Custom Atrocities Insanity Edition

[Angry Bob]

Post and discuss your heavily-templated, class leveled, reassigned skill/feat monsters here. Give and take advice on how to improve, nerf, or use them in a campaign. Regale us with tales of butchering unwary PCs with them. Any other pertinent information is welcome.

Post yours! Stat blocks are optional but encouraged.

I'm writing out a race of creatures to be encountered in an epic campaign, the Il-Yagh Oshoggoloth Cthul'Ahlh. For those who remember my living gate thread, this is the statblock no one asked for.

The basic creature is a Sentry Ooze Pseudonatural Paragon CL 20th gate/disjunction/prismatic sphere/weird. Often encountered more than one at a time. Later on, the PCs will start seeing ones with class levels of cleric(of madness and portal/travel domains) and armed with divine metamagic.

Here's the Oshoggoloth "boss." I'm calling him Yog Sothoth Who Is The Gate for right now as a working title. Before you judge, I'm having the party fight the Voltron Demilich later on in the campaign. Which for the uninitiated is a skeleton made of 206 demiliches and not my original idea.

Yog-Sothoth Who Is The Gate
Sentry Ooze Pseudonatural Paragon Living CL 20 gate/disjunction/prismatic sphere Cleric 30
CE Huge Outsider
Init: +25
Languages: No understandable language. Those who use tongues or comprehend languages simply go mad with the revelation.
AC: 101(+35 Natural, +9 Deflection, +12 Insight, +12 Luck, +25 Dexterity, -2 Size)
Flatfooted AC: 64(?)
Touch AC: 54(?)
HP: 2190 (20d10(Max) + 30d8(max) + 1750)
Saves: Fort +49; Ref +51; Will +61
Speed: 80 ft.
Attacks: 1 Slam +91 1d8 + 62 + Spell Effect(DC 54)
10 Tentacle Rakes +91 2d8 + 48 + Improved Grab
BaB/Grapple: +25/+56
Spell-Like Abilities:
At-Will - Blur, Dimension Door, Shield, Unhallow(CL 35), Plane Shift(CL 45)
3/day - Greater Dispel Magic, Haste, See Invisibility(CL 15)
Casting:
Spell Save DC: 47 + Spell Level.
Spells per day: (Beginning with orisons)
6/13+1/13+1/12+1/12+1/12+1/11+1/10+1/10+1/10+1/7/6/6/5(13th level spells)
Abilities: (Including Inherent bonii from use of miracle and +6 enhancement bonus in each ability) Str: 69 Dex: 60 Con: 56 Int: 30 Wis: 73 Cha: 57
Special Qualities: Blindsight 60 ft, DR 10/Magic, DR 15/Epic, electricity/acid resistance 80, fire/cold resist 10, epic natural weapons, rotting constriction, SR 250, ignore concealment, alternate form, engulf, rebuke undead 30/day, travel and madness domains
Feats: Ability Focus(Spell Effect)(Shaky), multiattack(Noncombatant), combat reflexes, silent spell, still spell(both used to cast spells, due to being unable to perform somatic or verbal components), quicken spell, reach spell, persist spell, extend spell, twin spell, divine metamagic(quicken), DMM persist, DMM twin, DMM reach, domain spontaneity(travel), extra turning, innate spell(plane shift)
Epic Feats: Multispell, improved spell capacity(x4), epic spellcasting, .
Skills: Knowledge(religion) +61, spellcraft +61, knowledge(arcana) +61, move silently +88, hide +80, listen +94.
CR: 49 or 59, depending on whether you consider cleric an associated class for this thing.

Since raw doesn't specify what happens when a living gate slams or engulfs someone, I'm having the effect be to shift the target to another plane, possibly at random. In addition, since the creature is essentially an animate gate made of rage, it can serve as one and allow pseudonatural gribblies to pass through it, though it can't call specific creatures with its spell effect, since that would fall under "effect is already a creature." To summon specific creatures, it has to cast gate itself.

[Groverfield]

I'm not sure how it's supposed to need still spell, when it's a divine caster, and has a bit quite past enough dex to move if there is a need, not sure how it's supposed to commune with a deity to get its spells when it can't communicate, and by the point where you've brought this thing, you might as well give it a Divine Rank of at least 5, especially when it seems to be heavily influenced by a Lovecraftian Elder God. (Note that inherant bonuses do not pass 5, even in epic levels)

I had an idea once of a 12 headed cryohydra that had an intellect devourer inside each of its heads, each with a lot of levels in at least one psionic class, all holding a continuous metaconcert.

Or a 45th level telepath who manifested Mindswitch, True on the Tarrasque after using a combination of dominating and Psychic Chirurgery [implant power Psychic Chirurgery, force them to use the power to implant all of their known powers] so he knew all psion powers.

