Asteron
2013-08-11, 12:39 AM
One of my favorite series when I was in middle/early high school was The Chronicles of Prydain. Recently, I've been toying with the idea of porting the Huntsmen of Annuvin into D&D. Here (http://prydain.wikia.com/wiki/Huntsmen_of_Annuvin) is a rundown of what they are.
I was thinking of a spell that would add a template to a group of humanoids. The spell would come in two strengths: Bond of the Hunt and Greater bond of the Hunt. I would imagine them to look like this:
Bond of the Hunt
Necromancy
Level: Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 60 feet
Target: One humanoid of 10 HD or less per level (Max 10)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: No
This spell bonds the targets' life forces together and turns each one into Huntsman.
A glowing red rune appears on each targets forehead to mark them. Each group of bonded huntsmen has a different rune.
Material components: One drop of blood from each target and a ruby worth 500 gp.
XP cost: 1000
Bond of the Hunt, Greater
Necromancy
Level: Clr 8, Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 60 feet
Target: One humanoid of 15 HD or less per level (Max 20)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: No
This spell bonds the targets' life forces together and turns each one into a Greater Huntsman.
A glowing red rune appears on each targets forehead to mark them. Each group of bonded huntsmen has a different rune.
Material components: One drop of blood from each target and a ruby worth 5000 gp.
XP cost: 2500
For the Templates:
Huntsman
Size and Type
The creature’s type is unchanged. As is their size
Speed
A huntsman's speed is increased by +10 feet.
Armor Class
Natural armor improves by +1 (this stacks with any natural armor bonus the base creature has).
Special Qualities
A huntsman has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities:
-Blood Bond: Whenever one of the huntsmen that are bonded together dies, the remaining huntsmen's physical prowess is increased. They gain a cumulative +2 bonus to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution and a +1 bonus to natural armor. These bonuses are untyped.
-Hardy: A huntsmen becomes immune to Fatigue (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#fatigued) and Exhaustion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#exhausted). The Huntsman also gains Diehard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#diehard)as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
-Woodland Lore: A huntsman gains a +5 to Hide (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/hide.htm), Move Silently (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/moveSilently.htm), Spot (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/spot.htm), Listen (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/listen.htm), Search (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/search.htm), and Survival (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/survival.htm)while in a wooded area or grasslands. These skills are considered class skills for a hunstman. It also gains the Track (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#track)feat
-Bestial Visage: While wearing the skin of an animal, a huntsman gains a +10 to Disguise (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/disguise.htm)checks to look and sound like that animal. Disguise is always a class skill for a huntsman.
Challenge Rating:
Increase the Challenge rating for each Huntsman by 1
Special: A huntsman cannot be made into a Greater Huntsman.
---------------
Greater Hunstman
Size and Type
The creature’s type is unchanged, as is their size
Speed
A huntsman's speed is increased by +20 feet.
Armor Class
Natural armor improves by +3 (this stacks with any natural armor bonus the base creature has).
Special Qualities
A greater huntsman has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities:
-Blood Bond: Whenever one of the huntsmen that are bonded together dies, the remaining huntsmen's physical prowess is increased. They gain a cumulative +4 bonus to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution and a +2 bonus to natural armor. These bonuses are untyped.
-Hardy: A huntsmen becomes immune to Fatigue (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#fatigued) and Exhaustion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#exhausted). The Huntsman also gains Diehard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#diehard)as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
-Woodland Lore: A huntsman gains a +10 to Hide (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/hide.htm), Move Silently (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/moveSilently.htm), Spot (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/spot.htm), Listen (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/listen.htm), Search (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/search.htm), and Survival (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/survival.htm)while in a wooded area or grasslands. These skills are considered class skills for a hunstman. It also gains the Track (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#track)feat
-Bestial Visage: While wearing the skin of an animal, a huntsman gains a +20 to Disguise (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/disguise.htm)checks to look and sound like that animal. Disguise is always a class skill for a huntsman.
I was wanting to give the spells a high cost to prohibit spamming of these spells. Huntsmen are supposed to be difficult to make and replace, else they would overrun the world easily.
I'm a little worried that they might be too powerful, however. The last one in the group is going to be really hard to bring down, which is the point, but they may be too hard to take down. Any thoughts or suggestions on how to make them better/playable?
