Vaarn Bestiary for Cairn

13 Apr, 2024

Monsters from the Vaarn Deluxe Edition converted for use in Cairn.

Biological: Living creature made from flesh and blood. No unusual resistances or weaknesses.

Synthetic: Artificial creatures made from metal, plastic, and an ego-engine. Immune to damage from suffocation, poison, radiation, or fingal spores. Takes double damage from electrical attacks. Vulnerable to weaponized LogLang syntax.

Psychic: a creature with psychic powers. May utilize Gifts and can detect Psychic Shine.

Fungal: Creature formed from mobile fungus. Takes half damage from kinetic attacks such as bludgeoning, stabbing, etc. Takes double damage from fire or fungicide bombs.

Mineral: a creature made from living rock or crystal. Immune to damage from suffocation, poison, radiation, electricity, extreme temperatures, or fungal spores. Takes double damage from bludgeoning weapons.

Hypergeometric: A creature that exists outside the bounds of Euclidean geometry. Takes double damage from hypergeometric weaponry.

Outsider: A being that is alien to our reality. Too strange to be categorized. Resistances and vulnerabilities vary wildly.

Alzabo
7 HP, 14 STR, 12 DEX, 14 WIL, Claws (d8+d8)

• Type: Biological
• The 'Ghoul Bear'. Red-furred predator with ghastly humanoid face. Can mimic the voices and behaviour of people it has eaten. Will remember where they lived and hunt their family.
• Critical Damage: The Alzabo drains the target’s essence, dealing d12 damage to WIL. If the target reaches 0 WIL this way it dies and their consciousness is consumed by the Alzabo.
  
  
  

Amaranthine Death-Worm
5 HP, 1 Armor, 14 STR, 10 DEX, 9 WIL, Spines (d6)

• Type: Biological
• Large reddish-pink worm-like creatures covered in spines with a gaping, toothed maw.
• Critical Damage: Target is hit by poison spray from spines, any STR damage taken can only be healed by an antidote.
  
  
  

Argent Shepherd
4 HP, 3 Armor, 12 STR, 12 DEX, 12 WIL, Grab (d4)

• Type: Synthetic
• Abandoned justiciar of the Titan THEMIS. Eight-foot tall synth wearing robes of perfect argent, the colour brighter than white.
• Critical Damage: Will not commit violence but will grab assailants and attempt to implant them with an Argent Halo. Anyone implanted with an Argent Halo cannot commit any acts of violence, nor are they able to remove the Halo without expert surgical help. Attempting to harm any living being while wearing a Halo will result in the wearer passing out, with no save possible.
  
  
  

Battle Boar
5 HP, 2 Armor, 14 STR, 9 DEX, 6 WIL, Flamethrower snout (d8, blast) or Gore (d6)

• Type: Biological/Synthetic
• Cyborg war-boars infested with nanomachines. Their flamethrower hits everyone in front of them.
  
  
  

Behemoth Toad
5 HP, 1 Armor, 15 STR, 12 DEX, 6 WIL, Bellyflop (d10)

• Type: Biological
• Enormous flabby toads that lurk near Vaarnish water sources.
• Critical damage: Target is pulled into the toad’s mouth and takes d8 damage per round until dead or rescued.
  
  
  

Blue Baboon
6 HP, 10 STR, 16 DEX, 3 WIL, Claws (d6+d6)

• Type: Biological
• Predatory blue apes of the Vaarnish wastes. Intelligent and carnivorous, hunt in packs.
  
  
  

Cacklemaw
4 HP, 1 Armor, 12 STR, 14 DEX, 8 WIL, Sword or Musket (d8) or Bite (d6)

• Type: Biological
• Lurking laughing hyena-women. Fight in packs, with little regard for their own safety. Will snap at opponents’ faces in close quarters with their powerful teeth.
• A group of eight or more will always include a War Mama.
  
  
  

Cacklemaw War Mama
6 HP, 2 Armor, 14 STR, 15 DEX, 12 WIL, Dual swords (d8+d8) or Bite (d6)

• Type: Biological
• War Mamas are the largest, meanest, and most cunning Cacklemaw in the pack. They lead from the front and must be seen to savour the violence lest they be challenged by one of their underlings.
• War mamas will never retreat from combat if other Cacklemaw are alive to witness it.
  
