Black Sheep

[Brendan]

                  Black Sheep
Medium Undead Animal
Hit Dice:      5d12+3 (48 hp)      
Initiative:      +4
Speed:         40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class:      15 (+1 Natural,+4  Dex),  touch  14,  flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple:   ¬¬¬+2/+10*
Attack:   Bite +6 Melee (1d6+4)
Full Attack:   Bite +6 Melee (1d6+4)
Space/Reach:      5ft./5ft.   
Special Attacks:      Create Spawn, Eat, Infectious Bite, Improved Grab.
Special Qualities:   Looks like a sheep, undead traits, fast healing 5, flammable, dark vision 60ft.
Saves:         Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +5
Abilities:      Str 18, Dex 18, Con  —, Int  2, Wis 14, Cha 16
Skills:   Spot +6 [4], Listen +3 [1]
Feats:   Improved Grapple, Toughness
Environment:      Any
Organization:      Solitary, Pair, or Flock (50-200 including 10-30 Black Sheep Spawn)
Challenge Rating:   6
Treasure:      None
Alignment:       Always neutral Evil
Advancement:   —
Level Adjustment:   —
*(modified to reflect improved grapple feat)
What appears to be your common every day sheep walks in your direction. Once it is close, it lunges towards you, teeth ready to bite.

Black Sheep are regular sheep that have been imbued with fell necromantic magics. They appear in all ways to be normal sheep. What sets them apart is their lust for flesh. Flocks of these foul creatures are often kept by the fiendish denizens of Hades, who favor the taste of their flesh, and might be found dwelling in the gloomy rift valleys of the dismal outer plane.

Combat
A Black Sheep usually just approaches its victims and attacks them. They do not attempt to use any special tactics, but because of their appearance they often catch their victims by surprise. Once a Black Sheep has successfully bitten its victim, it attempts to hang onto her and use its Eat ability. If there are more Black Sheep than there are victims, as is often the case when someone is unfortunate enough to run into a flock, multiple sheep join in on the grapple and use their Eat ability simultaneously.
   Create Spawn (Su): A creature reduced to 0 constitution by a Black Sheep’s Eat ability or a creature effected by a Black Sheep’s Infectious Bite ability is turned into a Black Sheep Spawn. See below for information on Black Sheep Spawn.
   Improved Grab (Ex): If a Black Sheep successfully hits a creature with its bite attack it may, in addition to dealing normal bite damage, initiate a grapple at +10 as a free action that provokes no attacks of opportunity. Creatures grappled by a black sheep in this way are subject to its Eat ability.
   Eat (Ex): A Black Sheep may begin to consume a victim that it has grappled with its Improved Grab ability. For every round that a creature remains in a grapple with a Black Sheep in this way it takes 1d4 points constitution damage.
   Infectious Bite (Su): A creature that has been successfully bitten by a Black Sheep must make a Fortitude save (DC 18) for every bite sustained or for every round it is subjected to a Black Sheep’s Eat ability. Failure results in the creature becoming a Black Sheep Spawn in 1d6 hours. The save DC is Charisma based. A lesser restoration spell cast on the afflicted creature before it would turn into a Black Sheep Spawn negates this effect. Characters being affected by this ability notice their body slowly becoming more sheep like, starting with the area they were bitten.       
   Looks like a Sheep (Ex): A Black Sheep looks just like a regular sheep, despite its name. Characters must make a Sense Motive check (DC 18) to notice that the Black Sheep is in fact not a true sheep. Characters who have encountered Black Sheep before, however, may simply opt to attack any sheep they run into.
   Flammable (Ex): A Black Sheep dealt fire damage catches on fire, taking 1d6 burning damage for every round it is on fire. Characters struck by a burning Black Sheep also suffer 1d6 points of burning damage.
Black Sheep Spawn:
Black Sheep Spawn are the products of a Black Sheep attack. Visually, they look like a hybrid combination of a sheep and whatever the original creature was. Keeping the most prominent features of the original creature, and gaining the most prominent features of a sheep (e.g. the eyes with horizontal slit irises, woolly bodies, forward tilted front teeth, and cloven feet.)

