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View Full Version : [3.5] "My Name is Legion, for we are Many." [Monster]



RMS Oceanic
2009-02-10, 09:49 AM
Thank you, Red Dwarf.

Legion
Medium Aberration
Alignment: Always Neutral (But See Below)
LA: -

Legion is the byproduct of an ancient arcane experiment in collective intelligence. Whenever one or more sentient beings are within 1000 ft of a focus point, the Legion manifests into existance. Scrying on the area when nobody is in it reveals only a faint aura of transmutation and conjuration.

Legion is a Gestalt being comprising the characteristics, memories, experiences and personalities of each conscious being near it. For each ability score, it takes the highest score found among those near it, and improves it by 2, except when there is only one person around. He takes the best base attack bonus, base saves and ranks in a skill in a similar matter. For his hit dice, take the person with the highest level, and give Legion that many d8 hit dice plus 2 (e.g. a Level 12 fighter means Legion has 14d8 + con). If anyone is large or larger, Legion has Powerful Build. If anyone is small, or smaller, Legion has Slight Build. Physically he looks like a blend of each person in the area. If there are equal numbers of humans and elves, he might look like a half-elf. If a Lizardfolk then turned up he might develop scales or grow a small tail, and then if a halfling arrived he might look a little shorter and grow hair on his feet. He is considered every race in the area if doing so is beneficial to him.

Legion automatically knows everything his guests know. He can read their thoughts from anywhere within his area (no save). He also has their combined class abilities, spellcasting capabilities and feats, although he doesn't have any equipment save what may have been left by previous guests. For casters that prepare their spells, assume he has prepared the same spells. His alignment does not interfere with using these class abilities. He gains all racial abilities for everyone.

What alignment he detects as is determined by that of those around him. If the majority of beings around him are good, he is good. If the majority are chaotic, he is chaotic. If there is a tie on one or both axis, he is neutral.

It is in his interest to persuade you to stay, for he becomes nothingness when no one is arround. He will often try to bribe or trick you into staying, but when that fails, he turns your own strength against you, fighting to stun and disable you so you cannot escape and he can continue to exist. His tactics will vary depending on who he is composed of. Because of his knowledge of your experience in combat, you gain no benefit from flanking him, and he is always considered to have improved uncanny dodge.

If there is only one conscious person in the area, Legion is merely a clone of that person, without enhanced abilities or extra hit dice, and d8's instead of your normal hit dice. It is the combining of people that enhance his abilities. Influenced by your personality alone, he becomes benign and will try to assist you, even if this results in his undoing.

SilentNight
2009-02-10, 09:57 AM
I like this a lot. Very neat. One question though, is Legion an entity bound to a specific point or can it move about as it pleases?

RMS Oceanic
2009-02-10, 09:59 AM
There's some mystic plot device artifact that's like a huge totem pole that can't be moved. What it looks like is DM's discretion. Legion can't go beyond 1000 ft away from it, and anyone further than 1000 feet does not contribute to Legion, even if they're standing next to him. Incidentally, they could flank him and sneak attack him and whatever.

DracoDei
2009-02-10, 11:09 AM
Ok... this leaves only one "simple", "minor" question in my mind... how do you calculate the CR?

Athaniar
2009-02-10, 01:26 PM
Red Dwarf is excellent, no doubt about it, but I was kinda expecting this to be about the demon... Ah well.

MageSparrowhawk
2009-02-10, 02:20 PM
Looks very cool...but...could you give some sample writeups? ya'know, so we have an example of what you mean...

RMS Oceanic
2009-02-11, 03:50 AM
If a level 15 Sorceror Lich and a level 8 human fighter were in the area, Legion would have 17d8 hitdice, the fighters strength and con (each +2), the sorceror's charisma (+2), and look like a pale-faced taught-skinned human. He would have all the fighter's bonus feats and regular feats, and the Lich's feats, and be able to cast as a level 15 sorceror, with the same spells known as the Lich. He would have the Lich's paralysing touch and other abilities. His CR would probably be the CR of the highest level character + 2.

If the Lich then left the area of influence, Legion would be a copy of the fighter, with 8d8 instead of 8d10 hit dice.