soir8
2011-06-08, 06:11 PM
Hey there.
I'm DMing a campaign in a homebrewed 3.5 setting. The world is basically D&D high fantasy, but in a Wild West setting, going from lvl 1 right up to lvl 20. I'd planned on finishing the story with the arrival of Atropus from Elder Evils, so that I could make the setting Wild West WITH ZOMBIES, but then Rockstar Games stole my idea.
So, I've decided to steal someone else's idea...
Help me, Playgrounders. How would you stat out Galactus, Devourer Of Worlds?
myancey
2011-06-08, 08:02 PM
Since you're presumably going to be throwing a party of level 20s at him per the 1-20 campaign...I wouldn't bother stating him because he's gonna wipe away the party.
Though the "Last Galactus Story" was canceled before the finale, Byrne said on his website that in one of the later strips, Galactus causes a new big bang. That's crazier power than 'greater deity' status can offer in 3.5 d&d. And a greater deity..restated to actually be cool..would destroy the party.
Sorry to go all Marvel on ya. :smallbiggrin:
NichG
2011-06-08, 08:40 PM
So I'm not versed in the canon for this, but...
Stat him out as a dungeon. This more or less came up in a campaign I'm in, with huge universe-crushing things we were running from. Bad news - everything we knew and loved got squished. Good news: things that big can't see you to target you. If you're in the thing they destroy, you're basically dead, but on the other hand they can't really go after you personally. You're smaller than a single cell of their body by quite a bit.
Usually stuff like that is dealt with via McGuffin anyhow. You must acquire the Infinity Gauntlet to defeat the creature, or something like that.
MammonAzrael
2011-06-08, 09:11 PM
Hey there.
I'm DMing a campaign in a homebrewed 3.5 setting. The world is basically D&D high fantasy, but in a Wild West setting, going from lvl 1 right up to lvl 20. I'd planned on finishing the story with the arrival of Atropus from Elder Evils, so that I could make the setting Wild West WITH ZOMBIES, but then Rockstar Games stole my idea.
So, I've decided to steal someone else's idea...
Help me, Playgrounders. How would you stat out Galactus, Devourer Of Worlds?
Check out the stat block for Caine in WoD. Except I think Galactus may be stronger.
On top of that, beings like Galactus don't make terrific BBEGs in most cases. Too powerful and not enough build up.
What's wrong with the other Elder Evils? Several of them could be just awesome, especially if you have to time to build them up!
LansXero
2011-06-08, 09:20 PM
Well, Atropus (at least his aspect) is statted up in Elder Evils (although how well he holds up to your party's level is something that would need more detail to be gauged). As for statting up Galactus (the actual Marvel character) he would have to be CR: You Lose. In Annihilation he is stated to be a remnant of a previous Universe, so he somehow lived through the big crunch and the big bang, and as such there isnt much your players can comparatively do to him. He does get enslaved in Annihilation though. . . . by using two beings equally OP against him and then using his planet-eating powers to destroy enemy planets and use the energy from them, while keeping Galactus hungry.
So, if you want a "devourer of worlds" to be defeated, you could go with the "run him as a dungeon" idea and let the heroes unravel its anchor to the material world and drive it away, or you could have some other sinister-er force using the being (doesnt really fit with Atropus though) and then have the party release it.
Gabe the Bard
2011-06-08, 09:38 PM
If you go with the dungeon idea, you might get some inspiration from Unicron in the 1986 Transformers animated movie, a planet-eating transformer that's also a dungeon.
Arbitrarious
2011-06-08, 11:08 PM
You could say rather then eating planets it collapses planes to sustain itself. Maybe it bled in through an outer plane from the far realm. Maybe it crossed from the farthest reaches of the plane of shadow or from the abyss of the ethereal. In any case it's opening rifts and planar breaches (see planar handbook) as it weakens the fabric of the plane in preparation of eating it.
