Hordling

You wade your way through the carnage left behind by the Blood War, through a myriad of fiendish creatures, great and small, thick and thin, humanoid, animalistic, amorphous, tentacled, winged… The variety amazes you – apart from their obvious malevolence and depravity, no two of the creatures look anything alike. Hordlings are the uncounted hordes of the Gray Waste, although they can also be found in great numbers on some Abyssal layers. No two hordlings look alike; there are possibly as many different types of hordlings as there are hordlings. They have no purpose or organization to speak of, and they are bent only on destruction. They feed on petitioners, planewalkers, and each other. True fiends (usually tanar’ri) often herd hordlings into vast unruly battalions to be used as cannon fodder in Blood War battles.Certain graybeards speculate that a hordlings may be formed from a larva especially driven by evil, but just what “especially evil” means in the Lower Planes is still unclear. Hordlings are occasionally summoned to the Prime Material Plane. Legends speak of an ancient artifact, the Bringer of Doom, which could open a long-lasting rift to the Gray Waste from which hordlings would pour forth and destroy everything in sight. Hordlings have no standard mean of communication. Their size and weight varies wildly. COMBAT Petty and vile creatures, hordlings roam the Gray Waste attacking anything that seems weak enough to beat. There is no limit to the variations of hordlings, thus a hordling can have any cosmetic features.

Menu Abilities: A hordling has a number of special attacks and qualities depending on its Hit Dice. A hordling can always have two choices from a lesser menu instead of one of its given abilities. Multiple selections of the same menu choice do not stack unless the ability specifically notes that stacking is allowed. In case of menu choices that grant spell-like abilities, the effective caster level is equal to the hordling’s Hit Dice total. Cosmetic FeaturesA hordling may have any number of cosmetic features.

Deviant Attack Form: This hordling has different attack forms. For example, instead of 2 claws and 1 bite, it may have 1 slam and 2 bites or 3 tentacles attack. The damage does not change.

Unique Appearance: A hordling can have any imaginable appearance, such as a pool of slime with eyes or an eyeball walking on 3 legs. Make sure its appearance fit its attack forms, i.e. a hordling without claws shouldn’t be making claw attacks.

Ability Deviance: This hordling focuses on different abilities. Rearrange its ability scores to suit creature concept.

HORDLING MENU A Any hordling could have these abilities.

Breath Weapon, Lesser (Su): Every 1d4 rounds, the hordling can breathe out a 15-ft. cone of nauseating gas. Creatures within the cone must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ HD + Con modifier) or become nauseated for 1d6 rounds.

Bonus Feat: The hordling gains one of the following feats as a bonus feat - Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (any natural weapon), Improved Natural Attack, Improved Natural Armor, Mobility, or Power Attack. A hordling does not need to meet the prerequisites for any of these feats.

Damage Reduction, Lesser (Ex): The hordling has either DR 5/magic or DR 5/good.

Deflection, Lesser (Ex): The hordling gains a +2 deflection bonus to Armor Class.

Extra Movement Mode (Ex): This hordling has another movement mode, such as burrow, climb, swim or fly. This may affect its appearance, e.g. streamlined, fins, webbed feet, bat or feathered wings, etc. Fly speed is twice its base land speed and its flying class is average. The speed of other movement is same as its base land speed.

Fast Movement (Ex): Select one type of existing movement (e.g. land speed, fly speed, etc.). The selected movement is faster than normal, increasing speed by +10 ft.

Immunity (Ex): The hordling is immune to any one of the following effects - acid, cold, electricity, fire, force, negative energy, positive energy, or sonic.

Improved Ability (Ex): One of its ability scores increase by +2.

Resistances (Ex): The hordling has resistance 5 against any three of the following effects - acid, cold, electricity, fire, force, negative energy, positive energy, or sonic. Resistances gained from selecting this ability multiple times stack.

Smite Good (Su): This hordling can smite good 1/day, giving a bonus to attack roll equals to its Cha bonus (min. +1) and +1 damage per HD. Each additional selection of this feature allows it to use 1 more time per day.

