Acrozatarim/Mephits

Basics of Mephit Morphology

So when approaching this task, I've taken a look at the Imp as a sorta starting template. A level 3 spoiler, it's pretty good at that task with the ability to chuck conditions and its annoying curse aura. Its attack bonus is lower than would be normal for its level and so is its damage, but in return it gets various rider effects. It has a slightly higher AC than normal, but has fewer hit points than normal.

Looking at our mephits, I'm going to generally gun for level 2 - demonic imps should be a bit scarier than these blighters. I'll generally stick with spoilers in the style of their abilities. I'll have slightly lower hit points than normal, a slightly better AC, and unlike the Imp I'll go for higher PD than MD for most of them - the nippy little blighters are hard to hit with blasts and bolts, but they're weak-willed and none too bright.

All of them will have a claw attack of varying use - for some, it's their primary attack, for others it's a fallback - and one or two additional powers associated with their element. Thinking up some nastier specials is easy enough. I won't be translating over their old rule for regenerating when in their element - it's too minor an effect to bother with, and can be covered narratively by just saying that mephits heal fast if left alone in their element, so don't let them get away from a fight and do that. I won't bother with the old ability to gate in more mephits either, for simplicity's sake and to prevent a sudden outbreak of mephit infestations from exploding into existence.

You'll note I'm also tagging them with the [Elemental] type. This isn't a standard type in 13th Age, but is useful for me for future elemental-related stuff.

Fire Mephit

Mischievous little sprites wrought from elemental flame, fire mephits burn with energy that they often vent in malicious pranks and tricks. Unsurprisingly, they love setting things alight - things like hapless adventurers.

2nd Level Spoiler [Elemental]
Initiative: +7
Burning claws +6 vs AC – 3 damage, and any ongoing fire damage that the target is suffering now requires a hard save (16+) to end.
C Flame Jet +6 vs PD (1 nearby enemy) – 7 fire damage
18+: The flame jet also deals 5 ongoing fire damage
Limited Use: 1/round as a standard action if the Escalation Die is even.
R Forge-Blaze +7 vs AC (1 nearby creature wearing heavy armour) – 5 ongoing fire damage. If the target fails the first save, this increases to 10 ongoing fire damage. The target may also remove their armour to end the damage; this will probably take at least a turn of fumbling at straps and buckles.
Limited Use: 1/battle

Flight: Fire mephits fly quite well, although they prefer to soar up on thermals where they can.
Resist Fire 16+

Nastier Specials
Fiery Aura: At the beginning of the fire mephit's turn, every enemy engaged with the mephit suffers 3 fire damage. If the mephit is staggered, this increases to 6 fire damage.
Fan the Flames: 1/battle as a standard action, the fire mephit can increase the ongoing fire damage that a nearby enemy is suffering by 5.

HP: 30
AC: 18
PD: 16
MD: 12

Radiant Mephit

The shining mephit with the multihued, hypnotic skin looks utterly blissed out, high on the wondrous glory of infinite light. It just wants you to come a little closer, so that it can share the glorious light with you too.

2nd Level Spoiler [Elemental]
Initiative: +6
Radiant Claws +6 vs AC – 5 damage, and the target gains Vulnerability (Psychic) for 1 turn.
C Colour Spray +7 vs MD (1d3 nearby enemies in a group) – 10 psychic damage, and if the target has 10hp or fewer after the damage, it is weakened for 1 turn.
Limited Use: 1/battle

Flight: Radiant mephits fly moderately well, but tend to get distracted if doing so outside; the glorious sun and radiant expanse call to them.
Resist Psychic 16+

Nastier Specials
R Blissfully Hypnotic Gaze +6 vs MD (1 nearby enemy) – 5 ongoing psychic damage, and until the ongoing damage is saved the target feels serene and blissful; once per turn when they make an attack, they suffer an additional 5 psychic damage.
Limited Use: 1/round as a standard action if the Escalation Die is even.
C Just Relax +7 vs MD (1 nearby enemy) – 7 psychic damage, and if the target has 15hp or fewer after the damage, it must start making last gasp saves as it begins to fall asleep.

HP: 30
AC: 18
PD: 12
MD: 16

Water Mephit

If the jovial little water sprite would just stop with the terrible, terrible puns, then it might be more tolerable as a servant than as an enemy. At the current rate, it's going to kill you by trying to cheer you up.

