Gigantic Eldritch Tree?

[Schattenbach]

I'm currently looking for some help in the form of advice and interesting suggestions for a gigantic (Colossal or Colossal+ sized) god-like eldritch tree that's ruling over a fey and magical beast-themed demiplane (and has at least some degree of control over it, I guess, be it through spawned creatures/subordinates/offshots or some special powers) with up to 70 or so HD (so decently powerful). Elder Treant doesn't seem all that suiteable here. To get plenty of the things to make it interesting and thematic fitting, I'm considering slapping the epic pseudonatural creature Template (with adjusted Alternate Form of some particulary otherworldly blood/lifeforce/soul/existence sucking tree roots or whatever) on some suiteable creature (could be some awakened-like colossal plant with the pseudonatural creature template slapped on top of it, though I'm not so sure how much HP or what class skills that plant should get in this case). The creature is obviously epic and should be a sufficiently lethal challenge for epic parties (they are going to confront it a few times, I guess, though the first few times they#re likely unable to do much to it ... ) of up to 60th level (slightly hard without giving it some minions/offshots, though).

As the setting itself is a test about what can be done with D20 modern/D20 future/Pathfinder/DnD3.5 and such OGL material (while using the other DnD3.5 & D20 modern/future/etc. material as minor RAI-specific reference as far as ruling stuff and potential custom stuff is concerned), the options that have to be taken into consideration are limited to just that.

Somehow getting room for spellcasting (high enough to get access to epic spellcasting and other stuff) seems strictly necessary here, be it Druid or Cleric or Arcane spellcasting.

With HDx5 Spell Resistance, there doesn't seem much to worry about plenty of nasty stuff, including easily getting fried by some nasty epic spells, I guess. Trying to grapple anything at these levels is pretty worthless, I guess, so those 17 or so additional tentacle rake attacks are only there to improve its melee attack capabilities (for whatever they're worth it). I could give it some Divine Rank (up to Divine Rank 10), too, to make it easier giving it troublesome capabilities, though I'm not so sure about how that might work out and if that's really necessary.

Thanks for the help.

[Bronk]

You could start with an awakened 'Fey Cherry Tree', a colossal tree from Dragon 357. That would be be a good thematic match!

[Pronounceable]

Emmantiensien is the obscure yet official fey god of treants, so you can slap a bunch of divine ranks on a colossal treant and give him an army of treant/dryad worshippers with cleric/druid levels and call him George.

[Schattenbach]

Thanks for the input thus far.


You could start with an awakened 'Fey Cherry Tree', a colossal tree from Dragon 357. That would be be a good thematic match!

I've looked it up and it looks quite nice. I don't think that it falls under OGL, though? Not that it would be hard to create something that's also (besides all those powerful mythological and fictional trees around ... its interesting to note that asian mythology and things that are based on that might be better sources here than typical western ones) on that, though.

Hm ... I wonder what how many HD and what stats (prior to being sentient or whatever) would be suitable for colossal or colossal+ trees here (although colossal+ would just be - as far as stats are concerned - a sized up version of colossal, anyway).


Emmantiensien is the obscure yet official fey god of treants, so you can slap a bunch of divine ranks on a colossal treant and give him an army of treant/dryad worshippers with cleric/druid levels and call him George.

I don't feel like using regular DnD 3.5 deities for this, though. Regular Treants are somewhat boring (and silly looking at that, what with being more along the line of "tree men" than "trees" ... while they have quite a bit of that fantasy-like fey charme right there, even mean/twisd versions are somewhat lacking as far as eldritch trees go ... and for divine trees, they might be a bit too lacking in terms of grace here), too, but I guess they might do in a pinch/if there's no better option. Somehow giving the tree the option (be it through epic magic or whatever ... an its not like Artifacts are under any particulary harsh limits in what they can do and there's also stuff like Shift Form to fall back on) to take on characteristics of Treants (to make combat easier) might have some advantages, though. Treants and Dryad as worshipper/servants/etc. might get the job done (there aren't plenty more options here for that, anyway).

