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The Forgotten Smugglers' Cave: Index of Posts

An index of posts describing the Forgotten Smugglers' Cave, an adventure for Holmes Basic characters levels 2-4.                    ...

Friday, March 26, 2021

Aggroach (New Monster)

A new monster for the Forgotten Smugglers' Cave adventure, which starts here.


Illustration by Lore Suto
 


 Aggroach
 

Least Large Huge Giant (Adult)
Move 150 feet/turn 120 feet/turn 90 feet/turn 60 feet/turn,
30 feet flying
Hit Dice 1 hp 1/2 1 2
Armor Class 7 6 5 4
Treasure Type nil nil nil nil
Attacks 1 1 1 1
Damage 1 hp 1d4 1d6 1d8


A large, aggressive cockroach that has recently invaded the region of Portown, likely brought in with smuggled goods from afar. The earliest encountered specimens were only one foot long (the least aggroach*), but unfortunately these were merely the earliest instar (stage) after hatching. The most numerous of the forms, these are, luckily, often eaten by those hardy predators that can stomach them, like giant rats. The survivors, however, grow and toughen with each molt, until finally transforming into the adult form, the winged giant aggroach, which is as long as a halfling is tall.

An omnivorous hunter, an aggroach will attack by rearing up on its hindlegs and then lashing out with the razor sharp spines on its forelegs. Like their smaller kin, they are somewhat social, hunting in packs with similarly-sized members (e.g., 2d6 least, 1d10 large, 1d6 huge, 1d4 adults). 

When killed, an aggroach will release a "death stench" to warn away other members of its species (make a morale check or flee). This smell is revolting to humans and their kin, and thus anyone who delivers a killing melee blow to one must make a save vs poison or attack at -2 for 1d6 turns (save at +1 for the least, and -1 for the giant). It is rumored that various wizards in the area are now paying for intact larger specimens so that they might study the stench-producing glands in order to determine if they have any practical application in magical research.

3 comments:

  1. Nice. You can never go wrong with large and aggressive cockroaches. "Death stench" is just icing on the cake.
    Peace.

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  2. I'm liking it. These are good low level pests. Perhaps some force (or maybe just a pixie with a ring of animal control) is using them as a proxy for evil ends.

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