Jeff the Green
2011-11-27, 02:00 AM
I've been working on a few new templates for a new campaign setting. In the setting, the elements (the four classical ones + shadow) are omnipresent, chaotic, and can have some strange effects on unborn creatures. The following are templates to represent this.
Edit: I changed them a bit. Rather than being straight templates, they lose most racial traits, similar to Dragonborn. Hopefully this will make them somewhat less of a no-brainer to take.
Creating an Elemental Seed Creature
Elemental seed creatures are quite different from their parents. They lose many racial traits and gain new ones. As a rule, the elemental seed creatures loses any racial traits other than ability modifiers, languages, favored class, and speed. It retains any racial hit dice as well as level adjustment. It still qualifies as its base race, e.g. for feats or prestige classes.
Fire-Seed
Fire-Seed creatures were affected in some way by elemental fire prior to their birth.
Creating A Fire-Seed Creature
-2 WIS, +2 CHA. A Fire-Seed creature is more passionate than most creatures of its type, but also more mercurial.
Resistance (Ex): A Fire-Seed creature gains resistance 5 to Fire.
Water weakness: A Fire-Seed creature suffers a -2 penalty to all saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities with the water or cold subtype or used by creatures of the water or cold subtype.
Darkvision (Ex): A Fire-Seed creature gains darkvision 60 ft.
+2 racial bonus to Disguise to impersonate a creature of its base type.
Water-Seed
Water-Seed creatures were affected in some way by elemental water prior to their birth.
Creating A Water-Seed Creature
+2 CON, -2 INT. Water-Seed creatures are tougher than other creatures of their type, but somewhat slow-witted.
Resistance (Ex): A Water-Seed creature gains resistance 5 to cold.
Fire weakness: A Water-Seed creature suffers a -2 penalty to all saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities with the fire subtype or used by creatures of the fire subtype.
Natural Swimmers (Ex): Water-Seed creatures have a swim speed equal to their base land speed. (If the creature already has a swim speed, it improves by 10 feet.) A Water-Seed creature can move through water at its swim speed without making Swim checks. It has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. A Water-Seed creature can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. A Water-Seed creature can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to six times its Constitution score.
Low Light Vision (Ex)
+2 racial bonus to Disguise to impersonate a creature of its base type.
+2 racial bonus to Listen and Spot.
Earth-Seed
Earth-Seed creatures were affected in some way by elemental water prior to their birth.
Creating An Earth-Seed Creature
+2 STR, -2 DEX, -2 CHA. Earth-Seed creatures are stronger than normal creatures of their type, but less agile or sociable.
Damage Reduction (Ex): An Earth-Seed creature gains DR 1/-. This stacks with any similar damage reduction, such as that granted by the Barbarian class.
Air weakness (Ex): An Earth-Seed creature suffers a -2 penalty to all saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities with the air subtype or used by creatures of the air subtype. It has vulnerability to electricity, which means it takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from electricity, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.
Powerful Build (Ex): The physical stature of Earth-Seed creatures lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever an Earth-Seed creature is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the half-giant is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. An Earth-Seed creature is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.
Darkvision (Ex): An Earth-Seed creature gains darkvision 80 ft.
Burrow (Ex): An Earth-Seed creature can burrow at a speed of 1/2 its land-speed for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution per day. It may split these rounds however it wishes. If it is tunneling when this time expires, it must immediately burrow at a speed of 5 ft directly toward the nearest surface. Once it reaches the surface, it takes 1d6 non-lethal damage for each round spent underground in excess of its alotted time.
+2 bonus to Disguise to impersonate a creature of its base type.
+2 bonus to Concentration.
+4 bonus to Hide in rocky environments.
Air-Seed
Air-Seed creatures were affected in some way by elemental air prior to their birth.
Creating An Air-Seed creature
STR -2, INT +2, WIS -2. Air-Seed creatures are quicker of thought than normal creatures of their type, but physically weaker and flighty.
