Mossback Guardians

From: Whisperwood Sanctum

Mossback Guardians are towering golems crafted from the ancient trees of the forest, covered in thick moss and foliage that acts as natural armor. These guardians are the protectors of the sanctum’s most sacred spaces, moving slowly but with unstoppable force. Their limbs are capable of crushing stone, yet they can extend vines to entangle and immobilize intruders from afar. Despite their formidable strength, Mossback Guardians possess a deep connection to the sanctum, and their attacks are often preceded by a mournful wail that echoes through the corridors, a warning to those who would desecrate the sanctum’s heart.

Lore of Mossback Guardians
Mossback Guardians are not merely constructs; they are the embodiment of the forest’s will, given form by the ancient magics that weave through the roots and earth of the sanctum. Crafted from the oldest trees within the heart of the forest, these guardians are animated by the spirits of the woodland itself, serving as both protectors and avatars of the natural world’s deep, untamed power.

Legend holds that the first Mossback Guardians were created by a circle of druids who sought to protect the sanctum’s sacred groves from desecration. Using rituals lost to time, they bound the spirits of the forest to the bodies of these golems, ensuring that the sanctum would always have defenders as long as the forest stood. Over the centuries, the Mossback Guardians have become as much a part of the forest as the trees themselves, growing and changing with the land, their moss and foliage thickening to provide them with formidable natural armor.

Tier Level: 1

Size: Large (Approximately 10-12 feet tall)

Skills: High proficiency in strength-based tasks, moderate proficiency in perception due to their deep connection with the forest. Low proficiency in agility-based tasks due to their size and construct nature.

Strategy: Mossback Guardians use their immense strength and control over the forest to engage foes. They prefer to immobilize or incapacitate intruders rather than outright killing, using their vines to ensnare and their bulk to block paths or crush obstacles.

Attacks:

• Crushing Limbs: A melee attack that utilizes their powerful arms to deal significant bludgeoning damage.
• Vine Entanglement: Can extend vines to trap or immobilize opponents, potentially restraining them for capture or to prevent their advance.
• Vulnerabilities: Vulnerable to fire and magical attacks that can bypass their natural armor. Due to their slow movement, they can also be outmaneuvered by fast or agile opponents.

Tags: Construct, Guardian, Large, Nature, Slow

Strategy for Adventurers
When facing Mossback Guardians, adventurers should consider the environment as much a part of the guardian as the construct itself. Utilizing fire or strong magical attacks can help to bypass their thick natural armor, but such tactics may also harm the sanctum, potentially drawing the ire of other guardians or spirits.

Agility and speed are key; moving quickly can allow adventurers to outpace the slow-moving guardians, and finding ways to distract or disorient them can provide opportunities to bypass or escape. However, direct confrontation should be a last resort, as their strength is formidable and their ability to call upon the forest’s power can complicate battles significantly.

Engaging with Mossback Guardians often requires a balance of respect for their role as protectors of the sanctum and cunning to navigate the challenges they present. Understanding their connection to the forest can also provide clues to their weaknesses or ways to communicate or negotiate with them, offering alternative solutions beyond combat.

Engagement in Battle
Mossback Guardians engage in battle with a deliberate, measured approach that mirrors the ancient and enduring nature of the forests they protect. Their primary method of combat involves using their immense physical strength to deal with threats directly, either by crushing obstacles with their powerful limbs or by employing the forest itself as a weapon. They can extend vines and roots from their bodies to entangle and immobilize foes, controlling the battlefield by restricting movement and forcing opponents into disadvantageous positions.

Their strategy often includes a mournful wail that resonates through the corridors and groves, serving both as a warning to intruders and a call to the sanctum’s other defenders. This wail can disorient and unsettle those who hear it, making it difficult for invaders to concentrate or communicate effectively. In battle, Mossback Guardians are relentless, continuing their assault until the threat is neutralized or they are destroyed. Despite their formidable presence, they are guardians first and foremost, preferring to neutralize threats through immobilization and incapacitation rather than destruction.

