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Maerok
2006-09-10, 02:03 PM
[I've finally decided to stat out a monster rather than make templates.]

The sphere hovers gently overhead and you look up in awe. Your reflection plays off the surface of the silver orb as it gently circles above. Suddenly, the orb arcs down at you and sticks to your greatsword. The thing tugs once, twice, and then the strange little thing makes off with your blade...

Magnok
Size/Type: Tiny Construct
Hit Dice: 6d10 (33 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: Fly 50 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class: 16 (+2 size, +4 Dex), touch 16, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/-4 <-grapple?
Attack: Slam +6 melee (1d3+0)
Full Attack: Slam +6 melee (1d3+0)
Space/Reach: 2.5 ft./0 ft.
Special Qualities: Construct traits, damage reduction 10/adamantine, resist energy[fire,cold,acid] 15, blindsight 60', Magnetic Field, Omnisighted, Assimilate Metal, Dancing Field, Manipulate Metal
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +2
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 21, Con Ø, Int 18, Wis 11, Cha 1
Skills: +8 Hide (size)
Feats: Deflect Arrow(metal), Snatch Arrow(metal), Improved Disarm
Environment: Ruins, mines, and quarries.
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: ?
Treasure: Any attached items (start at [HD]d10x500 gp in items and coins/metal pieces)
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 7-10 HD (Tiny); 11-14 HD (Small); 15-18 (Medium)

Magnoks are strange spherical creations of a long forgotten race. The passive orbs hover around various ruins and abandoned mines across the land, in the search of metals to hoard. Their power lies in the immense magnetic fields they wield. With a moment's notice, an adventurer is unarmed and attacked with their own weapon. Stories of the bodies of adventurers, clad in fullplate, are not unheard of. Attempts to discover their innerworkings have not yet succeeded as when a Magnok is destroyed, its body melts into a useless slag, leaving its hoard to freefall from where it was floating. This creature often becomes so laden with metal that no more can be fit into its field, at which point the sphere is no more than a solid mass of riches. Some have been sold off, only to activate once more when its bounty has been pried free.

Magnetic Field (Su): A magnok radiates a powerful magnetic field with a radius of 10 ft., plus an additional 5 ft. for every size category above Tiny the magnok has achieved.

Omnisighted (Su): A Magnok can see from all points on its surface, allowing it to sense the presence of creatures and metals for up to 60' (with blindsight). It cannot be flanked or flat-footed.

Assimilate Metal (Su): When a melee attack with a metal weapon misses, the Magnok may make a free disarm attempt against the attacker. If successful, the weapon is ripped from their hands and is held by the Magnok's field. The Magnok may also make disarm attempts as normal. If successful, the construct chooses to either steal a weapon, shield, or other exposed metal item the opponent is wearing and hold it. Moving an item held by a Magnok requires a DC 30 Strength check to move it 10'. This is a full round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Alternatively, it may take 2d20 coins per HD of random value from the target upon a successful disarm attempt. On any disarm attempts, the Magnok receives a bonus equal to twice its HD.

Dancing Field (Su): Any shield the Magnok is holding gains the animated property and defends the construct even if there are multiple shields. A Tiny Magnok can benefit from up to three shields of its choice, with an additional shield allowed for every size category above Tiny the magnok has achieved. Intelligent magic shields receive a DC 17 Will save to resist this effect. The DC is Intelligence-based. A Tiny Magnok can grant the dancing property to up to 3 unattended weapons within the Magnok's magnetic field is holding gains the dancing property. It may grant the dancing property to an additional unattended weapon within its magnetic field for every size category above Tiny the magnok has achieved. The weapon cannot leave the Magnok's magnetic field, but can otherwise move freely. Intelligent magic weapons receive a DC 17 Will save to resist this effect. The DC is Intelligence-based.

Manipulate Metal (Su): Manipulate Metal (Sp): A magnok may use telekinesis at will with a caster level equal to its Hit Dice, using Wisdom as its primary casting ability. This ability may only affect metal objects or people wearing metal armor (the weight of the actual person counts against the total capacity twice). It can also animate an unoccupied suit of metal armor within its magnetic field - treat as an animated object the same size as the creature who wore the armor.

Lord Iames Osari
2006-09-10, 02:29 PM
33 hp is average for 6d10.

Initiative should be +5 for a Dex of 21.

What kind of energy are they resistant to?


Every Magnok was created with a different charge, either positive or negative (1d2, 1=positive, 2=negative).
You mention this here and then on't do anything with it. If you're going to mention it, it shoucl have soem bearing on the creature's abilities.


If two conflicting Magnoks are brought within one another's fields, they will collide with one another and be instantly destroyed. Matching Magnoks cannot be forced so that their fields overlap.
Why are they destroyed when they collide?


Magnetic Field (Su): The core of a Magnok radiates a powerful magnetic field. Its range is 10** feet. Compasses and other sensitive metal devices within this field go haywire. Lesser magnets (lodestone, magnetite, and other magnetic ores) may become demagnetized and are rendered useless permanently (50% chance upon entering each time).
What's with the footnote? "=+5 instead"? That makes no sense whatsoever. Got it. Try "A magnok radiates a powerful magnetic field with a radius of 10 ft., plus an additional 5 ft. for every size category above Tiny the magnok has achieved."


The Magnok may also make a touch attack as a full attack action. If successful, the construct chooses to either steal a weapon, shield, or other exposed metal item the opponent is wearing and hold it.
Is this automatic? Why not just give it a bonus on attack rolls made to disarm an opponent with a metal weapon, shield, or other item? Say, a bonus equal to its HD x 2?


Alternatively, it may take 2d20 coins per HD of random value from the target.
This should go at the end the ability description.


