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Admiral Squish
2014-11-24, 07:26 PM
Witch of November
"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vST6hVRj2A)
Witch of November (wikipedia) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch_of_November)

A spectral female figure floats silently over the water, her transparent features resembling a native woman. Her hair and clothes constantly seem to blow around her in chaotic winds, and as she sets eyes upon your ship, her features twist into a furious mask of hatred, a fierce gust suddenly arising.

Witch of November CR 10
XP 9,600
CN Medium Outsider (Air, Incorporeal)
Init +12 ; Senses Darkvision 60, Perception +17
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Defenses

AC 25, touch 25, flat-footed 16; (+8 Dex, +6 Deflection, +1 Dodge)
HP 12d10+36 (102 hp)
Fort +7 Ref +16 Will +10
Immune Cold
Special Abilities Incorporeal, Wind form
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Offenses

Speed Fly 120 ft. (Perfect)
Melee Incorporeal Touch +20 Touch (2d6+6 Cold)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Abilities Fearsome Gale, Mighty Winds
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Statistics

Str -, Dex 26 (+8), Con 16 (+3), Int 8 (-1), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 22 (+6)
Base Atk +12 CMB +20 CMD 36
Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Wind Stance, Flyby Attack, Lightning Stance
Skills Intimidate +21, Knowledge (Nature) +14, Fly +31, Perception +17, Survival +17
Languages Any one Algonquin or Iroquoian
____________________
Special Abilities

Fearsome Gale
A witch of November's most terrifying, devastating ability is its power to call forth ferocious winds over a large area at will. As a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity, the witch of November can begin to summon the winds. At the start of their next turn, the witch of November takes control of all winds within a one mile radius centered on themselves, and can designate a new wind direction as swift action. Each round, the wind force increases by one category, to a maximum of hurricane winds. The witch of November must concentrate on this effect. If the witch loses concentration or stops the effect, the wind speed decreases by one step each round until they return to normal, at which point the effect ends and the winds return to their normal direction and speed.

Mighty Winds
A witch of November can narrow the focus of their wind powers when it's not in their best interest to call forth a fearsome gale. A witch of November can use any one of the following wind effects at will. When using this ability, they can choose to target either a single creature or an area.
Targeting a single creature requires a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. The target creature must be within 120 feet, and the witch of November must make a successful ranged touch attack against them in order to affect them.
Targeting an area requires a full round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. The witch of November can select either a 30-foot cone or a 60-foot line. All creatures within the area may make a DC 22 reflex save (save is charisma based) to avoid the effect.
Blasting Wind: The witch of November makes a special combat maneuver check as though bull rushing, with an additional bonus equal to their charisma modifier (+6 for an average witch of November). If this check's result is higher than an affected creature's combat maneuver defense, including any modifiers that specifically apply to bull rushes, they are moved directly away from the witch of November as though bull rushed. Unless the affected creature threatens the witch of November, they cannot make an attack of opportunity against the witch of November, and the witch of November cannot move with an affected creature.
Cutting Cold: The target takes 10d6 points of damage. Half this damage is treated as slashing damage, the remainder treated as cold damage.
Stolen Breath An affected creature has the breath pulled from their lungs, causing them to be unable to breathe for a moment. The affected creature must make a DC 22 will save (save is charisma based) or be stunned for one round as they panic at the lack of air. If the target's save succeeds, they maintain a measure of their composure and are staggered for one round instead. While staggered or stunned from this ability, the affected creature cannot speak, preventing them from casting spells with verbal components or using magic items that require a command word. This ability has no effect on non-living creatures or creatures that do not need to breathe.

