Island campaign help 3.5

[Zain]

In a campaign i am DMing, the players are on a island near the new world (think explorer types) and there will be a gaint squid cult:smallbiggrin: but is there a cultist type entry anywhere? if not would you help me homebrew one?

I'm think wildshape, to squid X/per day

other input?

the players are a ranger 3, monk 3, and fighter 3

not much optimiseing

[DracoDei]

Modified Adepts and/or Clerics for the leaders might be good. I THINK I might have seen a cultist class on these boards, but I don't know where... you can try an advanced google search on the word "cultist" that is limited to this site. You will get a lot of links, but I think the site search feature is down right now, in which it is the best you are going to get.

For the rank and file... various classes (don't forget the commoners!) some of whom might have custom feats that grant them "mutations" as they approach the squid-y ideal...

[The Dark Fiddler]

Dungeon Master's Guide II (the only book I own until I buy more tomorrow) had a suggested spread for a cultist. Their build was Cleric 3/ Rogue 3. Obviously, if you wanted to change it, you could make it like, Druid 3/ Rogue 3 or Druid 3/Cleric 3. Since you have 3 level 3 characters though, you'd probably need to tone it down, maybe like Druid 1/ Cleric 2?

Edit: Wait, Druid don't get Wild Shape until level 5... that might be a problem.

Edit 2: Maybe something to relate them to the holy squid; flurry of blows? Improved grappling?

[waterpenguin43]

I have an idea for a cultist variant:
As cleric but:
-Substitute turn/rebuke undead and spontaneous cure/inflict for an extra domain.
-Not proficient with heavy armor.
-Ritual power: In a ritual, any spell above second level can be cast as a ritual spell. Cultist can sacrifice 2 spells of one level to cast a domain spell of one level higher than the level of spells they sacrificed. In turn, if they get enough spell slots sacrificed to cast two spells of one level above, they can use those to cast a domain spell one level higher than that and so forth. If you have Complete Divine, look at the Ur-Priests siphon spell power except with domain spells in a circle of two or more cultists.
-Diplomacy is not a class skill
-Survival is a class skill
Give them some squidy domains, like Animal and Blackwater.

[Jane_Smith]

1: Make the cult worship a Fiendish Leviathan.
2: Make only the leader be able to shapeshift into a giant squid.
3: Make leader and cultists deranged Neutral Evil or Chaotic Neutral druids who believe this leviathan is some kinda incarnation of nature. Perfect reasoning for cultist druids. :P

Do not forget barbarian berserker-like cultists/guardians and trap- and poison-using ranger cultists. And for the love of god - give one a Dire Crab companion... those things have natural ac bonuses so high it makes everything cry.

[The Witch-King]

A druid/warlock blend would be weird and creepy and could represent the cultists ties to nature and their unholy pacts with creatures beyond.

[Zain]

Fiendish Leviathan? never heard of it, witch book is it from?

i have PHB DMG DMG2 and MM

I'm thinking some sort of feat that lets them do then whole hit for 0 damage and start a grapple free, and bite!

they will be a cult to a country sized squid (stats coming soon) (the island they are on now is the tip of the iceberg.:smallwink:

The rank a file cultists will be base-race, but in seed of arms they tentacles that do 0 damage but can start a grapple, have huge grapple bonus, and a bite attack, usable only in grapples:smallbiggrin:

the big bad?
some sort of druid/cleric with squid power+squid animal companion

Now on to names...

(templates are here)


Squid Cultist template
A Squid Cultist uses all the base creatures statistics and except as noted here
Size and type: the size is unchanged, but the type switches to Aquatic

Squid Cultists may breath underwater, and gain a swim speed = to their land speed
Hit dice: all current and future dice become d8 unless they would be better

Speed: Squid Cultist gain a swim speed = to their land speed

Special Attack: Squid Cultists may make a touch attack without provoking a attack of opportunity, and if it hits they may start a grapple with the target and Automatically deal bite damage

Squid Cultists gain a bite attack = to their unarmed damage.

LA+1

Comments, things to add?

[Jane_Smith]

Fiendish Leviathan = Leviathan + Fiendish Template. No possible way your players will be able to fight the leviathan itself (its epic level, 21+). But more or less a way to make it more 'ebil' in nature to suit a cult following.

[Zain]

yes, but in witch book is said leviathan?

other wise i'll use

Colossal Magical Beast (Aquatic)

Hit Dice =50D12+750=(1075)
Initaitive+10
Speed land=NA Swim=100Ft Fly=50 ft (poor)
Armour Class: 47(-8 size +15 Dex +30 Natural)
Base Attack Bonus/Grapple: +45/+90
Attack tentacle +60 melee damage 0 or Attack bite +56 melee 10d10
Full attack 2 tentacle +60 melee damage 0 and bite +56 melee 10d10
Space reach: country sized/50ft

Special Qualities: anti-magic shell, Damage reduction 25/- immunity to fire, poison, disease, energy drain, ability damage and energy (all), scent regeneration 40 spell resistance 35

Saves Fort +40 Ref+40 Will +40
Skills Listen +20, Search +20, Spot +20, Survival +20

Feats?

Environment: Oceans
Organization: Solitary
CR: ?
Treasure: ?
Alignment TN
Advancement +51HD (Colossal)


Like? Ideas for the feats, (PHB DMG DMG2 MM)

[Jane_Smith]

Why are you making -stats- for something your players will have no way of beating?! :smalleek:

[Zain]

nothing much else to do...

and they will try, knowing them, so if a say they all die, they can tell by how much (also i'm not ruling out that they may find a way i over look

[waterpenguin43]

yes, but in witch book is said leviathan?

other wise i'll use

Colossal Magical Beast (Aquatic)

Hit Dice =50D12+750=(1075)
Initaitive+10
Speed land=NA Swim=100Ft Fly=50 ft (poor)
Armour Class: 47(-8 size +15 Dex +30 Natural)
Base Attack Bonus/Grapple: +45/+90
Attack tentacle +60 melee damage 0 or Attack bite +56 melee 10d10
Full attack 2 tentacle +60 melee damage 0 and bite +56 melee 10d10
Space reach: country sized/50ft

Special Qualities: anti-magic shell, Damage reduction 25/- immunity to fire, poison, disease, energy drain, ability damage and energy (all), scent regeneration 40 spell resistance 35

Saves Fort +40 Ref+40 Will +40
Skills Listen +20, Search +20, Spot +20, Survival +20

Feats?

Environment: Oceans
Organization: Solitary
CR: ?
Treasure: ?
Alignment TN
Advancement +51HD (Colossal)


Like? Ideas for the feats, (PHB DMG DMG2 MM)

The Leviathen is in elder evils. It explicitly states that only deities can directly fight it and if it wakes up it unmakes the world. It is also is coiled AROUND THE WORLD and is a being of chaos. It's aspects alone are CR16 each.

[waterpenguin43]

Perhaps the island is actually on top of an immense,sleeping, highly magical Kraken. And they have recently found the magic black star sapphire that if they put through the right ritual and drop into the volcano at the top surrounded with ancient ruins they will awaken the Kraken and use it to defeat entire continents with it and conquer the world. I provided a cultist variant earlier for them, maybe you could sprinkle druids and sorcerers into the cult to create the right blend of weirdness.

[Zain]

the island is one of the tentacles of the squid, and the cultist think that if they offer enough souls, that it will wake put