Wastri (The Hopping Prophet)
Demi-god, LN(E) -- Bigotry, Self-Deception, Amphibians
ARMOR CLASS: -3
MOVE: 18", 3" hop
HIT POINTS: 129
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type +2 (strength bonus) or 2-12/2-12 (open
hand)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +1 or better magical weapon to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 50%
SIZE: M
ALIGNMENT: Lawful neutral (evil)
WORSHIPERS' ALIGNMENT: Lawful neutral/lawful evil (U)
SYMBOL: Gray toad
PLANE: Prime Material
CLERIC/DRUID: 15th level cleric
FIGHTER: Nil
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: 7th level assassin
MONK/BARD: 8th level monk
PSIONIC ABILITY: VI
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil/nil
| S: 18 | I: 10 | W: 20 |
| D: 22 | C: 19 | CH: 2
(20 to amphibians) |
| Com: | - | - |
Wastri's famous weapon is a glaive-guisarme +4.
It causes 2-8 +4 +2 points of
damage against small or man-sized
targets, and 2-12 +4 +2 against large targets.
Wastri's croak will confuse (as a confusion
spell) all creatures within 40 feet who
hear the sound, unless a save vs. Spell is
made. Wastri's warts enchantment will
cover the victim with huge, knobby warts
unless a save vs. Spell is made. The warts
make it difficult to grasp any weapon
(50% chance per round to drop the weapon)
and the victim's charisma drops to 3.
The affected individual must also save vs.
Poison or fall into a dejected state similar
to paralysis for 2-12 rounds.
The dampness created by Wastri reduces
the effects of magical fires by 50%, and
lasts 5-60 rounds. Each of his spell-like
powers -- croak warts, dampness -- can
be used once per day.
When Wastri summons creatures, the
following numbers appear:
10-40 bullywugs, or
5-20 giant toads, or
2-8 poisonous toads, or
1-4 ice toads
He can summon any || all of these
groups, one per turn, once per week. The
creatures will appear one round after
being summoned. Each will have +1 hit
probability and cause an additional 1
point of damage.
The huge toads which usu. accompany
Wastri are AC 5, HD 5, hp 40, D 4-16.
Clerics of Wastri above 4th level are able
to USE a jump spell (cf. magic-user spells)
once per day. USE is at a level =equal= to
that of a MU of the same level. All
these clerics can speak with amphibians
as well.
Clerics Raiment Sacrifice/Propitiation
| Sphere of Control | Animal | M | F | N-H | Head | Body | Color(s) | Holy Days | Frequency | Form | Place of Worship |
Wastri, the Hopping Prophet, Hammer of Demi-Humans,
dwells on the PMP (now in
the region of the Vast Swamp). He it is who preaches
the ultimate superiority of humankind. While humanoids
can serve, demi-humans are fit only to be slain
-- esp. dwarves, gnomes, and halflings. These,
with his gray-clad "servants," he hunts with his toad
packs and exterminates whenever possible.
Wastri has somehow mutated to become both less and
more than human. He is unmistakable due to his batrachian
features and odd gait. Yet he can MOVE
quickly enough and hop for considerable distance
with ease and accuracy. He wears no armor, relying
on his SPEED and evasive agility. Wastri dresses in
parti-colored clothing of gray and dull yellow. Wastri
is renowned for his great glaive-guisarmee, a pole arm
with which he harries his prey, esp. loving to
catch small demi-humans on its long end spike.
In +addition+ to his normal attacks and spells, Wastri
can utter a confusing croak, or CAST an enchantment
that causes huge, knobby warts to cover the victim.
Finally, Wastri can CAST a dampness spell over an AREA
of one square mile. The dweomer reduces the effective
range of archery, limits visibility to 60 yards,
extinguishes normal fires, and reduces in effect even
magical fires.
Wastri can speak with any amphibian, commanding
them as he wishes. He is able to summon any || all of
the following creatures:
bullywugs
(up to 40)
giant toads (up to 20)
poisonous toads (up to 8)
ice toads (up to 4)
These creatures always are the largest of their kind,
and fearsome in combat.
