The Vorpal Tribble
2006-04-15, 04:18 PM
Pdian
Gargantuan Magical Beast (extraplanar, psionic)
Hit Dice: 19d10+38 (142 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: Fly 80 ft. (good)
Armor Class: 25 (+3 Dex, +16 natural, -4 size), touch 9, flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple: +19/+39
Attack: Bite +23 melee (4d6+12)
Full attack: Bite +23 melee (4d6+12) and slam +18 melee (2d6+6)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Detain ectoplasm, improved grab, silvertooth, swallow astral form
Special Qualities: Astral ripple, darkvision 60 ft., greased, puddledive, power resistance 25, slippery mind
Saves: Fort +14, Ref +15, Will +13
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 20, Cha 10
Skills: Concentration +16, Escape Artist +11 (+17 Greased), Listen +17, Spot +17
Feats: Dodge, Flyby Attack, Iron Will, Psionic Charge, Psionic Meditation, Run, Speed of Thought
Environment: Astral Plane
Organization: Solitary, Mates (2), or Pod (4-16)
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure: None
Alignment: Often Neutral
Advancement: 20-42 HD (Gargantuan), 43-69 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment:
Pdians appear as great headless tadpoles or eels with a fantastic array of membranous fins spiralling about the body that faintly glow with intricate silver patterns. The tail is enormously long and disapears from sight in a mist of ectoplasmic particles. Their pale grey skin appears slick with trickling moisture that seems to constantly bead about the lips of an enormous maw and run backwards as if the beast were moving forward at great speed. Despite its great bulk it appears almost graceful and displays considerable agility in its movements and contortions.
Pdians are both a horrible nuisance and possible aid within the Astral Plane. Though predatory, they are in no way vicious, knowing that the astral bodies they feast upon does no harm to creatures. In fact, many are amusemed at the expression on their meal's face before they are chomped down and sent back to their true bodies, thinking it little more than a nutritious practical joke. In fact, most anything amuses them. It must, for otherwise they would grow unimaginably bored with the landscape of their home. However, if the pdian can be made to understand the creature before it it can be reasoned with and requests possibly made of it.
They tend to seek out mates whom they stay with for life, entertaining one another with constant games, riddles and sport that are often incomprehensible to non-pdians. They greatly dislike enclosed space however, so large groupings are rarely formed as they are wont to trigger a claustrophobic fear of so many nearby bodies.
A pdian mates only when both have consumed an enormous ammount of astral bodies and are nearly swimming in captured ectoplasm. They then enclose themselves within an astral pocket where they go into a state of suspended animation, leaving only parts of their minds active, instinctively generating and weaving ectoplasm at a subconscious level into a miniature pdian over the course of several years. When their work is through both generate a mental bolt of energy that awakens the pdian to life and consciousness. The three then emerge, the parents overjoyed by their child and eager to teach it all they know.
Pdians speak only their own native language, a manipulation of the streaming ectoplasmic droplets upon its body.
Combat:
A pdian is wont to play with its meals, often stalking or disapearing and appearing, feinting and rushing away, building its hunger until it finally lunges and swallows the astral bodies. If they are threatened however they dispense with pleasantries; biting and swallowing their foe as quickly as possible. If they are seriously harmed or overwhelmed they retreat into an astral puddle. Pdian couples are very protective of one another and their children, and will draw an attack until the others have escaped before fleeing themselves.
Astral Ripple (Su):
A pdian can sense ectoplasm being drawn up to 1000 feet away. If it happens to be within a round's running range it may open a portal to the manifester's plane, using its mental link as a conduit. It appears fully within the plane and may immediately use its Detain Ectoplasm ability to pull the recently gathered material to itself. The portal remains open for as long as the created object would have remained. At any time it may re-enter the portal, as can any others. If the pdian does not re-enter it is trapped on the plane until another tries to gather ectoplasm. It may then re-open the portal and travel home.
Detain Ectoplasm (Ps):
A pdian may use Detain Ectoplasm (p.82 of Complete Psionic) as a 20th level manifester at will as a standard action. Their is no duration limit to how long it may retain this ectoplasm, its skin acting as a stabilizing agent. A pdian gains a +4 bonus on the relevant checks to gather this ectoplasm.
Greased (Ex):
While detaining ectoplasm a pdian gains a +6 bonus on escape artist checks from the slick substance.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a pdian must hit a creature of any size with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Puddledive (Su):
A pdian can use its captured ectoplasm to create a puddle of pure liquid ectoplasm which can be used two ways.
