Songbird race! (And other stuff.)

[Debihuman]

Why should the description include what foehammer does? A list of spell-like abilities doesn't spell out the exact effects of each spell either; it just names them and lets you look them up on your own time.

Damage should always be included if it happens every time. No DM wants to waste time looking up stuff unnecessarily and Tome of Battle isn't a primary source for most DMs. I hate having to look up stuff that should be there especially if it isn't easily found in the SRD online. This is why I hate giving monsters class abilities. It detracts from PC classes and makes it difficult for DMs who just want to run monsters in easy ways. I get that sometimes it makes sense, but in this case it just way overpowers the creature for CR 3.

It's fine if you don't want to change it but at least mention non-core source material. 3.5 is old enough without someone trying to figure out what foehammer actually does (which isn't much really other than bypassing damage reduction and adding +2d6 damage).

Hippotaur sounds like a hippopotamus centaur. There is a name for cow-headed horse (basically a horse-cow hybrid), it's called a jumart.

I'm going to change it to jumart because now I want a hippo-centaur. for an Egyptian- themed game I'm running. Giff are too human-like. I want a four-legged hippo body with human torso so 6 appendages (4 legs and 2 arms). Might have to stat that up myself....

Debby

[Metastachydium]

I still don't know exactly what foehammer is or what it does from what you have.

Also the maul does x3 not the foe hammer. The foehammer is missing its damage. It only allows you to overcome a foe's DR and adds +2d6 damage to a single target. Plus it is only 2nd level so the creature's HD don't even matter as it has more than 2. It's not like the damage goes up because the HD go up.

Ah, right. I keep forgetting what and what isn't multiplied with crits. The "as a Crusader &c." is mostly about recovery method and the like, on the other hand.


The Maul is Large.

Attack: Large Maul +9 melee (2d8+9/x3 plus 2d6 [Foehammer])
Full Attack: Large Maul +9 melee (2d8+9/x3 plus 2d6 [Foehammer])


Weapon size is not usually noted, not in the SRD anyhow. I like that formatting, though, thanks!


The problem is that if he hits first, he's likely to kill a member of a 3rd level party but he doesn't have any way to defend from a party that hits from range. I find this to be a bit of glass canon sort of monster so I wouldn't recommend using it. A 3rd level fighter with max hit points 10 per HD and Constitution 18 still only has 30 hit points. This thing can hit it for 48 on a critical hit even without foehammer. Even with just basic average damage it hits for 24 points. (4.5 + 4.5 +9 plus 3.5 +3.5)

Debby

Noted, but I mostly made it to be a Golem-killer. I like niche things, even when they are stupid.


Why should the description include what foehammer does? A list of spell-like abilities doesn't spell out the exact effects of each spell either; it just names them and lets you look them up on your own time.

My reasoning exactly, yeah.



It's fine if you don't want to change it but at least mention non-core source material. 3.5 is old enough

Only system I regularly play. Most users are either not casuals or don't use wild sources like homebrew anyhow.


Hippotaur sounds like a hippopotamus centaur.

Debby! That's the whole point of doing this dumb thing! I hate people misusing -taur (< Gr. ταυρος, 'bull') as though it meant -centaur (< Gr. κενταυρος, 'half animal thing with a human torso'). Also, hippo- simply means 'horse'. In hippocentaur (as opposed to ichthyocentaur and onocentaur) and hippopotamus ('river horse') alike. I WILL NOT CATER TO THE EROORS OF THE ANGLOPHONES!!


There is a name for cow-headed horse (basically a horse-cow hybrid), it's called a jumart.

Huh. I didn't know that. Thanks!


I'm going to change it to jumart because now I want a hippo-centaur

Again, that's just the full name of the regular Centaur.


. for an Egyptian- themed game I'm running. Giff are too human-like. I want a four-legged hippo body with human torso so 6 appendages (4 legs and 2 arms). Might have to stat that up myself....

Debby

Good thinking, other than that!

[Metastachydium]

And this would be the thing I postponed for the False Wight: fair folk, as I like them, which is to say creepy and not your friends. Now,

Dvorovoi
Hunched beings, dragging their long, dagger-sharp claws on the ground, covered in grainy, brown-gray, hairless skin, only broken by three apertures, two almost immeasurably tiny eyes, never blinking, and a wide mouth of many teeth, dvorovoi hail from among the fair folk. They attach themselves to settled places as domovoi attach themselves to homes, but allegedly related to latter as they may be, they are hardly benign. They can be appeased, warded off or even pleased, but they are capricious and claim dominion over their chosen haunt – reserving the right for themselves to decide who can and cannot share it with them.

Dvorovoi speak Common and Sylvan, but are loathe to use the former.

Size/Type: Small Fey
Hit Dice: 4d6+8 (22 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 20 feet (4 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +4 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+0
Attack: Claw +6 melee (1d8+2)
Full Attack: 2 claws +6 melee (1d8+2) and bite +1 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Fear
Special Qualities: Aversion, low-light vision, yardwalker
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +6
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 17
Skills: Climb +8, Hide +14, Intimidate +8, Listen +7, Knowledge (local) +5, Move Silently +11, Search +5, Spot +7
Feats: Lightning Reflexes, Stealthy, Weapon FinesseB
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 4
Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: –

Combat
The dvorovoi tend to emerge from the ground or a wall to surprise opponents. Sometimes they are content with scaring off others, using their skill at intimidation and their screech; often enough, however, they choose to draw blood or even kill before retreating. They cannot suffer animals with white fur in particular and will messily slaughter these if they find them unattended.

Aversion (Ex)
For reasons unknown, the dvorovoi avoid birds, and especially poultry at all costs. A dvorovoi will not willingly get within 5 feet of a square with a bird in it, and takes a -4 penalty to attack rolls and saves if forced to do so.

Fear (Su)
Once per round as a standard action, a dvorovoi can frighten foes with a barelt audible, high-pitched screech. The effect is identical to a fear spell as cast by an 8th level sorcerer, with a DC of 15. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Yardwalker (Su)
A dvorovoi that spent at least 24 hours in the courtyard of a house establishes a bond with this space. Thereafter, it can freely enter the ground and walls or pass through fences at-will, without being slowed oe blinded. A particular dvorovoi can only be bonded to one courtyard at once.


♣

…and then once more, with LITTLE BLUE FLOWERS:

Cornflower Wraith
Cornflower wraiths or khabernitzas number among the fair folk of the meadows, and are among the few that are more commonly encountered where the land sees use than in wilderness areas. Skinny, and almost gaunt even, they have feminine forms draped in loose blue robes, with pale skin and long, white hair, dry as hay. Little blue flowers sprout from their scalp, mingling with their unruly mane. Their eyes, rarely opened fully, are all blue with pinpoint pupils that do not change with the changing light.

They are the most active around the noon, when the sun is high and the sky free of clouds. Commonly understood to be spirits of the land, protecting it in their own peculiar way, they rarely bother those that work the fields – unless the rules they enforce are breached.

