Grell

So, I´ve decided to keep with the aberration theme for a while. Starting from the low level gricks in the last post, I´m going to move up the level range until I´ve created enough aberrant monsters to fill out an entire campaign, ending with a level 32 solo. Some of the aberrations will be ones of my own invention, or third edition monsters that haven´t yet been updated. Others, like the aforementioned gricks, already exist in fourth edition, but with stats that I don´t like.


Today, moving us into the upper-middle heroic tier will be the grell. Like the gricks, these appeared in the 4E Monster Manual, and their conversion bothered me. Back in the 3E Lords of Madness supplement, the grell were made out to be social creatures that acted in large groups and even had leaders who created magitech weapons. The decision to make them Elite monsters impedes the DM´s ability to send armies of these things at the PC´s. So, here´s a more social grell.


An intelligent race from a reality wholly unlike our own, the grell are alien in both physiology and psychology. They resemble hovering, semi-spherical lumps of semi-ossified tissue that resembles brain coral, with a parrot-like beak at the front and nearly a dozen long, thin tentacles hanging down from the underbelly, covered in barbed stingers. Despite being a social species on an intellectual par with humankind, grell are motivated soley by hunger; they are always hungry, and everything they do is in the monomaniacal interest of finding food. Unfortunately for the rest of the universe, the grell are indiscriminate carnivores, and are just as happy to snack on humanoids as anything else.

Gricks live in "clusters;" groups of several dozen to several hundred individuals. They are always led by the most intelligent members of the cluster, the "philosophers," who study a peculiar blend of alchemy and magic that allows them to create a number of strange potions and artifacts. The most well known of these are the Lightning Lance (a silver pole, usable only by grell, that fires sparks of deadly electricity) and Grellstone (a powdery substance that becomes as hard as stone when exposed to water). The former is a deadly weapon, while the later is used to build strange fortifications and structures around the grell lair. Grellstone structures are built either underground or above it, resembling bizarre, organic castles in the latter case.

Grell can be found almost anywhere, but seem to favor rocky terrain, such as in the mountains or deep underground; perhaps such environments remind them of home. Grell do everything that they can to encourage or lure animal life into their hunting grounds, the philosophers inventing clever illusions, lures, and traps for the sake of attracting and capturing food. Sometimes, grell will act like nomads, hunting until there´s nothing left in an area before moving on. Other clusters practice some type of ecological engineering or ranching, encouraging their ¨livestock¨ populations through various means, or even breeding them in captivity. No matter what the case, unfortunately, they will still see anything that enters their territory as potential food.

While the grell do have a non-verbal language of some kind, it cannot be spoken by other races, and the grell are either unwilling or unable to learn any other form of communication. If only the grell could be communicated with, it might be possible to coexist with them peacefully. Alas, this has so far been wishful thinking.




Lore (Dungeoneering, History)


DC 10: Floating, octopus-like creatures called grell prowl certain wildernesses and caves. Always hungry, they paralyze their victims with the poisoned stingers on their tentacles before dragging them away and eating them.

DC 15: The grell are as intelligent as they are ravenous, and organized into tribal or family groups called clusters. The leaders of the group practice a strange type of magic; weapons that spit deadly electrical sparks, poisonous powders, and spells that can snuff out any source of light. Since the grell are eyeless and use other senses to hunt, they prefer to attack in the dark. Grell are impossible to reason with, and see humanoids only as prey or livestock.

DC 20: Grell continue to grow in size as they age. Each cluster is led by the oldest and wisest of its magicians, who is likely to be physically immense as well as highly intelligent and experienced. This Patriarch rarely leaves the cluster´s home, dwelling in an intricate structure built out of alchemical stone where he watches over the eggs and livestock and presides over whatever research the cluster´s magician-leaders are conducting.

Grell Forager

Level 5 Soldier (XP: 200)

Medium Aberrant Magical Beast

Initiative: +6 Perception: +9 (blindsight 10)

Hit Points: 52; bloodied 26

AC: 20 Fortitude: 18 Reflex: 17 Will: 17

Speed: fly 6 (hover)

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Standard Actions

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Melee basic Stinging Tendrils (at will); reach 2; +7 vs. Fort; 1d10+4 damage and target is slowed (save ends). If the target is already slowed, it is now paralyzed (save ends). If the target is already paralyzed, it is now grabbed.

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Close burst Stinging Flurry (recharge 5, 6); close burst 2, targets enemies; +6 vs. Fort; target is slowed (save ends). If the target is already slowed, it is now paralyzed (save ends).

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Reactions
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Ablative Tendrils (when hit by an attack that targets AC; encounter); the grell takes 5 damage and the attack is negated.

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Strength: 18 Constitution: 16 Dexterity: 14 Intelligence: 10 Wisdom: 14 Charisma: 10 

Alignment: Evil Languages: none 

The average grell is about as smart as the average human, but possesses a predatory cunning. These basic foragers scour the land for prey, check the game snares, and do the manual labor neccesary to care for the livestock.

Tactics

Foragers follow a fairly basic strategy; use Stinging Tendrils until an enemy has been paralyzed, then carry it away. Each forager in the group will devote its attention to a single enemy, working relentlessly to wear it down. Since they can fly, the grell will likely hover over the heads of tougher-looking characters and then float down beside ones who are physically weaker or unarmored. Whenever it can, a forager will use Stinging Flurry in the thick of the battle to help its fellows with their own targets.

Ablative Tentacles is a poweful ability that the grell will use to fend off a potentially powerful melee or ranged attack. Please note that, while intelligent, the grell are not metagamers: they don´t neccesarily know when an Encounter or Daily power is being used on them unless their attacker makes it obvious.

