Meet the Burrowers: D'resh the Destructor
by Andrew TheisenHere's the next one. This guy ties in with the soon to be upcoming Hutaaka Gazetteer (I should have my stuff completed soon, Mischa! :)
The dinosaurs at the end I based off of rules in Dragon Magazine #187. The Dilophosaurus evidently appears in the Monstrous Compendium 3, which I don't have, so I used the info in #187 and combined it with the general rules on dinos in the Rules Cyclopaedia.
Chapter 2: Destruction
History: Popular lore would have it that direct interference upon the Prime Plane is not tolerated by the Immortals at all, and violators are prosecuted to the fullest extent of Immortal law. Immortal law, however, would seem to be a vastly mutable thing, subject more to the whims of the governing Hierarchs than to an independent, codified body of tenets, as one might suppose.
When the outer world nation of Lhomarr was destroyed by the carnifex of Y'hog, many millennia past, the Immortals willingly violated their policy of non-interference for perhaps the first (but certainly not the last) time. Almost unanimously, they combined their powers to deliberately cause the sinking of the carnifex island of Y'hegg-T'uhath, trapping its inhabitants, and condemning them to a slow, torturous, and inevitable demise.
Note that I say "almost" unanimously. As seems to be usual in Immortal affairs (from the information I have gathered), there was dissension amongst the ranks. Such opposition came both from the Spheres of Entropy as well as (perhaps surprisingly) the Spheres of Matter and Thought. Yet perhaps the most insidious act of civil disobedience came from the one Immortal who everyone thought would be the most vocal opponent of the destruction of the carnifex, yet who surprisingly said not a word- Thanatos, Hierarch of Entropy.
Perhaps the Dread Lord knew the futility of attempting to gainsay the actions of the other Immortals, incensed as they were by the carnifex' show of might. Perhaps He foresaw that the destruction of the carnifex would better further his own nefarious plots- speculation is an endless exercise in futility.
Whatever his motive, Thanatos stole into the city of Y'hog shortly before the inevitable decision to destroy the carnifex. He appeared before D'resh K'ha, a powerful carnifex warlord. Commander of several mighty legions, D'resh K'ha had single-handedly led the carnifex of Y'hog to many victories over the Lhomarrians. He was known for his carnal prowess and a tendency to challenge Lhomarrian generals to single combat before their massed opposed armies. Thanatos greeted the warlord, and described to D'resh the coming horrors of the end of his civilisation. The mighty warrior was outraged at the Immortals' cowardly tactics, that they wouldn't even allow the carnifex to fight for their right to live unmolested by the cosmic beings. He readily agreed to leave Y'hog with Thanatos that very night, swearing his allegiance to the Dread One.
It would be several decades before Thanatos' plans to create the Great Burrowers would come to fruition, but eventually D'resh underwent the process of ascension, like others before him, and became endowed with mighty powers and the epithet "the Destructor". He was charged with gathering a vast army with which to destroy mortal civilisation on Mystara. He would be the commander of the Burrower land forces, and was deposited in the heart of the World Spine mountains, there to begin his task.
For many centuries, D'resh led his powerful thunder lizards against the Brute-Men inhabitants of the Hollow World, driving the pitiful proto-humans before him, till there were none left outside of the valleys around Lake Menkor. It was at this time that the Immortals cast their Spell of Preservation, paralysing all the Great Burrowers, and ending their reign of terror.
The Destructor was frozen in his tracks, his final roar of agony shattering the lands around him, and blasting his mighty army to pieces. Today his skeletal remains rest at the heart of the broken lands in the Hutaaka Valley, providing a home to the vicious Wolflings that inhabit that place. All around him are the corpses and skeletons of thunder lizards, as D'resh's influence draws the weak and dying reptiles to his place of rest, that they might die in peace, or fall prey to the Wolflings.
