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Eighth_Seraph
2006-12-30, 09:54 PM
Well, I recently began playtesting a campaign some of you may recall called Pseudelity. Bottom line is that though I managed to make the geography, topography, history and all of the other things necessary for a half-decent home-brew, but I've run rather short in terms of experience for making templates. I need three templates at least, each representing a different level of influence in a character by the Shadow, a being of darkness and fear. I was thinking of making it based roughly around the Rokugan system from Oriental Adventures.

What I managed to make myself is that the three level would be Tainted, Corrupted and Consumed, with a certain score for influence being kept among each. Consistent with all three levels is an aura of fear and crimson eyes, maybe with a gaze attack later on. Let's see if you people are as willing to help a poor uncreative fool in a slump as you were when I left.

YPU
2006-12-31, 07:24 AM
Would these templates be an advantage or an disadvantage? If I remember correctly in Rokugan its most surely not a good thing to be corrupted, but “gaze attack” sound rather tempting to be corrupted by evil. Being evil should not give advantages, neither should being not evil be. I don’t like how rokugan makes evil characters suck because of taint. You could of course make balanced templates, ones that re like level adjustment 0 with advantages and drawbacks that balance each other out.

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-12-31, 08:11 AM
Well, there is literally a Shadow Creature template in Lords of Madness.

YPU
2006-12-31, 09:25 AM
and a dark/shadow creature template in tome of magic, and one in manual of the planes (or whats it caled)

Closet_Skeleton
2006-12-31, 11:21 AM
There's also an Umbral template is Savage Species that makes turns a creature into something like the Shadow from the Monster Manual but may be too specific. Liber Mortis may have it reprinted.

Eighth_Seraph
2006-12-31, 04:28 PM
Well, that would have been all well and good while I was making my Christmas list last week, but I just now returned the sourcebooks I was using to a friend, and am down to the SRD. Since I seriously doubt that it's legal for anyone to simply type up the templates from these books, I'm asking for homebrew, which nevertheless tends to be better, in my opinion, as long as the proper chord of inspiration is struck.

As for your concern, YPU; the template is meant to be an advantage, as each progressive stage of influence will also lend to power as the shadow can grant, since the shadow is cast when mortals get in the way of the Sun and Moon's light. So level adjustments are fine, just not on the first stage of influence, which should have drawbacks. Also for those who have gears turning in their heads, the Shadow embodies fear and absence of hope and light, so its main weapons are fear and despair.

YPU
2006-12-31, 05:46 PM
I’m sure you have thought about this, but ill say it anyway. If your players are aware of the templates they will, I am sure, turn evil. This might be what you had in mind, if not. Make sure that the shadow has a lot of control over his blessed ones. That way players who had a nice template added will find themselves doing things they didn’t plan in doing, that would scare them a bit.

Eighth_Seraph
2007-01-01, 03:16 PM
Don't worry, these template is never applied willingly. At the end of the line (the template I thought of calling 'Consumed') creatures can Taint other creatures in some long, drawn-out ritual, or maybe with some sort of claw attack and a failed will save. IS anyone actually planning on joining in on the template-building?

Danu
2007-01-01, 04:05 PM
Here's an idea of what occured to me. If this doesn't meet what you're looking for, let me know and I can adjust it accordingly. I'll start small (tainted) and work from there.


Shadow-Tainted
"Shadow-tainted" is an acquired template that can be added to any creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

Size and Type: Type and size are unchanged.
Speed: As base creature.
Special Qualities: A tainted creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following.
Darkvision: The shadow-tainted gains darkvision 30 ft, or it's currently existing darkvision improves by 30 ft.
Low-light vision: The shadow-tainted creature gains low-light vision. If the shadow-tainted creature already possesses low-light vision, it instead gains superior low-light vision.
Light Sensitivity: A shadow-tainted creature's red-tinted eyes become more sensitive to light. A shadow-tainted creature is dazzled in bright sunlight or withing the area of a daylight spell.
Resistance to cold 10.
Unnatural Aura: The shadow-tainted creature projects an aura which causes unease and distress in living creatures. Any creature within 10 ft. of the shadow-tainted creature must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC + 1/2 the shadow-tainted creature's hit dice + the shadow-tainted creature's Charisma modifer) or become shaken for 1d4 minutes. Animals and most vermin automatically fail this save and avoid the shadow-tainted creature as best they can.
Abilities: Adjust from the base creature as follows: Dex +2, Con -2.
Skills: Same as base creature, plus Hide +4 and Move Silently +4.
Environment: As base creature
Challenge Rating: As base creature
Alignment: As base creature, Usually evil
Level Adjustment: As base creature +1

Eighth_Seraph
2007-01-01, 04:10 PM
This is beautiful. The Unnatural aura is just what I was going for in flavor, and just in time for a session in the next week. Not too much power added, which is good since this is just the application of the shadow to a creature. At the next stage of influence, some changes should be physically apparent, though.
Thanks, Danu.

Danu
2007-01-01, 04:58 PM
What are you looking for for the shadow-corrupted in the way of power and physical changes?

YPU
2007-01-02, 03:26 PM
My only suggestions for further progression would be sneak attack and darkness effects. Perhaps fear effects and a gaze attack? Feels right for me. Sorry, not very helpful.

Eighth_Seraph
2007-01-02, 08:34 PM
The main theme that I'd like to keep going is that fear can be used as a weapon. The campaign I'm currently running is essentially a playtest, and takes place in the early daays of Pseudelity's existence; every consecutive campaign will be further along in the world's history, with the shadow being the embodiment of taint in the world and at each appearance show a different facet of its nature.

In terms of power it seems that the ability to move unseen, to pop up when least expected and to debilitate an opponents morale as a pressing advantage would be perfect. Since I'm sure most people here have read Lord of the Rings, that is an excellent example of what I was going for, and the major inspiration. Anyone remember how when the Nazgul were around, opposing armies had trouble holding their swords steady, and orcs mowed down armies like grass? Think of that, but downsized to a +2 level adjustment.

As for appearance, remember that the idea is shadow: darker skin, black nails, reddening eyes when angry; you know the drill but if you want to throw in something unexpected, then you'll help to make the world go 'round.
Also, as an afterthought, maybe the nightshade's aura where that is easily recognizable as a source of specific dread might be a good thing to base one of the Corrupted's abilities around. Maybe I'm being too demanding, but if you need more information, just let me know.