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Blue Jay
2020-11-22, 11:16 PM
I've recently gotten into monster creation like I've never done before, and I've collected several dozen homebrew monsters into a document (about half of which are actually redesigns of existing monsters), which I'll start posting here. I'm going to post them one or two at a time, in no particular order. I'll maintain the alphabetical index below though, just to make them easier to find. If anyone has feedback on these, I'd appreciate it. And you're certainly welcome to take my ideas and use them in your own games. Just, maybe post how it went here so we can all benefit from your experience.

Warning: none of these monsters has actually been playtested yet, so the CR's are mostly complete shots in the dark. And I tried to assign Level Adjustments for balance with existing LAs, and I've provided a side not for compatibility with the Reassigned Level Adjustments (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?518086-The-LA-assignment-archive) project Inevitability has been leading here in the Playground. Feel free to disagree with me and even post your opinions.

Alphabetical Index of Monsters:
Original Monsters
Animated Ballista (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24829118&postcount=17)
Animated Cage (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24829118&postcount=17)
Animated Candelabra (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24829118&postcount=17)
Animated Wheelbarrow (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24829118&postcount=17)
Autonomous Grimoire (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24829118&postcount=17)
Caltrop Swarm (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24829118&postcount=17)
Demon, Nuckelavee (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24815844&postcount=5)
Devil, Crimson (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24843463&postcount=23)
Dread Cavalier (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24813075&postcount=3)
Eternal Snowman (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24829195&postcount=19)
Griffin, Common (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24907268&postcount=41)
Griffin, Golden (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24907268&postcount=41)
Griffin, Panther (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24907268&postcount=41)
Griffin, Phoenix (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24907268&postcount=41)
Griffin, Sea (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24907268&postcount=41)
Griffin, Snow (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24907268&postcount=41)
Griffin, Song (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24907268&postcount=41)
Griffin, Storm (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24907268&postcount=41)
Horseless Saddle (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24829195&postcount=19)
Living Chest (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24829195&postcount=19)
Poultry, Chickens (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24817730&postcount=7)
Poultry, Duck (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24817730&postcount=7)
Poultry, Goose (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24817730&postcount=7)
Poultry, Turkey (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24817730&postcount=7)
Reaper Lord (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24814458&postcount=4)
Rolling Stone (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24829195&postcount=19)
Self-Playing Zither (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24829195&postcount=19)
Swarm of Flying Swords (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24938884&postcount=49)
Tikbalang (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24815878&postcount=6)
Unseen Agent (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24824579&postcount=16)
Walking Skep (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24829195&postcount=19)

Monster Remakes
Boneyard (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24896273&postcount=32)
Eldritch Archer (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24813064&postcount=2)
Fossergrim (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24824569&postcount=15)
Giant, Cyclops (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24820368&postcount=14)
Giant, Ettin (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24820368&postcount=14)
Giant, Fire Giant (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24820368&postcount=14)
Giant, Frost Giant (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24820368&postcount=14)
Giant, Hill Giant (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24820368&postcount=14)
Giant, Stone Giant (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24820368&postcount=14)
Griffin (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24907268&postcount=41)
Needlefolk (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24818612&postcount=9)
Reaping Willow (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24888572&postcount=29)
Shocker (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24818587&postcount=8)
Sisiutl (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24863566&postcount=28)
Yuki-Onna (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24843537&postcount=24)

Blue Jay
2020-11-22, 11:31 PM
Eldritch Archer (Remake)

This monster is originally from Dragon #317. It's a high-powered undead creature created from the body of an arcane archer. I felt like the monster didn't do enough as designed, and wasn't dynamic enough to make into an interesting high-level challenge. So, I added some spell-like abilities, including some that can be imbued onto arrows in the manner of an arcane archer, then I altered a lot of specifics for the existing abilities (storm of arrows and vampiric arrow), tweaked some numbers, and altered feat and skill selection. I hope my alterations are enough to avoid copyright issues; but if not, I'll apologize and take it down.

I think I've given it enough different things to do with its arrows to make it a dynamic enemy, and it can even serve as a moderately competent horde master, if the DM wants to use it that way. But it's probably best suited for a "BBEG's lieutenant" role. Keep in mind that I've got very little experience playing or DMing at this level, so I really have no idea how this will really shake out.

--

Eldritch Archer
Size/Type: Medium Undead
Hit Dice: 16d12+16 (130 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 40 ft
Armor Class: 26 (+8 natural, +8 Dex), Touch 18, Flat-footed 18
BAB/Grapple: +8 / +11
Attack: eldritch longbow +21 ranged (2d6+9, 19-20/x3) or claw +16 melee (1d6+4)
Full Attack: eldritch longbow +21/+16 ranged (2d6+9, 19-20/x3) or eldritch longbow +19/+19/+14 ranged (2d6+9, 19-20/x2) or 2 claws +16 melee (1d6+4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Eldritch longbow, Imbued arrow, Spell-like abilities, Storm of arrows, Vampiric arrow
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10 / bludgeoning & good, Darkvision 60 ft, Fast healing 5, Undead traits
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +13, Will +10
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 27, Con --, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 18
Skills: Balance +16, Climb +12, Concentration +12, Intimidate +12, Jump +16, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (religion) +9, Listen +11, Sense Motive +11, Spellcraft +9, Spot +11, Tumble +15
Feats: Bowslinger, Deflect Arrows B, Far Shot, Great Fortitude, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Weapon Finesse B
Environment: any
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 14
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: usually Neutral Evil
Advancement: by class level
Level Adjustment: +4

--

Eldritch Longbow (Su)
An eldritch archer carries an eldritch longbow, which is bonded specifically to the eldritch archer and cannot be wielded by any other creature as long as the eldritch archer lives. An eldritch longbow is a +5 keen seeking composite (+4 Str) longbow. The bow magically creates arrows as the archer requires, taking no action on the archer's part to do so. Arrows melt away into a black, tar-like slime after the shot is resolved. If the bow is removed from the eldritch archer's possession while it is still alive, the bow also melts away into the same black, tar-like slime 1 round later, and the eldritch archer can manifest a new one as a swift action.

Imbued Arrow (Sp)
As a standard action, an eldritch archer can imbue a single arrow with one of the spell effects listed below, and shoot the arrow at any target or target square within range. It must imbue the spell and shoot the arrow as part of the same standard action: if it attempts to "hold" an imbued arrow until the next round, the imbued spell-like ability is wasted. If the arrow hits its target, the attack is resolved as normal, and then the spell effect is resolved, with the target of the attack as the target of the spell. Area effects use any corner of the target's space (eldritch archer's choice) as their point of origin. If the shot misses, determine where the arrow lands as if it were a splash weapon, and use that as the point of origin of the spell effect. Each spell effect is treated as a spell-like ability with CL 17th, and the saving throws are Charisma-based.


3/day — fireball (Ref DC 17), fog cloud, inflict serious wounds (Will DC 17), silence (Will DC 16)
2/day — confusion (Will DC 18), greater dispel magic, wall of ice (Ref DC 18)
1/day — black tentacles, grave mist PHB2, plague of undead SC

Spell-Like Abilities
The eldritch archer can cast the following spell-like abilities, with caster level 17th:


at will — dimension door (self and up to 50 lbs of gear only)
1/day — animate dead

Storm of Arrows (Ex)
Once every 1d4 rounds as a standard action, an eldritch archer may make a single ranged attack with his eldritch longbow against each target within one range increment. He may not deliver imbued arrows or vampiric arrows with these attacks. Alternately, he may focus a Storm of Arrows on a single target. To do this, he makes one ranged attack against his chosen target, and if it is successful, 2d4+1 arrows strike the target. If the attack roll is a successfully confirmed critical hit, only the first arrow deals critical hit damage.

Vampiric Arrow (Su)
Once every 1d4 rounds as a standard action, an eldritch archer may shoot a single vampiric arrow as a ranged attack with a maximum range equal to one range increment with its eldritch longbow (usually 165 ft, with the Far Shot feat). If a vampiric arrow hits a living target, it deals 6d6 negative energy damage (double on a critical hit). Simultaneously, the eldritch archer who shot the arrow heals the same amount of damage (not to exceed its normal maximum hit points). If the arrow hits a non-living target, it has no effect.

--

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
An eldritch archer usually does not use or carry gear, aside from its bow, though it is fully capable of using gear designed for a humanoid, and some individuals may carry and use such gear.

When an eldritch archer is destroyed, its body melts away into tar-like slime, leaving behind a usable +5 keen seeking composite (+4 Str) longbow and 2d6 spell arrows. Each spell arrow is a +1 arrow imbued with one of the spell effects from among the eldritch archer's "imbued arrow" spell-like abilities. A spell arrow that is shot from any bow will cast its imbued spell-like ability upon impact. Each arrow only works once, after which it is destroyed. See Dragon #295 (p. 83) for a description of spell arrows. The following table gives stats for all the possible arrows an eldritch archer may leave behind, including a table for generating random spell effects. The DM should roll separately for each arrow.

Spell Arrow d% CL Save DC Market Price
fog cloud 1-15 3rd - 394 gp
silence 16-30 3rd 13 394 gp
fireball 31-45 5th 14 844 gp
inflict critical wounds 46-60 7th 16 2894 gp
confusion 61-70 7th 16 2894 gp
wall of ice 71-80 7th 16 2894 gp
greater dispel magic 81-90 11th - 6694 gp
black tentacles 91-94 7th - 2894 gp
95-98 11th - 394 gp
plague of undead 99-100 17th - 15,394 gp


Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the eldritch archer an RLA of +0.

Blue Jay
2020-11-22, 11:43 PM
Dread Cavalier (Original Creation)

This sinister skeletal rider seems to be fused inseparably to the skeleton of a large warhorse, whose empty eye sockets gleam with the same fell, red glow as the rider itself. Rider and steed seem to move as one, with a devilish fluidity that the greatest living riders could not hope to match.

--

Dread Cavalier (Extraplanar)
Size/Type: Large Undead
Hit Dice: 10d12 (65 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 60 ft
Armor Class: 23 (+5 armor, +5 natural, +5 Dex, -1 size), Touch 14, Flat-footed 19
BAB/Grapple: +5 / +17
Attack: +1 lance +13 melee (1d8+9 plus profane, x3) or +1 composite (+8) longbow +10 ranged (1d8+9 plus profane, x3) or hoof +12 melee (1d6+8 plus profane) or claw +12 melee (1d4+8 plus profane)
Full Attack: +1 lance +13 melee (1d8+9 plus profane, x3) and 2 hooves +12 melee (1d6+8 plus profane); or 2 claws +12 melee (1d4+8 plus profane) and 2 hooves +12 melee (1d6+8 plus profane)
Space/Reach: 10 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Dual actions, Ethereal charge, Funerary trample, Phasing arrows, Profane weapons, Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10 / bludgeoning, Darkvision 60 ft, Hybrid anatomy, Immune to cold, Undead traits
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +9
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 20, Con --, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 16
Skills: Balance +10, Bluff +9, Intimidate +13, Jump +26, Listen +10, Ride +18, Sense Motive +8, Spot +10
Feats: Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat B, Power Attack, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge, Trample B
Environment: Any
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: usually Neutral Evil
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: -

--

Dual Actions (Ex)
A dread cavalier is created by combining the skeleton of a powerful humanoid with the skeleton of a heavy warhorse. The two skeletons are fused inseparably, and are treated as a single creature in most ways: they share a single pool of hit points, the same attack and save bonuses, skill ranks, etc. However, the equine part and the rider part can each take a full round's worth of actions each round, as if they were separate creatures acting on the same Initiative count. The rider skeleton is treated as mounted on the equine skeleton, so it cannot move independently of the equine skeleton. This allows the rider skeleton to make a full attack, even if the equine skeleton has moved this round. However, the cavalier cannot use its Mounted Combat feat to negate an attack against the equine half. The equine skeleton cannot use its actions to cast spells or use spell-like abilities: it can only move and attack.

Ethereal Charge (Su)
When it makes a charge attack, a dread cavalier can enter the Ethereal Plane midway through its charge, allowing it greater freedom to move. It must move at least 10 feet before entering the Ethereal Plane, and at least 10 feet after returning to the Material Plane. During the portions of the charge that take place on the Material Plane, the dread cavalier can only move in a straight line. However, while on the Ethereal Plane, it can move in any direction, turn as many times as it likes, and even move through difficult terrain (with the standard movement penalties), provided the entire distance covered on the Ethereal Plane does not exceed 60 feet. This allows the dread cavalier to charge a creature to which it does not have a clear path at the beginning of its charge, but it must still have a clear path to the target from the moment it exits the Ethereal Plane to the moment of its attack.

The interplanar movement of an Ethereal Charge can catch opponents off-guard. The first time the dread cavalier makes an Ethereal Charge against a given opponent, that opponent is counted as flat-footed. Thereafter, that opponent (and all other creatures who witnessed the first Ethereal Charge) is savvy to the dread cavalier’s tactics, and cannot be caught flat-footed by that dread cavalier’s Ethereal Charge for 24 hours.

Funerary Trample (Su)
A dread cavalier's hooves are weapons of fell power. When the dread cavalier uses its Trample feat, and its hoof attack successfully strikes its target, the target must succeed on a Ref save (DC = 23) or be pounded partially into the ground, a sort of partial interment up to its waist (or other rough anatomical equivalent). A creature thus interred is entangled and immobilized, and is treated as prone. A funerary trample can only be performed on non-solid surfaces, such as sand, soil or mud. The save DC is Strength-based.

A creature that has been thus interred can extract itself with a DC 23 Str check or a DC 23 Escape Artist check. Either check takes a full-round action. However, if the creature is slain while still interred, it will rise again as a zombie 1d4 rounds after it is slain, and the earth forces the zombie out of its interment without requiring any action on the zombie’s part to do so. The zombie is under the control of the dread cavalier who interred it, and is treated as if the dread cavalier created it with its animate dead ability. The skill check DCs are Strength-based.

Hybrid Anatomy (Ex)
Due to its chimeric anatomy, a dread cavalier is treated as a Medium-sized rider on the back of a skeletal horse. For example, a dread cavalier wielding manufactured weapons would wield weapons sized for a Medium humanoid. Furthermore, it always adds its full Strength modifier to damage with all its natural weapons, even when using them as secondary attacks in a full attack.

A dread cavalier can make a full attack with a ranged weapon while moving, using the rules for mounted combat.

Phasing Arrows (Su)
A dread cavalier’s arrows phase into the Ethereal Plane in flight, allowing them to bypass physical obstacles that stand between the dread cavalier and its target. Any arrow shot by a dread cavalier ignores all sources of concealment and cover (even total cover), and ignores the target’s armor and shield bonuses to Armor Class. The arrows can even phase through another creature on their way to the intended target.

Spell-Like Abilities
A dread cavalier can use the following abilities, as if cast by a 10th-level cleric.

at will — death knell (Will DC 15), ethereal jaunt
3/day — darkness, haste (self only)
1/day — animate dead, desecrate, freedom of movement (self only)

Profane Burst Weapons (Su)
Any weapon wielded by a dread cavalier (including its natural weapons), gains the profane burst property for as long as the dread cavalier wields it. Weapons lose this benefit if they are removed from the dread cavalier's possession.

Skills
A dread cavalier has a +8 racial bonus on all Ride checks, and counts as mounted at all times.

--

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
This dread cavalier carries a +1 lance and a +1 composite (+8) longbow, both sized for a Medium wielder. It has 2d8+10 arrows in its quiver. It also wears mithral armor that includes both a breastplate on the humanoid torso, and a barding on the equine portion of the body. The barding portion is always destroyed with the cavalier, but the torso armor can be salvaged as a mithral breastplate sized for a Medium creature.

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the dread cavalier an RLA of +1.

Blue Jay
2020-11-23, 08:08 PM
Reaper Lord (Original Creation)

I might as well go ahead and finish out the "undead lord" monsters I created, since I've already posted two of the three. This monster began as an attempt to remake the Entropic Reaper from Libris Mortis, because that monster felt very underwhelming and one-dimensional as a "grim reaper" stand-in. Plus, a Chaotic alignment doesn't seem to fit my conception of what a "grim reaper" monster ought to be. So, I set out to remake it, and ultimately ended up basically changing everything about it and making it into a totally different monster. Then, since it's no longer a Chaotic creature, it really didn't make sense for me to keep the name, so I renamed it. And that's when I decided that it truly was a totally different monster, and not a remake.

--

Gliding smoothly and soundlessly on a floating fog of shadow, this hooded figure moves towards you with clear, malevolent purpose. Its bony fingers clutch tightly to a scythe of utter blackness, topped with a black gemstone. And somewhere within the depths of the hood, you can almost make out a pair of inky orbs, blacker than the surrounding black of the figure's robe, that seem to stare at you menacingly.

--

Reaper Lord
Size/Type: Medium Undead
Hit Dice: 20d12+20 (130 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 40 ft
Armor Class: 28 (+15 natural, +3 Dex), Touch 13, Flat-footed 25
BAB/Grapple: +10 / +19
Attack: reaper’s scythe +24 melee (2d6+17 plus Inflict plus Trap the Soul, 19-20/x4)
Full Attack: reaper’s scythe +24/+19 melee (2d6+17 plus Inflict plus Trap the Soul, 19-20/x4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Fear aura, Hurl scythe, Inflict, Reaper’s scythe, Spell-like abilities, Trap the soul
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10 / bludgeoning, Darkvision 60 ft, Fast healing 10, Immune to cold, Spell resistance 30, Telepathy 100 ft, Turn resistance +5, Undead traits
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +17
Abilities: Str 29, Dex 16, Con --, Int 16, Wis 21, Cha 22
Skills: Bluff +17, Concentration +24, Diplomacy +17, Heal +16, Intimidate +17, Knowledge (arcana) +14, Knowledge (history) +14, Knowledge (religion) +14, Knowledge (the Planes) +14, Listen +16, Sense Motive +16, Spellcraft +14, Spot +16, Use Magic Device +17
Feats: Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Improved Critical (scythe), Improved Initiative, Improved Toughness, Mindsight, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (scythe)
Environment: any
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 20
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: always Lawful Evil
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

Fear Aura (Su)
The reaper lord is surrounded by an ominous aura. All creatures within 30 feet of the reaper lord must make a Will save (DC = 26) or be panicked for 4d6 rounds. This is a mind-affecting (fear) effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Ghostly Movement (Ex)
A reaper lord is under a constant freedom of movement effect. In addition, it makes no sound and leaves no trail when it moves, as if it were incorporeal.

Hurl Scythe (Ex)
As a full-round action, the reaper lord can hurl its scythe and direct its midair movement mentally. The scythe flies on its own to strike any number of targets within 50 feet of the reaper lord. The scythe makes one melee attack against each target (using the reaper lord's full base attack bonus and full damage bonuses), then returns unerringly to the reaper's hand at the end of its turn.

Inflict (Su)
A living creature struck by a reaper lord's scythe takes an additional 2d8 damage from negative energy. This ability has no effect on undead.

Reaper's Scythe (Su)
A reaper lord carries a +4 vorpal ghost touch scythe, which functions in all ways as a typical scythe, except that it deals damage as if it were one size category larger. The scythe is bound to the reaper: the reaper lord has a +8 bonus on the attack roll to resist a Disarm attempt, and the scythe's abilities (including Inflict and Trap the Soul) only work for a reaper lord. If the reaper lord is disarmed or otherwise dispossessed of the scythe, it can recall the scythe to its hand from anywhere on the same plane, as a standard action. Any living creature that holds a reaper's scythe takes one negative level, which cannot be removed by any means for as long as he holds the scythe.

Spell-Like Abilities
The reaper lord can cast the following spell-like abilities, with caster level 20. Save DCs are Charisma-based.

at will — animate dead, detect thoughts (Will DC 18), ethereal jaunt, gaseous form (self only), greater dispel magic, greater teleport (self and gear only), passwall, soul bind, vampiric touch
3/day — cloudkill (Fort DC 21), cone of cold (15d6 cold, Ref DC 21), create greater undead, discern location, mass inflict critical wounds (Will DC 24), symbol of death (Fort DC 24)
1/day — imprisonment (Will DC 25), true resurrection, wail of the banshee (Fort DC 25)

Trap the Soul (Su)
Once per round as a free action, a reaper lord can attempt to trap the soul of a creature within the black jewel that adorns the top of its scythe. Only a creature that has been damaged by the reaper's scythe this round can be targeted with this ability. The creature must immediately make a Will save (DC = 26) or be affected as if by the spell trap the soul. A successful save renders the subject immune to that reaper lord's Trap the Soul ability for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.

The reaper lord can hold a maximum of 40 hit dice of creatures within its scythe. Whenever the reaper lord has any souls trapped in its scythe, it gains a +1 profane bonus to Armor Class, Turn Resistance, and all saving throws. This bonus increases by +1 for every 4 hit dice of souls trapped in the scythe. This is not factored into the statistics above.

As a standard action, a reaper lord can create an incorporeal undead creature from a soul trapped in its scythe. A trapped soul with at least 5 and no more than 10 hit dice becomes a wraith, and a trapped soul with 11 or more hit dice becomes a dread wraith. Souls with fewer than 5 hit dice cannot be turned into undead at all. These undead are utterly bent to the reaper lord's will: they are under his command, and cannot be turned, rebuked or commanded by others. They still count towards the limit of 40 hit dice trapped in the scythe. Undead created this way return to the scythe when slain, though they can be called forth as undead again after 24 hours have passed.

All souls trapped in a reaper lord's scythe are freed when the scythe (or the reaper who owns it) is destroyed: they return to their previous living state and form. At any time, the reaper lord may choose to release any trapped soul from its scythe, in which case the soul moves on to the afterlife as if it had just been slain.

True Seeing (Su)
A reaper lord can see all things as they truly are, as if with a continuous true seeing spell (CL 20th).

--

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
A reaper lord usually does not use or carry any gear, aside from its scythe, though it is fully capable of using gear designed for a humanoid, and some individuals may carry additional gear. When a reaper lord is slain, its body disintegrates, but the scythe remains behind, shrinking to Medium size and losing its bond with the slain reaper. The gem atop the scythe is destroyed irreparably, and the scythe loses some of its magic; but it is still a +1 vorpal ghost touch scythe. The residual soul energy in the scythe also manifests as a permanent unseen servant effect controlled by the wielder of the scythe.

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the reaper lord an RLA of +0.

Blue Jay
2020-11-24, 06:18 PM
Demon, Nuckelavee (Original Creation)

This is a monster from folklore, which I've chosen to build as a D&D demon. I'm already aware of two D&D monsters based on this creature, but I don't really find either of them compelling, so I made my own. I thought that its theme and horrific appearance fit well as a part of the hordes of the Abyss, so I chose to make it a demon. In basic body plan, it's quite similar to my dread cavalier, but since it's a monster that actually exists in real-world folklore, I was able to find an image of it (it's in a spoiler because I could understand how some people might find it upsetting).

This monster I actually have playtested a little. I ran one against a party of 4th-level gestalt characters. They were quite high-powered PCs, and they defeated it fairly easily, but it escaped them after a long-ish chase scene.

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https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ce/22/7c/ce227cdb7b74f02959d315c600e9a14e.png

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Nuckelavee
Size/Type: Large Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar, Tanar’ri)
Hit Dice: 6d8+30 (78 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 50 ft, Swim 50 ft
Armor Class: 17 (+6 natural, +2 Dex, -1 size), Touch 11, Flat-footed 15
BAB/Grapple: +6 / +15
Attack: bite +10 melee (2d6+5) or claw +10 melee (1d8+5) or hoof +10 melee (1d6+5) or masterwork composite (+5) longbow +9 ranged (2d6+5, x3)
Full Attack: bite +10 melee (2d6+5) and 2 claws +8 melee (1d8+5) and 2 hooves +8 melee (1d6+5); or masterwork composite (+5) longbow +9/+4 ranged (2d6+5, x3)
Space/Reach: 10 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Contagion, Pounce, Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10 / cold iron or good, Darkvision 60 ft, Flawless stride, Tanar’ri traits, Telepathy 100 ft, Water breathing
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +8
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 14
Skills: Balance +11, Heal +10, Intimidate +15, Jump +22, Listen +10, Spot +10, Swim +22
Feats: Iron Will, Multiattack B, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack
Environment: Infinite Layers of the Abyss
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: always Chaotic Evil
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: +3

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Contagion (Ex)
A nuckelavee’s body carries all sorts of diseases. Any living creature struck by a nuckelavee’s attack contracts a disease, as if by a contagion spell. A DC 15 Fortitude save negates the effect. Any weapon wielded by the nuckelavee can transmit this effect, but no opponent can be affected more than once per round by the same nuckelavee’s Contagion effect. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Flawless Stride (Ex)
A nuckelavee can move through any sort of terrain that slows movement (such as undergrowth, rubble, and similar terrain) at its normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment.

This ability does not let it move more quickly through terrain that requires a Climb or Swim check to navigate, nor can it move more quickly through terrain or undergrowth that has been magically manipulated to impede motion.

A nuckelavee loses this benefit when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.

Spell-Like Abilities
A nuckelavee can use the following spell-like abilities as a sorcerer with caster level equal to the nuckelavee’s hit dice:

at will – contagion (Fort DC 16), blight (6d6, Fort DC 17), dimension door (self and 50 lbs of gear only), neutralize poison, remove disease

Tanar’ri Traits
A nuckelavee is immune to electricity and poison. It has resistance to acid 10, cold 10 and fire 10. It speaks Abyssal, Celestial and Draconic.

Toxin Immunity (Ex)
A nuckelavee is a demon that specializes in spreading diseases and blights. It is immune to all diseases (even supernatural diseases) and poisons, and is not even affected by ravages; though it can still be a carrier.

Water Breathing (Su)
A nuckelavee can breathe water as well as it breathes air.

--

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
A nuckelavee usually carries a masterwork longbow sized for a Medium wielder. It carries 3d6+5 arrows in its quiver. A nuckelavee often teams up with arrow battleloths, which it shoots from its bow to surprise any pursuers.

Summoning a Nuckelavee
An evil spellcaster who knows summon monster VII can choose to permanently replace the babau demon with a nuckelavee on the list of creatures he can summon with that spell (and with higher-level summon monster spells, as usual).

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the nuckelavee an RLA of +1.

Blue Jay
2020-11-24, 06:38 PM
Tikbalang (Original Creation)

My take on another monster from folklore. This one's a classic monster from Philippine mythology that's supposed to lead people astray in the woods. I basically started with the stats for a heavy warhorse, then made adjustments and added thematic abilities until I had what I thought was a decent representation of the folklore. Any real-life Filipinos are, of course, welcome to offer suggestions or corrections. "Taming the tikbalang" by riding the beast or pulling a spine from its mane is another common motif in the folklore, so I incorporated that here.

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https://wir.skyrock.net/wir/v1/resize/?c=isi&im=%2F7340%2F82937340%2Fpics%2F3083692069_2_5_ONkN IZna.jpg&w=760

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Tikbalang
Size/Type: Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 4d10+12 (34 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 50 ft
Armor Class: 15 (+4 natural, +2 Dex, -1 size), Touch 11, Flat-footed 13
BAB/Grapple: +4 / +12
Attack: hoof +7 melee (1d6+4)
Full Attack: 2 hooves +7 melee (1d6+4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft / 10 ft
Special Attacks: Lose the Way, Mule Kick, Spell-like Abilities
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Low-light vision, Nature Sense, Perfect Orientation, Scent
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +3
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 12
Skills: Bluff +8, Diplomacy +3, Escape Artist +4, Jump +12, Knowledge (nature) +6, Listen +7, Spot +7, Survival +9
Feats: Alertness, Power Attack, Run B
Environment: any woods
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: None
Alignment: usually Chaotic Neutral
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: +2

--

Tikbalangs are pranksters that enjoy using magic to confuse and disorient travelers in the woods. It is a master of direction and never gets lost, but it can cause any person it touches to completely lose their sense of direction.

A Tikbalang speaks Common and Sylvan.

Lose the Way (Su)
As a full-round action, a tikbalang may touch a target and cause him to become lost in the wilderness. If the target fails a Will save (DC = 15), he is teleported 10d10 x 10 feet in a random direction, and becomes completely disoriented. While disoriented, the target loses the ability to find his way by either mundane means (such as the Survival skill) or magical means (such as a divination spell). Each round in which the character attempts to move without explicit guidance (such as the sight or voice of a familiar person specifically aiding him), he must make a Will save (same DC). If he fails the save, his movement for that round is in a random direction instead of whichever direction he intended to go, and he is incapable of avoiding any hazards he may come across when moving in the wrong direction. He cannot choose to end his movement early, unless he encounters a barrier that prevents his movement. This disoriented condition lasts for 1 hour, though the tikbalang may dismiss it with another touch, if it chooses. The save DCs are Charisma-based, and include a +2 racial bonus.

Mule Kick (Ex)
As a full attack, a tikbalang may kick a single opponent with both hooves. It takes a -2 penalty to Armor Class that lasts until the beginning of its next turn, and makes a single melee attack roll. If the attack hits, the tikbalang deals damage equal to two hooves, plus 1.5 times its Strength modifier (usually 2d6+6 damage), and the target must roll a Reflex save (DC 16) or fall prone. The save DC is Strength-based.

Nature Sense (Ex)
A tikbalang knows the woods as well as any druid. It gains a +2 bonus on all Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks.

Perfect Orientation (Ex)
A tikbalang always knows which direction is true north, no matter where it is. It never risks getting lost in the wilderness (though this does not mean it automatically knows the direction to any particular place). If it is on a plane where north does not exist, the tikbalang can still keep its bearings instinctively.

Spell-Like Abilities
A tikbalang may use the following spells as a 4th-level sorcerer.

at will — invisibility (self only), pass without trace

--

For Player Characters

Taming the Tikbalang
Legends speak of various methods of taming the tikbalang, the most common of which involve riding the creature like a horse until it submits and agrees to become the rider’s loyal servant. Untamed tikbalangs are incredibly difficult to ride: a character riding one must make a “stay in saddle” roll each round, with a DC of 25. The character must succeed on these checks for 3d6+5 consecutive rounds, then succeed on an opposed Diplomacy or Intimidate check, before the tikbalang will submit. A tikbalang thus "tamed" will be a loyal ally, and if the player has the Leadership feat, he can take the tikbalang as his cohort.

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the tikbalang an RLA of +1.

Blue Jay
2020-11-26, 12:27 AM
Poultry (Original Creations)

I'm American, so in honor of Thanksgiving, I give you Blue Jay-style poultry. As I'm posting this, I'm really wishing that I had tried to make these into some kind of gag or joke monster, but alas, I built these rather straight. Oh well! :smallsigh: I guess some DM's might appreciate having stats for mundane poultry, and maybe chicken-infested commoner necromancers could get some mileage out of this.

--

Chicken traits
All chickens have the following traits:

Limited Flight (Ex)
Although chickens can fly, they are not strong flyers. In any round when a chicken takes flight, it must land again at the end of the round, or fall and be rendered prone. A chicken cannot fly higher than 10 feet off the ground.

Skills
Chickens can use their wings to aid them in jumping, granting them a +4 racial bonus on all Jump checks. They use their Dex modifier instead of their Str modifier on all Jump checks.

