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Leucis
2017-05-02, 11:44 AM
Currently, I am attempting to write out the stats for an enemy that will fight against a party of 3-4 PCs, levels 2-3. They have mostly the standard gear at the moment, with a few additional items to help.

They are going to be breaking into a castle,
and essentially I have a wizard that is controlling things unintentionally as he is asleep, his power is sort of leaking everywhere and causing (what seems like) chaos.

There's a ring (it is relevant to the plot) that I partially designed that will be floating around and attacking the players. So far, all I have is that it can cast some fire spells, it will drop to the ground if it is cooled down too much by magic, will rise up again when warmed to room temperature, and it will lose all magical abilities if the stone in it is broken into two or more pieces. I want it to be somewhat challenging.

I have no idea how to begin figuring out what kind of AC it should have, if I would even give it HP, being an inatimate object, or how to choose the spells it should be able to cast or attacks. How do I go about this?

(I believe this is the correct forum to post this in, apologies if not)

Vaz
2017-05-02, 12:04 PM
Wrong forum, suggest posting in the relevant D&D edition forum.

aimlessPolymath
2017-05-02, 07:39 PM
This looks like a homebrew request to me- it might be more appropriate for a different forum, but this seems fine. My thoughts are that it would have very high AC (as a Fine object, +8 to AC in 3.P), but very low hit points. Then, in a similar fashion to, say, golems, it has a special quality:
Temperate: When a Magic Ring takes 3 or more points of cold damage before hardness in one round, it drops to the ground, paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. Taking any amount of fire damage (again, before hardness) immediately warms it again, allowing it to act.

From Pathfinder (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/rings/):
A ring has AC 13, 2 hit points, hardness 10, and a break DC of 25.

Cut the hardness to be material-appropriate, maybe, and buff up the AC to be appropriate for something with actual Dexterity.

Shooting fire can be accomplished by giving it Burning Hands at-will, a targetted fire blast similar to a lantern archon, or something.

Also, missing edition- I assumed 3.5 or Pathfinder.

Crisis21
2017-05-03, 12:05 AM
You might take a page from the Ioun Stones, considering they're also small magical items that zip around in the air. Here's some basic info I copied:

Wondrous item, rarity varies (requires attunement)

An Ioun stone is named after Ioun, a god of knowledge and prophecy revered on some worlds. Many types of Ioun stone exist, each type a distinct combination of shape and color.

When you use an action to toss one of these stones

into the air, the stone orbits your head at a distance of 1d3 feet and confers a benefit to you. Thereafter, another creature must use an action to grasp or net the stone to separate it from you, either by making a successful attack roll against AC 24 or a successful DC 24 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. You can use an action to seize and stow the stone, ending its effect.

A stone has AC 24, 10 hit points, and resistance to all damage. It is considered to be an object that is being worn while it orbits your head.

rferries
2017-05-04, 01:34 PM
Magic Ring, Animated
Size/Type: Fine Construct (Fire, Magic Item)
Hit Dice: 3d10 (17 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: Fly 30 ft. (perfect) (6 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+8 size), touch 18, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/—
Attack: -
Full Attack: -
Space/Reach: ½ ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Spells
Special Qualities: Cold susceptibility, construct traits, dormant, fire affinity, gloat, hardness 10, magic item, spells, sunder vulnerability, vulnerability to cold
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 10, Con Ø, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 14
Skills: Listen+6, Spot+6
Feats: Eschew MaterialsB, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative
Environment: Wizard's castle
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

The sleeping wizard's magic is (among other things) being channeled into this ring, imbuing it with sorcerous powers and a near-mindless pyromania. A DC 20 Knowledge (Arcana) or Spellcraft check reveals that the glowing gemstone set in the ring is the focus of the ring's power.

The magic ring does not speak.

Combat
The ring zips around almost merrily, incapacitating the nearest characters with color spray before blasting away with burning hands. It fights until victorious or destroyed but does not pursue fleeing parties. If it uses up all it's 1st-level spells it will not flee but will conjure up dancing lights and use flare on opponents almost compulsively.

Cold Susceptibility (Ex): A magical attack that deals cold damage slows a magic ring (as the slow spell) for 3 rounds, with no saving throw. This in addition to the +50% cold damage the ring receives from the fire subtype.

Dormant (Ex): If the magic ring is reduced to 0 hp by cold damage it goes dormant and becomes a nonintelligent magic ring of the DM's choice. Otherwise, it is destroyed. If a dormant ring later takes fire damage it reanimates (at full hp and with a fresh complement of spells if it has been at least 24 hours since it went dormant).

Fire Affinity (Ex): A magical attack that deals fire damage breaks any slow effect on the ring and heals 1 point of damage for each 3 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the ring to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. For example, a magic ring hit by a fireball gains back 6 hit points if the damage total is 18 points. A magic ring gets no saving throw against fire effects.

Gloat (Ex): Whenever the ring kills a character, it must use its next turn to cast dancing lights in celebration.

Hardness (Ex): The magic ring's hardness does not apply to acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic attacks.

