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Lord Iames Osari
2006-07-26, 06:34 PM
Behold, I have put them into the old format! And added flavor text!

Zhamach Trooper
Size/Type: Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 12d10+32 (98 hp)
Initiative: +10
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 25 (+10 Dex, +5 natural), touch 20, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+14
Attack: force blade +20 (5d4+10/17-20)
Full Attack: force blade +20/+15 (5d4+10/17-20)
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Construct traits, fast healing 10, DR 10/magic
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +14, Will +6
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 30, Con ~, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 5
Skills: Hide +15, Listen +14, Move Silently +15, Spot +14
Feats: Alertness, Improved Critical (force blade), Improved Toughness, Weapon Focus (force blade), Weapon Finesse, Spring Attack (B)
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, pair, patrol (3-6), or storm (7+)
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 13-18 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —

The hulking, vaguely humanoid figure standing motionless ahead appears to be a stone statue. Two onyx eyes glitter in the smooth, featureless face.

Force Blade (Su): Instead of triggering its magic missile spell-like ability, a Zhamach can instead generate as a move action a blade-shaped projection of force that deals 5d4+5 + Str modifier points of damage, threatens on an attack roll of 19 or 20, and counts as a light weapon. While this ability is active, the Zhamach's magic missile ability is unusable. The Zhamach can dismiss its force blade as a free action. The Zhamach's Improved Critical feat is already factored into its statistics.
Spell-like Abilities A Zhamach Trooper can produce the following magical effects at a caster level of 9: at will as a move action--shield, magic missile (5 missiles); 3/day--alarm.

Zhamach Troopers can speak Common and Orc. They were invented by the Dark Lord Xarakh Nam for use as shock troops and as guards in extremely sensitive areas. Their keen senses, combined with their alarm spell-like ability, make them excellent guards, while their speed, agility, and power suit them well in their role as shock troops of the Dark Lord's armies. They are unfailingly loyal to their creator and to whomever they have been assigned to protect or assist.

Construction: Constructing the body a Zhamach Trooper requires a DC 15 Craft (sculpting) check and materials worth at least 1,000 gp.
CL 9th, Craft Construct; alarm, magic missile, magic mouth, shield; Price 60,000; Cost 30,000 gp and 2,040 XP.

Zhamach Bodyguard
Size/Type: Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 18d10+38 (137 hp)
Initiative: +10
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 30 (+10 Dex, +10 natural), touch 20, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+18
Attack: force blade +24 (5d4+10/17-20)
Full Attack: force blade +24/+19 (5d4+10/17-20)
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Construct traits, fast healing 15, DR 15/magic
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +16, Will +8
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 30, Con ~, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 6
Skills: Disguise -2*, Hide +20, Listen +20, Move Silently +20, Sense Motive +15, Spot +20
Feats: Alertness, Improved Critical (force blade), Improved Toughness, Weapon Focus (force blade), Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Finesse, Spring Attack (B)
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, pair, shield (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 18
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Level Adjustment: —

The humanoid figure standing motionless ahead appears to be a stone statue of some long-dead hero or soldier wielding a spear or sword. The features are lifelike, and you can see the light flickering off of the two onyx gems skillfully placed in the eye-sockets.

Force Blade (Su): Instead of triggering its magic missile spell-like ability, a Zhamach can instead generate as a move action a blade-shaped projection of force that deals 5d4+5 + Str modifier points of damage, threatens on an attack roll of 19 or 20, and counts as a light weapon. While this ability is active, the Zhamach's magic missile ability is unusable. The Zhamach can dismiss its force blade as a free action. The Zhamach's Improved Critical feat is already factored into its statistics.
Spell-like Abilities A Zhamach Bodyguard can produce the following magical effects at a caster level of 9: at will as a move action--shield, magic missile (5 missiles); 3/day--alarm; 2/day--greater teleport, wall fo force.
*The Zhamach Bodyguard gains a +20 racial bonus on Disguise checks made to look like a statue.

