Creature Feature: Caratorks!

 

The sun rises over a field of ripened vegetables. Two men are working the fields, trying to get the work done before the sweltering heat cooks them. "*sniffs*...you smell that, Francis? It's like...wet dirt and...blood?" the old farmer asked to his farmhand. Francis looks around, sniffs the air, spits, and replies "Yeah...yeah I believe I do, Graham. Also, hold on. Do you hear that? Sounds like...people yelling? We're not missing Father Leopold's sermon are we?" Both workers stare towards the sun, befuddled at these bizarre sensations. The two men begin to see figures moving swiftly over the ridge between them and the sun. A few figures turn into several, and then into a dozen, and suddenly scores of human-sized figures are now descending upon the farmlands. The farmers start to panic, realizing these orange monstrosities are carrying crude, wicked-looking weapons, have begun tearing up the farmland, and seem to be charging towards the farmers. The largest of them wields a two-handed sword and makes a beeline for the men. Francis drops his tools and makes a run for it, while Graham stares dumb-founded. The stunned man becomes the stuck man, as several of the carrot-men run him through with their weapons, which causes Francis to redouble his efforts to escape. Unfortunately for him, he trips over a large watermelon and lands face first into the dirt. He suddenly feels a rough hand grip tightly around one of his ankles and lift him up. The alpha belts out a spittle-filled roar into the poor farmer's face and throws him into the crazed swarm of carrot-men.

The carrots are rising up! What brought these monstrosities to mutate and rise up from the soil? A mad mage looking to create a personal army? The corrupting effects of the Miasma? Or perhaps a cruel god looking for entertainment through ironic slaughter? Whatever the cause, vegetarians and pastoral communities must now be wary of their meals rising up and subjecting them to barbarism and slavery.

More information on them from the Menagerie:

Bipedal plants in the shape of humanoids. They grow underground until their “hair” sprouts up, after which they can be pulled out or they will dig themselves out naturally. Their weapons grow in the same fields from which they sprout and are made of a similar material to wood. They are crude, and lose Quality on a 1-3. Masterwork Caratorkan weapons (the magic ones from Referee Rules) are only wielded by Kings and Berserkers (1-6 chance of a Berserker carrying one). All take an extra die of fire damage. If they are in sunlight or on damp soil, they regen 1 HP/round. All have an additional Action that can only be used to perform stunts or move 30’. All are Plant type.

Caratorks are Miasma and Monster's take on Orcs, with some flavor and mechanical changes to make them more interesting and less predictable than the monsters we all love to fight. Enough of the fluff, what the fuck are these things and how can I run them in my games now? 

Here's some stat blocks for the various types of Caratorks. 

Berserker
4 HD, AC 15 (no armor), weapon (long or heavy, + 4 damage when raging), mv 40’, morale 9 (13 when raging), initiative 10
Brute Template
Barbarian and Frenzy traits
# Appearing 1d6 (2d8 planted in the ground/in a lair)

King
Large sized Caratork with a growth above its eyes that resembles a crown
7 HD, AC 18 (Full Plate), Dire Flail (heavy, +10 to damage), MV 40’, Morale 10, initiative 10

Brute Template

Inspiring, Try Again!, and Meat Dabbler traits

# Appearing 1 (1 planted in ground/in a lair)

Shaman
Caratorks with innate spell-casting and riddled with tumors
5 (d4s) HD, AC 14, staff (d8), mv 35’, Morale 9, initiative 9

Caster Template
Magus, Spell Thief and Steel Trap Mind
4 random spells
2 Permanent Mutations
# Appearing 1d4 (2d6 planted in ground/in a lair)

Sprout
2 HD, AC 13 (or as armored), 1 attack (weapon, usually spear or axe for d8), MV 40’, Morale 8, initiative 10
# Appearing 1d8 (3d10 planted in the ground/in a lair)

Either sprinkle these guys into your random encounter tables, plop a field of them into one of your hexes, or perhaps set up a mad Agrimancer in your world animating farmer's fields into their personal army!