Grell Philosopher

Level 8 Artillery (leader) (XP: 350)

Medium Aberrant Magical Beast

Initiative: +7 Perception: +11 (blindsight 10)

Hit Points: 61; bloodied 30

AC: 20 Fortitude: 20 Reflex: 21 Will: 20

Speed: fly 6 (hover)

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Standard Actions

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Melee basic Stinging Tendrils (at will); reach 2; +10 vs. Fort; 1d10+3 damage and target is slowed (save ends). If the target is already slowed, it is now paralyzed (save ends).

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Ranged basic Lightning Lance (at will); range 5/10; +10 vs. Ref; 2d6+3 lightning damage and target grants combat advantage until the beginning of the philosopher´s next turn.

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Area burst Metabolic Powder (encounter); burst 2 within 5; +12 vs. Fort; 1d8+5 poison damage and target recieves a -2 penalty to Fortitude defense until the end of the encounter.

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Minor Actions

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ranged Dispel Light (one per round; at will); range 10; +13 vs. Will; a single light source in the target´s possession (such as a torch or light spell) is snuffed out. This does not work on anything larger than a campfire.

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Strength: 14 Constitution: 16 Dexterity: 16 Intelligence: 20 Wisdom: 14 Charisma: 18 

Alignment: Evil Languages: none 

Grell of strong intellect are taught the ways of grell science and magic. These grell leaders, nicknamed ¨philosophers¨ because of the eclectic nature of their art, provide the cluster with magical artifacts and cunning tactics. Each philopher is likely to have different responsibilities within the cluster; one might be in charge of creating Lightning Lances, another charged with building the fortifications out of Grellstone, while a third studies the local flora and fauna to determine which should be hunted and how to encourage it.


Tactics


While philosophers possess the same Stinging Tendrils attack as their underlings, they prefer to hang back and use their more powerful ranged attacks. Invariably, they start the battle by throwing a pouch of Metabolic Powder into the midst of the enemy, making them more vulnerable to the Stinging Tentacles of the other grell; since this attack can harm other grell, the philosopher is careful to throw it at an area where it won´t hit any allies.

For the rest of the battle, the philosopher hangs back a few squares and uses Lightning Lance on enemies who are engaged in melee, so that its allies can benefit from the Combat Advantage. The philosopher will also use Dispel Light every round until there is no light source remaining on the battlefield; since grell usually attack at night or in underground locales, this will leave the enemy blind, while the grell can see in the dark just fine.

Grell Patriarch

Level 9 Elite Brute (XP: 800)

Large Aberrant Magical Beast

Initiative: +6 Perception: +12 (blindsight 10)

Hit Points: 200; bloodied 100

AC: 23 Fortitude: 24 Reflex: 22 Will: 23

Speed: fly 6 (hover)

Saves: +2

Action Ponts: 1

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Passive

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Threatening Reach; the patriarch can make opportunity attacks against anyone within reach.

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Standard Actions

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Melee basic Tentacle Lash (at will); reach 2; +14 vs. AC; 2d8+6 damage and target is grabbed.

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Melee Sting (at will); target must be grabbed; +12 vs. Fortitude; 2d8+6 poison damage and target is paralyzed (save ends).

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Patriarchal Fury (at will); make two Tentacle Lash attacks, or one Tentacle Lash and one Sting.

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Ranged Throw (at will; requires a grabbed, paralyzed enemy); range 6; the grell throws one unfortunate victim at another; +14 vs. AC; 2d10+6 damage and target is knocked prone; the paralyzed creature that the grell threw is hit automatically and appears in a square adjacent to the target.

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Reactions

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Ablative Tendrils (when hit by an attack that targets AC; encounter, recharge when first bloodied); the grell takes 10 damage and the attack is negated.

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Strength: 20 Constitution: 20 Dexterity: 14 Intelligence: 20 Wisdom: 16 Charisma: 18 

Alignment: Evil Languages: none 

The oversized leader of the cluster is also the most learned and experienced of its philosophers. Despite his skill with grell technomagic, the Patriarch relies on only his size and strength in battle; a reminder that all the intelligence and apparent sophistication of the grell are simply a means to a end. The Patriarch usually stays at home in his Grellstone-built fortress, leading the cluster into battle only to defend the home, or when a very major offensive is to be made.


Tactics


While he might be the leader of the cluster, the Patriarch doesn´t need minons to defend him. Throwing himself into the enemy, he disperses them with his many Tentacle Lash attacks, relying on Threatening Reach and flight to avoid being flanked. Whenever he can, he will grab, Sting, and Throw an enemy at one of its fellows, often using this tactic to disable ranged characters who insist on staying out of reach.

If there are any grell Foragers or Philosophers fighting alongside him, he will assist the former in flanking while concentrating his own attacks on victims of the philosopher´s Combat Advantage-granting Lightning Lance. He will also move to put himself between the enemy and a badly injured ally, giving the later time to regroup and fly overhead into a better position.


Encounters


Grell are unlikely to ally with any other species, but they are easily smart enough to train warbeasts (who they manage to refrain from eating in the interest of using them to get even more food, at least for a while) or build constructs. One could imagine a cluster of grell training a pack of gricks to use as bloodhounds, or building a strangely shaped (but mechanically typical) golem of some kind. They might also herd mindless vermin, like giant spiders or scorpions, ahead of their forces to weaken the enemy, planning to eat their corpses after the battle.

Finally, a particularly inventive grell philosopher may delve into necromancy. While grell would rather eat the flesh and bones of a corpse than animate it, spectral undead such as shadows and wraiths aren´t considered nearly as wasteful.