“Black Sheep Spawn” is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal creature (other than an undead) that has a skeletal structure (referred to hereafter as the base creature). Black Sheep Spawn are similar in all ways to Black Sheep with the following exceptions:
Type: The creatures type changes to undead.
Subtype: They gain the subtype (augmented).
Hit Dice: The creature has new hit dice equal to its original hit dice in twelve sided dice.
Armor Class: A Black Sheep Spawn receives a +1 increase to its Natural Armor.
Base Attack: A Black Sheep Spawn has a base attack equal to ½ its Hit Dice.
Attacks: A Black Sheep Spawn loses all manufactured weapon attacks it had, it gains a bite and a secondary slam attack if it did not already have them.
Damage: A Black Sheep Spawn deals bite and slam damage depending on its size. (Use the base creature’s slam and bite damage if it’s better.)
Size   Slam   Bite
Fine   ---   1
Diminutive   1   1d2
Tiny   1   1d3
Small   1d3   1d4
Medium   1d4   1d6
Large   1d6   1d8
Huge   1d8   2d6
Gargantuan   2d6   2d8
Colossal   2d8   4d6
Special Attacks: A Black Sheep Spawn retains none of the base creature’s special attacks.
Special Qualities: A Black Sheep Spawn retains all special qualities of the base creature; they also gain all of the Black Sheep’s special qualities, excluding Looks like a Sheep unless the creature were somehow similar to a sheep already (e.g. a goat, or even some dogs).
Saves: Base save bonuses are Fort +1/3 HD, Ref +1/3 HD, and Will +1/2 HD.
Abilities: A Black Sheep Spawn’s Strength increases by 4, it has no constitution score, it has a new charisma of 16, and its intelligence decreases by 6 (to a minimum of 2).
Skills: A Black Sheep Spawn loses all intelligence, charisma, and wisdom based skills.
Feats: A Black Sheep Spawn loses all its original feats and gains Improved Grapple and Toughness.
Challenge Rating: As base creature’s CR +2.
Alignment: Always neutral evil.
Advancement: As base creature, or --- if the base creature advances by character class.
Level Adjustment: ---.

Sample Black Sheep Spawn:
               Black Shepherd (Black Sheep Spawn Hill Giant)
Large Undead (Augmented)
Hit Dice:      12d12+3 (81 hp)      
Initiative:      +4
Speed:         40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class:      21 (-1 size, -1 Dex, +10 natural, +3 hide armor), touch  8,  flat-footed 21
Base Attack/Grapple:   ¬¬¬+6/+26*
Attack:   Bite +18 melee (1d8+8) or Slam +18 melee (1d6+8)
Full Attack:   Bite +18 melee (1d8+8) and Slam +10 melee (1d6+8)
Space/Reach:      10ft./10ft.   
Special Attacks:      Create Spawn, Eat, Infectious Bite, Improved Grab.
Special Qualities:   Looks like a sheep, undead traits, fast healing 5, flammable, dark vision 60ft, rock catching.
Saves:         Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +6
Abilities:      Str 27, Dex 8, Con  —, Int  2, Wis 10, Cha 16
Skills:   Spot +6, Listen +3, Jump +9, Climb +9.
Feats:   Improved Grapple, Toughness
Environment:      Any
Organization:      Solitary, or part of Flock (One including 50-200 Black Sheep)
Challenge Rating:   9
Treasure:      None
Alignment:       Always neutral evil
Advancement:   —
Level Adjustment:   —
*(modified to reflect improved grapple feat)
This creature appears to have been a hill giant, however it is covered in wool and where it once had humanoid feet and hands it instead has cloven feet.

On hungry days, Hill Giants sometimes harass flocks of sheep. On other hungry days, Hill Giants sometimes get harassed by flocks of Black Sheep. Those days see the creation of Black Sheep Spawn Hill Giants, which are known to some simply as “Black Shepherds” for their habit of leading the flock to its next meal.