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Chicken, Hen
Size/Type: Tiny Animal
Hit Dice: ¼ d8 (1 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft, Fly 40 ft (clumsy)
Armor Class: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 size), Touch 14, Flat-footed 12
BAB/Grapple: +0 / -12
Attack: peck +4 melee (1d3-4)
Full Attack: peck +4 melee (1d3-4)
Space/Reach: 2.5 ft / 0 ft
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Limited flight, Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills: Jump +9, Listen +2, Spot +2, Tumble +5
Feats: Acrobatic, Weapon Finesse B
Environment: domesticated
Organization: flock (3d6 hens plus 1 rooster)
Challenge Rating: 1/6
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

Chicken, Rooster
Size/Type: Tiny Animal
Hit Dice: ¼ d8+1 (2 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft, Fly 40 ft (clumsy)
Armor Class: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 size), Touch 14, Flat-footed 12
BAB/Grapple: +0 / -12
Attack: claws +4 melee (1d3-2) or peck +4 melee (1d3-2)
Full Attack: claws +4 melee (1d3-2) and peck -1 melee (1d3-2)
Space/Reach: 2.5 ft / 0 ft
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Limited flight, Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 7, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills: Jump +9, Listen +2, Spot +2, Tumble +6
Feats: Acrobatic, Weapon Finesse B
Environment: domesticated
Organization: flock (3d6 hens plus 1 rooster)
Challenge Rating: 1/4
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

Chicken, Flock of Chickens
Size/Type: Tiny Animal (Swarm)
Hit Dice: 4d8+4 (22 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft, Fly 40 ft (clumsy)
Armor Class: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 size), Touch 14, Flat-footed 12
BAB/Grapple: +0 / -12
Attack: swarm 1d6 plus Distraction
Full Attack: swarm 1d6 plus Distraction
Space/Reach: 2.5 ft / 0 ft
Special Attacks: Cacophony, Distraction
Special Qualities: Limited flight, Low-light vision, Swarm traits
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 7, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills: Jump +10, Listen +3, Spot +3, Tumble +5
Feats: Acrobatic, Improved Toughness, Weapon Finesse B
Environment: domesticated
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

Cacophony (Ex)
A flock of chickens constantly emits loud squawks and clucks when riled up by the excitement of combat. Any combatant within 20 feet of a flock of chickens suffers a -4 penalty on all Listen checks, and any spellcaster within the same radius must make a Concentration check to cast a spell (DC 10, as if they were in vigorous motion). This effect does not apply when the flock of chickens is flat-footed.

Distraction
Any living creature that begins its turn with a flock of chickens in its space must succeed on a DC 13 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based. A spellcaster in the area must succeed on a Concentration check (DC = 20 + spell level) to cast a spell. Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a DC 20 Concentration check.



Duck
Size/Type: Tiny Animal
Hit Dice: ¼ d8+1 (2 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 20 ft, Fly 80 ft (average), Swim 30 ft
Armor Class: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 size), Touch 14, Flat-footed 12
BAB/Grapple: +0 / -12
Attack: bite +5 melee (1d3-3)
Full Attack: bite +5 melee (1d3-3)
Space/Reach: 2.5 ft / 0 ft
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Hold breath, Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 5, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 1, Wis 13, Cha 12
Skills: Listen +2, Spot +2, Swim +11, Tumble +4
Feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse B
Environment: Any, often in aquatic environments
Organization: flock (2d6)
Challenge Rating: 1/6
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

Hold Breath (Ex)
A duck can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to four times its Constitution score before it begins to drown.

Skills
A duck gains a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on any Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

--

Domestic Ducks
The stats above are for a wild duck, which are often very strong, fast flyers. A domestic duck is a much weaker flyer, but it is a bigger, tougher bird. For a domestic duck, make the following changes to stats:
Reduce the flight speed to 40 ft, with clumsy maneuverability, and add the Limited Flight ability (as the chickens, above).
Reduce Constitution to 11, and Fortitude to +2
Change the Hit Dice line from "¼ d8+1 (2 hp)" to "½ d8 (4 hp)"


Goose
Size/Type: Small Animal
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 20 ft, Fly 50 ft (average), Swim 30 ft
Armor Class: 14 (+2 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size), Touch 13, Flat-footed 12
BAB/Grapple: +0 / -6
Attack: bite +3 melee (1d4-1)
Full Attack: bite +3 melee (1d4-1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Hold breath, Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills: Intimidate +2, Listen +4, Spot +4, Swim +11
Feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse B
Environment: Any
Organization: flock (2d6 geese)
Challenge Rating: 1/3
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: 2-3 HD (Small)
Level Adjustment: -

--

Hold Breath (Ex)
A goose can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to three times its Constitution score before it begins to drown.

Skills
A goose has a +4 racial bonus on Intimidate checks, and a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on any Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

--

Domestic Geese
The stats above are for a wild goose, which are often very strong, fast flyers. A domestic goose is a much weaker flyer, but is otherwise similar. For a domestic goose, replace the Fly speed with "Fly 40 ft (clumsy)" and give the goose the Limited Flight ability, as the chickens (above).



Turkey
Size/Type: Small Animal
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft, Fly 50 ft (average)
Armor Class: 14 (+2 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size), Touch 13, Flat-footed 12
BAB/Grapple: +0 / -6
Attack: claw +4 melee (1d4-1) or peck +4 melee (1d4-1)
Full Attack: 2 claws +4 melee (1d4-1) and peck -1 melee (1d4-1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Strut
Special Qualities: Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills: Bluff +4, Intimidate +0, Jump +4, Listen +2, Spot +2
Feats: Persuasive, Weapon Finesse B
Environment: domesticated or anwoodlands
Organization: flock (2d6 turkeys)
Challenge Rating: 1/3
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

Strut (Ex)
As a swift action, a male turkey can puff out its chest and its feathers, spread its magnificent tail fan, and strut. This is similar to a martial stance: the turkey can strut as often as it wishes, and it can continue strutting as long as it wishes, and can act normally, though it experiences some changes to its stats.

While strutting, a turkey's base land speed is reduced by -5 feet, and it cannot fly (that is, if it takes flight, it automatically ends its strut). However, a strutting turkey appears to be bigger, stronger and and more threatening, granting it a +4 bonus on Intimidate checks (as if it were one size category larger) and on all Bluff checks.

Skills
Turkeys can use their wings to aid them in jumping, granting them a +4 racial bonus on all Jump checks. They use their Dex modifier instead of their Str modifier on all Jump checks.

--

Domestic Turkeys
The stats above are for a wild turkey, which are fairly good flyers. By comparison, domestic turkeys generally have much more meat on their bones, and thus find it difficult to fly. For a domestic turkey, reduce the flight speed to 40 ft, with clumsy maneuverability, and add the Limited Flight ability (as the chickens, above). Then, grant Toughness as a bonus feat.



Poultry for Player Characters

Gear and Loot
Poultry do not use or carry gear. Slain poultry can be eaten, of course. There is a 5% chance that a slain chicken has ready-to-lay egg inside it.

Purchasing Poultry
Players can purchase live poultry at most markets in any game world.


Animal Market Price Eggs (1 dozen)
Chicken, Hen 2 gp 1 gp*
Chicken, Rooster 4 gp -
Duck 4 gp 4 gp
Goose 8 gp 6 gp
Turkey 10 gp 6 gp

*Chicken eggs have an equal chance of hatching as hens or roosters, and sex cannot be determined before hatching

Poultry as Familiars
Some types of poultry can be taken as a spellcaster’s familiar. Hens, roosters and ducks are available for 1st-level spellcasters. A spellcaster with a hen or rooster familiar gains a +2 bonus on Initiative checks. A spellcaster with a duck familiar gains a +3 bonus on Swim checks.

A spellcaster of at 5th level or higher who has the Improved Familiar feat can select a flock of chickens as his familiar. See the article in Dragon #329 for details on swarm familiars.

Poultry as Animal Companions
A 1st-level druid (or 4th-level ranger) can select a goose or turkey as her animal companion.

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend the following RLAs for these poultry:
Chicken, Hen: RLA -0
Chicken, Rooster: RLA -0
Duck: RLA -0 (wild or domestic)
Goose: RLA +0 (wild), RLA -0 (domestic)
Turkey: RLA +0

Blue Jay
2020-11-26, 04:53 PM
Shocker (Remake)

Many D&D fans will probably recognize this monster for the bit part it played in the popular adventure module, Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil. I thought it was an interesting kernel of an idea for a monster, but I found it frustratingly lacking in depth; so I thought it would be interesting to develop it into something that was more than just a one-off gimmick monster. As with all my remakes, I hope I'm not violating any copyrights by posting this, and I'll willingly take it down if I am.

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Shocker
Size/Type: Medium Outsider (Air, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 3d8+6 (19 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 5 ft, Fly 40 ft (perfect)
Armor Class: 17 (+4 Dex, +3 deflection), touch 17, flat-footed 17
BAB/Grapple: +3 / +1
Attack: touch +7 melee (1d8 electricity)
Full Attack: touch +7 melee (1d8 electricity)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Shocking discharge
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Electric healing, Immunites, Insubstantial form, Resistance to acid 10, cold 10 and fire 10
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +2
Abilities: Str 7, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 9 Cha 8
Skills: Concentration +8, Craft (metalsmithing) +6, Escape Artist +10, Jump +10, Listen +5, Perform (dance) +5, Spot +5, Tumble +10
Feats: Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse B
Environment: (Unknown)
Organization: solitary or swarm (2-11)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: usually Neutral
Advancement: 4–6 HD (Medium-size); 7–9 HD (Large); or by character class
Level Adjustment: +2

--

Electric Healing (Ex)
The weird, alien physiology of a shocker does not respond to normal healing magic, but it can be healed by electricity. Cure spells have no effect on a shocker. However, any spell or effect that would deal electricity damage to a shocker instead heals the shocker: it regains a number of hit points equal to the damage the attack would have dealt. A creature delivering electricity to the shocker (for healing or otherwise) does not trigger a Shocking Discharge (see below), even if the electricity attack requires physical contact.

The shocker's own touch attack and Shocking Discharge do not trigger this healing effect, but if the shocker knows other spells or effects that deal electricity damage, it can use those effects to heal itself. A shocker can use its Shocking Discharge to heal another shocker, though the healer still takes damage as normal for this.

Immunities
A shocker is immune to all diseases (even supernatural diseases), electricity, paralysis, poison, sleep and stunning effects. It is not subject to critical hits.

Insubstantial Form (Ex)
Although a shocker is not incorporeal, its body is a diffuse plasma, and weapons often pass right through it unimpeded. Any physical attack against a shocker has a 50% chance of dealing no damage. However, if an attack misses the shocker because of this ability, but would have hit otherwise, it will still trigger the shocker's Shocking Discharge (see below) if it was an unarmed strike, natural attack or metallic weapon.

Shocking Discharge (Ex)
A shocker's body is made of sparkling blue electricity, which is highly unstable. Anytime a creature makes physical contact with the shocker's body (such as with a natural attack or unarmed strike) or strikes the shocker with a metallic melee weapon, some of the shocker's energy and life force are painfully discharged from the shocker to the other creature. The attacker takes 1d8 electricity damage, and the shocker loses a number of hit points equal to half the electricity damage dealt. The shocker's own touch attack, natural weapons, unarmed strikes and metallic melee weapons conduct this electricity as well, generating a shocking discharge on each successful hit. Ranged attacks do not trigger a Shocking Discharge. If the shocker successfully confirms a critical hit with its touch attack, the damage dealt to the target is multiplied, but the damage the shocker takes is not.

The shocker cannot suppress this effect, but the effect is not triggered when two shockers touch one another unless the attacking shocker wills it, and attacks that deal electricity damage (and no other type of damage) also do not trigger a Shocking Discharge (see "Electric Healing”).

Skills
A shocker uses its Dex modifier instead of its Str modifier on Jump checks.

--

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
Shockers generally do not use or carry gear, though they are fully capable of using gear designed for a humanoid, and some individuals may carry and use such gear. When a shocker is slain with a metallic weapon, there is a 50% chance that the shocker's death imbues the weapon with a shocking grasp effect (CL 3rd), which can be released with the weapon's next attack roll. This effect is usable only once, and dissipates after 24 hours.

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the shocker an RLA of +0.

Blue Jay
2020-11-26, 05:24 PM
Needlefolk (Remake)

This is another monster that I always had a certain fondness for, but again it just doesn't do quite enough, and isn't good enough at what it does, to make it interesting. The official needlefolk monster is found in Monster Manual II. It also plays a prominent role in an adventure published in Dungeon #122. For this remake, I rebuilt the needles attack for a bit more versatility instead of power, and added some extra woodsy-skills abilities.

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Needlefolk
Size/Type: Medium Plant
Hit Dice: 3d8+3 (17 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft
Armor Class: 15 (+3 natural, +2 Dex), Touch 12, Flat-footed 13
BAB/Grapple: +2 / +4
Attack: needles +4 ranged (1d6+1, 19-20/x2) or claw +3 melee (1d4+1)
Full Attack: 2 needles +4 ranged (1d6+1, 19-20/x2) or 2 claws +3 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Needle volley, Poison, Spines
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, Plant traits, Trackless step, Woodland camouflage, Woodland stride
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +3
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 15, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +3*, Listen +6, Move Silently +7, Spot +6
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot
Environment: temperate forests
Organization: solitary or grove (5 - 50)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: usually Neutral
Advancement: 4-9 HD (Medium) or by character class
Level Adjustment: +1

--

Poison (Ex)
A needlefolk’s spines inject a mild, paralytic poison. A creature struck by a needlefolk’s spines attack is subjected to the needlefolk’s poison. Initial and secondary damage are both 1d4 Dex. A successful Fort save (DC 12) negates the damage. The saving throw DC is Constitution-based.

Needles (Ex)
A needlefolk gets its name from the sharp, needle-like spines that cover its body. Any creature who strikes a needlefolk with an unarmed strike or natural weapon automatically takes 1d6 damage from the needles (do not add the needlefolk’s Strength modifier to this damage).

Furthermore, a needlefolk can fling clusters of needles from its body, treating them as thrown weapons. The range increment for these thrown needles is 30 feet. Each cluster of needles deals 1d6 damage, plus the needlefolk’s Strength modifier, and scores a critical threat on a roll of 19 or 20. As a special full-round action, a needlefolk can fling one cluster of needles, plus one additional cluster for every 3 hit dice it has. It may throw them at the same or different targets, as it chooses.

Trackless Step (Ex)
Like a druid, a needlefolk leaves no trail when moving in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked, unless it chooses to leave a trail.

Woodland Camouflage (Ex)
A needlefolk can blend into any natural environment with dense undergrowth, allowing to make Hide checks in such environments even when the environment wouldn’t normally provide cover. Furthermore, in a forested environment, a needlefolk gains a +8 racial bonus on all Hide checks.

Woodland Stride (Ex)
A needlefolk may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at its normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect it.

--

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
Needlefolk generally do not use or carry gear. A player character can harvest 2d6 poisoned needles from a slain needlefolk's body. These needles function as blowgun needles, and the poison remains viable for 24 hours after the needlefolk's death.

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the needlefolk an RLA of +0.

Debihuman
2020-11-27, 04:23 AM
Eldritch Archer (Remake)

Eldritch Archer

This looks pretty good. I am not a fan of monsters that have weapons the party cannot take. BUT, that's just my pet peeve.

Which Dragon Magazine is this critter from? It helps to see the source material when I look at things.

When you are trying to figure out CR, Vorpal Tribble's CR Estimator is what I recommend. It's not an exact science but it can give you a rough estimate.

#1. Divide creature's average HP by 4.5 to 6.5.
4.5 for 5 HD or lower, 5 for 6-10 HD, 5.5 for 11-15 HD, 6 for 16-20 HD., 6.5 for 20-25 HD.

#2. Add 1 for each five points above 10 its AC is, subtracting 1 for every 5 below.

#3. Add 1 for each special attack (+2 to +5 or more if it has a decent number of spells in its spell-like abilities).

#4. Add 1 for each quality unless you deem it worthy of more. Add 1 for each resistance and 10 points of DR it has, and 2 for each immunity. Subtract 1 for each vulnerability.

#5. Add 1 for every two bonus feats it has.

#6. Divide total by 3. This should be its rough CR.


Dread Cavalier (Original Creation)

Dread Cavalier
Size/Type: Large Undead

This looks like it should also have the Extraplanar subtype since it can enter the Ethereal Plane.


Level Adjustment: +1
I don't think this should be available to PCs at all. It certainly is more like CR +3 or higher than CR +1. Note most monsters should have no Level Adjustment at all; they aren't suitable as PCs. I recommend changing this to Level Adjustment: —

How does this look different from a skeletal centaur?

You are giving it the special abilities of a ranger not a cavalier. You might want to rename it. See Cavalier Class in Complete Warrior.

Needlefolk

I do not understand the change from Needlefolk's Claw attacks to Needles. Have you looked at the picture in MM2? The problem with them being needles is that the needles are removable while claws are not. I think function here should take precedence.

Debby

Blue Jay
2020-11-27, 10:16 AM
Hi, Debby. Thanks for the feedback! I appreciate it.


This looks pretty good. I am not a fan of monsters that have weapons the party cannot take. BUT, that's just my pet peeve.

Ooh, yeah. The episodic game I regularly DM for on Myth-Weavers tends to de-emphasize looting, because the PCs can buy anything between adventures; so I often forget how important looting is to the "normal" game. The bound-weapon motif for the eldritch archer and reaper lord came from the original monsters, and I just carried them over. But now that you bring it up, I think offering a variant that allows the weapon to be looted post-mortem is a good idea. Thanks for that.


Which Dragon Magazine is this critter from? It helps to see the source material when I look at things.

Oops! It's from Dragon #317: it's in a "Silicon Sorcery" article (p. 73), so I guess it's from a computer game originally, but I'm not familiar with the game.


When you are trying to figure out CR, Vorpal Tribble's CR Estimator is what I recommend. It's not an exact science but it can give you a rough estimate.

#1. Divide creature's average HP by 4.5 to 6.5.
4.5 for 5 HD or lower, 5 for 6-10 HD, 5.5 for 11-15 HD, 6 for 16-20 HD., 6.5 for 20-25 HD.

#2. Add 1 for each five points above 10 its AC is, subtracting 1 for every 5 below.

#3. Add 1 for each special attack (+2 to +5 or more if it has a decent number of spells in its spell-like abilities).

#4. Add 1 for each quality unless you deem it worthy of more. Add 1 for each resistance and 10 points of DR it has, and 2 for each immunity. Subtract 1 for each vulnerability.

#5. Add 1 for every two bonus feats it has.

#6. Divide total by 3. This should be its rough CR.

Huh. Let's try it out. Here's what I get for each of my monsters so far:

Eldritch Archer: CR 16
Dread Cavalier: CR 12
Reaper Lord: CR 17
Nuckelavee: CR 9
Tikbalang CR 5
Shocker: CR 5
Needlefolk: CR 5


Looks like I generally undervalued relative to Vorpa


[Dread cavalier] looks like it should also have the Extraplanar subtype since it can enter the Ethereal Plane.

Ah, yep. It probably should.


I don't think this should be available to PCs at all. It certainly is more like CR +3 or higher than CR +1. Note most monsters should have no Level Adjustment at all; they aren't suitable as PCs. I recommend changing this to Level Adjustment: —

Yeah, I'm more on the side of "everything should have an LA, even if it shouldn't be a PC in a 'normal' game," and I'm trying to extend Inevitability's Reassigned LAs here. But maybe a better idea would be to list a 'standard' LA in the stat block, and provide a separate section for RLAs.

I think I'll go back through and do that.


How does this look different from a skeletal centaur?

Its anatomy is like the nuckelavee's: it still has the horse's head on there, and the humanoid skeleton is fused to it in the saddle position.


You are giving it the special abilities of a ranger not a cavalier. You might want to rename it. See Cavalier Class in Complete Warrior.

Which of its abilities do you see as ranger abilities? To me, it looks like a focused charger that invested 1 feat into archery on the side, so I thought "dread cavalier" was an appropriate name. What would you change about it to make it fit the name "cavalier" better? Or, what would you charge the name to?

Needlefolk


I do not understand the change from Needlefolk's Claw attacks to Needles. Have you looked at the picture in MM2? The problem with them being needles is that the needles are removable while claws are not. I think function here should take precedence.

Hm... good point. I didn't start my design process from the artwork: I started from the more general concept of a spiny plant monster. With the claws, the needlefolk is pretty darn lousy in melee, so I thought making the needles, with their special attacks, cover the melee niche would make the monster a bit more rounded.

But maybe you're right: maybe claws in melee make a little more sense. I'll probably waffle some more on that.

Debihuman
2020-11-27, 11:37 AM
With your Dread Cavalier, I must have looked at something else. I thought it had ranger special abilities, but it does not. This is what I get for staying up way too late.

By the way, you never actually state that dread cavalier has a horse's head.

I'd say that a buried creature can take no actions other than to pull itself up as a full round action. It's a lot simpler. Some of Conditions don't apply well and would take too long to figure out.

Funerary Trample (Su): A dread cavalier's hooves are weapons of fell power. When the dread cavalier uses its Trample feat, and its hoof attack successfully strikes its target, the target must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 23) or become ensconced halfway into the ground . A funerary trample can only be performed on non-solid surfaces such as sand, soil or mud. The save DC is Strength-based.

A creature that has been thus interred can extract itself with a DC 23 Strength check or a DC 23 Escape Artist check, but can take no other actions until it is free. Either check takes a full-round action. However, if the creature is slain while still interred, it will rise again as a zombie,1d4 rounds after it is slain, and the earth forces the zombie out of its interment without requiring any action on the zombie’s part to do so. The zombie is under the control of the dread cavalier who interred it. The skill check DCs are Strength-based.

Blue Jay
2020-11-27, 11:47 AM
By the way, you never actually state that dread cavalier has a horse's head.

I'll edit the text, then. :)


I'd say that a buried creature can take no actions other than to pull itself up as a full round action. It's a lot simpler. Some of Conditions don't apply well and would take too long to figure out.

Funerary Trample (Su): A dread cavalier's hooves are weapons of fell power. When the dread cavalier uses its Trample feat, and its hoof attack successfully strikes its target, the target must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 23) or become ensconced halfway into the ground . A funerary trample can only be performed on non-solid surfaces such as sand, soil or mud. The save DC is Strength-based.

A creature that has been thus interred can extract itself with a DC 23 Strength check or a DC 23 Escape Artist check, but can take no other actions until it is free. Either check takes a full-round action. However, if the creature is slain while still interred, it will rise again as a zombie,1d4 rounds after it is slain, and the earth forces the zombie out of its interment without requiring any action on the zombie’s part to do so. The zombie is under the control of the dread cavalier who interred it. The skill check DCs are Strength-based.

That's a good idea. I tend to lean towards a strongly "simulationist" approach to monster design, so I'll bet there are a lot of things that are overthought and over-engineered.

Thanks, Debby.

Blue Jay
2020-11-27, 10:54 PM
"Playable" Giants (Remakes)

Giants are big, bad bruisers with not a lot in the way of features. So, from the perspective of a player who wants to play a giant, they're not very appealing. So, I made these remakes specifically to improve the playability of various giants. My rebuild strategy was to start each giant with ogre stats, tweak them a bit, then add some specific abilities to make them distinct from one another.

--

Giant, Cyclops
Size/Type: Large Giant
Hit Dice: 4d8+12 (30 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft
Armor Class: 15 (+3 natural, +3 armor, -1 size), Touch 9, Flat-footed 15
BAB/Grapple: +3 / +12
Attack: +1 spear +8 melee (2d6+8, x3) or thrown rock +7 ranged (2d6+5)
Full Attack: +1 spear +8 melee (2d6+8, x3) or thrown rock +7 ranged (2d6+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft / 10 ft
Special Attacks: Rock throwing
Special Qualities: Divine craftsman, Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +1, Will +3
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: Appraise +6, Climb +4, Craft (armorsmith) +10, Craft (weaponsmith) +10, Intimidate +6, Jump +5, Listen +2, Spot +2
Feats: Craft Magic Arms and Armor B, Iron Will, Power Attack
Environment: any mountain
Organization: ???
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: often Lawful (any)
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: +2

--

Rock Throwing (Ex)
A cyclops can hurl great boulders that deal 2d6 damage, plus her Strength modifier. Even though these are improvised weapons, she does not take a penalty on her attack roll for non-proficiency. She uses her Strength modifier instead of her Dexterity modifier on the attack roll. Her thrown rocks have a range increment of 80 feet.

Divine Craftsman (Su)
Cyclopes are superlative craftsmen. A cyclops has an effective caster level equal to her hit dice for the purposes of crafting weapons or armor with magical enhancement bonuses (but no other purpose).

--

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
This cyclops wears hide armor and wields a +1 spear. She has 1d4 throwing rocks at the ready.

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the cyclops an RLA of +1.



Giant, Ettin
Size/Type: Large Giant
Hit Dice: 4d8+8 (26 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 40 ft
Armor Class: 15 (+3 natural, +3 armor, -1 size), Touch 9, Flat-footed 15
BAB/Grapple: +3 / +11
Attack: morningstar +7 melee (2d6+5, x3) or thrown rock +7 ranged (2d6+5)
Full Attack: 2 morningstars +7 melee (2d6+5, x3) or 2 thrown rocks +7 ranged (2d6+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft / 10 ft
Special Attacks: Rock throwing, Superior two-weapon fighting
Special Qualities: All-around vision, Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +0, Will +3
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: Intimidate +5, Listen +6, Search +5, Spot +6
Feats: Iron Will, Power Attack
Environment: any mountain
Organization: ???
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: often Chaotic Evil
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: +2

--

All-Around Vision (Ex)
An ettin’s two heads greatly enhance his vigilance. An ettin cannot be flanked, and he gains a +4 racial bonus on all Listen, Search and Spot checks.

Rock Throwing (Ex)
An ettin can hurl great boulders that deal 2d6 damage, plus his Strength modifier. Even though these are improvised weapons, he does not take a penalty on his attack roll for non-proficiency. He uses his Strength modifier instead of his Dexterity modifier on the attack roll. His thrown rocks have a range increment of 80 feet.

Superior Two-Weapon Fighting (Ex)
An ettin's two heads allow him to split his attention more effectively than other creatures. He takes no penalties on attack rolls for wielding two weapons, and he treats both weapons as if wielded in his primary hand in all respects.

--

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
This ettin wears hide armor and wields 2 morningstars. He has 1d6 throwing rocks at the ready.

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the ettin an RLA of +0.



Giant, Fire Giant
Size/Type: Large Giant (Fire)
Hit Dice: 4d8+8 (26 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 40 ft (30 ft in plate armor)
Armor Class: 19 (+8 armor, +3 natural, -1 Dex, -1 size), Touch 8, Flat-footed 19
BAB/Grapple: +3 / +12
Attack: greatsword +7 melee (3d6+7 plus 1d6 fire, 19-20/x2) or thrown rock +7 ranged (2d6+7 plus 2d6 fire)
Full Attack: greatsword +7 melee (3d6+7 plus 1d6 fire, 19-20/x2) or thrown rock +7 ranged (2d6+7 plus 2d6 fire)
Space/Reach: 10 ft / 10 ft
Special Attacks: Burning weapons, Magma rock throwing
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Immune to fire, Low-light vision, Vulnerable to cold
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +0, Will +1
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +0, Craft (blacksmith) +6, Intimidate +6, Jump +5, Listen +3, Spot +3
Feats: Cleave, Power Attack
Environment: Warm mountains
Organization: ???
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: often Lawful Evil
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: +2

--

Burning Weapons (Ex)
Any melee weapon wielded by a fire giant deals an extra 1d6 fire damage on a successful hit.

Magma Rock Throwing (Ex)
A fire giant can hurl great boulders of semi-hardened magma that deal 2d6 damage, plus 1.5 times her Strength modifier, and an extra 2d6 fire damage. Even though these are improvised weapons, she does not take a penalty on her attack roll for non-proficiency. She uses her Strength modifier instead of her Dexterity modifier on the attack roll. Her thrown rocks have a range increment of 80 feet.

Magma rocks burst on impact, dealing 2d6 fire damage to all creatures adjacent to the target. A successful Reflex save (DC 17) halves the damage. The saving throw DC is Strength-based.

--

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
This fire giant wears plate armor and wields a greatsword. She has 1d6 throwing rocks at the ready.

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the fire giant an RLA of +0.



Giant, Frost Giant
Size/Type: Large Giant (Cold)
Hit Dice: 4d8+8 (26 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 40 ft
Armor Class: 16 (+4 armor, +4 natural, -1 Dex, -1 size), Touch 8, Flat-footed 16
BAB/Grapple: +3 / +12
Attack: greataxe +7 melee (3d6+7 plus 1d6 cold, x3) or thrown rock +7 ranged (2d6+7)
Full Attack: greataxe +7 melee (3d6+7 plus 1d6 cold, x3) or thrown rock +7 ranged (2d6+7)
Space/Reach: 10 ft / 10 ft
Special Attacks: Freezing weapons, Rock throwing
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Immune to cold, Low-light vision, Snowsight, Snow Walking, Vulnerable to fire
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +0, Will +1
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +4, Craft (blacksmith) +3, Intimidate +6, Jump +8, Listen +3, Spot +3, Survival +3
Feats: Cleave, Power Attack, Track B
Environment: Cold mountains
Organization: ???
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: often Neutral Evil
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: +2

--

Freezing Weapons (Ex)
Any melee weapon wielded by a frost giant deals an extra 1d6 cold damage on a successful hit.

Rock Throwing (Ex)
A frost giant can hurl great boulders that deal 2d6 damage, plus 1.5 times his Strength modifier. Even though these are improvised weapons, he does not take a penalty on his attack roll for non-proficiency for non-proficiency. He uses his Str modifier instead of his Dex modifier on the attack roll. His thrown rocks have a range increment of 80 feet.

Snowsight (Ex)
A frost giant can see normally in whiteout conditions. His vision is not impeded by obscuring mist or fog cloud spells, or by similar effects.

Snow Walking (Ex)
A frost giant can move over icy or snowy terrain of any depth without any impediment.


--

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
This frost giant wears a mithral chain shirt and wields a greataxe. He has 1d6 throwing rocks at the ready.

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the frost giant an RLA of +0.



Giant, Hill Giant
Size/Type: Large Giant
Hit Dice: 4d8+12 (30 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 40 ft
Armor Class: 16 (+3 armor, +4 natural, -1 Dex, -1 size), Touch 8, Flat-footed 17
BAB/Grapple: +3 / +12
Attack: greatclub +7 melee (2d8+7) or stomp +7 melee (2d6+4) or slam +7 melee (1d6+4) or thrown rock +7 ranged (2d6+7)
Full Attack: greatclub +7 melee (2d8+7) and stomp +2 melee (2d6+2); or stomp +7 melee (2d6+4) and 2 slams +2 melee (1d6+2); or thrown rock +7 ranged (2d6+7)
Space/Reach: 10 ft / 10 ft
Special Attacks: Rock throwing, Trample 2d6+8
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, Rock catching
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +0, Will +1
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 8, Con 17, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +4, Intimidate +5, Jump +6, Listen +1, Spot +1
Feats: Cleave, Power Attack
Environment: Temperate hills
Organization: ???
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: often Chaotic (any)
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: +1

--

Rock Throwing (Ex)
A hill giant can hurl great boulders (or other similar objects) that deal 2d6 damage, plus 1.5 times the hill giant's Strength modifier. Even though these are improvised weapons, she does not take a penalty on her attack roll for non-proficiency. She uses her Strength modifier instead of her Dexterity modifier on the attack roll. Her thrown rocks have a range increment of 100 feet.

Trample (Ex)
A hill giant deals 2d6 plus 1.5 times her Strength modifier to all creatures she tramples. A successful Reflex save (DC 17) halves the damage. The saving throw DC is Strength-based.

--

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
This hill giant wears hide armor and wields a greatclub. She has 1d6 throwing rocks at the ready.

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the hill giant an RLA of +0.



Giant, Stone Giant
Size/Type: Large Giant (Earth)
Hit Dice: 4d8+12 (30 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 40 ft, Climb 20 ft
Armor Class: 20 (+3 armor, +8 natural, -1 size), Touch 9, Flat-footed 20
BAB/Grapple: +3 / +12
Attack: greatclub +7 melee (2d8+7) or stomp +7 melee (1d8+7) or thrown rock +7 ranged (3d8+7)
Full Attack: greatclub +7 melee (2d8+7) and stomp +2 melee (1d8+2); or thrown rock +7 ranged (3d8+7)
Space/Reach: 10 ft / 10 ft
Special Attacks: Rock throwing
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Low-light vision, Rock catching
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +1
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +11, Craft (blacksmith) +2, Intimidate +6, Jump +7, Listen +3, Spot +3
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Power Attack
Environment: Temperate mountains
Organization: ???
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: usually Neutral
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: +1

--

Rock Catching (Ex)
A stone giant can catch a rock (or similar projectile) that is thrown or launched at him, and either hits him or lands within his reach. To do this, he makes a Reflex saving throw. The DC is 15 for a Small object, 20 for a Medium object, and 25 for a Large object. He gains a +4 racial bonus on the save. If successful, the projectile deals no damage, and any special effects that would normally accompany the projectile's landing are negated.

