fangthane
2006-09-01, 01:54 AM
I'll say up front, I was initially working on patterning things after the Tarrasque in terms of making a serious-as-anything one-shot baddie. I'm not sure I've completely succeeded, since part way through I relented a bit and realised that the Tarrasque just isn't a fair CR 20 - so I've tried to make this about the baddest REAL 20 I could envision. This one's based very loosely around a creature from a book by Jack Chalker - if you're ever at a loss for creature designs, there are far worse sources than books for inspiration :) Here, then, is the Grraaacht.
Submitted for Monsters in the Playground (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=homebrew;action=display;num=11557461 87;start=0)
Grraaacht
Large Outsider (Native)
Hit Dice:20d8+144 (234 hp)
Initiative:+7
Speed:15 ft (3 squares) or as host (see below)
Armor Class: 22 (dex+7, natural +6, size -1), touch 16, flatfooted 15 (or as host)
Base Attack/Grapple: +20/+32
Attack: As host; or Slam +27
Full Attack: As host; or Slam +27/+22/+17/+12 (1d6+8 and ability drain)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Ability Drain, Ability Theft, Identity Theft, Spell-like Abilities
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10/-, Energy resistance (Universal) 20, Fast Healing 5, Outsider traits (Native subtype), SR (10+HD)
Saves: Fort +21, Ref +19, Will +16
Abilities: 26 Str, 24 Dex, 28 Con, 22 Int, 18 Wis, 4 Cha
Skills: Knowledge: Arcana +24, Knowledge: History +27, Knowledge: Nobility +24, Knowledge: Religion +24, Bluff +20, Disguise +20, Hide +27, Gather Information +20, Move Silently +32, Spot +27, Listen +27, Search +27, Swim +31, Spellcraft +25, Speak Language (Common, Elven, Dwarven, Gnome, Halfling, Orc, Giant, Draconic, Abyssal, Infernal, Celestial, Undercommon, Sylvan)
Feats: Greater Spell Focus (Enchantment), Spell Focus (Enchantment), Spell Focus (Transmutation), Spell Penetration, Greater Spell Penetration, Skill Focus (Bluff), Combat Expertise
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 20
Treasure: Triple Standard
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 21+HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -
I've had many names, but the first I remember is the one my earliest victims all called out - Grraaacht!
The Grraaacht was originally designed by a deeply psychotic but technically gifted wizard as the perfect spy. Originally formed of the ill-advised but competently-managed merging and transmutative manipulation of local children, pets and small summoned fiends, it resembles a large, leathery humanoid whose limbs and body are in constant flux, rapidly changing their length, complexion and thickness seemingly at random. Its original design was as a creature capable of working its way into any enclave, masquerading as one of their own, but as its power grew it quickly tired of its creator's control, finally stealing his identity. Its creation had ingrained in it spell-like abilities intended to aid in its mission of espionage, which have proved every bit as valuable in its pursuit of fun, generally at the expense of others. It typically attempts to use its Identity Theft in private or under conditions where it doesn't feel threatened, and often uses its skills to determine incoming threats so that it may intercept and neutralise them, or flee to a more favorable battlefield. It generally tries to keep a selection of attractive hosts under its control (if not in its presence at all times) and attempts escape if it believes it's in true danger. In combat it generally makes use only of its host's abilities unless exposed or significantly threatened, at which time it makes intelligent use of the most effective abilities at its disposal. In its natural form, it will usually attempt to waylay, render unconscious or charmed and then steal the identity of a lone wanderer. Due to the instability of its natural form, it is unable to move with particular grace or rapidity, and thus prefers to move from host to host.
Ability Drain (Su): When the Grraaacht strikes a foe in melee in its natural form, that opponent must make a will save (DC 25, con-based) or lose one point each of Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. Success eliminates the drain.
Ability Theft (Su): When the Grraaacht is adjacent to an opponent who is incapable of defending himself, it may take a full round action to envelop and begin draining that opponent's Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. The process involves the Grraaacht (or its host) seeming to melt sideways to attach to its victim. A character so assaulted receives a DC 29 (con-based) will save to reduce the drain damage to 1 point per ability. An opponent who fails his save has each ability drained 1d4+1 points. The victim does not die when reduced to 0 in this manner, and the Grraaacht will continue until all three ability scores are 0 if pursuing an Identity Theft.