Wind Form A witch of November is made entirely of the wind, and is one with the furious gales they create. A witch of November is immune to all negative effects of wind and wind-based effects. They cannot be checked or blown away by winds, they take no penalty to fly checks in areas of strong wind, and they can choose to ignore the effects of any wind-based spells or abilities. However, unlike most incorporeal beings, they cannot move where there is no air. They cannot enter water, and they cannot enter or pass through a solid object unless the object is not air-tight. For example, they could not move through the hull of a properly sealed ship, but they could pass through a net, or any solid object damaged enough to allow air to move through it.
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Ecology

Environment Great Lakes
Organization Solitary
Treasure None
Advancement 13-20 HD (medium)

While these creatures may resemble undead beings, in truth, they are a rather specific variety of spirits. While the Ojibwe call them Zegaanimad-Manidoo, loosely translated as 'it is a threatening wind-spirit', the Europeans who first sailed onto the great lakes quickly came to know them as 'Witches of November'. These sky spirits appear over the great lakes in late autumn, and seem perfectly content to float aimlessly over the water until they disappear once more as winter truly sets in. They rarely, if ever, communicate, and it's exceptionally difficult to contact one without invoking their wrath, as they have a distinct hatred for watercraft. Even canoes or personal watercraft are enough to infuriate them, but larger ships seem to draw special wrath from these mysterious beings. They don't seem to care about the collateral damage cause by their fearsome windstorms, as long as the ship that drew their wrath falls to their rage. Nobody is entirely sure why ships draw such fury from them, but there are many theories. One of the most popular theories is that they're simply mad. Some who have walked the spirit world believe that the material manifestations of the witches of November are restricted by treaties with other spirits, forcing them to remain over the lakes and only appear in certain seasons, a monotonous existence, the destruction of ships being their only form of entertainment. Typically lake travel is simply abandoned when the season passes the midway point, being simply too dangerous, but occasionally a witch will appear unusually early, or a particularly desperate, inexperienced, or foolish soul will attempt to cross despite the risks.

Admiral Squish
2014-11-24, 07:36 PM
So, I heard 'Edmund Fitzgerald' on the radio and felt the urge to make these guys, so sue me.

Mechanically speaking, I'm reasonably confident I'm in the right ballparks. I was going to give it some spellcasting ability, but then I decided that that would probably be overkill. It's got flight, which players can't have in the setting, and an ability that makes ranged weapons unusable (after a couple turns), so it's definitely a challenging creature to fight. It's also got [incorporeal] which is a great defense... But it does have sorta low HP for the CR.

Mith
2014-11-24, 08:12 PM
Considering that it has flight and can make ranged weapons ineffective, on top of being incorporeal, I think the low HP is a good trade off in a setting with no Flight abilities.

Admiral Squish
2014-11-25, 08:49 AM
But then again, I don't want to turn it into a 'whoever hits first wins'. If it's TOO fragile, then it becomes too easy for the players to just swat it down before it can bring the full might of the storm to bear, and that's not much of a satisfying encounter.

Mith
2014-11-25, 12:44 PM
Fair enough. What is the expected average damage output of a party at that level? Is there any reasonable way to know? A neat way to do it is that the creature can only be reduced to half health in the first strike, and perhaps a minor self regeneration, or perhaps a health drain attached to Cutting Cold, where the the November Witch recovers some health after attacking a target successfully with the ability. Think of it that the colder you are, the more power a spirit of the cold gains. It depends if you want to make that only when the fatigue effect takes hold or not. :/ Not sure exactly how to deal with this exactly.

Just curious, what would the reaction of other ships be if you have a November Witch carving as your ship's mast head? Perhaps a powerful artifact that makes your ship not dependent on wind, and the November Witches do not bother you?

SuperDave
2014-11-25, 01:22 PM
Very nice! I was expecting some kind of undead, but I think outsider makes more sense after all.

I don't really see anything wrong with the stats per se, but I'm not as well trained at spotting those kinds of flaws as you guys are. Seems OK to me, though...

You never really give any possible reasons for their intense hatred of watercraft, so it seems a little... arbitrary, I guess. Do they not like people crossing "their" water? Do swimmers bother them too, or is it just boats' wakes they have a problem with?

You should put a link to Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" somewhere in the first post. I don't think that most people outside the Great Lakes region are familiar with the song, or with the wreck it's based on, so they probably won't get the reference if you don't spell it out.