Rock Throwing (Ex)
A stone giant can hurl great boulders that deal 3d8 damage, plus 1.5 times the stone giant's Strength modifier. Even though these are improvised weapons, he does not take a penalty on his attack roll for non-proficiency. He uses his Strength modifier instead of his Dexterity modifier on the attack roll. His thrown rocks have a range increment of 150 feet. Unlike most thrown weapons, a stone giant's rocks have a maximum range of 10 increments.

--

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
This stone giant wears hide armor and wields a greatclub. He has 1d6+2 throwing rocks at the ready.

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the stone giant an RLA of +0.

Blue Jay
2020-11-30, 10:28 PM
Fossergrim (Remake)

The Fiend Folio gave us a version of this creature, which is conceptually similar to a male nymph. But, the FF version is not very much like the fossegrim (note the slightly different spelling) from scandinavian folklore. Specifically, the folkloric creature's most prominent feature is his musical talent. Yet, the fossergrim from FF doesn't have any music ability at all, not even Perform as a racial skill. Instead, it has combat abilities that only work near its waterfall. This just isn't satisfying to me, so I wanted to make a fantasy version of the fossergrim that's at least somewhat more true to the folklore. It's still got some of my own fantasy elements, so it's not a perfect fit, but I hope it at least captures the core of the folklore.

--

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YOln0E8umFE/UbiQKuWD2zI/AAAAAAAAANw/pNvy0FqZsQs/s1600/tumblr_mbi4op7Z6j1rgh6lbo1_500.jpg
--

Fossergrim
Size/Type: Medium Fey (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 5d6+5 (22 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft, Swim 50 ft
Armor Class: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 deflection), Touch 17, Flat-footed 14
BAB/Grapple: +2 / +4
Attack: dagger +5 melee or ranged (1d4+2, 19-20/x2) or mwk composite (+2 Str) longbow +6 ranged (1d8+2, x3)
Full Attack: dagger +5 melee or ranged (1d4+2, 19-20/x2) or mwk composite (+2 Str) longbow +6 ranged (1d8+2, x3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Fiddle, Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Amphibious, Damage reduction 10/cold iron, Fast healing 5, Low-light vision, Unearthly grace, Waterfall bond
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +11, Will +10
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 18
Skills: Bluff +8, Concentration +5, Diplomacy +8, Escape Artist +7, Heal +6, Hide +7, Knowledge (nature) +5, Listen +6, Move Silently +7, Perform (strings) +16, Sense Motive +6, Spot +6, Survival +6, Swim +14
Feats: Combat Casting, Weapon Finesse
Environment: waterfalls, and anywhere near a river
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: any
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: -

--

The air is full of exquisite fiddle music, poignant like no other music could ever be, and even the roar of the waterfall can't drive the melody from your mind. As you near the waterfall, you see the silhouette of a man pouring his soul into the fiddle, his every movement as sensual and graceful as the greatest of artists. And with the water splashing all around him, he lifts his eyes and gives you a knowing grin, without missing a beat in his song...

--

Amphibious (Ex)
A fossergrim can breathe normally in both air and water.

Fast Healing (Ex)
A fossergrim’s fast healing only functions when he is at least partially immersed water, and within 100 feet of his bonded waterfall.

Fiddle (Su)
A fossergrim is best known for the utterly enchanting music he plays on his fiddle, which can often bend the minds of the listeners. This ability mimics the Bardic Music ability of a 5th-level bard. He can also spend one daily use of this ability to create a beckoning call effect, as the spell from Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss (Will DC 16 negates the effect). If the fossergrim has any actual levels in the bard class (or other class that grants Bardic Music), his racial hit dice stack with his bard levels for determining his Bardic Music abilities. If the fossergrim sits on the rocks beneath his waterfall while playing, the DC for his Fiddle or Bardic Music abilities increases by 2. The saving throw DCs are Charisma-based.

Spell-Like Abilities
A fossergrim can use the following spells as a 5th-level bard.

at will — charm person (Will DC 15), summon instrument, water breathing, whispering wind

Unearthly Grace (Su)
Like a nymph — to whom the fossergrim is often compared — a fossergrim is a supernatural manifestation of the grace and beauty of nature. A fossergrim adds his Charisma modifier as a bonus on all saving throws, and as a deflection bonus to his Armor Class. (The statistics block already reflects these bonuses).

Waterfall Bond (Su)
A fossergrim is mystically bonded to a specific waterfall, usually an unusually large one. A fossergrim must generally remain in or near his bonded waterfall, though he is capable of wandering up and down the river freely, and he can wander even farther for short periods of time. In general, if he wanders more than 1 mile from his river, then he must return to immerse himself in his bonded waterfall within 1d4+1 days, or he becomes sickened, and begins to wither and die. After 1d6 hours of this sickness, he becomes nauseated. After 4d6 hours, he falls dead. These effects cannot be mitigated by magic or any other means, except by immersing himself in his bonded waterfall, whereupon his suffering is immediately alleviated. He must remain immersed for at least 1d6+1 hours before he will be able to wander safely again.

While in his waterfall, a fossergrim can clamber about the rocks with supernatural agility. He functions as if under the effects of a permanent spider climb spell, but only within the boundaries of his waterfall.

Skills
A fossergrim has a +8 racial bonus on all Perform and Swim checks. He can always choose to take 10 on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard, even when distracted or endangered. He can use the run action while swimming, provided he swims in a straight line. He can swim against the current, even straight up a running waterfall, with no reduction in his speed, and he is not driven backwards.

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
A fossergrim typically carries a dagger, a masterwork longbow and 20 arrows.

When a fossergrim is slain, his body vanishes, but a magical fiddle is left behind. This fiddle plays like a masterwork instrument, and the owner can use it to cast whispering wind (CL 3rd) twice per day. This item has a market value of 4900 gp. A fossergrim can also choose to create such a fiddle in a 10-minute ritual, only as a gift for a person he judges worthy, or with whom he has made a pact (see below). This ritual requires him to permanently sacrifice 3 hit points, and he is unable to use his summon instrument spell-like ability for 1 week after; consequently, such gifts are very rare indeed.

Pacts with a Fossergrim
Some individuals seek out a fossergrim to learn the secrets of his supernatural music. If the fossergrim judges the supplicant worthy, he may agree to train the individual, granting him a +2 divine bonus on all Perform (strings) checks from then on. The supplicant must agree to swear an oath of some kind to the fossergrim (typically refraining from harming fey creatures and promising to protect the wilderness, and to keep the pact secret). The supplicant must also permanently sacrifice 2 hp by running his finger along the strings of the fossergrim’s fiddle, which cuts the finger and draws blood. This act allows the fossergrim to always know if the supplicant has broken his oath. At any time, either party may renounce the pact, forfeiting both the benefit and the hit point loss.

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the fossergrim an RLA of +2*.

The asterisk (*) is for the Waterfall Bond, which impedes adventuring. Although I made an effort to reduce the restrictions imposed by Waterfall Bond, I still feel like the bond is rather essential to the monster, so it's still there, and it's still a limitation that makes it awfully hard for a fossergrim to go adventuring, so some accommodation from the DM will likely still be necessary.

Blue Jay
2020-11-30, 10:39 PM
Unseen Agent (Original Creation)

Here's a simple one. I bet someone else has come up with this exact idea before.

--

Unseen Agent
Size/Type: Medium Construct (Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 1d10 (6 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 15 ft
Armor Class: 13 (+2 Dex, +1 deflection), Touch 13, Flat-footed 11
BAB/Grapple: +0 / -4
Attack: slam +2 melee (1d4-4)
Full Attack: slam +2 melee (1d4-4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Construct traits, Darkvision 60 ft, Incorporeal traits, Low-light vision, Natural invisibility, Self-Healing, Semi-Incorporeal
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +0
Abilities: Str 2, Dex 14, Con --, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +2, Listen +3, Move Silently, +3, Sense Motive +1, Spot +3
Feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse B
Environment: any
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: none
Alignment: usually Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: +2

--

Occasionally, an unseen servant spell persists beyond its normal duration, gaining an Intelligence score and becoming a free-willed entity that takes to the world on its own.

Natural Invisibility (Ex)
An unseen agent is naturally invisible to the naked eye. It cannot dismiss this effect and voluntarily become visible. However, objects it carries do not become invisible with it, so an unseen agent that wishes to be observed will simply carry a visible object around with it. This ability is inherent and not subject to the invisibility purge spell, but spells like see invisibility and true seeing can still be used to observe the unseen agent. Under the effects of these spells, an unseen agent looks like a translucent, vaguely humanoid outline.

Self-Healing (Ex)
Unlike most constructs, an unseen agent heals hit points naturally, as if it were a living creature.

Semi-Incorporeal (Ex)
An unseen agent is an incorporeal creature. However, unlike most incorporeal creatures, it has a Strength score, and it can manipulate physical objects as if it were a physical creature itself. It can even wield physical weapons (though it is not innately proficient in their use). These weapons and objects remain fully corporeal and visible while wielded by the agent, and do not gain the unseen agent’s ability to interact with or damage other incorporeal creatures.

--

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
Unseen agents usually don't use or carry gear, though many carry around small trinkets and baubles that they find interesting, though these usually have little intrinsic value (usually just 1 or 2 gp).

Unseen Agents as Familiars
A spellcaster of 7th level or higher who has the Improved Familiar feat can select an unseen agent as his familiar.

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the unseen agent an RLA of +1.

Blue Jay
2020-12-03, 10:51 PM
Animated Objects (Original Creations)

Anyone who's looked at my monster templates (www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?586460-Templates-for-Monster-Characters) thread can tell that I rather like animated objects. Here are several specific animated objects that I designed. For most of these, I began with the stats for the standard animated objects from the Monster Manual, then augmented them with stat boosts and special abilities.

--

Animated Ballista
Size/Type: Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 2d10+20 (31 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft
Armor Class: 14 (+4 natural), Touch 10, Flat-footed 14
BAB/Grapple: +1 / +3 (an animated ballista cannot initiate a grapple)
Attack: mwk light ballista +2 ranged (3d8, 19-20/x2) or slam +4 melee (1d6+4)
Full Attack: mwk light ballista +2 ranged (3d8, 19-20/x2) or slam +4 melee (1d6+4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Ballista
Special Qualities: Construct traits, Hardness 5, Inconspicuous
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +0, Will -5
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 10, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: --
Feats: --
Environment: battlefields
Organization: by military
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

Ballista (Ex)
An animated ballista can load its own bolts, provided the bolts are within reach. An animated ballista can launch a bolt every other round; during the intervening rounds, it is assumed to be reloading, but it can perform other actions while it reloads. It does not require any skill checks to reload.

Inconspicuous (Ex)
When standing still on the ground, an animated ballista looks just like any other ballista. It takes a Spot check (DC 25) to recognize that it’s more than just a normal ballista.

For Player Characters

Construction
To construct an animated ballista, a character must have the Craft Construct feat and a caster level of at least 3rd, and must be able to cast true strike. An animated ballista is made from a masterwork light ballista (1000 gp, Heroes of Battle), and the process of enchanting the item into a construct uses up magical materials worth 1000 gp. Market Price: 3000 gp.

Gear and Loot
An animated ballista usually has 2d6 ballista bolts at the ready.

Animated Cage
Size/Type: Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 2d10+20 (31 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft
Armor Class: 15 (+4 natural, +1 Dex), Touch 11, Flat-footed 14
BAB/Grapple: +1 / +8
Attack: slam +6 melee (1d6+4)
Full Attack: slam +6 melee (1d6+4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Cage, Improved Grab
Special Qualities: Construct traits, Hardness 10, Inconspicuous
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will -5
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 12, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: --
Feats: --
Environment: dungeons
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

Cage (Ex)
If the animated cage achieves a pin against an opponent of Medium size or smaller, it automatically shoves its opponent inside the bars and slams and locks its door. The opponent is trapped within, and neither it nor the animated cage is considered grappled. While inside the cage, the prisoner cannot make effective melee attacks, taking a -4 penalty on attack rolls (whether these attacks target the cage or another creature outside the cage). A prisoner cannot make attacks with two-handed weapons, with bows or with a sling, but he can reload and shoot a light or hand crossbow at a target outside the cage. Any attacks a prisoner makes against the animated cage deal only half damage (before applying Hardness).

To escape the cage, a prisoner must pick the lock or break the door. The door can be broken open with a successful DC 26 Strength check, which renders the door useless and prevents the animated cage from successfully using its Cage attack until it is repaired. The cage is ineffective at holding creatures of Tiny size or smaller: such creatures can slip between the bars with no trouble.

An animated cage can attempt to put more than one creature inside its cage, but it must unlock and open its door to do so. Each time the animated cage attempts to place an additional creature in its cage, any creatures already in the cage are entitled to a Grapple or Escape Artist check (opposed by the animated cage's Grapple check) to jump free. The animated cage can hold 1 Medium creature, 2 Small creatures, 4 Tiny creatures or 8 Diminutive or Fine creatures (though Tiny or smaller creatures can escape easily). It instinctively knows when its cage is full, and does not try to place more creatures inside once it has reached that limit.

Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, the animated cage must hit a creature of Medium size or smaller with its slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. An animated cage has a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks.

Inconspicuous (Ex)
When standing still on the ground, an animated cage looks just like any other cage. It takes a DC 25 Spot check to recognize that it’s more than just a normal cage.

For Player Characters

Construction
To construct an animated cage, a character must have the Craft Construct feat and a caster level of at least 3rd, and must be able to cast hold person. An animated cage is built from a masterwork cage (100 gp, see Arms and Equipment Guide, added 50 gp for masterwork quality) and a lock (any lock from the Player's Handbook will do), and the process of enchanting the item into a construct uses up magical materials worth 1000 gp. Market Price: 2100 gp + the price of the lock.

Gear and Loot
This animated cage has an average lock (Open Lock DC 25), but any lock can be incorporated into the cage, and some individuals may have different locks.

Candelabra come in a variety of sizes. Here, I present stats for a large, free-standing candelabrum the height of a man (which I call a "candle tree") and a smaller, handheld candelabrum.

Animated Candle Tree
Size/Type: Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 2d10+20 (31 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft
Armor Class: 15 (+4 natural, +1 Dex), Touch 11, Flat-footed 14
BAB/Grapple: +1 / +2
Attack: slam +2 melee (1d4+1 plus 1 fire) or touch +2 melee or ranged (1 fire plus Burn)
Full Attack: 4 slams +2 melee (1d4+1 plus 1 fire) or 4 touches +2 melee or ranged (1 fire plus Burn)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Burn
Special Qualities: Construct traits, Hardness 10, Inconspicuous, Torchlight
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will -5
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 12, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: --
Feats: --
Environment: castles and great halls
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

This candelabrum stands nearly the height of a man, and holds five candles: one at the top of the main post, and four more on arms extended around it.

Burn (Ex)
A creature hit by an animated candelabrum’s touch attack (but not its slam attack) must succed on a DC 15 Reflex save or catch fire for 1d4 rounds. The fire deals no damage on the first round, but it deals 1d6 damage on each subsequent round for as long as it continues to burn. The save DC is Constitution-based, and includes a +4 racial bonus.

Inconspicuous (Ex)
When standing still on the ground, an animated candle tree looks like just a large, ornate candelabrum. It takes a DC 25 Spot check to recognize that it’s more than just a normal candelabrum.

Multi-Armed (Ex)
An animated candle tree holds five candles: one in the center and four on arms radiating out from the center. It does not use the central candle as a weapon, but it can use the four spindly arms to deliver slam or touch attacks. A touch attack is delivered as either a melee attack or as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 20 feet. It may choose to deliver one slam or one touch attack with each arm in a full attack, and it may intersperse slams and touch attacks freely.

Torchlight (Ex)
At will as a swift action, an animated candelabrum can spontaneously light its five candles, shedding light as a torch. It can extinguish the candles again as a free action. While the candles are lit, the candelabrum can deal fire damage with its slam attacks and deliver burning touch attacks. Otherwise, its slams deal no extra fire damage, and it cannot deliver burning touch attacks.

For Player Characters

Construction
To construct an animated candle tree, a character must have the Craft Construct feat and a caster level of at least 3rd, and must be able to cast burning hands or produce flame. An animated candle tree is constructed from a masterwork candle tree worth 200 gp, and the process of enchanting the item into a construct uses up magical materials worth 1000 gp. Market Price: 2200 gp.

Gear and Loot
An animated candle tree holds 5 candles, which may be salvageable after the candle tree is destroyed.

--

Animated Candelabrum (Handheld Candelabrum)
Size/Type: Tiny Construct
Hit Dice: ½d10 (2 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft
Armor Class: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 size), Touch 14, Flat-footed 12
BAB/Grapple: +0 / -9
Attack: slam +4 melee (1 plus 1 fire) or touch +4 melee or ranged (1 fire plus Burn)
Full Attack: 2 slams +4 melee (1 plus 1 fire) or 2 touches +4 melee or ranged (1 fire plus Burn)
Space/Reach: 2.5 ft / 0 ft
Special Attacks: Burn
Special Qualities: Construct traits, Hardness 10, Inconspicuous, Torchlight
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +2, Will -5
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 14, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: --
Feats: Weapon Finesse
Environment: castles and great halls
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

This candelabrum is sized to be held in one hand, like a torch. It holds three candles: one at the top of the main post, and two others on arms extended around it.

Burn (Ex)
A creature hit by an animated candelabrum’s touch attack (but not its slam attack) must succed on a DC 14 Reflex save or catch fire for 1d4 rounds. The fire deals no damage on the first round, but it deals 1d6 damage on each subsequent round for as long as it continues to burn. The save DC is Constitution-based, and includes a +4 racial bonus.

Inconspicuous (Ex)
When standing still, an animated candelabrum looks just like any other handheld candelabrum. It takes a DC 25 Spot check to recognize that it’s more than just a normal candelabrum.

Multi-Armed (Ex)
This animated candelabrum holds three candles: one in the center and two on arms radiating out from the center. It does not use the central candle as a weapon, but it can use its two arms to deliver slam or touch attacks. A touch attack is delivered as either a melee attack or as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 20 feet. It may choose to deliver one slam or one touch attack with each arm in a full attack, and it may intersperse slams and touch attacks freely.

Torchlight (Ex)
At will as a swift action, an animated candelabrum can spontaneously light its three candles, shedding bright light out to a radius of 10 feet, and shadowy illumination out to a radius of 20 feet. It can extinguish the candles again as a free action. While the candles are lit, the candelabrum can deal fire damage with its slam attacks and deliver burning touch attacks. Otherwise, its slams deal no extra fire damage, and it cannot deliver burning touch attacks.

For Player Characters

Construction
To construct an animated candelabrum, a character must have the Craft Construct feat and a caster level of at least 3rd, and must be able to cast burning hands or produce flame. An animated candelabrum is built from a masterwork gold candelabrum (75 gp, priced as the 4-candle version from Arms and Equipment Guide, adding 50 gp for masterwork quality), and the process of enchanting the item into a construct uses up magical materials worth 500 gp. Market Price: 1075 gp.

Gear and Loot
An animated candelabrum holds 3 candles, which may be salvageable after the candelabrum is destroyed.

Animated Wheelbarrow
Size/Type: Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 2d10+20 (31 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 50 ft
Armor Class: 15 (+4 natural, +1 Dex), Touch 11, Flat-footed 14
BAB/Grapple: +1 / +4
Attack: slam +4 melee (1d6+4)
Full Attack: slam +4 melee (1d6+4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Scoop
Special Qualities: Construct traits, Hardness 5, Inconspicuous
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will -5
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 12, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: --
Feats: Improved Overrun B
Environment: farms and shops
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

Inconspicuous (Ex)
When standing still on the ground, an animated wheelbarrow looks just like any other wheelbarrow. It takes a DC 25 Spot check to recognize that it’s more than just a normal wheelbarrow.

Scoop (Ex)
An animated wheelbarrow can quickly run down a foe and scoop her off the ground, carrying her where it wishes before depositing her. Treat this as an Overrun attempt (the wheelbarrow's modifier for the opposed Strength check is +7), except that, if the wheelbarrow wins the opposed check, the opponent is not knocked prone, but is scooped into the wheelbarrow. A wheelbarrow can scoop up 1 Medium creature, 2 Small creatures, 8 Tiny creatures or 32 Diminutive creatures (it must scoop up each creature separately). Once it has reached its capacity, it can no longer scoop up additional creatures or perform additional Overrun attempts.

A creature that has been scooped up is carried along with the wheelbarrow as it moves, and she counts against the wheelbarrow's carrying capacity. Treat the wheelbarrow as a Large quadruped when calculating its carrying capacity. A carried creature retains all modifiers to her AC and can act as normal, but she is treated as prone, and she takes additional penalties on any attack rolls as if she were riding the wheelbarrow as a mount. The wheelbarrow's movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal, and any creature from whom an attack of opportunity is provoked (even an ally of the wheelbarrow) may target the wheelbarrow or a creature it is carrying, at their option.

On her turn, a creature that is being carried by the wheelbarrow can attempt to jump off with a successful DC 15 Reflex save as a standard action. On a success, the creature lands in an adjacent square of her choosing and takes 1d6 nonlethal damage (which she can negate with a successful Jump check as if jumping down from a height). Failure means she remains in the wheelbarrow until she can try again. A carried creature can make an opposed Strength check against the wheelbarrow as a standard action, to prevent the wheelbarrow from moving on its turn.

The animated wheelbarrow can choose to dump out a carried creature as a standard action, potentially subjecting the creature to falling damage. The creature being dumped is entitled to a Reflex save to avoid being dumped (same DC as jumping out): success means she lands in an adjacent square of her choosing, and she takes no falling damage. Failure means she is deposited in an adjacent square of the wheelbarrow's choosing and takes at least 1d6 falling damage, in addition to any extra damage she may take from falling down a slope or into a hazard of some sort.

The save DCs are Strength-based, and include a +2 racial bonus.

For Player Characters

Construction
To construct an animated wheelbarrow, a character must have the Craft Construct feat and a caster level of at least 3rd, and must be able to cast bull's strength. An animated wheelbarrow is constructed from a masterwork wheelbarrow (65 gp, priced as a cart + 50 gp for masterwork), and the process of enchanting the item into a construct uses up magical materials worth 1000 gp. Market Price: 2065 gp.

Gear and Loot
An animated wheelbarrow generally does not use or carry gear, and usually leaves little loot behind when destroyed.

Autonomous Grimoire
Size/Type: Tiny Construct
Hit Dice: ½ d10 (5 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: Fly 10 ft (perfect)
Armor Class: 13 (+1 Dex, +2 size), Touch 13, Flat-footed 12
BAB/Grapple: +0 / -12 (an autonomous grimoire cannot initiate a grapple)
Attack: slam +3 melee (1d3-4)
Full Attack: slam +3 melee (1d3-4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Spells
Special Qualities: Construct traits, Energy Resistance, Hardness 2, Inconspicuous
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will -5
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 12, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: --
Feats: Weapon Finesse B
Environment: wizards' workshops and libraries
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

Energy Resistance (Ex)
This sample autonomous grimoire was created with the "Resistance to Energy (Minor)" spellbook option from Complete Arcane: it has resistance 5 against acid, cold, electricity, fire and sonic attacks.

Inconspicuous (Ex)
When lying still on the ground, a desk or a shelf, an autonomous grimoire looks just like any other massive tome or wizard’s spellbook. It takes a DC 25 Spot check to recognize that it’s more than just an unusually large book.

Spells
An autonomous grimoire can cast the spells inscribed upon its pages, but it is much less powerful than a true wizard. The autonomous grimoire casts wizard spells as if it were reading them from a scroll with caster level 1st. It can cast any wizard spell that is written on its pages once per day. The writing does not vanish after it is cast (as it would for a typical scroll), but it becomes non-magical until the next day. An autonomous grimoire has an effective Intelligence score of 11, so it can only cast 0th- and 1st-level spells, and the Difficulty Class for a saving throw against one of its spells is 10 (for a 0th-level spell) or 11 (for a 1st-level spell). No other creature can cast a spell from the autonomous grimoire.

To cast a spell, the grimoire must be ordered to do so by its master (which is a move action for the master). The grimoire can be ordered to cast a spell in response to a specified trigger condition, though the trigger conditions must be relatively simple (e.g., “when anyone except me enters this room” or “when I fall unconscious”). If the grimoire is not already open to the proper page, it must take a move action to turn to the correct page before it can cast the spell as ordered. It takes at least a standard action to cast the spell (though spells with longer casting times still take longer to cast).

When first created, an autonomous grimoire has no spells inscribed on its pages. Any wizard can write a spell into an autonomous grimoire as if it were a normal spellbook, provided he has a source from which to copy the spell. For each spell inscribed into the autonomous grimoire, the scribe must pay a cost equal to double the usual price(s) for writing a new spell into a spellbook, along with any applicable fees (which are not doubled). Multiple copies of the same spell allow multiple daily castings of the spell, but no spell may be inscribed into an autonomous grimoire more than 3 times.

This example grimoire contains three spells, each inscribed once: ghost sound, light and magic missile.

For Player Characters

Construction
To construct an autonomous grimoire, a character must have the Craft Construct feat and a must be a wizard of at least 5th level. He must also be able to cast secret page. An autonomous grimoire must be made from a spellbook worth at least 500 gp (using various spellbook options from Complete Arcane), and the process of enchanting the item into a construct uses up magical materials worth 1000 gp. The craftsman must pay 200 gp per page to scribe spells separately. Market Price: 2000 gp + the price of the spellbook + 400 gp per page of spells scribed.

The sample autonomous grimoire described above was made from a spellbook worth 1015 gp (15 gp for the spellbook, +1000 gp for energy resistance 5). The total cost to create the sample autonomous grimoire, including spell scribing costs, is 1615 gp, and it sells for 4215 gp on the market.

Autonomous Grimoires as Familiars
An autonomous grimoire can be taken as a wizard’s familiar. The wizard must have the Improved Familiar feat, and an arcane caster level of at least 11th. If an autonomous grimoire familiar gains an Intelligence score higher than 11, the save DC for its spells increases accordingly; but it is still only able to cast 0th- and 1st-level wizard spells.

Gear and Loot
An autonomous grimoire cannot use or carry gear of any sort. When an autonomous grimoire is destroyed, there is a 25% chance that it leaves behind 1d3 pages that are undamaged enough to be salvaged. Each salvaged page contains one of the autonomous grimoire's inscribed spells, and functions as a scroll for that spell (CL 1st). In this case, the magic writing vanishes after the spell is cast, as a typical scroll.

Caltrop Swarm
Size/Type: Diminutive Construct (Swarm)
Hit Dice: 1d10 (10 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 10 ft
Armor Class: 17 (+4 size, +3 Dex), Touch 17, Flat-footed 17
BAB/Grapple: +0 / -14 (a caltrop swarm cannot be grappled)
Attack: impale +7 melee (1) or swarm 1d6
Full Attack: impale +7 melee (1) or swarm 1d6
Space/Reach: 10 ft / 0 ft
Special Attacks: Caltrops, Distraction, Swarm
Special Qualities: Construct traits, Hardness 5, Inconspicuous, Swarm traits
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +3, Will -5
Abilities: Str 6, Dex 16, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: Hide +15
Feats: Weapon Finesse B
Environment: any
Organization: solitary or cluster (1d6+1 swarms)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

Caltrops (Ex)
The area occupied by a caltrop swarm is treated as covered with caltrops, which make one impale attack immediately against each creature that moves through a square of its space. These attacks do not take an action on the swarm's part. A creature that moves through multiple squares of the caltrop swarm's space is attacked once for each square he moves through. These attacks are treated like attacks from normal caltrops in all ways, except the caltrop swarm uses its own attack bonuses (including its Dex modifier for its Weapon Finesse bonus feat) on the attack roll. An opponent who receives a caltrop wound has his speed halved. Multiple caltrop wounds do not result in additional speed reductions.

A caltrop swarm can also make one impale attack on its turn as a standard action, or as an attack action during a full attack.

Distraction (Ex)
Any living creature that is susceptible to a caltrop swarm’s swarm damage and begins its turn within the caltrop swarm’s space must succeed on a DC 12 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based, and includes a +2 racial bonus.

Inconspicuous (Ex)
When standing still along the ground, an animated caltrop swarm looks just like any other cluster of caltrops. A creature can roll a Spot check to discover the caltrops, opposed by the caltrops’ Hide check, as normal, but the Spot check must beat the Hide check result by 10 or more to notice that they are more than just normal caltrops.

For Player Characters

Construction
To construct a caltrop swarm, a character must have the Craft Construct feat and a caster level of at least 3rd, and must be able to cast caltrops. A caltrop swarm must be made from four bags of masterwork caltrops (51 gp each, total 204 gp), and the process of enchanting the item into a construct uses up magical materials worth 500 gp. Market Price: 1204 gp.

Caltrop Swarms as Familiars
A caltrop swarm can be taken as a spellcaster’s familiar. The spellcaster must have the Improved Familiar feat, and an arcane caster level of at least 5th. See Dragon #329 for details on swarm familiars.

Gear and Loot
A caltrop swarm that has been destroyed leaves behind some nonmagical caltrops. If these are gathered up, they are the equivalent of a single bag of caltrops.

For Player Characters

Animated Objects as Familiars
Some of these animated objects can be taken as a spellcaster's familiar. The spellcaster must have the Improved Familiar feat, and a minimum arcane caster level as shown on the table below.


Familiar Minimum CL
animated candelabrum (handheld) 3rd
caltrop swarm 5th
serpentine rope 7th
autonomous grimoire (wizard only) 11th


Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving these animated objects the following RLAs:

Object RLA
Animated Ballista +0
Animated Cage -0
Animated Candelabrum (Candle Tree) -0
Animated Candelabrum (Handheld) +1
Animated Wheelbarrow -0
Autonomous Grimoire +0
Caltrop Swarm -0
Eternal Snowman +0
Horseless Saddle -0
Living Chest -0
Rolling Stone -0
Self-Playing Zither +0
Serpentine Rope +1
Walking Skep -0

Morphic tide
2020-12-04, 12:25 AM
Comments on some of the creatures so far:

Eldritch Archer: The most immediate problem is that the thing is a ranged attacker with Dimention Door at-will and a feat that specifically benefits ambushes. It thankfully lacks actual skill ranks in Hide (though if this is intentional, Able Sniper should be a Bonus Feat instead of Weapon Finesse), but even so it's quite reasonably able to engage from 300 ft. away, giving the party as much as a -30 to the Spot checks against its own net -8 to the Hide check, so the party will have to make at best something like a DC 18 Spot check if they're spread across 40 ft.

Because this has Able Sniper and Dimension Door alongside minionmancy and an at-will heal for those minions, this degenerate nigh-unwinnable situation is something directly indicated, and even if the party can somehow catch it, they have to deal with that Dimension Door teleporting the thing 1240 ft. on a Standard Action, and even if they can lock down its teleportation they still have to deal with 40 ft. move and +18 Climb and Tumble to actually catch it before they can hit it once, at which point the thing is taking 10 off actual attacks and healing 5 per turn before we start talking silliness involving hitting itself.

This isn't a matter of enemy spellcasters not engaging in scry-or-die being stupid. This is a matter of the creature having basically nothing but Scry Or Die type tools and a design that explicitly incentivizes such things because it's an archer with a feat literally calling it an Able Sniper and an at-will teleport, to the point of having goddamn Antimagic Field from up to 1500 ft. away. It is literally more bounded by Spot checks for how far it can kill you from than anything else, and you have to kill it on the spot because it has Fast Healing to boot! It has no reason not to just Dimension Door back and forth across the area to have all the time it feels like to whittle the party down.

Dread Cavalier: The description indicates the thing wants to be Dexterity based, as does the Mounted Archery feat, but it has a +4 higher Strength modifier. Given the Dual Actions property, it always gets to Full Attack, so it doesn't need the emulation of a good Martial's attack bonus because it gets to always make its Claw/Claw attack, possibly a Claw/Lance attack (still don't get how Manufactured and Natural weapons mix). Personally, I'd let it keep the Mounted Combat benefit and give it some degree of split statistics, so it isn't in-game obvious they have a shared hit point total because they do, in fact, behave mostly as a normal mounted combatant, ideally including separable armor so it doesn't have much available AC bloat. +3-4 over a standard race is fine when you're eating 10 Undead HD for it, +10 is not.

