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Post by 00dlez on Mar 24, 2017 18:55:36 GMT
I've lately been really appreciating how terrifyingly awesome the Wendigo, and lore around them, is! I'd really like to put up some adventure framework up, but wasn't sure exactly what edition I'd be using... No problem, I'd just look up the stats from a few editions and just get a flavor for what the Wendigo should be able to do... ![]()  Look at this guy... Pathfinder has it at CR 17+A homebrew 3.5 template has it at CR 9A Forgotten Realms Template adds +2 CR to base creatureA 5e Homebrew has a Challenge of 3 Terrifying. I'm a flexible guy, but these are all over the place in terms of power! I'd be interested to hear from you all about: - Where do you think the Wendigo should be on the CR scale - What sort of powers/abilities should the Wendigo have to give it it's unique lore-filled flavor? - Do you have any sources that really go into lore and legends of the Wendigo? Obviously there's the wiki page, and numerous "myth monster" pages that have a paragraph or two blurb that is usually just copied from somewhere else... I'd really love a lengthy, in-depth history/source to bring this bad boy to life.  Three!?! I'm out of here. My own thoughts right now are to have multiple versions of the Wendigo: a weaker, low CR version for creatures that have recently transformed into Wendigos - a moderate version for a creature that has matured as a Wendigo - and a high version that is perhaps huge in size, is quite old, and really is the terrifying monstrosity... perhaps the original Wendigo. |
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Post by Ahrek on Mar 26, 2017 9:56:52 GMT
Personally when I make my own monsters for my campaign I look at what level my players are and then what type of challange I want to give them. If you're looking to make more general I like your idea of diffent versions. Maybe: - Wendigo runt CR 1 (medium)
- Wendigo adult CR 3 (large)
- Wendigo alpha CR 6 (large/huge)
or CR that you think would fit.
The TV show Supernatrual has an episode early on centered around Wendigo which can be used as inspiration for how to kill them. Not really the source you were looking for I know but still. www.supernaturalwiki.com/index.php?title=Wendigo_(creature)Powers and Abilities Superhuman strength Superhuman speed Imitate human voices Immortality Claws Stealth Weaknesses Burning it to death. Can be kept at bay with a protective circle of Anasazi symbols. Can be injured by silver-tipped bows and arrows. |
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Post by 00dlez on Apr 5, 2017 20:02:18 GMT
Given it some thought - I think I might build it in the three tiers you suggested, but rather than age, it will be stages of transformation. The weakest will be first affliction and the strongest after its claimed many victims over a time.
I think I will give it Troll-like regeneration, where only fire and sliver will deal it lethal damage and it will regain some amount of HP each round - increasing as it grows more powerful.
Speed, strength, and claws? Sounds like a PRIME candidate for a pounce/rend combo attack - especially from an ambush (stealth emphasis) it will be devastating right off the bat.
Anyone have any thoughts that, if the battle turns against it, if it would run away? Perhaps to return a different night?
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Post by joatmoniac on Apr 6, 2017 1:35:46 GMT
I think that given its origin in cryptozoology I would think it would lean towards running and fighting another day, or have something akin to a lich where even if killed it returns after a time. Also, you should totally check out the Wendigo mini from Paizo! static4.paizo.com/image/product/catalog/WZK/WZK70740-43_500.jpeg |
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Post by 00dlez on Apr 7, 2017 17:01:14 GMT
I think that given its origin in cryptozoology I would think it would lean towards running and fighting another day, or have something akin to a lich where even if killed it returns after a time. Also, you should totally check out the Wendigo mini from Paizo! static4.paizo.com/image/product/catalog/WZK/WZK70740-43_500.jpegThis.... might actually work out. I had planned to use a Wendigo as the centerpiece of a "find out what happened to the temple down the road, we haven't heard from them in a bit" side adventure, but having the Wendigo potentially escape can open it up to a recurring threat - either attacking the village/villagers or harassing the PCs as they trek through the near by woods night after night. |
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Post by Ahrek on Apr 7, 2017 18:50:13 GMT
Personally I'd figure out how intelligent the wendigo is first. If it has an it of 6 or above I'd say it would run when in a fight it feels it can't win, unless it knows it can come back from death.
If it has an int of 5 or less I'd probably rule that it is acting in a more primal way. Its hunger for humanoid flesh is too strong for it to care about its own safety and would fight to the death just to be able to feed.
Perhaps as soon as one of their targets goes down they try to escape to feast on their prey.
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Post by meribson on Apr 7, 2017 20:20:03 GMT
The northern most reaches of my world will now be plagued by wendigo. My current thought is that the wendigo seen in most pictures are the rarest, most powerful, and almost like liches in their power and ability to come back from death. The biggest difference being that they aren't undead. I'm thinking that when they make the conversion from pseudo-wendigo to full monster they remove some organ that acts as their version of the lich's phylactery.
Must pull out Pathfinder Bestiary & 5e Monster Manual, I have some homebrewing to do!
