Pronounceable
2007-09-13, 08:08 PM
Here's a critter I made long time ago. I had just passed quantum physics class, and I just HAD to do something RPG related. Here's the result, and no it's not about the damn cat.
Schroedinger's Golem - Large Sized Construct
HD: 5d10+20 (47)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (-1 size, +1 dex, +5 natural)
BAB/Grppl: +3/+4
Attack: Slam +4 melee (1d8+6)
Full Attack: 2 Slams +3 melee (1d8+6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10ft.
Abilities: Str 12 Dex 12 Con - Int - Wis 10 Cha 1
Special Attacks: Engulf, Resonance, Unmagical
Special Qualities: Uncertainity, Energy Quantization, Construct traits
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +0
Skills: -
Feats: -
Envrionment: Any
Organization: Single
Challenge Rating: Who knows?
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Netural
Advancement: See text
This strange construct has been created by a cabal of wizard-engineers looking into the secrets of the multiverse. They discovered that at an unimaginably small scale, the laws governing the multiverse were radically different than those observed by everyday senses. They wanted to create something that obeys the aforementioned different laws but was at an observable scale. They were destroyed along with all the secrets they had uncovered when they tried.
The only thing that was left was this ooze-like, amorphous spinning blob of semi-transparent shadow that becomes gradually transparent away from its center and disappears at its edges.
The Schroedinger's golem is a construct that has been created magically to mimic the properties of quantum systems. It is essentialy a huge amount of energy contained within its visible borders. The use of magic to create something so distinctly unmagical has caused a paradox that destroyed the wizard-engineers and created this antimagical construct. Or so it is said...
Engulf(Ex): A Schroedinger's golem can simply mow down one or more sizes smaller creatures than it as a standard action. It cannot make a slam attack during a round in which it engulfs. Schroedinger's golem merely has to move over the opponents, affecting as many as it can cover. Opponents can make opportunity attacks against the golem, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a DC 11 Reflex save or be engulfed; on a success, they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the blob moves forward. Engulfed creatures are subject to the golem’s Unmagical and Resonance ability and are considered to be grappled and trapped within its body.
Resonance(Ex): When the Schroedinger's Golem touches to any object, there's a %5 chance that it disrupts the fabric of the item, causing disintegration as per the spell. A creature can resist the effect with a DC 20+golem’s HD fortitude save. It can't disintegrate anything two or more categories larger than itself. Unattended magical object doesn't get a save if they are engulfed.
Unmagical(Ex): The golem is aggravated by magic for some reason, and magic crumbles with its presence. A mere touch of the blob is enough to destroy any spell effect. Any active spells on objects, or even lasting magical effects (such as darkness, entangle, solid fog, wall of force, even antimagic field and summons) are dispelled with its touch. Any time the golem strikes a creature (even an object such as mage locked door), one spell on the object is dispelled. If a creature is engulfed, it can't cast spells or use its magical abilities.
All magical items engulfed by the golem for more than 3 rounds are subject to disjunction. Starting with 4th round, a magical item must make a DC 20+golem’s HD will save every round or lose all its magical properties.
The golem always moves toward nearest source of magic (an item, a spellcaster, a lasting magical effect or a magical creature) without any regard to its surroundings and try to engulf,or at least touch it. If it's an area effect it will stay in until the magic is gone. It will attempt to move through anything in its path. It can detect magic from a mile away. If it can’t detect any magic, or can’t get to detected magic, it will stay still.
Also, targeting the golem with any spell is impossible. Any targeted spell cast on it automatically fails, except for cure/inflict spells. Area effect spells will not affect the volume it occupies.
Uncertainity(Ex): The true size or shape of a Schroedinger's Golem can never be determined. Any grapple check against it will fail, although it can pin engulfed creatures but can’t deal grapple damage. It always has concealment, all attacks have %20 chance to miss. It appears as an amorphous blob, even to spells such as True Seeing. Any divination spells concerning it automatically fails.
Energy Quantization(Ex): The Schroedinger's golem can only have fixed amounts of physical interaction or energy transfer (read: taking and dealing damage) with other systems (means other things). The smallest amount of physical interaction possible for the golem is called a 'quanta'. The golem can only deal and take damage equal to the multiples of its quanta, other values are impossible. The golem's quanta is equal to its HD (5 for the stats above). Whenever the damage (taken or dealt) is not 'quantized', it doesn't happen.