Something like 22/20 Str/Dex, so it actually has the scores to be either sort by the desire of the user with useful backup in the other from pure innate qualities. Whether that be the DM, a PC Necromancer making their own (creation rules?), or a PC directly playing as one. Maybe tie abilities to particular sets of actions, with the horse the mobility while the rider has to be the one using the Necromancy? At any rate, the thing should very much depend on leveraging both sets of actions to be CR-appropriate, and this means using the fact it has a minimum of three attacks the moment it hits 6 BAB. Being saddled with a hefty chunk of Undead hit dice rather neatly does solve the core problem of Dual Actions by simply preventing you from being actually great unless you're leveraging both sets for damage at the same time.

As is, it's able to be frustrating but doesn't have the tools to be threatening while doing so, because it doesn't have offensive options that work inside the Ethereal and already has a very solid amount of the power budget eaten up by the mount's setup. So while it can be made a passable archer, it simply doesn't have the room to spare to be just a great archer, it has to take the options to be charging into melee where the mount tears people up in melee and the rider lobs arrows to really be on par for damage totals. Pretty sure the thing needs some degree of annoying hit-and-run to be up to snuff for CR 10, or leveraging the Undead control pool to some competency.

Also, it's missing Hybrid Anatomy to be using Medium sized weapons, and Funerary Trample should probably specify it shares control cap with the Animate Dead SLA to avoid the usual shenanigans of uncapped minions. And Extraplanar, as a subtype, should be in parenthesis in the type line, not next to the name. A most silly change to make would be spelling it out template-like rather than being locked to Warhorse/Unspecified Humanoid and demonstrate with a Megaraptor/Troglodyte melee blender version, but such would be simply impossible to balance.

Fossergrim: This is probably the single most apparent case for feature looting I'm aware of, because the entire premise is musical abilities, and it doesn't actually have Bardic Music. It can imitate Countersong and Facinate, but having one actually take Bard levels doesn't scale it at all. Making the Fiddle feature be a variant Bardic Music would mean it actually has meaningful progression for taking class levels, instead of all its innate properties being "boxed off". Furthermore, Countersong and Deep Slumber don't really fit forced action, and Hideous Laughter's a bit off-theme for something that's meant to be mostly about dancing. Maybe a derivative of Irrisistable Dance instead of Hideous Laughter, functioning very similarly but sticking to the mythology of what it's doing, possibly as a 3rd-level spell.

My own "take" would be 2nd-level Savage Bard casting over the spell-likes, with Fiddle giving bonus rounds of Bardic Music over strict hit dice, and having Lyric Spell as a bonus feat, then have water-based effects tied to the music as the real "driver" of combat. The innate casting being there for the sake of not losing an entire five levels on your maximum spell level, and Lyric Spell working alongside the Charisma bump to cover spellcasting endurance. Sure, you're a full spell level behind and lose the full five for regular-flavor Bardic Music scaling, but you get plenty of allowance to spam to show for it and some blunt offenses funded by your now-expanded Bardic Music.

Blue Jay
2020-12-04, 12:28 AM
Animated Objects (Original Creations)

Continued from the previous post.

--

Eternal Snowman
Size/Type: Medium Construct (Cold)
Hit Dice: 2d10+20 (31 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 20 ft
Armor Class: 15 (+3 natural, +2 Dex), Touch 12, Flat-footed 13
BAB/Grapple: +1 / +4
Attack: claw +3 melee (1d4+2 plus Chill) or snowball +3 ranged (1d4+2 nonlethal plus Chill)
Full Attack: 2 claws +3 melee (1d4+2 plus Chill) or snowball +3 ranged (1d4+2 nonlethal plus Chill)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Chill, Snowball
Special Qualities: Cold Dependency, Construct traits, Fast Healing 5, Hardness 0, Immune to cold, Inconspicuous, Vulnerable to fire
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +2, Will -5
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 14, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: --
Feats: --
Environment: any cold
Organization: solitary or group (1d6 snowmen)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

Chill (Ex)
An eternal snowman infuses its body and snowballs with preternatural cold. Any creature struck by an eternal snowman’s claw or snowball attack takes an additional 1d6 cold damage.

Cold Dependency (Ex)
An eternal snowman is dependent upon the cold for its sustenance and preservation. This makes it fragile in the face of fire and heat, but virtually indestructible in the cold of winter. If the eternal snowman is destroyed in an environment where the ambient temperature is at or below freezing, the snowman reawakens and reforms in 1d4 minutes with 1 hit point, and its Fast Healing reactivates.

However, if the eternal snowman takes any amount of fire damage, its Fast Healing stops working for 1 round. An eternal snowman reduced to 0 hit points by fire damage, or that melts in the sun (see below) is permanently destroyed.

When the ambient temperature is above freezing, the eternal snowman’s Fast Healing does not function, and the snowman takes 1d6 damage each minute it remains in the warmth, until it melts away into a puddle of water, a couple sticks and a soggy carrot.

Inconspicuous (Ex)
When standing still in a snowy environment, an eternal snowman looks just like any other snowman. It takes a DC 25 Spot check to notice that it is not just a normal snowman.

Snowball (Ex)
A snowman can throw a hard-packed ball of ice and snow as a ranged attack with a ranged increment of 50 feet. The snowballs deal nonlethal bludgeoning damage. Any creature that is immune to nonlethal damage takes 1 lethal damage instead.

For Player Characters

Construction
To construct an eternal snowman, a character must have the Craft Construct feat and a caster level of at least 3rd, and must know at least two Cold spells of 2nd level or higher (spells that gain the Cold subtype via metamagic or feats do not suffice). An eternal snowman is made from at least 100 pounds of pure snow (snow created by spells is fine), and the process of enchanting the item into a construct uses up magical materials worth 1500 gp. Market Price: 3000 gp.

Horseless Saddle
Size/Type: Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 2d10+20 (31 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 50 ft
Armor Class: 15 (+4 natural, +1 Dex), Touch 11, Flat-footed 14
BAB/Grapple: +1 / +2
Attack: slam +2 melee (1d4+1)
Full Attack: 2 slams +2 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Mounted Combat
Special Qualities: Construct traits, Hardness 2, Inconspicuous
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will -5
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 13, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: --
Feats: --
Environment: any
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

When not carrying a rider, a horseless saddle flails about with its stirrups, making two slam attacks in a full attack.

Mounted Combat (Ex)
The primary use of a horseless saddle is as a replacement mount for a rider who can't be bothered to care for a real horse. Upon command, the saddle lifts up and floats in the air at approximately the same height as the withers of a typical light horse. A rider of up to Medium size can treat the horseless saddle as a light warhorse wearing a military saddle in some respects. It counts as a Large quadruped with Str 16 when calculating its carrying capacity, which gives it the same the carrying capacity as a light warhorse; but it is still a Medium creature for all other purposes.

Additionally, unlike a light warhorse, the horseless saddle's speed is only 50 feet. This is not treated as a Fly speed, and the horseless saddle cannot alter its height above the ground or float over surfaces that a horse could not walk on, such as water or magma, or across a chasm, etc. However, since it doesn't actually touch the ground, the horseless saddle is not impeded by difficult terrain of any sort. It is not as effective in combat as an actual warhorse, though: the floating saddle cannot attack while carrying a rider, and the rider of a horseless saddle cannot deal extra damage with the Spirited Charge feat.

Inconspicuous (Ex)
When standing still on the ground or hung upon a hook, a horseless saddle looks just like any other military saddle. It takes a DC 25 Spot check to recognize that it’s more than just a normal military saddle.

For Player Characters

Construction
To construct a horseless saddle, a character must have the Craft Construct feat and a caster level of at least 3rd, and must be able to cast mount. A horseless saddle must be made from a masterwork saddle (any saddle from the Player’s Handbook works, but add 50 gp for masterwork quality), and the process of enchanting the item into a construct uses up magical materials worth 1000 gp. Market Price: 2000 gp + the cost of the masterwork saddle.

Gear and Loot
A horseless saddle cannot use any gear, and generally does not carry any gear.


Living Chest
Size/Type: Large Construct
Hit Dice: 4d10+20 (42 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft
Armor Class: 15 (+4 natural, +1 Dex), Touch 11, Flat-footed 14
BAB/Grapple: +3 / +10
Attack: bite +5 melee (3d4+4)
Full Attack: bite +5 melee (3d4+4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Improved Grab, Swallow Whole
Special Qualities: Construct traits, Hardness 5, Inconspicuous
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +1, Will -4
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 10, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: --
Feats: --
Environment: attics and basements
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this attack, the living chest must hit a creature of Medium size or smaller with its bite attack. It may then make an immediate grapple attempt as a free action, without provoking an attack of opportunity, and without requiring an initial touch attack.

Inconspicuous (Ex)
When standing still on the ground, a living chest looks just like any other large chest. It takes a DC 25 Spot check to recognize that it’s more than just a normal chest.

Swallow Whole (Ex)
A living chest can try to pull a grabbed opponent of Medium size or smaller into itself by making a successful grapple check. The swallowed creature automatically takes bludgeoning damage equal to the living chest's bite damage (3d4+4) each round it remains inside the chest, as the chest bumps and rolls it around inside. A swallowed creature can smash its way out by dealing 15 points of damage to the chest from the inside (AC 12), or by succeeding on a DC 23 Strength check to break the chest. It can also attempt to escape with a grapple or Escape Artist check. This otherwise functions as the standard Swallow Whole ability from the Monster Manual.

A Large living chest can hold 2 Medium, 8 Small, 32 Tiny, or 128 Diminutive or smaller creatures.

For Player Characters

Construction
To construct a living chest, a character must have the Craft Construct feat and a caster level of at least 7th, and must be able to cast minor creation. A living chest must be made from a Large masterwork chest (worth 150 gp), and the process of enchanting the item into a construct uses up magical materials worth 2000 gp. Market Price: 4150 gp.

Gear and Loot
This sample living chest is unlocked, but a living chest could hypothetically be locked with any kind of lock.


Rolling Stone
Size/Type: Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 2d10+20 (31 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 60 ft
Armor Class: 19 (+10 natural, -1 Dex), Touch 9, Flat-footed 19
BAB/Grapple: +1 / +14 (a rolling stone cannot initiate a grapple)
Attack: slam +2 melee (2d6+7)
Full Attack: slam +2 melee (2d6+7)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Momentum, Trample
Special Qualities: Blind, Construct traits, Hardness 8, Inconspicuous, Tremorsense 90 ft
Saves: Fort +0, Ref -1, Will -5
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 9, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: --
Feats: --
Environment: dungeons, statue yards
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

Blind (Ex)
A rolling stone has no ability to see. It relies on its Tremorsense to detect moving creatures and roll towards them. It is immune to all vision-based effects.

Inconspicuous (Ex)
When standing still on the ground, a rolling stone looks like nothing more than a giant sphere of stone. It takes a DC 25 Spot check to recognize that it’s more than just an artsy lawn ornament.

Momentum (Ex)
A rolling stone can only deliver its slam attack at the end of a charge. Additionally, because of its great density, the rolling stone counts as a Huge creature for the purposes of opposed Str checks, including checks made during Bull Rush, Grapple, Overrun and Sunder attempts (this is already included in the statistics calculated above).

Trample (Ex)
A rolling stone deals automatic slam damage (2d6+7) to any creature it moves over during its turn. A rolling stone can Trample any creature up to Large size. Any creature in the rolling stone's path is trampled as long as the rolling stone moves over any portion of the creature's space. The Reflex DC to halve the damage is 16.

For Player Characters

Construction
To construct a rolling stone, a character must have the Craft Construct feat and a caster level of at least 5th, and must know either stone shape or stone sphere. The rolling stone must be made from a single block of high-quality stone weighing 2000 lbs (costing 1000 gp), and the process of enchanting the item into a construct uses up magical materials worth 1000 gp. Market Price: 3000 gp.

Gear and Loot
A rolling stone cannot use or carry gear of any sort.

Self-Playing Zither
Size/Type: Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 2d10+20 (31 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft
Armor Class: 15 (+4 natural, +1 Dex), Touch 11, Flat-footed 14
BAB/Grapple: +1 / +2
Attack: slam +2 melee (1d6+1) or sonic blast +2 ranged touch (1d6 sonic)
Full Attack: slam +2 melee (1d6+1) or sonic blast +2 ranged touch (1d6 sonic)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Countersong Aura, Sonic Blast
Special Qualities: Construct traits, Darkvision 60 ft, Hardness 5, Inconspicuous, Low-light vision, Resistance to sonic 10
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will -5
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 13, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: --
Feats: --
Environment: any
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

This is a large zither in the style of the Chinese guzheng or Japanese koto.

Countersong Aura (Su)
In battle, a self-playing zither continuously plucks its own strings, filling the air around it with light, pleasant music. Any sound-based attacks and effects within 60 ft of the zither, other than those produced by the zither itself or its master (if any), are weakened. The save DCs against any sound-based effects (including spells with verbal components) are reduced by 1, and the damage dealt by sonic attacks is reduced by 1 die per HD of the self-playing zither (or 1 point per HD, if the damage is not measured in dice).

Inconspicuous (Ex)
When standing still and not playing music, a self-playing zither looks like nothing more than a normal zither. It takes a DC 25 Spot check to recognize that it’s more than just a normal zither.

Sonic Blast (Su)
As a standard action, a self-playing zither can forcefully strum its magically-treated strings, producing a single dissonant chord that launches a small bolt of sonic energy at a single target. This is a ranged touch attack (a ray) with a maximum range of 50 feet (no increment). Using this attack does not disrupt the zither's Countersong Aura, nor is the damage of this attack reduced by the Countersong Aura.

For Player Characters

Construction
To construct a self-playing zither, a character must have the Craft Construct feat and a caster level of at least 3rd, and must be able to cast either summon instrument or at least one sonic spell of 2nd level or higher. A self-playing zither must be made from a masterwork zither (100 gp, Player’s Handbook), and the process of enchanting the item into a construct uses up magical materials worth 1000 gp. Market Price: 2100 gp.

Serpentine Rope
Size/Type: Small Construct
Hit Dice: 1d10+20 (15 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft, Climb 20 ft
Armor Class: 14 (+2 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size), Touch 13, Flat-footed 12
BAB/Grapple: +0 / +4
Attack: lash +3 melee (1d3+1 nonlethal)
Full Attack: 2 lashes +3 melee (1d3+1 nonlethal)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 15 ft
Special Attacks: Strangle, Improved grab, Uncoil
Special Qualities: Construct traits, Darkvision 60 ft, Hardness 0, Inconspicuous, Low-light vision, Powerful build, Slight build
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +2, Will -5
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 14, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: Climb +10, Escape Artist +10, Use Rope +10
Feats: Weapon Finesse B
Environment: dungeons and old sheds
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

This 50-foot silken rope was given a semblance of life through animating magic.

Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, a serpentine rope must hit an opponent of any size with a lash attack. If the attack succeeds, the serpentine rope can immediately make a grapple check against the target without provoking an attack of opportunity and without requiring an initial touch attack. The serpentine rope has a +4 racial bonus on all grapple checks.

Inconspicuous (Ex)
When lying still, a serpentine rope looks just like any other 50-foot coil of rope. It takes a DC 25 Spot check to recognize that it’s more than just a normal coil of rope.

Lash (Ex)
A serpentine rope attacks by whipping at opponents with its two loose ends. These attacks are similar to attacks with a whip, though they are not hindered by armor or natural armor.

Powerful Build (Ex)
Although a serpentine rope is a Small creature, it counts as one size category larger for grapple checks, and for resisting bull rush, overrun or trip attempts (these bonuses are already included in the stat block above).

Slight Build (Ex)
Although a serpentine rope is a Small creature, it counts as one size category smaller whenever it would be beneficial for it, such as the size bonus to Armor Class and attack rolls (these bonuses are already included in the stat block above). It can also squeeze through any opening at least 1 inch wide, and it never takes a penalty for squeezing through a space.

Strangle (Ex)
A serpentine rope that successfully grapples an opponent wraps itself about the opponent’s throat and begins to suffocate them. The opponent will begin to suffocate immediately (unless they were able to hold their breath first). To free itself and end its suffocation, the opponent must achieve a pin against the serpentine rope. Creatures that do not breathe are immune to this attack.

Uncoil (Ex)
A serpentine rope can uncoil itself as a standard action. When it does this, its space increases to 10 square feet, though it is still treated as a Small creature for all purposes, its base land speed is reduced to 15 feet, and it loses its Climb speed. Its occupied space is completely shapeable, as if it were a swarm. Any creature who shares the rope's space at the end of the rope's turn must succeed on a Ref save (DC 12) or become entangled. An entangled creature can move, but it must win an opposed Strength check against the rope to do so. As a standard action, the entangled creature can attempt to escape with a DC 12 Escape Artist check or burst the rope with a DC 12 Strength check. A burst rope takes 5 damage, and the severed length of rope (always assumed to be the shorter side) goes inert. The DCs are Strength-based and include a +2 racial bonus.

While it holds a creature entangled, the serpentine rope’s actions are not impeded in any way, except that it must continue to occupy the same square as the entangled creature if it wishes to keep the creature entangled. It can shape its area around that square in any way possible, it can still make its full complement of attacks against the entangled creature or any other target, and it can move itself and the entangled creature with an opposed Strength check.

An uncoiled serpentine rope can hold 1 Large, 4 Medium or 16 Small or smaller creatures entangled at one time.

Skills
A serpentine rope has a +8 racial bonus on Climb, Escape Artist and Use Rope checks. The serpentine rope can always choose to take 10 on any Climb or Use Rope check, even when rushed or threatened. It uses its Dexterity modifier, instead of its Strength modifier, on all Climb checks.

For Player Characters

Construction
To construct a serpentine rope, a character must have the Craft Construct feat and a caster level of at least 5th, and must be able to cast animate rope. A serpentine rope is created from a single 50-ft length of silk rope of exceptionally high quality (60 gp), and the process of enchanting the item into a construct uses up magical materials worth 1000 gp. Market Price: 2060 gp.

Serpentine Ropes as Familiars
A serpentine rope can be taken as a spellcaster’s familiar. The spellcaster must have the Improved Familiar feat, and an arcane caster level of at least 7th.

Gear and Loot
Serpentine ropes generally do not use or carry gear of any sort. A serpentine rope that has been destroyed leaves behind 1d4 lengths of mundane rope, each 10 feet long.

Walking Skep
Size/Type: Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 2d10+20 (31 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft
Armor Class: 15 (+4 natural, +1 Dex), Touch 11, Flat-footed 14
BAB/Grapple: +1 / +3
Attack: slam +3 melee (1d6+3)
Full Attack: slam +3 melee (1d6+3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Hive Emergence, Hivenest Attack, Hivenest Distraction
Special Qualities: Construct traits, Hardness 1, Inconspicuous
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will -5
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 12, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: --
Feats: --
Environment: farms and open fields
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

This is a dome-shaped beehive made of wicker, with four short, spindly legs made of wax or wicker. The skep is usually (75% chance) inhabited by a thriving colony of bees that attack on the walking skep’s cue. The bees are the equivalent of a wasp swarm (see Fiend Folio for stats, CR 2). The swarm’s CR is not included in the walking skep’s CR above: the skep and swarm together constitute a 3rd-level encounter.

Hive Emergence (Ex)
The first time a walking skep with a colony of bees is dealt damage in an encounter, the bees inside are riled up and released to form a swarm. The swarm fills four contiguous squares adjacent to the skep, and quickly moves to attack the nearest target. A swarm of bees never attacks a walking skep (and vice versa), even if the swarm and skep are on opposite sides of a conflict, and even if given direct orders to the contrary.

Hivenest Attack (Ex)
A colony of irascible bees inhabiting a walking skep are easily riled to anger during combat. Any opponent struck by the walking skep’s slam attack also takes 1d6 swarm damage from multiple bee stings, and is subjected to the bees’ Distraction effect (Fort DC 13) and Poison (1d6 Dex / 1d6 Dex, Fort DC 13 negates). This is true even if the bee swarm has already emerged from the skep, because enough bees remain behind to continue attacking with the skep.

Hivenest Distraction (Ex)
Any opponent standing adjacent to a walking skep with a colony of bees automatically takes 1d6 swarm damage each round, and must save vs the swarm’s Distraction effect (Fort DC 13) and Poison (Fort DC 13).

Inconspicuous (Ex)
When standing still, a walking skep looks like nothing more than a normal woven beehive. It takes a DC 25 Spot check to recognize that it’s more than just a normal beehive.

For Player Characters

Construction
To construct a walking skep, a character must have the Craft Construct feat and a caster level of at least 3rd, and must be able to cast animate rope. A walking skep is created from a high-quality, woven beehive, worth 20 gp, and the process of enchanting the item into a construct uses up magical materials worth 1000 gp. A colony of bees can be purchased on the market for 100 gp. A walking skep purchased on the market is usually sold without a colony of bees, which must usually be purchased separately. Market Price: 2020 gp + 100 gp for the bees.

Gear and Loot
A walking skep generally does not use or carry gear of any sort. When destroyed, a walking skep that housed a colony of bees typically leaves behind 1d6 pounds of salvageable honey and enough beeswax to make 1d4 candles.

--

For Player Characters

Animated Objects as Familiars
Some of these animated objects can be taken as a spellcaster's familiar. The spellcaster must have the Improved Familiar feat, and a minimum arcane caster level as shown on the table below.


Familiar Minimum CL
animated candelabrum (handheld) 3rd
caltrop swarm 5th
serpentine rope 7th
autonomous grimoire (wizard only) 11th


Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving these animated objects the following RLAs:

Object RLA
Animated Ballista +0
Animated Cage -0
Animated Candelabrum (Candle Tree) -0
Animated Candelabrum (Handheld) +1
Animated Wheelbarrow -0
Autonomous Grimoire +0
Caltrop Swarm -0
Eternal Snowman +0
Horseless Saddle -0
Living Chest -0
Rolling Stone -0
Self-Playing Zither +0
Serpentine Rope +1
Walking Skep -0

Blue Jay
2020-12-04, 09:17 PM
Comments on some of the creatures so far:

Eldritch Archer: The most immediate problem is that the thing is a ranged attacker with Dimention Door at-will and a feat that specifically benefits ambushes. It thankfully lacks actual skill ranks in Hide (though if this is intentional, Able Sniper should be a Bonus Feat instead of Weapon Finesse), but even so it's quite reasonably able to engage from 300 ft. away, giving the party as much as a -30 to the Spot checks against its own net -8 to the Hide check, so the party will have to make at best something like a DC 18 Spot check if they're spread across 40 ft.

Because this has Able Sniper and Dimension Door alongside minionmancy and an at-will heal for those minions, this degenerate nigh-unwinnable situation is something directly indicated, and even if the party can somehow catch it, they have to deal with that Dimension Door teleporting the thing 1240 ft. on a Standard Action, and even if they can lock down its teleportation they still have to deal with 40 ft. move and +18 Climb and Tumble to actually catch it before they can hit it once, at which point the thing is taking 10 off actual attacks and healing 5 per turn before we start talking silliness involving hitting itself.

This isn't a matter of enemy spellcasters not engaging in scry-or-die being stupid. This is a matter of the creature having basically nothing but Scry Or Die type tools and a design that explicitly incentivizes such things because it's an archer with a feat literally calling it an Able Sniper and an at-will teleport, to the point of having goddamn Antimagic Field from up to 1500 ft. away. It is literally more bounded by Spot checks for how far it can kill you from than anything else, and you have to kill it on the spot because it has Fast Healing to boot! It has no reason not to just Dimension Door back and forth across the area to have all the time it feels like to whittle the party down.

Hm... that is a good point about Able Sniper. This wasn't supposed to be a sneaky sniper type, so I'm not sure why I decided to give it Able Sniper, especially when it doesn't qualify for it. I obviously need to rectify that. I also thought I had a recharge period for the vampiric arrow ability, but I guess not.

But, in general, I think you're vastly overstating your position here. In order for your doomsday scenario to play out, the eldritch archer has to have vast tracts of land to work with, which offers plenty of hiding spots but doesn't regularly interfere with 300-foot sight lines. You also seem to be assuming that the PCs won't have effective ranged options, won't have the stealth skills to avoid the eldritch archer's attacks, and will be completely unprepared for what it can do. You're also assuming that the eldritch archer can benefit from range penalties to Spot checks, but doesn't suffer the effects itself. There's a lot of scenario parameters there that probably aren't going to hold true very often.

I'd also like to point out that the arrow demon from Monster Manual III combines at-will dimension door and archery with a better BAB and double the rate of fire, but its Challenge Rating is only half what I gave the eldritch archer.

Blue Jay
2020-12-13, 06:00 PM
I've made some modifications to some of my monsters in response to Debihuman's Morphic Tide's comments. The following changes were made:

Eldritch Archer
The Able Sniper feat was replaced with Bowslinger Underdark
The Improved Toughness feat was replaced with Great Fortitude
Antimagic field was removed from the list of Imbued Arrow abilities, and replaced with (Kelgore's) grave mist
The Vampiric Arrow is usable once every 1d4 rounds, and has no effect on undead.
The eldritch bow only melts away into tar-like slime if removed from the archer's possession while the archer is still alive (or rather, un-alive). It remains behind (to be looted by the PCs) when the archer is slain.
Intelligence was reduced by 2, and skill points were reduced accordingly.


Dread Cavalier
Dex was increased to 20
I went back to having Funerary Trample cause entangled/immobilized/prone condition: I like letting the player have freedom to choose actions.
Zombies created by the Funerary Trample ability count towards the cavalier's limits for animate dead
Clarified that the equine half cannot use its actions to cast spell-like abilities.
I upgraded "Profane Weapons" to "Profane Burst Weapons"


Needlefolk
The spines are no longer a melee weapon: they now only function as a ranged attack, and also deal passive damage against attackers.
I brought the original claws back for melee use instead


Fossergrim
I made the Fiddle ability mimic and stack with Bardic Music, with a few additional boons.

Blue Jay
2020-12-13, 07:40 PM
Dread Cavalier: The description indicates the thing wants to be Dexterity based, as does the Mounted Archery feat, but it has a +4 higher Strength modifier. Given the Dual Actions property, it always gets to Full Attack, so it doesn't need the emulation of a good Martial's attack bonus because it gets to always make its Claw/Claw attack, possibly a Claw/Lance attack (still don't get how Manufactured and Natural weapons mix). Personally, I'd let it keep the Mounted Combat benefit and give it some degree of split statistics, so it isn't in-game obvious they have a shared hit point total because they do, in fact, behave mostly as a normal mounted combatant, ideally including separable armor so it doesn't have much available AC bloat. +3-4 over a standard race is fine when you're eating 10 Undead HD for it, +10 is not.

I appreciate the effort you've put into analyzing this. To the point quoted above, I really don't want to split the statistics anymore than I have already: separate AC's or hit point pools would just make it more complicated than it needs to be. And I don't really understand your comment about "AC bloat" though: are you saying that I should reduce natural armor and cover the difference with wearable armor? I guess that makes sense: I'll tinker with it a bit.


Something like 22/20 Str/Dex, so it actually has the scores to be either sort by the desire of the user with useful backup in the other from pure innate qualities. Whether that be the DM, a PC Necromancer making their own (creation rules?), or a PC directly playing as one. Maybe tie abilities to particular sets of actions, with the horse the mobility while the rider has to be the one using the Necromancy? At any rate, the thing should very much depend on leveraging both sets of actions to be CR-appropriate, and this means using the fact it has a minimum of three attacks the moment it hits 6 BAB. Being saddled with a hefty chunk of Undead hit dice rather neatly does solve the core problem of Dual Actions by simply preventing you from being actually great unless you're leveraging both sets for damage at the same time.

As is, it's able to be frustrating but doesn't have the tools to be threatening while doing so, because it doesn't have offensive options that work inside the Ethereal and already has a very solid amount of the power budget eaten up by the mount's setup. So while it can be made a passable archer, it simply doesn't have the room to spare to be just a great archer, it has to take the options to be charging into melee where the mount tears people up in melee and the rider lobs arrows to really be on par for damage totals. Pretty sure the thing needs some degree of annoying hit-and-run to be up to snuff for CR 10, or leveraging the Undead control pool to some competency.

Also, it's missing Hybrid Anatomy to be using Medium sized weapons, and Funerary Trample should probably specify it shares control cap with the Animate Dead SLA to avoid the usual shenanigans of uncapped minions. And Extraplanar, as a subtype, should be in parenthesis in the type line, not next to the name. A most silly change to make would be spelling it out template-like rather than being locked to Warhorse/Unspecified Humanoid and demonstrate with a Megaraptor/Troglodyte melee blender version, but such would be simply impossible to balance.

I honestly don't see the archery as an important part of this monster: it's just there as a backup plan, so the monster can defend itself against flying opponents or for Parthian shots as it flees combat. I'm not really willing to shift feats over towards archery, and I don't want to pile on any more special abilities or bonus feats, so I think it'll just have to deal with the mediocre archery it has now. Maybe bumping up the Dexterity score makes sense, though. I also considered bumping it up to 12 HD or giving it a 1/day haste SLA, so it would have the option to make full attacks with its lance or bow, and give it a bit more damage output potential. But, it's already going to be doing 50+ damage (6d6+27 plus profane) on a charging lance attack, so I think it's threatening enough. The archery is pretty weak, I admit; but I think I'm okay with that. He's not meant to be a ranged threat: just a charger.

Also, you raise a good point about tying abilities to actions: it would be silly to let the equine portion use its actions to cast SLAs and stuff. I'll add some clarifying text to that effect.

Blue Jay
2020-12-13, 08:53 PM
Crimson Devil (Original Creation)

D&D has a lot of devils and demons, and most of them are horrifying monstrosities. I've always felt like there's a dearth of the simple, subtle type devil I'd always conceptualized from my religious upbringing, so I set out to make a sort of "classic" style of devil, something that could serve as a simple, all-purpose minor devil.

https://i.pinimg.com/474x/a7/5f/83/a75f83fe67b4eb4b337073c1ddd07e44--shades-of-red-halloween-art.jpg
--

Crimson Devil
Size/Type: Medium Outsider (Baatezu, Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful)
Hit Dice: 3d8+6 (30 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft
Armor Class: 16 (+3 natural, +2 Dex, +1 dodge), Touch 13, Flat-footed 13
BAB/Grapple: +3 / +5
Attack: mwk trident +6 melee (1d8+3) or +6 ranged (1d8+3); or gore +5 melee (1d4+3) or tail whip +5 melee (1d3+2) or produce flame +5 ranged touch (1d6+3 fire)
Full Attack: mwk trident +6 melee (1d8+3) and gore +0 melee (1d4+3) and tail whip +0 melee (1d3+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, Summon Baatezu
Special Qualities: Baatezu traits, Change shape, Damage reduction 5 / silver or good, Telepathy 100 ft
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +4
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 14
Skills: Bluff +10, Diplomacy +5, Disguise +8, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (religion) +4, Knowledge (the Planes) +4, Listen +7, Sense Motive +7, Spot +7, Use Magic Device +8, Use Rope +5
Feats: Persuasive, Prehensile Tail B, Dodge
Environment: Nine Hells of Baator
Organization: solitary or team (2-4 crimson devils)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: always Lawful Evil
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: +2

--

A crimson devil is a minor fiend that fills various utility roles in the hierarchy of Baator. Crimson devils are often dispatched to reconnoiter a new community and judge its suitability as a hunting ground for more specialized devils, such as harvester devils and pleasure devils. They may also serve as basic infantry, or as administrative assistants to higher-level devils.

Baatezu Traits
A crimson devil is immune to fire and poison. It has Resistance to acid 10 and cold 10. It can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, even that created by a deeper darkness spell.

Change Shape (Su)
At will, a crimson devil can assume the form of a unique Medium humanoid; a crimson devil in its humanoid form always assumes the same appearance and traits.

A crimson devil reverts to its true form when slain. A true seeing spell reveals its natural form.

Spell-like abilities
A crimson devil can use the following spell-like abilities as a sorcerer with caster level equal to its hit dice:

at will – dimension leap Mag of Eb (self and 50 lbs of gear only), produce flame, suggestion (Will DC 14)

Summon Baatezu (Sp)
Once per day, a crimson devil can attempt to summon another crimson devil with a 50% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 2nd-level spell.

