Bizarre Monsters via Hybrids, Templates, and SLAs

[Incanur]

Hi folks! I'm looking for strange but effective monster ideas that use PF crunch like templates, SLAs, and even just mixing and matching existing Ex and Su abilities. I'm running a Forgotten Realms campaign that uses PF with some 3.x elements. The PCs are currently level 7, close to 8. We call the campaign a legacy campaign because it's in the aftermath of two earlier campaigns that left their marks on Faerun. One of the old PCs was an eccentric arcane hierophant who worshiped Malar. That campaign ended in the epic levels, and years have passed since then. The arcane hierophant is currently holed in a forest lair, breeding savage beasts imbued with magical power.

Do y'all have any suggestions on hybrid monsters or SLAs that make monsters particularly weird and/or powerful? An example would be giving a shambling mound scintillating sphere 3/day. I'm relatively new to PF, so not familiar with all the PF changes and new additions.

[upho]

Well, there are a ton of templates (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates), and you'll probably recognize many of them from 3.x and should be able to easily combine them with suitable monsters for fitting results. I especially recommend the Abomination template (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/abomination-cr-1-tohc) for creating weird hybrid magical beasts and monstrous humanoids.

But if you're up to a little bit more work, I'd suggest you use something that your players most definitely won't recognize, allows you to create in all respects absolutely unique monsters, and which I think would fit your needs perfectly: evolutions (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/summoner/eidolons).

If you'd like to stick to Paizo stuff, give the monster a few class levels in the synthesist (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/summoner/archetypes/paizo---summoner-archetypes/synthesist) summoner (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/summoner) archetype. I'd probably tweak the archetype quite a bit though and for example add the granted evolutions directly to the monster (rather than having it fuse with an eidolon which replaces physical stats), increase the hit die to d12 to compensate for the lost eidolon THP, keep the original skill list of the creature type, decrease the number of spells granted and perhaps make them SLAs, and in most cases also remove the "Summon Monster" SLA.

For a much less contrived and complicated way to add evolutions, I suggest you use my homebrew bloodrager (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/bloodrager) archetype - the wrathblood (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?442363-Wrathblood-The-Monster-Bloodrager-Archetype-New-and-Improved-Monstrous-Thread!) - which typically works great for melee oriented monsters and can be added without any modifications. I've tweaked several opponents to great effect using this archetype, sometimes combined with the primalist (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/bloodrager/archetypes/paizo---bloodrager-archetypes/primalist) archetype for a couple of suitable barbarian rage powers. Adding wrathblood bloodrager class levels is especially good for creating unusual and different yet extremely effective melee monster fighting styles, not to mention physical shapes and abilities that feel distinctly new and alien.

Here's an example of such a wrathblood monster I made for a rather powerful 8th level party (replacing a decidedly boring one in Paizo's Rise of the Runelords campaign) - a nasty mutated scrag troll with impressive melee control, using his unnaturally long tentacle-like arms to grapple and dirty trick nauseate his opponents before dragging them into the pool where he hides:

Giant scrag troll wrathblood primalist bloodrager 6
CE huge (28 ft. tall) humanoid (aquatic, giant)

(All values including bloodrage.)

Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +20

DEFENSE
AC 27, touch 15, flat-tooted 23, incl. +4 cover in water (3 dex, 10 na, 2 deflection, 2 dodge, -2 size, -2 bloodrage)
hp 192 (6d8 HD +6d10 class +132); regeneration 5 (electricity or fire)
Fort +23, Ref +10, Will +10; +4 vs. spells, (Su), (Sp)
Resist acid 5, cold 5

OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft., swim 70 ft.
Melee 2-3 claws +18/+18/+18 (haste) (1d8+14 +1d6 acid plus grab), bite +20 (2d6+14 +1d6 acid plus grab)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 20 ft., 35 ft. with claws
Special Attacks grab +32, rend (2 claws, 1d8+18)

Aberrant Bloodline and Rage Powers Abnormal Reach, Savage Dirty Trick, Superstitious
Evolutions (6 ep) Improved Natural Armor, Energy Attacks (acid), Monstrous Limbs (arms), Skilled x2 (Perception, Stealth)

TACTICS BY TURN
1. Hides in murky pool 50L x 25W x 20D, Stealth +30, surprise after buffs from ally unless discovered, reach 7 squares:

Claw +28 vs. CMD, Savage Dirty Trick, 12 dmg, sickened (-2 on d20) 2 rounds, Fort DC 25 or nauseated (only move) 2 rounds, Grasuul gains 12 THP; grapple +32, foe makes free CMB vs. 35 to avoid being dragged down into the pool next to Grasuul. Grapple CMD 39.

