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Poppatomus
2007-06-28, 12:33 AM
These guys link up to the Nimbus Golem (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46592). Originally I'd just made them to explain the golem's origin, but I figure I should let them stand or fall on their own merits. As usual, any and all feedback (and votes) appreciated. I would be particularly interested in what I need to do (both format and crunch wise) to describe them as characters. Also, a better name would be much appreciated.


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Sun Worshipers [extinct?]
"I don't understand how anything incorporeal could be that hard headed." -Punnyshas the Holy

Size/Type: Medium Aberrations (incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 1d8 (4 hp)
Initiative: 0
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares); flight 5ft (clumsy)
Armor Class: 15 (+5 Deflection), touch 10, flat-footed 10
Base Attack/Grapple: 0/-
Attack: unarmed (1d3 subdual only)
Full Attack: 1 unarmed (1d3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Incorporeal, Zealous Mindset, Sol's Blessings, Madman's Reasoning, Malevolence
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +6
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 18, Cha 20
Skills: Knowledge (religion) +20, Spot +8, Listen +8, Craft (Sculpting) 8, Craft (Clockwork) 8
Feats: Skill focus: Knowledge (religion)
Environment: Any [extinct]
Organization: solitary, mission (3-10), Crusade, (10-50) or Tower (100-1000)
Challenge Rating: 2 (15 if accomponied by a nimbus golem (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46592))
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually lawful evil
Advancement: 2-4 HD (Small)
Level Adjustment: +2
ECL: +4 (+12 with a Golem (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46592))

Before you stands a ghostly creature, appearing as a humanoid, but with flesh that glows palely, like the sun sifted through grey clouds. The light it sheds obscures it, almost to the point that distinct facial features are undetectable. Though you could have sworn you heard two voices when you were approaching along the path, you see no one else when you enter the clearing, save for a moss covered statue. Seemingly alone, the creature continues babbling endlessly.


The origin of sun worshipers is unknown, though some believe they began their existance as a group of humans and were granted, or cursed with, their bizzare form as a result of their zealous faith. No one has seen a sun worshiper in some time, though some well-worn tomes record an ancient, diasterous crusade against all the "unbelievers." At this point, the only known legacy of these bizzare creatures are the golems (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46592)they created to supplement their weak physical forms.

When societies of Sunworshipers existed, their closest paralell was that of the Ilithids. sunworshiper population centers had at their heart great glass towers in which each sunworshiper lived, with every individual assigned a height according to rank and station. At the base of this tower toiled a slave class made up of whatever creatures the sun worshipers could capture or brainwash. These benighted mortals lived and died at the whim of the sun worshipers, kept in line by a combination of religious indoctrination and the unmerciful fists of Sun Tyrants (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46592).

The Sunworshiper's religion told them that they were the elect of god, and that it was a privledge for a mere mortal to even gaze upon them. They were the natural masters of the world, just as the sun was the natural master of the heavens. This led the sun worshipers into a near constant state of war with neighboring people's and kingdoms. Though rarely directly violent towards another sun worshiper, as demanded by ths strict code of their faith, internecine conflict often saw schisms that led to the creation of new outposts as well as the occasionaly bloody proxy war.

Though capable of gaining class levels, the inordinate amount of time spent in relgious debate and study usually precludes the kind of effort necessary to gain the benefits of a class. On the rare occasions a Sunworshiper is able to do so, they usually follow the path of sorcerors, even though they will credit their powers to the sun, rather than the arcane, and behave as though they were clerics.

When forced to leave their home tower, whether in need of some rare material, to scout, to preach, or having been forced out in one of their culture's unceasing internal power struggles, the sun worshiper is always accomponied by a Nimbus Golem (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46592). At the outset that nimbus golem is given a control word which allows the sunworshiper to control it as though it was the golem's creator. After a particularly brutal slave uprising some years ago, this design of the sun golems (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46592)was modified so that before any new commands were accepted the golem would "test" its supposed new controler after the control word was spoken.

Single sunworshipers are usually accomponied by a single such golem (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46592), while a tower will usually have one golem (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46592) for every 3 denizens. Before a crusade or a mission the sunworshipers will usually begin a heavy construction program, and those groups usually have 1.5-3 golems (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46592) per sun worshiper.

