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Vipsepia Balaecrida 88

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by

Dale
in

The four randomly selected life forms are:
From Class Insecta: Giant Wētā (Deinacrida)
From Class Aves: Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex)
From Class Reptilia: Gaboon Viper (Bitis gabonica)
From Class Cephalopoda: Flamboyant Cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi)

Appearance

The Vipsepia is a terrifying amalgam of its progenitors. It stands on two thick, powerful legs like a Shoebill, but its body is stocky and covered in leathery, reptilian skin instead of feathers. This skin constantly shifts in color and texture, capable of generating dazzling, hypnotic ripples of light or adopting the incredibly intricate, geometric camouflage of a Gaboon Viper, allowing it to vanish against the forest floor. Its head is large and triangular, dominated by a massive, clog-shaped bill with brutally sharp edges. Two large, forward-facing eyes give it an unnervingly focused gaze. Where wings would be, it has a pair of smaller, membrane-lined limbs ending in dexterous, tentacle-like digits used for grasping. Sprouting from its upper back is a third pair of limbs—long, chitinous, and insectoid, lined with sharp spines like the legs of a Giant Wētā, which it holds folded against its back until needed for grappling or defense.

Size

An adult Vipsepia stands approximately 1.5 to 1.8 meters (about 5 to 6 feet) tall. Its build is dense and heavy, weighing between 115 and 160 kilograms (roughly 250 to 350 pounds).

Speed

The creature is not built for pursuit. It moves with a slow, deliberate walk, conserving energy. Its primary speed is in its attack—an explosive lunge and a devastatingly fast snap of its bill.

  • Walking Speed: 25 ft.

Stat Modifiers

  • Strength: +3
  • Dexterity: -1
  • Constitution: +4
  • Intelligence: -4 (Feral)
  • Wisdom: +2
  • Charisma: -3

Skills

The Vipsepia is a master of ambush and intimidation.

  • Stealth: +5 (Gains a significant advantage when motionless using its camouflage)
  • Perception: +4
  • Intimidation: +3 (Its hypnotic display can be used to attempt to stun or mesmerize a target)

Behavior

This is a solitary and highly territorial ambush predator. The Vipsepia spends most of its time standing perfectly still in swamps or dense undergrowth, relying on its camouflage to become invisible. When prey wanders near, it first uses the hypnotic, strobing color patterns of its skin to disorient and mesmerize its target. It then lunges forward with explosive speed, using its massive bill to crush and poison its victim. The spiny rear limbs are used defensively to ward off attacks from behind or to grapple larger prey, holding it in place for a fatal bite.

Diet

The Vipsepia is a hypercarnivore 🥩. Its diet consists of any creature it can overpower, including large beasts, unwary travelers, and other monsters. It is an indiscriminate eater, using its powerful bill to break down armor, shells, and bone with equal ease.

Emotions

As a feral creature, its emotional range is limited and instinctual. It primarily displays cold, predatory focus when hunting and extreme territorial aggression when its space is invaded. It communicates its mood through its skin; calm, camouflaged patterns indicate passivity, while bright, flashing colors signal a threat or an imminent attack.

Environment Where Found

The Vipsepia Balaecrida 88 thrives in environments that offer dense cover and soft ground. It is most commonly found in tropical jungles, murky swamps, and humid, temperate wetlands. It prefers to hunt along riverbanks and in shallow water where its prey comes to drink.

Tags: Feral, Beast, Amalgam, Ambush Predator, Solitary, Territorial, Venomous, Hypnotic Display, Camouflage, Swamp Dweller, Jungle Hunter, Reptilian, Avian, Insectoid, Chroma-Shift, Bipedal, Grappler, Hypercarnivore, Monster

Life Cycle

The life of a Vipsepia begins in a clutch of 2 to 4 large, leathery eggs, each about the size of a melon. The female lays these eggs in a carefully constructed nest hidden deep within the muck and tangled roots of her swampy territory. She guards the nest fiercely until the eggs hatch after a long incubation period.

Hatchlings are small, about the size of a chicken, and extremely vulnerable. Their primary defense is their innate, though less refined, camouflage. Their bills are soft and not yet suited for crushing, so they rely entirely on the mother, who regurgitates partially digested meals for them. As they grow into juveniles, their venom glands develop, their bills harden, and their spiny dorsal limbs become functional. During this stage, they follow their mother on hunts, learning the arts of stealth, ambush, and hypnotic luring through observation. Once a juvenile reaches near-adulthood and can hunt for itself, the fiercely territorial mother will aggressively drive it from her domain. The young Vipsepia must then wander the wilds until it is strong enough to claim a territory of its own.

Mating

Mating is a rare and perilous event for these solitary creatures. It is one of the few times a Vipsepia will willingly tolerate the presence of another. A female ready to mate will secrete a unique pheromone and create a low-frequency drumming sound by tapping her bill on hollow logs.