Resistance (Ex): An Air-Seed creature gains resistance 5 to electricity.
Earth weakness (Ex): An Air-Seed creature suffers a -2 penalty to all saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities with the earth subtype or used by creatures of the earth subtype.
Air Affinity (Ex): For the purpose of using magic items, an Air-Seed creature is considered to have fly, overland flight, and all spells with the air subtype on its spell list, regardless of whether it can cast spells. In addition, an Air-Seed creature casts fly, overland flight, and all spells with the air subtype at +1 CL.
Slight Build (Ex): The physical stature of Air-Seed creatures lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category smaller. Whenever an Air-Seed creature is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as Hide), the kobold is treated as one size smaller if doing so is advantageous to the character. An Air-Seed creature is also considered to be one size smaller when "squeezing" through a restrictive space. An Air-Seed creature can use weapons designed for a creature one size smaller without penalty. However, the space and reach of an Air-Seed creature remain those of a creature of their actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject's size category.
Low-Light vision (Ex)
+2 racial bonus to Disguise to impersonate a creature of its base type.
+2 racial bonus to Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, and Move Silently, and is not considered flat-footed while balancing, regardless of the number of ranks it has.
Shadow-Seed
Shadow-Seed creatures were affected in some way by elemental shadow prior to their birth.
Creating A Shadow-Seed Creature
-2 STR, -2 CON, +2 WIS. Shadow-Seed creatures are more spindly than normal creatures of their type, but also more intuitive.
Darkvision (Ex): A Shadow-Seed creature gains darkvision 120 ft.
Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds Shadow-Seed creatures for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.
Shadow Affinity (Ex): For the purpose of using magic items, a Shadow-Seed creature is considered to have all Illusion (Shadow) spells and all spells with the darkness subtype on its spell list, regardless of whether it can cast spells.
Spell-like abilities: A Shadow-Seed creature with a Charisma score of at least 10 has the following Spell-like ability: 1/day—darkness. Caster level 1st.
+4 to Hide in shadowy illumination, -4 to Hide in bright light.
+2 to Move Silently
-2 to Diplomacy
Edit: I changed them a bit. Rather than being straight templates, they lose most racial traits, similar to Dragonborn. Hopefully this will make them somewhat less of a no-brainer to take.
Creating an Elemental Seed Creature
Elemental seed creatures are quite different from their parents. They lose many racial traits and gain new ones. As a rule, the elemental seed creatures loses any racial traits other than ability modifiers, languages, favored class, and speed. It retains any racial hit dice as well as level adjustment. It still qualifies as its base race, e.g. for feats or prestige classes.
Fire-Seed
Fire-Seed creatures were affected in some way by elemental fire prior to their birth.
Creating A Fire-Seed Creature
-2 WIS, +2 CHA. A Fire-Seed creature is more passionate than most creatures of its type, but also more mercurial.
Resistance (Ex): A Fire-Seed creature gains resistance 5 to Fire.
Water weakness: A Fire-Seed creature suffers a -2 penalty to all saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities with the water or cold subtype or used by creatures of the water or cold subtype.
Darkvision (Ex): A Fire-Seed creature gains darkvision 60 ft.
+2 racial bonus to Disguise to impersonate a creature of its base type.
Water-Seed
Water-Seed creatures were affected in some way by elemental water prior to their birth.
Creating A Water-Seed Creature
+2 CON, -2 INT. Water-Seed creatures are tougher than other creatures of their type, but somewhat slow-witted.
Resistance (Ex): A Water-Seed creature gains resistance 5 to cold.
Fire weakness: A Water-Seed creature suffers a -2 penalty to all saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities with the fire subtype or used by creatures of the fire subtype.
Natural Swimmers (Ex): Water-Seed creatures have a swim speed equal to their base land speed. (If the creature already has a swim speed, it improves by 10 feet.) A Water-Seed creature can move through water at its swim speed without making Swim checks. It has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. A Water-Seed creature can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. A Water-Seed creature can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to six times its Constitution score.
