Random Homebrew!

[pyrefiend]

This is a cool spell and monster I made up. Enjoy and critique please.

Vacuum Bubble
Conjuration (Creation) [Air]
Level: Sor/Wiz 4, Druid 3
Components: M, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: 1 spherical vacuum with a radius of 10 ft. plus 5 ft. per level
Duration: 1 round/ caster level
Saving Throw: Fort partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: No

This spell pushes away all air in the area of it’s effect, creating several effects. Vacuum Bubble only effects air, and has no effect when used in any other medium. Due to the limited power of this spell, hugely contrasting pressure systums can't be controlled, and so this spell creates magical pressure in the bubble, preventing mass gamage to life-forms. All fires, magical or otherwise, are extinguished and spells with the fire descriptor also do not function in the vacuum. Sonic effects also cease to function due to having no medium to vibrate. If another medium is available in the area, or the caster uses a sonic spell directly on a single opponent (automatic range of touch) sonic spells can function without the use of air. All creatures who rely on air to breathe cannot do so in the vacuum, and suffer the effects of drowning. A water breathing or similar spell does not allow breathing due to the fact that there is no substance to substitute for air. Flying creatures immediately fall upon entering the area, and elementals with the air subtype act as if panicked until they leave the vacuum. Elementals with the fire subtype take 1d8 nonlethal damage each round. The caster of a Vacuum Sphere can take a full round action to move the point of origin of the sphere 40ft or less in any direction.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a207/leo_star2222/Werebee.gif
Werebee (thanks to mikeejimbo)
Fine Huminoid
(Human, Shapeshifter)
Hit Dice:1d8+1, ¼d8 (6 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 60 ft fly (perfect)
Armor Class: 18 (+4 Dex, +4 Size)
Base Attack, Grapple: +0, -8
Attack: Stinger +3 (1 nonlethal)
Space/Reach: 5 ft, -
Special Attacks: Land upon foe, Poison, Suicide
Special Qualities: Alternate Form, Bee empathy, Damage Reduction 10/ silver, low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +0
Abilities: Str 4, Dex 18, Con 4, Unt 10, Wis 13, Cha 8
Skills: Climb +10
Feats: Skill Focus (climb)
Environment: Warm Plains
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: ¼
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +1
CR: 1/2

Special Qualities:
Land Upon Foe: In order to attack, a werebee must first descend onto it’s opponent.
Poison: A successful sting injects poison. The damage is only secondary, 1 Str.
Sacrificial: Upon making a succesful attack, a werebee takes 1d3 damage. Its stinger is left in the victim as the rest of the body detatches.

Werebee, Human Form
Medium Huminoid
(Human, Shapeshifter)
Hit Dice:1d8+1, ¼d8 (6 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 60 ft fly (perfect)
Armor Class: 10
Base Attack, Grapple: +0, +0
Attack: Unarmed (1d3 nonlethal)
Space/Reach: 5 ft, 5 ft
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Alternate Form, Bee empathy, low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +0
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 11, Con 10, Unt 10, Wis 13, Cha 8
Skills: Climb +10
Feats: Skill Focus (climb)
Environment: Warm Plains
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: ¼
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +1
CR 1/2

[mikeejimbo]

What if the werebee is in human form?

[pyrefiend]

Oh yeah, forgot that. Done editing.

[mikeejimbo]

Nice, looks fun. I think the human form should have some sort of benefit though.

[Yakk]

I'd be tempted with some kind of "Queen Bee" werebee. :)

Heck -- have dead-from-sting werebees be reborn at the Hive, 24 hours later? That would give them a reason to suicide-attack to defend the Hive.

Werebee Queen (big bad bee!)
Werebee Worker (harvests the honey and humans needed)
Werebee Soldier (defender of the hive)
Werebee Scout (searches for honey and humans)
Werebee Drone (what they turn humans into)

Drones and Scouts have the same stats -- listed above -- except Drones have no int stat.