2nd Level Spoiler [Elemental]
Initiative: +6
Damp Claws +7 vs AC – 3 damage
C Acidic Breath +6 vs PD (1d2 nearby enemies) – 5 acid damage and 5 ongoing acid damage.
Limited Use: 1/round as a standard action if the Escalation Die is even.
R Briny Cloud +7 vs PD (1d3 nearby or far away enemies) – as long as they are affected by the briny, clinging fog, targets suffer a 20% miss chance on all their attacks (save ends).
Limited Use: 1/battle

Flight: Water mephits fly poorly for a creature of their diminutive size, except for in the vicinity of bodies of water; they swoop and dive over the sea like graceful birds. Graceful, reeking, dripping, endlessly joking birds that just won't shut up.
Resist Acid 16+

Nastier Specials
Liquefy: Whenever the water mephit strikes a staggered enemy with its damp claws, the target also suffers 5 ongoing damage and becomes dazed (save ends both).
R Killing Joke + 7 vs MD (1 nearby enemy) – the target suffers 7 psychic damage; in its next turn, it suffers a -4 penalty on its attack rolls unless it includes the water mephit as a target.

HP: 32
AC: 19
PD: 15
MD: 12

Ice Mephit

Ice mephits make other mephits look positively benign. These cold, aloof creatures revel in unnecessary malice and destruction to an extent quite out of proportion to their diminutive size and limited power. Expect them to get in close – they want to see your pain.

2nd Level Spoiler [Elemental]
Initiative: +7
Freezing Claws +7 vs PD – 7 cold damage
Natural even hit: The target also becomes weakened for one turn.
C Ice Volley +7 vs AC (1d3+1 enemies engaged with the ice mephit) – 7 cold damage
Limited Use: 1/round as a standard action if the Escalation Die is even.

Flight: Ice mephits fly remarkably swiftly, cutting through the air like a knife.
Resist Cold 16+

Nastier Specials
Chilling Aura: At the beginning of the ice mephit's turn, every enemy engaged with the mephit suffers 3 cold damage. If the mephit is staggered, this increases to 6 cold damage.
R Cold Feet +7 vs PD (1 nearby enemy) – 5 cold damage, and 5 ongoing cold damage; as long as the target is suffering from the ongoing cold damage, it takes them 2 move actions rather than 1 to make a move.
Limited Use: 1/battle

HP: 30
AC: 18
PD: 16
MD: 12

Magma Mephit

He's a pretty passive chap most of the time, just your regular, dim little magma-man trundling around and taking life in his stride. But don't make him angry. You won't like it when he's angry.

2nd Level Wrecker [Elemental]
Initiative: +5
Lava Claw +8 vs AC – 8 damage
18+: The attack also deals 5 ongoing fire damage
C Magma Spit +6 vs PD (one nearby enemy) – 10 fire damage, and if the target does not make a move during their next turn then they suffer an additional 10 fire damage.
Limited Use: 1/battle

Burning Rage: While the magma mephit is staggered it deals an additional d6 fire damage with each attack.
Fiery Aura: At the beginning of the magma mephit's turn, every enemy engaged with the mephit suffers 3 fire damage. If the mephit is staggered, this increases to 6 fire damage.
Flight: Magma mephits really don't fly very well; they can hover alright, but would rather move on the good, solid ground where they leave a reassuring trail of burning footprints behind them (this helps remind them how to get back home again, as otherwise they tend to forget).
Resist Fire 16+

Nastier Specials
Cooling Magma Turns Solid: Targets hit with magma spit also become stuck (save ends).
World's Smallest Volcano: When the magma mephit dies, all enemies engaged with the mephit suffer 10 fire damage and, if they do not move during their next turn, they suffer an additional 10 fire damage.

HP: 30
AC: 19
PD: 16
MD: 12

Ash Mephit

Leaving trails of soot in its wake, the gloomy little mephit doesn't seem particularly alarmed at the notion of being attacked. It was glumly certain this was going to be yet another bad day anyway – you can hardly make its life any worse. No-one understands its pain.

2nd Level Spoiler [Elemental]
Initiative: +6
Sooty Claws +6 vs AC – 3 damage
C Ash Breath +7 vs PD (1d2 nearby enemies) – 7 damage and targets become dazed for one turn.
Limited Use: 1/round as a standard action if the Escalation Die is even.
R Glum Lament +7 vs MD (1 nearby enemy) – 5 psychic damage and target becomes weakened for one turn.
Limited Use: 1/battle, but recharged whenever the ash mephit becomes staggered.

