QUELL question(s)

[leegi0n]

So, I've heard of this creature called a QUELL, from Libris Mortis that have an intercession ability vs. clerics and their tie to the gods by essentially making a turn check, as a cleric would. Am I correct or misinformed?

So, the check would be d20+level+CHA modifier, correct? If it succeeds, a cleric is pretty much screwed for 24 hours. If there are more than one of these QUELL creatures, the turn check increases by 1 per QUELL creature.

Has anyone else heard about this? I don't have the book and can't find the QUELL on the 'net.


Thank you.

[Yora]

The 24 hour block only applies when the Quell has twice as many HD than the cleric level of the clerics. When a quell is aided by other quells, each of them increases the quells effective HD by 1 in regard to determine if he has twice as many HD.

[leegi0n]

So, are they even worth my time or are they a trash encounter unless there's 30 of them?

vs.- say a level 12 cleric....

[Yora]

Since a fight rarely last 10 rounds, it doesn't make much of a difference if they get to double the HD or not.
But as CR 3 creatures, I doubt they'll be able to affect 12th level clerics at all.

[leegi0n]

...even in a large number?

As in, if they are 5HD, for example and there are 30 of them, how would that stack up?

do their charisma bonuses stack with the +1 for each QUELL to "turn" a cleric or severe the tie to their god?

[Feralventas]

First off, I'd like to ask why you're looking to completely shut down a cleric. Doing this as a means to deal with an NPC cleric I can understand, but essentially taking a Player Character's primary and secondary class abilities away is something I look on with distaste due to some AMF shenanigans a year or two back. Being put in a position not simply of Helplessness but of Uselessness is not a particularly fun way to play the game IMO, though I suppose with a Cleric it Might, and only MIGHT, be an opportunity for a test of faith.

That said, the Quell advances in HD up to 10 easily enough and you could give it cleric levels (negative channel) and raise its turn attempts the same way you would a Cleric's.

[leegi0n]

Well, you hit the nail on the head...it IS a test of faith. The homebrew world where we are playing involves a lot of the "weird". I wanted to introduce the QUELL as a segway to another part of the story, not as a means to anyone's end.

[Keld Denar]

You can always advance the Quell in hit dice. Its not hard. There are rules for it in the back of the MM. Might even be worth while to add the Evolved template once or twice. Then have a primary Quell and a handful of normal Quells to aid him to get the level needed.

What CR are you looking to have? I could advance one up for you on my lunch break if you are interested.

[leegi0n]

I'm interested, if you would like to help me out. I appreciate it.

The cleric on trial is a level 9 shade. The overall party has another 9th level gnome cleric, a 9th level dwarf fighter, a 9th level psion/wilder, a 9th level bard, an a 9th level ranger/scout. They all need to be present.

[Keld Denar]

Ok, I'll see what a CR 11 and CR 12 Quell looks like. Undead are easy to advance, luckily.

[Keld Denar]

Hmmm, it looks like a Quell officially caps out at 10 HD (Advancement: 6-10 HD). I could advance it more than that, with a slight bend in the rules. That ok?

Elite Advanced Quell
Medium Undead (Incorporial)
HD: 10d12 (78 HP)
Initiative: +9
Armor Class: 20 (+5 Dex, +5 Deflection), touch 20, flat footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/-
Attack: Incorporeal Touch +10 melee (1d4)
Space/Reach: 5ft / 5ft
Special Attacks: Coupled Intercession, Intercession
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft, daylight powerlessness, incorporial traits, undead traits, +4 turn resistance
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +10
Abilities: Str -, Dex 20, Con -, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 20
Skills: Not really important
Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse, Improved Turning
Environment: Any
Organization: Choir
CR: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always LE

There, one 10 HD Quell. I gave him Improved Turning, which increases your turning level by 1. He doesn't actually turn, but it functions similar enough. He has a +5 on his turn check from his Cha score, so if he rolls a 16+, he hits level+4, or 15 HD. That means he needs at least 3 allies to aid him to hit 18 HD to cut a 9th level cleric off for 24 hours. That is EL 8, an easy encounter for a group of 6 9th level PCs. Adding 2 more regular Quells makes it EL 9, still really easy, and means that the Quell only has to roll an 11+ to Intercede him.

An idea to boost the Quell's Cha would be to Evolve it. Each time you Evolve it, it gets +2 Cha, meaning the number to roll goes down by 1, but that boosts the CR up by 1.

The other thing to do would be simply to ignore what the book says and Advance it by another 5 or so HD. That'll boost it's HP, make it's Intercession ability better, and make it a more interesting encounter.

Elite Advanced Quell
Medium Undead (Incorporial)
HD: 17d12 (108 HP)
Initiative: +9
Armor Class: 21 (+5 Dex, +6 Deflection), touch 21, flat footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/-
Attack: Incorporeal Touch +14 melee (1d4)
Space/Reach: 5ft / 5ft
Special Attacks: Coupled Intercession, Intercession
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft, daylight powerlessness, incorporial traits, undead traits, +4 turn resistance
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +10
Abilities: Str -, Dex 20, Con -, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 22
Skills: Not really important
Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse, Improved Turning, Feat, Feat
Environment: Any
Organization: Choir
CR: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always LE

This guy already has 17 HD, so with Imp Turning, he turns 18 HD clerics. That means he has to not roll a negative turn, which is a 4 or higher on the d20. Again, Evolving it would at +2 Cha per CR to make it so it can't fail. CR10 would be thrice evolved, and would Intercede your cleric even on a roll of 1. Or just add 1-2 friends for flavor.

[leegi0n]

and the turn check would be vs. 20+the cleric's CHA modifier?


beautiful work, by the way.

[Keld Denar]

Its not opposed. The Quell makes a turn check, which is 1d20+5 (6 for the more advanced one). Compare the results to the turning table in the back of the combat chapter, and add our subtract the result of that from the Quell's HD. If it its high enough, the cleric is shut down. If it is double, the cleric I'd shut down all day.

[leegi0n]

Ok. Got it and THANK YOU.

Unrelated, but same game:

Since a SHADE can travel between shadows, would DIMENSIONAL ANCHOR prevent them from doing so? They are, after all, entering the shadow plane to do this.

[Keld Denar]

Yes. That would work.