Low Light Vision (Ex)
+2 racial bonus to Disguise to impersonate a creature of its base type.
+2 racial bonus to Listen and Spot.
Earth-Seed
Earth-Seed creatures were affected in some way by elemental water prior to their birth.
Creating An Earth-Seed Creature
+2 STR, -2 DEX, -2 CHA. Earth-Seed creatures are stronger than normal creatures of their type, but less agile or sociable.
Damage Reduction (Ex): An Earth-Seed creature gains DR 1/-. This stacks with any similar damage reduction, such as that granted by the Barbarian class.
Air weakness (Ex): An Earth-Seed creature suffers a -2 penalty to all saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities with the air subtype or used by creatures of the air subtype. It has vulnerability to electricity, which means it takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from electricity, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.
Powerful Build (Ex): The physical stature of Earth-Seed creatures lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever an Earth-Seed creature is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the half-giant is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. An Earth-Seed creature is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.
Darkvision (Ex): An Earth-Seed creature gains darkvision 80 ft.
Burrow (Ex): An Earth-Seed creature can burrow at a speed of 1/2 its land-speed for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution per day. It may split these rounds however it wishes. If it is tunneling when this time expires, it must immediately burrow at a speed of 5 ft directly toward the nearest surface. Once it reaches the surface, it takes 1d6 non-lethal damage for each round spent underground in excess of its alotted time.
+2 bonus to Disguise to impersonate a creature of its base type.
+2 bonus to Concentration.
+4 bonus to Hide in rocky environments.
Air-Seed
Air-Seed creatures were affected in some way by elemental air prior to their birth.
Creating An Air-Seed creature
STR -2, INT +2, WIS -2. Air-Seed creatures are quicker of thought than normal creatures of their type, but physically weaker and flighty.
Resistance (Ex): An Air-Seed creature gains resistance 5 to electricity.
Earth weakness (Ex): An Air-Seed creature suffers a -2 penalty to all saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities with the earth subtype or used by creatures of the earth subtype.
Air Affinity (Ex): For the purpose of using magic items, an Air-Seed creature is considered to have fly, overland flight, and all spells with the air subtype on its spell list, regardless of whether it can cast spells. In addition, an Air-Seed creature casts fly, overland flight, and all spells with the air subtype at +1 CL.
Slight Build (Ex): The physical stature of Air-Seed creatures lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category smaller. Whenever an Air-Seed creature is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as Hide), the kobold is treated as one size smaller if doing so is advantageous to the character. An Air-Seed creature is also considered to be one size smaller when "squeezing" through a restrictive space. An Air-Seed creature can use weapons designed for a creature one size smaller without penalty. However, the space and reach of an Air-Seed creature remain those of a creature of their actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject's size category.
Low-Light vision (Ex)
+2 racial bonus to Disguise to impersonate a creature of its base type.
+2 racial bonus to Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, and Move Silently, and is not considered flat-footed while balancing, regardless of the number of ranks it has.
Shadow-Seed
Shadow-Seed creatures were affected in some way by elemental shadow prior to their birth.
Creating A Shadow-Seed Creature
-2 STR, -2 CON, +2 WIS. Shadow-Seed creatures are more spindly than normal creatures of their type, but also more intuitive.
Darkvision (Ex): A Shadow-Seed creature gains darkvision 120 ft.
Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds Shadow-Seed creatures for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.
Shadow Affinity (Ex): For the purpose of using magic items, a Shadow-Seed creature is considered to have all Illusion (Shadow) spells and all spells with the darkness subtype on its spell list, regardless of whether it can cast spells.
Spell-like abilities: A Shadow-Seed creature with a Charisma score of at least 10 has the following Spell-like ability: 1/day—darkness. Caster level 1st.
+4 to Hide in shadowy illumination, -4 to Hide in bright light.
+2 to Move Silently
-2 to Diplomacy