Although they commonly show signs of understanding certain languages, usually including Sylvan, cornflower wraiths do not normally speak.

Size/Type: Medium Fey
Hit Dice: 5d6-5 (12 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 30 feet (6 squares)
Armor Class: 12 (+2 Dex), touch 12, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+0
Attack: Slam +4 melee (1d2-2, minimum 1) or touch +4 melee touch (apraxia)
Full Attack: Slam +4 melee (1d2-2, minimum 1) or touch +4 melee touch (apraxia)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Apraxia, sopor
Special Qualities: DR 5/cold iron and slashing, invisibility, low-light vision, vulnerability to cold
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str 6, Dex 15, Con 8, Int 11, Wis 15, Cha 16
Skills: Hide +12, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (nature) +8, Move Silently +12, Sense Motive +10, Spot +10
Feats: Imroved Initiative, Stealthy, Weapon FinesseB
Environment: Temperate plains
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 4
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: –

Combat
Khabernitzas rarely show themselves or take particular interest in other creatures. However, people that destroy crops or pick flowers appear to draw their ire. If such beings aren't present in numbers too great for the wraith to handle, it will close with them, attemting to put them to a sleep and place its curse upon any and all offenders. It targets opponents carrying or wielding cutting implements and slashing weapons in preference to others.

Apraxia (Su)
A cornflower wraith can make a special melee touch attack against a sleeping, unconscious or otherwise incapacitated foe. Such an opponent must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or be paralyzed. Upon a success, a -4 penalty to all Dexterity checks, Dexterity-based skill checks, Craft, Disable Device and attacks made with manufactured weapons is sufferd instead. The victim receives a new save every 1d2 days; a break enchantment, remove curse or similar spell, respectively effect can likewise undo this condition. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Invisibility (Sp)
At-will, khabernitzas can turn themselves invisible, as though they cast the spell of the same name as a 5th level sorcerer.

Sopor (Su)
Once per round as a standard action, a cornflower wraith can produce a curious, whistling, hissing sound. All creatures that can hear the sound within 40 feet of the khabernitza must succeed on a DC 15 Will save or fall asleep for 1d4 minutes. This is a sonic, mind-affecting effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

[Beni-Kujaku]

And this would be the thing I postponed for the False Wight: fair folk, as I like them, which is to say creepy and not your friends.

Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies.
Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.
No one ever said elves are nice.
Elves are bad.


Dvorovoi
Aversion (Ex)
For reasons unknown, the dvorovoi avoid birds, and especially poultry at all costs. A dvorovoi will not willingly get within 5 feet of a square with a bird in it, and takes a -4 penalty to attack rolls and saves if forced to do so.
Yeah, birds are terrifying. I can't fathom anyone liking them.


Cornflower Wraith
Their eyes, rarely opened fully, are all blue with pinpoint pupils that do not change with the changing light.
Pretty beautiful eyes. Are they inspired by something in particular, except cornflowers (which are not the flower of corn, sadly).


Apraxia (Su)
A cornflower wraith can make a special melee touch attack against a sleeping, unconscious or otherwise incapacitated foe. Such an opponent must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or suffer a -4 penalty to all Dexterity checks, Dexterity-based skill checks, Craft, Disable Device and attacks made with manufactured levels.
Hmm... I want to harm this sleeping person. Whatever shall I do. If only the rules allowed me to do something to them that would instantly and permanently prevent them from harming me... I know, I will slightly reduce their dexterity! Also, "manufactured levels".


Sopor (Su)
Once per round as a standard action, a cornflower wraith can produce a curious, whistling, hissing sound. All creatures that can hear the sound within 40 feet of the khabernitza must succeed on a DC 15 Will save or fall asleep for 1d4 minutes. The save DC is Charisma-based.
The ability is fine. But please, for the love of everything, add "This is a sonic, mind-affecting effect" at the end. I don't ask for much.

[Metastachydium]

Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies.
Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.
No one ever said elves are nice.
Elves are bad.

Case in point!


Yeah, birds are terrifying. I can't fathom anyone liking them.


You just activated my Frenzy ability. Sadly, it only grants STR and CON, without a boost to speed, but KNOW THAT I'M COMING!!


Pretty beautiful eyes. Are they inspired by something in particular, except cornflowers (which are not the flower of corn, sadly).


The Habernitsa is a grumpy aggressive fairy in Slavis, particularly Polish folklore, yes. (Also, no badmouthing cornflowers. They are blue and pretty.)


Hmm... I want to harm this sleeping person. Whatever shall I do. If only the rules allowed me to do something to them that would instantly and permanently prevent them from harming me... I know, I will slightly reduce their dexterity! Also, "manufactured levels".


But it doesn't want to cure cancer kill them! It wants to turn people into dinosaurs induce numbness and unpleasantry! But yeah. Would it help if it did paralysis on a failed save and this on a success? (Nice catch with manufactured levels either way.)


The ability is fine. But please, for the love of everything, add "This is a sonic, mind-affecting effect" at the end. I don't ask for much.

…
Yes, that's, um, that's something I could do, thanks.

[Debihuman]

My only objection to Cornflower Wraiths is the name. Wraith to me will always be an undead creature. Maybe you play on their other names (bluebottle, bluecap, blue blob, blue bonnet, cornbottle, boutonierre flower, hurtsickle, and gogglebuster) or even its latin name Centaurea cyanus. I kinda like calling them bluecaps as this distinguishes them from redcaps, which is already a monster in 3.5.

I'd just let them speak Common and Sylvan rather than not being able to speak. There doesn't seem a reason for this.

[Metastachydium]

My only objection to Cornflower Wraiths is the name. Wraith to me will always be an undead creature. Maybe you play on their other names (bluebottle, bluecap, blue blob, blue bonnet, cornbottle, boutonierre flower, hurtsickle, and gogglebuster) or even its latin name Centaurea cyanus.

Is it really bad? I found this is an actual English name for the Slavic original and felt like it sounds badass. I also kinda like misleading names, as long as they kinda fit in some way.


I kinda like calling them bluecaps as this distinguishes them from redcaps, which is already a monster in 3.5.

Aren't bluecaps a kind of mine-dwelling gnome with firey heads or something?


I'd just let them speak Common and Sylvan rather than not being able to speak. There doesn't seem a reason for this.

My reasoning was that their folkloric original doesn't really speak as such, and it meshes well with how they cannot be reasoned with. One either behaves and doesn't work at noon/step on flowers or they'll come wreak havoc. It's nonsensical and alien and I like that.

As always, thanks for the input, nevertheless!

[Metastachydium]

Dropping in to drop something stipidly simple, simply stupid and named all too much as though it were related to the Manticore when it really isn't (I didn't even make this one up!), the

Centicore
Built like a broad-bodied antelope or an overlarge chamois, the centicore is a sturdy beast roaming over and grazing upon the arid lowlands that fring desert areas. Though their sunbleached, short, coarse fur matting into a pattern of rounded tufts on their flanks, back and neck are distinctive enough on their own, the easiest way to tell these beings from common herd animals is observing their heads: their lower jaws sport straight, menacing tusks like those of a boar and their long, gently curved horns are oddly mobile, moving up and down in shallow groves in the creatures' skull and sometimes turning, as thoug on a swivel.