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Post by 00dlez on Apr 7, 2017 20:33:48 GMT
Personally I'd figure out how intelligent the wendigo is first. If it has an it of 6 or above I'd say it would run when in a fight it feels it can't win, unless it knows it can come back from death. If it has an int of 5 or less I'd probably rule that it is acting in a more primal way. Its hunger for humanoid flesh is too strong for it to care about its own safety and would fight to the death just to be able to feed. Perhaps as soon as one of their targets goes down they try to escape to feast on their prey. I'm probably going to run it such that the recently infected Wendigos are going to be mostly humanoid/base creature - boosts to strength and speed, maybe minor resistances, but still very killable. The upper tier, when "killed" it will turn into a gaseous form (similar to like what a vampire can do) and the form will withdraw directly to the Wendigo's den. Rather than the inky/black mist whatever that a vampire has, perhaps its more a wintery mix reflecting it's affiliation with the cold. |
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Post by 00dlez on Apr 7, 2017 20:40:00 GMT
Ranger (or maybe a homebrew PRC) NPC that hunts Wendgios could be really bad ass too.
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Post by 00dlez on Apr 7, 2017 20:49:01 GMT
The northern most reaches of my world will now be plagued by wendigo. My current thought is that the wendigo seen in most pictures are the rarest, most powerful, and almost like liches in their power and ability to come back from death. The biggest difference being that they aren't undead. I'm thinking that when they make the conversion from pseudo-wendigo to full monster they remove some organ that acts as their version of the lich's phylactery. Must pull out Pathfinder Bestiary & 5e Monster Manual, I have some homebrewing to do! I like this! I read somewhere that the reason all the Wendigo's have no lips/face is because their hunger drives them to chew them off (which is so metal). Maybe after that has happened, sort of the "final act" before they go full monster is ripping out their stomach - sealing their eternal hunger |
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Post by meribson on Apr 8, 2017 3:01:46 GMT
The northern most reaches of my world will now be plagued by wendigo. My current thought is that the wendigo seen in most pictures are the rarest, most powerful, and almost like liches in their power and ability to come back from death. The biggest difference being that they aren't undead. I'm thinking that when they make the conversion from pseudo-wendigo to full monster they remove some organ that acts as their version of the lich's phylactery. Must pull out Pathfinder Bestiary & 5e Monster Manual, I have some homebrewing to do! I like this! I read somewhere that the reason all the Wendigo's have no lips/face is because their hunger drives them to chew them off (which is so metal). Maybe after that has happened, sort of the "final act" before they go full monster is ripping out their stomach - sealing their eternal hunger Stomach it is! I have an adventure in mind where the PCs are hunting a cannibalistic serial killer in the small town that they call home. One of the final nails in the coffin in revealing who it is are a pair of bumps on their forehead as well as slightly elongated facial features. So the PCs track down the culprit once they figure out who it is only to catch them shoving a hand into their torso and ripping out their stomach as the bumps grow into antlers and their skull bursts out through their face as it extends into a fanged elk skull. Cue battle. One of the best parts of this is that since wendigos are typically found much further north, the Knowledge DC to know about the stomach phylactery is going to be so high that none of the PCs will know and thus prevent the recurring villain from being a...well, recurring villain. |
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Wendigo
Apr 12, 2017 2:21:09 GMT
via mobile
Post by 00dlez on Apr 12, 2017 2:21:09 GMT
Found some very cool art work on Reddit - like a doctor's notes about someone transforming. The language is Icelandic - I think - but that I think makes it more fantasy like and mysterious!
https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/comments/644dwe/since_you_guys_liked_my_wendigo_so_much_ive/
https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/comments/645py9/wendigo_transformation_sequence_p_2/
https://www.reddit.com/r/darkestdungeon/comments/649wct/wendigo_transformation_sequence_p_3/
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Post by meribson on Apr 12, 2017 2:56:16 GMT
Interesting, though unfortunately not really usable for the transformation sequence I have in mind for my Wendigo monsters  Also, my campus has a student art show every spring and I submitted two pieces one of which is a side view of a wendigo's head. I'll upload a picture most likely Tuesday/Wednesday of next week. I'm not expecting for my pieces to get in, but the primary reason I entered was to get critical feedback on what to improve for my drawing. |
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Post by 00dlez on Apr 12, 2017 10:41:12 GMT
Right right - I think I'll be doing a more slow, subtle transformation until the very end when they are violently transformed into the last stage / full wendgio more like you describe with the violent skull exposure, antlers, etc I don't know what the source really is, but I've also been seeing some information (below is one of three or four similar things I've seen) alluding to wendigos actually looking normal and only transforming on the 3 days of the full moon... Not sure how that would really work out with the stomach phylactery bit, which I really like.  |
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Post by meribson on Apr 12, 2017 18:13:29 GMT
Lesser Wendigo template is finished: - +2 across the physical scores
- Resistance to cold (resistance 10 in Pathfinder)
- +10ft to movement speed
- Chill Touch 3/day (Wis casting stat)
It can only be applied to living humanoids/giants that have eaten at least 3 times their weight in humanoids...yum. The lesser wendigo was never meant to be a major threat in a straight up fight, it needs to advance in power in order for that to happen. I'll be uploading the stat blocks for the "baseline" and greater wendigo as I finish them for critique. |
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