--

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
This crimson devil carries a masterwork trident, which is typical for crimson devils. However, some crimson devils may other types of weapons, and some may even wear armor.

Summoning a Crimson Devil
An evil spellcaster who knows summon monster IV can choose to permanently replace the imp with the crimson devil on the list of creatures he can summon with that spell (and with higher-level summon monster spells, as usual).

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the crimson devil an RLA of +1.

Blue Jay
2020-12-13, 09:58 PM
Yuki-Onna (Remake)

Another classic monster from folklore (Japanese folklore, this time). I've always had a fondness for "nymph" archetypes, and the yuki-onna is one of the real classics in this regard. However, the version of this monster that was created for Oriental Adventures and reprinted in Frostburn with revised stats, just didn't do much. So, here I've remade her with more special abilities that reflect the "frost nymph" concept that I find so fascinating.

--

Yuki-Onna
Size/Type: Medium Fey (Cold)
Hit Dice: 8d6 (28 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 30 ft
Armor Class: 18 (+4 deflection, +2 natural, +2 Dex), Touch 16, Flat-footed 16
BAB/Grapple: +4 / +4
Attack: icy touch +8 melee (1d10 cold)
Full Attack: icy touch +8 melee (1d10 cold)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, Icy kiss, Lose the way, Paralyzing gaze, Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10 / cold iron, Immune to cold, Low-light vision, Snowsight, Snow Walking, Unearthly Grace, Vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +12, Will +12
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 19
Skills: Bluff +11, Diplomacy +11, Disguise +11, Escape Artist +9, Hide +9, Intimidate +11, Listen +11, Move Silently +9, Perform (dance) +11, Sense Motive +9, Spot +11
Feats: Combat Charm, Improved Initiative, Alertness
Environment: Any cold
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Any
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: +1

--

Breath Weapon (Su)
20-ft cone every 1d4 rds (4d6 cold, Fortitude DC 18 halves). The save DC is Charisma-based.

Icy Touch (Ex)
A yuki-onna's skin is bitterly cold to the touch. She can touch a creature as a standard action to deal 1d10 cold damage. She uses her Charisma modifier in place of her Strength or Dexterity modifier on the attack roll. In addition, a creature that grapples or is grappled by the yuki-onna takes this damage automatically each round the grapple is maintained.

Icy Kiss (Su)
A yuki-onna can drain the vitality from a target. This functions as the yuki-onna's icy touch attack, except that her kiss provokes an attack of opportunity from the target, and the target must also succeed on a Fortitude save (DC = 18) or become fatigued (or exhausted, if it is already fatigued). The kiss is thwarted if the target's attack of opportunity hits. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Her kiss automatically succeeds against a paralyzed or helpless target, but the target is still allowed a Fortitude save to resist the fatigue effect.

Lose the Way (Sp)
As a full-round action, a yuki-onna may touch a target and cause him to become lost in the wilderness. If the target fails a Will save (DC = 18), he is teleported 10d10 x 10 feet in a random direction, and becomes completely disoriented. While disoriented, the target loses the ability to find his way by either mundane means (such as the Survival skill) or magical means (such as a Divination spell). Any time the character attempts to move — either as a move action, a double move action, a run or charge action, etc — without explicit guidance (such as the sight or voice of a familiar person specifically aiding him), he must make a Will save (same DC). If he fails the save, his movement is in a random direction instead of whichever direction he intended to go, and he is incapable of avoiding any hazards he may come across when moving in the wrong direction. He cannot choose to end his movement early, unless he encounters a barrier that prevents his movement. This disoriented condition lasts for 1 hour, though the yuki-onna may dismiss it with another touch, if she chooses. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Paralyzing Glance (Su)
As a standard action, a yuki-onna can paralyze a creature with a look. This functions as a gaze attack, except that only the targeted creature is affected, and not those that are merely looking at her. Range 30 feet (paralysis 2d4 rds, Fortitude DC 18 negates). A yuki-onna typically paralyzes an opponent, then uses her breath weapon or icy kiss on the target. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Snowsight (Ex)
A yuki-onna can see normally in whiteout conditions. Her vision is not impeded by obscuring mist or fog cloud spells, or by similar effects.

Snow Walking (Ex)
A yuki-onna walks lightly over the snow, suffering no speed reduction over icy or snowy terrain of any depth, moving absolutely silently and leaving no footprints behind (unless she chooses to).

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 8th)

at will — charm person (Will DC 15), disguise self (Will DC 15), gaseous form (self only)
3/day — beckoning call (Will DC 16), detect thoughts (Will DC 16), gust of wind (Fort DC 16)

Unearthly Grace (Su)
Like a nymph, a yuki-onna is inhumanly beautiful and graceful. She adds her Charisma modifier as a bonus to all saving throws, and as a deflection bonus to her Armor Class.


--

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
A yuki-onna usually does not use or carry gear, though she is fully capable of using gear designed for a humanoid, and some individuals may carry and use such gear. A slain yuki-onna's body disperses in a swirling flurry of snowflakes, some of which condense into a small diamond that functions as a lesser crystal of cold assault, worth 3000 gp.

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the yuki-onna an RLA of +0.

Morphic tide
2020-12-14, 04:22 PM
I appreciate the effort you've put into analyzing this. To the point quoted above, I really don't want to split the statistics anymore than I have already: separate AC's or hit point pools would just make it more complicated than it needs to be.
Here, the issue mostly comes to how we differ in "Needs to be", since I get ridiculously analytical and 3.5 feeds that fire like mad with the oodles of precedent for extremely fiddly bits and pieces.


And I don't really understand your comment about "AC bloat" though: are you saying that I should reduce natural armor and cover the difference with wearable armor? I guess that makes sense: I'll tinker with it a bit.
Basically, almost all "bruiser" monsters in 3.5 that are remotely playable as RHD end up with bloated AC, because almost all of them derive level-appropriate AC nearly exclusively from baseline Natural Armor and Dexterity, which then stacks with everything to basically double the character's overall AC bonuses because they have level-appropriate AC built in before their items. Anything playable runs into this problem quite soon.



I honestly don't see the archery as an important part of this monster: it's just there as a backup plan, so the monster can defend itself against flying opponents or for Parthian shots as it flees combat. I'm not really willing to shift feats over towards archery, and I don't want to pile on any more special abilities or bonus feats, so I think it'll just have to deal with the mediocre archery it has now. Maybe bumping up the Dexterity score makes sense, though.
I was thinking mostly from a "page space" standpoint of not needing to make separate creatures for the various permutations of mounted combatant by having the locked in abilities not specify what the rider is doing, which the current version is perfectly fine with beyond the Ethereal Charge being fully specific to the all-in Lance hit. Doesn't seem to actually work alongside Ride By Attack's allowance for more hit-and-run combat, even.

It also still doesn't have the text the Nuckalavee does for the "Medium sized weapons on Large creature" thing, so it uses Large weapons by default.

Blue Jay
2020-12-15, 09:06 AM
Here, the issue mostly comes to how we differ in "Needs to be", since I get ridiculously analytical and 3.5 feeds that fire like mad with the oodles of precedent for extremely fiddly bits and pieces.

Yeah, isn't it great? :smallsmile:


Basically, almost all "bruiser" monsters in 3.5 that are remotely playable as RHD end up with bloated AC, because almost all of them derive level-appropriate AC nearly exclusively from baseline Natural Armor and Dexterity, which then stacks with everything to basically double the character's overall AC bonuses because they have level-appropriate AC built in before their items. Anything playable runs into this problem quite soon.

Oh, from the perspective od using thes monster as a PC. I understand now. Yeah, that's a good idea: trading ot some natural armor for wearable armor will also add some extra loot to the monster.


I was thinking mostly from a "page space" standpoint of not needing to make separate creatures for the various permutations of mounted combatant by having the locked in abilities not specify what the rider is doing, which the current version is perfectly fine with beyond the Ethereal Charge being fully specific to the all-in Lance hit. Doesn't seem to actually work alongside Ride By Attack's allowance for more hit-and-run combat, even.

Ah, another perspective I didn't consider.

What if I gave it an "ethereal arrow" sort of ability, where its arrows ignore concealment and cover? He'd probably still need more damage output to be a real ranged threat, though.


It also still doesn't have the text the Nuckalavee does for the "Medium sized weapons on Large creature" thing, so it uses Large weapons by default.

Yeah, that was intentional, because this guy was supposed to be more about damage output than the nuckelavee, but from a verisimilitude perspective, I should switch those: the folkloric nuckelavee is supposed to have large arms, and the dread cavalier is supposed to be a humanoid skeleton up there.

So, maybe I will ad Hybrid Anatomy here, lower the Strength score like you suggested earlier, and then either add a rounds-per-day haste ability or some more hit dice for the BAB to get a full attack.

Morphic tide
2020-12-15, 11:42 AM
Ah, another perspective I didn't consider.

What if I gave it an "ethereal arrow" sort of ability, where its arrows ignore concealment and cover? He'd probably still need more damage output to be a real ranged threat, though.
I was thinking more along the lines of generalizing the effect to an "Ethereal Dash" of being able to use the underlying mechanics currently in the Ethereal Charge for Flatfooted/abrupt Flanking with any attack instead of just charging, or an "Ethereal Blow" that basically works out to being Brilliant Energy + Cover bypassing for one solid hit to shrug off most defenses, tied to Standard Action attacking, either as an alteration to the Attack action or as its own specific action.

Blue Jay
2020-12-28, 09:39 PM
Sisiutl (Remake)

This monster originally comes from the folklore of Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest, but all I could really find about it on the internet was a few random tidbits and vague summaries, with very little detail. A lot of what I could find describes it as a creature with magical healing powers, and a ferocious beast whose blood can make a warrior indestructible. It was apparently a rather important and powerful creature in their folklore, butthe monster from Stormwrack was kind of weak-sauce. So, I thought I'd try to expand on it a bit. I gave it the Dragon type, to make it more powerful in melee; I added some spell-like abilities that mimic some of the folkloric abilities; I improved its Alternate Form ability; and I also translated some of the folklore into things that can be harvested from its body when slain. I think it will be a much more versatile and potent monster this way. Hopefully I didn't go overboard and make it too powerful

--

Sisiutl
Size/Type: Huge Dragon (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 10d12+70 (135 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: Swim 60 ft
Armor Class: 23 (++12 natural, +3 Dex, -2 size), Touch 11, Flat-footed 20
BAB/Grapple: +10 / +25
Attack: bite +15 melee (1d8+7) or gore +15 melee (1d8+7)
Full Attack: 2 bites +15 melee (1d8+7) and 2 gores +15 melee (1d8+7)
Space/Reach: 15 ft / 10 ft
Special Attacks: Constrict, Improved grab, Petrifying gaze, Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: All-around vision, Amphibious, Change shape, Damage reduction 10/-, Darkvision 60 ft, Dragon traits, Dual actions, Immune to petrification, Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +14, Ref +10, Will +11
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 16, Con 25, Int 13, Wis 18, Cha 18
Skills: Bluff +11, Concentration +14, Diplomacy +11, Disguise +11, Heal +11, Intimidate +19, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (nature) +8, Listen +11, Sense Motive +11, Spot +11, Swim +22, Use Magic Device +11
Feats: Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Multigrab, Swim-By Attack
Environment: Any cold
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: usually Lawful Neutral
Advancement: 11-18 HD (Huge), 19-24 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: +2

--

All-Around Vision (Ex)
A sisiutl’s two heads greatly enhance its vigilance. While in its natural form, it cannot be flanked, and it gains a +4 racial bonus on all Listen and Spot checks.

Alternate Form (Su)
A sisiutl’s natural form is of a two-headed, horned serpent with a humanoid face at the juncture between its two necks. It can also take on several alternate forms.

The first form it can take is the form of a specific Small or Medium humanoid; a sisiutl in humanoid form always takes the same appearance and traits. It can also take the form of any aquatic animal of Small to Huge size with no more hit dice than the sisiutl itself has. While in one of these forms, it gains the physical ability scores, movement modes, natural attacks and special qualities of its alternate form, but retains access to its amphibious special quality and its spell-like abilities.

Finally, it can also take on the form of a war canoe (Stormwrack) with a grinning humanoid face in the middle, and its two serpentine heads facing fore and aft. In this form, it retains its gaze attack, but cannot make bite attacks. The canoe is self-propelled, and can move itself across the surface of the water at the sisiutl’s Swim speed. It cannot dive below the surface. A sisiutl usually takes this form to aid a humanoid being whom it has judged worthy.

Amphibious (Ex)
A sisiutl can breathe normally in both air and water.

Constrict (Ex)
A sisiutl deals automatic bite damage against a grappled opponent with a successful grapple check.

Dual Actions (Ex)
A sisiutl in its natural form has two heads, and can split its attention effectively. Whenever a sisiutl in its natural form takes a standard action to make an attack, use a racial special ability or cast a spell, it can perform a second standard action at the same time with its other head, to either make an attack or use one of its racial special abilities.

Additionally, when a sisiutl in its natural form performs a full attack, it treats both of its bite attacks and both of its gore attacks as primary natural weapons.

Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, a sisiutl must successfully hit a creature of up to one size category larger than itself with a bite attack. If it does, it can immediately attempt to start a grapple against that creature without provoking an attack of opportunity from its target, and without requiring an initial touch attack.

Petrifying Gaze (Su)
30-ft radius. Turn to stone permanently (Fort DC 22 negates). It can suppress or resume this ability at will as a free action.

Spell-Like Abilities
A sisiutl can cast the following spells as spell-like abilities, with caster level 9th. The saving throw DCs are Wisdom-based.

3/day — bestow curse (Will DC 18), panacea (Will DC 18), stoneskin
1/day — restoration

--

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
A sisiutl usually does not use gear of any kind, but it may carry weapons or other gear in humanoid form.

If slain, a sisiutl’s blood and scales can be harvested. Its blood can be rubbed on the body to grant some of its supernatural toughness. The effect is the same as a potion of stoneskin (CL 9th). Enough blood can be harvested from a single sisiutl corpse to produce 1d6+1 doses. A dead sisiutl's body can also yield 3d6 undamaged scales, which make excellent arrowheads. An arrow crafted from one of these scales is automatically treated as a +1 keen arrow.


Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the sisiutl an RLA of +1.

Blue Jay
2021-01-17, 04:28 PM
Reaping Willow (Original Creation)

Hey, I made a pun monster! I'm not generally a fan of puns, but sometimes I want to use them anyway. I've always had a bit of a fascination for plant creatures, but I've always found it hard to strike a balance between "a monster concept I find interesting" and "a plant monster that is unique." Anyway, here's an attempt to make a tree monster in the spirit of the Ironmaw and Dark Tree and the like, but hopefully somewhat distinct.

--

Reaping Willow
Size/Type: Huge Plant
Hit Dice: 10d8+70 (115 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 0 ft (see "Uproot")
Armor Class: 22 (+12 natural, +2 Dex, -2 size), Touch 10, Flat-footed 20
BAB/Grapple: +7 / +21
Attack: scythe +13 melee (3d6+7, x4) or root tendril +11 melee (0) or splinterbolt +7 ranged (4d6, 18-20/x3)
Full Attack: scythe +13 melee (3d6+7, x4) or 3 root tendrils +11 melee (0) or splinterbolt +7 ranged (4d6, 18-20/x3)
Space/Reach: 15 ft / 15 ft (20 ft with scythes, 40 ft with root tendrils)
Special Attacks: Drag, Improved grab, Magic blades, Root tendrils, Scythe sweep, Spell-like abilities, Splinterbolt
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10 / slashing, Low-light vision, Plant traits, Scent, Tremorsense 60 ft, Uproot
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +5, Will +5
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 14, Con 23, Int 4, Wis 15, Cha 8
Skills: Balance +3, Hide -5*, Listen +6, Spot +6, Survival +9
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Improved Toughness, Multigrab, Power Attack, Track B
Environment: temperate woods
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: None
Alignment: usually Neutral or Neutral Evil
Advancement: 11-15 HD (Huge), 16-20 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: --


--

Drag (Ex)
At the beginning of each of the reaping willow’s turns, it can make an opposed Strength check as a free action against each creature that it is grappling with its root tendrils (roll separately for each creature). The reaping willow adds its size modifer (+8) to this check. On a success, it drags the creature 10 feet closer to itself.

Alternately, the reaping willow can attempt to drag its victim down into the soil. If it wins the opposed Strength check, its victim is pulled a foot or two into the ground. The victim is considered entangled and immobilized. It may attempt to extract itself from the ground with a Strength or Escape Artist check (DC 21 for either one) as a standard action.

Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, the reaping willow must first hit an opponent with a root tendril attack. If it hits, it may immediately make a grapple check against its target as a free action, without requiring an initial touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity from its target.

Magic Blades (Su)
A reaping willow’s two scythe-like branches are magic weapons with a +1 enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls.

Root Tendrils (Ex)
When rooted in the ground (see “Uproot,” below), a reaping willow can move its serpentine roots about stealthily beneath the surface, snaring the feet of unsuspecting opponents who think they have remained out of its reach. A reaping willow has 3 root tendrils, each with a reach of 50 feet. It can make one touch attack with each root tendril as a natural attack. Its target is considered flat-footed against the root tendril, because it comes up from the ground and surprises him. If the attack succeeds, it deals no damage, but the reaping willow may use its Improved Grab ability.

Scythe Sweep (Ex)
As a standard action, a reaping willow may slash in a great arc with one of its scythes, attacking all creatures within reach. When it does this, all creatures within the scythe’s reach (20 feet) in a 180-degree arc take damage equal to the reaping willow’s scythe attack (usually 3d6+7 slashing damage), and are knocked prone. A creature that succeeds on a Reflex saving throw (DC 21) only takes half damage and is not knocked prone.

Spell-Like Abilities
A reaping willow may cast any of the following spells as a druid with caster level equal to its hit dice:

at will — entangle (centered on itself), speak with plants
3/day — fire seeds, wall of thorns

Splinterbolt (Ex)
As a standard action, a reaping willow may hurl a cluster of splinters at a target within 80 feet. On a successful hit, the target takes 4d6 points of piercing damage. This attack threatens a critical hit on a roll of 18 to 20, and deals triple damage on a successfully confirmed critical hit. This is otherwise similar to a splinterbolt spell.

Uproot (Ex)
A reaping willow typically roots itself in the ground, usually near a river or other source of water. As a full-round action, it can uproot itself. While uprooted, it loses the use of its root tendril attacks and its tremorsense. However, it gains a base land speed of 20 feet while uprooted.

The reaping willow may re-root itself in the ground as another full-round action, thereby regaining access to its tremorsense and root attacks, but losing its movement.

Skills
A reaping willow has a +4 racial bonus on all Survival checks. When rooted in a forested environment, it gains a +10 racial bonus on Hide checks to look like a normal willow tree.

--

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
Reaping willows lack true manipulators, and thus cannot normally use equipment. However, the scythe-like branches of a slain reaping willow can be harvested and wielded as +1 scythes that magically resize to suit any wielder from Small to Huge size. These scythes are remarkably lightweight, being made of wood that is as sharp and hard as steel, but as light as darkwood (half the weight of a normal scythe).

Inevitability's Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the reaping willow an RLA of +0.

Metastachydium
2021-01-19, 05:58 AM
Got to say I like this one. I mean, a playable plant creature which isn't a vampire fungus and gets all those lovely, overpowered plant traits and then some for a measly +2 LA (instead of a, say, +5 on top of copious amounts of RHD)? That's just fantastic.
That being said, this planty seems to get away with a bit too much compared to other, similar creatures. Think of treants! Those also have a starting ECL of 12 with a decidedly worse distribution (7 RHD, +5 LA) and they have to make do with 2d6 slams, a weak trample ability and that ridiculous double damage against objects, where your willow gets a 20 to 40' reach for its 3d6/×4 magical scythe attack, another, 4d6 attack (18-20/×3) with an 80' range, a whirlwind attack equivalent (made more powerful by the aforesaid superior reac) with an at will and two 3/day offensive SLAs to boot. Again, I appreciate greatly that you try to do justice to all those poor little planties, but I'm not sure this isn't a bit too much as it is.

Blue Jay
2021-01-21, 09:26 PM
Got to say I like this one. I mean, a playable plant creature which isn't a vampire fungus and gets all those lovely, overpowered plant traits and then some for a measly +2 LA (instead of a, say, +5 on top of copious amounts of RHD)? That's just fantastic.
That being said, this planty seems to get away with a bit too much compared to other, similar creatures. Think of treants! Those also have a starting ECL of 12 with a decidedly worse distribution (7 RHD, +5 LA) and they have to make do with 2d6 slams, a weak trample ability and that ridiculous double damage against objects, where your willow gets a 20 to 40' reach for its 3d6/×4 magical scythe attack, another, 4d6 attack (18-20/×3) with an 80' range, a whirlwind attack equivalent (made more powerful by the aforesaid superior reac) with an at will and two 3/day offensive SLAs to boot. Again, I appreciate greatly that you try to do justice to all those poor little planties, but I'm not sure this isn't a bit too much as it is.

Hmmm.... yeah, I think you're right. I don't actually remember why I chose LA +2 there: I think I just hastily tacked on a number without putting any thought into it, just to finish out the stat block. But the LA from the stat block is supposed to be a "standard" LA (rather than a Reassigned LA), and I'm definitely undershooting the "standard" process on that.

The reaping willow shouldn't have a standard LA at all: I'll just make it "LA: --"

I think I'll also bump the CR up to 10.

Thanks for the feedback!

Blue Jay
2021-01-22, 07:53 PM
This remake is garbage: see the remade remake (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24897801&postcount=35) for a better version.

Boneyard (Remake)

This one comes from Libris Mortis. In fact, I think it might have originated in Dragon magazine, with one of the adventure paths.

--

Boneyard
Size/Type: Huge Undead
Hit Dice: 20d12+20 (150 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 40 ft, Fly 60 ft (good), Burrow 20 ft (serpent form only)
Armor Class: 30 (+20 natural, +2 Dex, -2 size), Touch 10, Flat-footed 28
BAB/Grapple: +10 / +28
Attack: (serpent form) bite +18 melee (4d8+15 plus Bone Subsumption) or (giant form) slam +18 melee (2d10+10) or (amorphous form) slam +18 melee (2d10+15)
Full Attack: (serpent form) bite +18 melee (4d8+15 plus Bone Subsumption) or (giant form) 2 slams +18 melee (2d10+10) or (amorphous form) slam +18 melee (2d10+15)
Space/Reach: 15 ft / 15 ft
Special Attacks: Bone shards, Bone subsumption, Create skeletons, Improved grab, Spell-like abilities, Utter subsumption
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10 / bludgeoning, Darkvision 60 ft, Fast Healing 10, Immune to cold, Reshape, Spell Resistance 30, Telepathy 100 ft, Turn Resistance +5, Undead traits
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +17
Abilities: Str 29, Dex 16, Con --, Int 16, Wis 21, Cha 22
Skills: Balance +14, Climb +22, Diplomacy +15, Disguise +15, Escape Artist +13, Intimidate +15, Jump +25, Knowledge (arcana) +15, Knowledge (religion) +15, Listen +17, Move Silently +13, Sense Motive +17, Spot +17, Tumble +13, Use Magic Device +17
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Improved Toughness, Greater Multigrab, Multigrab, ???
Environment: any
Organization: solitary, but often with many skeletal minions
Challenge Rating: 17
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: usually Neutral Evil
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: --

--

Bone Shards (Ex)
As a standard action, a boneyard may hurl a volley of bone shards at nearby creatures. This attack works like a splinterbolt spell (CL 20th).

Bone Subsumption (Su)
A boneyard has a supernatural link to bones of all sorts. Any creature struck by the boneyard's bite attack must succeed on a Will save (DC = 24) or take 2d4 Str, Dex & Con damage as bones are torn from its body to join with the boneyard. The boneyard heals 5 hit points for every creature it damages in this way. The save DC is Charisma-based.

In addition, once every 1d4 rounds as a full-round action, the boneyard may subject multiple nearby creatures to its bone subsumption attack. It may choose any number of target creatures with 20 feet of it, and each must save or take ability damage as described above.

Bone Subsumption only impacts creatures with bony skeletons. Thus, elementals, plants, oozes and many vermin are not affected by this attack.

Create Skeletons (Su)
Once every 1d4 rounds as a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, a boneyard can spontaneously fashion some of the bones that make up its body into individual skeletons, and then animate them into undead minions that serve the boneyard unquestioningly. In addition to regular skeletons, the boneyard may also choose to create bonespurs or serpentirs (MM5, skull lord entry), bone lurkers or bonestings (web article, “Bone Monsters”), or bone wall creatures (see my Homebrew Template Compendium) in this way. The boneyard can create up to 20 HD of skeletons with a single use of this ability. It can command up to 80 HD of skeletons at a time.

Improved Grab (Ex)
If the boneyard hits a target with a bite or slam attack, it may make an immediate grapple attempt against that target without requiring an initial touch attack and without provoking an attack of opportunity.

Rebuke Undead (Su)
A boneyard can rebuke or command undead 9 times a day, as a 20th-level cleric. It has a +6 bonus on the check, and deals 2d6+26 turning damage.

Reshape (Ex)
A boneyard is composed of an eclectic, loosely-arranged assortment of bones. As a full-round action, it can shift and move its bones around to form itself into various shapes. While in these different forms, the boneyard's statistics change slightly, though this is not a true shapechanging effect.

Serpent Form
In this form, the boneyard resembles a massive serpent, complete with an enormous skull. It can deliver its bite attack in this form, and can subsume bones from creatures it bites. It also gains a Burrow speed of 20 feet.

Giant Form
In this form, the boneyard resembles an enormous humanoid giant. It can deliver two slam attacks in this form, or it can wield weapons sized for a Huge creature. It is proficient with all simple and martial weapons.

Amorphous Form
In this form, the boneyard resembles nothing but a field of old bones. Its space is completely shapeable, and it can squeeze through gaps large enough for a Small creature to fit through. If it remains motionless while in amorphous form, it is completely indistinguishable from a pile of bones. It can deliver only one slam attack while in this form.

Spell-like abilities
A boneyard can use the following spells as a sorcerer with caster level 20th.

at will — animate dead, awaken undeadSC, blade barrier, consumptive fieldLM, desecrate, stoneholdSC, unhallow, wall of bonesCArc
1/day — mass harmHoH
-----
CArc = Complete Arcane, HoH = Heroes of Horror, LM = Libris Mortis, SC = Spell Compendium

Utter Subsumption (Su)
If the boneyard begins its turn with a creature pinned, that creature must succeed on a Fort save (DC = 24) or die horrifically as every bone is torn from his body to join the boneyard. On a successful save, the target only takes 2d4 Str, Dex and Con damage. The save DC is Charisma-based.

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
A boneyard generally does not use or carry gear, but some carry and wield Huge-sized weapons (often a greataxe or greatsword) in giant form.

...unfinished...

Inevitability’s Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the boneyard an RLA of +0.

Morphic tide
2021-01-22, 10:33 PM
This particular rework is rather too extreme for my liking. In large part, the issue is that you've turned it into yet another "field commander" Undead, with yet another absolute pile of minion effects and yet another case of mechanically-applicable but thematically-incoherent SLAs with ridiculous shenanigans abounding. Even worse, it's being shoehorned right into the top of the CR ladder where it has so very many competitors.

In particular, Blade Barrier and Stonehold have zero thematic sensibility, with the latter being exceptionally egregious for trivially allowing for trapping entire continents given the days/level duration. Access to Animate Dead as an at-will SLA is utterly redundant with the Create Skeletons ability and expands the capacity quite ridiculously, doubled down on with the addition of Rebuke to give it three different control pools, while Awaken Undead is pointless the vast majority of the time and hideously broken the remainder for letting it make the most powerful things it can theoretically access no longer ask for its control cap. Desecrate and Unhallow again try to shove this thing into the often-trodden "den of evil" boss where it's explicitly required to be hunting things down to eat them.

The thing is a big, strong Undead beater that's blatantly monstrous, and yet the thing's got rather sizable mental modifiers, including Intelligence. This is very unusual, because this places it in the niche of being a true independent actor not constrained to so very many tropes. Hell, it's explicitly usually Neutral Evil, meaning that it's one of rather few Undead allowed to be Good! Which you promptly buried for, again, yet another damn field commander/den of evil type butting heads with 7th+ level spells. Most importantly, raising it to CR 17 breaks it completely because of how trivial it is to counter basically everything it does. Obliterating large masses of chaff is very simple at that level, and none of the things that would be sane to make are going to stand up for more than a round. Hell, you made its DR bypassable and half the value with almost no increase in health total, turning it into a downright glass cannon for a monster at this point. And that's without getting into the Death effect mess.

...Basically, keep it in the CR 10-15 range and on the theme of consuming and using bones, and try to concentrate everything you can around innate (Su) abilities instead of piling on SLAs. Like, what's the point of Wall of Bones when it can make a permanent Bone Wall Creature? Keep It Simple, Stupid applies heavily to this particular case, because the fundamental existence of a minion creation ability with as open ends as this obviates the need for a great many abilities simply by making sure it can make a minion to handle the same task. Cover the use of Unhallow/Desecrate with Turn difficulty sharing, cover the occasional need for minion healing with some variety of Fast Healing sharing, cover ranged damage with Fly speeds instead of a blunt ranged attack, and so on.

Blue Jay
2021-01-23, 12:48 AM
This particular rework is rather too extreme for my liking. In large part, the issue is that you've turned it into yet another "field commander" Undead, with yet another absolute pile of minion effects and yet another case of mechanically-applicable but thematically-incoherent SLAs with ridiculous shenanigans abounding. Even worse, it's being shoehorned right into the top of the CR ladder where it has so very many competitors.

Jeez, tell us how you really feel.


In particular, Blade Barrier and Stonehold have zero thematic sensibility, with the latter being exceptionally egregious for trivially allowing for trapping entire continents given the days/level duration...

Okay, I have to say that I'm a little confused. You started out by saying that the monster is too similar to other, similarly-themed monsters; but now you're also criticizing it for having abilities that go off-theme? I don't feel like that's a very consistent argument.

The blade barrier SLA grew out of the bone shards ability: since the creature already has a ranged attack based on throwing sharp stuff, giving it an ability that also spawns sharp things whirling about it doesn't seem like a major break from theme to me.

And stonehold grew out of a weak Earth theme that I saw in the monster. I noticed that the original monster speaks Terran, and looks like one of the giant worm monsters, so I gave it a burrow speed to match that, and chose a strong Earth-themed SLA to go with it. I didn't give it the Earth subtype, though; and I'm not sure why not. But at any rate, stonehold is a great lair effect. A boneyard is probably going to be setting up shop in a field of bones somewhere. To me, having arms that reach out of the ground to grab intruders seems like a really cool effect to add to that kind of lair. But yes, in retrospect, making it at-will does seem a bit excessive: I did not realize that the spell's duration was so long.

Would your objections go away if I made these into Su abilities, and explicitly re-imagined them as shards of bone swirling in the air and bony arms reaching out of the ground (respectively)?


Access to Animate Dead as an at-will SLA is utterly redundant with the Create Skeletons ability and expands the capacity quite ridiculously, doubled down on with the addition of Rebuke to give it three different control pools, while Awaken Undead is pointless the vast majority of the time and hideously broken the remainder for letting it make the most powerful things it can theoretically access no longer ask for its control cap.

Hmm... I clearly didn't think about the minion pools here. I guess I figured that, from the perspective of a monster, it's not really that important, because nobody really expects the bad guy to have all his underlings accounted for with control/rebuke mechanics.

But, you are right that I should be more deliberate about this, instead of just lazily tacking on all of the things.

I built this monster awhile back, and I don't really recall what my reasoning was behind these decisions. I vaguely remember being concerned about restricting the boneyard to only skeletons as minions, and wanting to give it a way to access other types of undead; but I have to agree with your point here that the minionmancy here is very poorly thought out.

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying about awaken undead, though.


Desecrate and Unhallow again try to shove this thing into the often-trodden "den of evil" boss where it's explicitly required to be hunting things down to eat them.

I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at here, either.


