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View Full Version : Bored out of your mind with the MM? A template just for you.



amanodel
2006-12-21, 03:48 PM
If the answer is yes, then let me present you a template of mine. It was used repeatedly in a campaign to ... umm .. raise hell. Beware, it's sick.

I never wrote a template before, so I won't go into the mechanics too deep.

The Hulkyyr

The hulkyyr is a template which can be added to nearly any animal. The creature's type changes to magical beast.

Background: Hulkyyr animals usually can be found near forgotten ancient shrines in the wilderness (or underground) and prtect the shrine. They are also sensitive for amgic, and like to gather magical object to the shrine. Wether are the changed animals a hand od the magical entity of the shrine (or artifact), or not, would be up to scholar's debate, if they knew such lame monsters exist. Hulkyyrs are always solitary.

The Hulkyyr template doubles the animal's lenght, adding new body parts to the creature. If a rat becomes a hulkyyr rat, it gains four additional legs, and it's lenght increases. The number of addition body lenght is up to the GM. If he feels like "building" a hulkyyr rat from 20 rats, he can do it. It'd have 20*4=80legs, but only one head and one tail. (I've done. Shame on me.)

The hulkyyr animal receives additional HD for each of his additional bodies, altough the HP's of the body parts should be handled individually.
The hulkyyr receives +2 strenght bonus, +2 Dex bonus, or +1/+1 (depending on the kind of the animal) for every added body sequence.


If it becomes cut in half (a body sequnce's hp reduced to 0 by a slashing weapon), than the hulkyyr splits in two as a free action, and the two animals continue to attack. If the original creature had 20 bodies, than it'll have either 10-10, 14-6, 1-19, or the like.
If a body sequence becomes destroyed otherwise (piercing or bludgeoning damage), then the body sequence blows up, dealing fire (or whatever suits you) damage equal to the creatures original hit die (like 2d8, or 1d4), and then splits in two. If the original creature had 20 bodies, than it'll have either 10-9, 14-5, 1-18, or the like.
Spells like fireball damage all the body parts simultaneously, thus are quite effective against hulkyyr creatures.
Spells that have their effect tied to the targets hit die, will have a hard time, since the HD's of the creature add up for that reason.

Hulkyyrs of 6 body sequels become a size larger than the original animal, 18 body sequels become two size larger. (18 body parts for every additional size increases.) Hulkyyrs of at least 6 body sequles may constrict.

If a hulkyyr creature does biting damage equal the maximum HP of it's original, it may grow another body part as a move action, at the front or the rear of the animal, at it's choice.


I'm not sure about the CR, but counting it like individual animals +1 or +2 is not a bad idea.

I've already done: Hulkyyr rat, hulkyyr bat, hulkyyr bear, hulkyyr crocodile.

icke
2006-12-22, 06:59 AM
You're right.

It's sick.

The CR might be the same as the group of base creatures You've built it from. The additional actions of a group instead of a strong individual might not add up, but this thing has a lot of extra BAAAH.

Blinkbear
2006-12-22, 09:04 AM
Does one get cleaving attempts from killing one of those parts?

amanodel
2006-12-22, 04:13 PM
If he has cleave, then why not :) I didn't really worked it out, and only used a few times, when players beleived they know the MM in an out.

fangthane
2006-12-22, 04:21 PM
Just as an FYI, if the MM bores you I'd direct your attention to almost any of the [creature] threads VT has started, as well as the "From the Playground" and "Monsters In the Playground" threads. They generally have monsters ranging from mediocre to fabulous and many can be integrated quite easily into existing campaigns. You may want to do a 'sanity-check' comparison on anything of which you're unsure, but there's no lack of nifty creations to be sent against a know-it-all party here. :)

For example, I used the MitP Bladevine and some of my own submissions, as well as others I've lifted from time to time. Caught my players completely by surprise, and they, like yours, can often recognise a monster from its ability scores, let alone its specials.