Centicores understand Sylvan but cannot speak.

Size/Type: Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 7d10+14 (34 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 feet (8 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+15
Attack: Gore +5 melee (2d4+6)
Full Attack: Gore +5 melee (2d4+6) or see text
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: High horns
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, low horns, scent
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +5
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 4, Wis 13, Cha 11
Skills: Intimidate +8, Listen +4, Spot +4
Feats: Alertness, Heat EnduranceB, Iron Will, Power Attack
Environment: Warm plains
Organization: Solitary or herd (8–48)
Challenge Rating: 4
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 8–14 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: –

Combat
Centicores are proud beings and the easiet way to make them aggressive is to wound that pride, most often by way of treating them as dumb beasts. Though not particularly bright, centicores possess a rudimentary cunning that enables them to use the flexible nature of their offense and defenses, as well as their numbers with a surprising efficacy.

High Horns (Ex)
Once per round as a swift action, a centicore can make its horns jut forward from the crown of its head. So long as the horns are kept in this position, the centicore can, in addition to its gore attack, make twio horn attacks as part of a full-round action, using its full base attack bonus for each natural attack as though it possessed the Improved Multiattack feat. These horn attacks deal 1d6 points of damage plus half the centicore's Strength modifier and deal double damage when a critical hit is scored.

Low Horns (Ex)
Once per round as an immediate action, a centicore adjust the position of its horns so that they curve backwards, hanging low along its neck and body. Until such time as the horns are raised, the centicore receives a +2 shield bonus to its armour class. Further, its horns can benefit from magical enhancement bonuses as a shield, but these bonuses only apply when the horns are lowered.

[sandmote]

Cornflower Wraith
Cornflower wraiths or khabernitzas number among the fair folk of the meadows, and are among the few that are more commonly encountered where the land sees use than in wilderness areas. Skinny, and almost gaunt even, they have feminine forms draped in loose blue robes, with pale skin and long, white hair, dry as hay. Little blue flowers sprout from their scalp, mingling with their unruly mane. Their eyes, rarely opened fully, are all blue with pinpoint pupils that do not change with the changing light.
I'm not familiar with this particular variant, but slavic spirit ladies can usually speak. Its harder to creep people out or threaten them if you can't.

The other relevant thing is that fey tied to inhabited areas (including fields of crops) should really have some way to either turn invisible or become incorporeal. The incorporeal subtype would also probably serve as an in-universe explanation of why khabernitzas would get associated with wraiths.

[Metastachydium]

I'm not familiar with this particular variant, but slavic spirit ladies can usually speak. Its harder to creep people out or threaten them if you can't.

Alright, alright! You guys win. I'll add a "normally" there, so that it's not a can't but a won't.


The other relevant thing is that fey tied to inhabited areas (including fields of crops) should really have some way to either turn invisible or become incorporeal. The incorporeal subtype would also probably serve as an in-universe explanation of why khabernitzas would get associated with wraiths.

That's very fair, actually. I considered giving them something like my Leimoniad's meld-into-ground thing originally, but I didn't want to go repetitive on that front. Will slot in an Invisibility SLA (while your reasoning is certainly sound, I'd prefer to keep them corporeal).

[Metastachydium]

I've little to show for this week otherwise, but the little tour of the periodic table that's been going 'round her continues with the

Autargyr
Tall and thin, autargyrs appear as tightly braided coils of metallic wire with a nobly soft, light gray hue. When they fold their long arms around themselves and stand still (for they can and will stand very still), they are almost like slender columns, faintly glistening if light falls upon them. They have no visible eyes or mouth; their voice seeps out between the bundles of silvery strands as an even breeze.

Measured and methodical, autragyrs take a keen interest in the workings of mortal bodies and those of the skies, particularly lightning. Sometimes they heal, sometimes they harm, but mostly, they do neither for its own sake, but, rather, driven by a cold, equanimous scholarly curiosity.

Autargyrs speak an elegant, simple Terran. Some learn Common or Undercommon as well.

Size/Type: Large Elemental [Earth]
Hit Dice: 6d8+12 (33 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 feet (6 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +5 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+12
Attack: Slam +8 melee (1d8+5)
Full Attack: 2 slams +8 melee (1d8+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Conduct
Special Qualities: Cleanse wounds, darkvision 60 ft., detect poison, elemental traits, resistence to electricity 20
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 16
Skills: Climb +5, Heal +11, Knowledge (nature) +5, Spot +5
Feats: Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (slam)
Environment: Elemental Plane of Earth
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 4
Alignment: Usually lawful neutral
Advancement: 7–11 HD (Large), 12–18 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: –

Combat
Autargyrs frown at violent combat, which they view as the brutish recourse of the impulsive and foolhardy. They will fight, on occasion, but only to keep others from interfering with their experiments or to otherwise protect an investment, such as a willing subject thereof – unless fighting is in itself part of the research they conduct: they are known to provoke blue dragons, shamblers or shocker lizards from time to time, for instance. At any rate, they are wise enough to know when to retreat, or even surrender.

An autargyr's natural attacks and unarmed strikes bypass damage reduction as though they were silvered.

Cleanse Wounds (Ex)
As a full-round action, an autargyr can touch a living creature affected by a natural disease contracted through contact or wounds. If the autargyr succeeds on a Heal check (its DC equal to the save DC of the disease in question), the subject does not take damage of any srt from the disease that day and receives a +2 alchemical bonus on its next save.

Conduct (Ex)
In addition to being highly resistent to electricity, autargyrs are capable of letting it flow harmlessly through their metallic bodies – and into those of their enemies. Any time an autargyr would take electricity damage of any sort, it can, as an immediate action, lash out with a long, thin tendril and make a touch attack against a single opponent within 15 feet. If it hits, the touched creature is affected in its stead, and the autargyr remains completely unharmed. Further, any opponent grappling or grappled by an autargyr likewise receives all electricity damage the autargyr would otherwise suffer. Such damage is transferred before the autargyr's resistence would apply and lessen it. If the effect allows a save, these secondary targets can attempt to mitigate or negate it as normal; this ability does not alter the original save DC.

Detect Poison (Sp)
At-will, an autargyr can use detect poison as a 6th level cleric.


♣

Enjoy or whatever. Comments still welcome!

[Beni-Kujaku]

Autargyr
[...]nobly soft, light gray hue. elegant, simple Terran [...]
Okay, so this one is definitely silver. Are the "noble" and "elegant" things a reference to being born with a silver spoon in one's mouth or just to highlight its price? I would have thought that noble gases would be the most up-and-mighty ones. The three abilities are all relevant to silver's characteristics, no issue there. Maybe you could specify if the transfers happen before or after the autargyr's reduction (I assume before, but no harm in writing it). So if the autargyr is grappling someone, it still takes half the damage while the attack is completely transferred if it only touches them? It's a bit weird.


