KILLER GRASS CREATION Tiny Plant

Hp: ½ x 4.5 HD = 2

Attacks: +0 Clr +3 Dex +2 size, -2 secondary = +5, +3 Saves: F +2 +0 Con = +2, R 0 +3 Dex = +3, W 0 +0 Wis = +0

Skill Points: As fey, (3 x Int) + (2 x EHD) = 18; class skill max ranks = HD +3 = 3

Skills: Hide 3 +3 Dex +8 size +8 race = +22, Intuit Direction 3 +0 Wis = +3, Listen 3 +0 Wis = +3, Move Silently 3 +3 Dex +8 race = +14, Spot 3 +0 Wis = +3, Wilderness Lore 3 +0 Wis = +3

Feats: As fey, 1 + Int bonus +1/4 EHD = 1 +2 bonus

Challenge Rating: +1 for attacks/damage, keen strike/plant traits/stable, skills/feats 3 /3 = 1, but compare to other monsters and lower to ½

KUPUK

Medium-size Magical Beast (Cold) Hit Dice: 3d10+9 (25 hp)

Initiative: +2 (Dex) Speed: 50 ft.

AC: 16 (+2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 14 Attacks: 2 claws +7 melee, bite +5 melee, tail +5 melee Damage: Claw 1d4+4, bite 1d6+2, tail 1d3+2

Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks: —

Special Qualities: Scent, cold subtype Saves: Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +2

Abilities: Str 18, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 7 Skills: Listen +5, Spot +5, Swim +6, Wilderness Lore +1*

Feats: Multiattack

Climate/Terrain: Any arctic (Great Glacier) Organization: Solitary or pack (7-18) Challenge Rating: 2

Treasure: None

Alignment: Always neutral Advancement: —

Trustworthy, dependable, and easily domesticated, the carnivorous dog-like kupuk is one of the most valuable creatures to the human and arctic dwarf tribes of the Great Glacier, both as a pack animal and loyal companion. Kupuks are oviparous, laying 1d4 eggs in a shallow hole in the snow once per year. The eggs resemble lumps of gold, each about a foot across, with the texture of soft metal, misleading many a would-be treasure hunter.

The kupuk has a thick body and the hairless, leathery hide of a walrus, colored tan, dull yellow, or light gray. Its round head resembles that of a husky, with a long muzzle, black eyes and nose, and upright ears. Soft fur, the same color as its body, covers its head, and two six-inch-long tusks protrude from its mouth. It has four strong legs with broad flat feet and sharp claws, enabling it to move easily in the snow and on icy surfaces. (A kupuk does not suffer a movement penalty, as discussed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, pages 142-143, in such conditions.) A kupuk has a long snake-like tail about six inches thick and five feet long, covered with fur and typically coiled on the creature’s back so as not to drag in the snow. In addition to serving as a weapon, the versatile tail can perform such functions as wrapping around a small tree so that the kupuk can uproot it or smooth a snowy surface by sweeping side to side.

COMBAT

Kupuks are as vicious towards their enemies as they are loving to their friends. A favorite tactic is to lure an opponent into deep snow where the kupuk’s movement rate gives them the tactical advantage. Wild kupuks hunt in packs.

Cold Subtype: Cold immunity; double damage from fire except on a successful save.

Carrying Capacity: A light load for a kupuk is up to 150 pounds; a medium load, 151-300 pounds; a heavy load 301-600 pounds. A kupuk can drag 3,000 pounds.

Skills: A kupuk has a +4 racial bonus to Wilderness Lore checks when tracking by scent.

IN THE REALMS

Kupuks are native to the Great Glacier, although packs of wild kupuks have been seen as far east as Sossal and as far west as Icewind Dale. The Ulutiun and arctic dwarf tribes of the Great Glacier have both domesticated kupuks as beasts

Attacks: +3 Ftr +4 Str, -2 secondary = +7, +5

Saves: F +3 +3 Con = +6, R +3 +2 Dex = +5, W +1 +1 Wis = +2

Skill Points: (2 x Int) + EHD = 8 +2 = 10; class skill max ranks = HD +3 = 6

Skills: Listen 4 +1 Wis = +5, Spot 4 +1 Wis = +5, Swim 2 +4 Str = +6, Wilderness Lore 0 +1 Wis = +1 Feats: 1 + Int bonus + 1/4 EHD = 1 +0 +0 = 1

Challenge Rating: 5 for hp +1 for AC, cold subtype, abilities/feats = 8 /3 = 2

Notes: Compare to dog, riding dog, and winter wolf. Could also write up as a beast with following changes: Atk +2 Clr +4 Str, -5 secondary (or Multiattack as a bonus feat) = +6, +1; Int 2; 15 skill points; Hide 1 +2 Dex = +3, Listen 5 +1 Wis = +6, Move Silently 1 +2 Dex = +3, Spot 5 +1 Wis = +6, Swim 3 +4 Str = +7, Wilderness Lore 0 +1 Wis = +1.