Flight: Ash mephits are actually fairly good at flying, though they bemoan having to do so to such an extent that you'd think they'd rather just walk (except walking's even worse, then the wings get tangled with the legs, and besides there's all these terrible things that happen to you when you're on the ground...)
Resist Fire 14+

Nastier Specials
Why Bother?: When an enemy hits the ash mephit on a natural odd roll, that enemy becomes dazed for one turn.
Flaring Embers: When the ash mephit's ash breath hits an enemy that is already dazed or weakened, they suffer an additional 5 ongoing fire damage.

HP: 30
AC: 18
PD: 12
MD: 16

Lightning Mephit

Hyperactive, supercharged, ready for anything, eager to get to the action, and any number of other descriptions still don't quite get across how energetic lightning mephits tend to be. They're also possessed of a curious streak a mile wide, meaning the over-friendly buggers get into everything.

2nd Level Spoiler [Elemental]
Initiative: +12
Crackling Claws +6 vs AC – 5 lightning damage, and the lightning mephit may pop free from combat if it wishes.
R Arc Lightning +6 vs PD (1 nearby or far away enemy) – 7 lightning damage
18+: The mephit may use arc lightning again against a different enemy in range.

Flight: These little dancing bolts of lightning can fly incredibly fast, but they're rather poor at turning...
Hyper: Once per battle, a lightning mephit may take an additional standard action on its turn. If it uses this action to move, all attacks against it suffer a 50% miss chance for the next turn.
Resist Lightning 16+

Nastier Specials
Static Charge: The mephit's crackling claws also inflict the Vulnerable (Lightning) condition to targets for 1 turn.
Lightning Bolt: 1/battle, the mephit disappears in a flash of thunder as a standard action; make an arc lightning attack against any enemy on the battlefield, then the mephit reappears engaged with them

HP: 30
AC: 18
PD: 17
MD: 12

Mineral Mephit

Wrought of glittering crystal, this diminutive imp might pass for a statue were it possible that any self-respecting sculptor would create such an ugly creature with so sullen and suspicious a face. On the other hand, when it spots your treasure and gems, its eyes light up with avarice.

2nd Level Spoiler [Elemental]
Initiative: +6
Crystal Claws +7 vs AC – 7 damage
C Glittering Breath (1d2 nearby enemies) +6 vs PD – 5 damage and targets are blinded, becoming hampered for one round.
Limited Use: 1/battle

Flight: Mineral mephits fly slowly and clumsily; they barely seem air-worthy.
Pass-Stone: As a standard action, a mineral mephit may make a move through solid stone, rock or mineral.
Resist Physical 14+

Nastier Specials
Blade Wrecker: When the mephit's crystal claws hit on a natural even roll, it may choose to deal no damage and instead force the target to make a save for a single weapon they are wielding (an easy save if the weapon is magical). If failed, the weapon is too badly damaged to be used again this battle, and must be repaired (which requires a short rest and the appropriate tools – a hammer, whetstone, or likewise).
Avaricious: When the mephit's crystal claws hit on a natural odd roll, the target must make a save or the mephit swipes a single piece of worn jewellry right off them – most likely the magical rings or amulet they may be wearing.

HP: 35
AC: 19
PD: 16
MD: 12

Mist Mephit

This green mephit stands aloof from the other elemental imps, watching them carefully for the first sign of treason or treachery. It would probably have a longer life expectancy if it spent all that effort watching for real dangers.

2nd Level Spoiler [Elemental]
Initiative: +8
Clammy Claws +6 vs AC – 3 damage
C Poison Mist +7 vs PD (1 nearby or far away enemy) – 7 poison damage and the target is hampered for one round.
Limited Use: 1/round as a standard action if the Escalation Die is even.
R Fog Bank +6 vs PD (1d3 nearby or far away enemies) – 3 poison damage, and the targets suffer a 30% miss chance on all their attacks until they move out of the fog to a different location. Limited Use: 1/battle

Flight: Mist mephits are excellent fliers, unless you ask a steam mephit (who would say they are terrible compared to steam mephits).
Resist Poison 16+

Nastier Specials
Gaseous Form: 1/battle as a move action, the mist mephit gains Resist Physical 18+ for one turn.
Vigilance: The mist mephit is never surprised and always goes first in combat; after initiative scores are rolled, the mephit's initiative is changed to the highest initiative +1.