Males in the surrounding area will be drawn to this call and will converge on her territory. They do not fight physically but instead engage in a spectacular courtship display. They use their chromatophore-laden skin to produce dazzling, complex, and rapidly shifting patterns of light and color. The males compete to create the most intricate and mesmerizing display. The female will observe these displays for hours or even days before selecting the most impressive male. The mating act is brief, after which the male departs immediately. The female may become hostile towards her mate post-copulation, and the male plays no role in raising the young.

Tactics

The Vipsepia is a master of the hypnotic ambush. Its entire hunting strategy is built on patience and a single, decisive strike.

  1. Concealment: The creature finds a location with dense cover, often along a game trail or waterway, and enters a state of absolute stillness. It adjusts its skin coloration to perfectly match the surrounding terrain, rendering it nearly invisible to passive observation.
  2. Mesmerism: When prey enters its strike zone, the Vipsepia initiates its Chroma-Pulse Strobe. Its skin erupts in a silent, hypnotic cascade of strobing, psychedelic colors. This display is designed to overload the senses of its target, causing confusion, disorientation, or even a brief paralysis in creatures with weaker wills.
  3. The Strike: While the prey is mesmerized, the Vipsepia lunges from its hiding spot with explosive speed. It aims for a single, overwhelming attack with its massive bill, intending to crush, poison, and incapacitate its victim in one motion.

If cornered or forced into direct combat, it will flare its spiny dorsal limbs as a threat, clack its bill loudly, and use its powerful legs to maintain its ground while grappling and biting any opponent foolish enough to remain close.

Actions

In a combat scenario, a Vipsepia Balaecrida 88 might utilize the following actions:

  • Multiattack: The Vipsepia makes two attacks: one with its Venomous Crush and one with its Spiny Grapple.
  • Venomous Crush: Melee Weapon Attack. A powerful bite that inflicts piercing, bludgeoning, and poison damage simultaneously. The potent neurotoxin begins to break down the target’s tissues, causing paralysis.
  • Spiny Grapple: Melee Weapon Attack. A swift strike with its chitinous dorsal limbs. On a hit, the target takes piercing damage and is grappled, held in place by the sharp spines for subsequent attacks.
  • Chroma-Pulse Strobe (Rechargeable): The Vipsepia flashes a disorienting series of hypnotic light patterns from its skin. All creatures within a 30-foot radius that can see it must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they are stunned until the end of their next turn.
  • Perfect Camouflage (Passive): While the Vipsepia remains motionless, it has a significant advantage on all Stealth checks.

Other Interesting Information

  • Venom Potency: The creature’s venom is a complex cocktail that serves multiple purposes. It is a fast-acting neurotoxin that paralyzes prey, but it also contains powerful digestive enzymes. This allows the Vipsepia to consume heavily armored or shelled creatures by starting the digestive process before the meal is even swallowed.
  • Vocalization: It is mostly silent, adding to its stealth. However, when threatened, it can emit a deep, guttural hiss that sounds like air escaping a massive bellows, as well as a loud, sharp CLACK from its bill that can be heard from a great distance.
  • Molting: Being a reptile-insect amalgam, the Vipsepia periodically molts its leathery skin as it grows. These shed skins, which retain the creature’s intricate patterns, are often found in its swampy territory and serve as a clear warning sign of its presence.

With the nature of the Vipsepia Balaecrida 88, a party of adventurers in the world of Saṃsāra could cross its path for a number of compelling reasons, ranging from unfortunate accidents to highly specific quests.

Reasons for an Accidental Encounter

These encounters occur when the party’s objectives lead them into the creature’s domain, making them unintentional trespassers in the hunting ground of a territorial apex predator.

  • Geographical Obstacle: The most common reason for an encounter is simple travel. The party may need to traverse a large, dense swamp or jungle to reach a quest location, such as ancient ruins, a hidden city, or the lair of another target. Unbeknownst to them, their chosen path cuts directly through the established territory of a Vipsepia, which would view them as intruders or an opportunistic meal.
  • Investigating a Disappearance: A local village or a merchant guild might hire the party to find a missing person, a lost patrol, or a trade caravan that vanished in the wetlands. The trail would lead the adventurers deep into the swamp, where they might find signs of the creature’s attack—shattered equipment, strange tracks, or a sudden, unnerving silence—just before becoming the Vipsepia’s next target.
  • Fleeing a Greater Threat: The party might be escaping from a different, more numerous enemy—perhaps a squad from a rival faction or a horde of lesser monsters. They could duck into the murky, overgrown swamp for cover, successfully losing their pursuers only to realize they have stumbled from a wide-open threat into the lair of a silent, perfectly camouflaged, and far deadlier predator.
  • The Deceptive Lure: From a distance, the creature’s hypnotic Chroma-Pulse Strobe might not be terrifying but beautiful. A party traveling at dusk might spot a strange, pulsating, multicolored light deep within the swamp. Mistaking it for a rare magical flower, a nexus of elemental energy, or the glow of treasure, they might be lured into the creature’s strike zone out of curiosity or greed.

