MythMage
2010-08-07, 02:04 AM
This is a template I had intended on entering in the epic contest, but I couldn't think of an epic that really worked for me. So I'll just post this on its own, without an epic.
Great Ancestor
When an epic hero of old founds a tribe, nation, school, clan, or other large collection of people, his spirit may remain nearby even after death. Great force of personality, the reverence of his people, a deep personal link to his lands, and friendship with older spirits of the world can all contribute to his or her becoming a great ancestor. Rather than pass on to his reward, the founder lingers nearby in the Otherworld (known as Faerie or the Spirit World to different planar experts) or in the Ethereal Plane. They live on as primal spirits who wield the power to shape the fate of their successors and intercede with the natural world on behalf of mortals, at least until they eventually fade away as all things naturally do.
Great ancestors are usually most interested in seeing their past accomplishments vindicated and their past concerns protected by the current generation. Occasionally, they serve as a last line of defense for traditions and cultural elements which they consider to be vital to the identity of their family.
Creating A Great Ancestor
“Great Ancestor” is an acquired template that can be added to any giant, humanoid, or monstrous humanoid with at least 20 HD and 10 or more Charisma (referred to hereafter as the “base creature”). It has several special abilities that deal with a group related to its mortal life somehow, generally its descendants, tribe, or successors, referred to hereafter as its "family". A great ancestor uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The great ancestor becomes a fey with the shapechanger subtype. Size is unchanged. Do not recalculate hit points, base attack bonus, base saving throws, or skills.
Speed: Unless the base creature has a faster movement mode, the great ancestor gains a fly speed of 120 feet (perfect maneuverability).
Armor Class: The great ancestor acquires a deflection bonus to Armor Class equal to its Charisma bonus (minimum +1).
Special Attacks:
- Ancestor's Will (Ex): A great ancestor has power over the fate of its family. It can affect such beings with spells and spell-like abilities across planar boundaries between coexistent planes or planar layers. Spells with a target of "you" can be cast on such beings if they are within 60 ft. (even on coexistent planes).
- Possession (Su): A great ancestor can attempt to enter and possess another creature's body on the Material Plane as a move action if it is aware of the creature and occupies a corresponding space in Faerie, the Spirit World, or the Ethereal Plane. The creature must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Charisma modifier) or the great ancestor vanishes into its space and controls its body. A member of the ancestor's family suffers a -4 racial penalty on this save. Protection from evil and similar wards provide immunity to this attack.
It keep its Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, level, class, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, alignment, and mental abilities (including spell-like abilities and spells). The body retains its Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, hit points, natural abilities, and automatic abilities. A body with extra limbs does not allow it to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal. The great ancestor can't choose to activate the body's extraordinary or supernatural abilities nor access the creature's spells and spell-like abilities.
A great ancestor has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Otherworld (Faerie, the Spirit World, or the Ethereal Plane, depending on the cosmology).
- Spell-Like Abilities: At will—commune with nature, divine favor, mass bear's endurance, mass bull's strength, mass cat's grace, true seeing.
1/day—control weather, dream, foresight, limited wish, moment of prescience, nightmare.
1/month—material jaunt*, miracle.
*As ethereal jaunt, but allows travel to the corresponding spot on the Material Plane from the Ethereal Plane, Faerie, or the Spirit World.
- Spirit Strike (Ex): A great ancestor's attacks and special abilities affect corporeal and incorporeal foes with equal effectiveness.
Special Qualities:
- Change Shape (Su): A great ancestor can assume the shape of any animal, giant, fey, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, or vermin.
- Remote Sensing (Su): As a standard action, a great ancestor can perceive everything within a radius of 120 feet around any of its family, sites important to its family, or other objects or places strongly associated with the great ancestor. This effect can also be centered on any place where someone speaks the great ancestor's name or title for up to 1 hour after the name is spoken. The remote sensing power can cross planes and penetrate any barrier or deception except those created by epic spells or supernatural effects. Remote sensing can ignore these barriers if the great ancestor defeats the caster or creator in a level check. Remote sensing does not create a magical sensor that other creatures can detect. A great ancestor cannot sense its surroundings while it uses remote sensing; it can end the effect as a free action.
Abilities: +2 Str, +2 Dex, +4 Con, +2 Int, +4 Wis, +4 Cha. Any penalties from age are lost.
Feats: Great ancestors gain Iron Will as a bonus feat.
Skills: A great ancestor gains a +4 bonus on Sense Motive and Charisma-based skill checks against members of its family.
Environment: The Otherworld (Faerie, the Spirit World, or the Ethereal Plane), near a site important to its family.
Challenge Rating: +3.
