Some Chump's Laboratory

[AugustNights]

Welcome to the Laboratory
http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx295/AugustNight/Borrowed%20Art/laboratory_by_DantePhoenix21.jpg
Laboratory by DantePhoenix21 (http://dantephoenix21.deviantart.com/)

All manner a dark creatures come out of there. Not certain who, or what, make's 'em, but I sure know one thing. If there's loot to be found, it's within them walls deep in the laboratory

Questions?
What is the Laboratory?
This is where I will be posting my entries for the Community Monster Class Project.

What is the Community Monster Class Project?
A community project to make more Monsters and Races playable without that pesky Level Adjustment or boring Racial Hit Dice.
Find more information here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=201135).

Do you take requests?
Yes! And my time. That is to say requests, and even self-motivated projects, take quite some time for me to work on.

Will you rate/nominate my Monster Class/Other Homebrew?
Sure, give me a direct link, and I'll give a once over while I'm at work.

Why isn't anything listed here?
I move around a lot, and sometimes I have trouble getting to all my resources. I should be rather stationary for the next year or so, so soon I will have my desktop and wealth of information. That probably won't hasten much, however. In short, there will be monsters... soon enough.


Queue


Put more or less on permanent hold due to Legend.
Finish & Re-post Half Golem & Half Wrought horror
Rework the Therianthrope Template
Fill out requests
???
Profit

[AugustNights]

The Mummy [WIP]
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/MM35_gallery/MM35_PG191.jpg
"Thus comes the sacrifice to the alter" Asynix Mummy to an unfortunate crypt robber.

Mummies were once living creatures that have been immortalized through ancient embalming and organ preservation rituals. These dark procedures were more often used to create unliving intelligent servants that could work long past their natural life spans. Nevertheless, the occasional monarch or high priest would seek to escape the ever looming gaze of death through these unsavory means. There have even been rumors of the mummification ritual being used as a punishment among long forgotten societies. It is widely believed that the process in which the mummy's canopic jars are created was the basis for what would become the process by which liches create their phylacteries.

Rite of the Canopic Jar
Becoming a mummy requires a long preservation ritual that culminates in the creation of four canopic jars in which the subjects 4 most important internal organs are stored, along with their life force. The only way to truly destroy a mummy is to destroy these four canopic jars, though destroying even one can severely weaken the mummy. See Mummy Monster Class below for more information.

It is important to note that only a creature with 5 or more Hit Dice can be a valid subject of the Rite of the Canopic Jar. Weaker creatures are raised as lesser or shambling mummies (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/mummy.htm).

The Rite of the Canopic Jar must be requires 4 successful DC 25 Knowledge (Religion) checks over the process of 24 hours. The subject of this ritual must be dead, and must have died less than one week before the ritual starts. Baring extraordinary circumstances, the ritual cannot be carried out by the subject of the ritual (as that they must be dead). This ritual requires 20,000 gold in raw materials, and drains the subject of 800 experience points.

If unsuccessful the ritual may be reattempted at the cost of 10,000 gold in raw materials (without additional experience point cost to the subject), until the week has passed.

If successful this ritual results in the subject being raised with the Mummy Template, see below. The subject also gains 4 canopic jars.

The Craft Wondrous Item feat is not necessarily for this ritual

Canopic Jar (Magic Item)
These magic items hold a mummy's life force, and prevent the mummy from being truly destroyed. The mummy's Dark Constitution score (See Mummy Template below) is divided by four, and is distributed into their four canopic jars. This grants the mummy the certain aspects of having a constitution score. Should any one of the jars be destroyed the mummy suffers damage to their Dark Constitution score equal to one fourth of their Dark Constitution Score. Should all four canopic jars be destroyed, the mummy is likewise destroyed.

Each Jar is Tiny and has 10 hit points, hardness 10, and a break DC of 20.
Strong Necromancy; CL (Equal to mummy's HD); Rite of the Canopic jar.

Mummy Template
Type: The character's type changes to Undead and the character's former type becomes a subtype with the "augmented" subtype. The character also gains the Dark Minded subtype. (See Tome of Necromancy (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19527634/Tome_of_Necromancy))
Hit Dice: The character's Hit Dice, BAB, Saves, and skills are all unaffected. Despite gaining the Undead type, their Hit dice do not increase to D12s.
Ability Scores: The character's Strength and Constitution score increases by +2. This increase to Constitution is incorporated in the mummy's Dark Constitution Score.
Speed: All of the character's movement speeds are reduced by 10 feet, this cannot reduce a movement speed to less than 5 feet.
Special Attacks: The character gains a Slam natural attack that deals 1d6+1½ strength damage for medium sized creatures.
The mummy is also a carrier of the Lesser Mummy Rot disease. Any creature that comes in direct contact with the mummy is subjected to this disease and must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10+ ½ the Mummy's HD + the Mummy's Constitution Modifier) or contract Lesser Mummy Rot. The incubation period is 1 day, and the disease deals 1d3 points of Constitution damage. Lesser Mummy Rot is not a supernatural disease, and does not persist like Mummy Rot (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#mummyRot) does.
Special Qualities: The mummy gains Turn Resistance of +2.
The mummy gains a special Dark Constitution Score. While the mummy technically has no Constitution score (as a result of being undead), they still receive the following bonuses (or penalties) from the Constitution score they had before the Rite of the Canopic Jar, as long as the Canopic jars are in tact. They retain their constitution modifier to Hit points, Fortitude saves, Skill Checks, and DCs.
Without the need of rest, a mummy recovers hp, as if they had slept for 8 hours, every day at Midnight.
The mummy gains vulnerability to fire.
Unless their four canpic jars are located and destroyed, a Mummy reappears at the location where their Rite of the Canopic Jar took place, 1d10 days after their apparent death. If this location is hostile or uninhabitable by the Mummy, it instead reappears near any one of its canopic jars, chosen at random.