LARAKEN

Large Outsider (Evil) Hit Dice: 15d8+48 (115 hp)

Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative) Speed: Fly 30 ft. (perfect)

AC: 14 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 12 Attacks: Tentacle +16 melee

Damage: Tentacle 1d6+1 and magic absorption Face/Reach: 10 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks: Absorb magic

Special Qualities: Dimension door, detect magic, blindsight, blind, vulnerability to fire Saves: Fort +12, Ref +11, Will +12

Abilities: Str 13, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 12

Skills: Hide +9, Knowledge (arcana) +10, Knowledge (the planes) +9, Listen +12, Move Silently +13, Search +9, Spellcraft +10, Spot +12

Feats: Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Toughness, Weapon Focus (tentacle) Climate/Terrain: Temperate or warm marsh

Organization: Solitary Challenge Rating: 11 Treasure: None

Alignment: Usually neutral evil

Advancement: 16-25 HD (Large); 26-45 HD (Huge)

Laraken, also known as magic-drainers because they feed on magical energy, are distant relatives of the nishruu (see pages 67-68 of Magic of Faerûn). They hate all intelligent life and view anything of roughly humanoid shape as such life.

Laraken appear as a shining yellow sphere with a pair of tentacles that protrude from opposite points on its body.

They are uncomfortable in humidity of less than 95% and appear to be linked to the Elemental Plane of Water.

Consequently, they generally confine themselves to tropical marshes to keep themselves wet. Laraken speak no known language and all attempts to communicate with them have failed.

COMBAT

Laraken always attack when they sense a party that possesses spellcasters or magic, lashing out with their tentacles.

However, they will not follow a party onto dry land.

Absorb Magic (Su): Laraken feed on magic, and absorb magic they touch, whether it takes the form of spells cast at the creature, magic items it envelops, or even spellcasters it strikes. Moreover, it gains the power it has absorbed.

Laraken prefer to drain memorized spells, then charges from magic items with spell-like effects, and then pluses from magic items. This unusual diet has the following effects:

Spellcasters (arcane and divine) lose the highest-level spell slot or spell they have prepared with each slam of a laraken’s tentacles. If the victim possesses two or more spells of the same level, the drained spell is randomly chosen.

Each time the character loses a spell in this manner, he or she must make a Will save (DC 18) or fall unconscious for 10-100 minutes. A laraken gains the power to cast the spell it has absorbed once for each such spell it has absorbed.

A laraken absorbs spells cast at it, gaining the power to cast that spell once for each such spell it has absorbed.

A laraken in contact with a magic item with charges drains 1d6+1 charges from the item with each strike. A laraken may then use the absorbed charges as if it had the powers of the item.

A laraken that strikes magic arms and armor first drains the power with the highest market price modifier and then each individual plus of the item with each strike. This drain is permanent. A laraken gains the power of the items it

A laraken can heal itself one point for each spell level, charge, or plus equivalent it directs toward healing. Other magic items heal one point for each 3,000 gp of market value (minimum of one). The laraken loses the powers of whatever magic it directs toward this healing.

A laraken must absorb the equivalent of three spell levels or charges per day, which it uses in the same manner as magic used to heal itself, to avoid starving.

A laraken reproduces by absorbing a regenerate spell. This allows them to grow a new laraken from a severed tentacle.

Dimension Door (Sp): A laraken can dimension door itself as the spell cast by a 15th-level sorcerer at will.

Detect Magic (Sp): A laraken constantly detects magic (as the spell) out to a range of 600 feet.

Blindsight (Ex): A laraken can “see” by sensing the ambient magical energies of the Weave, allowing it to locate objects and creatures within 600 feet.

Blind (Ex): A laraken has no eyes and lacks normal vision and darkvision.

Vulnerability to Fire (Ex): A laraken takes double damage from fire attacks unless a saving throw for half damage is allowed, in which case it takes half damage on a success and double damage on a failure.

IN THE REALMS

Laraken were brought to the Realms when the great Halruaan wizard, Akhlaur, summoned them from their home plane over 200 years ago. Akhlaur was an over-ambitious and evil conjurer who mistakenly opened a never-closing portal to the Elemental Plane of Water, which eventually created the Swamp of Akhlaur. Laraken have lived by and fed off of the portal ever since. A few laraken still live in the Swamp of Akhlaur, but they are rare – not many survived Akhlaur’s magical experimentations. One that did survive, the humanoid “Akhlaur’s laraken” was the child of an enslaved elf woman, Kiva, forcibly impregnated with the power of a laraken and a water demon. It’s power dwarfed that of its lesser kin. Nevertheless, “the laraken” was defeated through the combined might and ingenuity of Halruaa’s heroes, Mateo and Tzigone, themselves descended from the same enslaved elf woman.

CREDIT

Author Thomas M. Costa, based on original material by Tom Prusa. The laraken originally appeared in FR16: The Shining South (1993) and Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994). Akhlaur’s laraken plays a major role in Elaine

Cunningham’s Counselors and Kings trilogy of novels, The Magehound (2000), Floodgate (2001), and Wizardwar (2002) and her short story, “Possessions,” in Dragon Magazine 282 (2001).

LARAKEN CREATION