#vegepygmy

[thecreaturecodex]

If I Ran the Zoo: Bestiary 1 Humanoids

Pathfinder 1e did a much better job keeping its monsters on an even level of balance between products than its progenitor, D&D 3.x, did. But even so, there was some room for improvement. One of the most notable gaps, I feel, is the power level of classic D&D humanoids compared to other monsters of their CR. The power discrepancy between a gnoll and an orc is a well known example, where the orc has a lower CR on paper but is a much nastier combatant. But compare across the same CR and you’ll notice similar patterns. Look at a boggard, a bugbear and a morlocks, for example, and it’s pretty clear that the bugbear is rather less powerful than its supposed peers. I suspect that’s for reasons of backwards compatibility.

I don’t care about backwards compatibility.

So here’s how I would alter and augment some of the classic D&D humanoids to be more in tune with their Pathfinder flavor text, and to be more challenging to your players. Many of these are just adjusting mental ability scores upwards, but there’s a few more complicated changes in store as well.

Bugbear

Boo! (Ex) A bugbear can make an Intimidate check to demoralize a single target as a move action. If it takes a standard action instead, it gains a +2 bonus.

Tools of the Trade (Ex) Bugbears count saps, light hammers, warhammers and earthbreakers as simple weapons, and treat one exotic weapon of their choice as a martial weapon for the purposes of proficiency (bolas, garrotes and lassos are popular choices).

Drow

Fueled by Spite (Su) As a standard action once per day, a drow can grant itself temporary hit points equal to their Hit Dice plus Charisma modifier (minimum 1 temporary hit point). These hit points last for 1 hour, or until expended.

(Yes, I know that PF2e is writing the drow out as part of them continuing to cut ties with D&D. I have my own ideas of how to handle that).

Giants

Greatclubs are simple weapons, so any giant with Martial Weapon Proficiency (greatclub) can trade it for a different feat. A suggested feat for hill giants is Dazzling Display or Toughness, and a suggested feat for stone giants is Combat Reflexes or Improved Initiative. Fire giants gain weapon familiarity with greatswords and longswords, treating them as simple weapons. Suggested replacements for Martial Weapon Proficiency for a fire giant include Greater Sunder, Greater Overrun, or Improved Critical (greatsword). Frost giants gain weapon familiarity with battleaxes and greataxes, treating them as simple weapons. Suggested replacements for Martial Weapon Proficiency for a frost giant include Improved Initiative, Iron Will, or Vital Strike.

Gnolls

Bite Attack: All gnolls have a bite attack as a primary natural weapon that deals 1d4 points of damage. The Snapping Bite feat still exists; it increases the bite damage to 1d6, and allows the gnoll to make bite attacks while wielding weapons at a -2 penalty, as if it had the Multiattack feat.

Weapon Familiarity (Ex) Gnolls treat flails and heavy flails as if they were simple weapons, and nunchaku and flindbars as martial weapons.

In addition, there are two subraces of gnolls, the Carrion Crewe and the Packmasters. Carrion Crewe gnolls tend to be chaotic evil in alignment, whereas Packmaster gnolls tend to be neutral. Each has an additional unique ability modifier, and its own racial ability.

Carrion Crewe Gnolls: +2 Con

Plague Born (Ex) Carrion Crewe gnolls gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease, ingested poisons, and becoming nauseated or sickened.

Packmaster Gnolls: +2 Wis

Hopeful (Ex) Packmaster gnolls gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against fear effects and emotion effects such as despair, grief or boredom. They do not gain this bonus against rage effects, or other types of emotion effects, such as an unnatural lust or overwhelming presence spell (GM’s discretion).

Goblin

-2 Str, +4 Dex, -2 Wis: Goblins are fast, but physically weak and prone to foolishness

Hobgoblin

Spurn Elf-Magic (Ex) Hobgoblins gain a +2 racial bonus to all saving throws against arcane spells.

Kobold

-4 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Cha: Kobolds are physically very weak, but have agile muscles and strong personalities

Ogre

+10 Str, -2 Dex, +4 Con, -4 Int. Ogres do not have a penalty to Charisma, as they are very good at jug playing, dancing, and terrifying their victims.

Orc

+4 Str, -2 Int, -2 Cha. Orcs are in tune with their senses and surroundings, even if they do tend to fight first and think later.