Workers would be lots larger (Tiny, 18" long). The Worker sting would be two-phase: first, it does wisdom damage, then it suggests compliance (will save against suggestion).

Soldiers would be larger than the Drone/Scout (Diminuative, 9" long), and meaner in combat. Con damage from the stinger.

All of them would die after they stung someone, and be perfectly willing to die to defend the hive (after all, they get to come back from the dead!).

The Queen would be Medium in Bee form and human form. Lots of charm/control spells, etc.

[Shazzbaa]

Um, perhaps I missed something, but technically, can't lycanthropes only happen if the base animal is within one size category of the base creature? So, since humans are medium, you'd need some kind of massive "small"-sized bees to make werebees out of, wouldn't you?

Oh, and rewording:
" This spell pushes away all air in the targeted area, creating several effects."
That's a bit less awkward.

[The_Cowinator]

Is there a hybrid form for a werebee? MOst Lycanthropes have them.

[Demented]

"Is that... is that a tail?"
"Umm... sort of. It's a stinger."
"Great. So, in order to infect someone, you need to ram them with your butt?"
"Mmhm. I'm going to go cry now."

Anyway, the bees need some way of surviving after a stinger. Admittedly, after stinging someone, basically the largest organ in their abdomen gets yanked out, but these are werebees, they have more than health than a level 1 commoner, they should be able to handle it!

[Shadow of the Sun]

For vacuum sphere, wouldn't the target, if not using scales/air proof armour explode? The pressure differences would mean that he/she would expand, and his/her blood would boil in her veins, arteries and capillaries.

[pyrefiend]

Nice, looks fun. I think the human form should have some sort of benefit though.

It does, kind of. It gains additional hit die for being part vermin (although the increase is very small because of the specific vermin involved) +2 Wisdom, and it would have extra skill points if not for the low int modifier of the bee.
Oh, it gets Iron Will too. Forgot that.


Heck -- have dead-from-sting werebees be reborn at the Hive, 24 hours later? That would give them a reason to suicide-attack to defend the Hive.

I dunno, that seems like it's too easy to twist to a powergamer's evil will. Afterall, all you need is a control shape check at low health, an poof! Assured ressurection if you die.


Drones and Scouts have the same stats -- listed above -- except Drones have no int stat.

Workers would be lots larger (Tiny, 18" long). The Worker sting would be two-phase: first, it does wisdom damage, then it suggests compliance (will save against suggestion).

Soldiers would be larger than the Drone/Scout (Diminuative, 9" long), and meaner in combat. Con damage from the stinger.

All of them would die after they stung someone, and be perfectly willing to die to defend the hive (after all, they get to come back from the dead!).

The Queen would be Medium in Bee form and human form. Lots of charm/control spells, etc.

Hmmmm.... Yes, but only in the rare case of a large-scale werebee community. Actually, that seems like a really cool evil empire for the PC's to overthrow, or a rival to the formian empire.


Um, perhaps I missed something, but technically, can't lycanthropes only happen if the base animal is within one size category of the base creature? So, since humans are medium, you'd need some kind of massive "small"-sized bees to make werebees out of, wouldn't you?

I dont think so. I looked it up, but found nothing. I could have overlooked it though.


Is there a hybrid form for a werebee? MOst Lycanthropes have them.

Yes, but only on a natural lycathrope. Besides, for the werebee it doesn't matter. The only difference is the ability to manipulate objects and such as a huminoid, but werebees are too small to find much use for that.


For vacuum sphere, wouldn't the target, if not using scales/air proof armour explode? The pressure differences would mean that he/she would expand, and his/her blood would boil in her veins, arteries and capillaries.

YES! Why didn't I think of that? That would make for a very powerful save-or-die spell however, and I want to keep this in the level range it already is. Maybe if I add the force descriptor, I can justify saying that magical energies are keeping the pressure in check? All i want is an absence of air in the bubble, not pressure, yet the two go hand in hand.

[pyrefiend]

Sorry to double post, but I have some more random homebrew for your nitpicking pleasure! Beware, the dangerous Oolliit is apon you!

