The Creeping Terror
A week ago, I resigned from my teaching position. Starting tomorrow, I go from unemployed to semi-employed. I’ve started offering my services as a private tutor. You can read about me here.
Also, during my abundant spare time last week, I released Narvon’s Sinister Stair and The Bishop’s Secret, two short adventures for Swords & Wizardry and Swords & Wizardry: WhiteBox, respectively.
I also watched The Creeping Terror, one of the worst movies ever made, which explains what follows for use with Mutant Future.
Nearly 20 feet long, covered in both fur and some sort of chitin, multiple eyestalks bobbing about as it shuffled forward, emitting the most terrible noises, the creeping terror advanced through the hail of bullets and arrows, seemingly unconcerned about the damage it suffered.
Creeping Terror
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 60′ (20′)
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 10
Attacks: 1 (bite)
Damage: 3d8
Save: L5
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: None
XP: 2,400
Mutations: Alien Physiogomy, Digestive Analysis, Sonic Paralysis
Some alien civilization engineered creeping terrors as a means of testing the native fauna of distant worlds, perhaps to see if those worlds would be suitable for colonization. Due to their extraterrestrial origin and Alien Physiogomy, creeping terrors can withstand incredible punishment. They take half damage from physical attacks, and they are immune to poison and radiation. Creeping terrors move slowly, dragging themselves forward with two blunt feet and undulating their lengthy torsos in a series of motile contractions.
When they sense prey, creeping terrors emit a cacophony of shrieks and howls. Living creatures within 30 yards of the creeping terror must attempt a Stun Attacks saving throw. Failure induces sonic paralysis for 2d4 turns. Affected creatures stand motionless, perhaps screaming and gaping in fear, but otherwise unable to act. Creeping terrors attack with a powerful bite. On an attack roll of 19 or 20, the target is swallowed whole, and takes 3d8 points of damage per turn from the creeping terrors powerful digestive enzymes (see page 58, Mutant Future, for more details about paralysis and swallow attacks).
Within the digestive tract, creeping terrors have a variety of alien technological artifacts that analyze creatures swallowed whole. Powerful transmitters send collected data into space, presumably to be collated and studied by whatever alien creatures create creeping terrors.