Admiral Squish
2014-11-25, 01:36 PM
Hmm... I don't know. Artifically limiting the damage they can take doesn't seem like much a solution, and I'm not sold on making them have some method of regenerating health. I'm probably overthinking it, the SRD says the average HP for a 10 HD critter is 130, and I'm only like 25 under, and it's incorporeal.

I don't know if you could make a mast head that depicted one, they basically look like ghostly women, any attempt to depict it in a solid medium would just make it look like a normal lady. I don't know if there should be a way to just ignore the witches, though.

Thanks, bro.

Hmm. You have a point. I just figured it was one of those unknowable things that spirits do that makes no sense to mere mortals, but it would probably help to give some sort of hint of an explanation of their motivations.

A good point, I've added links to the song that popularized the term and the wikipedia entry describing the phenomena.

Mith
2014-11-25, 02:49 PM
Another interesting ability to give them, although it may be too much, would be that on first sight, they are captivating sight, potentially Charming a person into inaction for a round. The reasoning I have behind this is another wreck song from the Great Lakes White Squall (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ4ddAgykfk) by Stan Rogers. You are likely right about the regeneration. I wasn't particularly happy with it either.

As for the masthead, I was thinking of the visage of a November Witch, which considering the dark powers that they hold over the inland seas that are the Great Lakes would make it a fearsome statement to have one as a masthead. The only reason I was thinking them as a ward was because of the fact that mastheads can invoke the power of what it depicts, but maybe instead of making them avoid you, they become less dangerous to your craft, along with the ability to sail counter to the wind. I am a bigger fan of the last part then the former, so maybe they hate you more, but your boat sails under it's own power, so it's a trade off.

As for a reasoning behind the November Witch, here's an idea: November Witches are born from a union between storm spirits and malevolent water spirits of the waters they inhabit. They hate any and all crafts because they see it as a defiance to the powers of their water bound parents, the water spirits that cannot reach those on the craft to drown them, and the storm spirits, who delight in sending the destruction caused by their power.

Admiral Squish
2014-11-26, 02:42 PM
I think a stunning ability would be a bit too much. They're already pretty dang strong, the ability to lock down players would just make them all the more dangerous.
Hmm... Though, in thinking on the abilities, I may just decide to take another crack at them. I suddenly have a bunch of vague ideas, and it would probably be easier to just draw up a draft of them than explain them.

Hmm. It is an interesting idea, certainly. And it'd certainly be easy enough for a DM to put into a game, but it seems tough to make mechanically. On one hand, if it's a magic item, I'd need to find spells to base it on and work out the pricing for a piece of ship equipment, and on the other, if I make it an artifact, I'd essentially hand-wave the details anyways. Plus, artifacts aren't supposed to be created in modern times without serious external powers at work, and Europeans (and by extension, European-style ships with figureheads) have only been in the mix for a couple hundred years.

I dunno, they seem purely air-spirits in my mind...
They could just be butts who like breaking things.
Maybe their fearsome gale thing is extremely disruptive to other air spirits, and they've been driven from overland areas onto the lakes and restricted to a few months of manifestation by some bargain? They just like to attack ships because it's boring blowing at the water, and they risk challenges from other air spirits if they get too close to shore?

Mith
2014-11-27, 12:20 AM
Yeah the mast head would have to be an artifact for it to work. It's one of those things that would have to be hand waved to be "It's MAGIC!!!" in order to work properly. I was just thinking about ghost ships and the reasons why a Dread Necromancer with a fascination with the oceans would make Pirates of the Caribbean's Davy Jones tremble in fear. Ghost ships and the like.

As for the charm, it was more that I was thinking about a visual dichotomy. From a distance and undisturbed, they are calm and pleasant, so that they are not seen as a threat, and one is lulled into complacency. They=n the November Witch sees you, gets angry, and tries to kill you. The Charm was the only way I could make it work, but a Knowledge check works just as well with a fun DM.

As for them being purely air spirits, that works. Perhaps they are "young" air spirits contained to the Great Lakes, unable to leave them, which although is alot of area, would still feel constraining. Then you have these creatures that mock them with crossing their domain, and leaving to go to other places the spirit cannot go. And if it cannot leave the Lakes, well then maybe you won't either...