Reasons to Deliberately Search

These scenarios involve quests where the adventurers are specifically hired or motivated to find and challenge a Vipsepia, fully aware of the danger.

  • The Alchemist’s Shopping List: The unique biology of the Vipsepia makes its body parts highly sought-after reagents for powerful alchemy and enchanting.
    • Venom Gland: A master alchemist or healer requires the creature’s potent, paralytic venom to synthesize a powerful antidote, a muscle relaxant for a delicate magical procedure, or the base for a debilitating poison.
    • Chromatophore Hide: An enchanter or a wealthy noble would pay a fortune for the creature’s hide. Its ability to shift colors and create hypnotic patterns makes it the perfect core component for creating high-level cloaks of invisibility, mesmerizing shields, or other powerful illusion-based magic items.
    • Chitinous Spines: A master fletcher or assassin might commission the party to retrieve the sharp, durable spines from the creature’s back to be fashioned into nearly unbreakable, armor-piercing arrowheads or darts.
  • A Noble’s Trophy Hunt: A powerful monarch or the head of a prestigious hunter’s guild desires the head of a “Swamp Terror” to display as the ultimate trophy, a testament to their power and influence. The party is hired as the skilled proxies to undertake the dangerous task of tracking, killing, and retrieving the specimen.
  • Securing a Location: The presence of a territorial Vipsepia is preventing progress on a crucial project. A guild may need to build a bridge, a logging company may need to clear a section of the forest, or a new trade route must be established through the swamp. The party is hired as elite monster slayers to eliminate the threat and make the area safe for workers and caravans.
  • The Urgent Antidote: Someone of great importance—a guild master, a royal family member, or even one of the party’s own allies—has survived an attack by a Vipsepia but was grazed by its bill. They now suffer from a creeping, magical paralysis that no common magic can cure. The only known antidote requires a fresh sample from the creature’s own venom gland, forcing the party into a desperate, time-sensitive hunt to save the victim.

Additional Harvestable Items and Their Uses

1. Balaecrida Gastroliths (Crusher Stones)

Within the creature’s powerful gizzard are a collection of impossibly dense, smooth stones. These gastroliths, swallowed by the creature to aid in grinding down the armor and bones of its prey, become magically infused with kinetic force over time. They often have shimmering flecks of metal and crystal embedded within their polished surfaces.

  • Use: When carefully ground into a fine powder, these stones are a priceless alchemical reagent for creating potions that enhance physical power, such as a Potion of a Giant’s Strength or an Oil of Adamantine Skin that temporarily hardens the user’s flesh. A whole, perfectly preserved gastrolith can be used by an enchanter as the heart of a powerful crushing weapon, like a Mace of Unmaking or Gauntlets of the Earthbreaker.

2. Vipsepian Cuttlebone (The Filter Plate)

Unlike a true cephalopod, the Vipsepia has a large, internal plate running along its spine that gives its stocky body structure. This “cuttlebone” is a remarkable material—it is incredibly lightweight and porous like chalk, yet has a flexible resilience that rivals steel. It has a faint, pearlescent luster.

  • Use: The primary value of the Filter Plate is its unparalleled ability to purify. A section of the bone integrated into an alchemist’s lab can remove impurities from volatile concoctions, stabilizing them and preventing accidents. When sewn into the lining of a mask or helmet, it grants the ability to breathe cleanly in toxic environments, filtering out both mundane and magical poisons (Plague Doctor’s Mask, Mask of the Pure Breath). It is also a perfect, non-abrasive polisher for scrying crystals and magical lenses.

3. Chromatic Ink Gland

The creature does not possess a traditional ink sac for defense. Instead, it has a specialized gland that produces the viscous, silvery fluid that fuels its hypnotic skin displays. This fluid is not a pigment, but a suspension of millions of microscopic, light-refracting crystals.

  • Use: This Chromatic Ink is highly valued by scribes and illusionists. When used as an ink, it can create writing that is invisible under normal light but flares into view when exposed to magic (Ink of Revelation). Conversely, it can be formulated to paint symbols that actively obscure or scramble magical auras, hiding an object from divination (Glyphs of Obfuscation). A small amount in a glass orb can create a magical light source that produces bright, multi-colored light with no heat.

4. Ocular Nerve Cluster

The complex bundle of nerves located directly behind the creature’s large eyes is a biological marvel, combining the thermal-sensing abilities of a pit viper with the light-polarization sensitivity of a cuttlefish. It is extremely difficult to harvest this delicate cluster intact.