Tall and thin, autargyrs appear as tightly braided coils of metallic wire
I'm not sure what the coils are a reference to.


Size/Type: Large Elemental [Earth]
Hit Dice: 6d8+12 (33 hp)

How do you choose the power level/number of RHD of the periodic elementals?

[Metastachydium]

Okay, so this one is definitely silver.

…and I didn't make them deal damage as a silvered weapon. Oops.


Are the "noble" and "elegant" things a reference to being born with a silver spoon in one's mouth or just to highlight its price?

All of the above, plus silver is pretty.


I would have thought that noble gases would be the most up-and-mighty ones.

Ah, you just wait until I get to those brats (if ever)!


The three abilities are all relevant to silver's characteristics, no issue there. Maybe you could specify if the transfers happen before or after the autargyr's reduction (I assume before, but no harm in writing it).

Before, yes, and I'll put that in there, thanks.


So if the autargyr is grappling someone, it still takes half the damage while the attack is completely transferred if it only touches them? It's a bit weird.


I wasn't sure about it either, but the reasoning I went with was that grappling creates a full circuit where the electricity can flow back and forth and simply letting it pass through doesn't. It's also not terribly relevant, I figured further, because halved minus 20 should mean it rarelyttakes damage in this way anyhow. BUt it really is wonky.

I'll probably go with "grappled opponents get hit with Conduct automatically, no action" instead.


I'm not sure what the coils are a reference to.


Nothing. I just didn't want it to be a loose tangle of wires, so I coiled it up.


How do you choose the power level/number of RHD of the periodic elementals?

If I had guts, I'd say guts, but I don't, so I have to say based on feels. I could rely on oxidation state or electron shell numbers or somesuch, but I don't feel like the smug knowledge alone that IT REALLY MEANS SOMETHING would be worth the hassle.

[Metastachydium]

I'm going to keep this introductory bit short this time, because the new entry just speaks for itself. It's a BIRDY!

Uriaas
Plump birds standing much taller than they are long on short, slightly webbed feet, with oily black plummage on the head, back and wings, their belly white, uriaai strike many as distinctly penguin-like in shape, even though the two kinds share no close bond of blood. If their long, thick, gently curving black beaks aren't, their reasonably well-developed wings (their stubby-fingered hands being a part of it) are proof enough of that.

Uriai thrive in cold water, and establish settlements on rocky hills and cliffs facing bodies of such water, especially on islands close to the shore. They are good-natured and curious, easily growing anxious if they have to spend too long a time alone. They mix most readily with their own, but being perceived as clumsy and comical bothers them little and they will associate with any outlander they find to come in peace and willing to keep them good company with equal ease.

Uriaai speak their own language, Gwil, a terse, isolating language consisting of short, sharp, shrill words. They are commonly known to pick up some Auran, Tuilvilanuue or, indeed, both as well.

Size/Type: Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 2d8+2 (22 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 feet (4 squares)
Armor Class: 12 (+1 Dex, +1 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+1
Attack: Beak +1 melee (1d4-1)
Full Attack: Beak +1 melee (1d4-1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: –
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., gliding, seastride
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str 9 Dex 12, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 11
Skills: Balance +2, Jump +2, Listen +4, Spot +5, Swim +5
Feats: Alertness
Environment: Cold hills
Organization: Solitary, nesting pair or colony (24–2500)
Challenge Rating: 1
Alignment: Often neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +1

Combat
Uriaai understand they are poorly equipped to handle themselves in a fair fight. If they must engage foes, they'll stick close to steep coastal rocks where they can use their unusual mobility to disadvantage their foes or flee as needed.

Gliding (Ex)
An uriaas can use its wings to glide, negating damage from a fall of any height and allowing 20 feet of forward travel for every 5 feet of descent. Uriaai glide at a speed of 20 feet (poor maneuverability). Even if the maneuverability of an uriaas improves, it can't hover while gliding. An uriaas can't glide while carrying a medium or heavy load.

Seastride (Ex)
While the wings of an uriaas are not quite powerful enough, given the bird's weight, to allow for true flight, they are good for more than just gliding. So long as the uriaas doesn't use its hands and arms for anything else, aided further by its webbed feet, it can lift its body somewhat with rapid wingbeats and practically walk or even run on the surface of bodies of water unimpeded and at its full land speed.

Skills
An uriaas receives a +4 racial bonus on Swim checks.

[sandmote]

Tall and thin, autargyrs appear as tightly braided coils of metallic wire with a nobly soft, light gray hue. When they fold their long arms around themselves and stand still (for they can and will stand very still), they are almost like slender columns, faintly glistening if light falls upon them. They have no visible eyes or mouth; their voice seeps out between the bundles of silvery strands as an even breeze.
...
Size/Type: Large Elemental [Earth]
...
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. Given the cool touch attack, any reason not to increase their reach above that expected for a "tall" large creature? It would make the electric reaction harder to avoid from melee, and therefore more of a consideration when the party is aware of it. Admittedly if the reach is too long it could become an issue where the melee PCs and electric attack based PCs can't both participate in the fight, but I do really like the idea that you're requiring the party to think about this as they fight an Autargyr.

Don't like the name though. I assume the "arg" in the middle is meant to reflect it being silver, but that is starts with "au" (the elemental symbol for gold coming from the latin "aurum") makes this less clear. Maybe "Targyr" or "argtargyr" would be clearer? I remember from the Green Ant you don't want the elemental to be super obvious as to which element it is, but starting the creature's name with the symbol of a different element feels off and somewhat deceptive.

Or its an electrum elemental rather than a silver elemental, but I hadn't thought of "alloy" elementals until I'm writing this paragraph and don't like the initial sound of it. If that is the case, "Aurargyr" as a name might be necessary to make clear it is an electrum elemental rather than a silver elemental.


Uriaas
Plump birds standing much taller than they are long on short, slightly webbed feet, with oily black plummage on the head, back and wings, their belly white, uriaai strike many as distinctly penguin-like in shape, even though the two kinds share no close bond of blood. If their long, thick, gently curving black beaks aren't, their reasonably well-developed wings (their stubby-fingered hands being a part of it) are proof enough of that.

Uuriai thrive in cold water, and establish settlements on rocky hills and cliffs facing bodies of such water, especially on islands close to the shore. They are good-natured and curious, easily growing anxious if they have to spend too long a time alone. They mix most readily with their own, but being perceived as clumsy and comical bothers them little and they will associate with any outlander they find to come in peace and willing to keep them good company with equal ease.I don't recognize these and can't find anything when I look up the name or either pluralization you've listed (although I assume "uuriai" is a typo). Any relation to the Boobrie of Scottish folklore?

[Metastachydium]

Given the cool touch attack, any reason not to increase their reach above that expected for a "tall" large creature? It would make the electric reaction harder to avoid from melee, and therefore more of a consideration when the party is aware of it. Admittedly if the reach is too long it could become an issue where the melee PCs and electric attack based PCs can't both participate in the fight, but I do really like the idea that you're requiring the party to think about this as they fight an Autargyr.