I apologize if this is terribad. I'm not a great homebrewer.
Edit: Changed the Greater spell to 8th level instead of 7th.
I was thinking of a spell that would add a template to a group of humanoids. The spell would come in two strengths: Bond of the Hunt and Greater bond of the Hunt. I would imagine them to look like this:
Bond of the Hunt
Necromancy
Level: Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 60 feet
Target: One humanoid of 10 HD or less per level (Max 10)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: No
This spell bonds the targets' life forces together and turns each one into Huntsman.
A glowing red rune appears on each targets forehead to mark them. Each group of bonded huntsmen has a different rune.
Material components: One drop of blood from each target and a ruby worth 500 gp.
XP cost: 1000
Bond of the Hunt, Greater
Necromancy
Level: Clr 8, Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 60 feet
Target: One humanoid of 15 HD or less per level (Max 20)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: No
This spell bonds the targets' life forces together and turns each one into a Greater Huntsman.
A glowing red rune appears on each targets forehead to mark them. Each group of bonded huntsmen has a different rune.
Material components: One drop of blood from each target and a ruby worth 5000 gp.
XP cost: 2500
For the Templates:
Huntsman
Size and Type
The creature’s type is unchanged. As is their size
Speed
A huntsman's speed is increased by +10 feet.
Armor Class
Natural armor improves by +1 (this stacks with any natural armor bonus the base creature has).
Special Qualities
A huntsman has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities:
-Blood Bond: Whenever one of the huntsmen that are bonded together dies, the remaining huntsmen's physical prowess is increased. They gain a cumulative +2 bonus to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution and a +1 bonus to natural armor. These bonuses are untyped.
-Hardy: A huntsmen becomes immune to Fatigue (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#fatigued) and Exhaustion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#exhausted). The Huntsman also gains Diehard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#diehard)as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
-Woodland Lore: A huntsman gains a +5 to Hide (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/hide.htm), Move Silently (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/moveSilently.htm), Spot (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/spot.htm), Listen (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/listen.htm), Search (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/search.htm), and Survival (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/survival.htm)while in a wooded area or grasslands. These skills are considered class skills for a hunstman. It also gains the Track (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#track)feat
-Bestial Visage: While wearing the skin of an animal, a huntsman gains a +10 to Disguise (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/disguise.htm)checks to look and sound like that animal. Disguise is always a class skill for a huntsman.
Challenge Rating:
Increase the Challenge rating for each Huntsman by 1
Special: A huntsman cannot be made into a Greater Huntsman.
---------------
Greater Hunstman
Size and Type
The creature’s type is unchanged, as is their size
Speed
A huntsman's speed is increased by +20 feet.
Armor Class
Natural armor improves by +3 (this stacks with any natural armor bonus the base creature has).
Special Qualities
A greater huntsman has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities:
-Blood Bond: Whenever one of the huntsmen that are bonded together dies, the remaining huntsmen's physical prowess is increased. They gain a cumulative +4 bonus to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution and a +2 bonus to natural armor. These bonuses are untyped.
-Hardy: A huntsmen becomes immune to Fatigue (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#fatigued) and Exhaustion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#exhausted). The Huntsman also gains Diehard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#diehard)as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
-Woodland Lore: A huntsman gains a +10 to Hide (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/hide.htm), Move Silently (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/moveSilently.htm), Spot (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/spot.htm), Listen (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/listen.htm), Search (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/search.htm), and Survival (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/survival.htm)while in a wooded area or grasslands. These skills are considered class skills for a hunstman. It also gains the Track (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#track)feat
-Bestial Visage: While wearing the skin of an animal, a huntsman gains a +20 to Disguise (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/disguise.htm)checks to look and sound like that animal. Disguise is always a class skill for a huntsman.
I was wanting to give the spells a high cost to prohibit spamming of these spells. Huntsmen are supposed to be difficult to make and replace, else they would overrun the world easily.
I'm a little worried that they might be too powerful, however. The last one in the group is going to be really hard to bring down, which is the point, but they may be too hard to take down. Any thoughts or suggestions on how to make them better/playable?
I apologize if this is terribad. I'm not a great homebrewer.
Edit: Changed the Greater spell to 8th level instead of 7th.