The thing is a big, strong Undead beater that's blatantly monstrous, and yet the thing's got rather sizable mental modifiers, including Intelligence. This is very unusual, because this places it in the niche of being a true independent actor not constrained to so very many tropes. Hell, it's explicitly usually Neutral Evil, meaning that it's one of rather few Undead allowed to be Good! Which you promptly buried for, again, yet another damn field commander/den of evil type butting heads with 7th+ level spells.

And I don't feel like I quite understand this point either. I gather that you like the tension between the "monstrous" and the "intelligent," and you think the excessive minionmancy is interfering with a robust expression of a particularly unique theme that you prefer? I guess I can understand that, and I'm going to work on consolidating the minionmancy a bit; but it also feels like you're making a mountain out of molehill with this.


Hell, you made its DR bypassable and half the value with almost no increase in health total, turning it into a downright glass cannon for a monster at this point.

I couldn't figure out what you were talking about here, until I looked back at the original monster and realized that it's DR was 10/-. I didn't realize that I'd changed that. But, "half the value"? The original in LM doesn't have DR 20, so I'm not sure what you're saying there.

Blue Jay
2021-01-23, 11:32 PM
Boneyard (Alternate Remake)

Here's an alternate idea I came up with for a remake of the boneyard from Libris Mortis. This one incorporates some of Morphic Tide's suggestions, and also develops the Earth theme further. The creature is restricted to just a few minion-creation abilities, and the shapeshifting is mostly gone.

--

Boneyard
Size/Type: Huge Undead (Earth)
Hit Dice: 17d12+17 (127 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 30 ft, Fly 60 ft (good), Burrow 20 ft
Armor Class: 30 (+20 natural, +2 Dex, -2 size), Touch 10, Flat-footed 28
BAB/Grapple: +8 / +26
Attack: bite +16 melee (3d8+15, 19-20/x2)
Full Attack: bite +16 melee (3d8+15, 19-20/x2)
Space/Reach: 15 ft / 10 ft
Special Attacks: Bone shards, Bone subsumption, Churning ribs, Improved grab, Spell-like abilities, Summon skeletal mob, Taint earth, Utter subsumption
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10 / -, Darkvision 60 ft, Fast Healing 10, Field of bones form, Immune to cold, Spell Resistance 30, Telepathy 100 ft, Undead traits
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +17
Abilities: Str 31, Dex 14, Con --, Int 16, Wis 21, Cha 18
Skills: Balance +14, Climb +22, Diplomacy +15, Disguise +15, Escape Artist +13, Intimidate +15, Jump +25, Knowledge (arcana) +15, Knowledge (religion) +15, Listen +17, Move Silently +13, Sense Motive +17, Spot +17, Tumble +13, Use Magic Device +17
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Improved Toughness, Multigrab, Power Attack
Environment: any
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 14
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: usually Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 18-20 (Huge), 21-25 (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: --

--

A boneyard is a serpentine amalgamation of thousands of bones and partial skeletons, bound together by the tainted earth of a graveyard and topped with the massive skull of some unknown, draconic monstrosity.

Its monstrous form belies its great intelligence, and it is in fact an excellent strategist, capable of coordinating groups of minions and laying sophisticated traps for its opponents, all while concealing its presence from those around it.

A boneyard shares an uncanny connection with bones of all sorts, and can exercise telekinetic control over the skeleton of any creature it sees, making it a terror of nightmare proportions for humanoids and other civilized races.

Boneyards speak Common, Terran and Abyssal.

Bone Shards (Ex)
A boneyard’s supernatural control over bone allows it to create sharp shards of bone to use as projectiles. As a standard action, a boneyard may generate a cloud of bone shards around itself, which lasts for up to 10 rounds. While this cloud is active, the boneyard is protected from ranged attacks (as if by an entropic shield spell), and any creature (except skeletons or other skeletal undead) that comes within 10 feet of the boneyard is dealt 4d6 magical piercing and slashing damage as the whirling shards of bone tear at flesh. A successful Reflex save (DC 22) halves the damage. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Additionally, the boneyard may take a standard action to gather the whirling shards together into three clusters and hurl them at up to three targets within 100 feet of the boneyard. This requires a ranged attack, which deals 4d6 piercing damage on a successful hit. The attack deals a critical hit on a roll of 19 to 20. The boneyard’s cloud of shards is consumed in the attack, and it must use another standard action to call another cloud.

Bone Subsumption (Su)
Any creature caught in a boneyard's jaws immediately feels the telekinetic pull of the boneyard's magic on its skeleton. After taking any damage from the boneyard's bite attack, a creature must succeed on a Will save (DC = 22) or take 2d4 Str, Dex & Con damage as pieces of its bones are torn from its body to join with the boneyard. The boneyard heals 5 hit points for each creature that fails its saving throw against this ability. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Bone Subsumption only impacts creatures with bony skeletons. Thus, elementals, plants, oozes and many aberrations and vermin are not affected by this attack. Undead with bony skeletons are not immune to this effect, but they are affected differently: instead of taking ability damage, such an undead creature takes 8d6 damage, which is not reduced by Damage Reduction of any type.

Churning Ribs (Ex)
If a boneyard successfully grapples a creature at least one size category smaller than it, it can immediately transfer the creature to its midsection as a swift action, where semi-autonomous ribcages and skeletal arms incorporated into its body seize the victim and hold it fast, grinding it mercilessly. At this point, the boneyard is no longer considered grappled, and it can move normally, dragging a held creature along with it. However, the held creature remains grappled until it succeeds on a grapple check or Escape Artist check to end the grapple.

Each round at the beginning of the boneyard's turn, a creature held by the boneyard's churning ribs must save against the boneyard’s bone subsumption attack.

A boneyard may hold up to 2 creatures in its churning ribs at once.

Create Skeletal Mob (Su)
At will as a full-round action, a boneyard can spontaneously fashion some of the bones that make up its body into mostly-articulated skeletons, and animate them into a horde of undead minions. Treat these as a mob of human skeletons (see statistics block below) under the boneyard’s control. The mob remains for 1 hour, or until the boneyard resorbs it. A boneyard can have only one such mob active at a time.

Skeletal Mob CR 8; Gargantuan Undead; HD 30d12; hp 195; Init +5; Spd 20 ft; AC 9, Touch 7, Flat 8; BAB +15/Grapple +28; Atk mob 5d6; Full Atk –; SA Expert grappler, Trample 2d6+1 (Ref DC 26 halves); SQ DR 5/bludgeoning, Immune to cold, Mob anatomy, Undead traits; AL CE; SV Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +17; Str 13, Dex 13, Con –, Int –, Wis 10, Cha 1.
Skills and Feats: –; Improved Bull RushB, Improved InitiativeB, Improved OverrunB

Field of Bones Form (Ex)
At will as a move action, a boneyard can collapse its serpentine form into what appears to be a disarticulated pile of bones and earth. While in this field of bones form, a boneyard retains its size and space, but loses its movement speed and cannot take actions. It is immune to weapon damage, but takes half again as much damage from area effects. It is essentially inert in this form, and indistinguishable from a mundane field of bones, except that its space is treated as if covered in a spike growth spell. The field of bones radiates a faint necromancy aura, but no other indications of the boneyard’s existence are present.

A boneyard in field of bones form can be forced back into its natural form with a Turn or Rebuke check powerful enough to turn or rebuke it, at which point it also is turned or rebuked (as appropriate).

Improved Grab (Ex)
If the boneyard hits a target with a bite attack, it may make an immediate grapple attempt against that target without requiring an initial touch attack and without provoking an attack of opportunity.

Spell-like abilities
A boneyard can use the following spells as a sorcerer with caster level 20th.

at will — consumptive fieldLM, fear, wall of bonesCArc
-----
CArc = Complete Arcane, LM = Libris Mortis

Taint Earth (Su)
A boneyard’s power over the grave reaches beyond the bones of the dead and seeps into the earth packed around them. As a full-round action, a boneyard can infuse the earth within a cemetery or graveyard with its necromantic taint, causing the very soil to rise up and grab at its foes. This functions as a stonehold spell (Spell Compendium, CL 17th), but the effect is restricted to within the boundaries of a graveyard, and it lasts only as long as the boneyard itself is present and in contact with the earth in the same graveyard.

Additionally, while its Taint Earth effect is active, the boneyard may take a standard action to create an animating force, causing the tainted earth of the graveyard to rise up and form Large earth necromentals (Libris Mortis). While these necromentals are active, the stonehold effect is suppressed. The necromentals are not restricted to the boundaries of the cemetery: they can move freely, but they only remain active while the boneyard remains in contact with the soil of the cemetery where its Taint Earth effect originated. The boneyard can create and control up to three necromentals at once.

Utter Subsumption (Su)
If the boneyard begins its turn with a creature pinned, that creature must succeed on a Fort save (DC = 24) or die horrifically as every bone is torn from his body to join the boneyard. On a successful save, the target only takes 2d4 Str, Dex and Con damage. The save DC is Charisma-based.

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
Most boneyards do not use or carry gear, but they are known to be fond of magic items. A boneyard may be found in possession of wands, rods or other magic items.

Inevitability’s Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the boneyard an RLA of +1.

Morphic tide
2021-01-24, 02:44 AM
The overly-trodden theme is in the minions. We have a lot of "lieutenant" type Undead powered by reanimation, but very few that play around with being a jumble of parts like this. Throwing in Blade Wall and Stonehold keeps up its mechanical function of battlefield control, but is utterly at odds with the theme of a bone-based creature.

The issue with Unhallow/Desecrate is that it promotes the "den of evil" situation for a thing you've given above-normal-speed flight and a Burrow speed to, particularly with the former's 24 hour cast time. Which is an issue from it being one of the Undead with an Inescapable Craving in-statblock, mandating it actually go out and do something.

Awaken Undead's issue is simply that you're giving it the ready capacity to make all of its minions independently intelligent, which opens up a pile of issues because it doesn't have to control them and can issue essentially arbitrarily complex orders. Even before getting into the Leadership-type issues where you take advantage of the pile of toll-users.

I reiterate that my issue is the "yet another lieutenant type" aspect of it. The Animate and/or Create Undead, package of active minion support, SLA-spewing thing that leads basically-arbitrary other Undead. Looting five different books for spells to fill out its mechanics instead of doing so with shenanigans from being made out of bones.

---

With regard to the alternative, this works out much better. It's still in the area where working around its Grapple checks isn't completely trivial, and the use of the Mob setup gives it "chaff" that will hold up decently well against rather high level enemies. The Taint Earth effect is pretty much exactly the sort of thing I was referring to with working out abilities as thematic effects instead of just piling up SLAs to meet mechanical needs.

Extending out this far from it having Terran as a language is a bit weird, but gives a solid justification for the overall capabilities it has in the end, as much as such is "needed". Consumptive Field isn't doing much with just Wall of Bones to operate on, but does offer additional, albeit marginal, survivability and something of a "hook" in the form of being really, really capable of going crazy when it gets into a crowded area.

liquidformat
2021-01-29, 09:52 AM
I will look at the alternate remake. I think it is pretty good over all here are some thoughts and comments:

You mention Field of bones form in the stat block but don't have an entry about what it does. An interesting take on the field of bones form might be that if you lay in one spot without moving you one get a huge hide bonus and two the area you lay in is treated as either Spike Growth or Spike Stones. I also like the original Amorphous Form ability to get through small spaces.

Bone Shards, the cloud is described as a cloud of bone shard surrounding you but the radius is only 10 feet so it won't even cover all of boneyards body that takes up 15 feet and therefore rather ineffective. With a 15' radius it would still mostly be taken up mostly by the boneyard so I would suggest a radius of 25' at minimum or since d&d doesn't tend to like that number go with 30' radius...

I am a bit sad that Utter Subsumption is completely gone even though it is most likely not an ability that will see much play.

Create Skeletal Mob might be better to tweak it slightly, having to remake it every hour seems silly. Instead maybe try the following, Skeletal Mob can be summoned/created once per hour and boneyard may only have one Skeletal Mob at a time. I don't think that changes the power level much when compared to summon/create once per hour and lasts for only 1 hour but it makes it less clunky.

I feel like it could use another couple SLAs but am not sure.

Blue Jay
2021-01-29, 11:09 AM
I will look at the alternate remake. I think it is pretty good over all here are some thoughts and comments:

You mention Field of bones form in the stat block but don't have an entry about what it does. An interesting take on the field of bones form might be that if you lay in one spot without moving you one get a huge hide bonus and two the area you lay in is treated as either Spike Growth or Spike Stones. I also like the original Amorphous Form ability to get through small spaces.

Bone Shards, the cloud is described as a cloud of bone shard surrounding you but the radius is only 10 feet so it won't even cover all of boneyards body that takes up 15 feet and therefore rather ineffective. With a 15' radius it would still mostly be taken up mostly by the boneyard so I would suggest a radius of 25' at minimum or since d&d doesn't tend to like that number go with 30' radius...

I am a bit sad that Utter Subsumption is completely gone even though it is most likely not an ability that will see much play.

Create Skeletal Mob might be better to tweak it slightly, having to remake it every hour seems silly. Instead maybe try the following, Skeletal Mob can be summoned/created once per hour and boneyard may only have one Skeletal Mob at a time. I don't think that changes the power level much when compared to summon/create once per hour and lasts for only 1 hour but it makes it less clunky.

I feel like it could use another couple SLAs but am not sure.

I like these suggestions, especially for the mob and the spike growth thing. Also, the two things you noted as missing were not intentional deletions: they were just editorial mistakes. I'll address them when I get back to my computer tonight.

liquidformat
2021-01-29, 11:13 PM
I like these suggestions, especially for the mob and the spike growth thing. Also, the two things you noted as missing were not intentional deletions: they were just editorial mistakes. I'll address them when I get back to my computer tonight.

Ah I had missed Utter subsumption, altogether it seems like a pretty solid monster, though not sure if it quite hits +1 LA as is. I think it is high side of +0 but I don't think it hits +1. Compared to what we expect from a level 17 character with standard races this doesn't seem overpowered compared to a tier 3 build.

Blue Jay
2021-01-30, 01:34 AM
Ah I had missed Utter subsumption, altogether it seems like a pretty solid monster, though not sure if it quite hits +1 LA as is. I think it is high side of +0 but I don't think it hits +1. Compared to what we expect from a level 17 character with standard races this doesn't seem overpowered compared to a tier 3 build.

Okay, I made a few edits to incorporate your suggestions, plus I made a few tweaks to action-economy and whatnot.

This creature already has a lot of text, but I also hit upon another idea of allowing the boneyard to create a "skeletal replica" of a creature it has slain via Utter Subsumption. Basically, it recreates the slain creature, but with the Bone Creature template from BoVD, and the creature is under the boneyard's control. I envision this ability taking the form of an hour- or hours-long ritual, so I think maybe it's best to incorporate it as a campaign element, rather than as a part of the monster's stat block.

On the subject of Reassigned LAs, I guess maybe you're right; it just feels like, if the base monster is worth LA +0 already, my alterations ought to be worth a bit more. I'm still somewhat surprised that the boneyard was considered LA +0, while the hullathoin was given LA -0. I guess it just reflects how difficult the task of assigning LAs can be. Especially at these ECLs, where game balance is really tenuous and volatile to begin with. What a fantastic project, to have brought together our different perspectives!

And of course, it's really helpful to get other perspectives on my homebrew here, too. I really appreciate the input.

Blue Jay
2021-01-30, 02:49 PM
Griffins (Remake and Original Creations)

This post includes an excessive number of variant griffins that I made awhile back. Griffins are one of my favorite fantasy monsters, and I kind of wish they'd get more attention in the game. So, I came up with some griffin diversity. I also made some subtle changes to the basic griffin mechanics, to make them fit my picky tastes. The trouble with griffins is that they don't really fill a particularly unique niche, and most of the stuff here feels like stuff you could get by running something else. Oh well: I still like griffins.

--

Griffin Stats

Bonus Feats (Ex)
All griffins gain Iron Will as a bonus feat. All griffins except the panther griffin and song griffin also gain Flyby Attack as a bonus feat.

Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, a griffin of young age or older must hit a foe of up to one size smaller than it with a bite or claw attack. On a successful hit, it may immediately make a grapple check against the target, without provoking an attack of opportunity or requiring an initial touch attack. If it succeeds on the grapple check, it pulls the opponent into its space and may make two rake attacks.

Pounce (Ex)
When a griffin of young age or older charges or dives on a target, it can make a full attack, including two rake attacks.

Rake (Ex)
When pouncing or against a grappled opponent, a griffin of adolescent age or older may make two extra rake attacks with its hind claws. These rake attacks deal the same damage as the griffin’s fore claws, and use the same attack bonuses.

Skills
All griffins have a +8 racial bonus on all Spot checks.



Common Griffin

Common Griffin (Chick)
Size/Type: Tiny Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 1d10 (5 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft, Fly 40 ft (average)
Armor Class: 16 (+3 Dex, +2 size, +1 natural), Touch 15, Flat-footed 13
BAB/Grapple: +1 / -8
Attack: bite +4 melee (1d4-1)
Full Attack: bite +4 melee (1d4-1)
Space/Reach: 2.5 ft / 0 ft
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Low-light vision, Scent
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 6
Skills: Jump +0, Listen +1, Spot +9, Survival +1
Feats: Flyby AttackB, Iron WillB, Track, Weapon FinesseB
Environment: any plains, hills or mountains (usually temperate)
Organization: solitary or pair, or with parents
Challenge Rating: 0.5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: usually Neutral
Advancement: 2 HD (Tiny)
Level Adjustment: -

Common Griffin (Young)
Size/Type: Small Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 3d10+3 (19 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft, Fly 60 ft (average)
Armor Class: 16 (+3 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size), Touch 14, Flat-footed 13
BAB/Grapple: +3 / -1
Attack: bite +4 melee (1d6) or claw +4 melee (1d3)
Full Attack: bite +4 melee (1d6) and 2 claws +2 melee (1d3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Improved Grab, Pounce
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Low-light vision, Scent
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +3
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 6
Skills: Jump +1, Listen +2, Spot +10, Survival +1
Feats: Flyby AttackB, Iron WillB, Multiattack, Track
Environment: any plains, hills or mountains (usually temperate)
Organization: solitary or pair, or with parents
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: usually Neutral
Advancement: 4 HD (Small)
Level Adjustment: +2

Common Griffin (Adolescent)
Size/Type: Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 5d10+10 (37 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 ft, Fly 80 ft (average)
Armor Class: 17 (+4 natural, +3 Dex), Touch 13, Flat-footed 14
BAB/Grapple: +5 / +7
Attack: bite +8 melee (1d8+3) or claw +8 melee (1d4+3)
Full Attack: bite +8 melee (1d8+3) and 2 claws +6 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Improved Grab, Pounce, Rake
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Low-light vision, Scent
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +4
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 6, Wis 13, Cha 6
Skills: Jump +9, Listen +3, Spot +11, Survival +3
Feats: Flyby AttackB, Iron WillB, Multiattack, Track
Environment: any plains, hills or mountains (usually temperate)
Organization: solitary or pair, or with parents
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: usually Neutral
Advancement: 6 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: +2

Common Griffin (Adult)
Size/Type: Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 7d10+21 (59 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 ft, Fly 80 ft (average)
Armor Class: 18 (+6 natural, +3 Dex, -1 size), Touch 12, Flat-footed 15
BAB/Grapple: +7 / +15
Attack: bite +11 melee (2d6+5) or claw +10 melee (1d6+5)
Full Attack: bite +11 melee (2d6+5) and 2 claws +8 melee (1d6+2)
Space/Reach: 10 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Improved Grab, Pounce, Rake
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Low-light vision, Scent
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +5
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 6, Wis 15, Cha 6
Skills: Jump +14, Listen +5, Spot +13, Survival +4
Feats: Flyby Attack B, Iron Will B, Multiattack, Power Attack, Track
Environment: any plains, hills or mountains (usually temperate)
Organization: solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: usually Neutral
Advancement: 8-12 HD (Large); or by character class
Level Adjustment: +2



Variations on the Common Griffin

Sea Griffins (CR +0)
Sea griffins are similar to common griffins, but they are usually found on islands far out to sea, or along coastal areas. Like ospreys, they specialize in diving into the water for fish and other prey, and can take flight directly from the surface of the water without difficulty. A sea griffin uses the same statistics as a common griffin, with the following additional abilities:

Speed
A sea griffin is less agile on land: its base land speed is 10 feet slower than for a common griffin. However, it has a racial Swim speed of 30 feet. It also gains a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on any Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can perform the run action while swimming, provided it moves in a straight line.

Hold Breath (Ex)
A sea griffin is not amphibious, but it can hold its breath for short dives underwater. It can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to three times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.

Improved Dive (Ex)
A sea griffin can make a bite attack at the end of a dive attack, and it deals double damage with this attack (normally, only claw or talon attacks can be used at the end of a dive attack). A sea griffin can also automatically pull up and avoid crashing at the end of its dive, though it can also follow through and dive straight into the water, if it chooses.

Ocean Eyes (Ex)
When a sea griffin makes an attack across the air-water boundary, its target does not receive the usual cover bonus to Armor Class against the attack.

--

Snow Griffins (CR +0)
Snow griffins are similar to common griffins, except that they live in frostfell environments, and their feathers and fur are completely white, with a few black speckles on them. A snow griffin has the same statistics as a common griffin, with the following additional abilities:

Cold Acclimation (Ex)
A snow griffin is acclimated to the cold environment of the frostfell. It can withstand even extremely cold temperatures, as if it were protected by an endure elements spell. This does not protect it against warm temperatures.

Resistance to Cold (Ex)
Snow griffins gain resistance 5 against cold damage.

Snow Camouflage (Ex)
The snow griffin’s white feathers allow it to blend into its snowy environment. It gains a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks in snowy or icy terrains.

Snowsight (Ex)
A snow griffin can see normally in whiteout conditions. Its vision is not impeded by obscuring mist or fog cloud spells, or by similar effects.

Ability Scores
A snow griffin gains an additional +2 bonus to its Constitution score, but takes a -2 penalty to its Dexterity score.



Supernatural Variations on the Common Griffin

Phoenix Griffins (CR +1)

Phoenix griffins are fiery creatures that bear more than a passing resemblance to their namesake, the great phoenix of legend. They proudly claim to be the descendants of the fabulous phoenix, and their claim does not seem to be entirely spurious. A phoenix griffin uses the same statistics as a common griffin, with the following additional abilities:

Breath Weapon (Su)
A phoenix griffin can breath fire once every 1d4 rounds. The fire takes on a cone or line shape, as the griffin chooses. The area of effect and damage are determined by the griffin’s size category, as shown in the table below. A successful Reflex save halves the damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.


Age Damage* Cone Line Ref DC
Chick 1d6 10 ft 20 ft 10
Young 2d6 15 ft 30 ft 12
Adolescent 3d6 20 ft 40 ft 14
Adult 4d6 30 ft 60 ft 16

*Increase damage by 1d6 for every 2 HD the phoenix griffin gains.

Fiery Bite (Su)
A phoenix griffin’s throat is filled with supernatural heat from the glands that produce its breath weapon. It deals an extra 1d6 fire damage with each successful bite attack.

Fire Subtype
A phoenix griffin has the Fire subtype. It is immune to fire damage, but vulnerable to cold damage.

Phoenix Feathers (Su)
A phoenix griffin’s feathers are powerful magic items in their own right. Once per day, a phoenix griffin can voluntarily remove a feather from its body, imbuing it with the power of a cure serious wounds or neutralize poison spell (griffin’s choice each time), with caster level 9th. The feather remains potent for 1 day, after which it crumbles to ash. A feather taken from the griffin against its will or plucked from a dead griffin’s body does not gain this magical power.

Rise from the Ashes (Su)
When a phoenix griffin is slain (reduced to –10 hit points or below), its body is immolated, leaving nothing but a pile of ashes that cover and incubate a black, glassy egg roughly 6 inches across. The egg remains dormant for 24 hours, after which time it hatches, releasing a phoenix griffin chick.

The ash and egg left behind when a phoenix griffin dies can be used to resurrect the griffin, but the creature cannot be raised by any means. Once a new chick has burst free from its egg, the original griffin cannot be brought back to life by any means. A gentle repose spell or similar magic cast on an egg can keep the egg from hatching, allowing the original griffin to possibly be brought back to life at a later time.
Once the gentle repose effect ends, however, the egg continues its incubation where it left off.

A wish or miracle spell used in conjunction with a resurrection effect can restore a phoenix griffin to life after its egg has hatched.

--

Storm Griffins (CR +1)
Storm griffins are rare, supernatural cousins of the griffin that mainly come out during storms and thrive in violent weather. A storm griffin uses the same statistics as a common griffin, with the following additional abilities:

Air Subtype
A storm griffin has the Air subtype.

Electric Discharge (Su)
Once every 1d4 rounds as a swift action, a storm griffin may unleash a burst of electricity from its feathers that affects all adjacent creatures. This deals an amount of electricity damage determined by the griffin’s age category: 1d6 for a chick, 2d6 for a young griffin, 3d6 for an adolescent, and 4d6 for an adult. A successful Reflex save halves the damage. The saving throw DC is Constitution-based: chick (DC 10), young (DC 12), adolescent (DC 14), adult (DC 16).

Fast Healing (Su)
Storms bring supernatural power to a storm griffin. While in a storm of any kind, a storm griffin gains Fast Healing 5.

Improved Flight (Ex)
A storm griffin flies with Good maneuverability, and its Fly speed is increased by 20 feet.

Storm Riding (Su)
A storm griffin is immune to electricity damage, and to all blinding and deafening effects. It treats any kind of wind effect as two categories lower for determing when it is checked, knocked back or blown away, and it gains a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against wind effects.



Other Griffins

Golden Griffin
Size/Type: Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 12d10+60 (126 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 50 ft, Fly 100 ft (good)
Armor Class: 24 (+10 natural, +5 Dex, -1 size), Touch 14, Flat-footed 19
BAB/Grapple: +12 / +24
Attack: bite +19 melee (2d6+8) or claw +19 melee (1d6+8)
Full Attack: bite +19 melee (2d6+8) and claws +17/+17/+15 melee (1d6+4) and 2 rakes +17 melee (1d6+4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Dragon hunter, Improved grab, Pounce, Rake, Spells
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Energy resistance (cold, electricity, fire), Low-light vision, Scent, Wild empathy +15
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +13, Will +10
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 21, Con 20, Int 11, Wis 19, Cha 16
Skills: Concentration +11, Intimidate +10, Jump +15, Listen +10, Spot +18, Survival +8
Feats: Combat Casting, Flyby Attack B, Iron Will B, Multiattack, Power Attack, Rapid Strike, Track
Environment: any plains, hills or mountains (usually temperate)
Organization: solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: usually Good (any)
Advancement: 13-20 HD (Large); or by character class
Level Adjustment: +4

--

A majestic griffin with its brown feathers shimmering with a gloss of gold, a golden griffin is the undisputed pinnacle of griffinkind, often serving as a ruler over other griffins, or as a mount for very powerful paladins and clerics.

Dragon Hunter (Ex)
A golden griffin often protects an area from the depredations of chromatic dragons, and its experience as a dragon hunter grants it bonuses on actions taken against dragons. This works as the ranger’s favored enemy ability, with a +4 bonus, which is effective against dragons. In addition, a golden griffin’s bonus applies to attack rolls made against dragons, and on saving throws against the Supernatural abilities of dragons.

Spells
A golden griffin casts spells as a 7th-level druid or cleric, though golden griffin clerics do not gain domains unless they take actual cleric class levels. The spells prepared below are for a golden griffin druid. For every 2 racial hit dice a golden griffin gains above 12, its druid or cleric caster level increases by 1.

0th —cure minor wounds, detect magic, detect poison, know direction, resistance, virtue
1st — charm animal, cure light wounds, endure elements, magic fang, speak with animals
2nd — barkskin, cat’s grace, owl’s wisdom, lesser restoration, summon nature’s ally II
3rd — call lightning, daylight
4th — freedom of movement

Wild Empathy (Ex)
This functions exactly as the druid’s class feature of the same name.

Panther Griffin
Size/Type: Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 5d10+10 (37 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 ft, Climb 20 ft, Fly 50 ft (good), Swim 20 ft
Armor Class: 17 (+3 natural, +4 Dex), Touch 14, Flat-footed 13
BAB/Grapple: +5 / +7
Attack: bite +8 melee (1d8+3) or claw +8 melee (1d4+3)
Full Attack: bite +8 melee (1d8+3) and 2 claws +6 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Improved Grab, Pounce, Rake
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Low-light vision, Scent, Woodland Stride
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +4
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 19, Con 14, Int 5, Wis 13, Cha 8
Skills: Climb +10, Hide +9, Jump +7, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Spot +11, Survival +6, Swim +10
Feats: Iron WillB, Multiattack, Track, Weapon FinesseB
Environment: any plains, hills or mountains (usually temperate)
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: usually Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: +1

--

A lithe, lightly-built griffin of the forests, with midnight black fur and feathers, a panther griffin is a versatile, stealthy hunter. They are less inclined to take to the air than other griffins, preferring to stalk along the forest floor, climb trees or even swim. However, when a panther griffin does fly, it flies with great agility, weaving skillfully among the trees; though it is not a fast flier.

Woodland Stride (Ex)
A panther griffin can move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at its normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect it.

Skills
In addition to the usual racial bonus to Spot, a panther griffin has a +4 racial bonus on all Hide, Listen, Move Silently and Survival checks. It also has a +8 racial bonus all Climb checks, and on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on any Climb or Swim check, even if distracted, threatened or rushed. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it moves in a straight line.

Song Griffin
Size/Type: Tiny Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 1d10 (5 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 20 ft, Climb 20 ft, Fly 40 ft (average)
Armor Class: 15 (+2 Dex, +2 size, +1 natural), Touch 14, Flat-footed 13
BAB/Grapple: +1 / -9
Attack: talons +1 melee (1d3-2)
Full Attack: talons +1 melee (1d3-2)
Space/Reach: 2.5 ft / 0 ft
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Low-light vision, Scent
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +2
Abilities: Str 6, Dex 15, Con 11, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6
Skills: Climb +10, Listen +6, Spot +9
Feats: Alertness, Weapon FinesseB
Environment: any forests
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 1/4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: usually Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

A song griffin is a small creature that combines features of a large songbird (often a blue jay or blackbird) and a small climbing feline or even a squirrel.

Skills
Unlike most griffins, a song griffin has only a +4 racial bonus on Spot checks. A song griffin also gains a +8 racial bonus on all Climb checks. It can choose to take 10 on any Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. It uses its Dex modifier or its Str modifier on Climb checks, whichever is higher.



For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
Griffins generally do not use or carry gear, though some are trained to wear armor and serve as mounts for humanoid riders.

Griffins as Animal Companions
Even though panther griffins are magical beasts, they can serve as a druid’s animal companion. The druid must have the Exalted Companion feat (Book of Exalted Deeds) or the Monstrous Animal Companion feat (Dragon #326). Add the panther griffin to the 7th-level animal companion list: a druid’s effective druid level for a panther griffin companion is 6 lower than it otherwise would be.

Griffins as Familiars
A song griffin can be taken as a spellcaster’s familiar. A spellcaster with a song griffin familiar gains a +2 bonus on all Spot checks.

Griffins as Paladins’ Special Mounts
Although griffins are wild beasts with notoriously rowdy temperaments, they readily serve as a paladin’s special mount. Most griffins prefer to serve Lawful Good paladins, though some may serve Evil paladins, as well.

A paladin of at least 10th level can select an adult griffin (including a sea griffin or snow griffin) as her special mount. She treats her paladin level as 5 lower for determining her mount’s abilities.

A paladin of at least 11th level can select an adult phoenix griffin or storm griffin as her special mount. She treats her paladin level as 6 lower for determining her mount’s abilities.

A paladin of at least 18th level can select a golden griffin as her special mount. She treats her paladin level as 13 lower for determining her mount’s abilities.

A Small-sized paladin of at least 8th level can select a panther griffin as her special mount. She treats her paladin level as 3 lower for determining her mount's abilities.