Admiral Squish
2014-11-28, 12:52 PM
It does sound like a really good idea, and I could certainly see the idea being used in a great lakes campaign of some sort. Characters are stuck on one side of the lake and have to get to the other, but it's too late in the season, and nobody's willing to take them, native or European... except of one of the few European traders, who claims his ship was blessed to be protected from the witches. It could be true, or he could be full of it. Are the players willing to take that risk, or will they risk the long, arduous journey around the lake as winter closes in?

These guys are certainly turning out to be more complicated than expected...

Mith
2014-11-28, 03:00 PM
I am curious, do Wendigos live in the GL area? That would make that late fall choice really interesting.

Admiral Squish
2014-11-28, 04:40 PM
I'm not sure EXACTLY where Wendigo could be found. I think this is in the region, but I'm not certain.

Okay, here's what I got for the ability rewrite. This would replace Cutting Cold Gust, Forceful Gust, and Wind Dancer. I'm sorta stumped trying to think of more wind-related abilities for the mighty winds idea, but as it stands, it's still an upgrade, allowing a bit more versatility. I also make it impossible for a witch to hide underwater or walk though the solid hull of a ship, which seemed weird for an air spirit.

Mighty Winds
A witch of November can narrow the focus of their wind powers when it's not in their best interest to call forth a fearsome gale. A witch of November can use any one of the following wind effects at will. When using this ability, they can choose to target either a single creature or an area.
Targeting a single creature requires a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. The target creature must be within 120 feet, and the witch of November must make a successful ranged touch attack against them in order to affect them.
Targeting an area requires a full round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. The witch of November can select either a 30-foot cone or a 60-foot line. All creatures within the area may make a DC 22 reflex save to avoid the effect.
Cutting Cold: The target takes 10d6 points of damage. Half this damage is treated as slashing damage, the remainder treated as cold damage.
Blasting Wind: The witch of November makes a special combat maneuver check as though bull rushing, with an additional bonus equal to their charisma modifier (+6 for an average witch of November). If this check's result is higher than an affected creature's combat maneuver defense, including any modifiers that specifically apply to bull rushes, the target is moved directly away from the witch of November as though bull rushed. Unless they threaten the witch of November, they cannot make an attack of opportunity against the witch of November, and the witch of November cannot move with an affected creature.

Wind Form A witch of November is made entirely of the wind, and is one with the furious gales they create. A witch of November is immune to all negative effects of wind and wind-based effects. They cannot be checked or blown away by winds, they take no penalty to fly checks in areas of strong wind, and they can choose to ignore the effects of any wind-based spells or abilities. However, unlike most incorporeal beings, they cannot move where there is no air. They cannot enter water, and they cannot enter or pass through a solid object unless the object is not air-tight. For example, they could not move through the hull of a properly sealed ship, but they could pass through a net, or any solid object damaged enough to allow air to move through it.

Aergoth
2014-11-28, 11:28 PM
The Wendigo is known basically from the great lakes through to the rockies at least in canada, as it's a shared belief among Algonquian tribes (referring to the language here). That particular language base goes up to northern quebec and stretches eastward into manitoba and all along the east coast of the united states. Pretty widespread.

@Admiral Squish, you may have inspired the creation of a Witch Archetype based on this one.

Mith
2014-11-28, 11:50 PM
Okay, here's what I got for the ability rewrite. This would replace Cutting Cold Gust, Forceful Gust, and Wind Dancer. I'm sorta stumped trying to think of more wind-related abilities for the mighty winds idea, but as it stands, it's still an upgrade, allowing a bit more versatility. I also make it impossible for a witch to hide underwater or walk though the solid hull of a ship, which seemed weird for an air spirit.