Environment Found
Mossback Guardians are found in environments deeply connected to the natural and ancient magic of the world, such as old forests, sacred groves, and enchanted sanctums like Whisperwood Sanctum. These locations are often rich in flora and fauna, with a palpable sense of magic permeating the air. The guardians are intrinsically linked to these places, drawing their strength from the land and serving as an integral part of the ecosystem. Their presence is a sign of the area’s significance, marking it as a place of powerful magic and deep historical or spiritual importance.

Use of Their Remains
The remains of a Mossback Guardian, though rare, are highly sought after for their magical properties and the connection to the ancient forces of nature they embody. Various parts of a guardian can be used for different purposes:

• Moss and Foliage: The thick moss and foliage that cover their bodies can be harvested and used in potions and elixirs, offering powerful regenerative properties or serving as components in spells related to growth, healing, and nature.
• Wood and Bark: The wood and bark from their bodies are incredibly durable and imbued with natural magic. Craftsmen and enchanters can use them to create weapons, armor, and talismans that carry the guardians’ protective and restorative powers.
• Vines: The vines that Mossback Guardians wield in battle can be repurposed as material for binding magical items, creating traps that ensnare those who trigger them magically or physically, or even as components in rituals that seek to bind or summon natural spirits.
• Core Stone: At the heart of each guardian is a core stone, a crystallized essence of the magic that animates them. This stone holds immense power and can be used as a source of magical energy, a component in powerful artifacts, or a focus for druidic or nature-based magic.

Using the remains of a Mossback Guardian requires both respect for the spirit that once animated them and an understanding of the natural balance, as misuse could attract the ire of the forest and its denizens. Those who use these materials often do so with a reverence for the guardians and their role as protectors of sacred and ancient places.

When a Mossback Guardian is noticed, its presence engages the senses in a unique and profound way, blending the essence of ancient forests with the tangible reality of its formidable form. Alongside the traditional five senses, encounters with such a creature can evoke extra-sensory perceptions, hinting at its deep connection to the natural world and ancient magic.

• Sight
  • Perception: The towering figure of the Mossback Guardian, crafted from ancient trees and cloaked in a thick layer of moss and foliage, dominates the visual field. Its eyes, glowing softly amidst the tangled growth, provide a focal point that is both eerie and captivating.
  • Description: A behemoth of living wood, moss, and stone, standing as a testament to the forest’s ancient power.
  • Positives: The sight of a Mossback Guardian is awe-inspiring, a living symbol of nature’s majesty and strength.
  • Negatives: Its imposing presence can be intimidating, signaling the guardian’s potential for immense destructive power.
• Sound
  • Perception: The sound of creaking wood and rustling leaves accompanies the guardian’s movements, while its mournful wail echoes through the forest, a haunting melody that resonates with the soul.
  • Description: An auditory blend of nature’s whispers and the groaning of ancient timber.
  • Positives: The sounds can serve as a warning, allowing the observant to prepare for or avoid confrontation.
  • Negatives: The wail can be unsettling, evoking a sense of sorrow and foreboding.
• Touch
  • Perception: The air around the Mossback Guardian feels vibrant with a latent energy, and touching its moss-covered surface reveals a texture that is both rough and oddly warm, hinting at the life force within.
  • Description: A tactile experience that is unexpectedly alive, contrasting with the guardian’s stone-like appearance.
  • Positives: Touching the guardian can convey a sense of connection to the ancient forest and its magic.
  • Negatives: The energy emanating from the guardian might be overwhelming, with an intensity that borders on discomfort for the unprepared.
• Smell
  • Perception: The fragrance of earth and old growth fills the air, mixed with the fresh, green scent of moss and the deep, rich aroma of ancient wood.
  • Description: An olfactory embodiment of the forest itself, both comforting and invigorating.
  • Positives: The smell is grounding, connecting one to the natural world and its cycles of life and decay.
  • Negatives: The intensity of the scents might be overpowering, masking other, more immediate dangers in the vicinity.
• Taste
  • Perception: The air’s taste is tinged with the tang of sap and the subtle bitterness of bark, flavors that seem to saturate the atmosphere around the guardian.
  • Description: A taste that is as much a part of the environment as the guardian itself, evoking the essence of the forest.
  • Positives: This unique taste can heighten awareness of one’s surroundings, enhancing the connection to the natural world.
  • Negatives: For some, the taste might be too intense, an unwelcome reminder of the guardian’s dominion over its domain.
• Extra-Sensory Perceptions
  • Perception: A profound sense of ancientness and vitality, as if standing in the presence of the guardian allows one to touch the very heart of the forest.
    • Description: An extra-sensory connection that transcends time, linking the present moment with the deep, cyclical rhythms of nature.
    • Positives: This perception can provide insight into the sanctity of the guardian’s charge, fostering a deeper respect for the natural world.
    • Negatives: The weight of such ancientness can be overwhelming, instilling a sense of insignificance or the daunting realization of one’s own mortality.
  • Perception: A feeling of being observed, not just by the guardian but by the forest itself, as if the very land were aware of one’s presence.
    • Description: An unsettling awareness that one is a guest in a realm where every leaf and stone may be watching.
    • Positives: This sensation can sharpen one’s instincts and encourage caution and respect for the environment.
    • Negatives: The feeling of constant surveillance can be unnerving, heightening feelings of vulnerability and isolation.

