Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Savage Menagerie: Soulrider

No. Enc.: 0 (2d10)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 180' (60')
Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: Special
Damage: Special
Save: L2
Morale: 7
Hoard Class: None

The Soulrider is a deviously intelligent, brain-sized, pulsating mass of a creature. A Soulrider has one leering eye and moves about through the use of a set of tentacles on its underside. Soulriders are never encountered singularly; rather they are a nesting society of creatures, which leads directly to the threat they pose.

Because Soulriders are so physically weak, they use their ability of possession to overtake a victim's mind, commanding them to act as their virtual slave -- providing the Soulrider with food and protection. Soulriders will usually enter a village unseen and, over the course of time, will dominate every individual within. Soulriders will also use their metaconcert mutation to coordinate their actions amongst themselves. Once the entire village is dominated, the Soulriders will run the village as hidden slavemasters. PCs may pass through a village without even realizing the entire town is being manipulated by a hidden Soulrider society.

Soulriders are incapable of any degree of attack or defense. If discovered, they will command their thralls to attack on their behalf. A PC may find himself attacked by an entire village once a single Soulrider is discovered. (It's a fair bet that the discovery of one Soulrider means that more are lurking nearby.) Soulriders do have one defensive ability. They have the mutation of quickness, which means that they can lift themselves up onto the tips of their tendrils and skitter away at an incredible rate of speed once discovered or if combat turns against them.

Soulriders thrive on creating larger and stronger communities, as they see strength in numbers. Once a nest of Soulriders hatches a new generation, the village may be overly welcoming to new visitors. Unless on alert, these visitors may become the newest possessed residents of the village.

Mutations: possession, metaconcert, quickness

4 comments:

  1. Cool creature. I like the picture, too.

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  2. I think you and I would get along swimmingly at the gaming table, as we seem to share the same brain.

    My Idguana fills much the same niche, except just more "culty".

    Keep 'em coming!

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  3. That is really disturbing. I don't know what is creepier, a one-of-us, arms wide open village run by these things, or the thought of a giant brain hustling away on tentacles.

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    Replies
    1. Wait till you visit Oakwoodapts:

      http://www.savageafterworld.com/2011/09/dangerous-encounter-you-should-stay.html

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