A Zhamach Bodyguard can speak Common, Draconic, and Orc. They are a development of the Zhamach Trooper, with additional magical capabilities relating to defense of and travel. They are specialized for bodyguarding the Dark Lord and his most highly-ranked lieutenants, but they can also be used as long-term, deep-insertion covert operatives. The Zhamach Bodyguard can wreak havoc behind enemy lines, in their capital, or simply stand motionless, appearing to be nothing more than a statue, hearing and seeing everything. They are unfailingly loyal to their creator and to whomever they have been assigned to protect or assist.

Construction: Constructing the body a Zhamach Bodyguard requires a DC 20 Craft (sculpting) check and materials worth at least 1,500 gp.
CL 13th, Craft Construct; alarm, greater teleport, magic missile, magic mouth, shield, wall of force; Price 90,000; Cost 45,000 gp and 3,240 XP.

Lord Iames Osari
2006-07-31, 03:22 PM
Bumping post-reorg.

Eswyther
2006-07-31, 10:32 PM
What a twisted army would this make...

I would love to put these up aginst the EL 3 party I DM for...
Couldn't even touch their AC :D

Lord Iames Osari
2006-07-31, 10:36 PM
WOOT! A POST! :) ;D :) ;D :)

Of course, even in my homebrew from whence they came, they were too expensive to be a true army. They were more elite forces types.

Tallis
2006-08-01, 01:00 AM
I love them! Now I just have to figure out how to use them in my campaign.............
:-D I know exactly who would use them. HeHe.
I'm stealing your idea now, tyvm.

Durin_Deathless
2006-08-01, 02:10 AM
my dwarvan king can make VERY good use of those.
lol.

Lord Iames Osari
2006-08-01, 02:40 AM
Does nobody have any PEACHing for me? :'(

Tallis
2006-08-01, 11:37 AM
I'd probably lower the dex a bit, down to 30. Maybe reduce fast healing by 5 as well, but I'm on the fence about that. I'd have to test it to be sure. All in all it looks good to me though.

chaiyo
2006-08-01, 08:42 PM
I have two critiques for you.

1) As long as they have Weapon Finesse, lower the dexterity. At least for the first one; the second looks good enough. Maybe 34.

2) Either give some duration for the force blade or allow them to get rid of it at will. I know I'd want some way to actually be able to reuse my spell-like ability after using one for an awesome sword.

Also, congratulations for somehow making the new monster stat block organization not alien to my eyes. I can only wonder what you did, if anything.

Lord Iames Osari
2006-08-01, 11:43 PM
I have two critiques for you.

1) As long as they have Weapon Finesse, lower the dexterity. At least for the first one; the second looks good enough. Maybe 34.

Or, I could just replace Weapon Finesse for the first one with a different feat. Edit - Done. Undone.


2) Either give some duration for the force blade or allow them to get rid of it at will. I know I'd want some way to actually be able to reuse my spell-like ability after using one for an awesome sword.

Silly me. Yes, they can dismiss it at will. I'll add that. Edit - Done.


Also, congratulations for somehow making the new monster stat block organization not alien to my eyes. I can only wonder what you did, if anything.

Um.... I went throught the entire stat block, editing in the italic and boldface tags for YABB. Maybe that's it?

Abd al-Azrad
2006-08-23, 12:07 AM
Couple things. First, frankly, why does this monster exist? It seems like a quick, intelligent construct bodyguard, which is cool, and it has a lot of force focus, which I approve of- force is overpowered and underused. But construct bodyguards exist already. Frankly, more reliable construct bodyguards exist; between the Shield Guardian for actual bodyguarding, and golems for overwhelming resilience, the only significant advantage I see this construct having over others is its Fast Healing, allowing it to function effectively after a battle without extensive magical repairs.

I'd be generally okay with it using Weapon Finesse. You gave it a ridiculous Dex score, it seems almost foolish for the intelligent creature not to take full advantage of this gift.