Magic Item (Ex): A construct with this subtype has good Fort, Ref, and Will saves.

Spells
The ring casts spells as a 3rd-level sorcerer.

Typical Spells Known (6/6; save DC 12 + spell level)
0- dancing lights, flare, light, mage hand, resistance; 1st-burning hands, color spray, magic missile.

Sunder Vulnerability (Ex): The ring is set with a gemstone that glows with power, which can be sundered as if it were a carried object (AC 18, hardness 10, 5 hp). A successful sunder attempt destroys the ring instantly.

From the SRD:

Sundering a Carried or Worn Object

You don’t use an opposed attack roll to damage a carried or worn object. Instead, just make an attack roll against the object’s AC. A carried or worn object’s AC is equal to 10 + its size modifier + the Dexterity modifier of the carrying or wearing character. Attacking a carried or worn object provokes an attack of opportunity just as attacking a held object does.

rferries
2017-05-04, 01:36 PM
The ring's hardness makes it very hard to kill barring a successful check to notice the gemstone, but if the party can survive a few burning hands they'll be fine. The gloat special quality helps prevent a TPK if they don't have a source of cold damage or skill checks.

Leucis
2017-05-04, 09:02 PM
This looks like a homebrew request to me- it might be more appropriate for a different forum, but this seems fine. My thoughts are that it would have very high AC (as a Fine object, +8 to AC in 3.P), but very low hit points. Then, in a similar fashion to, say, golems, it has a special quality:
Temperate: When a Magic Ring takes 3 or more points of cold damage before hardness in one round, it drops to the ground, paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. Taking any amount of fire damage (again, before hardness) immediately warms it again, allowing it to act.

From Pathfinder:
A ring has AC 13, 2 hit points, hardness 10, and a break DC of 25.

Cut the hardness to be material-appropriate, maybe, and buff up the AC to be appropriate for something with actual Dexterity.

Shooting fire can be accomplished by giving it Burning Hands at-will, a targetted fire blast similar to a lantern archon, or something.

Also, missing edition- I assumed 3.5 or Pathfinder.

Thank you, this is very helpful. I will play around with some of the numbers, but this is a good starting base for what I need. A high AC seems reasonable, and it stopping its attacks for a die roll of rounds is a good idea. I will make sure to keep all of this in mind. :smallsmile:

As for the edition, it's mostly 5e, but being a (somewhat) homebrew there's some differences in the rules I've explained to the players. This should do for what I'm working on. I appreciate it!

Leucis
2017-05-04, 09:04 PM
You might take a page from the Ioun Stones, considering they're also small magical items that zip around in the air. Here's some basic info I copied:

Wondrous item, rarity varies (requires attunement)

An Ioun stone is named after Ioun, a god of knowledge and prophecy revered on some worlds. Many types of Ioun stone exist, each type a distinct combination of shape and color.

When you use an action to toss one of these stones

into the air, the stone orbits your head at a distance of 1d3 feet and confers a benefit to you. Thereafter, another creature must use an action to grasp or net the stone to separate it from you, either by making a successful attack roll against AC 24 or a successful DC 24 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. You can use an action to seize and stow the stone, ending its effect.

A stone has AC 24, 10 hit points, and resistance to all damage. It is considered to be an object that is being worn while it orbits your head.

I'll take a look at that, probably modify the resistance to damage part but seems pretty good otherwise. Also, the part saying the item is used to help a creature could actually contribute to some ideas I had for later in the campain, thank you

Leucis
2017-05-04, 09:19 PM
Magic Ring, Animated
Size/Type: Fine Construct (Fire, Magic Item)
Hit Dice: 3d10 (17 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: Fly 30 ft. (perfect) (6 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+8 size), touch 18, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/—
Attack: -
Full Attack: -
Space/Reach: ½ ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Spells
Special Qualities: Cold susceptibility, construct traits, dormant, fire affinity, gloat, hardness 10, magic item, spells, sunder vulnerability, vulnerability to cold
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 10, Con Ø, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 14
Skills: Listen+6, Spot+6
Feats: Eschew MaterialsB, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative
Environment: Wizard's castle
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

The sleeping wizard's magic is (among other things) being channeled into this ring, imbuing it with sorcerous powers and a near-mindless pyromania. A DC 20 Knowledge (Arcana) or Spellcraft check reveals that the glowing gemstone set in the ring is the focus of the ring's power.

The magic ring does not speak.

Combat
The ring zips around almost merrily, incapacitating the nearest characters with color spray before blasting away with burning hands. It fights until victorious or destroyed but does not pursue fleeing parties. If it uses up all it's 1st-level spells it will not flee but will conjure up dancing lights and use flare on opponents almost compulsively.

Cold Susceptibility (Ex): A magical attack that deals cold damage slows a magic ring (as the slow spell) for 3 rounds, with no saving throw. This in addition to the +50% cold damage the ring receives from the fire subtype.

