Friday, December 18, 2009

What's that Smell???




Stench Kow
No. Enc. : 6d10
Alignment : Neutral
Movement : 150'(50')
Armor Class : 3
Hit Dice : 3
Attacks : 1 (horns or trample)
Damage : 1d8, 2d6
Save : L3
Morale : 6
Hoard Class : None
Mutations: Stench, Immunity (Poison, includes poison gases), Reflective Epidermis (Heat & Cold), Accumulated Resistance (Radiation)

     Stench Kine are the cattle of the wastelands. They roam the reeking polluted plains and wastes. These odorous beasts form great herds, grazing on poisonous plant life that would kill other creatures. A herd will contain 5-30 young, but the young have no attack form. For every five beasts encountered one will be a bull. The bulls are the more aggressive members of the herd and will defend the herd if necessary.
     When many creatures developed thick carapaces and/or powerful attack forms in order to survive, the Stench Kow took a different "evolutionary" approach. The beasts became so foul in both smell and taste that no predator in its right mind would even think of approaching a Stench Kine herd, much less eating one of them. Even the ever hungry Ostragnon leave Stench Kows alone.
     Stench Kine resemble huge, misshapen bison. Bulls have large humps over the shoulders, and cows have smaller ones. Horns are long and downward curving. Heads are huge with pugged features, large round eyes and lolling heads. Coloration is a dull orange with greenish, matted manes.
     For the most part the Stench Kow prefer to be left alone grazing on their preferred diet of fetid plant life, however , if they feel threatened they will charge the offending person, attempting to Gore/Trample the foe and then move off. This is usually enough, because by then the intruder is affected by the beasts smell. In close quarters, the odor of their breath and bodies is so foul that a save vs. poison must be made in order to avoid vomiting. Even those who successfully resist the initial effects of the smell must make additional checks for every 3 rounds in the creatures range. Those affected by nausea will be driven to leave the presence of the beast, and will be only able to perform the most basic of actions (minimal defense, walking, etc...), until beyond the smell of the beast.

Based on a creature in TSR's AD&D Monster Manual II.

4 comments:

  1. This is a good adaptation of an AD&D monster, I believe (?). I recall coming upon this critter sometime back but never had the chance of springing it upon my players yet. I like your adaptation of this for Mutant Future - a stinky mutated beast living in polluted environments. Come to think of it, many AD&D and D&D monsters make great Mutant Future critters - with or without modifications. Maybe the D&D world really is the long term end result of the mutant future! (I keep thinking of this after reading through Moorcock's Runestaff novels)

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  2. Ewww...






    word verification: obilli

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  3. The adaptation of D&D monsters isn't something lost on the creators of MF. The Mind Flayer makes an appearance in their stock monsters.

    This is a good adaptation. These beasties were hard to work into your games because they really were found in one of the lower plains.

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  4. Thanks guys.
    Spielmeister I did a version of this beast for Alternity also years ago, you may have seen that version.
    Mik,
    Obilli huh? I may have to do something with that. ; )
    Thanks Eli,
    I think the Pigmen in MF are basically Orcs as well.

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