Beyond how I'd have to think up a good wording… No, no reason at all. It's a neat idea, actually, and goes well with a thing that's just a bundle of wires at the end of the day. How much more reach would you think wouldn't be too much reach? I'm frankly wary of going above 20', all things considered.


Don't like the name though. I assume the "arg" in the middle is meant to reflect it being silver, but that is starts with "au" (the elemental symbol for gold coming from the latin "aurum") makes this less clear. Maybe "Targyr" or "argtargyr" would be clearer? I remember from the Green Ant you don't want the elemental to be super obvious as to which element it is, but starting the creature's name with the symbol of a different element feels off and somewhat deceptive.

Or its an electrum elemental rather than a silver elemental, but I hadn't thought of "alloy" elementals until I'm writing this paragraph and don't like the initial sound of it. If that is the case, "Aurargyr" as a name might be necessary to make clear it is an electrum elemental rather than a silver elemental.

Oh, man. I am really proud of this one, so that's a bummer. See, you know how Libris Mortis is called the Book of Bad Latin and deserves it. Now, this is the Thread of Goodish Greek, if you will (I have a degree for that). Autargyr comes from aut(o)- spliced to the root argyr- in the composition of a regular compound, with only the Greek ending clipped off of the end. It means 'silver itself'.


I don't recognize these and can't find anything when I look up the name or either pluralization you've listed (although I assume "uuriai" is a typo). Any relation to the Boobrie of Scottish folklore?

Glad that you asked, because interestingly enough, yes and no. The Boobrie is considered, by some, to be partly based on the now extinct great auk. The Uriaas, in turn, is really just a sized-up, and therefore mostly flightless common guillemot, another species of auk. Guillemots are adorably clumsy fliers and once I saw some take-off from water, basically running on it for several meters before getting properly up in the air, I just knew I had to make a birdy race that does that. The name is also a twist on the Greek etymon of the guillemots' genus name, Uria.

At any rate, I'll have to make a Boobrie at some point now. And fix that typo too.

[sandmote]

Beyond how I'd have to think up a good wording… No, no reason at all. It's a neat idea, actually, and goes well with a thing that's just a bundle of wires at the end of the day. How much more reach would you think wouldn't be too much reach? I'm frankly wary of going above 20', all things considered. I was really only thinking of a 15' reach, because that's all you need to catch people off guard.



Autargyr comes from aut(o)- spliced to the root argyr- in the composition of a regular compound, with only the Greek ending clipped off of the end. It means 'silver itself'. Now that you explained it I see it, and that's a cool idea. As someone without a degree, maybe "internal silver", "inside silver", or "core silver" could work without having it start with "au?"

[Beni-Kujaku]

Now that you explained it I see it, and that's a cool idea. As someone without a degree, maybe "internal silver", "inside silver", or "core silver" could work without having it start with "au?"

"Here be silver"! I'm honestly not sure changing the name is necessary. Au is indeed the prefix for gold, but the actual name is aurum, or at least aur- as a prefix (not to mention it's latin and not greek, in greek "gold" is "chrys-" as in chryselephantine). Autargyr is a nice name, with auto- for self-conscious. Maybe zoargyr for living silver would be nice, but it would probably be muddled with hydrargyr (quicksilver).
The reach is nice, and 15ft is the regular amount for tendrils. I wouldn't put much more than that unless the monster can modify its body at will (probably something for quicksilver).


Uriaa
Sure, we didn't have a jesus bird monster. Making it a humanoid is certainly not the choice I'd have made, but it's not a bad choice either.

[Metastachydium]

I was really only thinking of a 15' reach, because that's all you need to catch people off guard.

The reach is nice, and 15ft is the regular amount for tendrils. I wouldn't put much more than that unless the monster can modify its body at will (probably something for quicksilver).

Cool. Thank you two! I think I'll only increase it for the purpose of Conduct (it slams with the wiry things bundled up; it conducts with a long, slender, single metallic tendril) to add to the surprise factor.



Now that you explained it I see it, and that's a cool idea. As someone without a degree, maybe "internal silver", "inside silver", or "core silver" could work without having it start with "au?"

"Here be silver"! I'm honestly not sure changing the name is necessary. Au is indeed the prefix for gold, but the actual name is aurum, or at least aur- as a prefix (not to mention it's latin and not greek, in greek "gold" is "chrys-" as in chryselephantine). Autargyr is a nice name, with auto- for self-conscious.

I think I'll keep it, then.


Maybe zoargyr for living silver would be nice, but it would probably be muddled with hydrargyr (quicksilver).

And literally (as in, the quick and dead)!


Sure, we didn't have a jesus bird monster.

Hah! Maybe it's time I started a punk rock band (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1033.html) of my own?


Making it a humanoid is certainly not the choice I'd have made, but it's not a bad choice either.

I figured that if the Kenku and the Aaracokra get away with being both birdy birdies and Humanoid, I can get away with it. Glad to have your seal of approval, though!

[Metastachydium]

So,All the Bad Ideas of the Aboleths week, coming up! First in is something unusually stupid, mostly created to amuse me and to serve as a commentary on how absolutely demented the game's official definition for "creature" is, the

Bulging Lump
Even the shrewdest planner and the brightest mind will, on occasion, make mistakes. The bulging lump is such a mistake, the responsible party being understood to have been a group of aboleth savants. Reportedly, these flat, slightly domed accretions of quivering mucus, either a sickening yellow or a pale pink in colour, were the results of an experiment to produce an artificial guard creature with some of the common properties of an ooze. A spectacular failure, the project has since long beem abandoned, but (apparently, at any rate) cheap and relatively easy to procure, the lumps still see occasional use as glorified stationary traps.

Bulging lumps do not speak, nor do they understand language of any sort.

Size/Type: Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 13d10+20 (91 hp)
Initiative: -5
Speed: 0 ft.
Armor Class: 5 (-5 Dex), touch 5, flat-footed 5
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+17
Attack: –
Full Attack: –
Space/Reach: 5 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Pulsing call, waves of weakness
Special Qualities: Construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., DR 4/piercing or slashing, immunity to acid, low-light vision, vulnerability to electricity
Saves: Fort -5, Ref –, Will -1
Abilities: Str –, Dex –, Con –, Int –, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: –
Feats: –
Environment: Any underground aquatic
Organization: Solitary or cluster (3–8)
Challenge Rating: 3
Alignment:Always neutral
Advancement: –
Level Adjustment: –

Combat
Unable to move or think and barely aware of their surroundings, bulging lumps sit inert waiting for creatures to happen by.

Pulsing Call (Su)
Any living creature that passes within 30 feet of a bulging lump begins to suddenly sense strange, unsettling vibrations around itself. Such a creature must succeed on a DC 13 Will save or be forced to move as close to the lump as it is able and remain there motionless until such time as the effect is broken or it is forcibly moved away. An affected creature may repeat the save once every minute so long as it is conscious. Creatures that successfully save cannot be affected by the same lump’s call for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.

