Tauric Template Testing

[Cranthis]

I need to find a medium, quadrupedal animal, magical beast, or vermin with only a single hit die, so I can minimize the effects of the amount of racial hitdie the Tauric Template (Savage Species 133) causes. I have exhausted my mind in the last hour, so I come to you for help.

[Vaz]

Baboon. It's not very good, but it's Medium, 1HD, and an animal.

[Cranthis]

Sorry, I forget to mention it needs to be quadrupedal.

[Darrin]

I need to find a medium animal, magical beast, or vermin with only a single hit die, so I can minimize the effects of the amount of racial hitdie the Tauric Template (Savage Species 133) causes. I have exhausted my mind in the last hour, so I come to you for help.

Monstrous Centipede, Core.
Phynxkin, Dragon Magic.

Note: Incarnate Construct may be able to drop the LA to only +1. To get rid of racial HD, add Necropolitan, then replace your remaining racial HD with a class level.

[Cog]

Baboons are fairly quadrupedal; take a look at how they move.

[Cranthis]

Baboons are fairly quadrupedal; take a look at how they move.

They are semi-quadrupedal, I mean full on quadrupedal.


Monstrous Centipede, Core.
Phynxkin, Dragon Magic.

Note: Incarnate Construct may be able to drop the LA to only +1. To get rid of racial HD, add Necropolitan, then replace your remaining racial HD with a class level.

Hmm. I'm not sure how to fit Incarnate Construct into it, but if I do, then it actually drops the LA to 0. Necropolitan works well there though.

[Vaz]

Sorry, I forget to mention it needs to be quadrupedal.

It is Quadrupedal. A dog can walk on its hind legs alone if needs to, as can cats, but they are still Quadrupeds.

However, it NEEDS 4 legs, rather than simply quadrupedalism; which would funnily enough allow a stork to be a valid base creature.

[Cranthis]

It is Quadrupedal. A dog can walk on its hind legs alone if needs to, as can cats, but they are still Quadrupeds.

However, it NEEDS 4 legs, rather than simply quadrupedalism; which would funnily enough allow a stork to be a valid base creature.

Dogs have and cats have 4 legs. Baboons have 2 arms and 2 legs. Also, that makes no sense. Storks have 2 legs.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

How about no HD, but seven levels of Cleric (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/lammasu.htm)? You'll still have to grab one (Cloistered) Cleric level to get Turn Undead, but that will also give you more domains! Not to mention flight, the amazing Magic Circle or rather immunity to attacks from summoned/extraplanar creatures, natural attacks with Pounce, and it can naturally dip Prestige Paladin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/prestigiousCharacterClasses.htm#prestigePaladin), possibly even skipping Mounted Combat (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/inevitable.htm#zelekhut) (last line), plus being able to use Spirited Charge plus Leap Attack with Pounce!

[Vaz]

Storks can use their wings to "walk" - particularly apparent in shoebill storks in modern life, and Azhdarchids (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azhdarchidae) from pre-history.

Quadrupedalism is the manner of walking on 4 limbs (quadruped being the demonym) - even though the creature may have more or less - a Praying Mantis is a quadruped, even though it has 6 legs. Humans are bipedal even though they have 4 limbs they are capable of walking on.

Tauric requires 4 legs, however.

[Cranthis]

How about no HD, but seven levels of Cleric (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/lammasu.htm)? You'll still have to grab one (Cloistered) Cleric level to get Turn Undead, but that will also give you more domains! Not to mention flight, the amazing Magic Circle or rather immunity to attacks from summoned/extraplanar creatures, natural attacks with Pounce, and it can naturally dip Prestige Paladin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/prestigiousCharacterClasses.htm#prestigePaladin), possibly even skipping Mounted Combat (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/inevitable.htm#zelekhut) (last line), plus being able to use Spirited Charge plus Leap Attack with Pounce!

Wow. That is awesome. If only they didn't have such high level adjustments. The reason I am looking for things with low hit-die, and optimally no la, is because my group generally starts at level 3. This is a backup character, so no telling when I might use it, but I doubt I would be able to start with 7 racial hit die and 5 level adjustment.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Wow. That is awesome. If only they didn't have such high level adjustments. The reason I am looking for things with low hit-die, and optimally no la, is because my group generally starts at level 3. This is a backup character, so no telling when I might use it, but I doubt I would be able to start with 7 racial hit die and 5 level adjustment.

The Tauric template's +3 LA gets added to the base humanoid level adjustment, and that is your character's total level adjustment. The quadruped's level adjustment never gets added to your character.