The PCs can't hope to defeat it if it crosses into the material completely, but by going to the various breaches they can fight pieces of the creature/entity and slow it's progress. It can take a number of forms varying between the different anchor points based on what breach is occurring. The anchor point in a breach to the plane of fire is a towering pillar of flame distorted by wild magic (spell warped elemental monolith) while one near the nine-hells looks like a crudely made pit fiend (anarchic pit fiend). And of course the colossal templated to heck kraken for the breach leading to the far realm.
All the anchor points open in a small time window and there are some pieces of the entity that are simply to powerful to to disperse at first requiring the PCs to gain power from defeating weaker pieces. This can also have the effect of making the "I am the end boss guardian and I will end you because I'm divine rank 17." piece weaker lowering it's divine rank.
Just make sure you emphasis the fact they are all pieces of the same entity so the PCs feel like they are taking on a single massive, malignant, being. Have it remember them and make comments about them during the fight. Perhaps you could go for the creepy why do you fight? I am your savior, find peace in oblivion angle.
myancey
2011-06-09, 01:57 AM
You could say rather then eating planets it collapses planes to sustain itself. Maybe it bled in through an outer plane from the far realm. Maybe it crossed from the farthest reaches of the plane of shadow or from the abyss of the ethereal. In any case it's opening rifts and planar breaches (see planar handbook) as it weakens the fabric of the plane in preparation of eating it.
The PCs can't hope to defeat it if it crosses into the material completely, but by going to the various breaches they can fight pieces of the creature/entity and slow it's progress. It can take a number of forms varying between the different anchor points based on what breach is occurring. The anchor point in a breach to the plane of fire is a towering pillar of flame distorted by wild magic (spell warped elemental monolith) while one near the nine-hells looks like a crudely made pit fiend (anarchic pit fiend). And of course the colossal templated to heck kraken for the breach leading to the far realm.
All the anchor points open in a small time window and there are some pieces of the entity that are simply to powerful to to disperse at first requiring the PCs to gain power from defeating weaker pieces. This can also have the effect of making the "I am the end boss guardian and I will end you because I'm divine rank 17." piece weaker lowering it's divine rank.
Just make sure you emphasis the fact they are all pieces of the same entity so the PCs feel like they are taking on a single massive, malignant, being. Have it remember them and make comments about them during the fight. Perhaps you could go for the creepy why do you fight? I am your savior, find peace in oblivion angle.
That's actually a pretty wicked idea for a storyline. Props.
soir8
2011-06-09, 12:41 PM
Hey, if Squirrel Girl can beat him, my party can...
right?
I probably should've mentioned it's a gestalt campaign, and one of the players is going Druid//Wizard, so their power lvl by 20 should be fairly high.
Last campaign 2 lvl 14s killed Giga-Bowser in 1 round, so I'm willing to throw Galactus at them.
wayfare
2011-06-09, 01:12 PM
Hey, if Squirrel Girl can beat him, my party can...
right?
I probably should've mentioned it's a gestalt campaign, and one of the players is going Druid//Wizard, so their power lvl by 20 should be fairly high.
Last campaign 2 lvl 14s killed Giga-Bowser in 1 round, so I'm willing to throw Galactus at them.
Well, I think there are a few ways you can handle this.
Going through the original Galactus Lore, there is an item upon his ship that can destroy anything in the universe (the ultimate nullifier).
Furthermore, remember that Galactus is served at all times by at least 1 herald and an army of robotic servitors called Punishers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punisher_(Galactus)
So, i suggest the following:
The BBEG is the Herald of Galactus. Stat him up as a Warlock with expanded access to Invocations. He should also have a signature weapon that serves to empower him to some degree and is also a beacon that summons the Galactus-entity. Don't hold back on this: the character should at very least be level 20 with a stupidly powerful race template attached (remember, the herald is likely an alien).
The herald is sent from world to world in search of a specific thing that the world-devourer needs to survive. This could be anything from a specific mineral needed to arcane or divine energy in sufficient quantities. Once the herald finds the needed material he activates the beacon to summon galactus. Whatever the needed material is, it should be somewhat ratre so that the herald has to search for it and the party has a chance to stop him.
