Dunheved
Posts: 494
Joined: Wed 11 Mar 2020, 02:07
Location: UK

Re: Homebrew NPCs and Monsters

Thu 28 Oct 2021, 09:58

I like to add a surprise trick to the simpler, low level adversaries. With the Decipher game (wow nearly 20 years ago!), I made up a pack of 30 cards where each orc or goblin on a card had one or two of the standard features altered. The aim being not to have a dozen clones in action.
Ideas for TOR will have to be checked for TOR 2e validity but some of these come back to mind.

1. Lead Archer: this goblin fires first, acting in a round before any Forward attacks resolved. Damage is inflicted early until it is in close combat.
2. Mugdaz and Mordash: one of these is an Orc, the other a goblin/snaga. Spend 1 Hate for the goblin to make a Brawling attack in Forward stance (the goblin is attempting to trip the PC over, or push them off balance). If successful the PC is ill favoured for all actions in that round and the next, while the orc gets favoured combat attacks. The goblin uses this time to get up and sneak back to the fray.
3. The Old Guard: an extra 5 or 6 endurance and an extra Hate point. (Imagine those great big Napoleonic Moustaches)
4. Opportunist Thief: a snaga uses their movement ability to slip around the combat zone and then run off. Sometime after the fight reveal that some belongings have been taken. (In TOR 1e that would have meant greater Fatigue, but in TOR 2e - lose a Useful Item!). If it fails the roll, it is spotted ransacking the bags and can be attacked. Looting the body reveals 1 or 2 Treasure. (Not a misdeed this time)
5. Not so Craven After All: This fellow does not have the generic Craven flaw!
6. Internal Hatred: an Orc that stabs another orc in the back during a fight, to resolve a feud. The backstabber runs off, deal double dagger damage to the victim orc in that round (usually 6 endurance, but could be 1d12 for random effect).
7. Squat thrust: Spend 1 Hate for orc to crouch really low, getting under the PC s shield to make their attack. Player loses Parry bonus of shield for that attack. (Close combat only)
 
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Rafamir
Posts: 99
Joined: Tue 20 Jul 2021, 04:23

Re: Homebrew NPCs and Monsters

Mon 01 Nov 2021, 06:36

@Dunheved, those are some fantastic bits of flavor and variety. Thanks for the inspiration!
 
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Rafamir
Posts: 99
Joined: Tue 20 Jul 2021, 04:23

Re: Homebrew NPCs and Monsters

Sun 21 Nov 2021, 07:14

Two days ago, the party in my game had escaped the Dwimmerhorn and chose to run for Rhosgobel instead of heading back to Mountain Hall. What should lie in store for them as they cross the Gladden Fields? Well, I landed on confronting them with a Nameless Thing! A good time was had by all. I rolled up/selected attributes and ended up with a hideous centipede-like creature I named "The Crawler in the Reeds." It was a fun break from dodging Orcs, councils and journeys, and a test of the TOR mechanics with a nasty foe. My mistake was forgetting that a Might 3 creature gets three attacks per round, but it may be all that separated the heroes from a TPK :)
 
Otaku-sempai
Posts: 598
Joined: Wed 15 Apr 2020, 15:35
Location: Western New York

Re: Homebrew NPCs and Monsters

Fri 18 Mar 2022, 18:20

Carchelek (Warg/White Wolf hybrid)
Carchelek (Ice-fang) is the result of a mating between a Warg and a White Wolf. He resembles a huge White Wolf, but his fur is coarser and light grey instead of white. Consider him the equivalent of a Wolf-chieftain. Carchelek leads a large wolf pack (if encountered, assume at least two White Wolves for each companion plus Carchelek; treat the White Wolves as Wild Wolves). He considers all of the land between the Greater and Lesser Lhûn to be his territory, but he is not beyond leading his pack south of the Little Lune in search of mischief and murder. He is a thoroughly evil beast.

Attribute Level: 5
Endurance: 16
Might: 2
Hate: 5

Combat Proficiencies: Fangs 3 (4/14, Pierce), Claws 2 (4/14, Seize)

Fell Abilities:.Great Leap. Spend 1 Hateto attack any Player-hero, in any combat stance, including Rearward.
Fear of Fire. The creature loses 1 Hate at the start of each round it is engaged in close combat with an adversary wielding a torch or other sort of burning item.
Snake-like Speed. When targeted by an attack, spend 1 Hate to make the attack roll Ill-favoured.
Howl of Triumph. Spend 1 Hate to restore 1 Hate to all other Wolves in the fight.
#FideltyToTolkien
 
Galadore
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon 11 Apr 2022, 03:30

