Denizens of the Rust Wastes
I need a few creatures that are common to the Rust Wastes, so I decided to expand on the region and create creatures somewhat inspired by stuff that is already out there.
South of the Divide, the Rust Wastes is a massive desert formed by the fallen and decay warmachines of Chaos Wars. Several great battles formed there, and the remains of them still remain. Massive walkers, tanks and airships lay on the scarred lands rusting away in the red-orange dust of the Rust Waste desert.
The Nature of the Wastes
The Rust Wastes are a remnant of the Chaos Wars no one likes to remember. Once a thriving forest beneath the shadows of the mountains of the Divide, the multiple battles between the forces of the Prophet and the forces that opposed her devastated the forest and rendered it a desert of rust and debris. However, it is more than simply a desert of rust. It is almost a living thing itself. Residual nano-tech and chaotic magic morphed and mutated in such a way that in places in the Wastes, corrosion and decay is accelerated on any technology. If left in the desert too long, made of metal, plastic or ceramics is slowly “eaten” into the Wastes.
Creatures
Creatures in this region fall into three categories:
- Native creatures that continue to survive
- Mutated Native Creatures
- Abandoned War Beasts left to fend for themselves
The following are some of these creatures:
RUST KRAKEN
An abandoned robotic war-tech, no single Rust Kraken is the same. They tunnel underneath the thick layer of rust sand of the wastes, seeking anything they can consume. No one really knows what one looks like for all they see is a chaotic mass of mechanical tendrils rising out of the same pulling anything it can to a central maw.
| Rust Kraken | Huge Beast | ||||||||||||||||||
| Abilities (Focuses) | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Speed | Health | Defense | Armor Rating |
| 10, Tunnel 8 | 300 | 12 | 8 |
| Weapon | Attack Roll | Damage | Range |
| Bite | +6 | 3d6+10 | Touch |
| Tentacle | +7 | 2d6+10 | Touch |
Special Qualities
Favored Stunts: Dual Strike (2 SP), Electric Arc (3 SP), Lethal Blow (4 SP), Mighty Blow (1 SP), Tentacle Crush (2 SP)
Ink Cloud: A Rust Kraken can emit a cloud of black, venomous ink in a 24-yards diameter once per minute as a free action while underwater. This cloud provides total concealment, which the kraken can use to escape a fight that is going badly. Creatures within the cloud are considered to be in darkness. The ink cloud persists for 1 minute before dispersing.
Tentacle Onslaught: Rust Kraken can attack up to with three tentacles per attack action, although only one can generate SP.
Sand Born: An Rust Kraken gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls and inflicts 1d6 extra damage against enemies who are on sand with it.
Tremor Sense: The Rust Kraken can sense motion on the surface above, an ability it uses to target living bodies. It can sense any moving bodies within 30 yards, though it may need to succeed in an opposed Perception (Touch) vs. Dexterity (Stealth) test to locate an individual clever enough to mask its motion.
Electric Arc (3 SP): Creatures within 16 yards of the Rust Kraken take 1d6 penetrating damage. Creatures within 8 yards take 2d6 penetrating damage, and creatures within 4 yards take 3d6 penetrating damage. Targets who pass a Constitution (Stamina) TN 15 test take half damage.
Tentacle Crush (2 SP): A Rust Kraken can perform a special crush stunt after an tentacle attack. It grabs the target and begins to squeeze, inflicting 1d6+10 penetrating damage. The Rust Kraken can maintain the crush as a minor action and inflict this damage each round, or hurl away a grabbed target as a minor action, inflicting 1d6+10 penetrating damage, but letting go of the victim. To escape on his own, a victim must use a major action to make an opposed Strength (Might) test. An adjacent ally can also perform a special 2 SP stunt to automatically free the victim. A Rust Kraken has 10 tentacles (so many creatures can be grappled at the same time). A Kraken cannot attack with a tentacle in which it has a grappled creature.
| Threat Level: Legendary |
STONE SIMIANS
Mutated Native Creatures that were victims of some war magic used in the battles, these creatures were born of once simply simians that lived in the jungles that once thrived here. Many who approach their regions think they are simian statues until they move and attack. They are very territorial and savage.