While on the astral plane it may form an extradimensional pocket on the astral plane. It may then dive within, which allows an attack of opportunity, the puddle evaporating once it enters. It may stay within its safe haven for an indeterminate time, but once it feels it is safe it may reopen the puddle and emerge.
If used on any other plane this puddle forms a direct link back to the Astral Plane.
Though a pdian only requires one use of Detain Ectoplasm to gather enough raw ectoplasm to use its puddledive ability, each use exhausts its supply of on-hand ectoplasm. It may gather its own ectoplasm from the raw material of the astral plane itself up to three times per day, which takes a full minute of concentration. It may reduce this time to a full round action but it is a grueling process that leaves the pdian fatigued.
Silvertooth (Ex):
A pdian, to be rid of a particularly dangerous foe, can use its available ectoplasm if any to coat its teeth as a standard action. If it attacks its victim's back (by flanking it, catching it flat-footed, or making an attack of opportunity when its opponent moves out of its space), it can attack the silver cord that connects the astral form to its material counterpart. The normally insubstantial cord is treated as a tangible object with the owner's AC, hardness 10, and 20 hit points. A silver cord visibly trails 5 feet behind an astral traveler before fading into the astral medium. Attacking it draws an attack of opportunity from the astral traveler.
When the cord is damaged, the astral traveler must succeed on a DC 13 Fortitude save or be immediately forced to return to his physical body. If the silver cord is severed, the traveler's astral and physical body is slain instantly.
This special coating becomes unstable and flows back out its mouth within 1d6 rounds and another standard action must be made to recoat the teeth.
Slippery Mind (Ex): A pdian has the ability to wriggle free from magical and psionic effects that would otherwise control or compel it. If it is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails its saving throw, it can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. It gets only this one extra chance to succeed on its saving throw.
Swallow Astral Form (Ex): A pdian can try to swallow a grabbed Huge or smaller opponent's astral form, and only astral form, by making a successful grapple check. If they are successful the astral form is killed and the spirit flees back to its true body, unharmed.
Skills: Pdians have a +8 racial bonus on listen and spot checks, and a +4 racial bonus on concentration and escape artist checks.
Gargantuan Magical Beast (extraplanar, psionic)
Hit Dice: 19d10+38 (142 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: Fly 80 ft. (good)
Armor Class: 25 (+3 Dex, +16 natural, -4 size), touch 9, flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple: +19/+39
Attack: Bite +23 melee (4d6+12)
Full attack: Bite +23 melee (4d6+12) and slam +18 melee (2d6+6)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Detain ectoplasm, improved grab, silvertooth, swallow astral form
Special Qualities: Astral ripple, darkvision 60 ft., greased, puddledive, power resistance 25, slippery mind
Saves: Fort +14, Ref +15, Will +13
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 20, Cha 10
Skills: Concentration +16, Escape Artist +11 (+17 Greased), Listen +17, Spot +17
Feats: Dodge, Flyby Attack, Iron Will, Psionic Charge, Psionic Meditation, Run, Speed of Thought
Environment: Astral Plane
Organization: Solitary, Mates (2), or Pod (4-16)
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure: None
Alignment: Often Neutral
Advancement: 20-42 HD (Gargantuan), 43-69 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment:
Pdians appear as great headless tadpoles or eels with a fantastic array of membranous fins spiralling about the body that faintly glow with intricate silver patterns. The tail is enormously long and disapears from sight in a mist of ectoplasmic particles. Their pale grey skin appears slick with trickling moisture that seems to constantly bead about the lips of an enormous maw and run backwards as if the beast were moving forward at great speed. Despite its great bulk it appears almost graceful and displays considerable agility in its movements and contortions.
Pdians are both a horrible nuisance and possible aid within the Astral Plane. Though predatory, they are in no way vicious, knowing that the astral bodies they feast upon does no harm to creatures. In fact, many are amusemed at the expression on their meal's face before they are chomped down and sent back to their true bodies, thinking it little more than a nutritious practical joke. In fact, most anything amuses them. It must, for otherwise they would grow unimaginably bored with the landscape of their home. However, if the pdian can be made to understand the creature before it it can be reasoned with and requests possibly made of it.