Though loathe to do so, a sunworshiper will occasionally trade with a non-believer or interact with them without attempting to convert or kill them. Such interactions are rare, usually the result of true desperation on the part of the sun worshiper and frequently unsuccessful owing to the sunworshipers arrogance. Though promises made are usually kept to the letter, dealing with a sunworshiper is at least as as dangerous dealing with a devil, and twice as annoying.

Zealous Mindset
A sun worshiper is so convinced of its understanding and positions that even magical compulsions are insufficient to change its mind. As a result sun worshipers are immune to attitude shifts as a result of diplomacy. They also gain a +20 to resist intimidate checks and automatically make any save against mind effecting spells. However, any sense motive check made against them has its DC reduced by 15. Lastly, the time spent in study grants the sun worshipers a +10 racial bonus to knowledge religion checks.

Sol's Blessings
Any spell that would do extra damage to creatures sensitive to light instead heals the sun worshiper. A sun worshiper is also immune to blindness and cannot be dazzled by any spell or effect that depends on light or color. The sunworshiper constantly glows as a torch. When in areas of bright or magical sunlight, the Sunworshiper gains a +1 moral bonus to all rolls.

However a sunworshiper also cannot enter areas of magical darkness. If magical darkness is cast ontop of the sunworshiper it is immediatly teleported to the a point beside the area of effect. This also prevents the sunworshiper from passing through objects, despite the fact that it is incorporeal, unless at least part of its body is exposed. When in an area that lacks celestial or magical illumination (i.e. a torchlit dungeon, an overcast night), Sunworshipers take a -1 moral penalty to all rolls. Their own illumination does not prevent this effect.

Madman's Reasoning
The sunworshiper is almost constantly speaking: extolling the value of its faith or debating with its companions. When it encounters those that do not share its faith it is compelled to try and convince them of error of their ways. However, the thought processes it uses is so alien to a normal creature that it is actually more hypnotizing than persuasive. Any creature, other than another Sunworshiper, that is within earshot of the sunworshiper and that capable of understanding its speech must make a DC 13 will save each round or be fascinated for that round. Once this save is made the target become immune to this ability for 1 day. This save is Intelligence based.

On any round a character may make an opposed knowledge (religion) check to engage the Sunworshiper in debate. If successful, no creature other than that making the check is affected by madman's reasoning. By engaging the creature, however, the DC to resist madman's reasoning is increased by 5 plus or minus the difference between the character's knowledge roll and that of the Sunworshiper.

Blessed Malevolence
Further supporting the idea that these creatures were once normal humanoids, they remain somewhat attached to this plane. Unlike normal incorporeal creatures Sunworshipers are able, almost through sheer stubborness, to interact with the physical world as though they had a strength score of 1.

Additionally, Once per day a Sunworshiper may occupy the body of a corporeal creature as a ghost using the malevolence (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/ghost.htm) ability. When posessed the corporeal creatures eyes glow with light, as an opened hooded lantern, as does any exposed flesh. This ability lasts for a maximum of one day, after which both the target and sunworshiper are considered exausted. Only a creature fascinated by madman's reasoning may be a target of this effect.



The Sunspire

The great glass tower that forms the center of any Sunworshiper colony is not actually constructed, but grown from a crytalline seed. The towers range from 30 to 70 stories, with each level approximately 30ft sqare and 15ft high. Every sunspire is topped with a perfect Sphere of variageated glass50ft in diameter, by taking a small piece of this sphere and treating it alchemically a new tower can be grown in 1d10 months. For some reason, the presence of one tower inhibits the growth of another requiring at least 20 miles distance between them.

Though completely transparent and only a few inches wide, the external walls of the sunspire are extremely tough, equivalent in hardness to a wall of iron 5 times as thick. the panes of glass that seperate one floor from another are far more fragile, able to support a maximum of 100 pounds of weight withing each five foot square, making it difficult for non-Sun worshipers to use them. Compounding this difficulty, sunspires do not have stairs or external doors, requiring some form of flight and incorporiality to move between levels as well as enter or exit.

