Artwork by Johnathan Bingham
The Black Lasher
Level: Magic-User 3
Range: Caster
Duration: 10 minutes
The caster's left arm becomes a whip-like tentacle of thorny black rubbery flesh that can stretch out to a length of 30 feet. The caster may attack with this limb as a monster with as many Hit Dice as the caster's Levels, inflicting 1d8 points of damage on a hit and on an unadjusted attack roll of 20 the tentacle can wrap around and constrict the target, automatically inflicting 1d8 points of damage per round. The tentacle has an Armor Class of 3[16], with all successful attacks against it injuring the caster; it can take up to half the casters maximum hit points of damage before it is severed, dissolving into black slime and requiring the caster to make a successful Saving Throw vs. Death or lose their left arm.
Sweeeeet.
ReplyDeleteVery cool.
ReplyDeleteWow. Great spell and I rly dig Bingham's drawing.
ReplyDeleteSick, slick, love the artwork too.
ReplyDeleteCool spell!
ReplyDeleteBut why the left arm only? Can you cast the spell twice to transform the right one, too?
Then the mage can be a weird demogorgon-like killing-beast.
Logan: It could work, except how are you going to cast that spell with one of your hands transformed into a spiked tentacle? .)
ReplyDeleteI like it! Very excited for Jewel Throne!
ReplyDeleteMelan: Good point.
ReplyDeleteThe question is does the mage need the right arm for casting? Or is the spell only a spoken one.
VERY nice, and if I may say so--very Harryhausen!
ReplyDeleteGreat illio!
Thanks for the compliments on the art! I still have a couple more to do Blair. Hopefully in the next couple of days. I got a few I have to knock out for Joe and Suzi at Expeditious Retreat Press and then I'll get back on these.
ReplyDeletevery cool!
ReplyDeleteI really like the picture... except that, until I read the description, I didn't get that the tentacle/whip was his arm... I took it to be coming out of the darkness beyond the doorway.
Also, I just realised why the M-U was so familiar. He is none other but the "famous New Age Healer" from Jack Chick's science fiction masterpiece, The Last Generation. Seriously, go check it out: http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0094/0094_01.asp
ReplyDeleteHe is missing his cowl and UN sew-on patch, but that face and smirk is just too similar to be coincidence. .)
Ugh. I want my four minutes back, Melan!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, I didn't even know that existed! I haven't read a Chick tract since I think Darker Dungeons around 20 years ago or so. Some things will never change.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback and compliments...most due to Johnathan!
ReplyDelete@ Logan: I envision it as being the left arm only for purposes of being arbitrary and weird. I guess I'm going to have to include AD&D-esque V/S/M spell competent requirements (and casting times) so the spells will be AD&D/OSRIC compatible.
@ Knobgobbler: I like that effect...at first glance the tentacle seems to be coming out of the darkness...oh shit!...it's attached to that smirking sorcerer!
@ Jay: I often explicitly describe big beasties as moving in stop-motion, Harryhausen style, I'll have to do it for this spell as well :)
@ Johnathan: Thank You! There's definitely no rush :)
@ Melan: So this magic-user is some sort of Bizarro Deepak Chopra?
You know that's got a mouth, right?
ReplyDeleteGood eye! It may just have one; I'm unsure if it is a mouth or just a final coil at the terminus of the tentacle...but now I have an idea for a variant that involves a vampiric mouth :)
ReplyDelete