Combat
Black Sheep Spawn don’t really bother with plans. If they are faster than the flock, they run ahead and attempt to hold down the biggest creature so that the flock can aid it; if it’s slower it simply goes for the biggest target.
   Create Spawn (Su): A creature reduced to 0 constitution by a Black Sheep Spawn’s Eat ability or a creature effected by a Black Sheep’s Infectious Bite ability is turned into a Black Sheep Spawn. See below for information on Black Sheep Spawn.
   Improved Grab (Ex): If a Black Sheep Spawn successfully hits a creature with its bite attack it may, in addition to dealing normal bite damage, initiate a grapple as a free action that provokes no attacks of opportunity. Creatures grappled by a black sheep in this way are subject to its Eat ability.
   Eat (Ex): A Black Sheep Spawn may begin to consume a victim that it has grappled with its Improved Grab ability. For every round that a creature remains in a grapple with a Black Sheep in this way it takes 1d4 points constitution damage.
   Infectious Bite (Su): A creature that has been successfully bitten by a Black Sheep Spawn must make a Fortitude save (DC 18) for every bite sustained or for every round it is subjected to a Black Sheep Spawn’s Eat ability. Failure results in the creature becoming a Black Sheep Spawn in 1d6 hours. The save DC is Charisma based. A lesser restoration spell cast on the afflicted creature before it would turn into a Black Sheep Spawn negates this effect. Characters being affected by this ability notice their body slowly becoming more sheep like, starting with the area they were bitten.       
   Flammable (Ex): A Black Sheep Spawn dealt fire damage catches on fire, taking 1d6 burning damage for every round it is on fire. Characters struck by a burning Black Sheep also suffer 1d6 points of burning damage.

[Skirmisher]

Wow, this one is pretty off the wall! What fevered inspiration led to it? Can really see a party wondering what the hell is going on when they meet one of these.

In any event, "Looks Like a Sheep" is for the sure the funniest special quality I have ever seen!

So does a victim turned into a Black Sheep Spawn also look like a sheep, like a shadow of its former self, or something else altogether?

You might also want to add something like, "Flocks of these foul creatures are often kept by the fiendish denizens of Hades, who favor the taste of their flesh, and might be found dwelling in the gloomy rift valleys of the dismal outer plane."

[Brendan]

I forgot to add in the physical description of the black sheep spawn. I've added it in now.

Black Sheep Spawn are the products of a Black Sheep attack. Visually, they look like a hybrid combination of a sheep and whatever the original creature was. Keeping the most prominent features of the original creature, and gaining the most prominent features of a sheep (e.g. the eyes with horizontal slit irises, woolly bodies, forward tilted front teeth, and cloven feet.)

[Skirmisher]

Hah! That's great, and very repulsive.

You don't list any advancement for Black Sheep, so it's quite possible that one of their Spawn might end up being the most powerful member of a particular flock, right?

[Brendan]

Oh yes, Black Sheep Spawn are without a doubt much more fearsome than their Black Sheep comrades. How terrifying would a black sheep spawn dragon be? Much more terrifying than a plain old Black Sheep.

[Brendan]

I think I should give an example Black Sheep Spawn.

[Skirmisher]

Yeah, I agree, a sample would be a good idea. How about a Hill Giant who has taken over as the shepherd for a flock? That could be pretty fearsome!

[Brendan]

There we go, I've added a sample black sheep spawn: the Black Shepherd

[Starglim]

Great .. gloomy rift valleys .. Should they have Mint Sauce Vulnerability?

[Brendan]

My god yes! You reminded me, I was going to add in that mint jelly paralyzes them! I had forgotten about that until now.

[Skirmisher]

So are you really going to add the thing about mint jelly, or are you just joking about that?

[Brendan]

No no, definitely will, infact, I'm running my group through a post apocalyptic world dominated by black sheep and their spawn. I called it resident mutton, hence why I said it at our game session. Their entire goal is to find the world's largest gelatinous cube (titanic in size) and turn it into a mint gelatinous cube (through luring it into a huge crater and throwing tons of mint in). Having done that they will use it to rid the world of the black sheep.

black sheep and their spawn are stunned for one round if struck with a vial of mint jelly.

[Skirmisher]

Wow, we seriously ought to look at publishing that as a Nuisances adventure! Dark and dangerous but still preposterous, which is a hard line to walk and one that none of the bigger companies seems to generally succeed at.

[Brendan]

Well, if you like it I'll make sure I write it for more than just myself. Full descriptions and the like.

Lemme know, I'd love for other people to play my scenarios.

As for dark and still preposterous. That's how I like to do things, I feel like it's also the nuisance way. That's why I still want to make that Return to The Temple of Excremental Evil module.

[UncleHyena]

Ummm...

Filk artist Tom Smith has a song called, "Sheep Marketing Ploy", otherwise known as, "The Ballad of Fenton, the Death Sheep from Hell."

It seems appropriate to this thread; lyrics here: http://www.tomsmithonline.com/lyrics/fenton.htm

Uncle Hyena