Encountering a Mossback Guardian is a deeply sensory experience, enriched by the creature’s intrinsic connection to the ancient magic and the natural world it embodies. This encounter challenges the senses, evoking awe and reverence while also reminding one of the raw, untamed power that governs the forest and its ancient protectors.

The Mossback’s Silent Vigil

Long before the moon had whispered secrets to the night, in an age when the stars sang to the slumbering earth, there stood the forest of Eldergrove, a realm where time held no dominion. Within its heart, the Mossback Guardians rose, born from the earth’s deepest sigh and the ancient trees’ solemn vow.

In those days, a village lay on the cusp of Eldergrove, its people living in the shadow of giants, both in awe and fear of the forest’s deep mysteries. Among them, a young weaver, curious and bold, sought to unravel the tales woven into the fabric of the night, tales of the Mossback Guardians and their eternal watch over the sanctum’s secrets.

Driven by whispers of an ancient treasure hidden within the sanctum’s heart, the weaver ventured into Eldergrove under the cloak of twilight. Guided by the moon’s pale light, she found herself before a Mossback Guardian, its form a monument to the ages, its eyes, deep wells of silent knowledge.

With trembling hands, the weaver spoke, her voice a mere breath in the vast silence, asking the guardian for passage into the sanctum. In response, the Mossback Guardian moved, not to grant her wish, but to block her path, its mournful wail echoing through the forest like a lament for forgotten times.

Undeterred, the weaver pleaded, offering her most precious tapestries to the guardian. Yet, the Mossback remained still, its silence a barrier more formidable than stone. It was then that the weaver understood; the treasure sought was not one of gold or jewels, but of wisdom, the sanctum a keeper of balance, not bounty.

With dawn’s first light, the weaver returned to her village, her hands empty but her heart full. She wove a new tapestry, one that told of the Mossback Guardian’s silent vigil, a testament to the sanctum’s sacred trust.