Troll

+10 Str, +4 Dex, +12 Con, -2 Int, +2 Wis, -2 Cha. Golarion’s trolls are not as stupid as their cohorts in other versions of reality. They are stubborn, and have the keen senses of a predator.

Vegepygmy

A vegepygmy is as it appears in Pathfinder Bestiary 1, but is a CR 1/3 creature. Their endonym is a succession of short popping sounds. If you dislike the word “pygmy” in the name (which is fair, and I’ve had people discuss in my notes before), consider calling them “russetoids” or “stemons” (named after the brown slime mold genus Stemonitis)

[oneshotsfunshots]

Homebrew DnD One-Shot #8

[PDF]

[decaffynated]

The party of the D&D game I run is trying to escape an underground vegepygmy city after damaging their giant beehive.

Gotta say vegepygmys feel underrated, I think they have a lot of potential and they're cute with their weird frog faces 🥺💗

[al-ma-48]

Story in caption. Week 7 - Kraken stinkhorn (#funguary week 3)

The fungal life seems not to be the most harmonious one, at least here in this hidden fungal valley. Yet, the forms and colors are as amazing as their modes of procreation. Today, the Dungeon Corp research team and I came across a fungus they aptly call kraken stinkhorn. I am absolutely not the most sensitive gnome, but the fruits of this evil-smelling fungus stink of rotting cadavers. Lots of them! Like all fungus, this creature dwells in hiding, feeding off dead tissue and wood. Its fruit bodies start off as inoffensive eggs. Upon maturity, they develop their abominable smell. It will irresistibly attract the plant-based vegepygmies, who need carcasses to procreate. Just as they will happily sniff out the eggs, those will explore and vile, purple tentacles will grip their face. Panicked and blinded by the kraken like fruit hugging their face, the poor creatures will dash madly through the jungle, distributing the stinkhorn’s spores all over the place. And when the vegepygmy finally succumbs to fear and exhaustion, the fruit and the attached mycele will start growing again, feeding off the plant life that will form on the body of its prey. The researchers hinted they intend to extract the stinkhorn’s smell and sell it as stimulating perfume to the dungeon keeper’s scavenging employees.

For more images and stories see @al-ma-48

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[artfulbassoon]

I lied (shocking)

Bout to have a D&D session in an hour, so comms can wait

Sending my warlock down a mine so he can get annihilated

[chronivore]

[aspenlorensen]

Wish I was famous enough to talk about my favorite little dudes on Kill Every Monster

Hope they get to the moldies some time

[raeynbowboi]

Putting the Omnitrix in DnD

The original purpose of the Omnitrix was to give the user access to the DNA of aliens from various worlds to preserve the DNA of a species in the event of a genocide or mass extinction. The watch fused to one person, was extremely hard to remove, and its default setting gave the user access to the DNA of 10 different species they could choose between. Aside from Humanoid, there are 13 total creature types: Aberrations, Beasts, Celestials, Constructs, Dragons, Elementals, Fey, Fiends, Giants, Monstrosities, Oozes, Plants, and Undead. In the spirit of Ben 10, I’ll make a list of 1 creature from each creature type that the watch can turn a player into. Playable races vary a little. Kenku, Grung, and Drow are all CR 1/4, but Changeling, Satyr, and Hobgoblin are 1/2, and Bugbears are CR 1 creatures. So, I’ll be considering everything within that scope. Some do go beyond that, such as Centaurs and Minotaurs, but most are within the window of CR 1/4 and CR 1. To give the DM and Player some variety, I’ll pick one option from each, if applicable. Celestials had to be eliminated because the lowest CR Celestial is CR 2 Pegasus. In-Universe, it was likely created by Mordenkainen.

ITEM:

BRACELET OF POLYMORPH

VERY RARE | ATTUNEMENT REQUIRED

The DM chooses any 10 possible transformations from the list below, only choosing 1 from each creature type. As a bonus action, you can activate the bracelet, becoming one of the creatures chosen by the DM. You use that creature’s stat block instead of your own, except you retain all languages you know, and your INT, WIS, and CHA are not affected unless the creature’s are higher than your own. If the creature you turn into does not speak any languages, you cannot communicate verbally while polymorphed by this item. Depending on the CR of the creature you turn into, the recharge rate of this item varies. For a CR 1/4 creature, it recharges on a short rest, on a CR 1/2, it recharges at dawn, and for a CR 1 creature, it recharges after 1d4 days. You can stay in the form of a CR 1/4 creature for up to 8 hours, a CR 1/2 creature for up to 4 hours, and a CR 1 creature for up to 1 hour. If your hit points in this form are reduced to 0, you return to your original form with your current hit points at the moment you transformed. The DM decides what the bracelet polymorphs the player into, and may ask the player for a contested INT check against a DC 15 to coax the bracelet into cooperation. Otherwise, the bracelet may choose to polymorph the attuned into a different creature than the one they wanted to turn into.