Oolliit
Medium Aberration
Hit Dice: 4d8+12 (40hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 ft.
Armor Class: 12 (+3 natural, -1 size)
Base Attack/Grapple: +3, +2
Attack: 2 Oollballs +6 ranged (1d6 acid+ 1d4 electricity)
Full Attack: 4 Oollballs +6 ranged (1d6 acid+ 1d4 electricity)
Special Attacks: Oollball, Corrosive Form
Special Qualities: Aberration Traits, Web Suspension, Web Form
Saves: +4 Fort, +6 Ref, +5 Will
Abilities: Str 8 Dex 17 Con 17 Int 5 Wis 14 Cha 11
Skills: Climb +0
Feats: Empower Spell-Like Ability, Lightnig Reflexes
Environment: Warm/Temperate Forests
Organization: Solitary
Chalange Rating:
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: 4-7 HD Medium, 8-12 Large, 13-20 Huge, 20+ Gargantuan

The giant eye laying before you is submerged in an odd green goo. It slides away over the ground at surprising speed. It quickly comes to a spot between two trees, pulling intelf up with it's membrane. Quickly finding its place, it's eye begins to pulse blue, sending out sparks and drips of slime.

Oolliites are slimy beings which move quickly with their semi-solid bodies.
Once they can find two tall poles of any kind, they immediately suspend their eye in the air with strands of goo. Only then can they release their attacks, deadly barrages of an unknown material.
Web Suspension: An oolliit can pull itself off the ground and suspend its one eye in the air by holding on to two poles or trees. When suspended, an oolliit releases 1d3 +1 strands of goo an each side of it's eye. The two poles can be a max of 15 ft apart. Once suspended, the oolliit can ready its other attributes such as oollballs.
Web Form: Once suspended in the air, the membrane ceases to fulfill any purpose other than to hang on. Attacking the strands has no effect unless all are removedat once. However, this is difficult because the oolliit reatatches fully every round. The strands have a hardness 7 and 3 hit points. Attacking the eye directly removes hit points, but the eye has an AC of 14 because it is small rather than the large size of the full body.
Oollball: Once suspended in the air, oolliites fire shots of pressurized acid and electricity in rapid succesion. Two can be fired as a move or standard action, or four as a full-round action.
Corrosive Form: When on the ground, an oolliite deals 1d6 acid damage to any object or creature it touches.

[ChaosStorm]

Spell: Just call it Vacuum Bubble, and say there's magical pressure keeping people from exploding. You could then make Vacuum Sphere a very deadly higher level spell.
What if you did cast this underwater? Would it force the water away or just the air that's mixed into the water? That would mean any water breathers in the bubble would start suffocating since there'd be no air in the water for their gills to syphon.

Werebee: There are rules about lycanthropes being one size category away from the humanoid. I just read it today before getting online, actually. Of course I hate a lot of the rules for werecreatures and would gladly throw that one out for the Werebee's sake. I don't think their organization would be solitary, though. I really want to go and look at the Abiel race now. They're Beefolk, but not WereBeefolk. of course I don't think it's quite the same flavour that you're going for here.

Oollit: Sounds more like an ooze. Maybe you should have more information on the eye. I'm still not quite sure what the attack form is. It fires things from the eye or the ooze body?

[pyrefiend]

Spell: Just call it Vacuum Bubble, and say there's magical pressure keeping people from exploding. You could then make Vacuum Sphere a very deadly higher level spell.
What if you did cast this underwater? Would it force the water away or just the air that's mixed into the water? That would mean any water breathers in the bubble would start suffocating since there'd be no air in the water for their gills to syphon.

Good idea! Ill start the Vacuum Sphere right now. I suppose it should follow the same mechanics as Vacuum Bubble except the Fort Save-or-Die Effect, and more damage to elementals. Oh, and there is more effect underwater. This spell only pushes air away, it has no effect on other substances.