Stone Simians are an amalgamation of simian creatures and stone found most often in mountainous areas. They have no fur, and are territorial and vengeful. They are omnivorous and can eat just about anything. They are immune to anything poisonous. They can move through the strong trees by brachiation (small trees can not support their weight), and they are expert climbers, able to descend from above without warning onto trespassers.
Stone Simians are commonly found in the Rust Waste foothills just below the Divide.
Stone Simians, Average
| Stone Simians, Average | Medium Beast | ||||||||||||||||||
| Abilities (Focuses) | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Speed | Health | Defense | Armor Rating |
| 12 | 50 | 13 | 5 |
| Weapon | Attack Roll | Damage | Range |
| Fist | +3 | 2d6+3 | Touch |
| Bite | +2 | 1d6+3 | Touch |
| Throwing Rock, Minor Action | +2 | 2d6+7 | Range 8/16 |
| Throwing Rock, Major Action | +2 | 3d6+3 | Range 4/8 |
| Special Qualities |
| Favored Stunts: Mighty Blow, Seize the Initiative |
| Threat Level: Moderate |
Stone Skin: Stone Simians skin is legendarily tough. They have a natural Armor Rating of 5.
Produce/Throwing Rocks: Stone Simians enjoy smashing their enemies with thrown rocks. As a minor action, the Stone Simians can produce 1d6 suitable rocks on hand at any given time. Throwing rocks have a short range of 8 yards and a long range of 16 yards. As a major action, the Stone simian can merge these tones into a large rock for more damage but shorter range.
Weapon Groups: Brawling, Bludgeons
Stone Simians, Elite
| Stone Simians, Elite | Large Beast | ||||||||||||||||||
| Abilities (Focuses) | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Speed | Health | Defense | Armor Rating |
| 10 | 75 | 13 | 6 |
| Weapon | Attack Roll | Damage | Range |
| Fist | +3 | 2d6+5 | Touch |
| Bite | +2 | 1d6+5 | Touch |
| Throwing Rock, Minor Action | +2 | 2d6+7 | Range 8/16 |
| Throwing Rock, Major Action | +2 | 3d6+3 | Range 4/8 |
| Special Qualities |
| Favored Stunts: Lethal Blow (4 SP), Knock Prone, Mighty Blow (1 SP), Threaten |
| Threat Level: Moderate |
Stone Skin: Stone Simians skin is legendarily tough. They have a natural Armor Rating of 6.
Produce/Throwing Rocks: Stone Simians enjoy smashing their enemies with thrown rocks. As a minor action, the Stone Simians can produce 1d6 suitable rocks on hand at any given time. Throwing rocks have a short range of 8 yards and a long range of 16 yards. As a major action, the Stone simian can merge these tones into a large rock for more damage but shorter range.
Big: Knock Prone and Skirmish stunts used against ogres require 1 additional SP than normal to work. Also, ogre-sized weapons do an additional 1d6 damage over their human-sized counterparts (their fists do 1d6 base damage).
Weapon Groups: Brawling, Bludgeons
ORC-OGRE or OGREC
An abandoned war beast, the orc-ogre is a magically bio-creation merging both an Orc and an Ogre. Why would anyone want to do such a thing? No one knows.
orc-ogre are giantish oafs that appear to be nine foot tall goblinoid with distorted faces. They often resemble goblinoids, or have the hint of bestial ancestry, but a small number are bald and resemble giants. Like most giants or bigger goblinoids, ogres are cruel, killing to cause suffering or from perceived hatred, not because they have to. Unlike their true giant cousins, most Ogres speak orc, goblin, or a human language depending on where they live, and who lives with them. Ogres often congregate with goblinoids or orcs because their strength is respected.
| Orc-Ogre | Large Humanoid/Goblinoid | ||||||||||||||||||
| Abilities (Focuses) | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Speed | Health | Defense | Armor Rating |
| 14 | 65 | 12 | 6 |
| Weapon | Attack Roll | Damage | Range |
| Maul | +4 | 2d6+8 | Touch |
| Fist | +2 | 1d6+5 | Touch |
| Battle Axe | +6 | 2d6+8 | Touch |
| Longsword | +6 | 2d6+8 | Touch |
Special Qualities
Favored Stunts: Knock Prone, Lethal Blow (4 SP), Mighty Blow (1 SP), Threaten
Talents: Armor Training (Novice), Berserker (Novice)
Weapon Groups: Axes, Bludgeons, Brawling, Heavy Blades
Equipment: Light Leather Armor, Two-Handed Club or Battle Axe or Longsword, Light Mail
Dark Sight: orc-ogre can see in darkness up to 20 yards without a light source.