Level Adjustment +0 [5 Hit Dice required]

Dark Minded (Subtype)
Dark Minded creatures are Undead with an intelligence score, and thus have an intelligence that can be influenced. However, their near death state makes them much more difficult to influence by appeals to emotion.
A dark minded creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
Unlike normal Undead, Dark Minded creatures are not immune to mind-affecting effects.
Dark Minded creatures remain immune to morale and fear effects.
Unlike normal Undead, Dark Minded creatures can recover hit points through natural rest.
All Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate attempts to influence a Dark Minded Creature have their DC increased by the the Dark Minded creature's HD.

This is my take on K.530's Dark Minded Subtype

Mummy Paragon (Monster Class)
Prerequisites
Race: Mummy Template

HD:d12
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Ability Increase|Spell Casting

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Defender of the Ancient, Despair, Preserved Hide|+1 Constitution, +1 Strength|-

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Placeholder (WIP), Embalmed Hide|+1 Constitution, +1 Strength|+1 Spellcasting Class

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|Placeholder (WIP), Greater Mummy Rot|+1 Constitution, +1 Strength|+1 Spellcasting Class
[/table]
Skills: The Mummy Paragon Gains (2+Intelligence Modifier) skills per level. The Mummy Paragon's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), , Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).

Proficiencies: The Mummy Paragon is proficient with all simple weapons, one martial weapon of their choosing, and with light and medium armor, but not with shields.

Class Features: The following are the Class Features of the Mummy.

Ability Increase: The Mummy gains a +1 bonus to Constitution and Strength at levels 1,2, and 3. These increases to Constitution effect their Dark Constitution score.

Spellcasting: At 2nd and 3rd level, an Mummy Paragon gains new spells per day as if the mummy had also gained a level in a spellcasting class it belonged to previously. The mummy does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus metamagic feats, and so on).

If the mummy had more than one spellcasting class before they became a Mummy Paragon, they must decide to which class she adds each level of Mummy Paragon for the purpose of determining spells per day.

If an Mummy Paragon has no previous levels in a spell casting class, this class feature grants them spell-casting as a Cleric without a specific domain.

Defender of the Ancient (Su): A Mummy Paragon is deeply in tune with the energies that manipulate undead. The Mummy Paragon must choose to either gain the ability to Turn or Rebuke undead as a Cleric of level equal to their HD, this does not stack with other sources that grant the ability to Turn/Rebuke undead. Once this decision is made, the Mummy Paragon may not later alter their decision. Further, the Mummy Paragon requires no holy symbol or divine focus to make use of this ability, their presence alone is enough to channel this energy.

Despair (Su): The mere presence of a Mummy Paragon can fill a creature with a terrible creeping dread. Creatures within 5 feet per HD of the Mummy Paragon must succeed on a Will save (DC 10+ ½ the Mummy Paragon's HD + the Mummy Paragon's Constitution Modifier) or be shaken (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#shaken) for 1d4+the Mummy Paragon's Constitution modifier rounds. Whether or not the save is successful, that creature cannot be affected again by the Mummy Paragon’s despair ability for 24 hours. This is a fear effect.

Preserved Hide: The Mummy Paragon gains a bonus to their natural armor class equal to their Constitution modifier.

Embalmed Hide: Beginning at second level the Mummy Paragon gains DR/Adamantine equal to half their HD. At 10 HD this improves to DR/Adamantine and Magic. At 15 HD this improves again to DR/-.

Improved Mummy Rot (Su): At second level, the Mummy Paragon’s Lesser Mummy Rot disease improves, becoming unnaturally persistent. Improved Mummy Rot is a supernatural disease, that requires 3, not 2, consecutive saves in order to overcome. Also Improved Mummy Rot deals 1d6 Charisma damage as well as the 1d6 Constitution damage. In addition, an afflicted creature who dies of Greater Mummy Rot shrivels away into sand and dust that blow away into nothing at the first wind.

Further, any character attempting to cast any conjuration (healing) spell on a creature afflicted with Improved Mummy Rot must succeed on a caster level check with a DC equal to the Mummy Paragon’s HD +4, or the spell has no effect on the afflicted character.