Under usual circumstances Wastri is always accompanied
by his "Immaculate Image" (a High Priest/-Master),
three "Greater Servants" (High Priests of
various levels) and a pair of huge toads.
At the Sacred Polystery, the Hopping Prophet has
scores of "Hopefuls" -- those attempting to become
his clerics. There are also dozens of "Lesser
Servants" -- Acolytes, Adepts, Priests and Curates.
Hopefuls are dun clad.
Lesser servants are robed in gray.
All help to breed and maintain superior toads.
It is rumored that some of these monsters appear
remarkably human, just as some of Wastri's followers
appear toad-like. All of these clerics can speak with
amphibians as well.
Worship of Wastri is not common, although it has
supposedly spread to the Hool Marshes and possibly
elsewhere. Ceremonies honoring Wastri involve sacrifices,
strange musical instruments, and croaking chants.
All places of worship are dim, dark, and chilly.
The credo of human superiority and exaction
of rights and duties are always stressed.
| Deities of the World of Greyhawk | - | - | - | DDG |
Quote:
Originally posted by
shadow
Gary, I've been wondering
for a while what was your inspiration for some of the gods of Greyhawk.
Specifically I've been wondering about Erythnul, Zagyg, and Wastri
And, I've been wondering
about Wastri for a long time.
The god of bigoty and human
superiority is depicted as being slimy and toad like.
The way he is depicted almost
seems to be poking fun at some of the various hate groups.
Anyway, I would appreciate
your response.
Heh, well...
Wastri, ah, a favorite of
mine.
His original appearance
was in an early, never fully published (rightfully so) novel called THE
GNOME CACHE.
In withdrawing to the marshes
to live a life of cntemplation, Wastri found only that he loves batrachians,
that hunting small demi-humans with giant toads was amusing sport, and
the only enlightment he received was from the first used to roast prey
taken.
Perhaps it was a comment
on extreme conceits of religious sort....
Gary
Originally Posted by Joseph
Elric Smith
Poor forgotten Wastri, no
one every gives him the respect he thinks he deserves 
He and a few of his minions
gave one of my groups a run for it a few times.
Ken
Argh!
Forgetting "The Hopping Prophet" is an unforgivable thing guaranteed to bring doen a rain of toads!
Cheers,
Gary
Originally Posted by ColonelHardisson
And, did you ever have any
plans for Iuz's future?
As for Iuz, I surely did
plan to keep him around as an arch-villain! the players detested him, and
would respond vigorously to anything having to do with foiling his plans.
I purposely made him full
of hubris and disliked by most other Evil entities too, so as to have him
with a large target on his back, despite which he would always survive
and come back with new machinations.
Wastri is another figure
I planned to use in similar fashion.
Cheers,
Gary
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nathan
P. Mahney
Hi Gary,
I've just been reading some old issues of The Dragon, and getting into the serialised novel The Gnome Cache, only to find that it disappears into the ether, unfinished! Assuming that you are the Garrison Ernst to which the tale is credited (who else could it be with such an idiosyncratic style?), what happened to the rest of the story? Why didn't it appear in The Dragon? How does it relate to Oerth - official or not? And, why were those giant toad riding folk chasing that dwarf? So many unanswered questions!
- Nathan P. Mahney -
Howdy!
Garrison Ernst, a/k/a Ernst Grimbold here.
Tim Kask didn't like the story of the Gnome Cache, so he dropped it. No biggie as far as I was concerned. the yarn was only my second attempt at writing a novel, and I wasn'f all that happy with what I had produced. The story was loosely based on the world of Greyhawk, but the adventures were not drawn from any actual play of D&D.
The giant toads are the steeds of the followers of Wastri, the Hopping Prophet, certainly of Oerth and the pantheon of the Flanaess.
As for the conclusion, I can not recall where I had the tale headed, and the ms. for the story is missing--possiblly buried amongst stored documents here, otherwise truly lost.
Cheers,
Gary
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