Weekly Creature Feature: Azeman
Get your Open Game Content moster fix for OSR stlye games. Wow, I've been so busy that I didn't get a chance to do the weekly creature feature last week. Well, time to rectify that. Any rate, once again, time to plunder, exploit, and reshape folklore, myth and legend for my ends and personal amusement. Today, I present the Azebill, perhaps one of the more well known creatures from folklore that I've used here. The Azeman is a creature from the folklore of Surinam in South America. Of course in the great tradition of our role playing heritage, I've shaped the legend to fit more in line with traditional fantasy roleplaying while trying to maintain much of the flavor. At any rate, like all my weekly creature features, the monster listing is designated Open Game Content. Any accompanying artwork is not open game content and is property of John Bingham (that would be me) and not for reuse unless given explicit written permission by me (and yes, I actually intend to illustrate all of these crtitters at some point).
Name: Azeman
No. Enc: 1-8
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120’ (40’)
Armor Class: 2
Hit Dice: 5 to 7
Attacks: 2 (claw, bite)
Damage: 1d10, 1d6, energy drain
Save: F5-7
Morale: 11
Hoard Class: XVII
Description: Azeman are undead and a subtype of vampire. Sharing much in common with the more traditional vampire type, the Azeman is possessed of immense strength; possess immunity to charm, hold, and sleep spells; are unaffected by normal weapons; electric and cold attacks only deal half damage. The Azeman’s blows are powerful and inflict 1d10 points of damage. The Azeman’s bite in both human and animal form deals 1d6 points of damage. Unlike the more traditional vampire, it is only the bite, not the touch of the Azeman that drains life energy levels. A successful bite drains two levels and corresponding abilities.
Azeman do not have the ability to take gaseous form and their shape changing power differs from the more common vampire type. Able to operate in the day time, the Azeman appears as a female human (males are much less common but do exist) during daylight hours and operates in animal form at night. The Azeman’s transformation into animal shape is accomplished by utilizing the dried skin of an animal. The Azeman will only have one animal shape that she can assume. One way to severely limit the abilities of an Azeman is to destroy the animal skin. Azeman often take the form of a wolf or a giant bat (and more uncommonly, some other large creature such as a giant toad).
The Azeman has a peculiar compulsion for counting. One way to defeat an Azeman is by scattering grains, pebbles, etc in the path. The Azeman must make a successful save vs. petrifaction or be compelled to count the objects cast before it.
It is rumored that the Azeman are created by other vampires to act as daytime agents and guards. Due to their affinity for taking on wolf form, the Azeman are sometimes mistakenly misidentified as werewolves. There is further rumor that Azeman might act in concert with werewolves. Azeman sometimes do congregate in packs.
Name: Azeman
No. Enc: 1-8
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120’ (40’)
Armor Class: 2
Hit Dice: 5 to 7
Attacks: 2 (claw, bite)
Damage: 1d10, 1d6, energy drain
Save: F5-7
Morale: 11
Hoard Class: XVII
Description: Azeman are undead and a subtype of vampire. Sharing much in common with the more traditional vampire type, the Azeman is possessed of immense strength; possess immunity to charm, hold, and sleep spells; are unaffected by normal weapons; electric and cold attacks only deal half damage. The Azeman’s blows are powerful and inflict 1d10 points of damage. The Azeman’s bite in both human and animal form deals 1d6 points of damage. Unlike the more traditional vampire, it is only the bite, not the touch of the Azeman that drains life energy levels. A successful bite drains two levels and corresponding abilities.
Azeman do not have the ability to take gaseous form and their shape changing power differs from the more common vampire type. Able to operate in the day time, the Azeman appears as a female human (males are much less common but do exist) during daylight hours and operates in animal form at night. The Azeman’s transformation into animal shape is accomplished by utilizing the dried skin of an animal. The Azeman will only have one animal shape that she can assume. One way to severely limit the abilities of an Azeman is to destroy the animal skin. Azeman often take the form of a wolf or a giant bat (and more uncommonly, some other large creature such as a giant toad).
The Azeman has a peculiar compulsion for counting. One way to defeat an Azeman is by scattering grains, pebbles, etc in the path. The Azeman must make a successful save vs. petrifaction or be compelled to count the objects cast before it.
It is rumored that the Azeman are created by other vampires to act as daytime agents and guards. Due to their affinity for taking on wolf form, the Azeman are sometimes mistakenly misidentified as werewolves. There is further rumor that Azeman might act in concert with werewolves. Azeman sometimes do congregate in packs.
Hi Johnathan: Good post. I look forward to seeing your drawings.
ReplyDeleteThanks Whisk! It is good to see you around. I'm at some point going to release all these critters in a published work with full illustrations. Of course I'm going to get my wife involved to do some color for the covers ;).
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