Dormant (Ex): If the magic ring is reduced to 0 hp by cold damage it goes dormant and becomes a nonintelligent magic ring of the DM's choice. Otherwise, it is destroyed. If a dormant ring later takes fire damage it reanimates (at full hp and with a fresh complement of spells if it has been at least 24 hours since it went dormant).

Fire Affinity (Ex): A magical attack that deals fire damage breaks any slow effect on the ring and heals 1 point of damage for each 3 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the ring to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. For example, a magic ring hit by a fireball gains back 6 hit points if the damage total is 18 points. A magic ring gets no saving throw against fire effects.

Gloat (Ex): Whenever the ring kills a character, it must use its next turn to cast dancing lights in celebration.

Hardness (Ex): The magic ring's hardness does not apply to acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic attacks.

Magic Item (Ex): A construct with this subtype has good Fort, Ref, and Will saves.

Spells
The ring casts spells as a 3rd-level sorcerer.

Typical Spells Known (6/6; save DC 12 + spell level)
0- dancing lights, flare, light, mage hand, resistance; 1st-burning hands, color spray, magic missile.

Sunder Vulnerability (Ex): The ring is set with a gemstone that glows with power, which can be sundered as if it were a carried object (AC 18, hardness 10, 5 hp). A successful sunder attempt destroys the ring instantly.

From the SRD:

Sundering a Carried or Worn Object

You don’t use an opposed attack roll to damage a carried or worn object. Instead, just make an attack roll against the object’s AC. A carried or worn object’s AC is equal to 10 + its size modifier + the Dexterity modifier of the carrying or wearing character. Attacking a carried or worn object provokes an attack of opportunity just as attacking a held object does.

This is exactly what I needed, this is perfect. The dormant as well as the fire affinity part is a good concept, I'll use that.

My one question is with awarding the XP: should I give it after they defeat the ring and it goes dormant, then not award it if it reawakens later and they destroy it, only give them part of the XP until they destroy it, or not award any at all until it's broken (causing them to most likely them figure out it's not defeated for good)? I do know that they will not hold onto a magic item if it has a chance of badly harming them, certain for one player because of how cautiously they play this game (and have played past games) as well as the backstory of a character.

Usually I'd say they recieve XP after defeating a creature, not always killing it, but considering this is an inatimate object that they'll hold onto and almost certainly end up having raised again at some point, I'm a little unsure.

Fri
2017-05-04, 09:47 PM
Up to you. Mind that getting xp should not actually from a kill, but from challenges. That's why a level 20 character shouldn't get xp from killing a thousand goblins. But he might get xp if he's doing it as a general that command a village of commoner to defend themselves from the goblins though! Convincing a king to do peace treaty with the hostile neighbour should give the party exp, etc. So if it's me, surviving the ring for the first time would give them some xp, but beating it multiple time shouldn't, because the xp is from the challenge of figuring out how to beat the ring. and destroying it should give more xp, from the challenge of figuring how to permanently destroy it.

Ziegander
2017-05-04, 09:51 PM
Up to you. Mind that getting xp should not actually from a kill, but from challenges. That's why a level 20 character shouldn't get xp from killing a thousand goblins. But he might get xp if he's doing it as a general that command a village of commoner to defend themselves from the goblins though! Convincing a king to do peace treaty with the hostile neighbour should give the party exp, etc. So if it's me, surviving the ring for the first time would give them some xp, but beating it multiple time shouldn't, because the xp is from the challenge of figuring out how to beat the ring. and destroying it should give more xp, from the challenge of figuring how to permanently destroy it.

I agree with all of the above.

rferries
2017-05-05, 12:11 AM
Ah sorry, I shouldn't have assumed it was 3.5. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that system, but I'm glad you thought at least part of it was helpful.

XP-wise I agree with what everyone is saying. If they defeat it too easily maybe reduce the xp; if it causes them a lot of trouble give them full or extra xp. At low levels burning hands could be a TPK, hence all the weaknesses I gave it.

Leucis
2017-05-05, 11:46 AM
Up to you. Mind that getting xp should not actually from a kill, but from challenges. That's why a level 20 character shouldn't get xp from killing a thousand goblins. But he might get xp if he's doing it as a general that command a village of commoner to defend themselves from the goblins though! Convincing a king to do peace treaty with the hostile neighbour should give the party exp, etc. So if it's me, surviving the ring for the first time would give them some xp, but beating it multiple time shouldn't, because the xp is from the challenge of figuring out how to beat the ring. and destroying it should give more xp, from the challenge of figuring how to permanently destroy it.

I see, that makes sense, since as they become a higher level, the ring would become insignificant with its attacks against the party. Thanks!

Leucis
2017-05-05, 11:50 AM
Ah sorry, I shouldn't have assumed it was 3.5. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that system, but I'm glad you thought at least part of it was helpful.

XP-wise I agree with what everyone is saying. If they defeat it too easily maybe reduce the xp; if it causes them a lot of trouble give them full or extra xp. At low levels burning hands could be a TPK, hence all the weaknesses I gave it.

No worries, it's easily adaptable for what is needed. I did like all of the weaknesses and strengths given for it, makes it more interesting to fight.