  
  

Cacogen Pseudo-Giant
10 HP, 16 STR, 8 DEX, 6 WIL, Stomp (d10)

• Type: Biological
• Severely mutated humanoids that resemble ambulatory torsos. They have a primitive, furious face on their chest, and tiny vestigial arms.
• They are unintelligent but ferocious and will pursue prey for miles.
  
  
  

Chromavore
13 HP, 11 STR, 14 DEX, 8 WIL, Life drain (d8)

• Type: Outsider
• Living cloud of impossible colour from a dimension slightly askew to ours. Immune to all conventional weapons but takes d10 damage per round when exposed to sunlight.
• Critical damage: Latches onto foe and drains d8 STR per round, until victim is a colourless husk.
  
  
  

Chrome-feathered Sailback
12 HP, 15 STR, 14 DEX, 9 WIL, Heavy laser cannon (d12)

• Type: Biological/Synthetic
• Graceful sky-serpents, which warm their cold-blooded bodies with rows of symbiotic solar panels. These vast creatures generally do not notice travellers on the foot, but they will attack vehicles and flying machines without provocation. It is theorized that Sailbacks interpret the glinting of sunlight on metal as a dominance challenge.
  
  
  

Doppelgeller
5 HP, 11 STR, 5 DEX, 3 WIL, Special (see critical damage)

• Type: Biological
• Biotech blob of shifting colours and appearance.
• Critical damage: When it scores a hit, it will begin spawning jelly-clones of the target at a rate of one per round. These jelly-clones have 3 HP and the ability scores of the target creature.
  
  
  

Faa Nomad
5 HP, 1 Armor, 12 STR, 13 DEX, 11 WIL, Rifle (d8) or Dagger (d6)

• Type: Biological
• The travelling folk of the Blue Desert. Expert trackers, skilled at ambush and escapes. Parties who wrong the Faa will be subject to pursuit, night-time sabotage, hit-and-run attacks, and every other inconvenience imaginable. Groups of four or more are a detachment.
  
  
  

Giant Azure Scorpion
8 HP, 1 Armor, 11 STR, 12 DEX, 4 WIL, Claws (d8+d8) or Laser tail (d8)

• Type: Biological/Synthetic
• Cyborg arachnid. Lies in ambush beneath the blue sands. If their tails are severed, they can be used as d8 energy weapons.
  
  
  

Glass Tiger
8 HP, 12 STR, 14 DEX, 5 WIL, Claws (d6+d6) or bite (d8)

• Type: Biological
• Translucent extra-solar species, transported to Urth during the reign of the Autarchs. Body like a tiger with a head that resembles an orchid. Very difficult to spot when they’re not in motion.
  
  
  

Greenguard
4 HP, 2 Armor, 12 STR, 11 DEX, 9 WIL, Rifle (d8)

• Type: Synthetic
• Green plastic-fleshed soldier-synths. They attack from the wastes without warning, seemingly following ancient orders. They seize and hold buildings at random, waiting for reinforcements that never arrive.
  
  
  

Grey Cricket
2 HP, 6 STR, 12 DEX, 3 WIL, Claws (d6)

• Type: Biological
• Creepy gangly giant insects. Normally scavengers, but will attack live prey if they think they can get away with it.
• Critical damage: Spits noxious saliva onto the target, causing victim to lose any action for the next round due to vomiting.
  
  
  

Hiveymman
6 HP, 12 STR, 8 DEX, 3 WIL, Bludgeon (d8) + Swarm (d6 directly to STR, blast)

• Type: Biological
• Human corpses that have been infested by fearsome colonies of Sable Bees. They crawl across the sands, their bellies swollen with a throbbing hive-structure.
• The bees deal d6 damage directly to STR per round to everyone within reach.
  
  
  

Harlequin Serpent
4 HP, 8 STR, 12 DEX, 3 WIL, Bite (d8)

• Type: Biological
• Large desert snakes. The colouration on their heads resembles the makeup worn by sacred fools.
• Critical damage: Victim is injected with the serpent’s toxic venom, causing them to laugh for d6 hours; they cannot speak until the venom wears off.
  