[Cranthis]

The Tauric template's +3 LA gets added to the base humanoid level adjustment, and that is your character's total level adjustment. The quadruped's level adjustment never gets added to your character.

+2. And yes, I see. This is good. Slap, lets say a human, on it, only 2 la, and 7th level cleric casting from the lammazu hit die. So damn. If I end up making a 9th+ character, I know what to do.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

+2. And yes, I see. This is good. Slap, lets say a human, on it, only 2 la, and 7th level cleric casting from the lammazu hit die. So damn. If I end up making a 9th+ character, I know what to do.

The update booklet (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20030718a) says "LA Base humanoid +3" and according to the url was released July 2003. Savage Species was printed February 2003, so the most recent source is current.

Also don't forget that the base humanoid always adds a minimum of one racial HD to the mix. That puts it at a minimum ECL 11.

[yougi]

Donkeys, Riding Dogs, Death Dogs (Fiend Folio), Hyenas and Krenshar each have 2 HD.

The only creatures in these three types that have a single HD are the Baboons and the Medium Monstrous Centipede.

[Cranthis]

Donkeys, Riding Dogs, Death Dogs (Fiend Folio), Hyenas and Krenshar each have 2 HD.

The only creatures in these three types that have a single HD are the Baboons and the Medium Monstrous Centipede.

Phynxkin as stated above.


And darn, I always thought humans didnt have a racial hitdie to trade in for class levels, they are just stuck with class levels.

[TuggyNE]

And darn, I always thought humans didnt have a racial hitdie to trade in for class levels, they are just stuck with class levels.

Technically, all creatures have at least a fraction of a racial hit die; however, the humanoid type specifically is required to trade its first RHD in for class levels if it only has one.

[Cranthis]

Technically, all creatures have at least a fraction of a racial hit die; however, the humanoid type specifically is required to trade its first RHD in for class levels if it only has one.

1. Why grey text?
2. Would you happen to know where I could find the base skills/saves of a human?

[Blueiji]

1. Why grey text?
2. Would you happen to know where I could find the base skills/saves of a human?

They would be determined with the Humanoid Racial Hit Dice (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#humanoidType), from the Monster Manual.

[Cranthis]

They would be determined with the Humanoid Racial Hit Dice (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#humanoidType), from the Monster Manual.

I had actually just found it before seeing your post, but thank you!

[TaiLiu]

1. Why grey text?

The grey text implies nitpicking.

[TuggyNE]

1. Why grey text?
2. Would you happen to know where I could find the base skills/saves of a human?

Both of these have already been answered (my I'm slow) but my sig is also a useful reference for this sort of thing. :smallwink:

[Vaz]

Take Exiled Modron (+1), apply Incarnate Construct Template (-2). Apply Tauric. (+3). Apply Mineral Warrior (+1). Total = +3.

-2 Wis, -4 Cha
No Living Construct Traits
You have no special attacks to lose
The rest of your qualities are actually penalties with the exclusion of Natural Armour 2 and near-negligible resistances to fire cold and acid, and a +2 Bonus on Spot/Listen.
Attached onto some High Strength/Con Base Creature, with NA+3, Burrow, 1/day Con bonus to Attack, Darkvision, DR8/Adamantine, +2 Str, +4 Con.

Let's say you've gone Lammasu for 8 RHD and +3 LA for ECL11 (Modron Warblade, let's say, I think it's hilarious image).

You've got 12+7d8+42 HP = 86, compared to a Barbarian with 16 Con of 12+7d12+24 = 79 (although gets a bonus while in rage), while you can fly, have a Strength of 25-26 while Barbarian can only just scrape that while raging, and you've got Cleric 7 spells - you can cast Divine Power though to outrage the Barbarian though as well - you'd become Str32, but also gain +7 HP, and you can also Bears Endurance yourself for another +16 HP, and Divine Favour for personal attack - in addition to reducing all non-Adamant Damage by 8. Wield a Spiked Chain for a 40ft Threat range as well, then cast Divine Favour. Take a few levels in Wizard (3, if your Int is high enough to cast 2 Level 2's), then take Spell Versatility and Extend, and you're golden; Incantatrix for Persist, then you can go back into your other classes. Abjurant Champion 5 for Shiggles with Persisted Divine Power (CL20th, although it doesn't get you the Spells Per Day) and with a final class of your own to choose.

It's not the most optimized, but if you were going for that, you wouldn't really be making a Tauric player character.

[Cranthis]

I think I just found the easiest solution to all of this. I could just be a warforged and convince my dm to let my Tauric Belt it up.