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View Full Version : Machines of Ruin and Death: Reapers.



Icewalker
2010-05-28, 11:52 AM
Reaper of Flesh
Large Construct
HD 10d10+30 (85 HP)
Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
Init: +2
AC 22; touch 11; flat-footed 20
(-1 Size, +2 Dex, +11 Natural)
BAB +7; Grp +23
Attack Grasping Hook +12 (1d8+4)
Full Attack Grasping Hook +12 (1d8+4)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks Improved Grab, Drag Flesh, Strip Flesh
Special Qualities DR 5/adamantine, Flesh-Hunger, Life-sense 30 ft.
Saves Fort +3 Ref +5 Will +5
Abilities Str 19, Dex 14, Con -, Int -, Wis 14, Cha 19
Skills
Feats Improved Grapple (B)
Challenge Rating 6
Alignment Chaotic Evil

The broad-shouldered machine stands at 8 feet, a well crafted humanoid with firm clawed feet planted solidly in the ground. You can tell that its metal form would exemplify a clean craftsmanship if not for the blood caking the entire front of its body. A set of metal slats unfolds smoothly from the back of the machine, clicking as it shapes into a small arc of metal bars hanging over space in front of the machine, where the two arms end in a pair of jagged hooks, bits of flesh still stuck on the weapons.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a reaper of flesh must hit with a grasping hook attack. The reaper also has a +4 racial bonus to grapple checks.

Drag Flesh (Su): As a move action, a reaper of flesh can focus its flesh-drawing into a surge against a single living target. The target must succeed on a Strength check DC equal to 30 - 5 per 5 feet of distance from the reaper. If the target fails this check, they are dragged into the grasping hooks of the reaper, being pulled in a straight line to the closest adjacent square to the machine. If the reaper drags a subject in and then makes an attack action, the attack gets a +2 circumstance bonus to hit and damage.

Strip Flesh (Su): As a full round action during a grapple with an opponent one or more sizes smaller than the reaper, the reaper of flesh may fold out its flesh-drawing slats forwards and around the subject. The subject suffers 8d6 damage as their flesh is torn from their body. A successful Fortitude save, DC 20, reduces this damage by half. The save DC is Charisma based.

Flesh-Hunger (Su): The flesh magnet in the hooks and back-slats of the reaper of flesh physically pulls at all living beings. The reaper always gets a +2 circumstance bonus to hit (this stacks with the momentum based bonus from the Drag Flesh ability) when attacking living creatures (this is already included in the stat block). Any living creature attacking with a natural weapon gets a +2 circumstance bonus to hit against the reaper.

Life-Sense (Su): A reaper of flesh notices and locates living creatures within 30 feet, just as if it possessed the blindsight ability. It also senses the strength of their life force automatically, as if it had cast deathwatch.

[hr]

Reaper of Souls
Large Construct
HD 10d10+30 (85 HP)
Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
Init: +3
AC 20; touch 12; flat-footed 17
(-1 Size, +3 Dex, +8 Natural)
BAB +7; Grp +
Attack Soul hook +9 (1d8+3)
Full Attack 2 Soul hooks +9 (1d8+3)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks Soul hooks, Drag Soul, Drain Soul
Special Qualities DR 5/adamantine, Soul-Hunger, Life-sense 30 ft.
Saves Fort +3 Ref +6 Will +4
Abilities Str 16, Dex 16, Con -, Int -, Wis 13, Cha 19
Skills
Feats
Challenge Rating 6
Alignment Chaotic Evil

The tall thin body of this machine shifts smoothly on its 7 foot frame. Apertures on the end of its four sturdy arms click open and closed, giving glimpses of ornate harpoon-like spikes, with dimly glowing blue barbs covering each weapon. A pair of silver coils span a wide arc over the shoulders of the machine, humming quietly.

Soul hooks (Su): The reaper of souls can fire a soul-channeling chain tipped with a spike up to 30 feet to embed itself in the target as its attack action. If the reaper successfully hits with a soul hook, the hook catches. This increases the DC of the constitution check to resist the reaper’s Soul-Hunger ability by 4 as long as the chain remains embedded in the target. It is possible to cut the chain out of the target if the target self-inflicts 10 points of slashing damage to cut out the spike. Only one chain can be embedded in a target at a time. As a full-round action, the reaper can call back all of its chains, dealing 1d8+3 damage to every target a chain is torn out of.