Werebee: There are rules about lycanthropes being one size category away from the humanoid. I just read it today before getting online, actually. Of course I hate a lot of the rules for werecreatures and would gladly throw that one out for the Werebee's sake. I don't think their organization would be solitary, though.


My thoughts exactly, or at least on the part of the lycanthrope rules. I'm willing to let the size issue slide. On the organization issue, I made them solitary because they are werebees, unbound to the mindless higharchy of insects. They do not have bee instincts when they change, and so are not affiliated with a hive or anything. Besides, werebees are rare, they don't usually gather simply due to their small number.


Oollit: Sounds more like an ooze. Maybe you should have more information on the eye. I'm still not quite sure what the attack form is. It fires things from the eye or the ooze body?

It is very oozy, I'll admit. However, oozes are sightless and oolliits have very prominant eyes. I just don't like the idea of oolliits being oozes, they aren't mindless and are capable of setting up small ambushes. (not with others of their kind admittingly, but hey, what can you do with 5 inteligence:smallwink:)

[CaelCyndar1993]

I think someone needs to come up with a magic item that binds a humanoid and a creature together to form a lycanthrope. <Looks at you>

Other than that I like the idea. Basically you have a stealth commando, though maybe something should be added to be more realistic.

The wings of a Werebee create a soft but audible buzzing while the werebee is flying, giving it a -5 on move silently checks.

[pyrefiend]

I think someone needs to come up with a magic item that binds a humanoid and a creature together to form a lycanthrope. <Looks at you>

So you have implied, so it shall be done!

Minor Artifact: Merging Cane
The Merging cane is an artifact capable of afflicting creatures with lycanthropy. The owner need only tap an animal, who’s image appears on a glass lens on the cane handle. The next humanoid or giant tapped afterward becomes a lycanthrope of the type of the last animal touched. The touched creature can attempt a Will save, DC 20 to resist the effect. If he fails, he automatically receivers the lycanthrope template, which can be found in detail here: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/lycanthrope.htm There are, however, modifiers to the base creature’s stats when in hybrid or animal form. The modifier to the stats is as follows: Take the animal’s highest three stats and find their modifiers. Add +2 to all of these modifiers and you have the modifiers for the base creature in animal or hybrid form. If the animal (or usually vermin, in this case) is mindless, the base creature’s Intelligence is 4 in animal or hybrid form. The cane has only so much magical potency, and so can never aquire more than one animal at once. Each time the cane is used to merge two beings, it cannot merge beings again for two days or untill it touches moonlight.

I'm really not all that extra competent at making magic items, so I need some help balancing this and giving it a price.

Vacuum Sphere (Like Vacuum Bubble, only with exploding!:smallbiggrin:)
Conjuration (Creation) [Air, Death]
Level: Sor/Wiz 9, Druid 8
Components: M, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: 1 spherical vacuum with a radius of 10 ft. plus 5 ft. per level
Duration: 1 round/ caster level
Saving Throw: Fort partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: No

This spell pushes away all air in the area of it’s effect, creating several effects. Vacuum Sphere only effects air, and has no effect when used in any other medium. Due to the enormous power of this spell, hugely contrasting pressure systems. Living beings with blood or open space in them must make a fortitude save or explode as air rushes out of them (hint: explosion = death). Even on a successful save the character takes 1d2 temporary Constitution and Strength damage. The DC increases All fires, magical or otherwise, are extinguished and spells with the fire descriptor also do not function in the vacuum. Sonic effects also cease to function due to having no medium to vibrate. If another medium is available in the area, or the caster uses a sonic spell directly on a single opponent (automatic range of touch) sonic spells can function without the use of air. All creatures who rely on air to breathe cannot do so in the vacuum, and suffer the effects of drowning. A water breathing or similar spell does not allow breathing due to the fact that there is no substance to substitute for air. Flying creatures immediately fall upon entering the area and elementals with the air subtype act as if panicked until they leave the vacuum. Elementals with the fire subtype take 4d8 lethal damage each round. The caster of a Vacuum Sphere can take a full round action to move the point of origin of the sphere 60ft or less in any direction.

