Towards the Hoard of a Hundred Horrors: Witherstinks

The first step of a hundred journeys begins with digging two graves for an eye.

I have mentioned this monster manual project - my Hoard of a Hundred Horrors - before, and I figured I should get the ball rolling on actually posting some of it before Halloween hits.

There's no overall theme to it besides "monsters I like". Some are original creations. Some are from folklore. This one is stolen from White Dwarf magazine's Fiend Factory - created by Mr. Jonathan Jones. He called them witherstenches. I think my name sounds better.

They're dire skunks, essentially.

They are

Witherstinks

HD: 3 AC: 12 ATK: 1d3/1d3/1d6 Claw/Claw/Bite + Withering Stink SAV: 8 MOV: As a dog runs across ground - as a dog walks burrowing through it INT: Clever beast ML: 6 outside den, 8 within
No. Appearing: 1d4 - if more than two are encountered this will be a pair of mates and their kit(s)

Withering Stink: Those within 30' of a witherstink must save vs. Constitution each round. The first failure and you are stunned for a round. The second failure you are stunned again, and drop whatever you're holding & fall prone as you retch. The third failure you fall unconscious and begin suffocating until removed from the area. Those exposed to this withering stink will not be permitted into civilized places until they've had a thorough bath.

Stink Gland: If you've got a relevant skill (butchery, anatomy, hunting, medicine, etc.) you can attempt to extract a dead or unconscious witherstink's stink gland. Success gives you a fresh gland. Failure destroys the gland and deals 1d6 damage to the witherstink if it's still alive.

A stink gland can be thrown to release a cloud of similar size and effect to the Withering Stink ability, which dissipates in one hour, or in ten minutes in strong winds. A stink gland can be sold for 5 silver pieces to parties who would be interested in such stink-bombs. Finally, if you anoint yourself with the contents of a stink gland, then quanloses & their sting-hosts will be passive towards you for an hour, not attacking unless you attack them first. Glands go bad in 1d4+2 days unless packed in salt, which preserves them until use.

Other Such Moneyed Interests: Their pelts, being abominably smelly and likely infested with fungi, are worthless. Their meat, likewise, will bring you only bowel-clenching misery should you eat it. However, their kits are adorable, and with its stink gland removed a kit is worth 50 silver pieces to those with disposable income & an interest in cute animals.

Miscellanea:

• Witherstinks collect the bones of their prey in their dens, gnawing them open to expose the marrow but not indulging in the stuff themselves - instead they allow various fungi to sprout on the bones, such as fungus which screams when unfamiliar creatures enter the nest, or fungus they can consume to treat parasites, or fungus which has a pleasing appearance to prospective mates.
• The noseless monks of the order of St. Janicaspo raise witherstinks, believing that the mortally-offensive stench of the world's sins are made apparent to all by the creatures.
• The perfumers of Gherriot knew how to work witherstink glands into the finest perfume. Bottles of the stuff are damn-near priceless. Their secret was entombed along with the perfumers in their guild-hall.

(In my wildest imaginings, when the Hoard is complete I would release a pdf with an illustration for each monster, along with associated lairs, dungeons, spells, classes, etc. We'll see.)