Chaos Whelps
by Giulio CarolettiClimate/terrain: Nightmare dimension/ Chaos merge
Plains
Frequency: Rare (Chaos merge Plains: common)
Organisation: Pack
Activity Cycle: Nightmare day/ Prime night
Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Semi (2-4)
Treasure: Nil
Morale: 12 (6) or 20 (10)
Alignment: Chaotic evil
No appearing: 5-20
AC: 3
Movement: 18
Hit Dice: 5+4
THAC0: 15
No attacks: 1 bite, 2 claws, 1 horn, 1 tail
Damage/Attack: 1d8+2, 1d4 (x2), 1d4+1, 1d6
Special attacks: Disease bite
Special defences: Immune to poison, paralysis, mind affecting
spells
Magic resistance: 90%
The Chaos Whelps are a race of animal-like creatures of the Nightmare dimension. They are used as pets by many Nightmare inhabitants, and generally are employed as guardians to treasures and the like. In the Chaos Merge Plains they are common as free animals, but otherwise they are very seldom encountered. All the organisation and activity cycle references are written considering the free Whelps: consider them equivalent to dogs in frequency between diaboli.
The Chaos Whelps attack nearly always in pack: they never check morale if fighting for the defence of the master or of other members of the pack; if they are alone, or their master dies, they check normally the morale.
Chaos Whelps don't have any special attack, apart from the Pack Attack. When they attack in group, they have only one attack roll each five members. Every five Whelps attack one single opponent. The attack roll is made with a +1bonus to hit each five members of the pack. If one of the Whelps hit a Multiverse Creature, there is a chance that it transmits a tremendous disease that is called the Molecular Instability. Chaos Whelps encountered without a master have a 25% of chance of having this disease; if a pack is encountered, it is all infected. The disease is one that is much feared between diaboli; they seem to be the only creature of this Plane that can catch this illness, along with all Multiverse physical creatures (like humans). This lethal disease manifests itself in a continual change of features by its victim. Chaos Whelps that suffer from it generally mute colour, thickness of fur, number of eyes, tails and legs many times per hour. While Chaos Whelps can survive all their life with this illness, diaboli and Primes are not so lucky, and the rate of instability increases rapidly in 2-12 weeks, until the body of the victim is a horrible poor thing that continuously change its physical appearance, driving it utterly mad. The victim becomes in all regards a Berserker with 19 strength [18/00 AD&D] after this time, and if it is not killed by his companions will transform itself into separate Nightmare dimensional molecules in 2-24 hours. It is to be noticed that the disease is not cured if the victim is removed from the Nightmare dimension and carried to the Multiverse; simply, the victim changes structure accordingly to the Multiverse's physical laws. The disease can be cured only by Nightmare dimension clerics, or, when the character is taken to the Multiverse, by a cleric of level 15 or higher [12 AD&D].
Chaos Whelps normally live 10-15 years, a little more if in captivity and well treated (when kept by diaboli, for example). Diaboli clerics and veterinaries keep a watchful eye on Instable Whelps, and generally kill them when they cannot cure them. Chaos Whelps do not suffer insanity from the illness.
It is not known whether Outer Beings have sent
Chaos Whelps to the Prime to further their mysterious plans; but
being the incredible amount of terror Instable Whelps would cause
to the Prime...