Material Component: A dry sponge
Focus: A small sphere of dusty glass

All right, how's it look?

[CaelCyndar1993]

Sweet. There should also be something to seperate them:

Cane of Extraction:
When touched to a Lycanthrope, this cane may seperate the beast from the humanoid or giant. The extraction process is painful and a mental stress on the creature, requiring a fortitude and will save with varying DC depending on the current form of the Lycanthrope (10 for Humanoid or Giant, 16 for Hybrid, or 23 for animal form.) If the save is failed, the beast continues to bond with the creature, but the magic continues to work, dealing 1 Con and 1 Wis drain. Regardless of save or fail, the end result is the creature at the state it was just before becoming lycanthropic, and an average animal designated by what type of lycanthrope the creature was.

[Mewtarthio]

Re: The Cane of Extraction:

What happens when you "separate the beast" from the base creature? Do you just end up with a non-lycanthropic humanoid or giant? Do you end up with a regular guy and an angry animal? Do you end up with this (http://www.egscomics.com/d/20020816.html)? And what of alignment shifts? Does the target immediately revert back to its pre-lycanthropic alignment, or just shift closer to it, or does it remain whatever alignment the beast had but with the possibility of atonement? What sort of Check DC must be rolled to get the lycanthrope back to normal? Can the lycanthrope resist the change? What is the effect of the pain and mental stress?

Re: Merging Cane:

So, you just need to succeed on a touch attack against the animal to get the form saved, with another touch attack to apply the curse? Also, I think a Control Shape check to resist is a bit harsh, since you can't take any ranks in Control Shape unless you're already a lycanthrope. A will save would be better. And what happens if you touch somebody who's already a lycanthrope? RAW, there's nothing to prevent multiple cases of lycanthropy from stacking. Something about this just screams "easily exploitable." It should be a Minor Artifact with a limitation on use.

[CaelCyndar1993]

I forgot to add the stuff after the DCs, but that's fixed now.

[pyrefiend]

The cane of extraction was a very good idea, CaelCyndar. I can just imagine two insane wizards armed with canes of merging and extraction.:smallconfused: That would be a very odd fight. Oh I also changed the Control Shape Check to a will save, and limited the use of the cane of merging in order to tone it down a bit.

[Khantalas]

I am Ellen, Elliot's evil sister! MWHAHAHAHAHA!

Shouldn't that be a diamond rather than a cane?

[Tracersmith]

how about a cane with a Diamond in it.....

[pyrefiend]

I am Ellen, Elliot's evil sister! MWHAHAHAHAHA!

Shouldn't that be a diamond rather than a cane?

Que pasa? Why a diamond?

[Khantalas]

Obviously, the work of Shive is unknown to you.

[CaelCyndar1993]

Now of course someone is going to make a defense:

Ring of Werebane:
While worn by a Humanoid or Giant, this Moon-colored ring prevents the wearer from contracting Lycanthropy from any source. After resisting Lycanthropy once, the ring darkens. Every time after the first that a wearer would contract Lycanthropy, a Fortitude save (DC 15 + times resisted (By ring, not wearer)) must be made or else the wearer contracts Lycanthropy as normal. Wearer's of the ring get a +5 on this save. If this ring is worn by a Lycanthrope in its Humanoid or Giant form loses its ability to transform (Whether of free will or forced) to its animal or hybrid form. If worn by a Lycanthrope in its hybrid form, the wearer receives 3 non-lethal damage per round. If worn by a Lycanthrope in its animal form, the wearer receives 7 non-lethal damage per round. The wearer in hybrid or animal form may not remove the ring on its own. If the wearer is knocked unconcious due to the ring's effect, the wearer is reverted to humanoid or giant form.

[Shadow of the Sun]

*Loves the Shive*

Freaking awesome comic...

[thehothead]

Hey you actually DID make a werebee...