Saturday, 10 September 2022

Orchestral bestiary

The orchestra went mad while struggling through the Sequenzas. They turned feral and fled into the formal gardens. They live there now, eating whatever they can hunt or forage. You can hear them late at night, playing strange and discordant requiems.

It's only surprising it didn't happen sooner.

Flautist

A skinny woman in a tattered gown, dirt streaked under her wild eyes like war paint. She taught herself to fire darts from her flute. They're smeared with toxins she collects by milking plants in the poison garden.

AC 6 [13], HD 1* (4 HP), ATT 1 x dart (1d4 + poison), THAC0 19 [0], MV 120' (40'), SV 12 13 14 15 16 (F1), ML 10, AL Chaotic, XP 13, NA 1 (1d3), TT R

Specials: Poison. Death in 1d6 rounds, death save negates.

Tuba player

A tremendously fat man, his shirt buttons strain to contain him. He stalks, barefoot, like a predatory building and uses his tuba to fire actual cannonballs. Where did he get them?

AC 5 [14], HD 6 (27 HP), ATT 1 x cannonball (1d10, full round reload), THAC0 14 [5], MV 120' (40'), SV 10 11 12 13 14 (F6), ML 10, AL Chaotic, XP 275, NA 1 (1d2), TT T

Cymbalist

This one was probably a bit loopy even before that fateful day. His tuxedo is stained with blood. He's filed the edges of his cymbals and teeth to razor-sharpness. He giggles and whispers to himself while he uses them both.

AC 6 [13], HD 3 (14 HP), ATT 2 x cymbals (1d6) or 1 x bite (1d6), THAC0 17 [2], MV 120' (40'), SV 12 13 14 15 16 (F3), ML 12, AL Chaotic, XP 35, NA 1 (1), TT S

Triangle player

No-one's afraid of the triangle player. His only job is to go ting! No-one respects him. Even the other musicians push him around. Maybe that's why he ditched his triangle and picked up an axe. 

AC 5 [14], HD 2 (9 HP), ATT 1 x axe (1d6), THAC0 18 [1], MV 120' (40'), SV 12 13 14 15 16 (F2), ML 10, AL Chaotic, XP 20, NA 1 (0), TT P

Cellist

If a wandering martial arts sage saw this guy fight, they'd immediately adopt the cello as their clan's signature weapon. He can swing it like a mace, stab with the end spike or fire arrows from the strings. I think he's been secretly planning to murder the brass section for a long time.

AC 7 [12], HD 4 (18 HP), ATT 1 x swing (1d6) or stab (1d4) or arrow (1d6), THAC0 15 [4], MV 120' (40'), SV 10 11 12 13 14 (F4), ML 10, AL Chaotic, XP 75, NA 1 (1d3), TT R

Violinist 

The orchestra's diva. Everything is done with a little flourish. Even swinging that violin bow at you like a sabre.

AC 5 [15], HD 5 (23 HP), ATT 1 x bow (1d6), THAC0 15 [4], MV 120' (40'), SV 10 11 12 13 14 (F5), ML 10, AL Chaotic, XP 175, NA 1 (2d3), TT T

Conductor

Wild-haired, twitch-eyed, muttering in German. He hates his musicians as much as he hates you.

AC 3 [16], HD 7 (32 HP), ATT 1 x baton (1d6), THAC0 13 [6], MV 120' (40'), SV 8 9 10 11 12 (F7), ML 10, AL Chaotic, XP 450, NA 1 (0), TT T

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