HP: 30
AC: 18
PD: 16
MD: 12

Steam Mephit

Steam mephits are notoriously full of themselves, convinced that they are foremost amongst the elemental imps and hence the natural leaders of mephitkind. It constantly aggravates these boiling, dripping little creatures that other mephits don't seem to agree, especially those blasted mist mephits.

2nd Level Spoiler [Elemental]
Initiative: +8
Boiling Claws +7 vs AC – 7 damage
Natural even hit: The target also becomes dazed for one turn.
C Scalding Cascade +6 vs PD (1 nearby target) – 5 fire damage and the target is popped free from anyone it is engaged with
Limited Use: 1/round as a standard action if the Escalation Die is even.

Flight: Steam mephits are excellent fliers, unless you ask a mist mephit (who would say they are terrible compared to mist mephits).
Resist Fire 16+

Nastier Specials
R Boiling Rainstorm +6 vs PD (1d3+1 nearby or far away targets) – 5 ongoing fire damage
Scalding Steam: Any enemy engaged with a steam mephit who has Resistance (Fire) has the value of their resistance reduced by 2.

HP: 30
AC: 18
PD: 16
MD: 12

Air Mephit

You can trust an air mephit about as far as you can throw him. That's actually pretty far, just don't expect him to come back again afterwards.

2nd Level Spoiler [Elemental]
Initiative: +10
Wind Claws +7 vs AC – 7 damage, and the air mephit may pop free from combat if it wishes
C Grit Breath +6 vs PD (1d3 nearby enemies) – 3 damage and targets are dazed for 1 turn. Any that are engaged with the air mephit are popped free of combat.
Limited Use: 1/round as a standard action if the Escalation Die is even.

Flight: Air mephits are swift fliers and are particularly manoueverable; most other mephits are jealous.
Resist Lightning and Poison 14+

Nastier Specials
Evasion: The air mephit's AC and PD against ranged attacks are both raised by 2.
R Wind Slam +7 vs PD (1 nearby or far away enemy) – 5 damage and the enemy is both popped free of any engagement and sent flying a move action's worth of distance.

HP: 30
AC: 18
PD: 16
MD: 12

Smoke Mephit

Exuding thick coils of smoke wherever they go, these sooty little mephits can be relied upon to avoid work, shirk responsibility and generally just drift lazily around at their own whim.

2nd Level Spoiler [Elemental]
Initiative: +5
Smoking Claws +7 vs AC – 5 damage
18+: The target gains Vulnerability (Fire) for one turn.
C Soot Ball +7 vs PD (1 nearby creature) – 5 damage and the target becomes dazed for one turn.
[Special Trigger] Smoke & Mirrors +6 vs MD (one nearby enemy) – 5 psychic damage and the target becomes confused for one round.
Limited Use: 1/battle as an interrupt action when a nearby enemy rolls a natural 1-5 with an attack against it.

Flight: Smoke mephits can fly fairly well but are particularly good at hovering about, not doing much.
Resist Fire 16+

Nastier Specials
Puff of Smoke: 1/battle as a minor action, the smoke mephit becomes invisible until it makes an attack or commits some other obvious act.
Hall of Smoke & Mirrors: The Smoke & Mirrors power now becomes 1/round rather than 1/battle.

HP: 30
AC: 18
PD: 12
MD: 16

Earth Mephit

A dirty, lumpen little imp of stone, this mephit has absolutely no sense of humour and a surprisingly heavy punch. It really doesn't think your joke about pebbles was funny.

2nd Level Wrecker [Elemental]
Initiative: +5
Rocky Claws +7 vs AC – 7 damage
C Spit Boulder +7 vs PD (1 nearby enemy) – 10 damage and the target is stunned for 1 turn.
Limited Use: 1/battle

Grow: 1/battle as a minor action, the earth mephit grows to a huge size, gaining a +2 bonus to attack rolls with their rocky claws and +2d6 to damage. The mephit must make a save at the end of each of their turns, or the magic ends and they return to their normal size.
Flight: Earth mephits fly poorly, somewhat akin to a boulder that has found itself in the surprising situation of not falling immediately to earth.
Resist Physical 14+

Nastier Specials
Cough Up: As a minor action, the earth mephit may recharge its spit boulder power by suffering 5 points of damage.
The Lure of Gems: As long as the earth mephit is engaged with an enemy who has any jewellry or gems on their person, the mephit automatically passes saves to maintain the huge size of its grow ability.

