#14 Rodent, Gliding: 31 Horrors for Ruination Pilgrimage

 Rodent, Gliding

Type: Animal

Group: 1d5+2

A large rodent with short, pitch black fur, and baggy flaps of red leathery skin between front and back legs. Gliding rodents grow to about 6 ft long, a 4 ft long prehensile tail, a with a "wingspan" of 8 ft wide.  They're short muzzled with sharply pointed incisors and tiny eyes. Gliding rodents are nocturnal carnivores who drop out of the tree canopy often gliding from as far as Bowshot Range. 

C:60 1d5 Gnawing DMG + Bleed 2 AP:1 I:70 W:3(8)

Drop & Bag: Gliding Rodents drop onto their prey and attempt to wrap them up with loose skin and long, sinewy legs. Instead of a Combat Test in their first attack, they make an Instinct Test. If successful they drop on prey, wrap them up, and start biting furiously doing 2d5 DMG + Bleed (2) each round until their prey succeeds on a Strength Test. 

Silent as Death: These rodents are weirdly silent, dark as the night, and give no warning of attack. Combat starts with their attack (using Instinct as above), then Initiative rolls are made in the normal order. 

 

#13 Slime, Ruling: 31 Horrors for Ruination Pilgrimage

 Slime, Ruling

Type: Demonic Animal

Group: 1 

A bright yellow and vivid purple-veined slime mold. It's only want is to devour any organic tissue it comes across. It spreads orally, usually when an infected minion vomits into the mouth of a new victim. Ruling slime can infect any animal, but it prefers people due it's ability to link minds and create a networked hive mind. A network of squirrels, while terrifying to witness, doesn't have much ability to plan beyond "where should we bury this nut, and where did we bury that nut." That said, several people networked together with larger forest creatures such as a bear or wolf can create quite a threat. 

A Ruling Slime's domain often looks like a blighted forest. Trees are in the process of dying and dropping their leaves while the bark is dissolved by hungry patches of yellow slime and thick purple veins hang over limbs reaching for more food. Skeletons of smaller creatures covered in trails of dried slime with blossoms of bright orange cup mushrooms protrude from dead mosses and crispy ferns. 

Somewhere in this devastation hides the central "brain" of the Ruling Slime. A bulbous, yellow, furrowed mass with veins reaching in all directions and protected by a group of controlled zombies in various states of decay.  

C:0 AP:0 I:90 W:2(25)

Ruling Slime Zombies: In the infected domain there could be as many as 20-100 infected zombies spread out in the area. There will be 2d10 guarding the Ruling Slime's brain. They have the same statblock as zombies but use the Instinct of the Ruling Slime. 

C:55 2d5 Blunt DMG AP:3 I:90 W:2(12) ES:2

Vomit Attack: When an infected has taken a Wound their next attack will be vomiting infectious slime at a target in Adjacent Range. An Agility Test must be passed or vomit strikes doing 1d5 acidic DMG. Next Round a Body Save must be passed or the slime starts infecting the host. This is subtle at first causing any attacks against the brain or other infected to be made with (D). 

An exorcism (ES:1) will destroy the growing infection causing the neutralized slime to be puked up. If this is not done within 2 days, host will wonder off eventually growing into a new Ruling Slime brain.

(If other animals are wanted as hosts, use their statblock but change their Instinct to 90)

#12 Crab, Large Forest: 31 Horrors for Ruination Pilgrimage

 Crab, Large Forest

Type: Animal

Group: 1d10

Covered in mosses and lichen, these land crabs scuttle about wet, temperate forests and nearly disappear into the background when standing still thanks to their coat of living camouflage. They are 3-4 ft wide and 3 ft tall. Mushrooms and bracket fungi are the biggest part of their diet but they also have a taste for meat. Whether said meat is carrion or currently attached to a living creature, forest crabs don't seem to care. 

C:55 1d5 + 1d5 Claw DMG AP:5 I:68 W:2(8)

Cryptic Huddle: After losing a Wound, Instinct is rolled. On a success large forest crabs dig their claws into the soil, launch a cloud of debris at their attackers to distract, pull in their claws, crouch low, and blend into the forest undergrowth. While in this stance their AP becomes AP:9 and normal attempts to see them require a successful Sanity Save. This is a defensive measure performed when they've decided the fight is no longer worth it. 

Claw Bash: When in Cryptic Huddle but attacked, a success on Instinct Test triggers Claw Bash: the forest crabs punch out with both claws. Their opponent must succeed on an Agility Test or take 2d10 DMG + Bleed 2 and is knocked down. Succeed on Instinct again to see if crab resumes Cryptic Huddle. 

#11 Leech, Large: 31 Horrors for Ruination Pilgrimage

 Leech, Large

Type: Monstrous Animal

Group: 1d10

Denizens of forest, swamp, and rivers, these leeches can grow from 2-4 feet, are fat, leathery and fairly disgusting. Part of that is appearance and the rest is their incessant hunger for blood. Any blood will do, but some leeches really seem to crave the warm blood of a person. Their bite can be as dangerous as any creature that feeds on blood. Large leeches are careful biters, much like the smaller ilk of their kind, and bites while their prey is asleep or trudging through water are rarely even noticed until it's too late. 

C*:55 1d5 Biting + Blood Drain DMG AP:0 I:30 W:2(7)

Blood Drain:  If a large leech Combat Test is successful, 1d5 extra DMG is dealt due to blood loss. Leech is considered Latched now and the below rule applies. 

Fatigue: If a victim has taken 11 DMG from Blood Drain, they gain 1 level of Fatigue. 