  • Use: This is a master-tier component for an artificer or enchanter. If successfully preserved and integrated into a pair of goggles or a helmet, it can grant the wearer a unique form of vision. The user may be able to see heat signatures (like a viper) while simultaneously perceiving the invisible flow and polarity of magical auras (like a cuttlefish sees polarized light), making it invaluable for hunting mages, spotting enchanted traps, and navigating magically-dense areas (Predator’s Gaze Goggles, Helm of the Aura-Seer).

5. Wētā-Chitin Joints

The articulations where the spiny, insectoid dorsal limbs connect to the main body are made of a unique form of layered chitin. This material is not only as hard as plate steel but possesses a remarkable flexibility and ability to absorb and redirect kinetic energy.

  • Use: The primary use for these joints is in advanced armor and shield crafting. A shield incorporating these chitinous plates can partially redirect the force of a physical blow, lessening the impact on the wielder (Kinetic Rebound Shield). When integrated into the joints of a suit of full plate armor, they provide the protection of heavy armor with the flexibility of a much lighter set, eliminating many of the penalties associated with heavy plating.

Shadow-Shifter of Sighing Mire

From the fragmented scrolls, etched onto leaves that crumbled to dust at a touch, comes a tale of the beast they called the Vipsepia, or in the tongue even older, the Many-Faced Silence. It was said to be a thing woven from the nightmares of the deep swamps, a creature that borrowed its form from all the terrors that slithered, flew, and pulsed in the fetid darkness.

In the time before the great roads of steam and glyph, when the land was a wild tapestry of whispering reeds and bottomless pools, the people of the low-lying riverlands lived in fear of the Sighing Mire. This swamp was not merely a place of mud and water; it was a living thing, breathing mists that stole memories and harboring creatures that defied the natural order. And the most feared of all was the Shadow-Shifter.

They said it walked on legs like a long-necked bird, but its skin was the color of stagnant water, rippling with patterns that could make a man’s eyes swim and his mind unravel. Its head was a wedge of bone, tipped with a beak that could crack the shells of giant river-turtles. But most unsettling were the other limbs—two short, clawed arms that moved with a strange intelligence, and from its back sprouted a forest of spiny legs, like a monstrous insect caught in a fever dream.

The stories told of its hunting were chilling. It would stand as still as a water-logged log, its skin mimicking the moss and decay around it. Travelers would pass, their minds lulled by the swamp’s oppressive humidity, and never see the danger until it was upon them. Some claimed it could weave illusions with the shifting patterns on its skin, conjuring visions of safe paths or tempting treasures to lure the unwary into its grasp.

One such tale was of the hunter, Kaelen, a man as bold as he was foolish. He ventured into the Sighing Mire seeking a rare orchid said to bloom only in its deepest heart. The villagers warned him of the Shadow-Shifter, but Kaelen scoffed, boasting of his skill with a bow and his knowledge of the wild. He went, and for many days, he did not return.

Then, one morning, a fisherman found Kaelen’s empty boat, tangled in the reeds near the edge of the mire. There were no signs of struggle, only a single, iridescent scale, unlike that of any known reptile or fish, clinging to a broken oar. The villagers whispered that the Shadow-Shifter had claimed him, not with tooth or claw, but with its strange, mesmerizing patterns, stealing his will and leading him to a watery grave.

Another legend spoke of a wise woman, Lyra, who lived on the fringes of the swamp. She understood the ways of the mire and the creatures within it. One year, a terrible sickness swept through the riverlands, and the only cure was said to be a rare enzyme found in the bile of the Shadow-Shifter. Lyra, driven by desperation, ventured into the swamp.

She did not seek to fight the beast. Instead, she observed its hunting patterns, its stillness, its strange displays of color. She learned that it was drawn to strong emotions, to fear and to aggression. So, when she finally encountered the creature, standing like a twisted tree in her path, she did not flee or attack. She stood her ground, her heart calm, her mind empty of fear.

The Shadow-Shifter rippled its skin, the colors swirling like oil on water. Its beak opened, revealing rows of jagged teeth. But Lyra did not flinch. She simply held out a small, intricately carved wooden flute and began to play a soft, steady melody, a tune of peace and resilience.

The creature paused, its shifting patterns slowing. It tilted its strange head, its large eyes fixed on Lyra. For a long moment, they stood there, the woman and the beast, amidst the sighing reeds. Then, the Shadow-Shifter turned and melted back into the undergrowth, leaving Lyra unharmed. She returned to her village empty-handed but with a deeper understanding of the creature. She realized it was not pure malice that drove it, but a primal hunger and a sensitivity to the chaotic energies of fear.

