The Mindless Menace - A Request

[OhMyGodImOnFire]

Dear Homebrewers,

I've recently begun recruitment for a campaign in which a situation kind of like 28 Days Later has broken out across Khorvaire in Eberron. What I am looking for is someone to make a homebrew template to be applied to the races of Eberron. It would make them a CR 7 ambush monster, improving on strength and dexterity, and attacking with natural attacks (preferably bite and claw). If possible, make them mindless as well (can't be affected by mind-affecting spells, so I'm guessing something like Intelligence -). What may make it contradictory is that, though they have no conscience, they are still able to stalk their prey, very much like the aliens from, well, Alien. I don't know if I'm asking for it correctly or if my request is too strange/unlikely, or if it has already been done. But if it hasn't and someone is interested, please help! I would really really appreciate it :smallsmile:

[Xerlith]

This appears to be more like a full-fledged monster than a template to me.
Also, there's a thread "request a homebrew".
Finally, this seems to be able to be pulled off with class levels + lycanthrope template + some tricks + refluffing.

[OhMyGodImOnFire]

This appears to be more like a full-fledged monster than a template to me.
Also, there's a thread "request a homebrew".
Finally, this seems to be able to be pulled off with class levels + lycanthrope template + some tricks + refluffing.

I had thought to simply make a full fledged monster too, except it really is a condition that, in my campaign, was applied to the base races. I had also looked for that thread, but I couldn't find it (I'm probably just blind, I swear I'd even looked in it at some point). I'll definitely look into the lycanthrope idea as well, thank you very much!

[Xerlith]

Here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=280131) is something that might be useful.

What's the story behind this affliction? Is it reversible? Is it a magical mutation of sorts? Man-made? A virus?

Also, here you go. The link's in the sticky'ed thread "Notable threads"
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219438&page=25

[OhMyGodImOnFire]

So what I have written as a description for the creatures is (notes of explanation in parentheses):

The result of permanent, irreversible madness, the Wondering (the creature I'm trying to create) are the disturbing hordes that were created when the Amethys Dragon (a big bad in history) flew across the continent, Extinguishing their Sparks (essentially crushing their sentience). No longer shackled to the need for mental processes, their brains devolved, its mass added to the rest of the body. Yet somehow, in the void left by the atrophied brain, something remains, though whether it is jealousy, envy, or curiosity, no scholar has been able to correctly identify. Whatever the case, the Wondering hunt for all living things in the first year or so after its Spark was Extinguished. Then, once it has satiated that hunger, its diet becomes more specific, instead focusing only on intelligent creatures, namely the Restored (sentient, intelligent beings). Attempts to subdue one of the Wondering have proven largely unsuccessful - because they are mindless, they are immune to mind-affecting spells, and any attempt to paralyze them using poisons yield no results, suggesting that not only was their brain destroyed, but their entire nervous system was eradicated. At present, no one knows what fuels them, only that they seem to be able to survive even without subsistence. The singular designation would be "a Wonderer," or "one of the Wondering."

Being the DM, I might have missed a point that needs to be explained. If there's anything about this that confuses you, or seems too fantastical even for a D&D campaign, let me know what you think.

[Xerlith]

Undead (mindless) for immunities + lycanthrope for scent and natural attacks + class levels in something stealthy would be my best bet.
The description screams "aberration", but the image the final creatures give off is a stealthy, well-conserved zombie runner.

My guess is they don't die of old age?

[OhMyGodImOnFire]

That sounds pretty perfect for my purposes. I'll just need to figure out how to change the CR adjustments around. I actually had the Licker (http://residentevil.wikia.com/Licker) from Resident evil in mind, but without the brain (obviously). The thing I was going for with these creatures was that they're not uniform, but actually mutations of base races. So you might see a Dwarf variant that was tougher to kill but slower, versus an Elf variant that was more agile but weaker.

They would not die of old age, correct. They're also very much like the giants from Attack on Titan, in that they will eat intelligent beings, but not for nutrition. No one knows what these creatures subsist off of. They're meant to be one of those creatures that the party could kill if it was alone, but would probably only jump out at them during the middle of a fight with someone else, and is something that they'll be jumping at shadows for.

[Debihuman]

You might find the Rage Zombie by Andy Collins helpful: http://www.andycollins.net/Features/theater_mainpage.htm

Debby

[OhMyGodImOnFire]

You might find the Rage Zombie by Andy Collins helpful: http://www.andycollins.net/Features/theater_mainpage.htm

Debby

Ahah! Very nice. I'll probably rule out the Infection ability, but other than that this makes a very nice template. Thank you! :smallbiggrin:

[Xefas]

I might have made a class that you would be interested in (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=286983).

One advantage in using a class over a template, is that it's much easier to scale it up for larger threats. Just add more levels and, boom, you have some more interesting, thematic abilities of the appropriate level. For mind-affecting immunity, I would suggest just having them take the Deformity (Madness) feat, from Elder Evils. Perhaps granting it to them as a bonus feat in place of the Teramach's first level Excellency.

In particular, the "All-Consuming Rampage Release", "Psychotic Sapience-Brutalizing Devolution", and "Humanity-Reaving Psychosis Echo" Mythos would probably be of interest to you.

[TelteWaywalker]

Why not use the Madborn from Five Nations page 123-125, it fits mostly what you are looking for.

[OhMyGodImOnFire]

I might have made a class that you would be interested in (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=286983).

One advantage in using a class over a template, is that it's much easier to scale it up for larger threats. Just add more levels and, boom, you have some more interesting, thematic abilities of the appropriate level. For mind-affecting immunity, I would suggest just having them take the Deformity (Madness) feat, from Elder Evils. Perhaps granting it to them as a bonus feat in place of the Teramach's first level Excellency.

In particular, the "All-Consuming Rampage Release", "Psychotic Sapience-Brutalizing Devolution", and "Humanity-Reaving Psychosis Echo" Mythos would probably be of interest to you.

This looks very nice! I'll most definitely look into use this class as something to use on one of the mini-bosses.


Why not use the Madborn from Five Nations page 123-125, it fits mostly what you are looking for.

Yeah, it looks nice - I'll have to take out the psionic bit to keep in line with the theme of the creature, but I'll definitely be taking pieces of it and adding it to the collective. Thanks so much! I'm glad to have something official to work with too.