Special Immunity (Ex): This hordling is immune to any one of the following attacks – petrification, paralysis, mind-affecting effects, poison, disease or death effects.

Spell-Like Ability: The hordling gains one spell-like ability per 2 HD which can be used 1/day. The spell-like abilities can be any spells of levels 1-2. Caster level equals the hordling’s HD. Save DCs are Charisma-based. If the same spell-like ability is selected multiple times, the number of times per day that the old ability can be used is increased by 2.

Spittle, Lesser (Ex): The hordling can spit at a target within 10 ft. as a ranged touch attack, dealing 2d4 points of damage. The damage can be acid, cold or fire.

Summon Creature (Sp): Once per day the hordling can attempt to summon another hordling of the same Hit Dice with a 50% chance of success.

Telescopic Attack (Ex): A hordling may be able to extend one of its attack forms (claws, bites, etc.) telescopically, thereby increasing its reach by +5 ft.

Thick Skin (Ex): The hordling’s natural armor increases by +3.

Trip (Ex): If the hordling hits with a slam attack, it can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking attacks of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the hordling.

Unnatural Acquisition (Ex): This hordling can acquire a template even if the template normally does not apply to outsiders. The CR adjustment of the template still applies.

Warded Abilities (Ex): Three of its ability scores are immune to ability damage and drain.

HORDLING MENU B A hordling of 9 or more Hit Dice could have these abilities. Alternatively, the DM can choose to assign two special abilities from Menu A instead of one from menu B.

Spittle (Ex): The hordling can spit at a target within 20 ft. as a ranged touch attack, dealing 2d4 points of damage per round for three rounds, or until the spittle is washed off. The hordling can spit only one type of energy – acid, cold or fire. The hordling can spit once every 1d4 rounds.

Alternate Form (Su): The hordling can assume other forms at will as a standard action. This ability functions as a polymorph spell cast on itself (caster level equals Hit Dice), except that the hordling does not regain hit points for changing form, and an individual hordling can assume only one or two forms of up to Large size. Common forms include dire boar, dire rat, dire wolf, and monstrous spider.

Blindsight (Ex): The hordling has blindsight out to 60 feet.

Breath Weapon (Su): Every 1d4 rounds, the hordling can breathe out a 20-ft. cone of nauseating gas. Creatures within the cone must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ the hordling’s HD + the hordling’s Con modifier) or become nauseated for 1 minute.

Damage Reduction (Ex): The hordling has either DR 10/magic or DR 10/cold iron or DR 10/silver.

Deflection, Greater (Ex): The hordling gains a +4 deflection bonus to Armor Class.

Enhanced Natural Weapon (Su): One of its natural attacks (bite, claw, etc.) has a supernatural weapon enhancement of a price worth +1 bonus. For example, a hordling’s bite may function as a flaming weapon or vicious weapon. Each natural weapon can only be enhanced once.

Extra Natural Weapon (Ex): A hordling may have one extra natural weapon, allowing it to make an additional attack with it. Roll 1d10 to determine: 1-2 maw (bite), 3-4 clawed limb (claw), 5-6 bludgeoning limb (slam), 7-8 tail or 9-10 horns (gore). It may select this ability to gain multiple limbs.

Fast Healing (Ex): The hordling heals 5 hit points each round.

Great Ability (Ex): One of its ability scores increase by +4. This does not stack with Improved Ability.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the hordling must hit with its claw or slam attack. It can then make a grapple check as a free action, without provoking an attack of opportunity. A hordling can use this ability only on a target that is at least one size smaller than itself.

Poison (Ex): One of the hordling’s natural weapons is poisonous; Fort save (DC 10 + ½ HD + Con modifier), primary and secondary damage 1d6 points of ability damage to any one physical ability score (Str, Dex, or Con). In addition, the hordling is immune to all poisons.

Pounce (Ex): If the hordling charges a foe, it can make a full attack.

Regeneration (Ex): This hordling has regeneration 5. Good-aligned attacks inflict lethal damage.

Spell Resistance (Ex): The hordling gains spell resistance equal to 10 + its Hit Dice.