  
  

Hollow Maiden
10 HP, 11 STR, 14 DEX, 12 WIL, Claws (d8+d8)

• Type: Hypergeometric
• Spectral women in elegant attire with wounds in their chests that bleed un-Urthly colours. They ignore all even-numbered damage rolls.
• Critical damage: Victim is embraced and pulled into the hypergeometric rift in the Hollow Maiden’s body taking d6 STR damage per round unless they are able to pull themselves out with a STR save.
  
  
  

Indigo Servitor
4 HP, 12 STR, 6 DEX, 3 WIL, Bludgeon (d6)

• Type: Biological
• A masked and indigo-robed corpse, reanimated by the necrotech implants of the College of Indigo Tigers. Obeys the wearer of a dominion ring without question. Mute, obedient, fearless.
  
  
  

Lambent Lynx
6 HP, 9 STR, 14 DEX, 6 WIL, Electrical claws (d6+d6) or Lambent pelt (blast, see below)

• Type: Biological/Synthetic
• Lurid cyborg feline. Feeds on sources of electrical power, including synths.
• Lambent pelt: The lynx can ignite every filament in its synthetic pelt like a flash-bang, causing d6 rounds of blindness in nearby enemies that fail a DEX save.
  
  
  

Leopard Worm
5 HP, 1 Armor, 13 STR, 11 DEX, 5 WIL, Bite (d8)

• Type: Biological
• Sinuous ambush predators with a spotted leathery hide and tentacled maws ringed with teeth.
• Critical damage: Victim is covered by worm’s adhesive spit. All subsequent attacks are impaired until the spit is removed with salt water.
  
  
  

Lithling Scholar
12 HP, 2 Armor, 14 STR, 5 DEX, 12 WIL, Swipe (d6)

• Type: Mineral
• Wandering scholar from the Lithic Lyceum. Generally pacifists and have little desire to harm living beings. Will attempt to reason with their assailants, even during deadly combat.
  
  
  

Lizard Lion
4 HP, 1 Armor, 10 STR, 12 DEX, 3 WIL, Bite (d8)

• Type: Biological
• Large, frill-necked, ill-tempered reptiles. Like a crocodile that can sprint. Their skin is highly prized as a material for boots and belts.
  
  
  

Memory Eater
3 HP, 1 Armor, 4 STR, 14 DEX, 6 WIL, Grab (d4)

• Type: Synthetic
• Biomechanical memory vampire. Like a giant mosquito cast from steel.
• Critical damage: Cranial-bore proboscis drains the target’s memories, victim suffers d6 WIL damage. If the target reaches 0 WIL this way their memories are drained and they are left catatonic.
  
  
  

Phthalo-Jackal
6 HP, 10 STR, 14 DEX, 8 WIL, Bite (d6)

• Type: Biological
• Cautious and clever cerulean-coated pack hunters. Morale drops when outnumbered.
  
  
  

Planeyfolk
14 HP, 6 STR, 15 DEX, 10 WIL, Grab (d4)

• Type: Hypergeometric
• Hypergeometric humans that only have two dimensions and thus often appear to be shadows or wall frescoes and surprise the unwary. They ignore all even-numbered damage rolls.
• Critical damage: Target loses d4 STR. At 0 STR victim becomes a flat corpse.
  
  
  

Quill Spider
6 HP, 11 STR, 14 DEX, 4 WIL, Bite (d6) or Quill spray (d8, blast)

• Type: Biological
• Loathsome arachnid with a bloated body that bristles with hollow quills like those of a porcupine. When threatened it will rapidly brush its back legs across its back, showering the surrounding area with quills. These creatures are a menace to travellers: they are inquisitive, fast-moving, aggressive, and will devour anything that fails to outrun them or fight them off.
  
  
  

Regenerator
12 HP, 14 STR, 8 DEX, 6 WIL, Claws (d6+d6) or Bite (d8)

• Type: Biological
• Towering tumorous mutant with extremely rapid cell-replenishment. When taking critical damage they will continue fighting and will only cease when their STR is 0. Will resurrect within an hour unless burned or covered in acid.
  