2. If no foe grappled: full attack, reach 7/4 squares:

1st Claw +28 vs. CMD, Savage Dirty Trick, 12 dmg, sickened (-2 on d20) 2 rounds, Fort DC 25 or nauseated (only move) 2 rounds, Grasuul gains 12 THP; grapple +32, foe makes free CMB vs. 37 or moved to adjacent in the pool. Grapple CMD 39.
2nd Claw +18 (+16 if grappled), 1d8+14 +1d6 acid, plus grapple +26 unless two foes already grappled, foe makes free CMB vs. 35 (31 if another foe grappled) or moved to adjacent in the pool.
3rd Claw as above
Bite +20 (+18 if grappled), 2d6+14 +1d6 acid, plus grapple +26 unless two foes already grappled, foe makes free CMB vs. 35 (31 if another foe grappled) or moved to adjacent in the pool.

3. Attempts to dive into cave if two foes already grappled (escape/break grapple CMD 35):

Move maintain move CMB +29, 1d8+14 +1d6 acid, plus dragged below surface.
Standard as Move above, -OR- release grapple and Bite +20 2d6+14 +1d6 acid, grapple +26


STATISTICS
Str 34, Dex 16, Con 32, lnt 8, Wis 14, Cha 6
Base Atk +10; CMB +24 (Dirty Trick +28, Grapple +32); CMD 37 (39 vs. Dirty Trick, Grapple)
Feats Combat ReflexesB, Dirty Fighting, Greater Dirty Trick, Greater Grapple, Improved Dirty Trick, Improved GrappleB, Improved InitiativeB, Improved Unarmed StrikeB, Snatch
Skills Acrobatics +16, Perception +20, Stealth +20, Swim +23
Languages Aquan, Giant, Undercommon
SQ amphibious

Gear 6500 gp: stealthy footbands 2500gp, gauntlets of the skilled maneuver (Dirty Trick +2) 4000gp

http://res.cloudinary.com/upho/image/upload/c_scale,h_517/v1457932259/Grasuul_kmkcl8.jpg
Grasuul entering bloodrage, his arms transforming into tentacles.



Of course, you may also simply add evolutions to an existing monster, but it'll be a bit trickier to balance properly.

I hope this might give you some ideas.

[atemu1234]

There was also an Encyclopaedia Arcane book about crossbreeding, too. It was decent, though as with anything, abusable.

[Incanur]

Thanks for the tips! Both of those posts are helpful.

I'm pretty sure Grasuul would eat the PCs in this campaign. :smalleek: That must be a serious level-8 party.

[Psyren]

Another cool set of templates are the simple class templates (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/simple-class-templates), which allow you to give level-relevant class features to monsters without ballooning their HD. For example, you could make your shambling mound into a druid creature, (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/simple-class-templates/druid-creature-cr-1-2-or-3) granting it +4 Wis and the ability to cast up to 3rd-level druid spells, plus the ability to wild shape into small animals and granting it a companion. You could end up with a decently-powered CR 9 avatar of the forest, that is capable of patrolling the wilds much faster than such creatures are typically able to, and calling lightning to heal itself or harm foes.

[upho]

Thanks for the tips! Both of those posts are helpful.

I'm pretty sure Grasuul would eat the PCs in this campaign. :smalleek: That must be a serious level-8 party.Heh, yeah they are, but this fight was really desperate and things actually looked so bad after the first couple of rounds I was pretty certain I had gone too far. Especially since they didn't really get to assess the threat and consider retreating with one of them nauseated and grappled in the pool before they'd even had a chance to act. But they pulled through and everyone came out alive, albeit wounded and seriously shakened.

Also, note that while Grasuul is a probably a way too dangerous opponent for most 7th level parties if he's placed in a pool and allowed to surprise the PCs, as described above, he wouldn't be nearly as deadly if faced on dry land by a buffed party, and especially if the party has also been allowed to see his abilities in action. In addition, his damage is intentionally kept quite low and his durability high in order to make him a suitable BBEG for a lower-level party without much risk of rocket-tagging the PCs, unlike most monsters found in the bestiaries which typically come with plenty of damage-boosting feats and abilities rather than tactically challenging control and debuff abilities.