Moral of the Story: The tale of the weaver and the Mossback Guardian teaches us that not all treasures can be held in hands; some must be carried in the heart. The true guardians of wisdom do not stand watch over riches but over the balance that sustains the tapestry of life itself. In seeking the material, we must not lose sight of the eternal, for the most profound secrets are those that guide us to live in harmony with the world around us.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Mossback Guardian

• STR (Strength): 150
• CON (Constitution): 200
• SIZ (Size): 200
• INT (Intelligence): 40
• POW (Power): 50
• DEX (Dexterity): 30
• HP (Hit Points): 40
• Build: +4
• Damage Bonus: +2d6
• Armor: 8 points (thick moss and bark skin)
• Attacks:
  • Crush: 50%, damage 4d6
  • Vine Entangle: 40%, immobilize target; requires STR vs STR roll to escape.
• Skills: Stealth 60% (in forests), Listen 70%, Spot Hidden 50%
• Sanity Loss: 1/1D6 Sanity points to witness a Mossback Guardian come to life.

Blades in the Dark

Mossback Guardian

• Type: Supernatural Brute
• Tier: III
• Attributes: Scale 2, Quality 2, Harm 3
• Traits:
  • Natural Camouflage: When stationary, it blends into its forest surroundings, making it nearly invisible.
  • Entangling Vines: Can use an action to entangle a group of targets, requiring a Tinker or Wreck roll to escape.
• Special Abilities:
  • Guardian of the Sanctum: Has increased resistance against supernatural and alchemical effects intended to control or damage it.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Mossback Guardian

• Size: Large
• Type: Construct
• Alignment: Unaligned
• AC: 17 (Natural Armor)
• HP: 115 (10d10 + 60)
• Speed: 20 ft.
• STR: 22 (+6), DEX: 8 (-1), CON: 23 (+6), INT: 3 (-4), WIS: 11 (+0), CHA: 1 (-5)
• Saving Throws: Con +10, Wis +4
• Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Vulnerabilities: Fire
• Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned
• Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
• Languages: Understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak
• Challenge: 7 (2,900 XP)
• Abilities:
  • Multiattack: Makes two crush attacks or uses Vine Entangle.
  • Crush: Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage.
  • Vine Entangle: The Mossback Guardian targets one creature it can see within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be restrained. The Mossback Guardian can have only one creature restrained by its vines at a time.

Knave

Mossback Guardian

• HD: 10
• Armor: 17 (thick moss and bark)
• Attack Bonus: +10
• Morale: 12
• Damage:
  • Crush: 1d10
  • Vine Entangle: Special, restrains target, escape DC 16 Strength check
• Traits:
  • Slow but Steady: Moves at half speed but cannot be knocked back or easily moved.
  • Vulnerable to Fire: Takes double damage from fire-based attacks.

Fate Core

Mossback Guardian

• High Concept: Ancient Protector of the Forest Sanctum
• Trouble: Vulnerable to Fire and Fast Foes
• Other Aspects: Rooted to the Earth’s Magic, Slow but Unstoppable Force
• Skills:
  • Great (+4): Physique
  • Good (+3): Fight, Will
  • Fair (+2): Notice, Provoke
• Stunts:
  • Vine Entangle: Once per scene, can automatically entangle a foe, requiring them to overcome a Great (+4) obstacle with Athletics to escape.
  • Thick Bark Armor: Has 2 extra stress boxes due to its thick moss and bark armor.
• Stress: ❑❑❑❑❑❑ (Including Thick Bark Armor)
• Consequences: Mild (2), Moderate (4), Severe (6)

Numenera & Cypher System

Mossback Guardian

• Level: 5
• Health: 25
• Armor: 3 (natural armor from bark and moss)
• Attacks:
  • Melee: Makes a smashing attack as a level 5 creature, dealing 6 points of damage.
  • Vine Entangle: Can entangle a target within short range, immobilizing them unless they succeed on a Might task of difficulty 5.
• Special Abilities:
  • Regeneration: Regains 3 health at the end of each round due to its connection with the forest.
  • Vulnerable to Fire: Takes an additional 2 points of damage from fire-based attacks.
• Movement: Short