The opponent may make a Strength check (DC is the outcome of the touch attack) to hold on. The opponent must then continue to make Strength checks or release the weapon (possibly falling to the ground).
This is kind of pointless. If the creature can disarm you, you are disarmed. You shouldn't have the option of holding on.


Weapons that the Magnok is 'holding' can be forcibly moved by an opponent, but doing so is the equivalent of moving a immovable rod.
Just say, "but doing so requires a DC 30 Strength check to move it 10 ft. in a round, and doing so is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity."


Using Assimilate Metal, Magnok's can, in effect, block and attack using acquired shields and weapons (see Dancing Field).
This is just unnecessary text.


Dancing Field (Su): Any shield the Magnok is holding gains the animated property and defends the construct even if there are multiple shields (up to three shields*, at the Magnok's choice, can benefit it at one time).
Okay, this footnote makes sense, but why not just put it into the text? "Any shield the Magnok is holding gains the animated property and defends the construct even if there are multiple shields. A Tiny Magnok can benefit from up to three shields of its choice, with an additional shield allowed for every size category above Tiny the magnok has achieved. Intelligent magic shields receive a DC 13 Will save to resist this effect. The DC is Wisdom-based."


The Magnok's shields can block any attack from any angle, no matter where they are positioned.
This is kind of assumed in that the shield would add to the Magnok's AC. Come to think of it, how many shields does the sample Magnok have, and what kind are they?


Any weapon the Magnok is holding gains the dancing property. It may activate the dancing property of up to three* weapons at any time. The weapon cannot leave the Magnok's magnetic range of 10 feet.
Reword this: "A Tiny Magnok can grant the dancing property to up to 3 unattended weapons within the Magnok's magnetic field is holding gains the dancing property. It may grant the dancing property to an additional unattended weapon within its magnetic field for every size category above Tiny the magnok has achieved. The weapon cannot leave the Magnok's magnetic field, but can otherwise move freely. Intelligent magic weapons receive a DC 13 Will save to resist this effect. The DC is Wisdom-based."


Magical shields and weapons do not grant any bonus to the Magnok other than ones that affect their own combat properties (improved damage/criticals/AC/etc).
This clause is unnecessary, and there's no good way to word it anyway. Drop it.

"Manipulate Metal (Sp): A magnok may use telekinesis at will with a caster level equal to its Hit Dice, using Wisdom as its primary casting ability. This ability may only affect metal objects or people wearing metal armor (the weight of the actual person counts against the total capacity twice). It can also animate an unoccupied suit of metal armor within its magnetic field - treat as an animated object the same size as the creature who wore the armor."

And this thing is in dire need of an Intelligence score.

Leperflesh
2006-09-10, 07:07 PM
Hmm. This is a pretty cool idea, but I do have a couple of issues.

If you are going to use 'magnetism' and mostly describe real-world magnetic physics, it is jarring when you then jump outside of those physics with an ability. Consider:

-Magnetism only affects ferric metals. E.g., iron-containing. Few if any coins have any amount of iron in them - gold, silver, and copper are all non-magnetic.

-A strong magnet does not demagnetize a weaker magnet. In fact, a strong magnet will temprorarily magnetize any other ferric material. Other magnets are simply manipulated so that they align with the magnetic field.

-What you are describing are magnetic monopoles. These have very strange properties indeed. Much more likely would be something with poles - a north and south pole, having an axis along which magnetic fields tend to align.

Of course, you can easily just say "it's magic" and then ignore the above... but in that case, I would recommend not describing most of its abilities using real-world physics terms. Make it clear throughout that what it is doing is manipulating magic, not mundane electromagnetic fields.

I'm inclined to vote for these guys, if you clear up some of the issues mentioned. Good job so far!

-Lep

Maerok
2006-09-11, 03:36 PM
Thanks for the rewordings Lord Iames!

I want it to be able to work on any metal for simplicity's sake. Clears up cases of "is mithril/adamantine/thinaun/etc. ferric or not?".

Lord Iames Osari
2006-09-11, 07:22 PM
You know all those abilities I based off of Wisdom? That was because it was the best mental stat. Now that you've given it intelligence, change the abilities to be Int-based. This will increase the save DCs by 4.

Fax Celestis
2006-09-12, 11:46 AM
-Magnetism only affects ferric metals. E.g., iron-containing. Few if any coins have any amount of iron in them - gold, silver, and copper are all non-magnetic.
Technically, yes. However, with a strong enough charge, any metal is magnetic.

Leperflesh
2006-09-12, 08:00 PM
Really? Okay, Wikipedia: Magentism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetism) backs you up to an extent, saying that "materials are influenced to greater or lesser degree by the presence of a magnetic field". But, at the level of gauss needed to attract gold, presumably other nonmetals are then also affected. Certainly the iron in the hemoglobin in your blood would be affected. Possibly this level of magnetism would be lethal just to get near. Also see the monopole info in that article.

Again, though, it's fine to just say "it's magic"... as long as that runs through everything. You get into trouble (with smartass players, especially) when you start using real-world physics in D&D, and then contradicting real-world physics.

Anyway with the current revisions, I'm happy enough.

MitP Vote: Yes

-Lep

Maerok
2006-09-12, 08:07 PM
Physics Lesson 2: "For every action, there is an equal yet opposite reaction." - That's why your hand hurts as well when you reach over the table and smack said player. ;D

Lord Iames Osari
2006-09-12, 08:54 PM
Physics Lesson 2: "For every action, there is an equal yet opposite reaction." - That's why your hand hurts as well when you reach over the table and smack said player. ;D
Quoted For Truth. ;D

MitP Vote: Yes.