Friday, March 4, 2011

Monster: Parvani's Curse

Parvani's Curse
Armour Class: 4
Hit Dice: 2*** to 6****
Move: fly 120'/40'
Attacks: 1 or by spell
Damage: 2-12 or by spell
No. Appearing: 1
Save As: C6
Morale: 9
Treasure Type: Nil
Alignment: Chaotic
XP Value: 35 - 1175

Parvani's curse is seldom seen; this troublesome daemon much prefers to feed from its victim from deep within a magical item or some other precious object. If cast from its hiding place by any means, Parvani's curse reveals itself as a coiling mass of topaz scales and spurs, a reptilian daemon with cunning silver eyes that hangs silently in mid-air.

At will, a Parvani's curse may inhabit an unclaimed magical item or any object of at least 100gp value. If the chosen object is not magical, the Parvani's curse will often create some minor enchantment, such as a +1 bonus to Armour Class or the ability to use a single first-level spell once a day. Once its object has been claimed by an individual for twenty-four hours, the Parvani's curse may use a soulbite to snarl its victim's fate 1-4 times a day, typically causing one of the following effects:

* -1 Str for an hour
* -1 Con for an hour
* 1-6 hit points of damage
* -2 save vs spell, poison or paralysis

If the inhabited object has detect magic cast on it a number of times equal to the Hit Dice of the Pavani's curse within it, the final spell will show the curse coiled inside. Any attempts to destroy cursed or evil magic -- or attempts to dispose of the object -- will cause the Parvani's curse to materialize and attack (or, if it possesses the spell, attempt to charm the item's bearer).

Only if materialized and sorely pressed will a Pavani's curse engage in physical combat, lashing out with spurs, claws and fang for 2-12 hit points of damage. A Pavani's curse possesses the spellcasting ability of a magic-user equal to its Hit Dice in levels; it cannot be harmed by nonmagical weapons.

3 comments:

David The Archmage said...

This is simply the best demon I've ever seen written up for D&D. Really well done.

The Rubberduck said...

Yes, I like it.

Of course, it needs to be played smart. The player's will probably think it a cursed item, if it just snarl's their fate at any odd time. But if it only uses them when the player gets attacked, or drinks from a weird pond, or some other instant when these might occur "naturally". Then it might be able to subsist for quite some time.

taichara said...

@David:

Thank ye kind :3


@The Rubberduck:

Aah, but them thinking it's a cursed item -- and then springing the surprise on them when they try to be rid of it -- also has its appeal ;3