Inevitability’s Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend the followed RLAs for these griffins:

Standard Griffins Chick Young Adolescent Adult
Common Griffin RLA +1 RLA +1 RLA +0 RLA +0
Sea Griffin RLA +1 RLA +1 RLA +0 RLA +0
Snow Griffin RLA +1 RLA +1 RLA +0 RLA +0



Supernatural Griffins Chick Young Adolescent Adult
Phoenix Griffin RLA +2 RLA +2 RLA +1 RLA +1
Storm Griffin RLA +2 RLA +2 RLA +1 RLA +1


Other Griffins Reassigned LA
Golden Griffin RLA +0
Panther Griffin RLA +1
Song Griffin RLA +2

liquidformat
2021-02-02, 12:26 PM
Boneyard (Remake): (if you are still looking at refining this version)

Space/Reach: it would probably be advisable to just say see 'Reshape Ability' and enter space and reach in the ability text based on form.
Bone Subsumption: the every 1d4 round ability is pretty incredible, for vermin maybe make a comment that it only affects vermin with exoskeletons, if that is true
Does Bone Subsumption only work in serpent form? does the 1d4 round variant work in giant or amorphous form? maybe restrict that 1d4 round ability to amorphous form only since it makes a bit more sense in that form than the other two
Rshape: does giant form have a bite attack still? Might be good to make that clear. In amorphous form it would be good to comment on space and reach I think 30'/0' would make sense, also can it move normally, only fly, do both? can it make any attacks in said form, are any of its abilities useable, or not useable in that form?
Create Skeletons: it would probably be good to clarify the command portion of this ability is said 80hd independent of rebuke and Animate Dead limits?
Changing the command limit to be based on HD would increase the power level of the ability.
I would tend to agree with Morphic Tide on the SLAs and DR, I get where you were going with Blade Barrier and Stonehold but over all I think Stonehold is a bit over powered and DR overcome by bludgeoning is going to get ignored ~ half the time.
Consumptive field+animate undead+ awaken undead+desecrate+rebuke undead makes for some very powerful undead on the super cheap. I think that was Morphic Tide's point.
Also making unhallowed ground everywhere you go for free is pretty crazy similar to stonehold.
In general I think it would be interesting to play around with the abilities and forms a bit more. For example desecrate, stonehold, unhallow, and maybe even blade barrier could be tied to amorphous form and the area you take up in amorphous form. In this case it would also be important inside the amorphous form entry to talk about taking up the same space as other creatures.
In general I think this is about right for the power level of a level 20 character but as is I worry it would quickly fall behind in epic campaigns


Griffin Stats since all griffins can fly it would be good to include the +8 jump bonus in the general stats area.
Boneyard (Alternate Remake) Only real comment here is I still think this doesn't quite hit +1 LA.

Common Griffin: two comments here I don't think you changed enough to justify a +1 much less +2 LA for these guys. Also under 'Inevitability’s Reassigned LA' section you are referring to Boneyard...

panther griffin: are missing Flyby Attack and have Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat are they supposed to have both? Can they be paladin mounts for small paladins?

Song Griffin it seems to be missing Iron Will as a bonus feat is this correct? Also seems like a fun player race

Seas, Snow, Phoenic, and Storm Griffon might be good to specifically comment on LA for each.

Blue Jay
2021-02-02, 11:03 PM
Boneyard (Remake): (if you are still looking at refining this version)

Space/Reach: it would probably be advisable to just say see 'Reshape Ability' and enter space and reach in the ability text based on form.
Bone Subsumption: the every 1d4 round ability is pretty incredible, for vermin maybe make a comment that it only affects vermin with exoskeletons, if that is true
Does Bone Subsumption only work in serpent form? does the 1d4 round variant work in giant or amorphous form? maybe restrict that 1d4 round ability to amorphous form only since it makes a bit more sense in that form than the other two
Rshape: does giant form have a bite attack still? Might be good to make that clear. In amorphous form it would be good to comment on space and reach I think 30'/0' would make sense, also can it move normally, only fly, do both? can it make any attacks in said form, are any of its abilities useable, or not useable in that form?
Create Skeletons: it would probably be good to clarify the command portion of this ability is said 80hd independent of rebuke and Animate Dead limits?
Changing the command limit to be based on HD would increase the power level of the ability.
I would tend to agree with Morphic Tide on the SLAs and DR, I get where you were going with Blade Barrier and Stonehold but over all I think Stonehold is a bit over powered and DR overcome by bludgeoning is going to get ignored ~ half the time.
Consumptive field+animate undead+ awaken undead+desecrate+rebuke undead makes for some very powerful undead on the super cheap. I think that was Morphic Tide's point.
Also making unhallowed ground everywhere you go for free is pretty crazy similar to stonehold.
In general I think it would be interesting to play around with the abilities and forms a bit more. For example desecrate, stonehold, unhallow, and maybe even blade barrier could be tied to amorphous form and the area you take up in amorphous form. In this case it would also be important inside the amorphous form entry to talk about taking up the same space as other creatures.
In general I think this is about right for the power level of a level 20 character but as is I worry it would quickly fall behind in epic campaigns


Yeah, I don't think I want to keep up that version: it is pretty messy, especially the minionmancy, and I don't really like it anymore. I'll probably scrub it completely (by putting strikethrough codes on the whole post and providing a link to the alternate version); I've just been too lazy these past few days.


Griffin Stats since all griffins can fly it would be good to include the +8 jump bonus in the general stats area.

You get a bonus on Jump checks for having a Fly speed? Where is that rule?


Boneyard (Alternate Remake) Only real comment here is I still think this doesn't quite hit +1 LA.

Hm... you might be right. I'm probably going to keep it up there anyway, unless some other votes flow in, just because this feels like a monster I want to be conservative with.


Common Griffin: two comments here I don't think you changed enough to justify a +1 much less +2 LA for these guys. Also under 'Inevitability’s Reassigned LA' section you are referring to Boneyard...

The MM griffon has LA +3, so mine is actually a reduced LA. :smalltongue:

The LAs in the stat blocks are my attempts to mimic WotC LAs, because somebody upthread commented about that. To be honest though, my method so far has been to just assign an LA that's 1 or 2 higher than the RLA I recommend for it. I have no idea what I'm doing there.


panther griffin: are missing Flyby Attack and have Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat are they supposed to have both? Can they be paladin mounts for small paladins?

It's called out in the "Griffin Stats" section: "All griffins except the panther griffin have Flyby Attack as a bonus feat." The idea is that the panther griffin lives in dense woods, so it doesn't fly as much... and as I'm typing this, I realize that I didn't paste in that flavor text blurb. Doh!

And actually... yeah, I should make them available as paladin mounts.


Song Griffin it seems to be missing Iron Will as a bonus feat is this correct? Also seems like a fun player race

...and Flyby Attack too. I think I'm going to keep Flyby Attack off, though. Iron Will should be there, though.

And I also forgot to add the line about using Dex instead of Str on Climb checks.


Seas, Snow, Phoenic, and Storm Griffon might be good to specifically comment on LA for each.

Oh yeah. I should do that.

The sea and snow griffin are meant to be basically racial variants of the common griffin, so they should have the same LA.

The phoenix and storm griffins though, should be a little different. It might even be worthwhile to tweak some stats around a bit to make them into unique monsters, rather than variants.

--

Thanks again for the input.

liquidformat
2021-02-03, 09:08 AM
You get a bonus on Jump checks for having a Fly speed? Where is that rule?

Hmm I thought it was baked into flying creatures but now looking through the MM I am not seeing any mention of it. I had thought it was a thing since most pc races you interact with get +10 jump because of their wings: dragonborn, raptoran, and Dragon Wings. But looks like that isn't a general rule, though it seems to make sense...

Hm... you might be right. I'm probably going to keep it up there anyway, unless some other votes flow in, just because this feels like a monster I want to be conservative with.




The MM griffon has LA +3, so mine is actually a reduced LA. :smalltongue:

The LAs in the stat blocks are my attempts to mimic WotC LAs, because somebody upthread commented about that. To be honest though, my method so far has been to just assign an LA that's 1 or 2 higher than the RLA I recommend for it. I have no idea what I'm doing there.

granted that LA is specifically for having it as a cohort isn't it?


It's called out in the "Griffin Stats" section: "All griffins except the panther griffin have Flyby Attack as a bonus feat." The idea is that the panther griffin lives in dense woods, so it doesn't fly as much... and as I'm typing this, I realize that I didn't paste in that flavor text blurb. Doh!

And actually... yeah, I should make them available as paladin mounts.
I apparently missed the 'all griffins except' part and just saw panther griffin have flyby attack as a bonus feat. Granted I would think living in the forest with a lot of tree would make more sense for having flyby attack

Blue Jay
2021-02-15, 09:33 PM
Monster Feats

Okay, this is something that's a little different. Instead of a monster, here I'm posting a collection of monstrous feats that I created. These feats all address a few specific things that I think would be nice for some monster characters, but I haven't yet put a lot of thought into how they interact with each other or with any other optimization content. I would appreciate hearing anyone else's thoughts about which of these feats are a good idea, and which are not; which of them might be better granted by templates or prestige classes; or any other ideas for ways to improve them.



Augment Energy [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Any extraordinary or supernatural attack that deals energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic)

Benefit
Choose one of your extraordinary or supernatural attacks that deals energy damage. The chosen attack deals 2 more dice of damage of the same type as it normally deals.

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time, it applies to a different special attack.

--

Augment Energy, Greater [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Any extraordinary or supernatural attack that deals energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic), Augment Energy, character level 6th or higher

Benefit
Choose one of your special attacks, for which you have taken the Augment Energy feat. The chosen extraordinary or supernatural attack deals 2 more dice of damage of the same type as it normally deals. This additional damage stacks with the additional damage granted by the Augment Energy feat.

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time, it applies to a different special attack.


--

Awakened [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Member of a monstrous race with a typical Intelligence score of 2 or lower, or that lacks an Intelligence score altogether

Benefit
You gain an Intelligence score of 6 (i.e., apply a -4 racial modifier to the value you rolled or purchased for your Intelligence score).

Special
Mindless creatures generally do not gain feats. However, a mindless creature can opt to take this feat at 1st level anyway. When it does so, it can gain feats and skill points as normal for a non-mindless creature of its type, and this feat counts as its 1st-level feat.

--

Denature Energy [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Any extraordinary or supernatural attack that deals energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic)

Benefit
Choose one of your extraordinary or supernatural attacks that deals energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic). When you use the chosen attack, you may choose to convert half of its damage to untyped damage, allowing it to bypass immunity and resistance.

--

Dexterous Pseudopods [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Ooze type

Benefit
You can use pseudopods to manipulate objects and wield weapons and shields as if you had two humanoid hands. If you have one or more slam attacks, you can still deliver one slam attack as a secondary attack in a full attack while wielding weapons.

If you would normally deal acid or other damage to an object on contact, objects you manipulate or weapons you wield with your pseudopods are not subjected to this damage unless you will it.

This feat does not grant proficiency with any weapons or shields.

-

Dexterous Tentacles [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Tentacle, vine or similar natural attack (including slam attacks delivered by a tentacle- or vine-like appendage)

Benefit
You can wield manufactured weapons in your tentacles or vines, as if they were humanoid hands. You take the normal penalties for wielding two or more weapons, but you can take the Two-Weapon Fighting or Multi-Weapon Fighting feats to reduce the penalties.

--

Energy Affinity [Monstrous]
Benefit
Choose one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic. Anytime you deal that type of damage with an extraordinary or supernatural attack, a spell-like ability or a magic weapon, you deal an extra 1 die of that damage type. Use the same size of dice as the attack normally uses. When an attack's damage value is not expressed in terms of damage dice, you add 2 extra points of damage instead.

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack. Each time you take this feat, it applies to the same energy type: you cannot have affinity with more than one energy type.

A will-o'-wisp normally deals 2d8 points of electricity damage by touch. A will-o'-wisp with this feat can instead deal 3d8 electricity damage by touch.

A winter wolf normally deals 1d6 points of cold damage with its bite, and 4d6 cold damage with its breath weapon. A winter wolf with this feat can instead deal 2d6 points of cold damage with its bite, and 5d6 cold damage with its breath weapon.

An azer normally deals 1 point of fire damage with its melee attacks. An azer with this feat can instead deal 3 points of fire damage with its melee attacks.

A black pudding normally deals 2d6 acid damage with its slam attack, and 21 acid damage to an object per round of physical contact. A black pudding with this feat would instead deal 3d6 acid damage with its slam attack, and 23 acid damage to an object per round of physical contact.

--

Energy Healing [Monstrous]
Prerequisite
Immunity to any type of energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic; immunity granted by spells does not qualify)

Benefit
Pick an energy type that you are naturally immune to. Whenever you are subjected to an attack or effect that deals that type of damage, you instead recover 1 hit point for every 3 points of damage that the effect would deal. This effect cannot increase your hit points beyond your normal maximum, nor is it triggered by attacks or effects you create yourself.

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time, you may pick a new energy type.

--

Enhanced Recovery [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Any extraordinary, supernatural or spell-like ability with a limited number of uses per unit time (any real-world time unit less than 1 day is acceptable; but in-game time units such as rounds, are not).

Benefit
Choose one of your special abilities that has a limited number of uses per unit time (any real-world time unit less than 1 day is acceptable, e.g., "once per minute", "once per hour", "once every ten minutes", etc; but in-game time units such as "rounds" or "encounters", are not). You no longer have a limited number of uses per unit time, but you still must wait 1d4 rounds between uses of your ability.

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time, it applies to a different special ability.

--

Extra Attack [Monstrous]
Prerequisite
An extraordinary or supernatural attack with a limited number of uses per day

Benefit
You gain 2 additional daily uses of your special attack.

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.

--

Fiery Soul [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Fire subtype

Benefit
Choose any 1st-level spell with the Fire descriptor. You may cast that spell as a spell-like ability three times per day, with caster level equal to your character level.

If the chosen spell only has the Fire descriptor conditionally (e.g., most summoning spells), you can only cast it as a Fire spell (i.e., a summoning spell-like ability can only be used to summon fire creatures). You cannot choose a spell that would only gain the Fire descriptor through application of metamagic or similar affects.

--

Fiery Soul, Greater [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Fire subtype, Fiery Soul, character level 6th or higher

Benefits
You may cast the spell-like ability you chose with your Fiery Soul feat at will.

Additionally, you may choose two other spells with the Fire descriptor. One of the spells must be of 2nd level or lower, and you may cast it as a spell-like ability three times per day. The other spell must be of 3rd level or lower, and you may cast it as a spell-like ability two times per day.

If one of the chosen spells only has the Fire descriptor conditionally (e.g., most summoning spells), you can only cast it as a Fire spell (i.e., a summoning spell-like ability can only be used to summon fire creatures). You cannot choose a spell that would only gain the Fire descriptor through application of metamagic or similar affects.

--

Friendly Attack [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
A special attack that affects creatures in an area

Benefit
Pick one of your special attacks that affects multiple creatures in an area. Each time you use the chosen attack, you may designate one creature that will not be affected by it. This only applies to that single use of your special attack: you must designate a creature again with each subsequent use.

Normal
Area attacks usually affect all creatures within the area of effect.

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time, it applies to a different special attack.

--

Icy Soul [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Cold subtype

Benefit
Choose any 1st-level spell with the Cold descriptor. You may cast that spell as a spell-like ability three times per day, with caster level equal to your character level.

If the chosen spell only has the Cold descriptor conditionally (e.g., most summoning spells), you can only cast it as a Cold spell (i.e., a summoning spell-like ability can only be used to summon cold creatures). You cannot choose a spell that would only gain the Cold descriptor through application of metamagic or similar affects.

--

Icy Soul, Greater [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Cold subtype, Icy Soul, character level 6th or higher

Benefits
You may cast the spell-like ability you chose with your Icy Soul feat at will.

Additionally, you may choose two other spells with the Cold descriptor. One of the spells must be of 2nd level or lower, and you may cast it as a spell-like ability three times per day. The other spell must be of 3rd level or lower, and you may cast it as a spell-like ability two times per day.

If one of the chosen spells only has the Cold descriptor conditionally (e.g., most summoning spells), you can only cast it as a Cold spell (i.e., a summoning spell-like ability can only be used to summon cold creatures). You cannot choose a spell that would only gain the Cold descriptor through application of metamagic or similar affects.

--

Improved Perception 1[Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Blindsense, Blindsight, Darkvision, Scent, Tremorsense or similar sensory ability with a specified range limit

Benefit
The range of your special sensory ability increases by 30 feet (e.g., "Darkvision out to 60 feet" becomes "Darkvision out to 90 feet").

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.

--

Improved Speed [Monstrous]
Benefit
Choose one of your movement modes. Your speed for that movement mode increases by 10 feet.

If you lack any movement modes, you instead gain a base land speed of 10 feet.

--

Improved Volley [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
An extraordinary, supernatural or spell-like special attack that is delivered as a volley (i.e., you can deliver multiple attacks as an action other than a full attack or full-round action).

Benefit
Choose one of your special attacks that meets the prerequisite criteria above. When making a volley of attacks with the chosen attack, you deliver one additional attack as part of that volley. For example, a manticore can normally throw 6 spikes in a single volley. With this feat, a manticore can throw 7 spikes in a single volley.

--

Iterative Attack [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
One or more natural weapons (not including unarmed strikes), BAB +6 or higher

Benefit
Choose one of your natural weapons. When making a full attack, you may deliver extra attacks with the chosen natural weapon for having a high base attack bonus, just as if the chosen weapon were a manufactured weapon.

If the chosen natural weapon comes in a pair (e.g., 2 claws), then you treat one of the pair as a primary weapon, and the other as either a secondary natural attack or an off-hand weapon, whichever is more beneficial to you.

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, it applies to a different natural weapon.

--

Mule Kick [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Two or more hoof attacks.

Benefit
You may make two hoof attacks against a single target as a standard action or at the end of a charge. If both hoof attacks hit, you may immediately make a Trip attempt against the target without provoking an attack of opportunity or requiring an initial touch attack to hit.

--

Natural Weapon Training [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Any natural weapon, BAB +3

Benefit
Choose one of your natural weapons. Attacks with the chosen weapon are always treated as primary natural attacks: you always use your highest base attack bonus on attack rolls, and add your full Strength modifier to damage rolls when using the chosen natural weapon, even if using it in conjunction with other primary weapons in a full attack.

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time, it applies to a different natural weapon.

--

Pummel [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Two or more slam attacks

Benefit
If you hit a single opponent with two or more slam attacks in the same round, you may make two additional slam attacks against that opponent at the same base attack bonus as a swift action.

--

Rapid Attack [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Any extraordinary or supernatural special attack that requires a standard action to deliver and an attack roll to hit, BAB +6 or higher

Benefit
Choose one of your special attacks that meets the prerequisite criteria above. Your special attack now requires an attack action, instead of a standard action. This allows you to deliver your chosen special attack once per round as part of a full attack. Treat your special attack as either a primary or secondary natural weapon (your choice each time). If you could already deliver your chosen attack as part of a full attack, you may instead deliver it one more time than usual as part of that full attack, using one of the iterative attacks you are allotted for having a high base attack bonus.

Your attack is still subject to its usual timing and use limitations: this feat does not grant you more daily uses of your attack than you normally get, and if you must wait between uses of your special attack, you cannot use this feat to deliver that attack multiple times in the same round.

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time, it applies to a different special attack.

--

Rejected Identity [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
One or more creature subtypes

Benefit
Choose one of your subtypes (e.g., Chaotic, Water, etc), other than Extraplanar, Incorporeal or Swarm. You lose that subtype and all benefits and drawbacks associated with it. If you cannot breathe air, you cannot choose to remove the Aquatic subtype.

Special
You make take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time, you choose a different subtype to remove.

--

Reverse Petrification [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Racial special attack that causes petrification

Benefit
As a standard action, you may touch a creature that was petrified by your special attack and restore it to life, as if by a stone to flesh spell. You cannot use this feat to reverse petrification caused by another creature.

--

Rugged Trample [Monstrous]
Prerequisite
Trample special attack

Benefit
You can trample creatures up to your own size. To trample a creature, you need not move over its entire space: as long as you move over any square the creature occupies, the creature is considered trampled.

--

Versatile Area Attack [Monstrous]
Prerequisite
A special attack that affects creatures in an area

Benefit
Choose one of your special attacks that affects creatures in an area. Each time you use the selected attack, you may choose to have it affect a smaller area. The shape of the area remains the same, but the primary measurement can be reduced to as little as one-tenth of its usual size. For example, an adult red dragon’s breath weapon usually covers a 50-foot cone, but with this feat, the dragon could choose to reduce its breath weapon’s area to a smaller cone (e.g., a 35-foot cone, a 20-foot cone, or as small as a 5-foot cone).

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time, it applies to a different special attack.

Metastachydium
2021-02-16, 06:23 AM
Awakened [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Member of a monstrous race with a typical Intelligence score of 2 or lower, or that lacks an Intelligence score altogether.

Benefit
You gain an Intelligence score of 6 (i.e., apply a -4 racial modifier to the value you rolled or purchased for your Intelligence score).

Special
Mindless creatures generally do not gain feats. However, a mindless creature can opt to take this feat at 1st level anyway. When it does so, it can gain feats and skill points as normal for a non-mindless creature of its type, and this feat counts as its 1st-level feat.

Yeah, I've always found it weird that the only mechanic that gives creatures sapience only worked on animals and trees (which is not to say I'm not happy about the option of awakening trees that are otherwise treated by the game as objects which is creepy and wrong). I like this one.


Dexterous Tentacles [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Tentacle, vine or similar natural attack (including slam attacks delivered by a tentacle- or vine-like appendage)

Benefit
You can wield manufactured weapons in your tentacles or vines, as if they were humanoid hands. You take the normal penalties for wielding two or more weapons, but you can take the Two-Weapon Fighting or Multi-Weapon Fighting feats to reduce the penalties.

Hm. Is there any actual rule that explicitly prevents, say, shamblers from SWINGING AWAY WITH A GREATAXE?




Energy Healing [Monstrous]
Prerequisite
Immunity to any type of energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic; immunity granted by spells does not qualify)

Benefit
Pick an energy type that you are naturally immune to. Whenever you are subjected to an attack or effect that deals that type of damage, you instead recover 1 hit point for every 3 points of damage that the effect would deal. This effect cannot increase your hit points beyond your normal maximum, nor is it triggered by attacks or effects you create yourself.

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time, you may pick a new energy type.

Shambling mounds made something like this before it was mainstream!



Augment Energy [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Any extraordinary or supernatural attack that deals energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic)

Benefit
Choose one of your extraordinary or supernatural attacks that deals energy damage. The chosen attack deals 2 more dice of damage of the same type as it normally deals.

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time, it applies to a different special attack.

--

Augment Energy, Greater [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Any extraordinary or supernatural attack that deals energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic), Augment Energy, character level 6th or higher

Benefit
Choose one of your special attacks, for which you have taken the Augment Energy feat. The chosen extraordinary or supernatural attack deals 2 more dice of damage of the same type as it normally deals. This additional damage stacks with the additional damage granted by the Augment Energy feat.

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time, it applies to a different special attack.
Denature Energy [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Any extraordinary or supernatural attack that deals energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic)

Benefit
Choose one of your extraordinary or supernatural attacks that deals energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic). When you use the chosen attack, you may choose to convert half of its damage to untyped damage, allowing it to bypass immunity and resistance.

Energy Affinity [Monstrous]
Benefit
Choose one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic. Anytime you deal that type of damage with an extraordinary or supernatural attack, a spell-like ability or a magic weapon, you deal an extra 1 die of that damage type. Use the same size of dice as the attack normally uses. When an attack's damage value is not expressed in terms of damage dice, you add 2 extra points of damage instead.

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack. Each time you take this feat, it applies to the same energy type: you cannot have affinity with more than one energy type.

A will-o'-wisp normally deals 2d8 points of electricity damage by touch. A will-o'-wisp with this feat can instead deal 3d8 electricity damage by touch.

A winter wolf normally deals 1d6 points of cold damage with its bite, and 4d6 cold damage with its breath weapon. A winter wolf with this feat can instead deal 2d6 points of cold damage with its bite, and 5d6 cold damage with its breath weapon.

An azer normally deals 1 point of fire damage with its melee attacks. An azer with this feat can instead deal 3 points of fire damage with its melee attacks.

A black pudding normally deals 2d6 acid damage with its slam attack, and 21 acid damage to an object per round of physical contact. A black pudding with this feat would instead deal 3d6 acid damage with its slam attack, and 23 acid damage to an object per round of physical contact.


These ones combined would look truly scary on a true dragon, you know.

Blue Jay
2021-02-17, 11:10 PM
Yeah, I've always found it weird that the only mechanic that gives creatures sapience only worked on animals and trees (which is not to say I'm not happy about the option of awakening trees that are otherwise treated by the game as objects which is creepy and wrong). I like this one.

If you look around, there are other awakening effects. The awaken construct and awaken undead spells are in Spell Compendium. Savage Species has a prestige class (Master of Flies) that gains Awaken Vermin (Sp) as a class ability. Dragon #304 has awaken ooze, though that spell changes the ooze's type to aberration. There are also plenty of templates that give Intelligence scores to mindless creatures (celestial, half-dragon, sentry ooze, etc).

But, I wanted something more universal, and I figured that a feat was a reasonable cost. This one is actually born from some experience with an ongoing game at Myth-Weavers: we made an Awakened feat, and discovered the problem with mindlessness when someone wanted to build a spider PC. So, I'm relatively confident that my Awakened feat (which is a watered-down version of the feat we use in that game) is pretty reasonable.

--


Hm. Is there any actual rule that explicitly prevents, say, shamblers from SWINGING AWAY WITH A GREATAXE?

It's a good question, and I don't know the answer. But I figure there's a good chance that many DMs will veto the idea of weapon-wielding vines. Also, I figure that those DMs would feel better about allowing it if it cost the player something, so I thought it would be worthwhile to make it a feat.

--


Shambling mounds made something like this before it was mainstream!

Seems like somebody has a favorite monster.

--


These ones combined would look truly scary on a true dragon, you know.

That's one of the obvious questions I have: some of these feats are clearly stackable, and I would need some caution about implementing them together. If you had to choose between these somewhat overlapping feats, which would you keep, and which would you discard?

From my perspective, 3 feats for +5dX damage on most monsters is probably not going to break the game. Certainly not for an advanced dragon that's already doing 60 or 70 damage with its breath weapon. But for some monsters, like arrowhawks or winter wolves or half-dragons, the extra damage is an important way to keep their signature special attacks relevant later in the game, and Denature Energy will let a player play a pyromaniac monster without being rendered completely useless by some enemies' immunities.

I'm more concerned with the couple of feats that influence the action economy of attacks, because those can make some really scary full attack routines: Iterative Attack and Rapid Attack, especially, can be stacked in a lot of ways. Improved Volley on a Beholder is also a bit concerning.

And that's before you start to looking at combining it with the templates and prestige classes I made in my other homebrew threads.

A lot of monsters that I have a particular fondness for have fairly poor attack routines, and their signature special attacks just don't have any avenues of advancement. That's why I made these feats: so some of these "underdog" monsters can actually get a little scaling, and some of the sucky monsters that I want to be viable might actually become viable. But, it's really hard to boost the weak monsters without completely unleashing the overpowered monsters.

Anyway, thanks for the continued comments: I really appreciate the feedback.

Metastachydium
2021-02-18, 06:03 AM
If you look around, there are other awakening effects. The awaken construct and awaken undead spells are in Spell Compendium. Savage Species has a prestige class (Master of Flies) that gains Awaken Vermin (Sp) as a class ability. Dragon #304 has awaken ooze, though that spell changes the ooze's type to aberration. There are also plenty of templates that give Intelligence scores to mindless creatures (celestial, half-dragon, sentry ooze, etc).

But, I wanted something more universal, and I figured that a feat was a reasonable cost. This one is actually born from some experience with an ongoing game at Myth-Weavers: we made an Awakened feat, and discovered the problem with mindlessness when someone wanted to build a spider PC. So, I'm relatively confident that my Awakened feat (which is a watered-down version of the feat we use in that game) is pretty reasonable.

Fair. That's what I get for thinking Spell Companion is boring, ignoring the Dragon magazine stuff and giving up on Savage Species upon realizing that its LA assignment guidelines are useless, the monster classes don't do much and that it has a gelatinous bear for some reason. That said, I'm still not sure spells and abilities cover everything they should and I still like what you did here.


Seems like somebody has a favorite monster.

It's an intelligent plant creature that is not a zombie vampire fungus. What's not to like about the 'mounds?


That's one of the obvious questions I have: some of these feats are clearly stackable, and I would need some caution about implementing them together. If you had to choose between these somewhat overlapping feats, which would you keep, and which would you discard?

I think I'd drop Energy Affinity. It does pretty much the same thing as the Augment feats but it's stackable.


From my perspective, 3 feats for +5dX damage on most monsters is probably not going to break the game. Certainly not for an advanced dragon that's already doing 60 or 70 damage with its breath weapon. But for some monsters, like arrowhawks or winter wolves or half-dragons, the extra damage is an important way to keep their signature special attacks relevant later in the game, and Denature Energy will let a player play a pyromaniac monster without being rendered completely useless by some enemies' immunities.

I'm somewhat conflicted on Denature Energy. On the one hand, untyped damage is just plain cool. On the other hand, there's no running away from it, so it should probably be a rare and special thing and not something even the tiniest shocker lizard can dish out at will. Adding some extra prerequisites that spell „it's for later in the game” would perhaps help.


I'm more concerned with the couple of feats that influence the action economy of attacks, because those can make some really scary full attack routines: Iterative Attack and Rapid Attack, especially, can be stacked in a lot of ways. Improved Volley on a Beholder is also a bit concerning.

And that's before you start to looking at combining it with the templates and prestige classes I made in my other homebrew threads.

Well, yes, there's that too.


A lot of monsters that I have a particular fondness for have fairly poor attack routines, and their signature special attacks just don't have any avenues of advancement. That's why I made these feats: so some of these "underdog" monsters can actually get a little scaling, and some of the sucky monsters that I want to be viable might actually become viable. But, it's really hard to boost the weak monsters without completely unleashing the overpowered monsters.

Some of the feats do a good job of the former without doing the latter, though. Natural Weapon Training, for instance, absolutely saves tha abrian (you know, the demon ostrich from Fiend Folio with the 1d3 (!) primary and 1d8 secondary attack).

Blue Jay
2021-02-21, 12:21 PM
Swarm of Flying Swords (Original Creation)

As a swarm aficionado, this idea came to me once, and I just had to try to make it. I wanted the sword swarm to be a really nasty swarm, and I think this one does it. It's an oddball of a swarm, because it's made up of Small creatures. In spite of that, I thought the swarm rules would be more in line with what I'd imagined than the mob rules, so I'm just making adjustments to the swarm subtype instead of trying to fit the mob rules. Also, I wanted this swarm to have a way to make normal weapon attacks, so I added a threatened area and attacks of opportunity, which really makes it a tougher and more difficult enemy. I'm kind of worried about this monster being harsh on melee PCs at the point in the game when melee PCs are already struggling, but hopefully the generous loot (which consists entirely of magic weapons) makes up for that a little bit; and the Spell Resistance assures that the casters are also at least a little annoyed and inconvenienced too (because making sure your monster annoys everyone is good game design :smallsigh:).

--

Swarm of Flying Swords
Size/Type: Small Construct (Swarm)
Hit Dice: 11d10 (60 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: Fly 30 ft (perfect)
Armor Class: 18 (+5 natural, +2 Dex, +1 size), Touch 13, Flat-footed 16
BAB/Grapple: +8 / --
Attack: blade swarm 6d8
Full Attack: blade swarm 6d8
Space/Reach: 15 ft / 5 ft
Special Attacks: Blade call, Blade swarm, Distraction, Wounding
Special Qualities: Blindsight 40 ft, Construct traits, Hardness 10, Immune to electricity, Oversized Swarm, Rust vulnerability, SR 20, Swarm traits
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Wis +3
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 14, Con --, Int --, Wis 11, Cha 13
Skills: --
Feats: Combat Reflexes B
Environment: any
Organization: solitary
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: see text
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: --
Level Adjustment: --

--

What was once a distant clinking has grown to a cacophany of metallic clangs as a chaotic cloud of metallic weapons rolls around the corner, ricocheting violently off one another, off the floors and walls, and hurtle recklessly in your direction.

