The Vorpal Tribble
2006-06-18, 10:20 PM
Amberward of Salpa
Large Construct (extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 13d10+30 (101 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 25 (+16 natural, -1 size), touch 9, flat-footed 25
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+25
Attack: Slam +16 melee (2d8+8 )
Full Attack: 2 slams Slam +16 melee (2d8+8 )
Space/Reach: 10 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, resin hurl, sticky situation, stuck fast
Special Qualities: Construct traits, damage reduction 10/cold iron, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 5, immunity to mortal magic, tree stride
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +9
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 11, Con -, Int 4, Wis 20, Cha 10
Skills: Diplomacy +6, Listen +12, Spot +12
Feats: Alertness, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Track
Environment: Plane of Faerie or temperate forest
Organization: Solitary or Muddle (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral good
Advancement: 14-20 HD (Large), 21-41 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -
An amberward appears as a great, vaguely man-like creature made of some glassy orangish sustance that drips with moisture. The figure is somewhat lumpy and misshapen, with vein-like lines flowing through it. Deep within is a beautifully polished skeleton of dark colored wood upon which beautiful carvings and florid runes have been etched in sylvan. The 'skull' is but a smooth wooden ball where the scribings cover every available inch. Its back has a large hump formed of dozens of spheres. Within each is the blurred form of some creature, from animal to humanoid.
The liquid running through an amberward is known as Red Dew, a special substance of fey lands that helps animate them gives them their intelligence.
Amberwards are sentient creatures brought to life as guardians of the Seelie courts and boundary lands between that of mortals and immortals. Their creator, a fey princess by the name of Salpa first constructed the Amberwards from a massive darkwood tree that her father had had planeted for her at her birth. It had grown old, far older than any would naturally, for she had used both magic and her knowledge of growing things to extends its life. Knowing it would soon die despite her efforts she began to collect its sap and turn it to a thick syrup. Once she had enough she withdrew her magic and watched as it toppled. She wept as it fell and all the nearby trees seemed to weep as well as a strange red dew began to bead up their branches and drip down their sides. She shaped the wood and made it hard as iron before dipping it into the pools of syupy resin she had saved. Drawing upon the forces of nature she soaked the sap in the life energy of the forest as the dew began to rain down upon her.
To her amazement what arose and hardened bowed to her and spoke its thanks. For her love of the tree had soaked into the land and imprinted within it an echo of her soul. She affectionately named each one and used most to guard and patrol her lands. This was their choice for she allowed them their own life if such they wished. Some as well were sent to settle disputes between human and fey on other planes of existence. Here others discovered the secret to their making and though rare, new amberwards came to be.
Amberwards are nearly 15 feet tall and weigh around 2,000 pounds. They speak Sylvan.
Combat
Amberwards will often stand before those who seek to trespess into guarded lands, warning them and speaking with them in simple terms. If they still seek to enter an amberward will attempt to grab them up and take them back to where they came from. If they are attacked however they revert to fists, grabbing and crushing, and if forced, trapping the being within themselves to die. If overpowered they meld into the nearest tree to hide or transport themselves to warn those they guard.
Immunity to Mortal Magic (Ex): An amberward is immune to any spell or spell-like ability cast by anything other than elementals, fey, or outsiders that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.
An antiplant shell, evergreen, and repel wood spell affects an amberward as if it were itself a plant.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an amberward must hit a Huge or smaller foe with two slam attacks. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Amberwards are extremely sticky if they wish to be and thus recieve a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks, which is already included in the statistics above.
Resin Hurl (Ex): An amberward may sacrifice 5 hit points to liquify and spew a glob of its own substance as a ranged touch attack. This acts as a thrown tanglefoot bag except that it does not grow brittle and crumble but remains hardened indefinetely.
Sticky Situation (Ex): An amberward may engulf a helpless or pinned medium or smaller creature as a full-round action that does not trigger an attack of opportunity. The viscous inner resin hardens around the victim and is transfered to the back of the amberward. The victim immediately begins to suffocate. A successful opposed strength check allows the victim to free themselves. An amberward can hold 2 medium, 4 small, 16 tiny, or 32 dimunitive creature. Swarms of fine creatures do not damage an amberward, but are instead absorbed en masse, the swarm taking 2d6 damage per round. An amberward may eject a captured creature at will.
Stuck Fast (Ex):
A slashing or piercing weapon that deals damage to an amberward becomes stuck within its substance unless the wielder succeeds on a DC 24 reflex save. The weapon may be retrieved with a successful disarm check. An amberward can spend a standard action to cover over a single weapon per round and hide it within its body. The amberward may eject or wield the weapon at will. The save DC is strength-based.
Tree Stride (Su): An amberward may use Tree Stride once per day, being absorbed and flowing through the host tree's very veins.