  
  

Sandworm - Juvenile
15 HP, 2 Armor, 15 STR, 11 DEX, 13 WIL, Slam (2d6)

• Type: Biological
• Vaarnish sandworms live the first two stages of their lifecycle as microscopic organisms before undergoing a rapid metamorphosis into huge, majestic filter-feeders. Juveniles, between one and five centuries of age, are the size of passenger trains. Some are trained by the Faa to pull sand-sleds, while others roam free in the deepest deserts. Although not predatory, they can be very aggressive towards sources of unwelcome vibration, like heavy machinery or warding-field technology.
  
  
  

Sandworm - Adult
18 HP, 3 Armor, 18 STR, 13 DEX, 16 WIL, Slam (5d10)

• Type: Biological
• The grandest inhabitant of the blue desert. Adult sandworms have no natural predators and have a lifespan of several millennia. They do not usually notice human-sized travellers, but will attack noisy vehicles if provoked. They usually seek to swallow the offending machine whole.
• Critical damage: target is swallowed whole.
  
  
  

Stumbling Drone
4 HP, 2 Armor, 9 STR, 9 DEX, 10 WIL, Plasma rifle (d8)

• Type: Synthetic
• Staggering, boxy war-synths. If flipped onto their back, they cannot right themselves. When they deal maximum damage from their plasma rifle, they suffer equal damage due to overheating.
  
  
  

Subtle Stalker
16 HP, 1 Armor, 10 STR, 16 DEX, 10 WIL, Claw slash (d8+d8)

• Type: Synthetic
• Sadistic mantis-shaped synth. Permanently cloaked; always surprises unless opponents have infrared vision. If the cloaking field is disrupted, the Stalker’s max HP drops to 10 for the duration of the outage.
  
  
  

Thunderstrike Bird
10 HP, 2 Armor, 13 STR, 13 DEX, 11 WIL, Harpoon (d12) or Talons (d8+d8)

• Type: Biological/Synthetic
• Terrifying biomechanical predator. Will fire an electrical harpoon which ignores armour.
• Critical damage: target is reeled back in towards bird and is attacked by talons unless rescued.
  
  
  

Tiger Fly
3 HP, 5 STR, 15 DEX, 3 WIL, Sting (d6)

• Type: Biological
• Dog-sized mutant wasps. Highly protective of their nests. If you kill one, d6 more Tiger Flies will arrive to investigate within 3 rounds.
  
  
  

Troika
3 HP, 2 Armor, 9 STR, 14 DEX, 6 WIL, Kick (d6+d6+d6)

• Type: Synthetic
• Pinwheel of synthetic legs that somersaults through the blue wastelands, kicking everything it can find. Utterly inexplicable and universally hated.
  
  
  

Tumblesnare
9 HP, 2 Armor, 11 STR, 8 DEX, 10 WIL, Grab (d6)

• Type: Synthetic
• Predatory synths that resemble burrs of silver wire. Wait under the sand until stepped on, at which point they strike. Successfully captured victims will be slowly drained of their fluids and proteins, refuelling the Tumblesnare.
• Critical damage: victim is grabbed into the coils of the Tumblesnare which will roll away across the dunes with its prey entangled in its body. Tumbling will cause increasing damage each round the victim is ensnared starting at d4 and increasing to d12. Prisoners must make a DEX save to escape.
  
  
  

Walking Womb
9 HP, 10 STR, 8 DEX, 3 WIL, Slam (d6)

• Type: Biological
• Shambling, blind mound of pregnant flesh. On death, explosively births d6 Fetal Predators (3 HP, 5 STR, 10 DEX, 4 WIL, bite (d6)). Fire prevents this.
  
  
  

Xanthous Mycomorph
9 HP, 12 STR, 8 DEX, 8 WIL, Slam (d8) or Spore choke (d8, blast)

• Type: Fungal
• Mass of yellow necrotech fungus that engulfs corpses and uses them as fuel to grow larger. Takes halved damage from kinetic weapons and regenerates d6 STR per round. Can absorb biological corpses to gain an additional d6 STR.
  
  
  

Yurling
5 HP, 9 STR, 13 DEX, 5 WIL, Bite (d6)

• Type: Biological/Fungal
• Tiny, mischievous monkey-like mutants. Covered in symbiotic white fungus. Exclusively eat metal.
• Critical damage: Yurling can choose to consume a metal object from the target’s inventory instead of dealing damage.

#bestiary #cairn2e #vaarn