HP: 35
AC: 19
PD: 16
MD: 12

Ooze Mephit

An obsequious, oily little thing, this ochre mephit is an unending torrent of false flattery and pathetic attempts to weasel some money out of you. The horrid creature is dripping orange ooze all over your new boots.

2nd Level Spoiler [Elemental]
Initiative: +6
Oozing Claws +7 vs AC – 5 poison damage
18+: The target is also stuck for one round.
C Reeking Cloud +7 vs PD (1d3 nearby enemies) – 5 poison damage and targets are dazed for one round.

Flight: Ooze mephits fly surprisingly well, but they drip muck everywhere that they go and the damn stuff stains really badly.
Resist Physical 14+
Vile Stench: Characters engaged with an ooze mephit suffer a -1 penalty to their AC and PD.
Vulnerability (Anyone who actually gives them some money)

Nastier Specials
Oh God It's In My Hair: When an ooze mephit dies, every enemy engaged with the mephit becomes weakened for 1 turn.
Opportunistic Snatch: The ooze mephit gets a +2 bonus to hit with opportunity attacks. If the target has any money on them, then instead of doing damage the mephit steals some of it; it'll grab an entire coin purse or bag if it can, or otherwise will nab up to 4d6 coins of random denominations with a quick frisk. Oh, and it leaves greasy, oily fingerprints behind that are going to take a lot of scrubbing to get out.

HP: 30
AC: 18
PD: 16
MD: 12

Dust Mephit

Clad in weblike, black robes and sporting a rather pasty complexion, these dusty little imps have a disturbingly morbid demeanour and are far too fond of discussing death for such short-lived creatures.

2nd Level Spoiler [Elemental]
Initiative: +8
Dusty Claws +6 vs AC – 4 damage
C Glass Dust +6 vs PD (1d3 nearby enemies) – 3 damage and targets are weakened for 1 turn.
Limited Use: 1/round as a standard action if the Escalation Die is even.

Body Harvest: All of a dust mephit's attacks against staggered enemies inflict an additional 1d6 damage.
Flight: Dust mephits are good flyers, as long as they make sure their dark robes don't get tangled in wings or tail.
Resist Fire 16+

Nastier Specials
R Dusty Disintegration +6 vs PD (1 nearby or far away enemy) - 5 damage, and if the target has 15hp or fewer after the damage, it must start making last gasp saves as it begins to disintegrate into dust. Unlike normal last gasp saves, these are normal (11+) saves rather than hard ones.
Dusty Repose: All enemies nearby a dust mephit who are reduced to 0 hit points or less and begin to make death saves suffer a -1 penalty on their saves.

HP: 30
AC: 18
PD: 12
MD: 16

Salt Mephit

You can expect acerbic quips, biting remarks and painful wounds from a salt mephit; the glittering, crystalline imps have a particularly annoying habit of keeping a running commentary as they slash and tear at victims.

2nd Level Spoiler [Elemental]
Initiative: +7
Salt Claws +7 vs AC – 7 damage
18+: The target becomes dazed for 1 turn.
C Salt Crystal Blast +7 vs PD (1 nearby creature) – 5 damage and the target becomes dazed for 1 turn.
Limited Use: 1/round as a standard action if the Escalation Die is even.
R Acidic Taunt +6 vs MD (1 nearby or far away creature) – 7 psychic damage.
Limited Use: 1/battle unless the taunt's damage makes the target staggered, in which case it is recharged.

Flight: Salt mephits fly fairly well, but they hate to be out in the open air where a passing squall or shower might soak them and make them melt away.
Resistance Physical 14+

Nastier Specials
Salt in the Wound: Whenever the mephit hits a staggered target with salt claws or salt crystal blast, the daze effect becomes (save ends) instead of just lasting for 1 round.
Salt the Earth: Any enemies nearby the salt mephit who use a recovery to heal regain 3 fewer hit points than they would usually.

HP: 30
AC: 18
PD: 16
MD: 12

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