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Drogorn
2009-03-07, 11:29 PM
I'm planning to send this at my level 7 party next session. I figured I'd throw it up here and see if I did a good job.


Machebis

A machebis appears to be little more than a mass of gleaming black tentacles. Preferring to live in the fetid water of swamps, they taunt their prey and bask in their terror as they become paralyzed.

Large Aberration
Hit Dice: 9d8+27 (67 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 10 feet, swim 20
AC: 18 (–1 size, +2 Dex, +7 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+14
Attack: tentacle +9 melee (1d4+4 plus poison)
Full attack: 12 tentacles +9 melee (1d4+4 plus poison)
Space/reach: 10 ft./15 ft
Special Attacks: Improved grab, Swallow whole, Poison
Special Qualities: Fast healing 5, Deflection, No skeleton, Telepathy, Thought Detection
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +7
Str 19(+4), Dex 15(+2), Con 17(+3), Int 14(+2), Wis 12(+1), Cha 12(+1)
Skills: Intimidate +13, Hide +16, Climb +16, Move Silently +16, Swim +8, Escape artist +16
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Multigrab, Stealthy, Mindsight
Alignment: Neutral Evil


A machebis can only use three tentacles against a single medium target, two against a small opponent, or four against a large target.

An opponent can attack a machebis' tentacles as if they were weapons—see Sunder, in Chapter 8 of the Player's Handbook. A machebis' tentacles have 20 hit points. If the machebis is currently grappling a target with that tentacle, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the sunder attempt. Severing a machebis' tentacles deals damage to the creature equal to half the limb's hit points. A machebis regrows severed limbs within a day.

Fast healing 5(Ex): A machebis regains 5 hit points per round

Deflection(Ex): The flailing tentacles of a machebis have a 50% chance of deflecting arrows and thrown weapons. It must have a tentacle free for each arrow it deflects in a round.

Combat Reflexes: A machebis may make a number of additional attacks of opportunity equal to your Dexterity bonus.

Mindsight: A machebis can detect and pinpoint beings that are not mindless (anything with an Intelligence score of 1 or higher) within range of its telepathy. This works much like blindsense—the creature knows what square each thinking being is in, but it does not see the being, and the being still has total concealment unless the creature can see it by some other means. If a machebis cannot read a creature with its Detect Thoughts ability, this ability does not work.
The creature also perceives several observable characteristics about each being detected with mindsight, including the being’s type and Intelligence score. The creature need not take any additional or special actions to gain this information; it is as obvious to mindsight as the being’s race and clothing would be to eyesight.

Improved grab: A machebis that hits with a melee attack can automatically make a grapple check

Stealthy: A machebis gets a +2 bonus on all Hide checks and Move Silently checks.

Multigrab: When grappling an opponent with the part of its body that made the attack, a machebis takes only a –10 penalty on grapple checks to maintain the hold.

Paralyzing touch(Ex): A machebis that succeeds on a slam attack deals 1d4 dex damage primary and secondary, fortitude dc 15 negates. They also inflict this poison when grappling. machebis are immune to this poison.

Swallow whole(Ex): when a machebis succeeds in paralyzing a target, it draws it into the mass of tentacles as a free action. Once inside, the victim takes 1d8 points of acid damage per round. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 10 points of damage to the stomach (AC 10). Once the creature exits, the machebis' fast healing closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A machebis' stomach stretches to accommodate additional creatures, and can hold up to 12 medium creatures.

Telepathy(Su): A machebis can speak with any creature that has a mind within a 500 foot radius.

Thought detection(Su): A machebis has a permanent Detect Thoughts effect. It senses within a 1000 foot radius.

No skeleton(Ex): A machebis gets a +16 racial bonus on escape artist checks. It automatically fits through any opening 1 foot wide or larger by taking a full round action, provided it has not swallowed anyone.

Limos
2009-03-07, 11:39 PM
Oh jeez, that's pretty scary. A Large sized mass of tentacles that can fit through a small window.

How many tentacles does it have?

Drogorn
2009-03-07, 11:49 PM
It has 12 tentacles. I fixed it up to make it clearer.