ABERRATION

CR 1/4: Star Spawn Grue

CR 1/2: Gnome Squidling

CR 1: Core Spawn Crawler

BEASTS

CR 1/4: Fastieth

CR 1/2: Jaculi

CR 1: Moorbounder

CONSTRUCTS

CR 1/4: Duodrone

CR 1/2: Kiddywidget

CR 1: Clockwork Bronze Scout

DRAGONS

CR 1/4: Pseudodragon

CR 1/2: Ambush Drake

CR 1: Faerie Dragon

ELEMENTALS

CR 1/4: Smoke Mephit

CR 1/2: Magmin

CR 1: Fire Snake

FEY

CR 1/4: Pixie

CR 1/2: Satyr

CR 1: Dryad

FIENDS

CR 1/4: Abyssal Chicken

CR 1/2: Nupperibo

CR 1: Imp

GIANTS

CR 1/4: Young Hill Giant

CR 1/2: N/A

CR 1: Half-Ogre (Ogrillon)

HUMANOIDS

CR 1/4: Troglodyte

CR 1/2: Gnoll

CR 1: Thri-Kreen

MONSTROSITIES

CR 1/4: Young Griffin (Small)

CR 1/2: Cockatrice

CR 1: Hippogriff

OOZES

CR 1/4: Oblex Spawn

CR 1/2: Gray Ooze

CR 1: N/A

PLANTS

CR 1/4: Needle Blight

CR 1/2: Myconid Adult

CR 1: Thorny Vegepygmy

UNDEAD

CR 1/4: Skeleton

CR 1/2: Shadow

CR 1: Specter

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Vegepygmy

CR 1/2

Neutral Small Plant

Bestiary 1, pg. 273

These tiny, tribal creatures are the end result of generations of fiendish experiments done by the drow, turning a whole race of unfortunate fey beings into parasitic moldmen (which is a second, much more accurate name for their kind) that have spread throughout the world like... well, a fungus. Though each individual Vegepyg--actually I’m just going to use Moldmen from here on out. Though each individual Moldman is quite weak, there tends to always be dozens of them about, individual hunting parties comprised of 3 to 10 little green men at a time... to say nothing of their large tribes, which can reach numbers of 30 or 40.

Moldmen live a simple existence as hunter-gatherers, building little villages around sources of water wherever the sun cannot reach; though they aren’t harmed by it, their progenitor--the CR 6 Hazard known as Russet Mold--goes dormant and becomes vulnerable to grazing mold-eaters and reckless alchemists while in the sunlight. They need little food to survive and can feed on just about anything capable of decay, and in times of desperation may jam their limbs into the soil to absorb nutrients. In all other times, they set out with crude or scavenged weapons to claim whatever creatures they can overwhelm. 

Rather than being mindless ‘superior numbers’ attackers, Moldmen use their preposterously enormous +18 to Stealth checks while among vegetation to launch coordinated sneak attacks. Their language of taps, clicks, and drumming upon their surrounds can mask their communications as background noise in the jungles, caves, and forests they frequent. Able to relay hidden messages across a decent distance, the Moldmen will typically surround their target as best they’re able, then attack all at once. Most of them wield longspears that deal 1d6 damage each, but some have ranged weapons such as slings, darts, and shortbows, Others rush in with their tiny claws, allowing them two attacks each for 1d4 damage, and all of them will sometimes coat their weapons with whatever filth or poison they have access to; they’re not picky about how their prey dies.

Creatures that manage to weather the ambush and fight back will often be able to turn the tide against the Moldmen. Their DR 5 seems formidable at first, but it’s bypassed by slashing and bludgeoning damage, the most common damage type for a player--or even a Commoner--to be carrying on them. This often means the only thing standing between their 5 HP and an enemy’s weapon is a modest (for its CR) 16 AC. Like many Plant monsters, Moldmen are immune to Electricity damage, as well as a wide variety of mind-affecting effects, though even a level 1 caster will probably eschew mental magics in favor of using Magic Missile, a singular missile sometimes able to kill a Moldman in a one go.

