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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Arma Perpetua Monster/Race (looking for input)



Blackjack488
2020-06-15, 11:55 PM
So, my games take place in a homebrew setting, and that often means creating things with little basis in D&D simply because they fit into my games. And the latest in a surprisingly-long line of things on that list is what I call the Arma Perpetua. They're a sort of Near-Immortal Awakened Undead deal, created by what's basically a misfired Wish, who can turn other corpses into more Arma Perpetua. In terms of gameplay, they're intended to be easy to fight (so that I can have squads or armies of them), but REALLY tough to kill. And while I originally wanted them to start off as an enemy, there is a very real possibility that the players will end up becoming these, so I made a playable race as well. And while they have a whole story built into my setting, with deep-rooted themes of dehumanization and exploitation, you can feel free to import them into whatever games you please. All you really need is a Patient Zero, and an explanation for how they got that way.

Just keep in mind that I haven't really tested out the balancing at all yet. So if anyone has any input on their design (or even better, if you test them in your home games), please don't hesitate to tell me about it! I'm always excited about input, good or bad! ^^

Without further ado, enjoy:

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The Arma Perpetua
Brought to an everlasting undeath by a unique disease-like curse, the Arma Perpetua are so-named due to originating in a nation that seeks to use them as living weapons. Entire platoons made of near-immortal undead soldiers are used, plaguing the landscape as they’re forced into whatever jobs the living find detestful. While their minds are indistinguishable from how they were in life, and their bodies appear unchanged at a glance, these similarities only hide their true nature. While they can still feel pain, their bodies can regenerate from almost any injury, making them almost impossible to kill. While they still feel hunger and exhaustion, they need neither food nor oxygen, allowing them to persist indefinitely with no sustenance at all. Their only vulnerabilities are damage to the brain or spine, and the ever-creeping onset of madness, as the human mind was not meant to live forever. Finally, perhaps their most terrifying feature is their ability to spread their curse through touch, allowing them to press-gang the corpses of their fallen enemies into service (provided the brain has not been damaged).

The Arma Perpetua are a terrifying force, and their only failing is their tendency to try and escape the service of their cruel overlords. And while their existence is kept secret, those who are in the know worry that their numbers will soon supplant the living if not properly managed. The result is a slave-race of immortal undead, trying desperately to find meaning as they labor under their masters, slowly crawling ever closer to insanity.

Medium Undead
AC: 10
HP: 8 (1d8+4)
Speed: 30ft
Stats: all 10 (+0)
Senses: passive perception 10
Languages: Common
Challenge: ⅛ (25XP)
Actions:

Club: Melee weapon attack, +2 hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 1d4 Bludgeoning damage

Traits:

Rapid Regeneration: Regain 2 hitpoints every hour.
Near-Immortal Body: When reduced to 0 hit points, roll a Constitution saving throw, with a DC of 18. On a success, the Arma Perpetua is instead reduced to 1 hit point. On a failure, they are knocked unconscious, but are considered stable and regain hitpoints as normal after one hour (as per the Rapid Regeneration trait). On a roll of natural 1, they are killed immediately. Enemies can attack an Arma Perpetua while they are unconscious, but must specifically state that they are aiming for the head, or must roll 1d10 otherwise. On a roll of 10, they successfully destroy the brain and kill the Arma Perpetua. On any other result, the attack has no effect.
Recruitment Office: Once per day, as an action, an Arma Perpetua can touch the corpse of a humanoid to transform them into another Arma Perpetua (provided the brain and spinal column are intact). The target does not gain hitpoints, but will become stable, and will regain hitpoints after one hour, as per the Rapid Regeneration trait.


Medium Undead
AC: 14 (Chain shirt)
HP: 20 (4d8+4)
Speed: 30ft
Stats: 14 STR (+2), 12 DEX (+1), 12 CON (+1), 10 INT (+0), 11 WIS (+0), 10 CHA (+0)
Skills: Perception +2
Senses: passive perception 10
Languages: Common
Challenge: 1 (200XP)
Actions:

Multiattack: The A.P. Soldier can make two melee attacks, or one ranged attack.
Shortsword: Melee weapon attack, +3 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 1d6+2 piercing damage.
Longbow: Ranged weapon attack, +3 to hit, reach 150/600, one target. Hit: 1d8+1 piercing damage.

Traits:

Rapid Regeneration: Regain 2 hitpoints every hour.
Near-Immortal Body: When reduced to 0 hit points, roll a Constitution saving throw, with a DC of 16. On a success, the Arma Perpetua is instead reduced to 1 hit point. On a failure, they are knocked unconscious, but are considered stable and regain hitpoints as normal after one hour (as per the Rapid Regeneration trait). On a roll of natural 1, they are killed immediately. Enemies can attack an Arma Perpetua while they are unconscious, but must specifically state that they are aiming for the head, or must roll 1d10 otherwise. On a roll of 10, they successfully destroy the brain and kill the Arma Perpetua. On any other result, the attack has no effect.
Recruitment Office: Once per day, as an action, an Arma Perpetua can touch the corpse of a humanoid to transform them into another Arma Perpetua (provided the brain and spinal column are intact). The target does not gain hitpoints, but will become stable, and will regain hitpoints after one hour, as per the Rapid Regeneration trait.


