One of the most fun parts of writing up
the Slumbering Ursine Dunes mini-sandbox has been putting together
the now lengthy(ish) bestiary in the back. The booklet will have 15
unique monsters stuffed into it (that is if I have the willpower to stop
cramming more in with each editing iteration).
One of the things I have tried to do
throughout the campaign with mixed results is introduce a menagerie
of new critters to challenge and amuse players with. Some have a foot
in a fantasy reflected Slavic mythology, others have more than a bit
of the gonzo (or just plain dumb) in them.
The War-Ocelot is one of the few that
mixes a bit of all of them.
War-Ocelots
No. Enc.: 1d10
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 150’ (50’)
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: 2
Damage: 1d6 bite, 1d8 helmet spike
Save: D2
Morale: 9
When the Boreans threw down their
spears
And sprinkled Zem with their tears
Did Svat smile his work to see?
Did He who made the flumph make
thee?
- The Ocelyt by Vilem of the
Lake
The twin brother-heroes of the Old
Pahr, Vlko and Romuilak the Lupine were the first to bring the
dreaded cats of the steppes to this part of the world. With their
horde of druzhinas, reverse centaurs and yes war-ocelots they carved
a kingdom out of the black peaks and bottomlands of the South a thousand years ago.
With such an entrance the war-ocelot demurely snarled into the pages
of collected history—before vanishing anew along with that time-misted kingdom.
Centuries of selective breeding by Pahr
nomads of their most beloved semi-feral ocelots had raised the
adorable spotted critters into a bellicose, semi-intelligent
companion. Bigger boned and wiry their feline frames were
increasingly capable of sporting first elaborate harnesses and later
full armored arrays complete with long piercing horn (not pictured in
the transitional period array above).
Nice kitty--been a fan of ocelots since discovering Honey West a while back...
ReplyDeleteThat poem is one of your best so far.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I'm glad at least once person got that dumb joke.
ReplyDeleteWho will win? Willpower or the monsters?
ReplyDeleteNice armor. Looks Indian. It's interesting how words get around a world, as ocelot comes from the Nahuatl "Ocelotl". We've had all sorts of confusion in Mesoamerican games about whether people are talking about smaller feline predators or jaguars when this term is used, as it has different meanings to different folks.
ReplyDelete