Sunspires absorb light during the day and channel it during the night. Everything within 100ft of the spire is considered within the effects of a daylight spell at all times as though cast by a 25th level cleric. Within that radius any attempt to cast a magical darkness spell fizzles. Twice per day, at dawn and sunset, the interior of the tower shudders with light, causing any non-sunworshiper inside to be affected as though by a Sunburst spell cast by a 16th level cleric.

Doi
2007-06-28, 11:58 PM
MitP Vote Yes

Krimm_Blackleaf
2007-06-29, 12:10 AM
I think as incorporeal creatures they shouldn't have a strength score at all. Otherwise, MitP vote: Yes

Matthew
2007-06-29, 12:32 AM
Okay, just some mechanical commentry first:

Armour

10 + 5 = 15

Attack

BAB 0 + Strength 1 (-5) = -5, but as Krimm rightly points out you should be using Dexterity, as Incorporeal Creatures conventionally have no Strength Score and cannot make Grapple Attacks or be Grappled.

Saves:

Will 2(6)

Skills:

[4 x (2 + 3)] = 20

Knowledge (Religion) 4(20) [A Racial +10 Bonus needs to be noted if it exists]
Spot 4(8)
Listen 3(7)
Craft (Sculpting) 3(7)
Craft (Alchemy) 3(7)

I'm thinking these last three Skills should all be 4(8)

Otherwise, interesting stuff and a good read.

Poppatomus
2007-06-29, 06:37 AM
Thanks as always Matthew. Changes made (can't believe that i put down 16 for armor. that's just embarassing.) Glad you liked the way it read.

Anxe
2007-06-30, 09:26 AM
So does it have racial HD or just a level in warrior? And how does it make these golems and towers without having a significant corporeal body? And why is it an aberration? One more suggestion would be to add something in the flavor text about how they are very proud to not cast shadows at all.

Poppatomus
2007-06-30, 09:31 AM
Has a level in abberation. The towers are grown, and they use the malevolence ability to construct the first of the golems, then other golems to constuct additional golems. Its an abberation because, as I understand the type its for those creatures that are bizzare both physically and mentally, which these are. They're very, very different from humanoids beyond, in my opinion, merely being augmented versions of same.

I like the shadow Idea. I shall have to see where I can work that in. I was thinking about doing a spoiler tab going into a bit more detail on their religion, perhaps I'll put it in there.

Anxe
2007-06-30, 09:52 AM
Thanks for answering the other questions, but I still don't think aberration fits. Either Humanoid or Undead makes more sense. Depends on whether they can have kids or not. Here's the description from the MM of aberration, so we can argue better.

"An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindse, or any combination of the three."

And one funny side-note. All aberrations get Darkvision 60 ft.

Poppatomus
2007-06-30, 09:59 AM
Thanks for answering the other questions, but I still don't think aberration fits. Either Humanoid or Undead makes more sense. Depends on whether they can have kids or not. Here's the description from the MM of aberration, so we can argue better.

"An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindse, or any combination of the three."

And one funny side-note. All aberrations get Darkvision 60 ft.

See, I'm torn on it. (Though they can have kids and are not undead, despite malevolence.)

This thing does have a "bizzare anatomy" (incorporeal), strange abilities (equvalent strength score, sol's blessing), and an alien mindset. At the same time it is very much humanoid, but its not quite monstrous and it seems too magical to be simply humanoid. Are there humanoid monsters as odd as this one? (what's an ilithed?)

Anxe
2007-06-30, 10:07 AM
Hmmm. You're right, Mind flayer is an aberration. And in the description for aberration it says they can look like humans sometimes. I guess it is the best fit. You get the vote now.
Mitp: Yes

Poppatomus
2007-06-30, 10:20 AM
Thanks for the vote, and even more for the discussion.

Matthew
2007-07-06, 07:12 PM
Thanks as always Matthew. Changes made (can't believe that i put down 16 for armor. that's just embarassing.) Glad you liked the way it read.
No problem. Mistakes are easily made. Pity this didn't get many votes, it's really interesting and I like it when stuff has synergy with other creations.

MitP Vote: Yes