The final tale tells of a band of warriors who sought to cleanse the Sighing Mire of the Shadow-Shifter once and for all. They were clad in iron and armed with fire, confident in their strength. They tracked the beast deep into its lair, a hidden grotto filled with bones and strange, shimmering fluids.

The battle was fierce. The creature moved with surprising speed, its spiny legs lashing out, its bill tearing through armor. But the warriors were many, and they fought with courage born of duty. Finally, they brought the beast down, its strange, patterned skin growing still, its bird-like legs twitching for the last time.

But as they stood over its corpse, a strange silence fell upon the swamp. The air grew heavy, and the familiar sounds of the mire—the croaking of frogs, the buzzing of insects—ceased. It was as if the very swamp mourned the passing of this unique and terrible creature. And in the years that followed, the sickness in the riverlands returned with greater force, the mists of the Sighing Mire grew thicker and more disorienting, and new, perhaps even more dangerous, things began to stir in the darkness. The warriors had slain the Shadow-Shifter, but they had also disrupted the delicate and mysterious balance of the swamp.

The Moral of the Story: Sometimes, the most feared shadows are a part of the whole, and in seeking to destroy what we do not understand, we may unravel more than we intend.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition

Vipsepian Terror

Large monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor) Hit Points 127 (15d10 + 45) Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.

STR 17 (+3), DEX 8 (-1), CON 18 (+4), INT 3 (-4), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 5 (-3)

Skills Perception +5, Stealth +2 Damage Resistances Poison Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 15 Languages — Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Amphibious. The Vipsepian Terror can breathe air and water.

Swamp Camouflage. The Vipsepian Terror has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in swampy terrain.

Standing Leap. The Vipsepian Terror’s long jump is up to 20 feet and its high jump is up to 10 feet, with or without a running start.

Actions

Multiattack. The Vipsepian Terror makes two attacks: one with its Venomous Bill and one with its Spiny Grapple.

Venomous Bill. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d10 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 14 (4d6) poison damage and is paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the paralysis on itself on a success.

Spiny Grapple. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the Vipsepian Terror cannot use its Spiny Grapple on another target.

Hypnotic Display (Recharge 5–6). The Vipsepian Terror flashes a disorienting cascade of shifting colors from its skin. Each creature within 30 feet of the Terror that can see it must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be stunned for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition

The Mire-Shifter

A hulking, territorial predator from the deepest swamps, its skin writhes with impossible, geometric patterns that seem to shift the very air around it. To look upon it is to invite madness.

STR 80, CON 90, SIZ 85, DEX 40, INT 25, POW 70

HP: 18 Damage Bonus: +1D6 Build: 2 Move: 6

Attacks Fighting 55% (Hard), damage 1D10 + DB (Crushing Bill) Spiny Impale 40% (Regular), damage 1D8 + DB, plus Impale Dodge 20% (Regular)

Armor: 3-point leathery hide and chitin.

Skills: Stealth 70%, Spot Hidden 60%.

Spells: None.

Sanity Loss: 1/1D6 Sanity points to see the Mire-Shifter.

Game Mechanics:

  • Hypnotic Patterns: Any investigator who sees the Mire-Shifter must make a SAN roll (1/1D6). If the roll is failed, they must immediately make an opposed POW roll against the creature. If the Mire-Shifter wins, the investigator is mesmerized, unable to take any action for 1D3 rounds as they stare into the shifting, impossible colors.
  • Venomous Bite: A victim struck by the Crushing Bill attack must make a Hard CON roll. On failure, they take an additional 1D10 damage as potent venom courses through them, and suffer one Penalty Die on all physical skill rolls (Fighting, Dodge, Climb, etc.) for the next hour.
  • Swamp Camouflage: When motionless in its native environment, the Mire-Shifter gains one Bonus Die on its Stealth roll.

Blades in the Dark

The Mire-Glimmer

A forgotten terror that haunts the lightless canals and marshy sump-pits of Doskvol. Legends say it’s a failed experiment of the Dimmer Sisters, a thing of mismatched parts and hungry, hypnotic light. Its hide shimmers with a spectral glow that can freeze a body and cloud the mind.

Threat Level: Dangerous, solitary predator. Tier III Quality, Scale 2 (a single massive beast).

Traits:

  • Territorial: It attacks anyone lingering in its domain (the canals, a flooded vault, a forgotten sewer junction).
  • Silent Hunter: It moves with unnerving silence for its size.
  • Hypnotic Glimmer: Its shifting skin patterns can mesmerize those who look at them.
  • Armor-Crushing Beak: Its beak can shear through metal and splinter wood.
  • Venomous: Its bite carries a fast-acting paralytic poison.

Game Mechanics: The Mire-Glimmer doesn’t roll dice. Its threat is represented by the Position & Effect of the PCs’ actions against it, and through the use of Clocks.

