PhoenixPhyre
2017-06-11, 07:58 PM
In an upcoming game, creatures of the Far Realms-equivalent of my setting will be invading the material plane. The first invaders are parasitic thought-forms called Sin Seeds. They have no form themselves but live and reproduce by infecting living creatures.
Homebrewery link: http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/Hk7CnWEAde (only pages 2 and 3).
These templates are designed to be a significant (1-3 CR) boost to the capabilities of even normal monsters or NPCs. They are not designed for player characters--the end result of Sin Seed infection is a horrible death. Many of the abilities were pulled or inspired by the Unearthed Arcana Mystic (version 3) found at this PDF link. (https://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/UAMystic3.pdf) At this point the templates are unbalanced--I plan to apply it to sample creatures and test (and report) on the CR change trends.
These templates apply to creatures with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher. Constructs and undead cannot gain any of these templates. Each sub-template has an associated ability score; this score must be greater than 12 to apply that template.
All the sin seed forms share some similarities. These similarities are listed below and apply to any creature affected by any of the specific templates.
- Madman's Endurance Sin Seeds can shrug off injuries that would be fatal to normal creatures of their type. When applying this template, add one HP for every hit dice the creature has.
- Saving Throw DC Each Sin Seed type has an associated ability score. Use this modifier when calculating the saving throw DC for abilities granted by the template: DC = 8 + Proficiency + Associated Modifier
- Associated Ability: Strength
- Wrathful Strikes: The Irat's melee weapon attacks deal an additional amount of psychic damage equal to twice its Strength modifier.
- Furious Aura: The Irat and any ally that starts their turn within 10 feet of the Irat gain a 5-foot increase to walking speed during that turn.
- Incite Fury: As a bonus action, the Irat chooses up to three allies it can see within 60 feet of you. Until its concentration ends (or after 1 minute), each target can roll a d4 when rolling damage for a melee weapon attack and add the number rolled to the damage roll.
- Mindless Charge: As a bonus action, the Irat chooses up to three creatures it can see within 60 feet of you. Each target can immediately use its reaction to move up to its speed in a straight line toward its nearest enemy.
- Associated Ability: Dexterity
- Aura of Sloth: All creatures that start their turn within 20 feet of the Acediat must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save they take psychic damage equal to the Acediat's Dexterity modifier if they move on their turn or take an action other than the Dodge action. On a successful save, the target treats the aura as difficult terrain.
- Slothful Step: The Acediat loses all normal movement speeds but gains the ability to teleport up to 20 feet per turn instead. This teleportation does not cost an action but cannot take the creature to any place it cannot see.
- Slothful Transposition: Instead of using Slothful Step, the Acediat can choose one ally it can see within 60 feet of it. As a bonus action those creatures switch places.
- Associated Ability: Constitution
- Fleshy Layers: The Gulat gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. If it already had resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, it gains immunity instead.
- Consuming Strike: The Gulat's melee hits also force the target to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save the target's hit point maximum is decreased by a number equal to the Gulat's Constitution modifier and the Gulat regains that same number of hit points. This maximum hit point reduction lasts until the target completes a long rest. If the target is reduced to 0 maximum hit points by this ability, it dies and the Gulat regains full health.
- Associated Ability: Wisdom
- Sorrowing Gaze: As an action, the Tristiat forces one creature it can see within 60 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 1d8 psychic damage for each point of the Tristiat's Wisdom modifier, and it can't take reactions until the start of its next turn. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage.
- Dolor: As an action, the Tristiat forces one creature it can see within 60 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save it is incapacitated and has a speed of 0 until the Tristiat's concentration ends (max 1 minute). The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
- Aura of Despair: All creatures that start their turn within 60 feet of the Tristiat have disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws and ability checks for that turn. This does not affect the Tristiat.
- Associated Ability: Intelligence
- Intellectual Disdain: The Superbiat gains immunity to charm and fear.
- Psychic Power: The Superbiat gains the psi points and psi limit of a Mystic (version 3) of level equal to its CR (minimum 1).
- Psychic Disiplines: The Superbiat gains the following psychic disciplines and talents: Mind Thrust (talent), Mantle of Awe, Intellect Fortress.
- Associated Ability: Charisma
- Distracting Beckon: As an action, the Luxuriat chooses one target it can see within 60 feet. The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or have disadvantage on saving throws, ability checks, and attack rolls until the end of the Luxuriat's next turn.
- Beguiling Eye: As an action, the Luxuriat chooses one creature it can see within 60 feet. The target must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 1d6 psychic damage per point of the Luxuriat's Charisma modifier and cannot move further away from the Luxuriat until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage.
- Alluring Word: As an action, the Luxuriat chooses up to six creatures within 60 feet of it. Each target must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, a target takes 2d6 psychic damage per point of the Luxuriat's Charisma modifier and is charmed until your concentration ends. On a successful save, a target takes half as much damage. While charmed by this effect, a target cannot move further from the Luxuriat and must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw if it targets the Luxuriat with any harmful effect or attack, shifting the target to one of its allies within range on a failure (wasting the action if there are no valid targets). If a charmed target takes damage from the Luxuriat or any of its allies it can immediately reattempt the saving throw, ending the effect on a success. This ability cannot be used again until after a long rest.