Identity Theft (Su): When enveloping an opponent of medium, large or huge size whose ability scores have been completely drained, the Grraaacht may take a full round action to occupy that opponent's body and animate it. If it already had a host, it leaves behind a small pile of that host's bones and remaining goods. Having recently absorbed its opponent's entire personality, it is able to almost perfectly imitate any host whose body it inhabits (+15 circumstance bonus to any skill checks made to establish its identity). Its ability scores are temporarily adjusted to reflect the better of its own scores and those of its host, adding back any mental statistics drained by the Grraaacht's own attacks. It retains its own natural armor bonus and selects from its host's equipment as best complemented by its merged ability scores. It is capable of using any of its own, or its host's, spell-like, supernatural and extraordinary abilities as well as all its skills, feats, and class features. (duplicates in any case do not stack). Any attempt to use skills, feats, features or abilities opposed to its own alignment (i.e. specifically requiring a Good or Lawful alignment) forces the Grraaacht to make a will save, DC 25, or lose that ability entirely. Any attempt to discern the creature's alignment while imitating a host also forces it to make a will save, DC 25. If successful, its alignment appears to be that of the original host and any other attempts made by that caster will yield the same result. If failed, the caster learns the Grraaacht's true Chaotic Evil alignment (but does not necessarily understand its meaning). An opponent whose identity has been stolen in this manner cannot be raised normally; attempts to cast Resurrection* force the Grraaacht to make a will save, DC 20+1/2 victim's original HD + caster's wisdom modifier, or be forcibly ejected from what is now completely a corpse, suffering 12d8+72 damage in the process. This damage is not subject to healing through the Grraaacht's fast healing ability. If the Grraaacht fails its save, the resurrection may proceed as normal; in any other case it fails. If True Resurrection is used, the DC is 25+1/2 victim's HD + caster's wisdom modifier. If the Grraaacht has already moved on to a new host, the saving throw DC is increased by +5 and the damage is reduced to 1d8+6. Resurrection of a previous host does not expel the Grraaacht from its current host, if any, though it does cause the expulsion of a small remainder of that prior host's mass.
*Resurrection requires a piece of the creature's body post-mortem, so possession of such a piece relies on wish or similar magic, engagement of the Grraaacht while it emulates the creature, or sifting its leavings for expelled bone mass when it's taken a new host.
Spell-like Abilities: At will- Daze (DC 20), Mage Armor, Feather Fall. 3/day - Charm Person (DC 21), Deep Slumber (DC 23). 1/day - Charm Monster (DC 24), Polymorph (DC 22). 1/week - Dominate Person (DC 25), Baleful Polymorph (DC 23). The Grraaacht casts as a 10th-level wizard and the DCs are intelligence-based. The Grraaacht must prepare its spell-like uses as a wizard, however its 'spellbook' is written into its own creation and thus it is able to prepare its intrinsic abilities without external reference.
Edit - Fixed type syntax
Edit - fixed the alignment-based abilities in Identity Theft; it can fool some of the Gods some of the time... :) Also removed notes from when I was creating it, and fixed up the description a touch. Also put in a secondary clause for the resurrections and a qualification. Touched up a couple of descriptions to mention the left-behind bones and such... I don't think I need describe the "such" do I, but there's bound to be a little meat too, or at least gristle. :)
Edit - don't believe nobody caught that - changed the spell focus(evo) to (enc) as I'd initially intended them to be. Which raises the DC a bit, even if its host doesn't have an int bigger than 18.
Edit - Did the saves DC's up, revised the int a bit because mental saves were a couple points lower than I'd anticipated, adjusted saves for ability drain based on HD; the slam takes a -4 penalty on its DC which I've included.
Submitted for Monsters in the Playground (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=homebrew;action=display;num=11557461 87;start=0)
Grraaacht
Large Outsider (Native)
Hit Dice:20d8+144 (234 hp)
Initiative:+7
Speed:15 ft (3 squares) or as host (see below)
Armor Class: 22 (dex+7, natural +6, size -1), touch 16, flatfooted 15 (or as host)
Base Attack/Grapple: +20/+32
Attack: As host; or Slam +27
Full Attack: As host; or Slam +27/+22/+17/+12 (1d6+8 and ability drain)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Ability Drain, Ability Theft, Identity Theft, Spell-like Abilities
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10/-, Energy resistance (Universal) 20, Fast Healing 5, Outsider traits (Native subtype), SR (10+HD)
Saves: Fort +21, Ref +19, Will +16
Abilities: 26 Str, 24 Dex, 28 Con, 22 Int, 18 Wis, 4 Cha
Skills: Knowledge: Arcana +24, Knowledge: History +27, Knowledge: Nobility +24, Knowledge: Religion +24, Bluff +20, Disguise +20, Hide +27, Gather Information +20, Move Silently +32, Spot +27, Listen +27, Search +27, Swim +31, Spellcraft +25, Speak Language (Common, Elven, Dwarven, Gnome, Halfling, Orc, Giant, Draconic, Abyssal, Infernal, Celestial, Undercommon, Sylvan)
Feats: Greater Spell Focus (Enchantment), Spell Focus (Enchantment), Spell Focus (Transmutation), Spell Penetration, Greater Spell Penetration, Skill Focus (Bluff), Combat Expertise
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 20
Treasure: Triple Standard
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 21+HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -
I've had many names, but the first I remember is the one my earliest victims all called out - Grraaacht!
