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Fax Celestis
2006-07-13, 03:51 PM
A hextomb bound creature is one that has gained longevity (and even nigh-immortality) through the profane forces at work in a hextomb.

Creating a Hextomb Bound
Hextomb bound is an acquired template that can be applied to any sentient, evil, living creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

Size and Type
The creature’s type does not change, although it does acquire the (Evil) and (Augmented) subtypes. It uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Hit Dice
The base creature's hit dice alter up two steps, so that d4s become d8s, d6s become d10s, and d8s become d12s. If the base creature's hit dice were d10s, the dice become d12s and the base creature receives an additional hit point per die. If the base creature's hit dice were d12s, the dice do not upgrade, but the base creature receives an additional 2 points per die.

Speed
The base creature's speed in all forms of movement available to them before application increases by 10'.

Armor Class
The base creature receives a profane bonus to their Armor Class equal to 1/2 their hit dice.

Attacks
The base creature retains all natural weapons and weapon proficiencies. The hextomb bound's base attack bonus changes to that of a cleric of the same hit dice, even if this would lower their base attack bonus.

Damage
Weapons carried and used by the base creature are considered evil for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

Special Attacks
The base creature retains all special attacks. In addition, six times per day the base creature can use negative energy burst, as the spell cast by a cleric of equal hit dice.

Special Qualities
The base creature retains all previous special qualities and gains the following:

Immunity to Cold (Ex)
Hextomb bound creatures are not affected by cold.

Damage Reduction (Ex)
A hextomb bound creature has damage reduction 15/good.

Spell Resistance (Ex)
A hextomb bound creature has spell resistance equal to 10 plus their Hit Dice.

Fast Healing (Su)
A hextomb bound creature gains fast healing equal to 1 point per Hit Die and can reattach missing limbs by holding the severed limb to the wound.

Profane Immunity (Su)
A hextomb bound creature's profane bonuses apply under any and all conditions short of actual death. This includes in areas where profane bonuses are normally purged. Similarly, they cannot be dispelled by dispel magic or the like.

Disease and Poison Immunity (Ex)
The hextomb bound creature is immune to all forms of disease and poison.

Create Undead (Sp)
A hextomb bound creature can create undead through its spell-like abilities. Twelve times a day, a hextomb bound can cast animate dead, as the spell. Six times a day, a hextomb bound creature can cast create undead, as the spell. Three times a day, a hextomb bound can cast create greater undead, as the spell. All these spell-like abilities use the base creature's Hit Dice as Caster Level.

Command Undead (Su)
A hextomb bound creature can command undead as a cleric of equal hit dice. A hextomb bound always has command of undead it creates, though they can be turned as normal.

Profane Aura (Su)
A hextomb bound creature is the center of a constant desecrate effect, effective out to 20'.

Eternal Unlife (Su)
A hextomb bound creature cannot be killed and is effectively immortal for as long as the other five creatures who performed the hextomb ritual are also alive. Slaying a hextomb bound will cause it to act as if it were dead, but it will only remain that way for 2d4+2 hours before reviving. Slaying all six hextomb bound creatures at the same time will kill all six, though the power of the hextomb itself remains. See Destroying a Hextomb Bound below.

Negative Energy Absorption (Su)
A hextomb bound creature is healed by all negative energy effects instead of damaged by them. Similarly, a hextomb bound creature is damaged by positive energy effects instead of healed.

Aversions (Su)
A hextomb bound creature's mind becomes twisted in the process of its transformation. All hextomb bound cannot stand the scent of mint or vanilla, though it does not harm them.

Energy Weaknesses (Su)
A hextomb bound takes one and a half times the normal amount of damage from fire and positive energy and cannot use its fast healing ability to restore hit points lost to fire and positive energy damage.

Hextomb Dependency (Su)
A hextomb bound must remain within six hundred and sixty six miles of the hextomb or immediately receive one negative level. This negative level cannot be dispelled and remains until the hextomb bound returns within that area. In addition, if the hextomb bound does not spend at least one night every thirty-six days in the hextomb, they again receive a negative level until they do spend a night in the hextomb. Once afflicted with one negative level for missing a night, they continue to receive negative levels at a rate of one level per night if they fail to sleep in the hextomb.

Should a hextomb bound die due to negative levels gained in this way, their soul is immediately consumed by the negative energy of the hextomb. All other hextomb bound must make a Fortitude save versus a DC equal to 10 + the slain hextomb bound's ECL or succumb to a similar fate. Should one of the other hextomb bound fail this save, the remaining must make a similar save or also be consumed.