DracoDei
2009-03-08, 01:19 AM
You just omit the standard boiler-plate about cutting your way free if swallowed? Because it is BORING to not be able to do anything because you were swallowed whole (something they fixed in 3.0 from 2nd).

Drogorn
2009-03-08, 01:32 AM
It was an oversight, though they likely wouldn't be able to do anything anyway, since it doesn't swallow until its prey is paralyzed (precisely because it doesn't like getting holes cut in itself).

OP updated.

Stycotl
2009-03-08, 02:08 AM
cool. simple. i like it.

Debihuman
2009-03-08, 12:06 PM
I like this a lot but it needs a little work.

Since it only has primary weapons [tentacles], multiattack is wasted on this creature. If it had a bite attack or another attack, then it would be useful. See Octopus SRD.

Feats: Combat Reflexes and Deflect Arrows should be listed under feats. Also, Deflect Arrows has Improved Unarmed Strike as a prerequisite. it should have 4 feats.

If the creature has a single natural weapon, it adds 1˝ times its Strength bonus to the damage. Damage should be 1d4+6 plus poison.

You should list the special attacks and special qualities in the stat block. Aberrations all have darkvision 60 feet. Is Blindsight 60 ft. in addition or as a replacement for darksvison?

Debby

DracoDei
2009-03-08, 01:18 PM
If the creature has a single natural weapon, it adds 1˝ times its Strength bonus to the damage. Damage should be 1d4+6 plus poison.

I think that might mean a single weapon PERIOD, not a single type of weapon. IE 1 bite -> 1.5 STR added to damage, 2 claws -> 1 STR added to damage.

Pyrusticia
2009-03-09, 03:48 AM
Deflect Arrows has Improved Unarmed Strike as a prerequisite. it should have 4 feats.

I have to disagree on this one. Mechanics should never rule your game. Many class features and magic items allow the use of feats while ignoring prerequisites. There's no reason you can't also give your homebrew a feat without the prerequisites.

Mind you, if you do this is should probably be reckoned in when calculating the CR...speaking of which, what is the CR for this fellow? I'm not seeing it in the write-up.

Overall...very scary. Could have a lot of fun with it. :smalltongue:

Drogorn
2009-03-09, 11:27 AM
Ok, I fixed it up some more, and found a new ability that suits my purposes better than blindsight did: mindsight. My intention is to put this guy in a flooded city that the PCs need to pass through. With his fast healing and mindsight, he'll be able to harass them the entire time.

If they try to take cover in a building, he'll come in through the window. If they try to get on top of a building, he'll climb up there and attack them. If they try to swim through, he's faster.

And he'll mock them the entire time. :smallbiggrin:

Gorgondantess
2009-03-09, 06:51 PM
I have to disagree on this one. Mechanics should never rule your game. Many class features and magic items allow the use of feats while ignoring prerequisites. There's no reason you can't also give your homebrew a feat without the prerequisites.

Mind you, if you do this is should probably be reckoned in when calculating the CR...speaking of which, what is the CR for this fellow? I'm not seeing it in the write-up.

Overall...very scary. Could have a lot of fun with it. :smalltongue:

I have to completely and wholeheartedly agree on this one. When it's your own game, screw the rules, you're god, so you can do whatever you want.

Drogorn
2009-03-09, 08:05 PM
I honestly have no idea what his CR is. I built it off a CR 7, but added and removed many abilities. Additionally, the situation I intend to put the PCs in will make him even more difficult, due to the fact that they'll be waist-deep in brackish water.

The fast healing really makes him as hard or easy as I want him to be; if he gets hurt badly, he'll run off to heal, then ambush them. He'll be doing dex damage all the while, so they'll definitely be dreading his return.

The party in question is a level 7 ranged ranger, beguiler, dervish, and cleric(strength and metal). They seem to be quite powerful, since a decent challenge for them at level 6 was a pair of wyverns, one of which was advanced to huge. I'm actually somewhat concerned about them killing this guy too quickly, but that just means I need to play him like the magnificent bastard he is.