CREATURES FROM ADVANCED DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS

ROPER

Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes
30	STR	20	15-	Lift 1600 kg; 6d6 HTH Damage [3]
21	DEX	33	13-	OCV:  7/DCV:  7
23	CON	26	14-
18	BODY	16	13-
15	INT	5	12-	PER Roll 12-
10	EGO	0	11-	ECV:  3
20	PRE	10	13-	PRE Attack:  4d6
0	COM	-5	9-

20	PD	6		Total:  20 PD (8 rPD)
18	ED	5		Total:  18 ED (8 rED)
6	SPD	29		Phases:  2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
11	REC	0
50	END	2
45	STUN	0		Total Characteristic Cost:  147

Movement:	Running:	1"/2"
		Leaping:	0"
		Swimming:	0"

Cost	Powers & Skills
22	Bite:  HKA 1d6 (2d6 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2)
60	Weakness:  Drain STR 3d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Continuous (+1); Must Follow a Grab (-1/4)
24	Thick Hide:  Armor (8 PD/8 ED)
30	Invulnerability:  Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75%; Only Versus Electricity (-1)
15	Invulnerability:  Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50%; Only Versus Cold (-1)
4	Heavy:  Knockback Resistance -2"
-10	No Legs:  Running -5"
-2	No Legs:  Swimming -2"
6	Multible Tentacles:  Extra Limbs  (4), Inherent (+1/4)
24	Shape Shift:  Shape Shift  (Sight Group, limited group of shapes), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); 
	Limited Effect - Normal Sight (-1/4)
34	Long Tentacles:  Stretching 8", Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); Limited Body Parts 
	(tentacles; -1/4), No Noncombat Stretching (-1/4), No Velocity Damage (-1/4)

	Skills
20	+4 with HTH Combat
	 
3	Climbing 13-
3	Concealment 12-
3	Stealth 13-
3	Tracking 12-

Total Powers & Skill Cost:  239
Total Cost:  386

75+	Disadvantages
5	Physical Limitation:  Reduced Leap, cannot leap (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing)
5	Physical Limitation:  Large, up to twice human size (4m, or 2"; -2 DCV, +2 to PER Rolls to 
	perceive) Infrequently, Slightly Impairing
15	Psychological Limitation:  Voratious Appetite (Common, Strong)
20	Vulnerability:  2 x STUN Fire (Common)
20	Vulnerability:  2 x BODY Fire (Common)
246	Experience Points

Total Disadvantage Points:  386

Ecology: Ropers are normally subterranean creatures, but they are also found in dank and dismal forests and swamps. Aggressive carnivores, they prey on anything smaller than themselves. As they are very intelligent and very powerful, ropers are known to be quite fearless and will even assault groups of well-armed individuals.

Persoanlity/Motivations: Normal animal motivations. Ropers, like many creatures, desire a consistent source of food. As they are highly intelligent, ropers will try to place themselves where they can easily access a replenish-able food source. Some will bargain with other subterranean creatures to set up a cohabited relationship where the roper gets food in exchange for guarding something of the other creature's.

Powers/Tactics: Normally, ropers inhabit large caverns where they try to disguise themselves as a stalagmites or pillars of rock. They will also flatten themselves if needed or otherwise attempt to appear as some type of smooth rock formation. Once available prey comes into range, the roper will lash out with its powerful tentacles, grappling with its victim and dragging the target to its mouth to be devoured. As roper's tentacles secrete a substance that weakens its targets, this is usually a very effective form of attack. Ropers are very resistant to spells of all sorts, and this makes them especially fierce combatants.

There have been stories of a roper who's touch turn its victims to stone.

Appearance: A roper is a large pliable creature that stands a full 9' tall and 3' wide at the base. It has a single central eye, 6 whip-like tentacles, and a large toothy maw. Ropers are yellowish-gray in color, but this tends to vary depending on the roper's environment.

Designer's Notes: The AD&D roper was a creature who's true power was fairly hidden until I began to adapt it to HERO System. 10+ hit dice, weakness attack, a good armor class, magic resistance... the roper had it all. Of course, I have no idea why it has all these powers, and like most creatures in the Monster Manual, it likes to eat people. As it stands the roper is a very nasty opponent and would almost certainly eat (literally) the seven sample characters from Fantasy Hero 2nd Edition with ease.

Roper Hero Designer File


Return to Creatures From Role-Playing Games