They tend to seek out mates whom they stay with for life, entertaining one another with constant games, riddles and sport that are often incomprehensible to non-pdians. They greatly dislike enclosed space however, so large groupings are rarely formed as they are wont to trigger a claustrophobic fear of so many nearby bodies.
A pdian mates only when both have consumed an enormous ammount of astral bodies and are nearly swimming in captured ectoplasm. They then enclose themselves within an astral pocket where they go into a state of suspended animation, leaving only parts of their minds active, instinctively generating and weaving ectoplasm at a subconscious level into a miniature pdian over the course of several years. When their work is through both generate a mental bolt of energy that awakens the pdian to life and consciousness. The three then emerge, the parents overjoyed by their child and eager to teach it all they know.
Pdians speak only their own native language, a manipulation of the streaming ectoplasmic droplets upon its body.
Combat:
A pdian is wont to play with its meals, often stalking or disapearing and appearing, feinting and rushing away, building its hunger until it finally lunges and swallows the astral bodies. If they are threatened however they dispense with pleasantries; biting and swallowing their foe as quickly as possible. If they are seriously harmed or overwhelmed they retreat into an astral puddle. Pdian couples are very protective of one another and their children, and will draw an attack until the others have escaped before fleeing themselves.
Astral Ripple (Su):
A pdian can sense ectoplasm being drawn up to 1000 feet away. If it happens to be within a round's running range it may open a portal to the manifester's plane, using its mental link as a conduit. It appears fully within the plane and may immediately use its Detain Ectoplasm ability to pull the recently gathered material to itself. The portal remains open for as long as the created object would have remained. At any time it may re-enter the portal, as can any others. If the pdian does not re-enter it is trapped on the plane until another tries to gather ectoplasm. It may then re-open the portal and travel home.
Detain Ectoplasm (Ps):
A pdian may use Detain Ectoplasm (p.82 of Complete Psionic) as a 20th level manifester at will as a standard action. Their is no duration limit to how long it may retain this ectoplasm, its skin acting as a stabilizing agent. A pdian gains a +4 bonus on the relevant checks to gather this ectoplasm.
Greased (Ex):
While detaining ectoplasm a pdian gains a +6 bonus on escape artist checks from the slick substance.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a pdian must hit a creature of any size with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Puddledive (Su):
A pdian can use its captured ectoplasm to create a puddle of pure liquid ectoplasm which can be used two ways.
While on the astral plane it may form an extradimensional pocket on the astral plane. It may then dive within, which allows an attack of opportunity, the puddle evaporating once it enters. It may stay within its safe haven for an indeterminate time, but once it feels it is safe it may reopen the puddle and emerge.
If used on any other plane this puddle forms a direct link back to the Astral Plane.
Though a pdian only requires one use of Detain Ectoplasm to gather enough raw ectoplasm to use its puddledive ability, each use exhausts its supply of on-hand ectoplasm. It may gather its own ectoplasm from the raw material of the astral plane itself up to three times per day, which takes a full minute of concentration. It may reduce this time to a full round action but it is a grueling process that leaves the pdian fatigued.
Silvertooth (Ex):
A pdian, to be rid of a particularly dangerous foe, can use its available ectoplasm if any to coat its teeth as a standard action. If it attacks its victim's back (by flanking it, catching it flat-footed, or making an attack of opportunity when its opponent moves out of its space), it can attack the silver cord that connects the astral form to its material counterpart. The normally insubstantial cord is treated as a tangible object with the owner's AC, hardness 10, and 20 hit points. A silver cord visibly trails 5 feet behind an astral traveler before fading into the astral medium. Attacking it draws an attack of opportunity from the astral traveler.
When the cord is damaged, the astral traveler must succeed on a DC 13 Fortitude save or be immediately forced to return to his physical body. If the silver cord is severed, the traveler's astral and physical body is slain instantly.
This special coating becomes unstable and flows back out its mouth within 1d6 rounds and another standard action must be made to recoat the teeth.
Slippery Mind (Ex): A pdian has the ability to wriggle free from magical and psionic effects that would otherwise control or compel it. If it is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails its saving throw, it can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. It gets only this one extra chance to succeed on its saving throw.
Swallow Astral Form (Ex): A pdian can try to swallow a grabbed Huge or smaller opponent's astral form, and only astral form, by making a successful grapple check. If they are successful the astral form is killed and the spirit flees back to its true body, unharmed.
Skills: Pdians have a +8 racial bonus on listen and spot checks, and a +4 racial bonus on concentration and escape artist checks.