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Mask 020: Monster

My entry in Stella's Mask Relay, compiled here on Bluesky.

I was tagged by Havoc, Mr. Lonely Star himself, who did Mask 019.

Passing it to Ollie for number 021!

Monster

A mask made of an iridescent metal. When Man first slew Man, the tears from heaven that fell upon his face became a mask that marked him Monster.

The mask molds itself to the face of the wearer, preserving it through life and beyond death. The mask dooms its wearer to become an adversary to their fellowsβ€”it is sought as a curse by the powerful, and a blessing by the despairing. This is but one of the paths man can walk to leave mortality behind.

When first donning the mask, the wearer gains infravision and stops aging. Any hit dice become supernatural, which can be overcome by silver weapons.

They also develop a hungerβ€”based on the wearer’s greatest flaw, vice, or hubris; or from the d6 table below:

  1. Wealth
  2. Adoration
  3. Blood
  4. Beauty
  5. Revenge
  6. Solitude

While the wearer’s face remains eternal, the rest of their body changes. Over the next year and a day, roll d24 on the following table when the mask is donned, each season, and on the final day. Crossing off changes that have already come to pass:

  1. Gains a new body plan (cross off other body plans): four legged beast (claws or hooves 1d6, trips on max damage)
  2. insect (can climb sheer surfaces)
  3. serpent (moves silently/hides on 5-in-6)
  4. cephalopod (no bones, 1-6 tentacle attacks),
  5. centauric (considered mounted, use tools, 1d6 hooves)
  6. Sprouts wings.
  7. Becomes amphibious.
  8. Becomes a water breather.
  9. Wearer sprouts a dragon head that can breathe fire.
  10. Wearer sprouts a rooster’s head with a petrifying gaze.
  11. Sprouts an extra set of arms with sharp claws or pummeling fists (1d6+2)
  12. Sprouts a snapping crocodile head (2d6 bite and swallow whole)
  13. Grows a stinging tail (save or die)
  14. Grows to immense size (+4 HD; all attacks gain +1d6)
  15. Grows a hardened shell or hide (AC as plate)
  16. Grows a mockingbird’s head and can mimic sounds/speech perfectly
  17. Troll’s blood; skin becomes covered in growths and lesions, reroll HD each turn
  18. Severed heads multiply unless cauterized
  19. Nemean skin reduces all but blunt weapons to 1 damage
  20. Thick fur insulates against cold and heat
  21. Accompanied by 1d6 1HD copies Lays eggs daily regardless of wearer’s original sex; hatch in 1d6 weeks.
  22. Weaves and traverses webs as a spider
  23. Grows lion’s head (1d6+1 bite and terrifying roar tests morale)
  24. Coat or tail covered in iron spikes as manticore

The wearer can remove the mask at any time, but remain forever changed. Even monsters who relent are sure to meet an early end.

#mask relay #system neutral