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JellyPooga
2009-10-20, 07:46 AM
If you're playing in my game A Trial in Darkness over on RPoL, please stop reading now (you wouldn't want to spoil the surprises that lurk in The Black now would you...?). Everyone else...carry on.

I've templated up my main baddies for a campaign I'm running. These creatures, which I've dubbed 'Cyst Creatures' for the fact that they grow in unnatural cyst-like extrusions in solid rock, are going to be plentiful and (hopefully) scary enough to create a horror-like scenario (Alien(s) style).

However, I have a problem. Out of 4 stages of growth; Newborn, Young, Adult and Elder, the last isn't all that impressive and I was wondering how they could be improved. These Cyst Creatures are Half-Shadow Dragon Half-Fiend Thoqqua Mineral Warriors...I've already bumped them up to their recommended maximum HD, so I'm looking for templates to make the Elder Cyst Creatures more...well, scary. Here's their stats and descriptions:

Newborn Cyst Creature
Medium Outsider [Fire, Earth, Extraplanar, Native]
Hit Dice : 3d10+21 (37hp)
Initiative : +3
Speed : 30ft, burrow 20ft
Armour Class : 28 (+3 Dex +15 natural), touch: 13 , flat-footed: 25
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+11
Attack : Slam +11 (1d6+13+2d6 fire plus Burn) or Claw +11 (1d4+13+2d6 fire)
Full Attack : Slam +11 (1d6+9+2d6 fire plus Burn), 2 Claws +6 (1d4+4+2d6 fire) and Bite +6 (1d6+4+2d6 fire)
Space/Reach : 5ft/5ft
Special Attacks :
Heat (Ex) - Merely touching or being touched by a Thoqqua deals 2d6 Fire damage
Burn (Ex) - Reflex DC:16 to avoid catching fire for 1d4 rounds
Breath Weapon (Su) - 30ft Cone of Energy Drain 1/day (DC:16)
Smite Good (Su) - +3 Damage vs. Good, 1/day
Earth Strike (Ex) - +5 to hit, +4 damage 1/day
Spell-like abilities - (Deeper) Darkness 4/day, Desecrate 1/day
Special Qualities :
Darkvision 60ft
Tremorsense 60ft
Immunity to Fire, Energy Drain, Poison, sleep and Paralysis
Vulnerability to Cold
Energy Resistance 10 [Cold, Electricity, Acid)
Damage Reduction: 5/magic, 8/adamantine
Spell Resistance: 13
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities:
Str 29 (+9)
Dex 17 (+3)
Con 21 (+5)
Int 10 (+0)
Wis 10 (+0)
Cha 12 (+1)
Skills:
+4 Balance
+7 Hide
+11 Jump
+7 Listen
+12 Move Silently
+3 Spot
+6 Survival
+5 Tumble
Feats: Blind-Fight, Intensify Darkness
CR: 6

When it hatches anew, a cyst creature is comparitively weak, but still more powerful than two strong men. Its serpentine body, as long as a man and easily a foot and a half thick, is graced by four limbs, the rearmost pair of which are spindly and vestigial, but the foremost pair are strong and tipped with vicious looking claws. A pair of small, almost pathetic looking, wings graces its back. The cyst creatures head glows with a dull cherry red heat and resembles nothing but the most twisted creation of a madmans nightmares. With razor sharp black fangs, it's maw seems almost bottomless when it screeches forth its ire.

Young Cyst Creature
Large Outsider [Fire, Earth, Extraplanar, Native]
Hit Dice : 4d10+32 (54hp)
Initiative : +3
Speed : 30ft, burrow 20ft
Armour Class : 28 (-1 Size +2 Dex +17 natural), touch: 11 , flat-footed: 26
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+20
Attack : Slam +15 (1d8+19+2d6 fire plus Burn) or Claw +15 (1d6+19+2d6 fire)
Full Attack : Slam +15 (1d8+13+2d6 fire plus Burn), 2 Claws +10 (1d6+6+2d6 fire) and Bite +10 (1d8+6+2d6 fire)
Space/Reach : 10ft/10ft
Special Attacks :
Heat (Ex) - Merely touching or being touched by a Thoqqua deals 2d6 Fire damage
Burn (Ex) - Reflex DC:20 to avoid catching fire for 1d4 rounds
Breath Weapon (Su) - 30ft Cone of Energy Drain 1/day (DC:20)
Smite Good (Su) - +4 Damage vs. Good, 1/day
Earth Strike (Ex) - +8 to hit, +4 damage 1/day
Spell-like abilities - (Deeper) Darkness 4/day, Desecrate 1/day
Special Qualities :
Darkvision 60ft
Tremorsense 60ft
Immunity to Fire, Energy Drain, Poison, sleep and Paralysis
Vulnerability to Cold
Energy Resistance 10 [Cold, Electricity, Acid)
Damage Reduction: 5/magic, 8/adamantine
Spell Resistance: 14
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities:
Str 37 (+13)
Dex 15 (+2)
Con 26 (+8)
Int 10 (+0)
Wis 10 (+0)
Cha 12 (+1)
Skills:
+4 Balance
+7 Hide
+17 Jump
+8 Listen
+12 Move Silently
+4 Spot
+6 Survival
+6 Tumble
Feats: Blind-Fight, Intensify Darkness
CR: 7

A cyst creature gorws swiftly into adulthood, reaching its full size of 12ft in length within only a few months. It's prowess is not so much greater than it's embryonic stage, but it is that much more dangerous for being that much bigger. It's rear legs and wings, by this point have started to wear away, the ragged stumps seeming to bleed pure darkness.