Waves of Weakness (Ex)
When a bulging lump is fully submerged, its substance mixes with water, forming a thin, caustic and toxic solution floating around its form. Any creature adjacent to such a bulging lump must succeed on a DC 16 Fort save or take 2d4 points of acid damage and 1d3 points of Strength damage each round. A succesful save negates the ability damage and halves the acid damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.


♣

There. The second one is less out there and something I've already kind of done before, but how perfect the shapoe of the human lower jaw for this really is kinda filled me with a morbid fascination. Also, I suppose these'd make pretty good Stereotypical Movie Librarians too, which is a plus.

Sappa
Thick-skinned, brutish beings, the sappa stumble about, as though lost, in or in the vicinity of larger streams and bodies of water. Jagged teeth, sitting haphazardly in many raws, jut from the vaulted palate of a broad crescent-shaped aperture leading into a flat face, sitting atop their shoulders with no neck in-between. Above this grotesque mouth, the head tapers to a rounded point. The arms taper themselves, ending in bare, robust bony hooks.

Sages posit that these miserable beings were designed and made by the psionic aboleths, likely from a mixed stock, with hook horrors and some variant of shark worked into them. Their intended purpose would appear to have been inconveniencing spellcasters, but it would appear that they proved difficult to control. Most roam rogue these days.

It is unclear whether the sappa understand any language or not, and few believe their peculiar shrieking, whistling vocalizations form one.

Size/Type: Large Aberration
Hit Dice: 8d8+32 (45 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 feet (4 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (-1 size, +9 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+17
Attack: Hook +13 melee (2d4+7 plus Jawbreaker)
Full Attack: 2 hooks +13 melee (2d4+7 plus Jawbreaker)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Jawbreaker
Special Qualities: Amphibious, darkvision 60 ft., DR 8/magic and piercing, scent
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +10
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 11, Con 18, Int 7, Wis 8, Cha 7
Skills: Jump +13, Swim +12
Feats: Endurance, Steadfast Determination, Weapon Focus (hook)
Environment: Any warm
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 5
Alignment: Often chaotic evil
Advancement: 9–14 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: –

Combat
Sappa appear to be enraged by coherent speech and will attack any that they hear to talk in a mindless, screaming fury. They are known to readily ignore creatures that make no sound or have no labguage, even if these behave in a hostile manner. They will likewise commonly abandon fights the moment no opponent is capable of speaking anymore.

Amphibious (Ex)
A sappa can breathe air and water with equal ease.

Jawbreaker (Ex)
Whenever a saap succesfully hits an opponent with a hook attack, it can, as a free action, immediately thereafter initiate a grapple without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it succeeds in establishing a hold, it can then choose to latch onto its opponents lower jaw and attempt to tear it off. A foe so grabbed must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save to avoid that. A failure means the victim cannot speak coherently, use spells with verbal components or magic items activated with a command word and receives a -8 circumstance penalty on Bluff, Diplomacy and Disguise checks until such time as a Regeneration spell or similar effect (such as regeneration) undoes the injury. The save DC is Strength-based.

Skills
Due to its constant ululation, the sappa have a -4 racial penalty to Move Silently checks.


♣

In case anyone wondered, somewhat unusually for something I made, the name means absolutely nothing at all.

[Tzardok]

Lowest stats of any creature. What a useless lump. :smalltongue: Incidentally, You forgot the hp of Lump.

[Metastachydium]

Incidentally, You forgot the hp of Lump.

Oops. I fixed that one, thanks!

[Beni-Kujaku]

Bulging Lump
Hmmm, 1 RHD, DLA-12, assuming Int 3. Would make a decent Master Inquisitive in DNLA with Open Minded and Nymph's Kiss. And yes, the nymph would have to be quite open minded to kiss that. The 24h immunity and Construct bonus HD helps a lot its viability. The party can just carry the lump and automatically have a chance to instantly beat any living creature. Seems competitive.


Sappa

If it succeeds in establishing a hold, it can then choose to latch onto its opponents lower jaw and attempt to tear it off.

That is... suprisingly gruesome for D&D. Killing in dozens of unique and specific ways is commonplace, but torture is generally nondescript, and maiming is basically nonexistent. Kinda hypocritical, I know, but there's a reason the cure for losing your jaw is "Regeneration, or regeneration". I like that it just despises people speaking, and that the fight basically has two stages, first the Sappa attacks, then it just goes away after breaking all jaws in sight. I would love to see one reacting to people communicating telepathically with it. "Speaking! But no jaw! But speaking! Where jaw!? If jaw, then break jaw, then no jaw! No more speaking! But now no jaw, and still speaking! Why speaking!"

[Metastachydium]

Hmmm, 1 RHD, DLA-12, assuming Int 3. Would make a decent Master Inquisitive in DNLA with Open Minded and Nymph's Kiss. And yes, the nymph would have to be quite open minded to kiss that.

Maybe they met in Unfriendly Auras Anonymous?


The 24h immunity and Construct bonus HD helps a lot its viability. The party can just carry the lump and automatically have a chance to instantly beat any living creature. Seems competitive.

Curses! The Shrieker triumphs again.


That is... suprisingly gruesome for D&D. Killing in dozens of unique and specific ways is commonplace, but torture is generally nondescript, and maiming is basically nonexistent. Kinda hypocritical, I know, but there's a reason the cure for losing your jaw is "Regeneration, or regeneration".

[Innocently.] Look, I just believe Regenerate deserves a valid use case!


I like that it just despises people speaking, and that the fight basically has two stages, first the Sappa attacks, then it just goes away after breaking all jaws in sight. I would love to see one reacting to people communicating telepathically with it. "Speaking! But no jaw! But speaking! Where jaw!? If jaw, then break jaw, then no jaw! No more speaking! But now no jaw, and still speaking! Why speaking!"

Heh. Depending on the opponents's temperament, that would likely end with either a coup de grace or everyone walking away in one piece as it quietly sobs in the corner.

[Bhu]

I like the new critters!

[Metastachydium]

I like the new critters!

Thanks!


♣

And as I'm here anyway, ANNOUNCEMENTS time: I'm alive (a surprise to a very select few, I'll assume) and so is the thread; I just ran into this issue where I was working on a Deathless but suddenly found I don't want to do it anymore for reasosns, and it left me in something of a disarray schedule-wise. While I work on putting myself back together, have an arthropod of probably extraplanar origin that I kind had lying about:

Pious Goblin
Pious goblins bear the guise of a scrawny, mantled goblinoid creature of priestly demeanour, standing or ambling about with its hands clasped before its chest in areas commonly frequented by humanoids. What appear to be its hands, however, are in truth merely joints of a longer forelimb, with a long, clublike section full of wicked, clawlike hooks cleverly folded under and behind them. The mantle in its turn is a modified winglike structure, hiding two more clawed arms underneath and the angular chin a set of mandibles, one resting in the other.