DM Notes:
D'resh the Destructor
Sphere: Entropy
Status: Exalted
Power Points: 200
Anti-Magic: 40%
AC: -10
HD: 35 (215 hp)
MV: 90' (30')
Attacks: 1 bite/1 tail or Trample or spell Damage: 4d6/3d6 or 4d8 (Trample) or by spell No. App.: 1 (unique)
Save As: F36/IM1
ML: 11
AL: Chaotic
St: 65 Dx: 10 Co: 50 In: 16 Wi: 12 Ch: 18
D'resh appears as a gigantic carnivorous dinosaur, similar to a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Measuring 100' from head to tail, D'resh stands approximately 25' high and weighs around 15 tons. He has a shortened snout, and his mouth is filled with dozens of serrated teeth. His body is covered in chitinous armoured plates, and his powerful tail ends in a spiked ball, like an ankylosaurus. Two blood red bony spines run the length of his body, from head to tail. Like most bipedal dinosaurs, the Destructor walks on his two powerful hind legs, using his tail as a counterbalance. His forearms are much more developed than a standard Tyrannosaur, and each bears four claws and an opposable thumb, and can be used for manipulating tools and objects. Red and black stripes cover his massive form in stylised patterns.
Combat: The Destructor's first act in combat is usually to summon additional assistance (if he is alone- see table below for summoned followers). He may do this simply by concentrating, though he usually does so in conjunction with a tremendous Roar (identical to the Howl ability on p. 69 of the Wrath of the Immortals Book One.) For those who don't own this resource, the Roar causes anyone within 180' of the Destructor to make a saving throw (vs. Mental Attacks for Immortals, or vs. Rod/Staff/Wand at a -2 for mortals). Failure to save means the victim must flee in terror for 3d6 rounds.
After this first manoeuvre, D'resh often likes to attempt to Trample his opponents, crushing them beneath his massive weight. He will also attack with a vicious bite attack and a swipe of his powerful tail. Like a Tyrannosaurus Rex, D'resh can swallow man-sized opponents on an attack roll of 19-20. Swallowed opponents take 2d4 points of damage each round they are trapped within the Destructor's belly.
The Destructor may use his Power Points to cast spells from the Entropic Immortal list (on the inside back cover of the Gold Box Immortal DM's guide). If using the Wrath of the Immortals rules, he may spend TP to cast any spell any number of times per day as a standard Immortal (p. 59 of Book One). He usually does this only if hard pressed by opponents, and he tends to favour magicks that enhance his own or his followers combat abilities, as opposed to offensive magicks.
Special Followers: Select one type, and roll to determine the number appearing. Followers will appear within 1-4 combat rounds. References in parentheses refer to either the Hollow World Boxed Set Adventure Book (HW) or the Rules Cyclopaedia (RC).
1 Tyrannosaurus Rex (HW, RC)
1-2 Allosaurs (HW)
1d8 Dilophosaurs (see below)
1d10 Velociraptors (see below)
3d10 Pisanosaurs (HW)
Velociraptor
AC: 6
HD: 3+3 (M) (15 hp)
MV: 150' (50')
Sprinting: 210' (70')
Attacks: 2 foreclaws, 2 rear claws, 1 bite Damage: 1d2 (x2), 2d4 (x2), 1d6
No. App.: 2d6
Save As: F3
ML: 11
TT: Nil
Int: 4
AL: N
Thac0: 16
XP Value: 50
Terrain: Forest, Jungle
These 6' tall carnivores hunt in packs, and attack with speed and cunning. Like some great cats, they may sprint for short distances at great speeds, though they may only sustain this speed for 3 rounds before tiring. If both front paws hit a victim in the same round, the rear claws strike at +2 to hit. Velociraptors are cunning hunters, and may set up ambushes and feints, such that opponents receive a -1 to surprise rolls.
Dilophosaurus
AC: 4
HD: 4 (L) (16 hp)
MV: 120' (40')
Attacks: 1 bite or spit
Damage: 1d3 + poison or special
No. App.: 1d6
Save As: F2
ML: 8
TT: Nil
Int: 2
AL: N
Thac0: 16
XP Value: 75
Terrain: Jungle
These carnosaurs reach up to 10' in length, and have yellow and black spotted bodies and a pair of red and black striped crests atop their heads. Though they have weak jaws and claws, they have poisonous glands with which to compensate. Bitten victims must save vs. poison or die in 1d10 rounds. The dilophosaur may also spit this poison up to 20' away, though its virulence is reduced. Victims must save vs. poison or else suffer 1 hp damage for 1d10 rounds, and blindness. If the poison is washed off, the damage stops at once, but the blindness will not wear off for 1d4+1 hours.