Saves
A hextomb bound creature retains saves it had prior to template application, though it receives a +4 profane bonus to all saving throws.

Abilities
The base creature receives a +3 profane bonus to all its ability scores.

Skills
The base creature receives a +2 profane bonus to each skill it already has ranks in.

Feats and Spells
The base creature retains all feats and spellcasting ability.

Alignment
Always evil.

Advancement
As base creature.

CR
+5

LA
+8

Becoming a Hextomb Bound
In order to become a hextomb bound, the base creature and five other creatures (the ritualists) wishing to become hextomb bound must build a hexagonal mausoleum (a hextomb), ten feet per wall, with six deep graves radiating from the central point.

The ritualists must then gather up 6 innocents a piece, for a total of 36. After casting unhallow, blasphemy and desecrate on the hextomb, the ritualists must cast contagion, symbol of pain, and symbol of insanity in such a way as to affect all innocents. Each innocent must suffer the full effects of the contagion, symbol of pain, and symbol of insanity effects or the ritual will not work. After this, the ritualists must bury the innocents alive in the six graves. The ritualists must sleep on top of the graves--one per grave--and will acquire the hextomb bound template during the course of the night.

Destroying a Hextomb Bound
In order to fully destroy a hextomb bound creature, all six of the hextomb bound who performed the ritual must all be dead at the same time. Note that when slain a hextomb bound remains effectively "dead" for 2d4+2 hours before reviving itself. However, this only destroys their physical bodies. If the hextomb itself is not destroyed within 1d3-1 (0 meaning "immediately") days after the destruction of the ritualists, it raises each of the ritualists as ghosts. The ritualists acquire the effects of the ghost template as well as keep the hextomb bound template. Usually the first thing that the ritualists will do is seek revenge.

In order to destroy the hextomb itself, a consecrate and hallow spell must be cast within the hextomb, and raise dead must be cast on each of the graves inside. Finally, the mausoleum must be destroyed or otherwise taken apart. This can be accomplished while the ritualists are either dead or in ghost form, but is easier to accomplish while they are dead.

Catch
2006-07-13, 03:59 PM
Two quips, to start off with. One, there's no d20 hit die. Instead of using that die size, I'd suggest giving bouns HP. It really has the same effect, but with less hassle. Check the table on Construct bonus HP, it might be close to what you're looking for.

Two, I'd say adding +10 to the CR is pretty ridiculous, and you need to list the LA as well. As an example, Lichdom and Vampirism both add only +2 to a creature's challenge rating, while a lich has a +4 LA, and a Vampie has a +8 LA.

Seraph
2006-07-13, 04:00 PM
d20 hit die?

Fax Celestis
2006-07-13, 04:07 PM
The point is sheer terror on the d20 hit die, but I suppose I could change it.

*edits*

Check it out now.

With the CR, I'm not certain really how to judge CR, ECL, LA, etc. yet. I'm familiarizing myself with monsters and templates by making new ones.

AmberVael
2006-07-13, 04:45 PM
If the base creature's hit dice were d10s, the dice do no upgrade, but the base creature receives an additional 2 hit points per die.
Shouldn't it upgrade one die and get the HP bonus? The d12 gets a +4 bonus, and the d8 becomes 12, so why do creatures with d10's on get a +2 and no upgrade?

Fax Celestis
2006-07-13, 04:49 PM
Shouldn't it upgrade one die and get the HP bonus? The d12 gets a +4 bonus, and the d8 becomes 12, so why do creatures with d10's on get a +2 and no upgrade?
Because it upgrades two levels of dice, and two levels of dice would be a d14...which I have, but is a rather uncommon die. ;)

...unless you're saying it should upgrade to a d12 with the +2, in which case you may be right. But the question there is, would that cheapen the bonus the d12 gets? If I did make it so that the d10 became a d12 and gave +2 per die, should I make the d12 give +6 (or even +8) per die?