It's great for fighting fighters, I'll give you that, although its damage is a little low, around 40 points a turn with two hits. But rogues or feinters can easily get around the bulk of its AC, and a Disintegrate spell will take this monster down with the greatest of ease (and, although some would disagree, Disintegrate is a very common spell).

I like the fact that it can cast spells as a move action. It gives you tactical decisions as a DM to make, and allows it to get its defenses up quickly.

Can we have some fluff? I like my monsters to exist beyond their printed stats.

Finally, I see you submitted the guys for the MitP forum. We're using the old stat system for that book (for some reason, which I have yet to form a solid opinion on). Although I'm starting to like the new system, best to stick to whatever conventions we're using there.

At the moment, I will not vote. I'd prefer to see this monster evolve a bit. ;)

Lord Iames Osari
2006-08-23, 09:40 AM
Couple things. First, frankly, why does this monster exist? It seems like a quick, intelligent construct bodyguard, which is cool, and it has a lot of force focus, which I approve of- force is overpowered and underused. But construct bodyguards exist already. Frankly, more reliable construct bodyguards exist; between the Shield Guardian for actual bodyguarding, and golems for overwhelming resilience, the only significant advantage I see this construct having over others is its Fast Healing, allowing it to function effectively after a battle without extensive magical repairs.

I'd be generally okay with it using Weapon Finesse. You gave it a ridiculous Dex score, it seems almost foolish for the intelligent creature not to take full advantage of this gift.

It's great for fighting fighters, I'll give you that, although its damage is a little low, around 40 points a turn with two hits. But rogues or feinters can easily get around the bulk of its AC, and a Disintegrate spell will take this monster down with the greatest of ease (and, although some would disagree, Disintegrate is a very common spell).

I like the fact that it can cast spells as a move action. It gives you tactical decisions as a DM to make, and allows it to get its defenses up quickly.

Can we have some fluff? I like my monsters to exist beyond their printed stats.

Finally, I see you submitted the guys for the MitP forum. We're using the old stat system for that book (for some reason, which I have yet to form a solid opinion on). Although I'm starting to like the new system, best to stick to whatever conventions we're using there.

At the moment, I will not vote. I'd prefer to see this monster evolve a bit. ;)

Well, to be honest, the concept for these monsters came from the Virgo mobile dolls (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgo_%28Gundam_Wing%29) of Gundam Wing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Suit_Gundam_Wing). Mobile dolls are basically fully-automated versions of mobile suits, which are giant fighting mecha. Their automation gives them great reaction time, and they have powerful beam weaponry and protective force fields. I translated this into D&D terms. The trooper versions are basically very powerful swarmy guys, meant to be used in large numbers as sentries, guards, whatever. The bodyguard version, obviously, is for guarding people - specifically, the Dark Lord Xarakh Nam (who created them) and his lieutenants. To this end, they can cast wall of force and have the ability to teleport and keep up with their charge. They can also be used to guard important sites, or for long-term undercover missions - which is why they look like actual statues. Open up false negotiations, give your enemies a "statue" of a national hero as a gift, and let it sit there, watching and listening. Maybe have it wreak a little havoc, too.

Also, these guys are fast. While most constructs are slow and lumbery, these guys can zip around the battlefield, using their speed and agility to their best advantage, while their charge is protected by walls of force. Come to think of it, maybe they should get Spring Attack as a bonus feat. Edit - done. Also put Weapon Finesse back for for the trooper.

Part of the reason they don't have much flavor text is 1) I created them for my homebrew, so I'm having trouble divorcing them from the overall flavor of my world, and 2) even there, they're so new (only been in existence for about 20 years) that they are identified pretty exclusively with the Dark Lord.

Fax Celestis
2006-08-25, 02:02 AM
So if you made them for your homebrew, what do they do there? Even if they are new, they have some function.