More baffling to scholars than these resourceful adaptations are the strange energies that seem to be woven into the forms of these large, predatory insects, traces of a force resembling the essence of the aligned planes, if more mutable and primitive. The leading theories not simply dismissing this as an anomaly suggest that these creatures must have once been extraplanar beings, from some old, neutrally aligned plane.

A pious goblin appears to murmur some manner of religious mantra at all times. This is but a prayful mimicry, nevertheless; these beings are mindless and cannot speak.

Size/Type: Medium Vermin
Hit Dice: 4d8+12 (30 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 feet (6 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+6
Attack: Foreclaw +6 melee (1d8+3)
Full Attack: 2 foreclaws +6 melee (1d8+3), 2 claws +1 melee (1d4+1) and bite +1 melee (1d8+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with foreclaws)
Special Attacks: Rend (2d8+4)
Special Qualities: Aligned aura, darkvision 60 ft., mindless
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +3, Will -1
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 17, Con 14, Int –, Wis 9, Cha 10
Skills: Disguise +0 (+10 to mimic goblinoid creatures), Jump +7, Listen +3
Feats: Improved ToughnessB
Environment: Any land
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 3
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 5–7 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: –

Combat
Pious goblins wait in plain view for prey to come by and let their unsuspecting foes-to-be come to them. Once a creature no larger than the pious goblin itself is within easy reach, it lashes out, aiming for a quick kill.

Aligned Aura (Ex)
An attempt to detect a pious goblin's alignment by any means automatically fails and the creature registers, instead, as possessing the alignment aura a 1st level cleric of a deity with the same alignment as the foe trying to discern the goblin's has.

Rend (Ex)
If a pious goblin hits with both its foreclaws, it
latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the flesh. This attack
automatically deals an additional 2d8+4 points of damage.

Skills
Pious goblins have a +4 racial bonus on Jump and Listen checks and a +10 racial bonus on Disguise checks made to look and act as though they were goblinoid creature.

[Beni-Kujaku]

I kinda like this one, but I wonder how often its aura will come into play. Not many parties immediately Detect Alignment whenever they encounter a new character.

[Tzardok]

I'm kinda iffy about a vermin with a supernatural ability. In most cases I'd argue that a vermin with an ability that isn't Ex should be a magical beast (though my forrays into Dark Sun made me more forgiving for psi-like abilities).

I'd either make this creature a magical beast, or change the aura mimicry to Ex (alignment auras are Ex in general, and for some reason I can accept it much easier as a vermin with this changed label, though it won't actually have any difference in effect).

[Beni-Kujaku]

I'm kinda iffy about a vermin with a supernatural ability. In most cases I'd argue that a vermin with an ability that isn't Ex should be a magical beast (though my forrays into Dark Sun made me more forgiving for psi-like abilities).

I'd either make this creature a magical beast, or change the aura mimicry to Ex (alignment auras are Ex in general, and for some reason I can accept it much easier as a vermin with this changed label, though it won't actually have any difference in effect).

I think the point was to make it mindless without having to justify it‚ which blocks any mind reading attempt (actually‚ no Magical Beast in the game is mindless‚ except the Ectoplasmic Swarm‚ which is a Psionic Beast only because the spiders composing it came from the Ethereal and not the Prime‚ so it definitively should have been a vermin as well. On the other hand‚ it's not unheard of to have Vermin with (Su) powers. Just look at the rapture locust swarm from FF‚ or the Knell Beetle. But I agree that auras are in general (Ex)‚ though this reflective aura might not.

[Tzardok]

I forgot about those two, though I need to look them up. Still, I'm pretty sure that there are mindless magical beasts, and even if there aren't any, there's no reason that they should be categorically impossible.

[Debihuman]

Pious goblins are kinda a mess. Technically by the rules Goblinoid can only work with Humanoid and also they should be able to speak Goblin (which mindless creatures cannot). Technically, this is a "Creature that Cannot Be" as per the old WotC articles. Now, that the rules lawyers are satisfied; let's see what this creature does on instinct: nothing. Or to be more precise, you haven't given it anything TO do.

What is considered "prey" for pious goblins? It makes no sense for them to attack anything larger that Small creatures. Any creature with a CR of 3 can take them as they are just too stupid to do anything but attack with their natural weapons which requires them to be at close range. Any creature with a ranged attack can take these out easy peasy. A 1/2 CR farmer with a sling, which has a range of 50 ft., can take this down as long as the farmer keeps 10 feet away. Granted it might take an hour, but it's not exactly a challenging critter to a level 2 party even with regular weapons. You can't even lure it with food unless the food is within 5 feet. Its prey can avoid these far too easily. if you see it and just walk 10 or more feet around it, it won't attack because nothing is in range. It is literally not in their nature to seek out food. As a species, they will likely starve to death naturally as they will have eaten everything that surrounds them in a 5-foot radius.

I think the CR 3 is silly -- it is overpowered and underwhelming at the same time. Too many attacks and too many hit points for a creature that isn't worth it for a level 3 party.

Debby

[Metastachydium]

I kinda like this one, but I wonder how often its aura will come into play. Not many parties immediately Detect Alignment whenever they encounter a new character.

I'm going to pretend Paladins still see play on occasion, okay?


I'm kinda iffy about a vermin with a supernatural ability. In most cases I'd argue that a vermin with an ability that isn't Ex should be a magical beast (though my forrays into Dark Sun made me more forgiving for psi-like abilities).

I'd either make this creature a magical beast, or change the aura mimicry to Ex (alignment auras are Ex in general, and for some reason I can accept it much easier as a vermin with this changed label, though it won't actually have any difference in effect).

Well, if that's your one big issue, I'm amenable to complying! (I kinda forgot such auras are Ex; they have this Su feel about them, you know?)


Pious goblins are kinda a mess. Technically by the rules Goblinoid can only work with Humanoid and also they should be able to speak Goblin (which mindless creatures cannot). Technically, this is a "Creature that Cannot Be" as per the old WotC articles.

That's just the name. They are neither actual Goblins, nor in actual possession of the Goblinoid subtype (and they are not particularly pious either, for that matter); the thing is just a big insect that evolved to look like a Goblin when not in murder mode.


What is considered "prey" for pious goblins? It makes no sense for them to attack anything larger that Small creatures.

Well, it's kind alike a praying mantis that won a weird prize on the mimicry lottery. "Prey" is anything that looks edible and small enough to casually slaughter (and eat).


Any creature with a CR of 3 can take them as they are just too stupid to do anything but attack with their natural weapons which requires them to be at close range. Any creature with a ranged attack can take these out easy peasy. A 1/2 CR farmer with a sling, which has a range of 50 ft., can take this down as long as the farmer keeps 10 feet away. Granted it might take an hour, but it's not exactly a challenging critter to a level 2 party even with regular weapons. You can't even lure it with food unless the food is within 5 feet. Its prey can avoid these far too easily. if you see it and just walk 10 or more feet around it, it won't attack because nothing is in range. It is literally not in their nature to seek out food. As a species, they will likely starve to death naturally as they will have eaten everything that surrounds them in a 5-foot radius.