Maerok
2006-07-13, 05:09 PM
Good:
Cold Immunity
DR 15/good.
SR 30.
Fast healing 20 and can reattach missing limbs by holding the severed limb to the wound.
Profane Immunity (Su)
Immune to all forms of disease and poison.
Create Undead (Sp)
A hextomb bound creature can create undead through its spell-like abilities. Twelve times a day, a hecatomb bound can cast animate dead, as the spell, as if cast by a 20th level cleric. Six times a day, a hextomb bound creature can cast create undead, as the spell, as if cast by a 20th level cleric. Three times a day, a hextomb bound can cast create greater undead, as the spell, as if cast by a 20th level cleric.
Command Undead (Su)
A hextomb bound creature can command undead as a cleric of equal hit dice. A hextomb bound always has command of undead it creates, though they can be turned as normal.
Profane Aura (Su)
A hextomb bound creature is the center of a constant desecrate effect, effective out to 20'.
Eternal Unlife (Su)
A hextomb bound creature cannot be killed and is effectively immortal for as long as the other five creatures who performed the hextomb ritual are also alive. Slaying a hextomb bound will cause it to act as if it were dead, but it will only remain that way for 2d4+2 hours before reviving. Slaying all six hextomb bound creatures at the same time will kill all six, though the power of the hextomb itself remains.

+3 to all abilities
+2 to all skills you have
+4 to all saves
+10' movement
+HD AC

Bad:
Aversions (Su)
A hextomb bound creature's mind becomes twisted in the process of its transformation. All hextomb bound cannot stand the scent of mint or vanilla, though it does not harm them.

Electrical Weakness (Su)
A hextomb bound takes one and a half times the normal amount of damage from electrical damage and cannot use its fast healing ability to restore hit points lost to electrical damage.
[hr]
I'm thinking this is at least LA 10. There's quite a bit of CL 20 SLAs. And you don't die unless the person manages to find and kill 5 others in less than 10 hours. This template can be achieved by a level 5 Cleric (a person in an ECL 7 game could start with this template), since all it seems is that you need to build the tomb, get some buddies, cast bestow curse, and fall asleep above a bunch of victims buried alive. That's a typical Saturday night for me. ;D

For comparisons:
Worm that Walks (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/wormThatWalks.htm)
Demilich (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/demilich.htm)
Lich (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/lich.htm)

Fax Celestis
2006-07-13, 05:43 PM
I'm thinking this is at least LA 10. There's quite a bit of CL 20 SLAs. And you don't die unless the person manages to find and kill 5 others in less than 10 hours. This template can be achieved by a level 5 Cleric (a person in an ECL 7 game could start with this template), since all it seems is that you need to build the tomb, get some buddies, cast bestow curse, and fall asleep above a bunch of victims buried alive. That's a typical Saturday night for me. ;D

It used to be CR +10 without an LA. I could make it a CR +4, LA +6.

And I think I'm going to change the spells required. At least, get rid of the bestow curse and replace it with something else.

...but you also have to remember you've got to bestow curse 36 times...

Eh. I'll change it anyway. *ponders a new spell*

Fax Celestis
2006-07-13, 05:57 PM
*edits* Check it now.

The Demented One
2006-08-29, 09:27 PM
Way too low LA. I'd put it a +8 minimum. It's also got a few weird things--odd bonuses to stats, that weird aversion, inexplicable weakness to electricity. Polish it up, and I'll vote for it.

Gyrfalcon
2006-08-29, 09:52 PM
Haven't looked at this in a while, but yes, the LA is *well* off for the number of spiffy, unique abilities you get. A party of evil adventurers wouldn't hesitate to pick this up for a paltry +2LA. Even the casters won't complain too much when they realize that they're much harder to kill.

Benefits:
+2HD steps
+10 movement speed
AC + 1-20 (!)
Attacks - not sure on the BAB. does their base attack bonus increase if they have a lower one? Does it decrease if they have a higher one?
all attacks count as evil for damage reduction
SLA - negative energy burst 6/day, animate dead 12/day(!), create undead 6/day(!), create greater undead 3/day.
DR 15/good
Immunity to cold, disease, poison, healing by negative energy
SR 30
fast healing 20(!)
immortality if you all don't bite it at once... and you come back as ghosts if you do and your hextomb isn't broken.

Downsides:
damage by positive energy, weakness to electricity

I honestly have to say CR +6-+10, and LA -, this simply is too powerful outside of epic games.

Fax Celestis
2006-08-29, 10:18 PM
Changed the weaknesses to fire and positive energy, raised CR and LA, lowered the Fast Healing, changed CL on SLAs, lowered AC bonus.