The biggest danger when fighting Moldmen--besides their numbers--comes from their chieftains, warriors, and their progenitor. Chieftains and warriors tend to have class levels and skill ranks that make them far more formidable than the basic ones we’ve covered so far, and the Russet Mold I briefly spoke of is a terrific danger all its own. A single patch of Russet Mold that’s disturbed by movement sprays the area around it with voracious spores that deal 2 Con damage a round to any creature that fails the initial DC 15 Fortitude save to avoid them, with only another successful save or exposure to sunlight (or a Remove Disease spell if the players are high-level enough) halting the growth. Once a creature perishes from the mold infection, several Moldmen burst from their corpse a day later (the number starting at 1 and growing per size category over Small) to be integrated into the nearest tribe.

This is why they typically aim to capture, rather than kill; prisoners are brought before the cluster of mold that makes up the center of their villages and are, essentially, sacrificed to the fungus (which the Moldmen fittingly view as gods). They’re used as incubators, and then the remains are sat aside to be consumed or repurposed into weapons, armor, or building material. Despite these gruesome habits, Moldmen are, as you may have noticed, Neutral-aligned. They don’t go out of their way to attack human villages, but they won’t say no to the idea, either! Humans rot just like any deer or wolf, they make fine incubators for more of their kind, and they have sturdy bones to boot. and, of course, we all know humans drop the best loot.

You can read more about them here.

[daftaiyo]

Redesigned my inchling character from origins server

Made them dnd vegepygmy fella

I like them

[actualmythicalcreature]

The problem with art, is you can ask yourself questions like "Okay but what if the Vegepygmies from Pathfinder were like.... just a little bit sexy though...?" and then you can immediately answer that question with a mental image you cannot escape without bringing to life.

[empire-of-thieves]

Spore: Cliff Village

Cliff Village in Spore (mentioned in a previous post) is a small town built into a cliff on the side of the large cavern called Spore. Cliff Village is a primarily dwarven town that is older even than the presence of myconids and vegepygmies in the cavern. Populated by around 50 dwarves, this tiny town mostly keeps to itself, and for their part the two factions of wererats living in the cavern stay away.

I visualized the town using Midjourney, but I think the town as described in my campaign has its back against a cliff and consists of more caves than structures. That said, I really like Midjourney's ability to visualize locations from my imagination!

[judgetoast-blog]

Black Emperor Campaign Diary Vol 4 & 5

Session 4:

The party arrives in the strange fortress with unusually advanced construction methods and almost alien appearance. They camp for one night out in front of the only doorway they can find and through the night, haunting screams echo out from the slightly ajar steel doors. 

The party entered the dungeon and quickly found it was not as abandoned as they had thought, a disastrous encounter with a still active Murder Machine causes the death of Cedric, a human cleric. Following this encounter the party moves into the dungeon more carefully, taking care to avoid the powerful construct in the looping hallway they found the quarters of the staff who used to live here and liberated some ancient weapons. Deciding to dig through rubble, rather than risk the Murder Machine again, the party stumbled into a dragon’s lair! One by one the party fell before the dragon’s might until Colossal figured out the truth! As the dragon killed the last of the party they found that it was all an illusion. Leaving the fake dragon and the fake treasure behind the party advanced into a modern day office bullpen, which they promptly ransacked.

Session 5:

After looting the bullpen of all its possible valuables, a few strange devices, and what looked like a plan to shoot up the office place, the party advanced through a heavy and ornate door. In the managers office the party is ambushed by vegepygmies! After a difficult struggle the party gained the partial manual for creating constructed.

Deciding that the managers office did not contain the weapon they needed, the party took their chance in the hallway with the Murder Machine again. Unfortunately for them a battle on two fronts began as they encountered more vegepygmies in the water closets just as the Murder machine rounded the corner and began its attack. In the ensuing battle the party only lost Lightfoot, a goliath. Ultimately the struggle was rewarded by the Immovable Rod and the Horn of Valhalla. Making their way to the lift, the party defeated the security bots on the lift and found atop the mountain, sitting on the helipad, was an apache attack helicopter. This may be the weapon they came here for but after several hours studying the machine, they found no way to activate it and took the lift to the lowest level of the fortress. 

[necrounfiltered]

"You've knocked the fireplace prone."

