Opportunity to Design!

The folks over at Sinister Games have a pair of contests going-- the first ends on April 20th, so you'll need to hop to get in on it, the second ends May 20th, so there's more time there.



Contest the first: Design the Spawn of the Hunger God, Dajobas.



Contest the second: Design the greatest treasure of a Pirate Lord.



Go check out the rules themselves, under the "challenges" heading of the website and see if it's something you're interested in trying. We can post our own creations here, after the fact for some constructive criticism.



Best of luck!





-Ben.

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Progressio sine timore aut praejudicia

Correction on the second contest!

It ends May 1st, so time is running out! 

 -Ben.

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Progressio sine timore aut praejudicia

So here's mine...

*****

Kankodran, the Spawn of Dajobas.

Fetid
breath stinking of gore—you smell the abomination before seeing her.
Taller than two men, this massive creature stares down from a crazed
woman’s face of cerulean skin, the color of the deepest seas, wreathed
in wet tangle of blue-green kelp-like hair littered with fragments of
red coral and shell. Her eyes are obsidian, her mouth a twisted,
oversized gash of two-inch ragged teeth. The distended jaw does not
mask the wicked, open grin of brutal hunger, and a serpentine tongue
plays across her lips. Around her neck is a chain of severed hands,
about her hips a belt of waterlogged heads—some missing a nose, eye, or
ear. Tipped with razor-sharp claws stained black with blood, four arms
seem forever seeking prey. She pauses to sniff the air once, then
strides past your hiding place on two muscular legs and trailing a
shark’s tail that subconsciously sways from side to side.

Kankodran (Can-KO-dran), Hunger from the Deep CR 12

CE Huge Aquatic Native Outsider
Init +8; Senses Darkvision 60', low-light vision, Scent; Listen +7, Spot +12

DEFENSE

AC: 24, touch 12, flat-footed 20
(-2 size, +4 Dex, +12 Natural)
hp 13d12+ 55 (145 hp)
Regeneration/10
Fort +18, Ref +12, Will +11

OFFENSE

Spd 40 ft., Climb 40 ft., Swim 40ft.
Melee Claw +22 (1d6+11) or bite +22 (3d6+11 plus special)
Full Attack 4 claws +22 (1d6+11) and bite +20 (3d6+5 plus special)

Ranged none.
Space 15 ft; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks Breaching Lunge, Jaws of the Devourer, Rend 2d6+16

TACTICS

Before Combat: Kankodran lurks at the water’s edge, observing who appears most vulnerable.

During
Combat: Kankodran is fearless, diving into combat, clawing ferociously
at the closest and least armored opponent, trusting pure savagery to
slaughter foes. If faced with difficult opposition, she grapples to
rend or pull enemies underwater.


Morale: A feral killer infused by the glory of the Devourer of Gods, Kankodran has no concept of defeat.

STATISTICS

Abilities Str 32, Dex 18, Con 26, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +13; Grp +36
Feats Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Great Fortitude, Improved Grapple, Power Attack, Toughness, Multiattack
Skills
Climb +16, Hide + 7, Intimidate +5, Jump +15, Listen +7, Move Silently
+9, Spot +12, Survival +9, Swim +16; Kankodran may take 10 on Swim
checks, even if distracted, and use the run action while swimming in a
straight line.

Languages None
SQ Regeneration/10, Scent,
Amphibious, Biting Hide, Blindsense, Blood Frenzy, Predator’s Focus,
Keen Scent, Mouthpiece of Dajobas
Combat Gear None

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Rend
(Ex) If Kankodran hits with two or more claws, she siezes the
opponent's body and tears. This automatically deals an additional
2d6+16 points of damage.

Jaws of the Devourer (Ex): Kankodran’s bite may use one of these options:


Rending Bite: Kankodran’s bite causes a persistent wound. An injured
creature loses 2 additional hit points each round per bite. The wounds
don’t heal naturally and resist spells. The continuing hit point loss
is stopped by a DC 24 Heal check, or a cure or heal spell. A character
attempting to cast a healing spell on a creature damaged by Kankodran’s
bite must succeed on a DC 24 caster level check, or the spell is
ineffectual.

Uncaring Bite: Kankodran may bite an opponent’s
held or carried object in an attempt to disarm without provoking an
attack of opportunity. She gains a +2 bonus on any opposed bite attack
roll made to disarm. She swallows disarmed objects, which may be
recovered by opening her carcass or being swallowed oneself. Wood and
metal items remain undamaged by the creature’s digestion.


Nourishing Bite: Kankodran may gain temporary hit points equal to her
bite damage. She may have no more than half her maximum hit points in
temporary hit points, which disappear 1 hour later.

Devouring
Bite: Kankodran may swallow a grappled opponent of up to one size
smaller by making a successful grapple check. The swallowed creature
takes 2d8+8 points of bludgeoning damage and 8 points of acid damage
per round. A swallowed creature can carve its escape by using a light
slashing or piercing weapon to deal 25 points of damage to the gizzard
(AC 12). Once free, muscular action closes the tear; another swallowed
opponent must cut its own way out.

Kankodran’s gizzard can hold 1 Large, 2 Medium, 8 Small, 32 Tiny, or 128 Diminutive or smaller opponents.

Amphibious (Ex): Although aquatic, Kankodran can survive indefinitely on land.

Biting
Hide (Ex): Kankodran’s barbed skin rasps and cuts any grappler,
inflicting 1d4 points of damage per grapple check to escape.

Blindsense (Ex): When underwater, Kankodran locates creatures within a 30-foot radius.

Blood
Frenzy: After taking damage in combat, Kankodran can, as a free action,
frenzy in the following round, clawing and biting madly until either
she or her opponent dies, gaining +2 Constitution, +2 Strength, +2 to
Will saves, and takes a -2 penalty to Armor Class.

Breaching
lunge: As part of a charge, Kankodran can leap from the water to make a
bite attack before continuing her movement back into the water.

Predator’s
Focus (Ex): Kankodran shrugs off magical effects that would otherwise
control or compel her. If affected by an enchantment and Kankodran
fails her saving throw, one round later she can attempt the saving
throw again. She only gets one extra chance to succeed.

Keen
Scent (Ex): When underwater, Kankodran notices creatures by scent in a
180-foot radius and detects blood in the water a mile distant.

Mouthpiece
of Dajobas (Ex): Kankodran communicates telepathically with sharks up
to 150 feet away. Communication is limited to fairly simple concepts.
She uses the Intimidate skill to command and direct sharks, ignoring
any penalty to Charisma.

Regeneration (Ex): Kankodran has
Regeneration/10. Fire and acid deal normal damage. If she loses a body
part, it regrows in 3d6 minutes. Kankodran reattaches parts instantly
by holding them to the stump. Immersion in freshwater prevents
regeneration and inflicts 1d6 points of damage per hour of immersion
until she returns to saltwater.

*****

Inspiration?
I
wanted something strange and vicious, but vaguely humanoid and all
terrible. I can't really say there was one particular inspiration...

Process?
I
started cranking on a template, but that template was way over
wordcount...so I took the total portion of the template, applied it,
modified it some more, then massaged the count to where I wanted it.

Revisions...
This
was tough. There were probably two or three serious revisions, as I cut
aspects/powers, tried to find a good balance with what I wanted. At
least one major shift in flavor text.

The window was too small
for a solid playtest, so I had to go off of previous experience and
consider the package. I think she's about right.

Well, hopefully
she mangles someone's characters... My brother promised to spin me up a
sketch even if I lost, so as soon as that happens, I'll share.

-Ben.

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Progressio sine timore aut praejudicia