Swarm Subtype (Ex): This hordling is composed of many creatures and it gains swarm subtype. It is considered as having a hive mind.

Unnatural Traits (Ex): Although this hordling is an outsider, it also possesses ooze, plant or undead (pick any one) creature traits.

HORDLING MENU C A hordling of 12 or more Hit Dice could have these abilities. Alternatively, the DM can choose to assign two special abilities from Menu B instead of one from menu C.

Energy Blob (Ex): The hordling can spit out a blob of energy (acid, cold, fire, electricity or sonic) out to 40 ft. as a standard action, dealing 5d6 points of damage to all within 5 feet from the point where the blob lands. A Reflex save is allowed for half damage (DC 10 + ½ HD + Con modifier).

Blindsight (Ex): The hordling has blindsight 60 ft.

Breath Weapon, Greater (Su): Every 1d4 rounds, the hordling can breathe out a 30-ft. cone of nauseating gas. Creatures within the cone must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ the hordling’s HD + the hordling’s Con modifier) or become nauseated for 1 minute rounds. If this save fails, they must attempt another one (same DC) or contract the devil’s chills disease.

Damage Reduction, Greater (Ex): The hordling has either DR 10/cold iron and good or DR 10/silver and good.

Fast Healing, Greater (Ex): This hordling has fast healing 10.

Frightful Presence (Ex): The hordling’s very presence is unsettling to foes. When the hordling charges, attacks, or snarls, opponents within 30 ft. who witness the action may become shaken for 3d6 rounds unless they succeed at a Will save(DC 10 + ½ HD + Cha modifier). An opponent that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to that same hordling’s frightful presence for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.

Gray Wasting (Ex): A creature hit by the hordling’s bite must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ HD + Con modifier) or contract the Gray Wasting disease (incubation 1 day, 1d4 permanent Cha drain) by touch or melee attacks. In addition, the hordling is immune to all diseases.

Huge (Ex): The hordling’s size category increases by one step. Its ability scores are modified as follows: Str +8, Dex +2, and Con +4. It gains an additional +4 bonus on grapple checks. It suffers an additional -1 size penalty on Armor Class and attack rolls, and an additional -4 size penalty on Hide checks.

Incorporeal (Ex): The hordling has incorporeal subtype. An incorporeal creature has no physical body and is immune to all non-magical attacks. Magic weapons, holy water and spells with a corporeal source have only a 50% chance to affect an incorporeal creature. Positive energy, negative energy, force effects and ghost touch weapons affect incorporeal creatures normally. It can pass through solid objects (except force effects), but must remain adjacent to the object’s exterior. It has no natural armor bonus, but has a deflection bonus equals to its Cha bonus.

Poison, Greater (Ex): One of the hordling’s natural weapons is poisonous; Injury, Fort save (DC 10 + ½ HD + Con modifier), primary and secondary damage 2d4 points of ability damage to any two physical ability scores (Str, Dex, Con). In addition, the hordling is immune to all poisons.

Regeneration, Greater (Ex): This hordling has regeneration 10. Good-aligned attacks inflict lethal damage.

Rend (Ex): If the hordling hits the same opponent with two claw attacks in the same round, it rends its foe, dealing extra damage equal to 2d6 + 1.5 times its Str modifier.

Swallow Whole (Ex): To select this ability, the hordling must have the Improved Grab ability (see above). The hordling can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of up to Medium size by making a successful grapple check. The swallowed creature takes 2d6+7 points of bludgeoning damage and 5 points of acid damage per round from the hordling’s gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 20 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 15). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A hordling’s gizzard can hold 2 Small, 8 Tiny, or 32 Diminutive or smaller opponents.

Trample (Ex): As a standard action during its turn each round, a Large hordling can literally run over an opponent at least one size smaller than itself. It merely has to move over the opponent to deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d8 + 1.5 times its Str modifier. The target can attempt a Reflex save (DC 10 + ½ HD + Str modifier) to negate the damage, or it can instead choose to make an attack of opportunity at a -4 penalty.

Converted from Planescape Monstrous Compendium I by Ivan Chia and Igor Calija