The Grraaacht was originally designed by a deeply psychotic but technically gifted wizard as the perfect spy. Originally formed of the ill-advised but competently-managed merging and transmutative manipulation of local children, pets and small summoned fiends, it resembles a large, leathery humanoid whose limbs and body are in constant flux, rapidly changing their length, complexion and thickness seemingly at random. Its original design was as a creature capable of working its way into any enclave, masquerading as one of their own, but as its power grew it quickly tired of its creator's control, finally stealing his identity. Its creation had ingrained in it spell-like abilities intended to aid in its mission of espionage, which have proved every bit as valuable in its pursuit of fun, generally at the expense of others. It typically attempts to use its Identity Theft in private or under conditions where it doesn't feel threatened, and often uses its skills to determine incoming threats so that it may intercept and neutralise them, or flee to a more favorable battlefield. It generally tries to keep a selection of attractive hosts under its control (if not in its presence at all times) and attempts escape if it believes it's in true danger. In combat it generally makes use only of its host's abilities unless exposed or significantly threatened, at which time it makes intelligent use of the most effective abilities at its disposal. In its natural form, it will usually attempt to waylay, render unconscious or charmed and then steal the identity of a lone wanderer. Due to the instability of its natural form, it is unable to move with particular grace or rapidity, and thus prefers to move from host to host.
Ability Drain (Su): When the Grraaacht strikes a foe in melee in its natural form, that opponent must make a will save (DC 25, con-based) or lose one point each of Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. Success eliminates the drain.
Ability Theft (Su): When the Grraaacht is adjacent to an opponent who is incapable of defending himself, it may take a full round action to envelop and begin draining that opponent's Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. The process involves the Grraaacht (or its host) seeming to melt sideways to attach to its victim. A character so assaulted receives a DC 29 (con-based) will save to reduce the drain damage to 1 point per ability. An opponent who fails his save has each ability drained 1d4+1 points. The victim does not die when reduced to 0 in this manner, and the Grraaacht will continue until all three ability scores are 0 if pursuing an Identity Theft.
Identity Theft (Su): When enveloping an opponent of medium, large or huge size whose ability scores have been completely drained, the Grraaacht may take a full round action to occupy that opponent's body and animate it. If it already had a host, it leaves behind a small pile of that host's bones and remaining goods. Having recently absorbed its opponent's entire personality, it is able to almost perfectly imitate any host whose body it inhabits (+15 circumstance bonus to any skill checks made to establish its identity). Its ability scores are temporarily adjusted to reflect the better of its own scores and those of its host, adding back any mental statistics drained by the Grraaacht's own attacks. It retains its own natural armor bonus and selects from its host's equipment as best complemented by its merged ability scores. It is capable of using any of its own, or its host's, spell-like, supernatural and extraordinary abilities as well as all its skills, feats, and class features. (duplicates in any case do not stack). Any attempt to use skills, feats, features or abilities opposed to its own alignment (i.e. specifically requiring a Good or Lawful alignment) forces the Grraaacht to make a will save, DC 25, or lose that ability entirely. Any attempt to discern the creature's alignment while imitating a host also forces it to make a will save, DC 25. If successful, its alignment appears to be that of the original host and any other attempts made by that caster will yield the same result. If failed, the caster learns the Grraaacht's true Chaotic Evil alignment (but does not necessarily understand its meaning). An opponent whose identity has been stolen in this manner cannot be raised normally; attempts to cast Resurrection* force the Grraaacht to make a will save, DC 20+1/2 victim's original HD + caster's wisdom modifier, or be forcibly ejected from what is now completely a corpse, suffering 12d8+72 damage in the process. This damage is not subject to healing through the Grraaacht's fast healing ability. If the Grraaacht fails its save, the resurrection may proceed as normal; in any other case it fails. If True Resurrection is used, the DC is 25+1/2 victim's HD + caster's wisdom modifier. If the Grraaacht has already moved on to a new host, the saving throw DC is increased by +5 and the damage is reduced to 1d8+6. Resurrection of a previous host does not expel the Grraaacht from its current host, if any, though it does cause the expulsion of a small remainder of that prior host's mass.
*Resurrection requires a piece of the creature's body post-mortem, so possession of such a piece relies on wish or similar magic, engagement of the Grraaacht while it emulates the creature, or sifting its leavings for expelled bone mass when it's taken a new host.
Spell-like Abilities: At will- Daze (DC 20), Mage Armor, Feather Fall. 3/day - Charm Person (DC 21), Deep Slumber (DC 23). 1/day - Charm Monster (DC 24), Polymorph (DC 22). 1/week - Dominate Person (DC 25), Baleful Polymorph (DC 23). The Grraaacht casts as a 10th-level wizard and the DCs are intelligence-based. The Grraaacht must prepare its spell-like uses as a wizard, however its 'spellbook' is written into its own creation and thus it is able to prepare its intrinsic abilities without external reference.
Edit - Fixed type syntax
Edit - fixed the alignment-based abilities in Identity Theft; it can fool some of the Gods some of the time... :) Also removed notes from when I was creating it, and fixed up the description a touch. Also put in a secondary clause for the resurrections and a qualification. Touched up a couple of descriptions to mention the left-behind bones and such... I don't think I need describe the "such" do I, but there's bound to be a little meat too, or at least gristle. :)
Edit - don't believe nobody caught that - changed the spell focus(evo) to (enc) as I'd initially intended them to be. Which raises the DC a bit, even if its host doesn't have an int bigger than 18.
Edit - Did the saves DC's up, revised the int a bit because mental saves were a couple points lower than I'd anticipated, adjusted saves for ability drain based on HD; the slam takes a -4 penalty on its DC which I've included.