Drag Soul (Su): As a move action, a reaper of souls can focus its soul-drawing into a surge against all living targets with a chain embedded in them. Each target must succeed on a DC 20 Strength check or be pulled 5 feet towards the reaper, plus 5 feet for every 5 points by which it failed the check.

Drain Soul (Su): As a standard action, the reaper of souls can rip at the souls of all adjacent targets, dealing 2 points of Constitution damage. This is reduced to 1 on a successful DC 19 Fortitude save. The save DC is Charisma based. The reaper cannot move any distance
in the same round that it uses this ability.

Soul-Hunger (Su): All living creatures within 50 feet of the reaper of souls can feel themselves being pulled towards the machine. Whenever a living being attempts to move away from the reaper of souls, they must succeed on a strength check with DC of 5 for every 5 feet moved away from the reaper, counting by the furthest distance point in their movement. If the strength check fails, then the being finds themselves unable to pull away, however the action attempting to move is still expended.

[hr]

No particular inspiration, although I think Kerrigan had a bit of influence on the aesthetic of the first.

I didn't include a history description with them because I don't really have a specific one. The constructs are made by anyone who wants some horrifying construct. While they could have a backstory, it feels unnecessary.

...my mind, meanwhile, apparently didn't listen to the last paragraph. I may start making other Reaper design constructs, and make a lore background for them...

Altair_the_Vexed
2010-05-28, 01:52 PM
Yuk! I like these.

I think maybe Strip Flesh ought to be based on a successful grapple check, rather than a Fortitude save.
That would make it harder for the Flesh Reaper to do, but more dangerous when it succeeds - there's no save for half.

In particular, by the way, I like that you've left the backstory clear - it lets the DM make up there own reason for the reapers to exist.
If you do make up a backstory, why not make up more than one, or make it sufficiently vague that it can be adapted.
Sometimes the flavour texts puts me right off a creature that isn't in itself a bad idea.

Icewalker
2010-05-28, 03:47 PM
Thanks!

If I do make a backstory to them, it won't be specifically relevant to what they do, such that they can be taken as generic constructs anyway if people want.

It'd probably be less of a backstory and more of an adventure. Not that I have the time with all the other adventure ideas I have to write up...

Debihuman
2010-05-28, 04:02 PM
Constructs without Intelligence normally don't have feats.
See SRD:
Skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die, if the construct has an Intelligence score. However, most constructs are mindless and gain no skill points or feats.

Reaper of Flesh:

Attack is BAB plus Str Modifier + Size modifier [BAB +7, Str modifier +4, size modifier -1] = 10 [11 if you include weapon focus but that shouldn't be there either].

Grapple should be +15. Base attack bonus + Strength modifier + special size modifier [+7, +4, +4)



Special Size Modifier: The special size modifier for a grapple check is as follows: Colossal +16, Gargantuan +12, Huge +8, Large +4, Medium +0, Small -4, Tiny -8, Diminutive -12, Fine -16. Use this number in place of the normal size modifier you use when making an attack roll.

you can find the rules in the PH or the online SRD http://www.d20srd.org.

Debby

Athaniar
2010-05-28, 04:13 PM
It's good, but please don't tell me I was the only one who thought this thread was about Mass Effect.

radmelon
2010-05-28, 08:12 PM
I don't understand what Drag flesh does.:smallwink:

Icewalker
2010-05-31, 09:21 PM
Constructs without Intelligence normally don't have feats.


Oh. Right. Forgot about that. Hmm...should fix that.



Attack is BAB plus Str Modifier + Size modifier [BAB +7, Str modifier +4, size modifier -1] = 10 [11 if you include weapon focus but that shouldn't be there either].


No, it's +13 correctly at the moment. Weapon Focus should be removed, making it +12, but if it has the feat +13 is correct. See the Flesh Hunger ability.



Grapple should be +15. Base attack bonus + Strength modifier + special size modifier [+7, +4, +4)


Skim or skip the abilities? There's no mistake here. +7 BAB, +4 strength, +4 size, +4 Imp Grapple, +4 racial. +23 total.

However, good call on the int with regards to feats. I did forget about that. Fixed now.

Dencero
2010-06-01, 05:04 PM
I had a Mass Effect flashback when I saw the title.

I love creatures like this for one reason and one reason only: It unnerves the party.

I know just how to use this and who to use it on. Thanks Icewalker.