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Saithis Bladewing
2006-09-02, 03:37 PM
Consternatio
Size/Type: Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Evil)
Hit Dice: 7d8+14 (45 hp)
Initiative: +1 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 50 ft. (average)
Armour Class: 20 (+1 Dex, +9 natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+9
Attack: Claw +9 melee (1d6+2)
Full Attack: 2 Claws +9 melee (1d6+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Energy drain, aura of terror, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/cold iron or good, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to electricity and poison, resistance to acid 10, cold 10 and fire 10, spell resistance 18, telepathy 100 ft., tongues
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 12, Cha 24
Skills: Bluff +20, Concentration +11, Diplomacy +13, Disguise +18* (+20 acting), Escape Artist +11, Hide +11, Intimidate +20, Knowledge (any one) +13, Listen +20, Move Silently +11, Search +12, Spot +20, Survival +2 (+4 following tracks), Use Rope +1 (+3 with bindings)
Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Persuasive
Environment: A chaotic evil-aligned plane
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: Double Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 8-12 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: +7

"Is there something wrong? You seem a little pale." The fair man mocked, standing tall over the tavern wench who had tried to seduce him. A great shadow had fallen over his face and his eyes burned with unholy fire, a terrible silent scream washing over all in the room who looked upon his form.

The consternatio were once succubi, twisted and dark beings who lived to seduce mortals through acts of passion and their beautiful forms. The consternatio though, found their call elsewhere, rebelling against their purpose to pursue a new path of terrible persusasion: fear. They believe that true mastery and true power is achieved through the ultimate fear, and by bringing this fear to people, they gain true mastery over them, something even their succubi sisters cannot always do. Using this fear combined with their other abilties, they intimidate large packs of slaves to serve them, sometimes subjecting entire towns into loyal (albeit unhappy) servitude.

Combat
Unlike their succubi cousins, consternatio enjoy the art of combat. This isn't to say they like a fair fight though, and they always try to use their frightful presence and spell-like abilities to try and divide and weaken foes before striking, usually using a favoured weapon of some kind to inflict the maximum damage possible. They often use their change shape to get close to a foe who does not suspect them before unleashing their frightening presence and energy drain.

A consternatio's natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as chaotic-aligned and evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Aura of Terror (Su)
A consternatio can unsettle foes with its mere presence. This ability can be activated as a free action for the consternatio and remains active even while unconscious, manifesting itself as a terrible shrieking scream that its victims hear inside their head. Creatures within 60 feet who see him fall under its effect. A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a will save (DC 20) remains immune to that consternatio's aura of terror for 24 hours. On a failure, affected creatures are reduced to a terrified wreck that is unable to fight back. The terrified individual is unable to take any actions other than mumbled speech and 5 foot steps, but is not considered helpless and thus still retains its Dex bonus to AC. Each turn the individual is under the effect of the frightful presence, it may make a Will saving throw to negate the effect. The effect of the aura fades automatically 1 minute after the affected individual is unable to see the consternatio. While under the effect of the aura of terror, the victim is immune to all other fear effects, including the Consternatio's own spell-like abilities. This effect may be removed by a successful remove fear spell just like any other fear effect.

Energy Drain (Su)
A consternatio gains strength from the terror of its hapless victims. The consternatio may bestow a negative level by simply touching any being under the effect of its Frightful Presence. In addition, this touch has the effect of a dominate monster spell. The victim must succeed on a DC 20 Will save to negate the effect of the enchantment. The DC is 20 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. These save DCs are Charisma-based.

Spell-Like Abilities
At will-darkness, detect good, detect thoughts (DC 19), fear (DC 21), greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), silence; 1/day-symbol of fear (DC 23), phantasmal killer (DC 21). Caster level 13th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Change Shape (Su)
A consternatio can assume the form of any Small or Medium humanoid.

Tongues (Su)
A consternatio has a permanent tongues ability (as the spell, caster level 13th). Consternatio usually use verbal communication with mortals.

Skills
Consternatio have a +8 racial bonus on Intimidate, Listen and Spot checks.

*While using its change shape ability, a consternatio gains a +10 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks.


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Made by the request of a friend. Let me know if I messed anything up, I'm a bit tired.

EDIT: Whoopsie, summon demon wasn't supposed to be in there for this guy. Stupid copy & paste. XD

Winged One
2006-09-02, 03:50 PM
Interesting...MitP vote: yes.

Saithis Bladewing
2006-09-02, 04:43 PM
D'oh, made another mistake. Cause Fear wasn't supposed to be on his list of spells to cast, it's rather superfluous seeing as how he has Fear, which is MUCH more powerful.

Oh, and thanks WO. ;D

fangthane
2006-09-02, 08:41 PM
Frightful Presence looks like pretty much the TPK - unable to defend or do anything but a 5-footer? Hello coup de grace...

I'd limit the Frightful Presence to having the normal minus-2-until-hit consequence; that's just too powerful.