[Bronk]

I've looked it up and it looks quite nice. I don't think that it falls under OGL, though? Not that it would be hard to create something that's also (besides all those powerful mythological and fictional trees around ... its interesting to note that asian mythology and things that are based on that might be better sources here than typical western ones) on that, though.

Hm ... I wonder what how many HD and what stats (prior to being sentient or whatever) would be suitable for colossal or colossal+ trees here (although colossal+ would just be - as far as stats are concerned - a sized up version of colossal, anyway).

Well, I think for OGL you'd be limited to treants, elder treants, or some kind of real world colossal sized awakened tree, maybe a sequoia.

Awakened tree stats are keyed to 'animated objects' of equal size, so that's a starting point.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/animatedObject.htm

There are tricks you can pull with the 'awaken' spell too, like applying metamagic to it to maximize, empower, both, or even intensify their mental stats.

Unfortunately, there aren't any rules for colossal+ creatures or objects that aren't dragons in core.

Outside of core, there are far more plants and plant creatures (like the fey cherry tree). There are also allusions to the old Spelljammer stuff... specifically in Polyhedron 151, which details elven space ships, which are giant shaped trees, and which includes a new 'Awesome' size, which is one bigger than colossal.



I don't feel like using regular DnD 3.5 deities for this, though. Regular Treants are somewhat boring (and silly looking at that, what with being more along the line of "tree men" than "trees" ... while they have quite a bit of that fantasy-like fey charme right there, even mean/twisd versions are somewhat lacking as far as eldritch trees go ... and for divine trees, they might be a bit too lacking in terms of grace here), too, but I guess they might do in a pinch/if there's no better option. Somehow giving the tree the option (be it through epic magic or whatever ... an its not like Artifacts are under any particulary harsh limits in what they can do and there's also stuff like Shift Form to fall back on) to take on characteristics of Treants (to make combat easier) might have some advantages, though. Treants and Dryad as worshipper/servants/etc. might get the job done (there aren't plenty more options here for that, anyway).

Back in AD&D, treants were more tree-like. They were basically walking trees that had to root themselves down to eat and drink. There was even a ranger variant that became more and more like a treant, gaining the ability to root and growing an extra limb arm!

[ShurikVch]

I know, it isn't OGL, but Dragon magazine #289 have Kaiju template.
It gives +40 HD, Colossal size, serious Str/Con/Cha boost, and some SAs/SQs
This template intended to make giant city-destroying monsters, but one of suggested in-campaign roles is "Kaiju as Deities"
So, take some tree*, slap Kaiju on it; if it wouldn't be enough - add in Paragon Creature (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/paragonCreature.htm) template; if it still isn't enough - take a page from "Epic Destinies in D&D 3.5" article (Dragon #363) and switch 4 of it's [epic] feats for a demi-divinity

*Tree: if you meant "Eldritch" as "non-hostile, but weird" - then Spirit Tree from Ghostwalk may be a good choice; but if "Eldritch" includes Evil - try Ancient Night Twist (Monster Manual III)

[Bronk]

Ooo, the Kaiju reminded me of the behemoth, which is OGL...

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/behemoth.htm

The examples are based on critters, true, but they're turned into giant sized intelligent 21HD outsiders.

Just take the colossal behemoth eagle, change the word eagle to tree, envision it with really big leaves, slap on a couple of divine ranks, and that could be... something!

[Schattenbach]

Thanks for the help.

Eldritch as in sufficiently otherworldy (maybe as transcendent divine tree and/or as twisted tree and/or evil tree). So it seems like there aren't much options at hand besides either using animated objects as starting point or using some of the existing trees as inspiration (or in the case of treants and such, as base creature)? Hm ...

... one option I've noticed today (though it is quite evil in and itself, I guess, but if necessary, that refluffing/altering that isn't much of an issue at that point) is the Sard (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary2/sard.html#) from Pathfinder, that is colossal, has some interesting traits and already starts out as Colossal without wasting too much HD to reach that point.

If every other sensible option fails, making things pseudo-colossal+ (i.e. to up to 1,600 feet) through Alter Size works, too, even if it both requires and somewhat wastes a Salient Divine Ability.