Maerok
2006-08-29, 10:43 PM
Idk, this thing still seems like its super powerful. Maybe as a monster it's practical for a BBEG... DR and SR seems really high, epic IMHO (perhaps base it on HD), and +3 to abilitys, +4 to saves, +2 to skills seems rather much along with AC bonus and speed bonus. Plus you respawn in 6 or so hours, unless you and your buddies are put down in the same moment. Fast healing 15 is rather excessive.

Something like this needs a definite drawback, like can't go farther than 5' per HD from the hextomb or defeating any of the hextombers kills off their buddies through some dark bond.

Unless this is an epic template or something...

I'd say easily LA +10, maybe higher.

Fax Celestis
2006-08-29, 11:39 PM
I think I'm actually going to get rid of the LA. It's not really appropriate for PCs. It's designed to be for a BBEG...actualy a group of BBEGs working in concert.

The distance limitation is a good idea, but not one I really want to implement. Perhaps something similar, though.

Jack_Simth
2006-08-30, 01:02 AM
Perhaps, instead of a distance limitation, a reason for them to come back every so often; gets rid of the question as to why they don't just seal it up with repetitive Transmute Rock To Mud / Dispel Magic cycles so nobody can ever reach it. Also gives the PC's a way to track down why they keep coming back - as written, the Hextomb Bound just get back up from wherever they fell, not from the Hextomb. They can do the ritual, part ways, and never talk to each other again, and never return to the Hextomb.

Perhaps they start taking a cumulative penalty to their ability scores if they don't again sleep over the appropriet graves every so often. Or perhaps they start taking Negative Levels (special ones, like from holding an inapproprietly aligned intelligent item).

Fax Celestis
2006-08-30, 01:07 AM
I like that. I'll add that.

Jack_Simth
2006-08-30, 01:47 AM
A Suggestion: Both the distance and the time should be symbolic (like with the number of uses of the spell-like abilities); perhaps 36 days rather than a month, or 66 miles (or 666 miles, or 666,666 feet (a little over 126 miles)).

Fax Celestis
2006-08-30, 01:32 PM
Good call.

Lord Iames Osari
2006-08-30, 11:49 PM
MitP Vote: Yes.

Jack_Simth
2006-08-31, 12:05 AM
Stupid question....

What happens when one of the Hextomb Bound gets "stuck" away from the Hextomb? Suppose a 20 HD Hextomb Bound (a Monk, say) gets Bull Rushed into a Portable Hole, which is then sealed up, and put on a shelf for 56 days. Well, he's got 1 negative level for being too far from the Hextomb (he's on a different plane....), one for day 36 of not sleeping in the hextomb, and 20 more for days 37-56. Oh.. that's 22 negative levels. Theoretically, with that many, he's supposed to die and rise the next evening as a Wight..... but he undies after a few hours.... but he's still got too many negative levels......

Fax Celestis
2006-08-31, 12:09 AM
Ooh, perhaps a clarification is in order then.

//edits

Fax Celestis
2006-08-31, 12:12 AM
Done.

Jack_Simth
2006-08-31, 12:30 AM
Ah, so a second way to keep them dead.... that's simultaneously easier, and harder, than the default.....

And a very painful save for those left out of it....

Yes, you'll definately get their attention doing that....

fangthane
2006-08-31, 01:23 AM
Not that I'm impugning the way you've done up the hit dice increases, but per the official sources, changing up a hit die for one larger involves a +1 to hit points at second and higher dice, and a +2 only to the first die. So, strictly speaking, a character receiving the template would get 2*(HD+1) hit points, and the same adjustment could be applied to d10/d12 hit dice.

In "Create Undead" you've alternately referred to it as "Hecatomb bound."

In "Speed" the word "application" is missing its C. :)

In "Damage Reduction" you've called it damage deduction.

The "Eternal Unlife" section seems to indicate that if all 6 are killed at the same time they'll remain dead, which is explained more fully later. It might be an idea to put the whole explanation of how they come back/get killed in one place. Also, the "Hextomb Dependency" seems to indicate that depending on circumstances there may be anywhere from 0-6 Hextomb Bound attached to a given Hextomb.