Every time the golem takes or deals damage, its HD changes. It loses HD when it deals damage, and gains HD when it takes damage (every d10 is rolled). The change is equal to the 'quantum number' of the of the transfer (the multiple of 'quanta'). Different damage types are handled seperately.
Example: The golem at the statblock (5HD) deals 10 damage to Bob the Fighter. Since its 'quanta' is 5, the 'quantum number' of the attack is 2. So the golem loses 2 HD and becomes a 3 HD golem with 3 quanta. Then Bob deals 12 damage to it. Bob's sword also does fire damage, but Bob rolls 2, fire damage is ignored. The attack’s quantum number is 4, golem gains 4 HD and becomes a 7 HD golem. Then golem hits and deals 8 damage, but it's not 'quantized', so Bob won't take damage...
For every odd numbered HD after 1 (3rd, 5th...), the golem gains +1 to Str and Dex. For every HD, the golem gains +1 natural AC and melee damage. For every 10 HD, the golem gains +10 to its base speed. For every 15 HD, its size category and base melee damage increases. Its base attack also changes as a construct every time its HD changes.
Because of its intimate relation to energy, positive or negative energy is completely absorbed by the golem. The golem gains 1 HD per point of energy from such attacks. (an Inflict spell dealing 13 damage would increase its HD by 13)
The golem becomes unstable at high energy levels. For every HD after 15, it has a %(HD-15) chance to implode with every energy transfer (dealing/taking damage). When it implodes everything within a radius equal to 10 feet per HD is takes ten times its HD damage, ignoring any DR. There's a very slim chance (one in a million) that the destruction of Schroedinger's golem in this way triggers an avalanche effect. Resulting shockwave can destroy everything within miles.
If ever the golem is reduced to 1 HD, it dissipates.
This is probably the fluffiest DnD thing I've ever done. I am also aware that it's extra crunchy. It contains way too much math for a simple DnD critter. Running an encounter with this would be nightmarish. AND it's a dumbed down version of my original idea. But can you expect less from a critter inspired by a semester of quantum physics?
PS: Any comments from a fellow physicist would be extra welcome. Any suggestions to make it play friendlier without getting too far from quantum physical concepts will be met with points (or even cookies).
Schroedinger's Golem - Large Sized Construct
HD: 5d10+20 (47)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (-1 size, +1 dex, +5 natural)
BAB/Grppl: +3/+4
Attack: Slam +4 melee (1d8+6)
Full Attack: 2 Slams +3 melee (1d8+6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10ft.
Abilities: Str 12 Dex 12 Con - Int - Wis 10 Cha 1
Special Attacks: Engulf, Resonance, Unmagical
Special Qualities: Uncertainity, Energy Quantization, Construct traits
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +0
Skills: -
Feats: -
Envrionment: Any
Organization: Single
Challenge Rating: Who knows?
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Netural
Advancement: See text
This strange construct has been created by a cabal of wizard-engineers looking into the secrets of the multiverse. They discovered that at an unimaginably small scale, the laws governing the multiverse were radically different than those observed by everyday senses. They wanted to create something that obeys the aforementioned different laws but was at an observable scale. They were destroyed along with all the secrets they had uncovered when they tried.
The only thing that was left was this ooze-like, amorphous spinning blob of semi-transparent shadow that becomes gradually transparent away from its center and disappears at its edges.
The Schroedinger's golem is a construct that has been created magically to mimic the properties of quantum systems. It is essentialy a huge amount of energy contained within its visible borders. The use of magic to create something so distinctly unmagical has caused a paradox that destroyed the wizard-engineers and created this antimagical construct. Or so it is said...
Engulf(Ex): A Schroedinger's golem can simply mow down one or more sizes smaller creatures than it as a standard action. It cannot make a slam attack during a round in which it engulfs. Schroedinger's golem merely has to move over the opponents, affecting as many as it can cover. Opponents can make opportunity attacks against the golem, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a DC 11 Reflex save or be engulfed; on a success, they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the blob moves forward. Engulfed creatures are subject to the golem’s Unmagical and Resonance ability and are considered to be grappled and trapped within its body.
