Bargda
by Jamie BatyDMR2 14
Large Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 6d8 (27 hp)
Initiative: -1 (-1 Dex)
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armour Class: 14 (-1 size, -1 Dex, +6 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+16
Attack: Greatclub +12 melee (3d6 +7/x2)
Full Attack: Greatclub +12/+7 melee (3d6 +9/x2) and bite +6 melee (1d8 +3 plus Bargda's Curse)
Space/Reach: 10 ft. /10 ft.
Special Attacks: Bargda's curse, frightful presence
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft.
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 8, Con 11, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 7
Skills: Hide -5, Intimidate +5, Listen +5, Search +5, Spot +5
Feats: Cleave, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (Greatclub)
Environment: Any plains, forests, hills, mountains, underground
Organisation: Solitary, or Gang (2-5 plus 90% chance 2d12 ogres, trolls and hill giants)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Double Standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: +2
Though the link is weak, bargdas are related to minotaurs. Bargdas are stronger but are far more disgusting, however, for they have been cursed with a horrible putrefying disease. Their bent and twisted bodies stand an impressive 9 feet tall, and they have distorted ram heads with sickly green eyes.
Bargdas live in dark, dismal caves emerging only to raid isolated settlements. They dwell either singly or in small groups, which include either a mated pair or a family. Very few bargda children survive until adulthood due to the toll of their disease.
Bargdas hate all living creatures except ogres, trolls and hill giants, which they dominate and force to do their bidding. Often, bargdas lead these creatures on raids against human and demihuman settlements. Any encounter with bargdas in settled lands is likely to include 2d12 ogres, trolls and hill giants (The DM can select one of the three at random, or make the raiding party a mix of them all).
Treasure is valued by the bargdas, and hoarded avariciously. They not only regard it as a symbol of prestige and power (it shows how many successful raids a bargda has led), but they also recognise its value in swaying other intelligent creatures. If a bargda is threatened in its lair, and the battle seems hopeless, it may bargain with its treasure to escape with its life. Bargdas are smart enough to hide their treasure well.
These creatures are omnivores, eating anything from fungi to furry mammals. They cannot digest most food in its natural state, however. Whether plant or animal, the food must first be infected with a special enzyme. It is no coincidence that this enzyme is produced by the very micro-organism causing the disease bargdas pass on to their victims.
In short, bargdas infect a would-be dinner with this microbe much like a cook marinading a tough cut of meat. If they kill a foe but fail to pass on the disease during battle, bargdas bite and lick the dead corpse to cover it with the germ. Then the body is set aside, allowing the germ to multiply. Later, the bargdas feast. This habit fills the bargda's lair with putrescent, "ripening" food. On a less disgusting note, bargdas may lick decaying plant stocks when the larder of corpses runs low, also setting the plants aside to ripen.
While bargdas may speak Giant and Common, the words are often so slurred and garbled that only other bargdas can understand them clearly.
Combat
Bargdas are dangerous foes, wreaking havoc with their greatclubs and bites. If they can infect their foes with the Bargda's Curse disease, they may delay further combat until the disease takes hold. If overmatched, they will attempt to negotiate for its life.
Bargda's Curse (Su):Supernatural disease
bite, Fortitude DC 16 (includes +3 racial bonus), incubation period 1 minute; damage 1d6 Dex. The save DC is Con-based.
Unlike normal diseases, Bargda's Curse continues until the victim reaches Dexterity 3 or is cured as described below.
Bargda's Curse is an unnatural curse, not a natural disease. To eliminate Bargda's Curse, the curse must first be broken with break enchantment or remove curse (requiring a DC 20 caster level check for either spell), the Bargda's Curse can be magically cured as any normal disease.
Frightful Presence (Ex): A bargda can unsettle foes with its mere presence. The ability takes effect automatically whenever the bargda is first spotted. Creatures within a radius of 120 feet are subject to the effect. A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a Will save (DC 15, +4 racial bonus, Cha based) remains immune to that bargda's frightful presence for 24 hours. On a failure, creatures with 4 or less HD become panicked for 2d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 2d6 rounds. Bargdas ignore the frightful presence of other bargdas.
Skills: Bargdas have a +4 racial bonus on Intimidate, Search, Spot, and Listen checks.
Bargdas as Characters:
A bargda's favoured class is barbarian. Bargdas favour brute force and are naturally drawn to the barbarian and fighter classes. They have no use for stealth, and no aptitude for magic.