Anesthetizing Saliva: If the victim is asleep, wading through murky water, or otherwise distracted, Blood Drain DMG isn't noticed and said DMG is applied every 10 minutes. 

Latching: In combat when a leech lands a hit it latches on and starts doing Blood Drain DMG.

C*= Biting DMG is only used during combat while a large leech isn't trying to be secretive. 

Removal: When a large leech is latched on, pulling it off deals 1d5 DMG to victim, and a successful Body Save is needed to prevent an infection (Rulebook pg. 33). If heat, strong alcohol, or other means that make sense in a leech removal scenario are used, DMG and infection are not applied. 

My own notes and thoughts are maybe the blood drain should just be Bleeding + n directly into the leeches gullet instead of random damage die.  Hmmm.

#10 Spirit of Ash & Char: 31 Horrors for Ruination Pilgrimage

 Spirt of Ash & Char

Type: Spirit

Group: 1

(I'm porting this from my OSE ghost posts from back in 2020. You can find it here with OSE stats and in the collected zine pdf form for OSE and DCC stats. This was one of my favorites and Ruination Pilgrimage always needs more ghosts)

The anger of a Ghost of Ash & Char is unmatched. Rightfully so; they were subjected to the most horrible of deaths. These minor ghosts almost take delight in inflicting pain and suffering upon their victims. 

Variable Appearance

1. Charred, black, crusty skin, red embers underneath
2. A being of pure flame
3. Normal person with smoke rolling out of mouth, eyes, and nose
4. A being of pure smoke
5. Made up of whirling ash
6. A being of embers
7. Blackened shell with burning blue light within
8. A blackened skeleton wreathed in flames
9. A floating wraith robed in black. Opens up robe to reveal the burning inside
10. Each moment it changes and becomes each result above.

C:65 1d5 Burning Hands + Immolate DMG AP:8 I:70 W2(15) ES:2

Horror to the Senses: Successful Sanity Save or do nothing for a Round. The smell of burning fat and flesh, the sound of a roaring fire, and a person standing there in the conflagration is the stuff of nightmares.

Immolate: Extra 1d5 heat DMG with each hit. There's a 50% chance of catching target on fire. 1d10 DMG per Round if caught on fire.

Explosion: Upon reaching 0 Health roll Instinct and if successful, The Spirit of Ash & Char explodes in a fireball doing 2d10 DMG to all within Adjacent and Throwing Ranges. Successful Agility Test for half DMG.

AP:8: Only with normal weapons. If attackers' weapons are enhanced with prayer ribbons, relics, etc. AP is 0. 

Vulnerabilities: Water, or cold-based attacks will do +1d5 DMG. 

#9 Manarakyn: 31 Horrors for Ruination Pilgrimage

 Manarakyn

Type: Demonic Humanoid

Group: 1

Manarakyn are formed when an Aemaalghem demon fuses several people together. Heads grow together into a many eyed, large split mouth and the many limbs organized into a disgusting approximation of a spider made of bodies. The arms and legs become elongated and fingers and toes stretch out and grow gripping hairs so the Manarakyn can climb walls and ceilings and spray a modified saliva that gums up as it is exposed to the air. 

C:70 1d10 + 1d10 DMG + Saliva Web AP:3 I:65 W4:(15) ES:3

Many Limbed: Able to attack multiple opponents in a Round. Each 1d10 of DMG can be applied to different targets in Adjacent Range. A Critical Success on Combat Test adds 2 more 1d10 DMG to even more opponents if they're within range. 

Spit or Retreat: Every Round Instinct should be rolled. On a successful Instinct Test, Manarakyn will either spit Saliva Web before attacking or climb out of reach into the darkness and wait several rounds to attack again. Health is recovered during this time but Wounds are not. 

Saliva Web: Target is hit if they fail an Agility Test. Two successful Strength Tests are needed to rip free (Anyone can roll if they're adjacent). 

Exorcism Sucesses: The Aemaalghem demon and bodies are too entwined for separation so successful exorcism rolls do the following:

• 1st success removes Health recovery. 
• 2nd prevents Saliva Webbing. 
• 3rd prevents Retreat and removes one Wound. 

#8 Melt: 31 Horrors for Ruination Pilgrimage

 Melt aka The Cistern Born or the Unformed

Type: Monstrous Humanoid

Group: 1d10

Melts are waxy figures without set features. They're blobby and various shades of white, off white, and yellows. It is said the Unformed are grown in Birthing Cisterns in the deep places and are rejected and cast out of the warrens for being born incomplete or incorrectly. This might be what gives them a burning hatred for the living. Melts do appear to be in the act of melting much like a burning candle and are in a constant state of creation and deconstruction. They cannot speak but can produce screams, moans, and other creepy noises. Melt are suspected to have some sort of telepathic communication and possibly even be in contact or controlled by a hivemind. 

C:40(+4d10) Punch 1d5 DMG AP:0(+1d5) I:70 W:1(15+1d10)

Flux: Each Melt is wildly variable and can alter themselves rapidly. Each one should be rolled up individually. If it's not too much for the Steward, they can even be rerolled during combat. 

Noise: To be attacked by a mostly silent but coordinated enemy until the screaming, moaning, and hissing starts is a terrifying experience. Succeed on a Fear Save or characters' Combat is rolled with (D).

Aspect: Melt faces change when engaging with people. They will mimic the faces of people they're fighting. Sometimes they will reach into the mind of their opponent and mimic loved ones. Melt can even change their waxy faces into monstrous visages that make no sense. Succeed on a Sanity Save or temporarily lose 1d10 Sanity. If Sanity reaches 0, character passes out for 2d10 Rounds.