You might break off the Prismatic Sphere into its own living spell, and have it be the Colour Out from Mana. If you want to keep on with the Lovecraft theme.

[Angry Bob]

I decided to use silent and still spell instead of surrogate spellcasting, to qualify for innate spell. Thing is, I'm not sure if amorphous creatures can perform somatic components, hence the surrogate spellcasting feat. I'm the biggest rules-lawyer in my group, part of my interest in making creatures like this is doing so within the rules.

It won't be getting divine ranks simply because I don't like the mechanic. True gods in the setting this appears in basically run on the rule of "lol u die." He's more of a giant malevolent interdimensional slinky with one end in one plane and the other end in another.

His ability bonuses are +5 inherent and +8 enhancement bonuses from trinkets(slotless items) of ability bonuses. Other than that, stacking templates like this nets you absurd ability bonuses. The others of his kind won't have those bonuses and won't have as many class levels.

I may make a separate living prismatic sphere for another campaign, but he'll be keeping it himself. I love heavily templated living spells, but there's a lot of work that goes into their creation. One is probably enough.

I need to try the intellect devourer hydra sometime. The most I've done for creatures riding each other is a pair of golems concealing an incorporeal undead of some sort apiece and a symbiotic corrupted by the abyss half-ogre/dromite. The second one didn't do so well due to me making the dromite an egoist and the symbiotic template not splitting the creatures' actions. Next time I do that, I'll combine them without the template.

The mind switched tarrasque sounds fun for the PCs in the most "losing is fun" sense of the word.

[Groverfield]

Speaking of creatures riding others, "Gloves of Golem Piloting," a custom item I'd made for some campaign, imagine the Golem (pre-21st level) or Colossus (epic barrier passed) being able to take actions as a character and think more or less for itself, almost no spells would be able to touch it.

[Lyndworm]

I posted this thing in the last thread, but I like it enough to post again.

Grichk'ta K'chak: The Grasshopper of Doom
An Insectile Winged Feral Non-Psionic Thri-Kreen (CR 4-6+Extra HD (minimum +2)). This dude is a monster. Str +6, Dex +10, Con +2, Int -4 (minimum 2), +8 Wis, -4 Cha, plus flight and the ability to add 4.5x Str on Two-Handed damage rolls (or a vicious 1d8 Claw/Claw/Claw/Claw/Rake/Rake/1d4 Bite + Rend routine if you want it to be more monstrous), and Pounce. It has a +8 Natural Armor bonus, 50ft Land and Climb speeds, 70ft Fly speed (Perfect maneuverability), Darkvision 60-120ft (depending on level), and d10hd with full BAB. As a PC it has 2 RHD and +6 LA. I almost managed to play as one, once, but it fell through.

Since I posted that already, here's a newer monster for you, and in real statblock format!

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Elemental Monstrosity

Large Elemental (Air, Cold, Earth, Fire)
Hit Dice: 14d8+98 (161 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 22 (–1 size, +2 Dex, +11 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 19
BAB/Grapple: +10/+24
Attack: Gore +18 melee (2d10+15)
Full Attack: Bite +18 melee (2d6+10) and 2 claws +18 melee (2d6+5); or gore +18 melee (2d10+15)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
S. Attacks: Improved grab, toss, trample 2d8+18, +2d6 cold damage, +2d6 fire damage
S. Qualities: Darkvision 60ft, DR 10/magic, immunities, low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +11, Will +10
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 14, Con 25, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 7
Skills: Listen +12, Spot +11
Feats: EnduranceB, INA (Gore)B, INA (Bite)B, INA (Claw)B, Alertness, Improved Bull Rush, Multiattack, Improved Multiattack, Power Attack
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 15–20 HD (Large); 21–28 HD (Huge)
CR: 13



Hardy (Ex):
An elemental monstrosity has a +2 racial bonus on saves against disease.

Improved Grab (Ex):
To use this ability, an elemental monstrosity must hit a Large or smaller foe with a gore attack. If it gets a hold, it tosses its opponent.

Immunities:
An elemental monstrosity is immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and critical hits.

Toss (Ex):
Elemental monstrosities vigorously shake any creature caught in their horns and fling it in a random direction. Resolve the toss as a bull rush maneuver (+14 check modifier), except that there is no attack of opportunity, since the elemental monstrosity has already grabbed its foe when it tries to toss the victim. The elemental monstrosity does not need to move with its foe in order to throw its foe more than 5 feet. If the tossed victim beats the elemental monstrosity’s bull rush check, he remains in his current square with no ill effects and is not grappled any longer. Tossed victims take impact damage on landing as if they had fallen a distance equal to the distance they were tossed.