Now, remember that the Herald typically betrays galactus at some point -- it is the weak point in his armor, so to speak. Sometimes its because the herald serves unwillingly, other times its because the herald wants to empower himself instead of galactus.
Regardless, the herald is the opponent the pcs should face for most of the story. He is probably served by a group of punishers (golems of various strength) who serve as lesser antagonists.
The story would then revolve around defeating the herald and taking/destroying the beacon. If successful, Galactus never comes but the herald might be stuck on your campaign world and become a new threat (or champion?).
If the Herald does activate the beacon, they have to fight the world devourer who arrives in 1d4 x 50 days. They have this period to learn about the devourers one weakness "the ultimate nullifier style artifact."
The devourer himself should be serves by an army of punisher golems and should be more or less unstoppable unless exposed to his one weakness. Exposure to the nullifier does not kill the devourer, but does weaken him to a form the party can fight (Something with at least 20 levels of artificer and a million magic items).
Well, my 2cp anyway.
Rejakor
2011-06-12, 12:46 AM
Galactus, Devourer Of Worldshttp://cupcakerogues.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/galactusssdjcoxfa5.jpg
Size/Type: Colossal Outsider (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 70d8+700 (1,015 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 150 ft.
Armor Class: 44 (-8 size, +16 natural, +24 insight, +12 Armour)
Base Attack/Grapple: +40/+65
Attack: Fingerbeams +47 (10d6+Power Cosmic), Death Gaze, Colossal Swipe +51 (8d6+23)
Full Attack: 5 Fingerbeams +47/+42/+37/+32/+27 (10d6+Power Cosmic) and Death Gaze or Colossal Swipe +51/+51 (8d6+23) and Death Gaze
Space/Reach: 30 ft./30 ft.
Special Attacks: Power Cosmic, Death Gaze, Consume Planet, Call Herald, Call Servants, Spell-Like Abilities, Destroy Herald
Special Qualities: DR 20/Power Cosmic, SR 30/Power Cosmic
Saves: Fort +27, Ref +15, Will +37
Abilities: Str 45, Dex 10, Con 31, Int 33, Wis 37, Cha 26
Skills: Concentration +83, Craft (any five) +45, Decipher Script +84, Diplomacy +45, Gather Information +87, Intimidate +56, Jump +90, Knowledge (all) +66, Listen +86, Sense Motive +86, Speak Language (any five), Spellcraft +90, Spot +86
Feats: Awesome Blow, Blind-Fight, Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (chain lightning)
Epic Feats: Devastating Critical (Colossal Swipe), Polyglot, Legendary Wrestler
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 25
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 71-140 HD (Colossal)
Fingerbeams: As an attack action Galactus may launch up to 5 beams of the Power Cosmic against his foes. Each one does 10d6 points of power cosmic damage if it hits a foe, and applies the Power Cosmic to it's target.
Power Cosmic: The energy that created the universe, this powerful stuff can reshape the cosmos to the will of the wielder. Any character struck by the power cosmic must make a fortitude save (DC 29, con-based) not to be stunned for one round as their flesh mutates and changes. If they are struck again by the power cosmic while they are stunned, they must make a will save (DC 21, cha-based) not to be remade into a Herald of Galactus, losing their soul and becoming wholly a creature of the Devourer of Worlds.
Death Gaze: Galactus is powerful beyond imagining and to simply gaze upon his visage is to know fear and death. This is a Gaze attack that forces those who meet Galactus' gaze to make a DC 23 fort save or die, and be turned to ash.
Consume Planet: After spending a total of 3 days assembling a powerful device, Galactus consumes the planet he is standing on over the course of 5 minutes (50 rounds), the matter, energy, and beings thereon are completely destroyed and cannot be brought back even by a spell such as Wish or Miracle. Once started, this 5 minute process can only be stopped by the death of Galactus.