  • When engaging the Mire-Glimmer, a PC’s action is likely Desperate, with Limited Effect unless they can exploit a weakness or use specialized gear.
  • It has Armor 1 due to its tough, chitinous hide.
  • GM Clocks:
    • [Clock 6] Stalked by the Mire-Glimmer: Fill this as the crew makes noise or moves through its territory. When full, it attacks.
    • [Clock 8] Overwhelm the Beast: This clock represents the fight. When the PCs successfully inflict harm, tick this clock. When full, the beast is defeated or driven off.
  • Consequences:
    • A lesser consequence: The target is cornered, separated, or has an item destroyed by the beak.
    • A standard consequence: Suffer Level 2 Harm “Gashed Leg” or “Cracked Ribs.”
    • A severe consequence: Suffer Level 3 Harm “Venom-Induced Paralysis” or “Mesmerized by the Light” (cannot act until shaken out of it). The GM can start a [Clock 4] Lost in the Glimmer for a mesmerized PC.

Knave 2nd Edition

Swamp Strider

A hulking, bird-like monster with six spiny legs and skin that ripples with disorienting colors. It stands motionless in murky water before lunging with blinding speed.

HD 8 Armor 16 Beak d10 Spines d8 Morale 10

Qualities:

  • Amphibious: Can breathe and move freely in water.
  • Camouflage: In its native swamp, opponents have a -4 penalty to surprise checks against it.

Game Mechanics:

  • Multi-attack: The Swamp Strider attacks with both its Beak and its Spines on its turn.
  • Venomous Beak: A character damaged by the beak must save versus poison or be paralyzed and unable to move for 1d4 rounds.
  • Hypnotic Skin: Once per combat, as an action, the Strider can flash its skin patterns. All who can see it must save versus spell or be stunned for one round, losing their next action.
  • Grappling Spines: A character damaged by the spines is automatically grappled. They can spend their action on their turn to attempt to escape with an opposed Strength check.

Fate Core System

The Shifting Terror of the Sump

This creature is treated as a main NPC antagonist using the Fate Fractal. Its aspects can be invoked by the GM to increase its effectiveness or compelled to give players an advantage at a cost.

High Concept: Territorial Apex Predator of the Swamp

Trouble: Driven by Primal, Unthinking Instinct

Other Aspects:

  • Skin of Shifting, Hypnotic Light
  • Armor-Shattering Beak
  • Grappling Spines of Chitin

Skills

  • Superb (+5):
  • Great (+4): Physique
  • Good (+3): Fight
  • Fair (+2): Athletics, Stealth
  • Average (+1): Notice, Will

Stunts

  • Venomous Bite: When The Shifting Terror succeeds with an attack using its Fight skill, it can spend a Fate Point to inflict a Paralyzing Venom consequence on the target in addition to any stress.
  • Hypnotic Display: Once per scene, The Shifting Terror can use an action to flash its skin patterns. All characters in its zone must make a Will roll to Overcome its Skin of Shifting, Hypnotic Light aspect (at Great (+4) difficulty). Those who fail cannot take any physical actions on their next exchange as they are mesmerized.
  • Perfect Camouflage: The Shifting Terror gets a +2 bonus to Stealth checks to create an advantage when it remains motionless in its swampy environment.

Stress: ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ Consequences: One Mild (-2), one Moderate (-4)

Numenera & Cypher System

Chroma-Gath an’Karr

A bio-engineered predator from a prior world, the Chroma-Gath an’Karr is a territorial horror that has perfectly adapted to the swamps and wetlands it now claims. Its skin flows with light, a beautiful display that precedes a brutally efficient kill.

Level: 6 (Target Number for all tasks is 18) Health: 27 Damage Inflicted: 6 points Armor: 2 Movement: Short

Modifications:

  • Stealth as level 7 when motionless.
  • Perception as level 7.

Combat: The Chroma-Gath an’Karr is brutally straightforward. It will typically try to mesmerize its prey before closing for the kill.

  • Multi-attack: As a single action, the creature can make one attack with its Beak Crush and one with its Grappling Spines.
  • Beak Crush: Its primary attack inflicts 6 points of damage. In addition, a character hit by the attack is exposed to its venom. The character must immediately make a Might defense roll. Failure means they descend one step on the damage track (or two steps on a roll of 1).
  • Grappling Spines: This attack inflicts 4 points of damage. On a successful hit, the target is also held fast. Escaping the grapple requires the character to use their action to make a Might-based roll to break free.
  • Hypnotic Sheen: As its action, the creature can flash its skin in a dizzying display. All characters who can see it must make an Intellect defense roll. Those who fail are dazed; the difficulty of all of their actions is increased by one step for one minute.

GM Intrusion: The creature uses its camouflage to vanish from sight, even after being spotted. The hypnotic sheen affects a nearby herd of creatures, causing them to stampede toward the characters.