Closet_Skeleton
2006-08-25, 08:26 AM
This is more like "strike force of stone" than "army of stone" then. That Dex score is completly rediculous. Giving them 24 dexterity wouldn't hurt the flavour at all, they'd still be superhumanly agile. 24 dex might seem low to you, but it's actually the mode dexterity of gods. Only reason to give them 40 dex would be if you're in an Epic campaign and you want these constructs to always be more agile than the players. I would give them improved initiative and lightning reflexes as bonus feats but reduce their dexterity into something that's sane for CR 12. Your construct currently has the same dexterity as Artemis, the greek god of hunting (and therefore archery).

If its meant to be fast, give it more than 40 ft. speed. 50 or 60 ft. would be best. 70 ft. is pushing it. I'm also assuming their improved critical feat is factored into the 19-20 threat range for their force blade, but you should state it in the description.

The charisma seems a bit high, but is less of a problem. Generally the more charisma a construct has the more personality it has. A construct of charisma 10 will have the individuality of a standard human while a mass produced slave would only have a charisma of 1. I would suggest a Charisma of 5 since these have an intelligence score. This has less of an in game effect however.

Lord Iames Osari
2006-08-25, 03:07 PM
But "Strike Force of Stone" doesn't have nearly as good a ring to it...

Those are pretty good suggestions, Closet Skeleton. I'll lower the Dex to 30. Not quite as far as you said, but still.

As for flavor text... I'm working on it. Actually, if anyone has any suggestions for them, I would more than appreciate it.

Lord Iames Osari
2006-08-26, 06:36 AM
OK, they are now in the old format, and I've added some flavor text.

Saithis Bladewing
2006-08-31, 10:00 AM
Definitely would be great to add in as sort of an elite core for an army.

MitP Vote: Yes.

fangthane
2006-08-31, 04:41 PM
Despite my small objections to this guy's outrageous capabilities, and my caveats about them...
MitP Vote: Yes (though I'd like to see just a touch of change, I can live with modding it after the fact too)

Ok, here's my objection in a nutshell... or two.


Size/Type: Medium Construct
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 30, Con ~, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 5
So we have +5, +10, nil, nil, +2, -3 for a net boost of +14 stat modifier. I'd have to say that's worth about a CR+1 or +2 all on its own, for a creature which isn't large (which would likely be about a +1 itself)

Full Attack: force blade +20/+15 (5d4+10/17-20)
Its attack bonus is equal to 1.5CR+2, which is (per WotC) typically indicative of a creature without many, if any, extraordinary capabilities.

Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Construct traits, fast healing 10, DR 10/magic
I think these qualify as extraordinary capabilities, as does the dex at 30. Not necessarily the strongest, but certainly not too bad. It's an intelligent construct with fast healing though, and that has to count for something; I'd tend to think about an extra +1 CR - taking what WotC say about total attack bonus vs CR, I'd tend to think that a CR of 14, as written, would probably be about right, though a CR of 13 would fit fairly nicely too. Alternatively, if you were to drop its dex to 24 or 26 it'd be dandy at CR 12.

In my, as you know, not so humble opinion. :)

Lord Iames Osari
2006-08-31, 05:31 PM
The Zhamach Trooper is now a CR 13 monster.

Maerok
2006-08-31, 05:44 PM
MitP Vote: Yes

Umbral_Arcanist
2006-08-31, 09:05 PM
Ooooo, my love of magic missle requires that i vote Yes and yesssss.


Very cool, intertesting idea with the force blade, i may have to steal these..... any reason for the zhamach? or just a random fantasy word?

Flavorful minions of a force argent....or was it argant savant or hmmm..... my memory troubles me

Lord Iames Osari
2006-08-31, 09:19 PM
Just a random fantasy word.

Abd al-Azrad
2006-09-04, 06:23 PM
I'm happy with how they look. Many of my concerns have been addressed. MitP Vote: Yes.

Bob_the_Mighty
2006-09-06, 05:22 PM
MitP Vote: Yes