Big: Knock Prone and Skirmish stunts used against ogres require 1 additional SP than normal to work. Also, ogre-sized weapons do an additional 1d6 damage over their human-sized counterparts (their fists do 1d6 base damage).
Savage Killers: orc-ogre can perform the Mighty Blow and Lethal Blow stunts for 1 SP less than normal. They also gain a +2 attack and damage bonus against any target who doesn’t succeed in a contested Willpower (Courage) vs. the orc-ogre’s Strength (Intimidation) at the beginning of an encounter.
Tough Skin: orc-ogre have a natural AR of 2, though most wear hides, patchwork armor, and other protection that increases this to AR 6.
Berzerker Talent – Novice: The orc-ogre can drive himself into a killing frenzy. First the orc-ogre must use the Activate action to become Berserk. The orc-ogre receive a +2 bonus on Willpower (Courage) and Willpower (Morale) tests while Berserk. The orc-ogre also receive a +1 bonus on his damage rolls in melee combat. However, he suffer a –1 penalty to Defense and to Perception tests while Berserk. The orc-ogre return to normal at the end of the encounter or if the orc-ogre forces himself out of the berserk state with another Activate action.
| Threat Level: Moderate |
WARBORN OOZE
(see page 88, Fantasy AGE Bestiary)
A combination of a mutated being and a abandoned war beast, the Warborn ooze is a creature manifested from chaotic magical energies mixing with various bio-weapons used in the Chaos Wars. Warborn ooze are immune to fire, but take double damage from steel melee weapons (allergic to steel). The Warborn ooze can blend into surroundings (+2 to Dexterity – Stealth). They are also naturally corrosive and leaves a corrosive residue behind – (1d6 penetrating damage until scraped off).
WAR-SPECTRES
(see page 113, Fantasy AGE Core book)
There are many losts souls from the battles fought here still roam the wastes. Many have been corrupted by the residual war magic and chaotic energies of the region. These creatures are still fighting their battles, sometimes against each other. Their weapons manifest in ecto-plasmic energies that disrupt living tissue. This manifest the equivalent of Blasters, swords and bows but all are penetrating damage.
DURASKI
A tribe of horribly mutated dwarves that reside new the Wastes. They are fanatical and savage.
WARSTONE GOLEMS
Warstone golems are abandoned war beasts that got caught in the chaotic stone magic that corrupted this area. Standing roughly 10 feet in height, they were typically created to stand guard over locations. They often have coded passwords, or riddles to disengage them. Those who do not know the correct answer are attacked relentlessly.
| Warstone Golem | Large Construct | ||||||||||||||||||
| Abilities (Focuses) | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Speed | Health | Defense | Armor Rating |
| 10 | 50 | 12 |
8 |
| Weapon | Attack Roll | Damage | Range |
| Fist | +4 | 2d6+5 | Touch |
| Mace | +4 | 2d6+5 | Touch |
| Pebble Chain Gun | +4 | 2d6+3 | 8/16/32 |
Special Qualities
Favored Stunts: Knock Prone, Mighty Blow
Weapon Groups: All Melee, Chain Gun
Equipment: Mace
Immunities: Charm, Mental, Poison, Paralysis, Sleep
Resistances: All magic (+4)
Dark Sight: Rock golems can see in darkness up to 20 yards without a light source.
Enchanted: All non-magical physical damage deals only half-damage to an enchanted creature. The only exceptions are damage sources the creature is vulnerable to. It’s own physical attacks are considered magical. Note, all Enchanted creatures take full damage from energy attacks they are not immune to.
Hard Hitting: Warstone golems do 2d6 damage with their bare hands due to their bulk, mass, and the enchantments which animate them.
Resistance: A Warstone golems takes half damage (before applying AR) from any nonmagical weapons and attacks. The golem also gains this resistance against natural elemental attacks which the materials used in its construction are strongly resistant to (stone resists fire, earth resists electricity, and so on).
Vulnerability: A Warstone golems takes double damage (before applying AR) from any attacks, natural or magical, from intense vibrations or sonic natured weapons.
| Threat Level: Moderate |