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Mossback Guardian

• Creature Level: 5
• Type: Plant
• Size: Large
• Alignment: N
• AC: 22
• HP: 85
• Speed: 20 feet
• Ability Scores: STR +4, DEX -1, CON +3, INT -4, WIS +2, CHA -2
• Attack Options:
  • Slam: +14 (2d12+6 bludgeoning)
  • Vine Entangle (Ranged): +11 (entangle, DC 21 Escape)
• Special Abilities:
  • Regrowth: Automatically heals 10 HP at the start of its turn; double this amount in sunlight.
  • Vulnerable to Fire: Takes 1.5 times as much damage from fire.
• Skills: Athletics +13, Nature +10

Savage Worlds

Mossback Guardian

• Type: Wild Card
• Attributes: Strength d12+2, Agility d4, Vigor d12, Smarts d4, Spirit d8
• Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6
• Pace: 4; Parry: 6; Toughness: 12 (2)
• Special Abilities:
  • Armor +2: Natural bark and moss armor.
  • Entangle: Can use an action to entangle a target with vines. Target must beat a Strength roll against 8 to escape.
  • Regeneration: Recovers 2 Wounds per hour; does not regenerate from fire or acid damage.
  • Weakness (Fire): Takes double damage from fire.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

Mossback Guardian

• Type: Critter (Awakened Plant)
• Body: 8
• Agility: 3
• Reaction: 2
• Strength: 10
• Willpower: 6
• Logic: 1
• Intuition: 4
• Charisma: 1
• Edge: 2
• Essence: 6
• Initiative: 6 + 1D6
• Armor: 12 (Natural Armor)
• Skills: Athletics 6, Unarmed Combat 5
• Powers:
  • Hardened Armor: Reduces damage from all attacks.
  • Entangling Vines: Can use to immobilize targets, opposed by Strength + Body.
  • Regeneration: Can heal damage each combat turn unless caused by fire.
• Weaknesses: Fire (double damage).

Starfinder

Mossback Guardian

• CR: 8
• Type: Plant
• Size: Large
• AC: EAC 20; KAC 22
• HP: 125
• Fort: +10; Ref: +8; Will: +5
• Speed: 20 ft.
• Melee: Slam +16 (2d12+12 B)
• Special Abilities:
  • Entangle: (Ranged, 60 ft.) Target must succeed at a DC 18 Reflex save or be entangled and immobilized.
  • Regeneration: 10 HP per round, stops if takes fire damage.
  • Vulnerable to Fire: Takes 1.5 times damage from fire-based attacks.
• Abilities: STR +6, DEX -2, CON +4, INT -4, WIS +1, CHA -2

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Mossback Guardian

• UPP: Strength 12, Dexterity 5, Endurance 10, Intelligence 1, Education 0, Social Standing 0
• Skills: Melee (Unarmed) 2, Athletics (Endurance) 1, Recon 0
• Armor: 12 (Natural Bark Armor)
• Attack Options:
  • Slam: Melee (1D6+4)
  • Entangle: Special device, immobilizes target on successful hit (DEX or STR check to escape).
• Traits:
  • Regeneration: Recovers 2 Endurance per round, does not regenerate from fire damage.
  • Vulnerable to Fire: Takes double damage from fire.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Mossback Guardian

• M (Movement): 3
• WS (Weapon Skill): 35
• BS (Ballistic Skill): 0
• S (Strength): 50
• T (Toughness): 60
• I (Initiative): 20
• Ag (Agility): 15
• Dex (Dexterity): 20
• Int (Intelligence): 10
• WP (Will Power): 40
• Fel (Fellowship): 10
• Wounds: 30
• Skills: Intimidate 40, Outdoor Survival 50, Perception 30
• Traits:
  • Armoured: 2 (Thick moss and bark act as natural armor)
  • Fear: 1 (Its imposing presence can instill fear in those who see it)
  • Regeneration: Can heal wounds quickly unless they are caused by fire.
  • Territorial: Will fiercely protect its designated area.
  • Vulnerability (Fire): Takes additional damage from fire-based attacks.
• Weapons: Slam (Damage 10; Critical Value +2)