Rusty

A dull-colored creature prowls for food and strikes with limbs of chitin. Its touch reduces metals to brittle rust.

A rust monster can be purchased and placed in any unoccupied square in the purchasing team’s Map End. Rusty is fully a monster of its kind: without the Loyalty build option purchased for it, Rusty will attack the purchasing team as readily as the opposing teams. Thus, initial placement of Rusty is key. The GM controls Rusty’s actions.

Rusty, Lesser

Mp Cost 50
Triggered by: N/A Trigger N/A
Size: - Reset N/A
Perception DC: N/A Disable DC: N/A
Saving throw: N/A

Lesser Effect: The Lesser Rusty doesn’t come with any equipment and is 5 feet long, weighs 227 pounds, and has the statistics below:

Rusty, Greater

Mp Cost 50
Triggered by: N/A Trigger N/A
Size: - Reset N/A
Perception DC: N/A Disable DC: N/A
Saving throw: N/A

Greater Effects: Greater Rusty is 6 feet tall at the height of the back, 8 feet long, weighs 900 pounds and it comes already equipped with a riding saddle. Greater Rusty already has the Loyalty build option and thus will not normally attack the possessions of the Purchasing Team.

Statue of Life

The Statue of Life is able to heal the wounds of the team that has claimed it. In order to be healed, the character must touch the statue and request the healing, which requires a Standard action. The statue can be used by multiple characters in the same round.

War Elephant

A war elephant is an elephant that has been trained how to behave in combat, in much the same way as a war horse is trained for combat. However, an elephant is more destructive than a horse and far more temperamental. A war elephant may wear barding and may also wear a howdah (a construction much like a small carriage that is mounted on the elephant’s back and that commonly can hold 2 people.)

Rusty Additional Build Options

Teams may purchase the following improvements at the MP cost indicated

Description Effect MP Cost
Toughness +5 Hit Points 10
Thick Hide Natural +5 to AC 10*
Loyalty (Lesser Rusty only) Rusty won't attack the purchasing team 10
* can be purchased up to twice

How to Ride a Rust Monster

Rust monsters aren’t too tall and they’ve got nice broad backs and built-in “reins,” so it might seem at first glance that riding a rust monster would be a fairly easy task. However, it isn’t quite the simple bit of fun that the experienced “rust-riders” make it seem. Greenhorns soon learn, riding a rust monster is a lot more dangerous than riding a regular mount. Getting astride a rust monster is the first hurdle. While most people think of rust monsters as being about the size of a large dog, they can grow to the size of a large pony, and it is the pony-sized rust monsters that are rideable by Medium characters. Most experienced riders can mount a rust monster without issue, but untrained riders might slip and fall. It requires a Riding (5) check to mount/dismount a rust monster. Mounting or dismounting is a free action. Once astride, a rider can guide a rust monster to do just about anything that a horse can be guided to do, it’s just more difficult to do so. As a general rule, the Riding difficult is +5 higher than it is getting a horse to do the same task. However, there are a couple special actions that a rust
monster can perform that a horse can’t:

◆◆ Rust: The rust monster can be encouraged to use its rust or bite attack while the rider makes his own attack. Doing so is a free action that requires a DC 15 Ride check. If the check is successful, the rider can then make a standard attack while the rust monster also attacks. If unsuccessful, the rider loses his action, but the rust monster can still make an attack, if it feels like it.

◆◆ Darkvision: Since a rust monster can see in the dark, it can easily pass through dark areas . As a standard action, a rider can urge the rust monster to proceed through a dark area. This requires a DC 15 Ride check. The rust monster will then enter the dark area and find the straightest path to the nearest exit, regardless of which exit the rider wanted.
◆◆ Sense Metal: Their sense if smell can be used to sniff out invisible opponents (should they have any metal on them). Using a standard action, the rider can make a DC 20 Ride check to urge the rust monster to seek out the nearest source of metal.
Of course, riding a rust monster also poses some unique challenges.

1. The rust monster’s bridle and reins must be made without any metal parts. Otherwise they will dissolve at the first careless antennae swipe. Saddles should be metal-free as well, just in case. The rider can always use the rust monster’s antennae as natural reins, but doing so robs the rust monster of its rust attack.

2. If the rider wears or carries any metal objects, he runs the risk of the rust monster becoming confused. Every round, as a free action, the rider must make a DC 10 ride check to keep the rust monster focused. If the rider fails that roll, the rust monster becomes disoriented. Roll 1d6. On a roll of 1, the rust monster moves straight ahead to the extent of its movement. On a roll of 2-5, the rust monster stands still for one round. On a roll of 6, the rust monster forgets its Loyalty and attempts to attack its rider with its antennae. A character who discards all metal before attempting to ride a rust monster doesn’t have to make this check, even though
the scent would linger on his person.

3. A rider who chooses to wear or carry metal while riding a rust monster suffers a -2 penalty to all Ride checks. This includes the Ride check to focus the rust monster every round. The rust monster is stubborn and doesn’t like obeying such a tasty-smelling rider.

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