Vanilla templates for darkvision and/or aquatic traits

[ffone]

IIRC there's an 'amphibious template' somewhere that grants water breathing and a swim speed (= 1/2 land speed) and -2 Dex for +0 LA and CR. Where is it, am I remembering correctly, and is the a preferable 'make an underwater version of a creature' template?

Also, many templates grant Darkvision, but what's the most vanilla (general flavor, small increase in abilities, CR etc.). Is there a "subterranean creature" or "Underdark creature" template?

Also, the fiendish template under Abilities says "Same as the base creature, but Intelligence is at least 3." Would this change "Int -" to "Int 3", potentially adding skills and feats to a mindless base creature?

[herrhauptmann]

IIRC there's an 'amphibious template' somewhere that grants water breathing and a swim speed (= 1/2 land speed) and -2 Dex for +0 LA and CR. Where is it, am I remembering correctly, and is the a preferable 'make an underwater version of a creature' template?

Also, many templates grant Darkvision, but what's the most vanilla (general flavor, small increase in abilities, CR etc.). Is there a "subterranean creature" or "Underdark creature" template?

Also, the fiendish template under Abilities says "Same as the base creature, but Intelligence is at least 3." Would this change "Int -" to "Int 3", potentially adding skills and feats to a mindless base creature?

Are you creating a fiendish ooze or plant or something?
I think Aquatic creatures would be in either Dungeonscape (has acidbreathing), Stormwrack, or Savage Species.
I can't think of an 'underdark' template. What do you want it to do to the creature?
Not sure about the int changes, I'd probably say 'no.' But I might change that if I knew exactly what base creature you were referring to.

[Amnestic]

There's the Aquatic and Deep templates from Dragon #306. Aquatic halves your land speed and gives you double (base) land speed as Swim speed, and gives water breathing but takes away air breathing. Deep gives (among other things) 120' darkvision.

[PersonMan]

IIRC there's an 'amphibious template' somewhere that grants water breathing and a swim speed (= 1/2 land speed) and -2 Dex for +0 LA and CR. Where is it, am I remembering correctly, and is the a preferable 'make an underwater version of a creature' template?

In Stormwrack, yes. Although it does say that these are basically mutant creatures, rather than a separate subrace or something.


Also, many templates grant Darkvision, but what's the most vanilla (general flavor, small increase in abilities, CR etc.). Is there a "subterranean creature" or "Underdark creature" template?

I don't think so, although it'd probably just be Darkvision, (maybe) Light Sensitivity(or Blindness, whichever), and maybe a bonus to Survival checks made underground/in caves/whatever.


Also, the fiendish template under Abilities says "Same as the base creature, but Intelligence is at least 3." Would this change "Int -" to "Int 3", potentially adding skills and feats to a mindless base creature?

I think so. It isn't a prerequisite for the template or anything, so it would just change the Intelligence of the creature to 3 if it were below that. That would give Mindless things skills and feats.

[hamishspence]

Mineral Warrior (Underdark splatbook) is one of the better "underground-dweller" templates in power:

Gains Darkvision (60 ft)
Gains Earth Subtype
Gains a Burrow speed.
And other things too (like DR/adamantine)

At LA +1 it's not too high.