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The Demented One
2006-08-12, 10:20 PM
Smokestack Beetle
Size/Type: Huge Construct
Hit Dice: 14d10+40 (115 hp)
Initiative: -2
Speed: 30 ft.
Armor Class: 24 (-2 size, -2 Dex, +18 natural), touch 6, flatfooted 24
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+32
Attack: Bite +22 melee (2d6+14)
Full Attack: Bite +22 melee (2d6+14)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon
Special Qualities: Construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., concealment, living factory
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +4
Abilities: Str 38, Dex 6, Con –, Int –, Wis 11, Cha 1
Skills: –
Feats: Ability Focus (Breath Weapon)B
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always True Neutral
Advancement: 15-25 HD (Huge), 26-32 HD (Gargantuan), 33-40 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: –

Smokestack Beetles are massive constructs that serve as an easy way to produce alchemic substances. Though they cheaply produce alchemic components within themselves, the process is egregiously inefficent, and produces amazing amounts of pollutions. Smokestack Beetle’s loom like giant iron beetle, with a rusty metallic carapace covered in dross. The beetles’ derive their names from the smokestacks covering their body, which constantly belch forth smoke.

Breath Weapon (Su)
A Smokestack Beetle has a single breath weapon, a 60 ft. cone of noxious gas. The area of the breath weapon is filled with noxious gas for 15 rounds. A moderate wind (11+ mph) disperses the gas in 4 rounds; a strong wind (21+ mph) disperses the gas in 1 round. The gas obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. A creature within 5 feet has concealment (attacks have a 20% miss chance). Creatures farther away have total concealment (50% miss chance, and the attacker can’t use sight to locate the target). Each round a creature is in the gas, it must make a DC 19 Fortitude save or become nauseated, which lasts for as long as it remains in the gas and for 1d4+1 rounds afterwards. A plant creature that fails its save also takes 15d6 points of damage. In addition, plants that are not creatures–grass, shrubs, trees, and so on–die, with no save. The save is Constitution based. A Smokestack Beetle must wait 1d4 rounds between uses of its breath weapon.

Concealment (Ex)
A Smokestack Beetle is constantly shrouded in smoke, giving it a 20% miss chance.

Living Factory (Ex)
A Smokestack Beetle produces various components usable in making alchemic substances. Each week, it excretes 50 gp of materials that can be used to craft alchemic items. However, it must use its breath weapon at least once every day of the week, or else the materials are contaminated by pollutants which build up in them. Harvesting the materials is a dangerous process, doing so takes 1 hour. The creature harvesting the materials must make a DC 17 Fortitude save or take 1d6 points of Con damage. The save is Constitution based. If the components are not used to create a substance within 1d3 days of be harvested, they degrade and become useless.

Construction
The body of a Smokestack Beetle is constructed from twenty tons of impure iron, worth 10,000 gp. Assembling the body requires a DC 18 Craft (Armorsmithing or Metalsmithing) check. In addition, a special alchemic reservoir, worth 5,000 gp and requiring a DC 18 Craft (Alchemy) check to create, must be installed in the body.

CL 9th. Craft Construct, blight, major creation, stinking cloud. Cost 75,000 gp + 4,800 xp. Price 120,000 gp.

TheOOB
2006-08-12, 10:56 PM
Well, assuming you crafted it yourself it only takes about 29 years for it pay for itself...

Sounds like a gnomish invention to me.

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-08-12, 11:05 PM
Very cool idea! I presume this thing is to be a very long-term construct to get your money's worth out of it? ;)


Though I suppose it depends on whats in the gas, I do have a bit of a problem with this part:

A plant creature that fails its save also takes 15d6 points of damage. In addition, plants that are not creatures–grass, shrubs, trees, and so on–die, with no save.
Unless its specifically plant poison, pollution shouldn't hurt the plants any more than people, and probably much less. Plants are actually found to grow better in polluted locales because of the increased carbon dioxide and more varied trace chemicals.

The Demented One
2006-08-12, 11:08 PM
Unless its specifically plant poison, pollution shouldn't hurt the plants any more than people, and probably much less. Plants are actually found to grow better in polluted locales because of the increased carbon dioxide and more varied trace chemicals.
The gas is laced with the magical energies of the blight spell, which are not plant-friendly.