Loot: The creature’s venom gland can be jury-rigged as a single-use poison cypher. A strip of its hide might function as an oddity that shimmers with faint, moving colors.

Pathfinder 2nd Edition

Swamp Strider Amalgam

Creature 6 N Large Aberration Amphibious Perception +15; Darkvision, Thermosense 60 ft. Skills Athletics +16, Stealth +13 (+17 in swamps) Str +5, Dex -1, Con +4, Int -4, Wis +3, Cha -2

AC 23; Fort +16, Ref +11, Will +14 HP 105 Resistances Poison 10

Speed 25 feet, swim 25 feet Melee [one-action] Beak +17 (Reach 10 feet), Damage 2d10+7 piercing plus Swamp Strider Venom Melee [one-action] Spine +17 (Agile, Grapple, Reach 10 feet), Damage 2d6+7 piercing

Game Mechanics:

  • Swamp Strider Venom (Poison) Saving Throw DC 24 Fortitude; Maximum Duration 6 rounds; Stage 1 Clumsy 1 (1 round); Stage 2 Clumsy 1 and Flat-Footed (1 round); Stage 3 Paralyzed until the end of your next turn (1 round).
  • Hypnotic Sheen [two-actions] (Incapacitation, Mental, Visual) The amalgam flashes its skin in a dazzling display. Each creature in a 30-foot emanation must attempt a DC 24 Will save.
    • Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
    • Success The creature is Dazzled for 1 round.
    • Failure The creature is Stunned 1.
    • Critical Failure The creature is Stunned for 1d4 rounds.
  • Perfect Ambush [one-action] The amalgam Strides up to its Speed. At any point during its movement, it can make a single Strike.
  • Thermosense: The Swamp Strider Amalgam can sense heat, allowing it to detect living creatures through thermal radiation within the listed range.

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE)

Chromatic Terror

A legendary monster of the deep swamps, the Chromatic Terror is a hulking beast that blends reptile, bird, and insect into one horrifying form. Its skin ripples with colors that can lull a mind to sleep just before its armor-crushing beak strikes.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength d10, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d10, Notice d8, Stealth d8 Pace: 5; Parry: 7; Toughness: 11 (4)

Edges: Brute

Special Abilities:

  • Armor +4: Thick, chitinous hide.
  • Aquatic: Pace 5 in water.
  • Bite/Beak: Str+d8 damage.
  • Grapple: The creature has two spiny limbs it can use to Grapple. It ignores the normal -2 Multi-Action Penalty when making a second Grapple action in the same turn.
  • Hypnotic Display: As an action, the Chromatic Terror may make a Support roll using its Spirit. All targets in a Large Blast Template who can see it must make a Spirit roll. Those who fail are Distracted. On a raise on its Support roll, those who fail their Spirit roll are Stunned instead.
  • Size +3: This is a large creature.
  • Venom: Anyone Shaken or wounded by the creature’s Bite must make a Vigor roll. Failure means they suffer a level of Fatigue. A Critical Failure means they suffer two levels of Fatigue. Fatigue levels return at a rate of one per hour.
  • Stealthy: +2 to Stealth rolls when in a swamp or jungle environment.

Shadowrun, 6th World

Glimmer-Drake

This paracritter is a terrifying Awakened predator found in magically active swamps and polluted marshlands, such as the Louisiana bogs or the Black Forest of Germany. Its skin ripples with a hypnotic, shifting light that scrambles AR displays and overwhelms the naked eye, a phenomenon deckers have dubbed a “living data-dazzle.” Corporations pay top nuyen for live specimens or viable genetic material.

Attributes Body 8, Agility 3, Reaction 4, Strength 7, Willpower 5, Logic 2(A), Intuition 4, Charisma 3 Edge 2, Essence 6.0, Magic 6 Initiative: 8 + 1D6 Matrix AR: The creature cannot perceive the matrix. Condition Monitor: 12 (Physical), 11 (Stun) Defense Rating: 4 Armor: 12 (Natural)

Skills: Perception 4, Stealth 4, Unarmed Combat 5

Powers: Armor (4), Concealment (Self, in swamps only), Engulf, Venom, Confusion (Visual)

Game Mechanics:

  • Attacks: The Glimmer-Drake attacks using Unarmed Combat + Agility (8 dice pool), inflicting 7P DV.
  • Hypnotic Display (Confusion Power): As a Major Action, the drake can target one character who can see it. This is an Opposed Test using the drake’s Magic + Charisma (9 dice) against the target’s Willpower + Logic. If the drake wins, the target is affected by the Confusion status effect for a number of turns equal to the net hits.
  • Venom: The venom has a Power of 8 with the effect of Paralysis (-4 dice pool penalty to all actions and reduces Initiative by 4). The speed is 1 Combat Turn after the injection (a successful unarmed attack).
  • Grappling Spines (Engulf Power): On a successful grapple, the Glimmer-Drake automatically inflicts its Unarmed DV (7P) on the victim at the start of each of its actions.