Medium Undead
AC: 16 (Scale mail)
HP: 60 (10d8+15)
Speed: 30ft
Stats: 16 STR (+3), 14 DEX (+2), 14 CON (+2), 12 INT (+1), 12 WIS (+1), 11 CHA (+0)
Saving Throws: Str +5, Con +4, Wis +3
Skills: Athletics +5, Perception +3
Senses: passive perception 11
Languages: Common, any 1 language
Challenge: 4 (1100XP)
Actions:

Multiattack: The A.P. Captain can make two attacks on the Attack action, which can be either ranged or melee attacks.
Longsword (one-handed): Melee weapon attack, +5 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 1d8+3 slashing damage.
Longsword (two-handed): Melee weapon attack, +5 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 1d10+3 slashing damage.
Longbow: Ranged weapon attack, +4 to hit, reach 150/600, one target. Hit: 1d8+2 piercing damage.

Traits:

Rapid Regeneration: Regain 4 hitpoints every hour.
Near-Immortal Body: When reduced to 0 hit points, roll a Constitution saving throw, with a DC of 14. On a success, the Arma Perpetua is instead reduced to 1 hit point. On a failure, they are knocked unconscious, but are considered stable and regain hitpoints as normal after one hour (as per the Rapid Regeneration trait). On a roll of natural 1, they are killed immediately. Enemies can attack an Arma Perpetua while they are unconscious, but must specifically state that they are aiming for the head, or must roll 1d10 otherwise. On a roll of 10, they successfully destroy the brain and kill the Arma Perpetua. On any other result, the attack has no effect.
Recruitment Office: Once per day, as an action, an Arma Perpetua can touch the corpse of a humanoid to transform them into another Arma Perpetua (provided the brain and spinal column are intact). The target does not gain hitpoints, but will become stable, and will regain hitpoints after one hour, as per the Rapid Regeneration trait.


Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Age: Your body can regenerate from any injury, including the wear and tear of age, allowing you to never physically age past the age you were at when you died. However, an Arma Perpetua can still suffer from mental degradation as the centuries pass by. An Arma Perpetua goes insane to the point of feral after approximately 1000 years.
Size: Your size is the same as when you were alive, determined by your subrace.
Speed: Your walking speed is the same as when you were alive, determined by your subrace.
Alignment: An Arma Perpetua retains the same memories and personality they had when they were alive. Your alignment, while subject to change due to your new circumstances, remains largely the same.
Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common, as well as one other language of your choice (usually, but not necessarily, determined by your subrace).
Undead: You count as an undead for the purposes of spells and effects. You do not need to eat, drink, or breathe, though you do still feel hunger, thirst, and suffocation as normal. You are immune to the effects of disease, have resistance to poison damage, and have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned.
Rapid Regeneration: The magic that sustains an Arma Perpetua also repairs almost all damage to your body. Every hour, you gain a number of hitpoints equal to double your Constitution modifier (minimum of 2).
Near-Immortal Body: An Arma Perpetua cannot be killed, as long as their brain and spinal column remain intact. When you are reduced to 0 hit points, roll a Constitution saving throw, with a DC of 20 - half your Character Level (rounded down). On a success, you are instead reduced to 1 hit point. On a failure, you are knocked unconscious, but are considered stable and regain hitpoints as normal after one hour (as per the Rapid Regeneration trait). On a roll of natural 1, you are killed immediately. Enemies can attack you while you are unconscious, but must specifically state that they are aiming for your head, or must roll 1d10 otherwise. On a roll of 10, they successfully destroy your brain and kill you. On any other result, the attack has no effect.
Recruitment Office: Once per day, as an action, an Arma Perpetua can touch the corpse of a humanoid to transform them into another Arma Perpetua (provided the brain and spinal column are intact). The target does not gain hitpoints, but will become stable, and will regain hitpoints after one hour, as per the Rapid Regeneration trait.

Human
Size: Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your speed is 30ft.
Ability Score Increase: Add +1 to any one ability score, except for Constitution.

Elf
Size: Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your speed is 30ft.
Ability Score Increase: Add +1 to your Dexterity score.

Half-Orc
Size: Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your speed is 30ft.
Ability Score Increase: Add +1 to your Strength score.

Tiefling
Size: Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your speed is 30ft.
Ability Score Increase: Add +1 to your Charisma score.

Dwarf
Size: Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your speed is 30ft.
Ability Score Increase: Add +1 to your Intelligence score.

Half-Elf
Size: Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your speed is 30ft.
Ability Score Increase: Add +1 to your Wisdom score.

Halfling
Size: Your size is Small.
Speed: Your speed is 25ft.
Ability Score Increase: Add +1 to your Charisma score.

Gnome
Size: Your size is Small.
Speed: Your speed is 25ft.
Ability Score Increase: Add +1 to your Intelligence score.