Resonance(Ex): When the Schroedinger's Golem touches to any object, there's a %5 chance that it disrupts the fabric of the item, causing disintegration as per the spell. A creature can resist the effect with a DC 20+golem’s HD fortitude save. It can't disintegrate anything two or more categories larger than itself. Unattended magical object doesn't get a save if they are engulfed.
Unmagical(Ex): The golem is aggravated by magic for some reason, and magic crumbles with its presence. A mere touch of the blob is enough to destroy any spell effect. Any active spells on objects, or even lasting magical effects (such as darkness, entangle, solid fog, wall of force, even antimagic field and summons) are dispelled with its touch. Any time the golem strikes a creature (even an object such as mage locked door), one spell on the object is dispelled. If a creature is engulfed, it can't cast spells or use its magical abilities.
All magical items engulfed by the golem for more than 3 rounds are subject to disjunction. Starting with 4th round, a magical item must make a DC 20+golem’s HD will save every round or lose all its magical properties.
The golem always moves toward nearest source of magic (an item, a spellcaster, a lasting magical effect or a magical creature) without any regard to its surroundings and try to engulf,or at least touch it. If it's an area effect it will stay in until the magic is gone. It will attempt to move through anything in its path. It can detect magic from a mile away. If it can’t detect any magic, or can’t get to detected magic, it will stay still.
Also, targeting the golem with any spell is impossible. Any targeted spell cast on it automatically fails, except for cure/inflict spells. Area effect spells will not affect the volume it occupies.
Uncertainity(Ex): The true size or shape of a Schroedinger's Golem can never be determined. Any grapple check against it will fail, although it can pin engulfed creatures but can’t deal grapple damage. It always has concealment, all attacks have %20 chance to miss. It appears as an amorphous blob, even to spells such as True Seeing. Any divination spells concerning it automatically fails.
Energy Quantization(Ex): The Schroedinger's golem can only have fixed amounts of physical interaction or energy transfer (read: taking and dealing damage) with other systems (means other things). The smallest amount of physical interaction possible for the golem is called a 'quanta'. The golem can only deal and take damage equal to the multiples of its quanta, other values are impossible. The golem's quanta is equal to its HD (5 for the stats above). Whenever the damage (taken or dealt) is not 'quantized', it doesn't happen.
Every time the golem takes or deals damage, its HD changes. It loses HD when it deals damage, and gains HD when it takes damage (every d10 is rolled). The change is equal to the 'quantum number' of the of the transfer (the multiple of 'quanta'). Different damage types are handled seperately.
Example: The golem at the statblock (5HD) deals 10 damage to Bob the Fighter. Since its 'quanta' is 5, the 'quantum number' of the attack is 2. So the golem loses 2 HD and becomes a 3 HD golem with 3 quanta. Then Bob deals 12 damage to it. Bob's sword also does fire damage, but Bob rolls 2, fire damage is ignored. The attack’s quantum number is 4, golem gains 4 HD and becomes a 7 HD golem. Then golem hits and deals 8 damage, but it's not 'quantized', so Bob won't take damage...
For every odd numbered HD after 1 (3rd, 5th...), the golem gains +1 to Str and Dex. For every HD, the golem gains +1 natural AC and melee damage. For every 10 HD, the golem gains +10 to its base speed. For every 15 HD, its size category and base melee damage increases. Its base attack also changes as a construct every time its HD changes.
Because of its intimate relation to energy, positive or negative energy is completely absorbed by the golem. The golem gains 1 HD per point of energy from such attacks. (an Inflict spell dealing 13 damage would increase its HD by 13)
The golem becomes unstable at high energy levels. For every HD after 15, it has a %(HD-15) chance to implode with every energy transfer (dealing/taking damage). When it implodes everything within a radius equal to 10 feet per HD is takes ten times its HD damage, ignoring any DR. There's a very slim chance (one in a million) that the destruction of Schroedinger's golem in this way triggers an avalanche effect. Resulting shockwave can destroy everything within miles.
If ever the golem is reduced to 1 HD, it dissipates.
This is probably the fluffiest DnD thing I've ever done. I am also aware that it's extra crunchy. It contains way too much math for a simple DnD critter. Running an encounter with this would be nightmarish. AND it's a dumbed down version of my original idea. But can you expect less from a critter inspired by a semester of quantum physics?
PS: Any comments from a fellow physicist would be extra welcome. Any suggestions to make it play friendlier without getting too far from quantum physical concepts will be met with points (or even cookies).