[3.5/PF] Creatures that take multiple turns per round?

[Wonton]

Just curious if there any creatures in 3.X that take multiple turns per round? Or, alternatively, how would you go about designing one? It doesn't have to get a *full* turn, maybe just another standard action, for example, or maybe even just several things it can do as immediate actions (that don't count towards the normal limit).

Basically, the idea was, "big scary" creatures like dragons are often not so scary because of action economy - they only get 1 turn for every 4 turns the party gets. But there's no reason it *has* to be that way. As DMs, we can do whatever we want, so why not a creature that can take multiple turns? Or a creature that gets a free attack at the end of each player's turn, for example.

Thoughts?

[HammeredWharf]

The choker (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/choker.htm) is a common choice for action economy cheese. Other than that, there are many ways to get extra actions, like the Celerity line of spells from PHB2 and White Raven Tactics from Tome of Battle.

Giving boss monsters multiple turns per round is a relatively common houserules and a variant of it is used in 5e (Legendary Actions). It's usually fine, since it's an easy way to turn big solo monsters into credible threats. However, it's something you should discuss with your players beforehand to avoid confusion.

[Zanos]

The Chronotyrn has the following special ability:

Dual Actions (Su): A chronotyryn has two distinct brains and two separate voice boxes. it can take 2 rounds' worth of actions in any given round, as if it were two creatures. Thus, it can use a full attack action and a double move; two full attack actions and two 5-foot steps; a full attack action, a move action, and a spell-like ability; two spell-like abilities and two move actions; and so on. If it is casting spells defensively, the chronotyryn must make separate concentration checks for each spell.
Quite potent, and a common shapechange target. Since you get two distinct rounds, it's also possible to free action shapechange into a chronotyrn as part of your first round, take your two rounds worth of actions, and then free action change into another more defensive form when you're done with your second pool of actions.

While not 3.5, this (http://theangrygm.com/return-of-the-son-of-the-dd-boss-fight-now-in-5e/) is a good article on the subject. Contains some language.

[eggynack]

There's a few. Nilshai from unapproachable east, thoon elder brain from MM V, the sharn from monsters of faerun, the aforementioned choker, and I'm sure I saw a magical beast hanging around somewhere, but I'm less familiar with that type. Oh, also, if you're cool with specific action varieties, the udoroot from XPH gets doubled powers, and the octopus tree has quicken spell-like ability as a feat, which is not the same but similar. And, if you want a broader variety of things possible with those actions, druids and probably other casters can take/use some of those forms for their actions, thus allowing for serious casting that gets multiplied. Of course, a standard caster can also sometimes do this sorta thing without these monsters, so you can just generally add casters to your list of multi-turn creatures.

Edit: Yep, chrontyryn was the magical beast one. Can't believe I forgot that, cause it's such a classic.

[Zanos]

While on the topic of specific action types, spell weavers from monster manual II can cast up to 6 levels worth of spells as a standard action. They cast spells as a sorcerer of their HD+2. Interestingly, the stock spellweaver is CR 10 with 10hd, and therefore 12th level sorcerer casting. Make of that what you will.

[Wonton]

I guess I phrased it poorly, I'm not necessarily looking for examples of creatures, I'm more saying what do you think would be the best way to design something like this? Something that's fair, interesting, fulfills its intended purpose (dragon/hydra/whatever gets more than 2 turns before dying), but isn't totally overpowered.

Alternatively, which of the creatures that already exist that do this do you think do it the best?

[Zanos]

The article I linked earlier has some good ideas regarding designing such encounters. Essentially, you staple two creatures together in the same space. They have the same statistics, but you essentially have two separate health pools. Killing one of the pools has no overflow, but does remove one of the creatures actions. Similarly, stunning/paralyzing/dazing and etc. only disables one of the pools of actions.

I personally recommend staggering creatures with multiple actions in the initiative. The boss getting 2-3 turns on initiative 20 is usually far too overwhelming, but the boss getting an action on 20, 10, and 0 is usually spaced out enough that the party can cope with things as they come.

[Firest Kathon]

Pathfinder has the Agile (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/mythic/mythic-monsters/mythic-simple-templates) Mythic Simple Template which grants a creature (among some other goodies) the Dual Initiative (www.d20pfsrd.com/mythic/mythic-monsters/mythic-universal-monster-rules#TOC-Dual-Initiative-Ex-) ability, a second initative count at -20.

[Quertus]

Multi-headed is a template that can give just about any monster something close.

Although spreading out its attacks may be more "balanced", leaving them clustered is more RAW - and scarier! I like the idea of, "do we really want/need to fight that?" from a boss fight.