Starfinder

Vipsepian Strider

CR 6 XP 2,400 N Large magical beast (amphibious) Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, thermosense 30 ft.; Perception +13

Defense EAC 18; KAC 20 HP 90 Fort +10; Ref +10; Will +7 Resistances poison 10

Offense Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft. Melee beak +16 (1d8+11 P plus Vipsepian Venom) Melee spine +16 (1d6+11 P plus Grab) Multiattack beak +10 (1d8+11 P plus Vipsepian Venom), 2 spines +10 (1d6+11 P plus Grab) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Statistics STR +5, DEX +1, CON +3, INT -4, WIS +2, CHA -1 Skills Athletics +18, Stealth +13

Game Mechanics:

  • Ambush Predator: In a surprise round, the Vipsepian Strider can take its full turn, including a standard, move, and swift action.
  • Hypnotic Display (Ex): As a standard action, the strider can flash the chromatophores in its skin. All creatures in a 30-foot cone must succeed at a DC 15 Will save or be Fascinated for 1d4 rounds. While fascinated, a creature is flat-footed and takes a –4 penalty to skill checks made as reactions.
  • Thermosense (Ex): The strider can sense the heat of living creatures, allowing it to ignore concealment (including invisibility) due to darkness or fog.
  • Vipsepian Venom (Ex): Type poison (injury); Save Fortitude DC 15; Track Dexterity (special); Frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; Effect The victim’s Dexterity is reduced by 2. If a victim’s Dexterity score is reduced to 0, they are paralyzed. Cure 2 consecutive saves.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Swamp Amalgam (Vipsepia Rex)

Psionic-Institute Analysis: Classification of this creature is difficult. It exhibits traits from multiple Terran phyla, suggesting genetic tampering or an extremely convergent evolutionary path. Its skin contains light-sensitive cells that can be consciously controlled, producing a disorienting effect on standard optical sensors and organic eyes alike. Field teams should approach with extreme caution and anti-paralytic medkits.

Swamp Amalgam (Tropics, Wetlands) 4/2D 30 STR 9, DEX 5, END B Skills: Stealth-2, Recon-1, Melee(natural)-2 No. Encountered: 1 (solitary) Habitat: Swamp, Jungle Type: Predator Attack: Beak (Crush 3D), Spines (Cut 2D, Grapple) Armor: 4 (Chitinous Hide)

Game Mechanics:

  • Venomous Bite: A Traveller hit by the beak attack must make an Average (8+) END check. Failure results in paralysis for 2D minutes. During this time the Traveller is helpless.
  • Hypnotic Display: As an action, the Amalgam can target a single Traveller, who must make a Difficult (10+) INT check. Failure inflicts a DM-2 penalty to all actions for 1D rounds as long as the Traveller can see the creature. This is not a psionic effect, but a biological sensory overload.
  • Camouflage: When motionless in its native habitat, the Swamp Amalgam gains a DM+2 bonus to its Stealth checks.
  • Grapple: A successful Spines attack allows the Amalgam to immediately make a grapple check as a free action.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition

The Mire-Agog

A foul beast of the deep fens and marshes, the Mire-Agog is a horror that confounds the senses. Scholars of the Empire who have survived encounters claim it is a manifestation of Tzeentch’s chaotic creativity, a creature whose skin ripples with the maddening colors of the raw winds of magic. It is a creature of deep cunning and primal hunger, a true terror of the Border Princes’ swamps.

M 5, WS 55, BS -, S 55, T 60, I 45, Agi 25, Dex -, Int 15, WP 40, Fel 10 Wounds: 30

Traits:

  • Amphibious: Can breathe and move in water without penalty.
  • Armour: 3
  • Bite: +11 (Inflicts S+4=9 Damage, has the Venom quality)
  • Fear 2: All who see this unnatural beast must make a Fear Test.
  • Size (Large): This creature is significantly larger than a human.
  • Swamp-strider: Ignores movement penalties for swampy terrain.
  • Weapon: +11 (Spines, inflict S+4=9 Damage, have the Grapple quality)

Game Mechanics:

  • Hypnotic Hide: As a Manoeuvre, the Mire-Agog can writhe its skin in a confusing display. Any opponent engaged with it in melee must pass a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test or gain one Stunned Condition.
  • Venom: A character wounded by the Bite must make a Difficult (-10) Endurance Test. On failure, they gain the Paralysed Condition for 1d10 rounds. While Paralysed, they may take no actions.
  • Grapple: After a successful hit with its Spines, the Mire-Agog may immediately attempt to Grapple its opponent as a free action.