Alignment: As base creature.
Treasure: Triple standard.
Advancement: As base creature.
Great Ancestor
When an epic hero of old founds a tribe, nation, school, clan, or other large collection of people, his spirit may remain nearby even after death. Great force of personality, the reverence of his people, a deep personal link to his lands, and friendship with older spirits of the world can all contribute to his or her becoming a great ancestor. Rather than pass on to his reward, the founder lingers nearby in the Otherworld (known as Faerie or the Spirit World to different planar experts) or in the Ethereal Plane. They live on as primal spirits who wield the power to shape the fate of their successors and intercede with the natural world on behalf of mortals, at least until they eventually fade away as all things naturally do.
Great ancestors are usually most interested in seeing their past accomplishments vindicated and their past concerns protected by the current generation. Occasionally, they serve as a last line of defense for traditions and cultural elements which they consider to be vital to the identity of their family.
Creating A Great Ancestor
“Great Ancestor” is an acquired template that can be added to any giant, humanoid, or monstrous humanoid with at least 20 HD and 10 or more Charisma (referred to hereafter as the “base creature”). It has several special abilities that deal with a group related to its mortal life somehow, generally its descendants, tribe, or successors, referred to hereafter as its "family". A great ancestor uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The great ancestor becomes a fey with the shapechanger subtype. Size is unchanged. Do not recalculate hit points, base attack bonus, base saving throws, or skills.
Speed: Unless the base creature has a faster movement mode, the great ancestor gains a fly speed of 120 feet (perfect maneuverability).
Armor Class: The great ancestor acquires a deflection bonus to Armor Class equal to its Charisma bonus (minimum +1).
Special Attacks:
- Ancestor's Will (Ex): A great ancestor has power over the fate of its family. It can affect such beings with spells and spell-like abilities across planar boundaries between coexistent planes or planar layers. Spells with a target of "you" can be cast on such beings if they are within 60 ft. (even on coexistent planes).
- Possession (Su): A great ancestor can attempt to enter and possess another creature's body on the Material Plane as a move action if it is aware of the creature and occupies a corresponding space in Faerie, the Spirit World, or the Ethereal Plane. The creature must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Charisma modifier) or the great ancestor vanishes into its space and controls its body. A member of the ancestor's family suffers a -4 racial penalty on this save. Protection from evil and similar wards provide immunity to this attack.
It keep its Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, level, class, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, alignment, and mental abilities (including spell-like abilities and spells). The body retains its Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, hit points, natural abilities, and automatic abilities. A body with extra limbs does not allow it to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal. The great ancestor can't choose to activate the body's extraordinary or supernatural abilities nor access the creature's spells and spell-like abilities.
A great ancestor has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Otherworld (Faerie, the Spirit World, or the Ethereal Plane, depending on the cosmology).
- Spell-Like Abilities: At will—commune with nature, divine favor, mass bear's endurance, mass bull's strength, mass cat's grace, true seeing.
1/day—control weather, dream, foresight, limited wish, moment of prescience, nightmare.
1/month—material jaunt*, miracle.
*As ethereal jaunt, but allows travel to the corresponding spot on the Material Plane from the Ethereal Plane, Faerie, or the Spirit World.
- Spirit Strike (Ex): A great ancestor's attacks and special abilities affect corporeal and incorporeal foes with equal effectiveness.
Special Qualities:
- Change Shape (Su): A great ancestor can assume the shape of any animal, giant, fey, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, or vermin.
- Remote Sensing (Su): As a standard action, a great ancestor can perceive everything within a radius of 120 feet around any of its family, sites important to its family, or other objects or places strongly associated with the great ancestor. This effect can also be centered on any place where someone speaks the great ancestor's name or title for up to 1 hour after the name is spoken. The remote sensing power can cross planes and penetrate any barrier or deception except those created by epic spells or supernatural effects. Remote sensing can ignore these barriers if the great ancestor defeats the caster or creator in a level check. Remote sensing does not create a magical sensor that other creatures can detect. A great ancestor cannot sense its surroundings while it uses remote sensing; it can end the effect as a free action.
Abilities: +2 Str, +2 Dex, +4 Con, +2 Int, +4 Wis, +4 Cha. Any penalties from age are lost.
Feats: Great ancestors gain Iron Will as a bonus feat.
Skills: A great ancestor gains a +4 bonus on Sense Motive and Charisma-based skill checks against members of its family.
Environment: The Otherworld (Faerie, the Spirit World, or the Ethereal Plane), near a site important to its family.
Challenge Rating: +3.
Alignment: As base creature.
Treasure: Triple standard.
Advancement: As base creature.