Let’s Convert the Fiend Folio: Forlarren and Frost Man

Finishing off the letter “F” we have two monsters: the Forlarren and the Frost Men. Of the two, I am more partial to the Frost Men. There is nothing particularly wrong with the Forlarren – it is conceptually a good creature – but few groups, in my experience, would care that the creature was regretful after it killed a party member. Accordingly, I have added some death throes…and ones which might make some PCs seek the creature out.

I struggled with the idea of making The Forlarren a unique creature, and some judges may indeed wish to go this route. The idea that an immortal nymph and a demon might have a few (or even many) twisted offspring might appeal to other judges. In either event, I was not concerned with creating a race of creatures (as was the case with the Fiend Folio), so I went with direct descendents rather than the results of generations of what would have to be incest unless nymph/demon pairings are more common in your world than I imagine them to be.

Now, the Frost Men are really described as though they were otherwise ordinary people with unusual abilities. So, which is it to be? Monster stats as though they were just another humanoid? Or something that a PC could presumably Quest For?

My answer is: Both. And I see no reason that both cannot exist within the same campaign milieu!

 

Forlarren

Forlarren: Init +4; Atk Cudgel-like fist +1 melee (1d4); AC 18; HD 3d6+3; MV 20’; Act 2d20; SP Infravision 60’ heat metal 1/day, ambivalent nature, death throes; SV Fort +2; Ref +4; Will +0; AL C.

The offspring of an enslaved nymph and the demon who enslaved her, these beings wander alone, welcome in neither Elfland nor the Hells where they were born. They detest their own existence, and seek vengeance on all living things. Their horny fists are as hard and strong as cudgels, and they attack the living on sight.

The forlarren also has the ability to heat metal once per day, and uses this ability on the first foe wearing metal armor that it strikes. The armor becomes hot to the touch, causing the wearer 3d6 damage (for heavy armor) or 2d6 damage (for medium armor) each round for 1d5 rounds, reducing by 1d6 each round thereafter until the damage ends. A character can remove armor, but this takes 1 Action Die per point of AC provided (or half this time by damaging the armor so that it must be repaired before it can be used again). A Mighty Deed used to remove armor instead of attacking automatically succeeds, and reduces the time to remove armor by 1 round per point of the Deed Die (so that even a 1 or 2 aids in removing armor to some degree).

As soon as it has killed one character the ambivalent nature of the forlarren is revealed. It shows great remorse and offers any survivors its services and powers. After 2d5 encounters or 1d6 days (equal chance of each), the influence of it nymph blood wanes, and the dominant evil part of the forlarren resumes control, and it leaves the party it is aiding. From that time on, the forlarren will again attack on sight, including the party it earlier befriended if it encounters that party again.

When a forlarren is slain, there is an equal chance that it collapses into a mound of sweet earth (which is extremely fertile and may be used as a special component to grant a +4 bonus to an earth-based spell) or that it spontaneously combusts until burnt to a fine ash (which can be used to gain a +4 bonus to demon summoning).

 

 

Frost Man (1)

Frost Man: Init +0; Atk By weapon +1 melee or ranged (by weapon) or ice blast; AC 15; HD 4d6; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP Ice blast (3/day, 35’ long cone with 10’ base, 3d6 damage, Fort DC 10 for half), immunity to cold; SV Fort +4; Ref +2; Will +2; AL L.

Sometimes called “ice demons” by northern tribes who fear their ice blasts, frost men appear like humans, although each normally covers one eye with an eyepatch, and they radiate cold which can be felt as far as 30’ away. Although the radiated cold causes no damage, thrice per day they can project an ice blast of freezing mist from their covered eye, 35’ long with a 10’ base. Any caught in this cone takes 3d6 damage (Fort DC 10 for half).

Little is known of the frost men. To date, these creatures have only been encountered singly and the location of their lair, its type and their pattern of living are unknown. It is thought that there are villages of frost men, with females and children, buried in deep caves in cold mountains, but none have yet ventured to establish the veracity of these rumors.

 Frost Man (2)

Amongst the peoples of the far north, there are some shamans still who know of the ritual which can transform an ordinary human into a frost man. This sacrament, which takes a week to perform, was among the secrets of the Hyperboreans handed down from the Old Time. Few are those chosen to receive this honor, and fewer still are those who can bestow it. Adventurers questing for such powers would have to demonstrate a commitment to the northern village where such a shaman might be found, and then survive the transformation itself.

When a human becomes a frost man (and “frost man” is a generic term, for gender is no bar to this power), one of their eyes is removed and replaced with an unmelting chunk from a living glacier. This procedure causes the recipient 3d7 damage, and the recipient must succeed in a DC 15 Fort save or die. All damage taken from the ritual must be allowed to heal naturally, or the glittering new eye melts and no powers are gained.

Those who become frost men radiate cold, which is discernable from 30’ away. This cold is not great enough to cause damage, but marks a frost man for what they are. Frost men become less comfortable around heat, preferring the cold – although they take no extra damage from heat and fire, the judge may penalize frost men who ignore this preference by reducing their rolls on the dice chain.

Frost men gain two powers:

(1) They are immune to cold damage.

(2) Three times per day they can project an ice blast of freezing mist (frost) from their glacial eye, 35’ long with a 10’ base. Any caught in this cone takes 3d6 damage (Fort DC 10 for half).

When creating an NPC frost man, roll 1d20 to determine class: (1-12) warrior, (13-17) thief, (18-19) cleric, or (20) wizard. It may be that warriors and thieves are simply more likely to survive the transformation.