Monster "Siren"

[malifer]

Maybe this is in a resource somewhere.

But I am in need of a Siren kind of monster. Is there a book this might be in or does anyone have an idea as to how to build it.

Thank you

 

[Hopeless]

Off the top of my head desing a sorceror with dominate species spell and then make it a special ability ala the films regarding the tirals of odysseus.

Wasn't there something in the Monsters of Legend maybe that was the harpy?

Have you been checking the thread on MOnsters of Legend 2 thats just been released in pdf?

Sorry hope that helped.

 

[alex_greene]

I didn't see Sirens in Monsters of Legend 2.

Chaotic Features, the table on p. 6 of Monsters of Legend, includes the power "Alluring," which lures by means of pheromones; Droning on p. 8 induces sleep; and Scintillating on p. 9 mesmerises.

Perhaps the siren can use the rules for the ghoul's howl from p. 76 of Monsters of Legend, with the difference being that characters affected are drawn closer to the siren, and can only advance on the character at half normal Speed, due to their entranced state.

Once the victims are close enough to be touched, the siren uses a Vampiric Touch ability from Monsters of Legend, p. 4, or use a Tap spell attack on them.

Stopping up one's ears is the only way to defeat the song of a Siren - at least, it worked for the Argonauts.

 

[The Wolf]

No Sirens in MoL 2 I'm afraid, the only monsters that were allowed were the ones from the d20 book.

At some point I may put a few monsters together using what I learned for MoL 2.

Alex, it's certainly how I'd think about doing it or at least giving them a similar power.

 

[alex_greene]

Actually, it's worthy of a full fan supplement all by itself.

 

[The Wolf]

Indeed. Legend still needs a book with all those 'core' monsters in, since it's missing so many.

 

[Prime_Evil]

Indeed. Legend still needs a book with all those 'core' monsters in, since it's missing so many.

Yes...this is a weakness of the system at the moment. I suppose that the gaps will gradually be closed, but this process may take a few years.

 

[Loz]

The weakness stems from the fact that Monsters of Legend is simply MRQII's 'Monster Coliseum' with the coliseum stuff stripped-out.

That book was designed around monsters largely appropriate to a coliseum environment, so the more esoteric monsters of myth and legend weren't included.

We had far more monsters in the original draft of MRQII, but when the page count was radically down-sized, the bestiary chapter was the biggest casualty. That carried over into Legend.

 

[The Wolf]

Loz, ahhhhh

 

[Prime_Evil]

Interesting insight, Loz. Out of curiosity, what was the thinking behind the MRQII Monster Coliseum? Why release a book for gladiatorial campaigns rather than a traditional RPG bestiary?

In some respects it was a clever idea because it gave the creatures a context. It also reinforced the notion that the feel of Runequest is rooted more in the ancient world of 'swords and sandals' adventure rather than the faux-medieval setting of D&D and its imitators. I notice that you've done something similar with Monster Island for RQ6, where you've released a book based on pulp fantasy tropes that gives GMs and excuse to use the new creatures listed therein rather than just another 'big book of critters'. Was this a conscious design choice in both cases?

FYI, I love any monster book that gives me an excuse to throw a bunch of halflings into the arena with a hungry t-rex

 

[Loz]

Interesting insight, Loz. Out of curiosity, what was the thinking behind the MRQII Monster Coliseum? Why release a book for gladiatorial campaigns rather than a traditional RPG bestiary?

Matt and I discussed the releases for MRQII and he was keen to have 'Monster Coliseum'. This was an old Avalon Hill RQ3 title, and the intention was firmly to place monsters in some form of context, along with a metagame for running gladiatorial campaigns. So it was a conscious design decision not to do a straight bestiary (that had been done with RQ Monsters volumes I and II for MRQ1), and a nod to the RQ heritage itself.

In some respects it was a clever idea because it gave the creatures a context. It also reinforced the notion that the feel of Runequest is rooted more in the ancient world of 'swords and sandals' adventure rather than the faux-medieval setting of D&D and its imitators.

I thought it was an excellent idea. 'Monster Coliseum' for AH RQ3 was all a bit 'meh'. This was an opportunity to do it again with more content and a focus on arena mechanics that would fit the worlds supported by MRQII at that time. Gladiatorial arenas fit incredibly well with Elric and Glorantha, for example.

I notice that you've done something similar with Monster Island for RQ6, where you've released a book based on pulp fantasy tropes that gives GMs and excuse to use the new creatures listed therein rather than just another 'big book of critters'. Was this a conscious design choice in both cases?

Again, yes. A very conscious design choice. Bestiaries are great, but ultimately they're just reference sources for monsters you might use. They're also not that interesting to write: monster stats become quite dull after the first two dozen or so! However, if you can place the monsters in a context where a GM can use them creatively, its far more interesting, and useful, for all concerned. Monster Island gives you a huge sandbox setting, lots of ready-made scenarios, some settlements, some cultures, a lot of examples on how to employ magic creatively, and, of course, lots of very strange, very unique monsters. You can still pick-out monster stats for a campaign not set on Monster Island too, of course, so its utility as a book is far greater than a straight bestiary.