Rust Monster
Aberration · no Crown (Mundane)
T1d4Minor
Antennae-wielding scavengers, rust monsters corrode metal on touch, thriving in ruined armories.
Tier 1 · Role Minor · Pool Vigor 1 (+1 overflow) · AC 11 · ATK +2 · Save DC 11 · Dmg 1 (flat)
| Stat | Score | Mod | Die |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body | 14 | - | - |
| Mind | 6 | - | - |
| Sense | 12 | - | - |
| Heart | 12 | - | - |
| Cunning | 14 | - | - |
| Fate | 12 | - | - |
A Minor has no attribute mechanics: the scores describe the creature, they do not roll.
Passives
Iron Scent
Smells ferrous metal within 30 ft and would rather eat it than fight; a sated rust monster is not aggressive.
Rust Metal
Any nonmagical metal weapon that hits the rust monster corrodes, taking a permanent -1 to attack rolls. At -5 the weapon crumbles to rust.
Maneuvers
Antennae Touch
Touch a nonmagical metal object within 5 ft. Armor takes a permanent -1 to AC (destroyed at -5); a weapon corrodes as Rust Metal.
Tactics
GM tactics
Approaches creatures carrying metal, attracted by scent. Ignores those with no metal. Uses Antennae Touch on the finest armor it can smell. Flees if severely wounded, seeking easier metal elsewhere.
Running it
Rules
- Vigor equal to Tier, with an overflow of the same size behind it: 1, then 1 more. Neither half regenerates.
- A hit deals a flat 1, no roll. A crit (natural 20 only) rolls d4 and never lands below 1.
- Crits on a natural 20 only.
- Minor: no stat modifiers or dice in play; its scores describe the creature, they do not roll.
- At 0 Vigor it breaks and flees, out of the fight but alive; Fanatics fight on into the overflow instead.
- Total damage reaching 2 kills it outright, and a single blow of 2 or more kills it on the spot.
- Vigor damage is simply damage against a Minor: its whole pool is Vigor.
- Group morale: when its group loses half its number, fled or dead, the rest check morale.
- NPCs never take wounds.