Mighty Winds
A witch of November can narrow the focus of their wind powers when it's not in their best interest to call forth a fearsome gale. A witch of November can use any one of the following wind effects at will. When using this ability, they can choose to target either a single creature or an area.
Targeting a single creature requires a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. The target creature must be within 120 feet, and the witch of November must make a successful ranged touch attack against them in order to affect them.
Targeting an area requires a full round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. The witch of November can select either a 30-foot cone or a 60-foot line. All creatures within the area may make a DC 22 reflex save to avoid the effect.
Cutting Cold: The target takes 10d6 points of damage. Half this damage is treated as slashing damage, the remainder treated as cold damage.
Blasting Wind: The witch of November makes a special combat maneuver check as though bull rushing, with an additional bonus equal to their charisma modifier (+6 for an average witch of November). If this check's result is higher than an affected creature's combat maneuver defense, including any modifiers that specifically apply to bull rushes, the target is moved directly away from the witch of November as though bull rushed. Unless they threaten the witch of November, they cannot make an attack of opportunity against the witch of November, and the witch of November cannot move with an affected creature.


Wind Form A witch of November is made entirely of the wind, and is one with the furious gales they create. A witch of November is immune to all negative effects of wind and wind-based effects. They cannot be checked or blown away by winds, they take no penalty to fly checks in areas of strong wind, and they can choose to ignore the effects of any wind-based spells or abilities. However, unlike most incorporeal beings, they cannot move where there is no air. They cannot enter water, and they cannot enter or pass through a solid object unless the object is not air-tight. For example, they could not move through the hull of a properly sealed ship, but they could pass through a net, or any solid object damaged enough to allow air to move through it

The only other thing I can think of for winds is more that they can generate waves, and perhaps a way to manipulate objects in the air, potentially throwing objects a the PCs (without activating supernatural abilities, so no beating someone with their magical warpaddle). I like this upgrade, and I agree with the limitations of Wind Form.


The Wendigo is known basically from the great lakes through to the rockies at least in canada, as it's a shared belief among Algonquian tribes (referring to the language here). That particular language base goes up to northern quebec and stretches eastward into manitoba and all along the east coast of the united states. Pretty widespread.


I figured it was in the East, but it is such a common story to hear, that I couldn't say where the origin was. Thanks.

Admiral Squish
2014-11-29, 10:27 AM
The Wendigo is known basically from the great lakes through to the rockies at least in canada, as it's a shared belief among Algonquian tribes (referring to the language here). That particular language base goes up to northern quebec and stretches eastward into manitoba and all along the east coast of the united states. Pretty widespread.

@Admiral Squish, you may have inspired the creation of a Witch Archetype based on this one.

It seemed rather widespread, I just wasn't sure exactly where the line was. You know, perhaps I should start putting some sort of miniature range-map under 'environment' for my creations.

I'm glad to hear I inspired you! I'm of the opinion that's the highest compliment a creator can pay another.


The only other thing I can think of for winds is more that they can generate waves, and perhaps a way to manipulate objects in the air, potentially throwing objects a the PCs (without activating supernatural abilities, so no beating someone with their magical warpaddle). I like this upgrade, and I agree with the limitations of Wind Form.

Hmm, the only problem is neither one of those works with the current arrangement of the ability.
Well, I suppose this is a pretty good start, I'll edit this into the first post, and if another option occurs to me, I'll add it in.

Mith
2014-11-29, 01:07 PM
What about "Stolen Breath"

The November Witch pulls the Breath of Life from your very body. this renders you unconscious for 1d6-Con Mod. rounds. The player can be revived with a Heal check of DC 20, after which the effect ends.

That's a really rough idea, but the main idea is that it knocks you unconscious in the middle of a storm on a lake. Which is a really bad idea if you are not wearing a safety harness. This might be a bit too powerful as written, but the numbers are all really rough guesses. I hope this inspires a few things more. Perhaps the Witch needs a round for Concentration before using this ability, so that it is balanced from being used when the Witch is confident that it won't get hit.

Admiral Squish
2014-11-30, 12:22 PM
Hmm... Interesting idea. It doesn't quite fit the format as described, though. How about...