Saithis Bladewing
2006-09-02, 09:19 PM
Nowhere did I mention that the character is helpless or denied their AC bonus, they're just so overcome with terror that they can't really do anything. Also, there is a problem there in that I somehow left out a vital part. Creatures under the effect of the Frightful Presence are supposed to get a Will Save each turn to negate it again. I don't shoot for normal creatures that mechanically are the same of every other creature, I want creatures that stand out and have unique traits of their own.

fangthane
2006-09-02, 10:06 PM
Looks fine now that those changes have been made - don't get the wrong impression, I wasn't trying to say the -2 was the best or only way, but I like to try offering suggestions for improvement - your mod is a nice bit of different flavour, sort of a slightly weakened and tweaked mass hold-person and I approve.

MitP Vote: Yes.

I'm not sure the LA needs to be quite that high, though; 5-ish (added to its 7 HD) should be enough, no?

Saithis Bladewing
2006-09-02, 10:18 PM
Anyway, sorry if I sounded defensive, a little tired. I do agree that without those little changes, it was too powerful, and I fixed the text to help that.

It's based off the Succubus who has +6 LA, and this has a far greater number of spell-like abilities and slightly better attributes, thus my reasoning for +7 LA.

fangthane
2006-09-02, 10:27 PM
Mmm, true - the Succubus only has 6 hit dice too though, so the LA is more necessary there ;) What do you say to splitting the difference at LA +6 or 7?

Saithis Bladewing
2006-09-02, 10:34 PM
+7 sounds reasonable.

ghost_warlock
2006-09-05, 12:05 PM
A fear-based succubi? I love it! Seems like a great herald for Vereor (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=homebrew;action=display;num=11556952 44)... :)

MitP: Yes!

NullAshton
2006-09-05, 01:23 PM
Neat. Even has a safeguard to prevent endless commoner armies.

Saithis Bladewing
2006-09-05, 02:20 PM
Renamed the Frightful Presence and edited its wording a bit to lessen any rules confusoin that may have come about.

asromta
2006-09-05, 02:23 PM
MitP vote: Yes

fangthane
2006-09-05, 02:44 PM
Ok, only one more caveat for me to use as a lever to temporarily withhold my vote...

What happens to people who get drained to 0 by the Consternatio? Do they get turned into lemures or something?

Or, perhaps as a tie in with the "large packs of slaves" thing, a creature drained to 0 reanimates as a thrall to the Consternatio with a limit to individual and group HD (like controlling undead)? I note it has no other loyalty-based spells to get a following, which seems to be a missing flavour promised by the description... :)

Saithis Bladewing
2006-09-05, 02:49 PM
Hm...some kind of slave meatshield for them would be nice, but exactly what it would be, I am unsure of. Zombies would be the quickest and easiest option. :P

At the moment I was imagining them as just dying from level drain.

Tormsskull
2006-09-14, 08:57 PM
Aura of Terror (Su)
A consternatio can unsettle foes with its mere presence. This ability can be activated as a free action for the consternatio and remains active even while unconscious, manifesting itself as a terrible shrieking scream that none save its victims can hear. Creatures within 60 feet who see him fall under its effect. A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a will save (DC 20) remains immune to that consternatio's aura of terror for 24 hours. On a failure, affected creatures are reduced to a terrified and helpless individual unable to fight back. The terrified individual is unable to take any actions other than mumbled speech and 5 foot steps, but is not considered helpless and thus still retains its Dex bonus to AC. Each turn the individual is under the effect of the frightful presence, it may make a Will saving throw to negate the effect. The effect of the aura fades automatically 1 minute after the affected individual is unable to see the consternatio. While under the effect of the aura of terror, the victim is immune to all other fear effects, including the Consternatio's own spell-like abilities. This effect may be removed by a successful remove fear spell just like any other fear effect.

*bolded section mine

This doesn't really make sense and needs to be cleaned up a bit.

First, if the ability is manifested as a shrieking scream, how can the creature do it while unconscious?

Second, if it is a scream (audible) why do the victims have to see (visual) to be affected? Right now, blind people are essentially immune from hearing the scream, and deaf people are able to hear it by seeing the creature.

Third, I'd recomend not saying that a victim is reduced to a "helpless individual" and then say "but they aren't helpless" it sounds very confusing.

All in all, I really like your idea. Clear those things up for me and then I'll give you a vote.

Saithis Bladewing
2006-09-15, 11:58 AM
The helpless/not helpless by the rules is a continuity error on my part. I'll fix that.

As for the scream...

I never said that he is actually screaming, perhaps I worded it poorly. It's more like you look at him and your brain goes crazy with everything scary it can think of, until finally all you hear is just one big loud scream in your ears. He doesn't have to scream. To explain all of that would take up an awful lot of space just for clarification, though.

Mewtarthio
2006-10-10, 07:35 PM
How about "a terrible shrieking scream within the minds of its victims"?