Re: Homebrew NPCs and Monsters

Mon 11 Apr 2022, 04:02

Hey all! I am an old school MERPer from my high school days and love running, narrating, and playing in the world Tolkien created for us. Although I had not picked up a novel in a while, picking up this new edition with little in the way of official releases so far inspired me to draw on my old MERP books to convert or altogether recreate. Although I have several things in progress for weather, beasts of nature, lost locations and such I did start indulging in homebrewing with natural apex predators of Eriador and wanted to share what I had created with everyone. I know these creatures may seem pretty powerful but that is the point as a Great Cave bear (Chat Moigh) is really quite as fearsome as a hill or even stone troll just without the overt malice and want to destroy light which makes it less of a threat. The idea was to offer up powerful creatures that used Resolve instead of Hate to give another avenue for Loremasters to involve something powerful with no a direct ties to Shadow. Thematically the Fell abilities offered in the book fit but I have not had time to invent new ones or modify current ones and I would welcome any constructive feedback. Enjoy!

1. Cave Bear Endurance Might Resolve Parry Armor Attribute level
96 3 10 0 5D 10
Attacks
- Paw Crush 4 (10/14) Heavy Blow
- Bite 3 (8/16) Heavy Blow
- Paw Rend 4 (7/18) Pierce

Fell Abilities
- Foul Reek, Heroes get -1D on attack rolls.
- Horrible Strength, Spend 1 Resolve to make the target’s Protection roll Ill-favoured.
- Sweeping Stoke, Spend 1 success icon to target all engaged adversaries
- Thick Hide, Spend 1 Resolve to gain (1d) on a Protection roll.

2. Chatmoig Endurance Might Resolve Parry Armor Attribute level
72 2 9 +1 4D 9
Attacks
- Paw Rend 3 (6/18) Pierce
- Bite 3 (7/16) Heavy Blow
- Fangs Rend 3 (6/18) Pierce

Fell Abilities
- Deadly Wound, Wounded targets make an Ill-favoured Feat die roll to determine the severity of the injury.
- Seize Victim, On a successful attack roll, the thing holds on to the target — the victim can only fight in a Forward stance making Brawling attacks. Attackers may spend an icon to free the target.
- Savage Assault, Spend 1 Hate point after an attack roll to immediately roll a second attack on the same target using a different attack.
- Denizen of Darkness, All rolls are Favoured while in darkness.

3. Glutani Endurance Might Resolve Parry Armor Attribute level
56 2 7 0 3D 7
Attacks
- Bite Rend 2 (4/16) Pierce
- Claw 2 (3/16) Heavy Blow

Fell Abilities
- Seize Victim, On a successful attack roll, the thing holds on to the target — the victim can only fight in a Forward stance making Brawling attacks. Attackers may spend an icon to free the target.
- Savage Assault, Spend 1 Resolve point after an attack roll to immediately roll a second attack on the same target (using a different attack form).
- Hideous Toughness, When the thing suffers damage that would cause it to go to zero Endurance, cancel it and take a Wound instead.

4. Brown Bear Endurance Might Resolve Parry Armor Atr
64 2 8 0 4D 8
Attacks
- Paw Crush 3 (8/14) Heavy Blow
- Bite 2 (6/16) Heavy Blow
- Paw Rend 3 (5/18) Pierce

Fell Abilities
- Horrible Strength, Spend 1 Resolve to make the target’s Protection roll Ill-favoured.
- Sweeping Stoke, Spend 1 success icon to target all engaged adversaries.
- Thick Hide, Spend 1 Resolve to gain (1d) on a Protection roll.

5. Great Boar Endurance Might Resolve Parry Armor Atr
56 2 7 0 3D 7
Attacks
- Tusk Rend 2 (4/18) Pierce
- Hoof Trample 2 (7/14) Heavy Blow

Fell Abilities
- Deadly Wound, Wounded targets make an Ill-favoured Feat die roll to determine the severity of the injury.
- Savage Assault, Spend 1 Resolve point after an attack roll to immediately roll a second attack on the same target (using a different attack form).
- Thick Hide, Spend 1 Resolve to gain (1d) on a Protection roll.
 
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Aragorn
Posts: 80
Joined: Wed 22 Feb 2023, 07:24
Location: Baker Street

Re: Homebrew NPCs and Monsters

Wed 22 Feb 2023, 13:31

Bihwon about a Balrog.
BALROG
Thing of Terror
Hideous Toughness
Flame of Udun: Spend 1 Hate point to add 2 dice to a combat roll.

Endurance: 12o
Might: 3
Hate: 12
Parry: +3
Armour: 5d
Attribute Level: 12

Combat Proficiencies:
Fiery Whip: 3(4/20, Sieze)
Flaming Sword: 3(6/18, Pierce)

Fell Abilities:
Great Leap

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