--

Blade Call (Su)
A swarm of flying swords produces a strange, supernatural lure that calls bladed weapons towards it. Any bladed weapon in the swarm’s space is drawn in to join the swarm. If the weapon is wielded or otherwise attended by a character, that character can make a Will save or Strength check (DC 16) to resist the effect and maintain control of the weapon. On a success, the character retains his weapon and can use it normally, though he must repeat the save each round. The save DC is Charisma-based.

A character may attempt to retrieve his weapon from the swarm again as a standard action. Treat this as a Disarm attempt, though the swarm of swords counts as a Large creature for this purpose, and the character gets no save against the swarm of swords’ blade swarm attack (see below) this round (he still gets a save against the swarm’s Distraction effect, however).

Blade Swarm (Ex)
A swarm of flying swords does not deal swarm damage in the same way as other swarms. Instead, it deals 6d8 magical slashing damage to each creature in its space at the end of the swarm’s turn. Creatures that pass through the swarm’s space without remaining in it at the end of their turn take 3d8 magical slashing damage. In either case, each creature is entitled to a Reflex save (DC 17) to halve the damage taken. The save DC is Strength-based.

Distraction (Ex)
Any living creature that takes damage from the swarm of flying swords’ blade swarm attack (see above) must also succeed on a Fort saving throw (DC 17) or be nauseated for 1 round as the many cuts distract and disorient them. The saving throw DC is Strength-based.

Oversized Swarm (Ex)
A swarm of flying swords is an unusual swarm, in that it is comprised of Small creatures (swarms are usually made up of Tiny or smaller creatures). As such, a swarm of flying swords takes full damage from weapon attacks (though its Hardness still applies to weapon damage), and it does not take extra damage from area effects.

Additionally, the swarm of flying swords has a reach of 5 feet, and it threatens the area around it (but not the space it actually occupies). Because of its Combat Reflexes feat, the swarm can make 3 attacks of opportunity each round. Treat these as attacks with +1 longswords wielded in one hand by a Medium-size creature (+12 attack bonus, 1d8+3 damage, threatens a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20). If the swarm has stolen any weapons with its Blade Call ability, it may opt to use those weapons to make its attacks of opportunity. The swarm does not otherwise make weapon attacks.

Wounding (Ex)
Any living creature that takes damage from the swarm of flying swords’ blade swarm attack or is struck by the swarm's attack of opportunity continues to bleed, losing 1 hit point per round thereafter. Multiple wounds result in cumulative bleeding loss. The bleeding can be stopped with a DC 10 Heal check or the application of a cure spell or some other healing magic.

Swarms of Other Weapons
The above stat block represents a swarm of flying longswords. But, swarms of other weapons can also exist. Some are even comprised of multiple different types of weapons. A swarm of a different kind of weapon may have a different Hardness value (see Table 9-8, PHB p. 166 for Hardness values of various types of weapons). The Blade Swarm attack always deals the same amount of damage, but the damage type may change, depending on the type of weapon(s) that comprise the swarm. If there is a mix of weapon types in the swarm, the Blade Swarm damage may count as multiple types simultaneously (bludgeoning, piercing and/or slashing). A swarm's attacks of opportunity may also use the statistics of a different weapon, but these weapons always have a +1 magical enhancement bonus, and always deal damage as if wielded in one hand (even if the weapon is a two-handed weapon).

The Wounding effect only accompanies attacks that deal slashing damage: consequently, a swarm without slashing weapons does not have the Wounding special attack.

For Player Characters

Gear and Loot
A swarm of flying swords is comprised of hundreds of magically animated swords (and possibly other weapons). When the swarm is dispersed, the magic binding these weapons together fades, and the remaining swords fall to the ground, becoming inanimate weapons. Any weapon that was incorporated into a swarm of flying swords becomes a magical weapon with an enhancement bonus of at least +1. When the swarm is dispersed, a total of 2d6 magical weapons can be recovered, in addition to any weapons the characters lost to the swarm's blade call ability. For each weapon recovered, roll on the following table to determine its properties:


d% Weapon* Market Price
1-45 +1 longsword 2315 gp
46-55 +1 silver longsword 2405 gp
56-65 +1 cold iron longsword 4330 gp
66-75 +1 adamantine longsword 5015 gp
76-80 +2 longsword 8315 gp
81-85 +1 bane† longsword 8315 gp
86-90 +1 ghost touch longsword 8315 gp
91-95 +1 keen longsword 8315 gp
96-98 crystal echoblade MIC 4315 gp
99-100 +1 flaming burst longsword 16,315 gp

*Although longswords are listed here, the DM may choose to substitute other melee weapons, or roll randomly for weapon type, as he sees fit.
†The DM chooses any creature type for the bane property, or rolls randomly, as he sees fit.
MIC = Magic Item Compendium

Inevitability’s Reassigned LA
For a game that uses Inevitability's Reassigned Level Adjustments, I recommend giving the swarm of flying swords an RLA of +0. This creature makes for a very strange PC, and it may be a real challenge to DM for it: make sure you know what you're doing before you approve this..

liquidformat
2021-02-23, 11:31 AM
Monster Feats:


The energy feats and maybe some of the other action economy ones can also be leveraged by say warlock or dragon fire adept to some potentially powerful ends... Not sure if you have thought that over.
Awakened is a very powerful feat as it does make vermin, animals, and plants smarter than things like cave trolls. Not sure if that is a bad thing but something to think about.
It would be good to put under Awakened's 'special' how it interacts with animal companions
Energy Healing would be very powerful in some builds like flaming+frozen berserker barbarian
Fiery/Icy Soul and Greater versions, can they be taken more than once? Also cool idea, maybe have an earthen soul for acid spells, you could also do air though there aren't a lot of those. Also these can be from any spell list?
It would be advisable to rename one of your two Improved Speed feats...


Swarm of Flying Swords:
Very cool idea I have actually been milling over a 'sword saint' prc that has a 'blade domain' with similar functionality. Could actually be comical to instead give such a PRC the ability to make and control a Swarm of Flying Swords.

Only really have a couple comments:

I would expand the blade swarm ability to also do the 6d8 slashing damage for anyone attempting to pass through the blade swarm.
Should a swarm of small items only take up 10ft as a swarm of tiny or diminutive creatures does, seems like maybe 15" or 20" feet would be warranted.
At the end of the day you are fighting a bunch of hunks of metal it would probably be good to put in something about how this is effected by Rusting Grasp.
low light vision and darkvision seem strange for a sword swarm maybe blindsight or blindsense?
Under Oversized Swarm what does 'The swarm does otherwise make weapon attacks.' mean? I am a bit confused.
Under Oversized Swarm maybe give the +1 longsword the Wounding ability?

Blue Jay
2021-02-23, 07:03 PM
The energy feats and maybe some of the other action economy ones can also be leveraged by say warlock or dragon fire adept to some potentially powerful ends... Not sure if you have thought that over.

The first time I tried to do this sort of thing was with my Blazer PrC, and I worked hard to make sure it was completely restricted to just monsters and couldn't be pirated for spells or class-based special attacks, but it ended up taking a lot of extra rules text. I decided not to be too restrictive with the wording this time, because I'm not sure the end result is worth the effort. But I certainly haven't done any build experiments to look for potential abuses and loopholes.

Do you think I should have more restrictive requirements for it? The "Monstrous" feat tag (as defined in Savage Species and Draconomicon) is supposed to restrict the feat to monstrous abilities only. But I've just gone back and looked at it, and the wording isn't really all that tight, and there is some DM leeway built into them. Personally, I kind of want to leave it how it is, and rely on DMs to make that kind of call; but maybe the extra wording isn't such a bad idea.



Awakened is a very powerful feat as it does make vermin, animals, and plants smarter than things like cave trolls. Not sure if that is a bad thing but something to think about.

It would be good to put under Awakened's 'special' how it interacts with animal companions

I've been DMing for an ongoing, rolling-recruitment game at Myth-Weavers for a few years now. I got the reassigned LAs approved, and we're also using a version of this Awakened feat there. I think the biggest thing I've learned is that... well, there isn't a ton of interest in playing monsters that require that feat, so we haven't seen a lot of action on it yet.


Energy Healing would be very powerful in some builds like flaming+frozen berserker barbarian

I'm not actually sure that I know what you're referring to here. What's the "flaming" component you're talking about there?

But again, I hope the Monstrous tag covers this.


Fiery/Icy Soul and Greater versions, can they be taken more than once? Also cool idea, maybe have an earthen soul for acid spells, you could also do air though there aren't a lot of those. Also these can be from any spell list?

I hadn't planned on making them available to take multiple times. Do you think it should be?

I had considered making a longer feat chain, by renaming the "Greater" versions as "Improved," and adding another, higher-level one to be called "Greater", but I'm not sure that kind of scaling is all that necessary. I ultimately decided to keep it fairly limited and conservative. But, I guess, since I've ruled out Snowcasting shenanigans already, three's probably not a great danger of breaking the game with [Fire] and [Cold] spells.

I did consider reaching for the other energy types, but I don't like the association of Earth with Acid, so I probably wouldn't tie that in. In fact, I probably wouldn't tie it to the "four elements" at all: it would just be "Corrosive Soul" and "Stormy Soul" or something like that (but those both sound stupid to me).

And yes, I did intend to leave all spell lists open. One of my big pet peeves is players raiding spell lists for under-leveled spells, so I actually resisted the urge to write in "from any 9-level spell list" on these feats.


It would be advisable to rename one of your two Improved Speed feats...

Ha! There were (apparently) actually three of them before, but I fixed the "Improved Perception" one already. I did not notice the other one. It's a cut-and-paste error: the second feat is "Improved Volley." I've fixed it now.


Swarm of Flying Swords:
Very cool idea I have actually been milling over a 'sword saint' prc that has a 'blade domain' with similar functionality. Could actually be comical to instead give such a PRC the ability to make and control a Swarm of Flying Swords.

You're welcome to build off my homebrew, if you'd like. Let me know if you do get your "Sword Saint" put together, and I'll come take a look at it.

As I built this monster, I kept debating whether it was really necessary, or whether a permanent blade barrier spell would fill the niche well enough. But, I really like monsters, and you can do more with a monster than with a spell effect, so I went for it.


I would expand the blade swarm ability to also do the 6d8 slashing damage for anyone attempting to pass through the blade swarm.

Maybe. With the Combat Reflexes on top of that, it might end up being a bit much, though.


Should a swarm of small items only take up 10ft as a swarm of tiny or diminutive creatures does, seems like maybe 15" or 20" feet would be warranted.

Yeah, that makes sense. I was trying to minimize the number of changes I made to the basic swarm rules, so I hadn't even considered this possibility. Maybe I will bump it up to 9 squares.


At the end of the day you are fighting a bunch of hunks of metal it would probably be good to put in something about how this is effected by Rusting Grasp.

I hadn't thought about that. I did think thought about the [Electricity] spells that give bonuses against targets wearing metal, but I didn't think it was necessary to mention specifics like that, since the spells themselves contain the information you need. I guess it would still be worthwhile to define this as a "ferrous" creature for rusting grasp and such.


low light vision and darkvision seem strange for a sword swarm maybe blindsight or blindsense?

Yeah, that makes sense too. I basically just copied over the standard Construct traits, but I do like the idea of using Blindsight here. I do like the idea of allowing the PCs the option of avoiding the monster (by hiding) instead of facing it, though; since it can be a pretty harsh monster to have to face head-to-head.


Under Oversized Swarm what does 'The swarm does otherwise make weapon attacks.' mean? I am a bit confused.

Is there not a "not" in there? Crap! It's supposed to be clarifying that the swarm only gets to make AoOs, and not normal melee attacks on its turn.


Under Oversized Swarm maybe give the +1 longsword the Wounding ability?

Maybe. If I do, I should probably rename the "Wounding" special attack, to avoid confusion. Or, I could just apply the bleeding effect to the longsword attacks. I think I'll hold off on it, but it does make sense: I might add it in later, especially if I get some more feedback in agreement with you.

--

Thanks again for the feedback: I appreciate it.

liquidformat
2021-02-24, 02:45 PM
The first time I tried to do this sort of thing was with my Blazer PrC, and I worked hard to make sure it was completely restricted to just monsters and couldn't be pirated for spells or class-based special attacks, but it ended up taking a lot of extra rules text. I decided not to be too restrictive with the wording this time, because I'm not sure the end result is worth the effort. But I certainly haven't done any build experiments to look for potential abuses and loopholes.

Do you think I should have more restrictive requirements for it? The "Monstrous" feat tag (as defined in Savage Species and Draconomicon) is supposed to restrict the feat to monstrous abilities only. But I've just gone back and looked at it, and the wording isn't really all that tight, and there is some DM leeway built into them. Personally, I kind of want to leave it how it is, and rely on DMs to make that kind of call; but maybe the extra wording isn't such a bad idea.

I am honestly not sure how powerful these feats are on a warlock or dragonfire adept either, I have never played either I just know enough about the two to know that the words does allow them to potentially take the feats.
In my gaming experience the 'monster' tag has always been ignored and anyone who qualifies for a feat is free to take them. After all if you have gone through the effort to get a pile of SLAs or a bunch of natural attacks you should be allowed to use resources that improve them. But that might just be the people I play with.


I'm not actually sure that I know what you're referring to here. What's the "flaming" component you're talking about there?

But again, I hope the Monstrous tag covers this.

Sorry Blazing Berserker, I always think flaming for some reason. Anyways blazing and frozen give you the fire and cold subtypes and therefore immunity to both fire and cold while raging. To be honest if you are blowing 4 feats to be able to be healed from fire and cold I think that sounds like a reasonable investment so it is probably not a big deal.


I hadn't planned on making them available to take multiple times. Do you think it should be?

I had considered making a longer feat chain, by renaming the "Greater" versions as "Improved," and adding another, higher-level one to be called "Greater", but I'm not sure that kind of scaling is all that necessary. I ultimately decided to keep it fairly limited and conservative. But, I guess, since I've ruled out Snowcasting shenanigans already, three's probably not a great danger of breaking the game with [Fire] and [Cold] spells.

I did consider reaching for the other energy types, but I don't like the association of Earth with Acid, so I probably wouldn't tie that in. In fact, I probably wouldn't tie it to the "four elements" at all: it would just be "Corrosive Soul" and "Stormy Soul" or something like that (but those both sound stupid to me).

And yes, I did intend to leave all spell lists open. One of my big pet peeves is players raiding spell lists for under-leveled spells, so I actually resisted the urge to write in "from any 9-level spell list" on these feats.

I don't think it would be too powerful to allow both to be taken multiple times after all feats are a pretty limited resource, I was just more wondering since the feats didn't explicitly say you could and I think there is a rule out there that you can't take a feat more than once unless the feat says you can.

Anyways, I would suggest putting in some wording on how the greater version interacts with multiple standard versions. IE if I have taken Fiery Soul twice does Greater Fiery Soul make both spells at will or just one of them? While I don't think having greater Fiery soul make all the level 1 SLAs at will is overpowered (to be honest I am not sure if there are any first level fire/cold spells that would cause issues if you could cast them at will) I find it better to be clear about how things interact.



You're welcome to build off my homebrew, if you'd like. Let me know if you do get your "Sword Saint" put together, and I'll come take a look at it.

As I built this monster, I kept debating whether it was really necessary, or whether a permanent blade barrier spell would fill the niche well enough. But, I really like monsters, and you can do more with a monster than with a spell effect, so I went for it.

I will have to see if I get inspiration to work on it I was shooting for a PRC accessible either around level 12-15 or level 21 and just trying to figure out how powerful to make it and what not.


Maybe. With the Combat Reflexes on top of that, it might end up being a bit much, though.

So you have a creature that is pretty hard to kill due to hardness rules and does decent damage to anything it manages to end its turn with inside of it. Having people who purposely try to pass through it doesn't seem like that much more of a power adder. I suppose depending on how you interpret that its possible that people who start their turn inside the swarm and try and leave would be subject to the damage.
Alternatively you could explicitly say anyone attempting to pass through the Swarm of Flying Swords who didn't start their turn already inside is subject to an AOO. That functionally makes sense but doesn't boost up the power much.


I hadn't thought about that. I did think thought about the [Electricity] spells that give bonuses against targets wearing metal, but I didn't think it was necessary to mention specifics like that, since the spells themselves contain the information you need. I guess it would still be worthwhile to define this as a "ferrous" creature for rusting grasp and such.


To be honest I think making them immune to electricity and acid dealing +50% more damage would make sense with this swarm. From a physics point of view a flying piece of metal is unaffected by electricity. The concern comes in when said piece of metal comes into contact with another piece of metal. Heck if we really want to jump into the physics of it if you electrify a piece of metal that is flying through the air it would hold the charge until it comes into contact with some grounded object at which point the charge would be released. Granted there is the potential for melting said metal on contact with the grounded object depending on the amperage, this is how welding works. Depending on how far down this rabbit hole you want to go, you could put in some fun rules for electricity.

The main reason I suggested putting in some rules about rusting grasp is that spell just talks about ruining 'a 3-foot-radius volume of the metal' which is a rather abstract and ambiguous statement for something that has hp. It makes sense that rusting grasp should be doing damage to the swarm but from that statement its unclear how much damage it should be doing.

Based on the description I think rusting grasp damages in a half sphere area with radius of 3', if that is correct that means a creature that takes up 15' area like this swarm would loose 1/6th its mass. However, our swarm isn't a solid mass of metal it is instead a grouping of individual parts. By that logic how about saying rusting grasp does 2d10 (~ 1/6th of its HP on a max roll) of straight HP damage?


Yeah, that makes sense too. I basically just copied over the standard Construct traits, but I do like the idea of using Blindsight here. I do like the idea of allowing the PCs the option of avoiding the monster (by hiding) instead of facing it, though; since it can be a pretty harsh monster to have to face head-to-head.

If you state blindsight as its only sense, it isn't able to use the listen skill and it is blind to everything outside of the radius of its blindsight. This is the same reason why oozes while they can be quite powerful are often very easy encounters because you just have to stay out of the range of their blindsight and you can pelt them with attack or just runaway if you are incapable of damaging them. On the other hand having low-light and darkvision gives it the ability to see anything within something like a mile or so of it...

Blue Jay
2021-02-24, 07:47 PM
In my gaming experience the 'monster' tag has always been ignored and anyone who qualifies for a feat is free to take them. After all if you have gone through the effort to get a pile of SLAs or a bunch of natural attacks you should be allowed to use resources that improve them. But that might just be the people I play with.

Yeah, my experience is that most people don't even realize that there are rules attached to the tag at all. You may be right. Let's see...

The DFA can take both feats by 6th level, so her breath weapon can be dealing 7d6 damage at that level, or 8d6 with a dragon spirit cincture. That's better than a typical blasting spell at this level, so it is a little excessive on a DFA. Probably still not a game-breaker, but perhaps some stricter prereqs could keep this from being too powerful in the early game.
A warlock doesn't get energy damage with his eldritch blast until 6th level, so he'll be slower to qualify for these feats (barring items like the gloves of eldritch admixture). I don't think, in general, he'll be a problem.

Perhaps I could make a separate feat chain for area attacks?


I don't think it would be too powerful to allow both to be taken multiple times after all feats are a pretty limited resource, I was just more wondering since the feats didn't explicitly say you could and I think there is a rule out there that you can't take a feat more than once unless the feat says you can.

Anyways, I would suggest putting in some wording on how the greater version interacts with multiple standard versions. IE if I have taken Fiery Soul twice does Greater Fiery Soul make both spells at will or just one of them? While I don't think having greater Fiery soul make all the level 1 SLAs at will is overpowered (to be honest I am not sure if there are any first level fire/cold spells that would cause issues if you could cast them at will) I find it better to be clear about how things interact.

Yeah, the general rule is that you can't take a feat more than once unless it specifically says so, so the way I have it written currently, you can't take it more than once. Maybe it would be fun to allow it multiple times, though.


So you have a creature that is pretty hard to kill due to hardness rules and does decent damage to anything it manages to end its turn with inside of it. Having people who purposely try to pass through it doesn't seem like that much more of a power adder. I suppose depending on how you interpret that its possible that people who start their turn inside the swarm and try and leave would be subject to the damage.

Alternatively you could explicitly say anyone attempting to pass through the Swarm of Flying Swords who didn't start their turn already inside is subject to an AOO. That functionally makes sense but doesn't boost up the power much.[QUOTE]

I was thinking about having the swarm only count the area around itself as threatened for AoOs, and then creatures that pass through the swarm's occupied space would instead by subject to the blade swarm damage. I think that's about the same as what you're thinking, but I think your way of saying it is better than mine.

[QUOTE=liquidformat;24943569]To be honest I think making them immune to electricity and acid dealing +50% more damage would make sense with this swarm. From a physics point of view a flying piece of metal is unaffected by electricity. The concern comes in when said piece of metal comes into contact with another piece of metal. Heck if we really want to jump into the physics of it if you electrify a piece of metal that is flying through the air it would hold the charge until it comes into contact with some grounded object at which point the charge would be released. Granted there is the potential for melting said metal on contact with the grounded object depending on the amperage, this is how welding works. Depending on how far down this rabbit hole you want to go, you could put in some fun rules for electricity.

Oh yeah, you're definitely right about that. I had misremembered some metallic monsters as being vulnerable to electricity when they're actually immune to it, so giving immunity to electricity is probably more consistent with the existing rules. I'll write that in.


The main reason I suggested putting in some rules about rusting grasp is that spell just talks about ruining 'a 3-foot-radius volume of the metal' which is a rather abstract and ambiguous statement for something that has hp. It makes sense that rusting grasp should be doing damage to the swarm but from that statement its unclear how much damage it should be doing.

Based on the description I think rusting grasp damages in a half sphere area with radius of 3', if that is correct that means a creature that takes up 15' area like this swarm would loose 1/6th its mass. However, our swarm isn't a solid mass of metal it is instead a grouping of individual parts. By that logic how about saying rusting grasp does 2d10 (~ 1/6th of its HP on a max roll) of straight HP damage?

Oh, rusting grasp doesn't work the way I thought it did, so you're right: I'd better get that language in there. I think I'd rather have it just deal normal damage for the spell (3d6+CL), as if the swarm were a single ferrous creature. I might possibly even have it treat the spell as an area-effect spell?


If you state blindsight as its only sense, it isn't able to use the listen skill and it is blind to everything outside of the radius of its blindsight. This is the same reason why oozes while they can be quite powerful are often very easy encounters because you just have to stay out of the range of their blindsight and you can pelt them with attack or just runaway if you are incapable of damaging them. On the other hand having low-light and darkvision gives it the ability to see anything within something like a mile or so of it...

I was first thinking of Blindsight 40 ft (like a grimlock). That's pretty restricted, but it will still be pretty difficult to hide from in a dungeon setting. I guess it wouldn't really be unfair though, and the rationale for it makes a lot of sense. I think I will implement that, then.

Morphic tide
2021-02-24, 08:38 PM
With regard to Energy damage, my suggestion would be rolling them together into a single line where each does something different, and more importantly operate as a hit dice based pool of bonus damage dice. The latter is the main sticking point, because otherwise you get very nasty with a Pyrohydra of six or more heads. Burning all three feats on an extra five dice per head is utterly ridiculous. The energy hydras are probably the most extreme example, but anything with more than two instances of damage gets nasty.

Blue Jay
2021-02-26, 11:42 PM
With regard to Energy damage, my suggestion would be rolling them together into a single line where each does something different, and more importantly operate as a hit dice based pool of bonus damage dice. The latter is the main sticking point, because otherwise you get very nasty with a Pyrohydra of six or more heads. Burning all three feats on an extra five dice per head is utterly ridiculous. The energy hydras are probably the most extreme example, but anything with more than two instances of damage gets nasty.

I don't think my Augment Energy feats would give a hydra 2d6 extra damage per head, because the heads don't get individual weapons: it's a single attack, with a single saving throw. Granted, I acknowledge that that isn't the only valid reading there, so I bet a lot of people would agree with you and reject my reading.

But honestly, I feel like the pyro- and cryohydras are already out of control, even without my feats. The damage output on those breath weapons is way too high already. Plus, their Fast Healing gives them a good chance of surviving long enough to use the weapon two or three times. Not to mention what happens if the party tries to chop off the hydra's heads.

Basically, I feel like a hydra is too much of an outlier to be a useful benchmark for power balance.

But, your point that there are plenty of monsters that can abuse this is well taken. For example, a Large fire elemental with both of the Augment Energy feats would be adding 6d6 fire damage to each slam attack, and would be dealing an average of 30 damage per hit, without factoring in any other optimization that could be done on the monster. And that one's probably not anywhere near the upper echelon for this kind of thing.

The alternative approaches I've thought of are to either (1) increase the level prerequisites (e.g., maybe the Greater version doesn't come online until 12th level or something), or (2), similar to what you said, build in some formula for scaling the damage with hit dice. I tried damage-scaling with my Blazer PrC, and if you're trying to keep things balanced, that kind of scaling is much, much more complicated than I ever imagined it would be. I ended up creating different scaling rules for single-target and area attacks, and built in some damage caps based on hit dice and the underlying damage value of the weapon. I didn't want to repeat that process, so I stuck with the simple structure of these feats.

But, I'm going to try a rewrite that uses a damage-scaling formula for the Augment Energy feat, and see if that helps out. I'll probably break it up into different feats for different types of attacks too (single-target, melee rider, area attack, etc).

Morphic tide
2021-02-27, 12:05 AM
I'll probably break it up into different feats for different types of attacks too (single-target, melee rider, area attack, etc).
This is frankly what makes the most sense. When you're talking about two feats that are just differing levels of the same thing, it doesn't make sense to have two, because re-selection text is perfectly fine in 3.X D&D. But on the other hand, there's too much variety in the way that attacks work in 3.X (double so when talking under-adjusted 3e monsters) to have one feat affect everything equally. Doesn't actually need to scale with one feat, few of them do, but such does help build diversity because you aren't re-selecting feats to keep your damage up.

One thought that comes to mind which may greatly simplify the formulae is using Challenge Rating in some capacity, since these feats aren't particularly intended for PC use. Then Animals, Undead and Constructs don't have a particular difficulty associated with balancing it for their horrifyingly bloated Hit Dice, because it's asking about the value the designers place on their intended threat level. Granted, a Zombie Battletitan is probably still going to cause problems however it is you cut it because you're double-dipping on horrifying hit dice bloat, but bad edge-cases are inevitable, this is just a note that Hit Dice aren't how monster threat is judged, so feats intended to normalize monsters at a higher threat value than the original shouldn't be using that value.

Blue Jay
2021-02-27, 01:02 AM
This is frankly what makes the most sense. When you're talking about two feats that are just differing levels of the same thing, it doesn't make sense to have two, because re-selection text is perfectly fine in 3.X D&D.

Yes, but the generic "you may take this feat multiple times" text also leaves it much more open. My second feat has an added prerequisite that makes you wait until a specific level before you can double up, which is supposed to space out the upgrades (admittedly, 6th level is pretty paltry, as far as prerequisites go, though). Also, having it as a two-feat chain puts a cap on the number of times you can take it, which I thought was a reasonable compromise between "you can only take this feat once" and "you may take this feat as many times as you want."

I obviously was following the example of the Sneak Attack feats that come with the Generic Classes variant.


One thought that comes to mind which may greatly simplify the formulae is using Challenge Rating in some capacity, since these feats aren't particularly intended for PC use. Then Animals, Undead and Constructs don't have a particular difficulty associated with balancing it for their horrifyingly bloated Hit Dice, because it's asking about the value the designers place on their intended threat level. Granted, a Zombie Battletitan is probably still going to cause problems however it is you cut it because you're double-dipping on horrifying hit dice bloat, but bad edge-cases are inevitable, this is just a note that Hit Dice aren't how monster threat is judged, so feats intended to normalize monsters at a higher threat value than the original shouldn't be using that value.

I don't particularly like Challenge Rating for this. Generally speaking, when damage scales, it scales with hit dice. Plus, even though it's not specifically for PC use, it is meant to be usable by PCs, and I don't want to introduce the CR formula into the mechanics of what is already going to be a complicated PC.

Blue Jay
2021-02-27, 02:44 PM
Okay, here is another attempt at making feats that augment the damage of energy-based special attacks. This time, I've broken them into separate feats for different attack types, and tried to make them more resistant to abuses.



Augmented Energy Burst [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Any extraordinary or supernatural attack that has the following properties:
Deals energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic)
Delivered as standard action, and no more than once per round
Affects creatures (or objects) in an area (a burst, emanation or spread)


Benefit
Choose one of your special attacks that meets the above criteria. The chosen attack deals 1 die of damage for every 2 hit dice you have (rounded up). Use the same die size as the attack normally uses. If the attack’s standard damage would be higher, use that value instead.

This one is for breath weapons and similar area attacks. The feat replaces an attack's base damage value with a damage value that scales with hit dice. The scaling is made to roughly match the scaling of the DFA's breath weapon (though it doesn't slow down at later levels). This should make it appealing for monsters with weak or non-scaling attacks (e.g., winter wolf, mephits, etc), but not for monsters that already have a powerful attack.

I note that a DFA could hypothetically use this feat to keep their breath weapon scaling while they multiclass, but I don't think that's terribly overpowered, so I'm not very inclined to guard against it (unless one of y'all knows how to abuse that).

Thoughts?



Focused Energy Blast [Monstrous]
Prerequisites
Character level 3rd, and any extraordinary or supernatural attack that has the following properties:

Deals energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic)
Delivered as an attack action or standard action (not as a volley, or as a secondary effect that accompanies another attack)
Requires an attack roll to hit
Targets a single creature or object with each attack roll

Benefit
Choose one of your special attacks that meets the above criteria. Once per round when you use the chosen special attack, increase the base damage of the attack by 2 damage dice (e.g., 4d6 fire damage becomes 6d6 fire damage). Use the same die size as the attack normally uses. If the chosen attack deals a set amount of damage instead of damage dice, you may deal 5 extra points of damage instead.

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack. Each time you take this feat, the you increase the base damage of the attack by an additional 2 dice, but you can never apply this extra damage more than once per round.

This one is for the single-target attacks that aren't riders (e.g., arrowhawk, magmin, will O' wisp, etc). This one is less controlled than the Augmented Energy Burst feat, because it keeps the base damage of the weapon, and adds to it. I think this kind of straight damage boost should be largely okay for this kind of attack, especially if it's limited to once per round. The character-level prerequisite should keep the scaling somewhat in check, and the once-per-round limit prevents too much compounding.

I don't know, maybe it would be better to use the same paradigm as Augmented Energy Burst (i.e., replacing the base damage with a scaling damage value). But, I do kind of like the idea of letting the single-target effects have a stronger scaling ability.

Thoughts?



Improved Light Rays [Monstrous]

Prerequisite
Light ray special attack

Benefit
Your light rays deal extra damage equal to your character level.

I figured that the various Celestials that make light ray attacks deserved some boost, and I wanted to try out a different approach to damage scaling. A damage bonus equal to your character level is good enough scaling to keep the attack interesting, but also slow enough that it shouldn't be too overpowered. Or, maybe +20 (+40 with two rays) at 20th level is pretty high, after all? Would it be better at 1 point per 2 character levels?

Thoughts?



Intensified Energy Touch [Monstrous]

Prerequisite
Character level 3rd or higher, and either a Heat special attack, or ability to deal energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic) accompanying an attack with a natural weapon or unarmed strike.

Benefit
Your heat attack (or other qualifying attack) deals one extra die of damage, and if its damage die is smaller than d6, increase all its damage dice to d6s. The damage type is the same as the damage it normally deals. If the chosen attack deals a set amount of damage instead of damage dice, increase the damage of your attack by 2 points.

This extra damage only applies when making an attack with a natural weapon or unarmed strike that would normally deal energy damage. It does not apply to attacks with manufactured weapons, natural attacks that do not normally deliver energy damage, or to energy damage that is dealt passively to a creature that attacks you.

If you also have the ability to deal extra damage of a different energy type with the same natural weapon, you lose that ability (though you may still use it with other applicable weapons you wield).

Special
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.

And this one is for rider effects. This one gives a smaller damage boost than Focused Energy Burst, but it has fewer restrictions. I imagine that this might be slightly more abusable than the two previous feats, but the slow scaling and the minor tradeoff should make it less worthwhile to stack the feat multiple times.

Thoughts?