Adult Cyst Creature
Large Outsider [Fire, Earth, Extraplanar, Native]
Hit Dice : 7d10+56 (94hp)
Initiative : +3
Speed : 30ft, burrow 20ft
Armour Class : 28 (-1 Size +2 Dex +17 natural), touch: 11 , flat-footed: 26
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+22
Attack : Slam +17 (1d8+19+2d6 fire plus Burn) or Claw +17 (1d6+19+2d6 fire)
Full Attack : Slam +17 (1d8+13+2d6 fire plus Burn), 2 Claws +12 (1d6+6+2d6 fire) and Bite +12 (1d8+6+2d6 fire)
Space/Reach : 10ft/10ft
Special Attacks :
Heat (Ex) - Merely touching or being touched by a Thoqqua deals 2d6 Fire damage
Burn (Ex) - Reflex DC:21 to avoid catching fire for 1d4 rounds
Breath Weapon (Su) - 30ft Cone of Energy Drain 1/1d4 rounds (DC:21)
Smite Good (Su) - +7 Damage vs. Good, 1/day
Earth Strike (Ex) - +8 to hit, +7 damage 1/day
Spell-like abilities - (Deeper) Darkness 4/day, Desecrate 1/day, Unholy Blight 1/day (DC: 15), Poison 3/day (DC: 15)
Special Qualities :
Darkvision 60ft
Tremorsense 60ft
Immunity to Fire, Energy Drain, Poison, sleep and Paralysis
Vulnerability to Cold
Energy Resistance 10 [Cold, Electricity, Acid)
Damage Reduction: 5/magic, 8/adamantine
Spell Resistance: 17
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +4, Will +2
Abilities:
Str 37 (+13)
Dex 15 (+2)
Con 26 (+8)
Int 10 (+0)
Wis 10 (+0)
Cha 12 (+1)
Skills:
+7 Balance
+8 Hide
+18 Jump
+11 Listen
+15 Move Silently
+6 Spot
+8 Survival
+7 Tumble
Feats: Blind-Fight, Intensify Darkness, Dragon Breath
CR: 8

The adult cyst creature has worn its rear legs and wings away completely through it's subterranean burrowing and has matured into a deadly creature. It's mastery over its supernatural abilities has increased tenfold and it is all the more dangerous for it. It seems to be shrouded in a permanent cloak of shadows and it almost seems to exude an unholy aura.

And the one that needs something more...

Elder Cyst Creature
Large Outsider [Fire, Earth, Extraplanar, Native]
Hit Dice : 9d10+72 (121hp)
Initiative : +3
Speed : 30ft, burrow 20ft
Armour Class : 28 (-1 Size +2 Dex +17 natural), touch: 11 , flat-footed: 26
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+23
Attack : Slam +19 (1d8+21+2d6 fire plus Burn) or Claw +19 (1d6+21+2d6 fire)
Full Attack : Slam +19 (1d8+14+2d6 fire plus Burn), 2 Claws +14 (1d6+7+2d6 fire) and Bite +14 (1d8+7+2d6 fire)
Space/Reach : 10ft/10ft
Special Attacks :
Heat (Ex) - Merely touching or being touched by a Thoqqua deals 2d6 Fire damage
Burn (Ex) - Reflex DC:22 to avoid catching fire for 1d4 rounds
Breath Weapon (Su) - 30ft Cone of Energy Drain 1/1d4 rounds (DC:22)
Smite Good (Su) - +9 Damage vs. Good, 1/day
Earth Strike (Ex) - +8 to hit, +9 damage 1/day
Spell-like abilities - (Deeper) Darkness 4/day, Desecrate 1/day, Unholy Blight 1/day (DC: 15), Poison 3/day (DC: 15), Contagion 1/day (DC: 15)
Special Qualities :
Darkvision 60ft
Tremorsense 60ft
Immunity to Fire, Energy Drain, Poison, sleep and Paralysis
Vulnerability to Cold
Energy Resistance 10 [Cold, Electricity, Acid)
Damage Reduction: 5/magic, 8/adamantine
Spell Resistance: 19
Saves: Fort +14, Ref +5, Will +3
Abilities:
Str 38 (+14)
Dex 15 (+2)
Con 26 (+8)
Int 10 (+0)
Wis 10 (+0)
Cha 12 (+1)
Skills:
+9 Balance
+11 Hide
+22 Jump
+12 Listen
+16 Move Silently
+8 Spot
+8 Survival
+10 Tumble
Feats: Blind-Fight, Intensify Darkness, Dragon Breath, Tunnel Fighting
CR: 9

These ancient cyst creatures are truly beings to be feared. They have learned cunning to augment their natural and magical abilities. Preferring a less direct approach than their younger kin, they tend to hide in unexpected places and leap out on their prey, weakening them with their deadly breath and spells.