Homebrewery link: http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/Hk7CnWEAde (only pages 2 and 3).
These templates are designed to be a significant (1-3 CR) boost to the capabilities of even normal monsters or NPCs. They are not designed for player characters--the end result of Sin Seed infection is a horrible death. Many of the abilities were pulled or inspired by the Unearthed Arcana Mystic (version 3) found at this PDF link. (https://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/UAMystic3.pdf) At this point the templates are unbalanced--I plan to apply it to sample creatures and test (and report) on the CR change trends.
These templates apply to creatures with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher. Constructs and undead cannot gain any of these templates. Each sub-template has an associated ability score; this score must be greater than 12 to apply that template.
All the sin seed forms share some similarities. These similarities are listed below and apply to any creature affected by any of the specific templates.
- Madman's Endurance Sin Seeds can shrug off injuries that would be fatal to normal creatures of their type. When applying this template, add one HP for every hit dice the creature has.
- Saving Throw DC Each Sin Seed type has an associated ability score. Use this modifier when calculating the saving throw DC for abilities granted by the template: DC = 8 + Proficiency + Associated Modifier
- Associated Ability: Strength
- Wrathful Strikes: The Irat's melee weapon attacks deal an additional amount of psychic damage equal to twice its Strength modifier.
- Furious Aura: The Irat and any ally that starts their turn within 10 feet of the Irat gain a 5-foot increase to walking speed during that turn.
- Incite Fury: As a bonus action, the Irat chooses up to three allies it can see within 60 feet of you. Until its concentration ends (or after 1 minute), each target can roll a d4 when rolling damage for a melee weapon attack and add the number rolled to the damage roll.
- Mindless Charge: As a bonus action, the Irat chooses up to three creatures it can see within 60 feet of you. Each target can immediately use its reaction to move up to its speed in a straight line toward its nearest enemy.
- Associated Ability: Dexterity
- Aura of Sloth: All creatures that start their turn within 20 feet of the Acediat must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save they take psychic damage equal to the Acediat's Dexterity modifier if they move on their turn or take an action other than the Dodge action. On a successful save, the target treats the aura as difficult terrain.
- Slothful Step: The Acediat loses all normal movement speeds but gains the ability to teleport up to 20 feet per turn instead. This teleportation does not cost an action but cannot take the creature to any place it cannot see.
- Slothful Transposition: Instead of using Slothful Step, the Acediat can choose one ally it can see within 60 feet of it. As a bonus action those creatures switch places.
- Associated Ability: Constitution
- Fleshy Layers: The Gulat gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. If it already had resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, it gains immunity instead.
- Consuming Strike: The Gulat's melee hits also force the target to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save the target's hit point maximum is decreased by a number equal to the Gulat's Constitution modifier and the Gulat regains that same number of hit points. This maximum hit point reduction lasts until the target completes a long rest. If the target is reduced to 0 maximum hit points by this ability, it dies and the Gulat regains full health.
- Associated Ability: Wisdom
- Sorrowing Gaze: As an action, the Tristiat forces one creature it can see within 60 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 1d8 psychic damage for each point of the Tristiat's Wisdom modifier, and it can't take reactions until the start of its next turn. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage.
- Dolor: As an action, the Tristiat forces one creature it can see within 60 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save it is incapacitated and has a speed of 0 until the Tristiat's concentration ends (max 1 minute). The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
- Aura of Despair: All creatures that start their turn within 60 feet of the Tristiat have disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws and ability checks for that turn. This does not affect the Tristiat.
- Associated Ability: Intelligence
- Intellectual Disdain: The Superbiat gains immunity to charm and fear.
- Psychic Power: The Superbiat gains the psi points and psi limit of a Mystic (version 3) of level equal to its CR (minimum 1).
- Psychic Disiplines: The Superbiat gains the following psychic disciplines and talents: Mind Thrust (talent), Mantle of Awe, Intellect Fortress.
- Associated Ability: Charisma
- Distracting Beckon: As an action, the Luxuriat chooses one target it can see within 60 feet. The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or have disadvantage on saving throws, ability checks, and attack rolls until the end of the Luxuriat's next turn.
- Beguiling Eye: As an action, the Luxuriat chooses one creature it can see within 60 feet. The target must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 1d6 psychic damage per point of the Luxuriat's Charisma modifier and cannot move further away from the Luxuriat until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage.
- Alluring Word: As an action, the Luxuriat chooses up to six creatures within 60 feet of it. Each target must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, a target takes 2d6 psychic damage per point of the Luxuriat's Charisma modifier and is charmed until your concentration ends. On a successful save, a target takes half as much damage. While charmed by this effect, a target cannot move further from the Luxuriat and must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw if it targets the Luxuriat with any harmful effect or attack, shifting the target to one of its allies within range on a failure (wasting the action if there are no valid targets). If a charmed target takes damage from the Luxuriat or any of its allies it can immediately reattempt the saving throw, ending the effect on a success. This ability cannot be used again until after a long rest.