I'd recommend considering making the spell resistance somewhere between 10-15 plus HD - that way it'll scale a bit better. Similarly, I'd give fast healing 1/HD. Of course, I'd also allow it to heal positive and fire damage. I like making sure my players know I'm rooting for the bad guys. :)

Jack_Simth
2006-08-31, 01:36 AM
The "Eternal Unlife" section seems to indicate that if all 6 are killed at the same time they'll remain dead, which is explained more fully later. It might be an idea to put the whole explanation of how they come back/get killed in one place. Also, the "Hextomb Dependency" seems to indicate that depending on circumstances there may be anywhere from 0-6 Hextomb Bound attached to a given Hextomb.
If I'm reading it right, it's actually kinda improbable to get 1-5 Hextomb Bound bound to a given Hextomb - if one goes out from an inability to sate Dependency, then there's five extremely difficult saves to be made - if a Druid-20 Hextomb Bound is kept away for the 54 days, the other five Hextomb Bound must make Fort saves, DC 38 (10+ECL=10+levels + racial HD+LA=38), and if one of them fails, those four that succeeded have to try again for the one that failed. And again, and again.... assuming all the Hextomb bound are approximately the same level, keeping one out of reach for too long nearly guarantees they all fall down.

LordOfNarf
2006-08-31, 01:49 AM
Looks like an extremely well thought out idea, I like the concept and the crunchy.

Perhaps in answer to the whole kill one and the rest crumble idea, once one dies, the other five are also aware, and must find someone to replace the lost one in 66 days, or 6 days if you want to make it down to the wire.

the new person would have to complete the ritual again (at least 1 persons part, with the other five present and unanimously consrnting) The new person would get all the requirements of being bound, but fewer bonuses than the others. it could also lead to interesting distrust with 5 being suspisios of the "new guy"

Also, ability score bonuses are never odd, since that dosent regualte the amount of extra bonus a person gets, it would depend on whether their sore was even or odd to begin with. Make it a +2 or +4 profane bonus to abilities.

all in all, MitP wote, Yes

Jack_Simth
2006-08-31, 01:55 AM
Looks like an extremely well thought out idea, I like the concept and the crunchy.

Perhaps in answer to the whole kill one and the rest crumble idea, once one dies, the other five are also aware, and must find someone to replace the lost one in 66 days, or 6 days if you want to make it down to the wire.

the new person would have to complete the ritual again (at least 1 persons part, with the other five present and unanimously consrnting) The new person would get all the requirements of being bound, but fewer bonuses than the others. it could also lead to interesting distrust with 5 being suspisios of the "new guy"
It's not just killing the one. It's trapping him for well over a month, when his compatriots eternities rest on him getting back to the Hextomb. These guys are the dark version of the three muskateers, doubled - you kill one, meh; no biggie, he'll be back. You chain one... and they are ALL OUT TO GET YOU. They've got an eternal dependency on each other.....

Fax Celestis
2006-08-31, 02:07 PM
It's not just killing the one. It's trapping him for well over a month, when his compatriots eternities rest on him getting back to the Hextomb. These guys are the dark version of the three muskateers, doubled - you kill one, meh; no biggie, he'll be back. You chain one... and they are ALL OUT TO GET YOU. They've got an eternal dependency on each other.....
And not only are they all out to get you, their zombie horde is also out to get you.

And, if played right, a Hextomb Bound Legendary Leader or Hextomb Bound Thrallherd has a veritable army at his fingertips.

fangthane
2006-08-31, 03:17 PM
if a Druid-20 Hextomb Bound is kept away for the 54 days, the other five Hextomb Bound must make Fort saves, DC 38 (10+ECL=10+levels + racial HD+LA=38).
Did the LA get changed? I'd have sworn I remembered it being 8 before too, but it's "--" now...

Not that I disagree that it's fairly unlikely, but if we consider the druid's evil Fighter (or cleric) pal, who has a base save of +12, a Con of (likely) 20-ish for another 5, a profane bonus of +4, another +1 from the profane stat bonus and a Cloak for an additional +5. That's getting near a 50/50 success chance even on a DC 38 fort save, and with the right feats, items etc many could approach it. Again, I'm not claiming it's a shoo-in by any means, but it's possible.

The note to "See destroying below" is perfecto, just ensures that someone reading the first section knows there's more to understand, rather than going off half-cocked.

I'm not as hung up on the HD-change thing as I would be if it were a PC-directed template, either - I like my beasties tough, and an extra hp or two isn't really all that much dissimilar from the ad hoc pre-fight beefing I often do anyhow ;)

Looks pretty good to me; on the understanding that someone's probably going to have to go over the approved designs anyhow, I'm willing to say
MitP Vote - Yes.

Fax Celestis
2006-08-31, 03:20 PM
Oh hell, I forgot about that. I'll put the LA back in.