paralyzation. The gestation period is 2d4+8 days, after which the baby brain sloths burst out of the host's body.