My party was infiltrating the BBEG's office (he moonlights as a university professor), when several objects came to life and started attacking us. After we one-shot killed a couple of sculptures, a gargoyle, and a reanimated vegepygmy, the fireplace suddenly came to life. As soon as it did, our ratfolk monk/barbarian murderhobo drank a growth potion, activated his rage, and decided to suplex the fireplace. He cleared the roll, ripped it out of the wall, and proceeded to use his action surge to "3 Amigos" it into the desk behind him. This of course prompted my DM to inform us that the fireplace was now prone, while remarking that he was pretty sure he invented a new sentence.

After we finished off the fireplace, my character glowered at the iron maiden in the corner of the room, and I rolled intimidation to tell it to "Fucking TRY us!". While the iron maiden was unfazed, the unseen door mimic right next to it broke down crying and begging us not to hurt it after witnessing the prior insanity.

[furby-extravaganza]

Just did a cool little encounter for my boyfriend and thought I'd share it for anyone.

Upon entering the first hall there is a snare trap using the snare spell, however it could be changed, just the idea of something unseen to set them off and keep their toes up.

Ranged in levels from 3-5 depending on the size of the party.

Forest area and with a fun little puzzle that is simple. Ofc I'll add the details needed to run it under the cut. Including answers for dms.

First Hallway area is a Snare trap (Using Snare Spell). However I think it would be fine and even better to change it to a pit fall or even any other kind of trap. (I ran it for a single person so I used a suitable trap).

Second Area with the little mushroom are two Vegepygmy Chiefs. Who are using their plant camouflage to sneak up on anyone entering.

Third Area is the opening of this Knoll. Where they meet the puzzle portion. The red dots are oil lantern lights and they are greeted by 4 large trees and in the center a dried up fountain who is weeping her water, but not enough.

The flowers are meant to be red herrings, but you could include wildlife, pixies, etc to really try and throw them off.

If before the statue provides her riddle or even during they destroy any of the area, statue, leave the area, neglect the puzzle, or get the puzzle wrong then one to two Wood Woad(s) emerge from any tree. However if not the encounter cannot happen.

The statue's tears stop as she requests the party to present to her the answer to her riddle. "The more there is, the less you may see." The answer being able to be solved in a number of ways, but being darkness.

The waters may do anything or nothing at all. But I gave my partner a higher spell slot than available to him it also was able to heal his enemy.

The last area full of stone statues. Behind the cavern lies a Medusa. The stone statues being difficult terrain.

Have fun!!

[supereffectivemoonblast]

Rise of the Lich Queen

Chapter 11: Pocket Gelatinous Cube

The session starts with the party entering a small garden. A fountain in the middle and prickly looking vines at the edge. Opposite the door is a small shrine with a frog statue and a voice seems to cry out "Give me a sandwhich". They try feeding it some of their rations but no success. Given the recent encounters with the hags, they think the statue could be asking for a "sand witch", but there's been no sand just yet.

Thaldin sees a shape in the fountains pool and shoots ice into it, causing a Froghemoth to angrily emerge from its slumber. Roll initiative.

Swift Impact on Flesh and Calamastia run in to deal with the Froghemoth, and after some close inspection, notice a purple glow coming from its belly.

Nearby movement in the gardens reveal the vines to be Assassin Vines, a carnivorous plant monster, and Thaec, Norm, and Thaldin are grappled by the plants. Thaec casts Sickening Radiance on the room, revealing a small group of Vegepygmy were hiding in the Assassin Vines, and a few of them collapse instantly, while the others attempt to steal the Orbs they've collected already.

Through combined magical and physical strength, the Froghemoth falls first, regurgitating the Purple Orb in its gut just as it falls. The Assassin Vines wear down those they are holding, but are felled before anyone is in mortal peril.

The vegepygmy, although easily knocked out, keep regenerating and attempting to leave the room, but the Sickening Radiance keeps tiring them out more and more, until the party finish them off for good.

Now with 4 Orbs (Orange, Red, Blue, Purple), the party move to a chamber connected to the garden to find two prison rooms. One room is seemingly frozen in time, with a skeleton stuck reaching for a Black Orb midair. The other has a few skeletons on the ground, a bag and another note. The note gives them a clue about how to arrange the Orbs, and the bag seems to be a bottomless Bag of Holding.

Close inspection of the room with the Black Orb reveals it is in fact filled with a Gelatinous Cube, and they push the Magical bag against the Gel. The bag starts devouring the monster, and the skeleton inside it too. Luckily, the Black Orb falls to the ground safely, and they now have 5 Orbs.