Spell Resistance: Unlike most varieties of spell resistance, Galactus' spell resistance does not apply against an enemy that also wields the power cosmic, similarly, the only way to bypass his DR is if the attacker wields the power cosmic. In addition, any time a spellcaster with the power cosmic uses a spell on Galactus, Galactus is at a -5 to saving throws against that spell.
Call Herald: As a standard action, Galactus may call his current Herald to his side. Nothing stops him from keeping multiple heralds, but he usually only has one. If he has more than one, he may choose which herald to summon.
Call Servants: As a standard action, Galactus may summon up to 1d4+1 Punisher Constructs to his side, who remain there for up to 1 week before disappearing. If Galactus begins to devour a planet, they disappear automatically so as not to be devoured.
Destroy Herald: As a free action at any time Galactus may destroy a Herald he has created.
Spell-Like Abilities:
At will—alter self, analyze dweomer, chain lightning, commune with nature, cure critical wounds, eyebite, freedom of movement, fly, fog cloud, produce flame, protection from energy, remove curse, sending, speak with animals, soften earth and stone, speak with plants, greater teleport, charm monster, cure critical wounds, fire storm, hold monster, invisibility, levitate, persistent image, crushing hand; 3/day—antilife shell, astral projection, contact other plane, greater dispel magic, greater scrying, invisibility purge, plane shift; 1/day—gate, maze, meteor swarm. Caster level 23th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Punisher, Minion Of Galactus
Size/Type: Large Construct (Extraplanar, Lawful)
Hit Dice: 9d10+30 (81 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. in full plate armor (6 squares); base speed 40 ft.
Armor Class: 34 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +16 natural, +8 full plate armor), touch 10, flat-footed 33
Base Attack/Grapple: +11/+27
Attack: Slam +19 melee (2d6+12 plus 3d6 sonic or 3d6 electricity)
Full Attack: 2 slams +16 melee (2d6+8 plus 3d6 sonic or 3d6 electricity)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Fists of thunder and lightning, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Construct traits, damage reduction 15/chaotic, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 10, low-light vision, spell resistance 25
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +6
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 13, Con Ø, Int 12, Wis 17, Cha 18
Skills: Concentration +13, Diplomacy +6, Knowledge (religion) +10, Listen +16, Search +10, Sense Motive +12, Spot +16, Survival +3 (+5 following tracks)
Feats: Ability Focus (fists), Awesome Blow, Combat Casting, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack
Environment: Galactus' Vessel
Organization: Pack
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always lawful neutral
Advancement: 16-28 HD (Large); 29-45 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
Spell-Like Abilities
At will—air walk, dimension door, fear (DC 18), greater command (DC 19), greater dispel magic, mass inflict light wounds (DC 19), locate creature, true seeing. Caster level 14th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Fists of Thunder and Lightning (Su)
A punisher’s fist either delivers a loud thunderclap whenever it hits something, dealing an extra 3d6 points of sonic damage and causing the target to be deafened for 2d6 rounds (Fortitude DC 31 negates the deafness) or itd elivers a shock for an extra 3d6 points of electricity damage, and the flash of lightning causes the target to be blinded for 2d6 rounds (Fortitude DC 31 negates the blindness). The save DCs are Strength-based and include the punisher’s Ability Focus feat.
I'll do the surfer later. Does that look alright? Might be a bit challenging, but I tend to err on the side of strong.
EDIT: Forgot to include Galactus' Armour. And need to clarify fingerbeams to 'a single fingerbeam as an attack action up to a maximum of five beams'.
Also need to give him the ability to bestow the power cosmic in the power cosmic writeup, and clarify what being turned into a herald does.
EDIT EDIT: I have to go do prep for my RL game now, so i'll just leave this here and finish it tuesday.
You can defeat Galactus in E6, if the DM sets it up right. There's no 'level limit' to saving the world. I ran a game where the PCs did it at level 3 once. A strong level 20 party who had previously defeated/convinced the Herald to give them the Power Cosmic could probably take the Galactus statted up up there despite him being CR 25.
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