Btw, the trolls in Grasuul's tribe, which the party fought before facing the chieftan, included several scrag trolls with 2 levels of wrathblood bloodrager with grabbing "tentacle-arm" evolutions, making them quite different from their vanilla siblings.

(The party consists of well-built T3 classes, and the campaign includes a few houserules which shorten combat feat chains and gives a few combat feats for free, but also limit spells to 6th or lower and slows down full caster progression, and the party has less items than according to WBL. Regardless, the main reason for their strength is the 30+ years of D&D experience and talent for tactics the players have, making their PCs exceptionally good at working together in combat. At this level they were already perfectly able to kill CR 15 foes in straight up fights, although they didn't face many such challenges since I think such dangerous foes have a too great tendency to one-shot an 8th level PC without even giving them a chance to play it smart. The decimated party facing Grasuul consisted of the shocking grasp Dex magus, the reach-tripping superdurable warder (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/path-of-war/classes/warder), the goblin confusion-bomber alchemist, and a weaker 3 hd magic beast/warpriest 4 NPC ally.)

EDIT:
Another cool set of templates are the simple class templates (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/simple-class-templates), which allow you to give level-relevant class features to monsters without ballooning their HD.I second this suggestion. The simple class templates are typically also much less fiddly to add than class levels. /EDIT

[unseenmage]

If constructs are at all your thing you could check out the 'Clockwork Spacewhales (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?470947-Madness-Such-As-This-Clockwork-Spacewhales)' post in my extended sig.

Have had a blast combining creatures with the Amalgam Template (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/amalgam-creature-cr-special). (Edit: Though it is 3rd party and quite complicated.)

Edit:
On the topic of Simple Templates, beware the Advanced Simple Template + Young Simple Template combo. It is a lot of extra oomph for very little, if any cost.
If you make use of the Gigantean Template (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/gigantean-creature-cr-varies) it's HD modification should probably be changed to match (in reverse) its counterpart the Miniature Template (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/miniature-creature-cr-varies).

[upho]

Here's the flyger, a weird CR 6 abomination (much less deadly than Grasuul) I made a while back which you might find useful. If you add the Giant simple template it becomes quite dangerous even for medium sized PCs, capable of easily grabbing and flying away with them. Since it has a decent Int, it can also be further modified with other templates or class levels.

CR 6 Advanced Abomination (giant dragonfly (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/vermin/dragonfly-giant)/young (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/simple-template-young-cr-1) dire tiger (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/animals/cat-great/tiger/dire-tiger) crossbreed)
N Medium magical beast

Initiative +9, Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +10

DEFENSE
AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 17 (+5 Dex, +7 natural)
hp 57 (6d10+24)
Fort +9, Ref +10, Will +3

OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (perfect)
Melee 2 claws +13 (1d6+6 plus grab), bite +12 (2d8+6 plus grab)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks darting charge (flying charge grapple +22), pounce

TACTICS
The flyger flies stealthily in search for prey, or hides perched in trees or on high cliff ledgers. It tries to make a surprise charge to grab and fly away with any suitable animals (including adventurers!) it finds, cutting up larger prey on the ground and flying off with the smaller pieces. If battling more dangerous foes, the flyger tries to stay aloft and use its pounce ability to make devastating charge attacks.

STATISTICS
Str 22, Dex 21, Con 18, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +6; CMB +12 (+16 grapple); CMD 27 (35 vs. trip)
Feats Flyby AttackB, Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Focus (claw)
Skills Acrobatics +9, Fly 16, Perception +10, Stealth +14; Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth
Languages Auran, Common (can't speak)

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Darting Charge (Ex) A flyger is adept at swooping in to attack prey with its powerful bite and then, just as quickly, swooping back up out of reach. As a result, a flyger gains Flyby Attack as a bonus feat. In addition, if a flyger charges while flying, it receives a +4 bonus on CMB checks made to grapple foes.



Enjoy!

[Incanur]

Neat! Your flyger looks like the kind of creature that arcane hierophant in the campaign I'm running would create. He has a fondness for cats of all sorts.

[upho]

Neat! Your flyger looks like the kind of creature that arcane hierophant in the campaign I'm running would create. He has a fondness for cats of all sorts.Heh, I wonder if he'd appreciate giant dragonfly cats as well - it probably looks... ...not very catlike...:smallbiggrin:

Oh, and the flyger should be CR 6, I forgot to change that when removing a class level from my original. I'll edit.