Trample (Ex):
As a full-round action, an elemental monstrosity can move up to twice its speed and literally run over Medium or smaller creatures. This attack deals 2d8+15 points of damage. Trampled opponents can make attacks of opportunity against the elemental monstrosity at a –4 penalty. If they do not make attacks of opportunity, trampled opponents can attempt DC 27 Reflex saves for half damage. The save DC is Strength-based.

Scent (Ex):
An elemental monstrosity can detect opponents within 30 feet. The exact location is not revealed unless the creature is within 5 feet.

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Any guesses as to what it is?
It's a Half-Ice Elemental, Half-Magma Elemental, Dungeonbred Woolly Mammoth. I gave it claws instead of stamps and a bite instead of a slam. That's it.

[Angry Bob]

It's a Half-Ice Elemental, Half-Magma Elemental, Dungeonbred Woolly Mammoth. I gave it claws instead of stamps and a bite instead of a slam. That's it.

That's quite clever. How do you describe it to your players when it first shows up?

[Kefkafreak]

Improved spell capacity must be taken multiple times, so that creature would only have 10th level spells.

[Necroticplague]

Take a protean or a tarrasque. Apply gheden template. Since both of those creatures had regeneration with no weakness, it now is immune to hp damage. If using a protean, it can use alter form to pick up immunities until it is impossible to kill. Fun times. Does anyone have the link to "emerald somethings", I remember it being applicable.

[bigstipidfighte]

I'd like to hear the description you plan to give for Yog-Sothoth. Or is it to unimaginably horrific to describe? :smalltongue: I've never been particularly interested in epic DnD, but I like the idea of applying additional templates to living spells, that never even occured to me before.

Are you sure on that CR of 46? It sounded low to me so I cracked open the Eberron book and calculated the CR for the base living spell at 28. Adding 30cleric levels would be another 20 CR (The first 20 levels would be unassociated and add 1 CR per 2 levels, then the last 10 levels would be considered associated and add 1 CR per level.)

Unless I did something wrong that makes a CR48 without even figuring in the templates, and IIRC Paragon is a biggie.

Also, the Intellect Devoured Hydra sounds amusing. Theoretically the IDs would continue functioning even the head they were in was severed correct? Not actually looking at their stats atm, just assumnig.

[Angry Bob]

Take a protean or a tarrasque. Apply gheden template. Since both of those creatures had regeneration with no weakness, it now is immune to hp damage. If using a protean, it can use alter form to pick up immunities until it is impossible to kill. Fun times. Does anyone have the link to "emerald somethings", I remember it being applicable.

You mean this? (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101587)


Improved spell capacity must be taken multiple times, so that creature would only have 10th level spells.

To be corrected. I'll replace three of the extra turnings with Imp. Spell capacity and change innate greater teleport to plane shift.


I'd like to hear the description you plan to give for Yog-Sothoth. Or is it to unimaginably horrific to describe? I've never been particularly interested in epic DnD, but I like the idea of applying additional templates to living spells, that never even occured to me before.

Are you sure on that CR of 46? It sounded low to me so I cracked open the Eberron book and calculated the CR for the base living spell at 28. Adding 30cleric levels would be another 20 CR (The first 20 levels would be unassociated and add 1 CR per 2 levels, then the last 10 levels would be considered associated and add 1 CR per level.)

Unless I did something wrong that makes a CR48 without even figuring in the templates, and IIRC Paragon is a biggie.

I'm still working on a description. Possibly an insane mass of scintillating spheres across which glimpses of horrid and alien vistas periodically flash.

Looks like I misread Improved Spell Capacity and forgot to increase the CR for additional base spells. Correcting. The new CR should be about 49 if changing the CR of the base living spell doesn't change anything else. With such a high wisdom, I don't know whether cleric would be considered an associated class or not.

[Lyndworm]

That's quite clever. How do you describe it to your players when it first shows up?
A roiling mass of raw elemental energy given form and life, it's shape isn't easily made out. At times it appears feline, with a great mane of fire and wicked icy teeth. At others it appears more ursine, with enormous claws of stone and a hide wreathed in fog. The beast does not shift shapes; it is both of these things and many more all at one time.

[bigstipidfighte]

So, I actually went ahead and calculated this thing's CR, and I still have a number way higher than yours. To break it down piece by piece, starting with the base Living Spell:

Living CL 20 gate/disjunction/prismatic sphere
CR: 9 (level of highest level spell on which it is based)
+10 (one-half its CL)
+1 (one-half the sum of additional spells)CR20

The templates are worth +27, for a total of 47.
+2 Sentry Ooze
+10 Pseudonatural
+15 Paragon

Then come the cleric levels. To quote the SRD:

A spellcasting class is an associated class for a creature that already has the ability to cast spells as a character of the class in question, since the monster’s levels in the spellcasting class stack with its innate spellcasting ability.

If we follow the RAW this means 30 levels of Cleric are worth +20CR, for a grand total of 67.