At 10 HD the disease improves even further, it is no longer overcome by any number of successful saving throws, and becomes a powerful curse, requiring break enchantment or remove curse effect before it may be removed. Removing this curse requires a caster level check equal to the Mummy’s HD+4 for either spell. After removing the curse portion of this disease, a caster level check is no longer necessary to cast conjuration (healing) spells on the victim, and the mummy rot can be magically cured as any normal disease.

Potential Mummy Abilities
~ Possess Undead: Allows a Mummy to Body Hop With Undead, allowing for "instant Respawns" in a room full of zombies.
~ Summon Swarm as a SLA.
~ Push Mummy Rot to infect much faster
~ Raise/Summon Lesser Mummy
~ Stasis: By not moving gain Non-Detection (I.e. don't read as an undead murder machine).
~ Undead Murder Machine Attacks?


Chump's 2 Bits
Okay. So, a bit off the beaten trail of the Monster Class Community Guidelines, but now that we're a more personalized project, I feel such wavering can be tolerated.

First step off the beaten path: this has a non-class template tied to it.
I never much cared for the lack of non-class options for Monsters/Races, so I will be adding non-class options to all my Monster Classes. That is to say I will be making LA +0 templates for all template like classes, and a separate base races for each non-template monster class. If you don't care for these, you may also mush them into the first level of the Monster Class. (As is the precedent.)

Second step off the beaten path: this Monster Class does not have levels equal to the base creature's CR. I'm sure I could flesh out the Mummy to a full 5 levels with some nonsense abilities, but I feel 3 levels is all it really needs. If people want more levels I can build more.

Third difference. An Undead that doesn't get terrible Bab, Saves, and Skills.
This is because I like the less than popular Tome of Necromancy undead subtypes, particularly for PC Undead characters. I'd listed my own version of the Dark Minded Subtype, which limits the character's powers.

That said, comments and the like would be appreciated!

Currently I am not fully pleased with the work, but haven't the time to devote to a complete change over. I just managed to get my first class ported here. Quite ill, but I'll get some more work done on this guy soon enough.


Change Log
28/12/11- Moved from old thread for compiling purposes. Updated much of the language. Changed Natural Armor bonus to match CMC guidelines. Added spellcasting progression. Removed Balance and Open Lock from class skills. Added in Turn/Rebuke Options. Nerfed Despair ability. Added in Weapons and Armor Proficiency. Added in Ability Increases. Left a lot to do.
31/12/11- Removed Forgery and Search from class skills. Added in Reappearance Clause in Mummy Template.

[Madara]

I like it, and could very much see myself playing one. However, I personally would do away with the disease. Mummy Rot is the bane of adventurers, but with the 1 day incubation, its not much for players. Players will probably kill things before they are ever actually affected by it. Maybe you could make it a debuff that happens immediatly with no iccubation? Find a way to nerf it, but make it something that will affect combat.

My favorite part is the Dark Constitution Score. I think it is a very nice way of providing some balance.

[AugustNights]

Oh, wow, thanks.
Yeah, it's certainly not finished.
I intend to boost the Disease to a quicker Incubation period, and add in some fun active abilities.
Perhaps a "Hasten" Disease "attack" as a swift action, provoking any creatures who have contacted the disease in X radius to immediately suffer damage.

A nice thing about the disease is it's prevention of Conjuration (healing) effects.
If I haven't updated that to be immediate upon contraction (as opposed to taking effect after incubation) I need to.

I'm glad you like the Dark Constitution Score!

[Madara]

Disease prevents conjuration(healing)? That is something awesome and wonderful that I've never heard of.

[AugustNights]

It seems Improved Mummy Rot is a bit Wall-Of-Text.
Need to fix that.


Improved Mummy Rot (Su): At second level, the Mummy Paragon’s Lesser Mummy Rot disease improves, becoming unnaturally persistent. Improved Mummy Rot is a supernatural disease, that requires 3, not 2, consecutive saves in order to overcome. Also Improved Mummy Rot deals 1d6 Charisma damage as well as the 1d6 Constitution damage. Further, any character attempting to cast any conjuration (healing) spell on a creature afflicted with Improved Mummy Rot must succeed on a caster level check with a DC equal to the Mummy Paragon’s HD +4, or the spell has no effect on the afflicted character. At 10 HD the disease improves even further, it is no longer overcome by any number of successful saving throws, and becomes a powerful curse, requiring break enchantment or remove curse effect before it may be removed. Removing this curse requires a caster level check equal to the True Mummy’s HD+4 for either spell. After removing the curse portion of this disease, a caster level check is no longer necessary to cast Conjuration (healing) spells on the victim, and the mummy rot can be magically cured as any normal disease. An afflicted creature who dies of Greater Mummy Rot shrivels away into sand and dust that blow away into nothing at the first wind.

Fun part bolded.
This trait of Mummy Rot is a direct port from the Monster.