Large Construct (extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 13d10+30 (101 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 25 (+16 natural, -1 size), touch 9, flat-footed 25
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+25
Attack: Slam +16 melee (2d8+8 )
Full Attack: 2 slams Slam +16 melee (2d8+8 )
Space/Reach: 10 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, resin hurl, sticky situation, stuck fast
Special Qualities: Construct traits, damage reduction 10/cold iron, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 5, immunity to mortal magic, tree stride
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +9
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 11, Con -, Int 4, Wis 20, Cha 10
Skills: Diplomacy +6, Listen +12, Spot +12
Feats: Alertness, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Track
Environment: Plane of Faerie or temperate forest
Organization: Solitary or Muddle (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral good
Advancement: 14-20 HD (Large), 21-41 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -
An amberward appears as a great, vaguely man-like creature made of some glassy orangish sustance that drips with moisture. The figure is somewhat lumpy and misshapen, with vein-like lines flowing through it. Deep within is a beautifully polished skeleton of dark colored wood upon which beautiful carvings and florid runes have been etched in sylvan. The 'skull' is but a smooth wooden ball where the scribings cover every available inch. Its back has a large hump formed of dozens of spheres. Within each is the blurred form of some creature, from animal to humanoid.
The liquid running through an amberward is known as Red Dew, a special substance of fey lands that helps animate them gives them their intelligence.
Amberwards are sentient creatures brought to life as guardians of the Seelie courts and boundary lands between that of mortals and immortals. Their creator, a fey princess by the name of Salpa first constructed the Amberwards from a massive darkwood tree that her father had had planeted for her at her birth. It had grown old, far older than any would naturally, for she had used both magic and her knowledge of growing things to extends its life. Knowing it would soon die despite her efforts she began to collect its sap and turn it to a thick syrup. Once she had enough she withdrew her magic and watched as it toppled. She wept as it fell and all the nearby trees seemed to weep as well as a strange red dew began to bead up their branches and drip down their sides. She shaped the wood and made it hard as iron before dipping it into the pools of syupy resin she had saved. Drawing upon the forces of nature she soaked the sap in the life energy of the forest as the dew began to rain down upon her.
To her amazement what arose and hardened bowed to her and spoke its thanks. For her love of the tree had soaked into the land and imprinted within it an echo of her soul. She affectionately named each one and used most to guard and patrol her lands. This was their choice for she allowed them their own life if such they wished. Some as well were sent to settle disputes between human and fey on other planes of existence. Here others discovered the secret to their making and though rare, new amberwards came to be.
Amberwards are nearly 15 feet tall and weigh around 2,000 pounds. They speak Sylvan.
Combat
Amberwards will often stand before those who seek to trespess into guarded lands, warning them and speaking with them in simple terms. If they still seek to enter an amberward will attempt to grab them up and take them back to where they came from. If they are attacked however they revert to fists, grabbing and crushing, and if forced, trapping the being within themselves to die. If overpowered they meld into the nearest tree to hide or transport themselves to warn those they guard.
Immunity to Mortal Magic (Ex): An amberward is immune to any spell or spell-like ability cast by anything other than elementals, fey, or outsiders that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.
An antiplant shell, evergreen, and repel wood spell affects an amberward as if it were itself a plant.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an amberward must hit a Huge or smaller foe with two slam attacks. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Amberwards are extremely sticky if they wish to be and thus recieve a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks, which is already included in the statistics above.
Resin Hurl (Ex): An amberward may sacrifice 5 hit points to liquify and spew a glob of its own substance as a ranged touch attack. This acts as a thrown tanglefoot bag except that it does not grow brittle and crumble but remains hardened indefinetely.
Sticky Situation (Ex): An amberward may engulf a helpless or pinned medium or smaller creature as a full-round action that does not trigger an attack of opportunity. The viscous inner resin hardens around the victim and is transfered to the back of the amberward. The victim immediately begins to suffocate. A successful opposed strength check allows the victim to free themselves. An amberward can hold 2 medium, 4 small, 16 tiny, or 32 dimunitive creature. Swarms of fine creatures do not damage an amberward, but are instead absorbed en masse, the swarm taking 2d6 damage per round. An amberward may eject a captured creature at will.
Stuck Fast (Ex):
A slashing or piercing weapon that deals damage to an amberward becomes stuck within its substance unless the wielder succeeds on a DC 24 reflex save. The weapon may be retrieved with a successful disarm check. An amberward can spend a standard action to cover over a single weapon per round and hide it within its body. The amberward may eject or wield the weapon at will. The save DC is strength-based.
Tree Stride (Su): An amberward may use Tree Stride once per day, being absorbed and flowing through the host tree's very veins.