Stolen Breath The affected creature has the breath pulled from their lungs, causing them to be unable to breathe for a moment. The affected creature must make a DC 22 will save or be stunned for one round as they panic at the lack of air. If their save succeeds, they maintain a measure of their composure and are staggered for one round instead. While staggered or stunned from this ability, the affected creature cannot speak, peventing them from casting spells with verbal components or using magic items that require a command word.

I figure there's one chance to avoid staggered and two chances to avoid stunned, and the effect only lasts one round, so I don't think it's too overpowered, but anything that causes you to lose actions is somewhat touchy.

Mith
2014-11-30, 12:58 PM
Personally, I like it, but we might have to play test and see if it is too powerful. I'm just thinking of it as a good way for an air spirit to try and kill someone in the water, or to get someone in the water. But I'm really bad at coming up with things PCs can potentially survive. :smallbiggrin: Your idea seems much more balanced. It also gives the November Witch an effective counter measure to casters, who have range attacks that as far as I know, are unaffected by wind, while arrows, spears, and bullets are. Bullets would likely not be affected by anything other than the strongest wind effects, since they are nigh hurricane level winds, but it still can effect the path of a bullet.

Admiral Squish
2014-12-02, 03:43 PM
Well, then, I'll edit it in and we'll see if anyone else objects.

Aergoth
2014-12-03, 11:56 AM
One more suggested addition:

Icy Rain: A Witch of November may conjure a sudden fall of freezing rain, snow or sleet within the range of their Mighty Winds, coating the ground in slippery precipitation and providing further disruption of enemies on the ground as sailors slip over railings and into the frigid waters. A Witch of November may designate a number of squares equal to half their charisma score as the target of this ability. These squares must form a contiguous space, however it is shaped. This otherwise functions as a sleet storm spell, save that the DC to move through the squares is as other effects of Mighty Winds.

Also I finally got the archetype (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?386591-Gale-Witch-Archetype)thrown together.

Admiral Squish
2014-12-04, 09:11 AM
Hmm... Doesn't quite work as written, but I'll see what I can do...

Freezing Spray: The target is lashed by a spray of freezing water and ice. The target takes 6d6 damage. Half of this damage is treated as bludgeoning damage, and the remainder is treated as cold damage. Even if the effect misses or the target makes a successful reflex save to avoid the effect, the ground in a target's square is covered with freezing slush, which extinguishes any non-magical fires in the square and makes it difficult to move across. Creatures can move at half speed over a slushy area by making a DC 22 acrobatics check. Failing this check means they cannot move in that round, and failing by 5 or more means they fall prone in the space. This ability may be used to target unoccupied squares to fill them with slush. If used as a line or cone, this slush covers the ground in all affected squares.

Mith
2014-12-05, 06:20 PM
What else are you looking for for this monster, Admiral Squish? Or is this mostly complete?

Admiral Squish
2014-12-06, 09:31 AM
What else are you looking for for this monster, Admiral Squish? Or is this mostly complete?

I'd say pretty much done at this point, honestly. I might add the freezing spray ability in at some point.

Debihuman
2014-12-10, 07:16 AM
If the abilities are supernatural the DCs should be 21 not 22 (10 + 1/2 HD [5] + Charisma modifier [+6]).

You should always note the key ability when there is a save.

Note: you seem to pluralize a lot of single creatures. Use "it" and not "them" if necessary, otherwise it looks like the ability should affect more than one creature.

Debby

Admiral Squish
2014-12-10, 05:24 PM
If the abilities are supernatural the DCs should be 21 not 22 (10 + 1/2 HD [5] + Charisma modifier [+6]).

You should always note the key ability when there is a save.

Note: you seem to pluralize a lot of single creatures. Use "it" and not "them" if necessary, otherwise it looks like the ability should affect more than one creature.

Debby

The witches have 12 HD, so the DC 22 save is correct.

Added the ability tags to the saves.

I believe the singular they is both common and clear enough for it to function in this context.

Debihuman
2014-12-10, 06:03 PM
Whoops, I mistook the CR for HD for some ridiculous reason.

I'm not a fan of using It/them in sentences as I was a professional proofreader. You also change the subject when you do this so it tends to just be confusing.

Debby