Um… The description explicitly has "standing or ambling about" and they have a 30' movement speed. They aren't glued to a spot by the road. The rest is just a fancy way of saying "this an ambush predator". It's about as likely to starve a death as any other ambush predator, and about as likely to let some filthy peasant sling it to death with a full hour's work as one.


I think the CR 3 is silly -- it is overpowered and underwhelming at the same time. Too many attacks and too many hit points for a creature that isn't worth it for a level 3 party.


Yeah, I struggled with the CR. It has four limbs and mandibles on account of being an insectlike thing that mostly moves about on its hindmost two legs, so the attack routine was kinda a given, but otherwise it's mostly a gimmick thing to creep out PCs and troll Paladins. I'm not sure how to fix the issue, though.

[sandmote]

Um… The description explicitly has "standing or ambling about" and they have a 30' movement speed. They aren't glued to a spot by the road. The rest is just a fancy way of saying "this an ambush predator". It's about as likely to starve a death as any other ambush predator, and about as likely to let some filthy peasant sling it to death with a full hour's work as one. I'd at least specify they seek out areas where they consistently encounter humanoids (much like army ants, praying mantises, and jumping spiders remain on the move) before settling in waiting for more to show up. Or maybe they settle in temporarily when raising young.

I'm more bothered by how there doesn't really seem to be a way for pious goblins to maintain a goblin disguise for any length of time. The remains of what they kill isn't going to be mistaken for a raiding goblin, so the only way to do the old twist of "the goblins really were innocent" is to have one person see and escape from the pious goblin before it attacks. Which seems difficult to set up for a string of murders or anything else warranting the party investigate.

Putting it into a mystery plot would also give the party Paladin more time to detect and worry about the pious goblin's aura and see there's something different about it. The SRD lists racial skills for some of the vermin, so maybe racial bonuses to disguise, escape artist, jump, and listen? No move silently, but those would probably also help it with finding prey and ambushing. I'm not sure what Ex or Su abilities could help with the disguise or complement the aura though.

[Metastachydium]

I'd at least specify they seek out areas where they consistently encounter humanoids (much like army ants, praying mantises, and jumping spiders remain on the move) before settling in waiting for more to show up. Or maybe they settle in temporarily when raising young.

Fair. I'll try to work something like that in.


I'm more bothered by how there doesn't really seem to be a way for pious goblins to maintain a goblin disguise for any length of time. The remains of what they kill isn't going to be mistaken for a raiding goblin, so the only way to do the old twist of "the goblins really were innocent" is to have one person see and escape from the pious goblin before it attacks. Which seems difficult to set up for a string of murders or anything else warranting the party investigate.

Technically, there's a workaround in that one can go "people keep gettig horribly murdered on that trail, but the only creature consistently seen coming and going through the area is this weird Goblin hermit dude". The Pious Goblin scampers off when addressed, muttering its mantras and doesn't just attack people investigating the deaths because it fed recently and only cares about food.

Or something like that.


Putting it into a mystery plot would also give the party Paladin more time to detect and worry about the pious goblin's aura and see there's something different about it. The SRD lists racial skills for some of the vermin, so maybe racial bonuses to disguise, escape artist, jump, and listen? No move silently, but those would probably also help it with finding prey and ambushing. I'm not sure what Ex or Su abilities could help with the disguise or complement the aura though.

But yes, that is entirely doable and the passably mediocre CHA score is an artifact of my considering that as an option (but tentatively dropping it). Now I'm strictly in favour, so thanks for the input (on this and all else).

[Bhu]

I do love me a good ambush bug!

[Metastachydium]

A-and what's that there? Another update so soon that's not even complete filler?! It must be Monday!

Khalybs
Headless hulks of metal, as though a broad suit of segmented armour gained the power to walk and fight, khalybes are beings of solid steel no less than 10 feet tall. Their arms are long and heavy, covered in studs, barbs and straight blades sharp as a razor from the elbow to the tip of the thick fingers. Khalybes of a given size are remarkably similar, as though they were produced in the same mould, down to the arrangement of these wicked implements they bear.

Not terribly personable but steadfast, khalybes leave their home plane rather more commonly than other elementals – but only so they can seek out wars to join. As such, they frequently venture onto Acheron, where they mix mostly with bladelings as spikers, seemingly believing they share some manner of kinship with these creatures. Sometimes they will offer their services to the rilmani as well, supplementing the might of the ferrumach, whose soldierly disposition they greatly respect, as massed infantry.

Khalybes speak Terran, slowly grinding the words as though speaking through clenched teeth.

Size/Type: Large Elemental [Earth, Extraplanar]
Hit Dice: 8d8+32 (68 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 feet (4 squares)
Armor Class: 24 (-1 size, +15 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 24
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+17
Attack: Iron arm +12 melee (2d8+7) or orc shotput +12 ranged (3d6+7, 19–20/×3)
Full Attack: 2 iron arms +12 melee (2d8+7) or orc shotput +12/+7 ranged (3d6+7, 19–20/×3)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Iron arms, maneuvers
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., DR 10/adamantine, elemental traits, vulnerabilities
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +2, Will +1
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 11, Con 18, Int 11, Wis 8, Cha 5
Skills: Climb +18, Martial Lore +11
Feats: Brutal Throw, Great Fortitude, Power Attack
Environment: Elemental Plane of Earth
Organization: Solitary, troop (4–15), company (60–180), battalion (400–800) or regiment (1200–1500)
Challenge Rating: 5
Alignment: Often lawful neutral
Advancement: 9–14 HD (Large), 15–24 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: –

Combat
Khalybes believe they exist to wage war. They push forward fearlessly and unrelenting, slamming and slashing their way through enemy ransk until their foes fall or break and rout.

Iron Arms (Ex)
The very arms of khalybes are versatile, deadly weapons. As a swift action, they can opt for their natural attacks to deal their choice of bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. Once they make this choice, their attacks continue to deal the chosen damage type until they use another swift action to change it. Further, all natural attacks made by a khalybs count as cold iron for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Maneuvers
A khalybs can use maneuvers from the Iron Heart and Stone Dragon disciplines as a warblade would, its initiator level being equal to its number of hit dice.

Vulnerabilities (Ex)
Rusting attacks deal double damage to a khalybs, and it receives a -2 penalty to saving throws against any spell or effect that specifically affects metal.

[Metastachydium]

Bhu just gave me a horrible idea, and it fits like it was meant to be with the last entry. Behold the Enemy:

Beaver
Beavers are common aquatic rodents, known for the large and complex dams they build, as well as their uncanny ability to chew through wood. Plant creatures and the fey folk commonly consider them pests and often insist that they most likely came to be as just another one of the devils' tools designed for deployment in the Blood War. At any rate, they now run wild.

Size/Type: Small Animal
Hit Dice: 1d8+2 (6 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 feet (4 squares), swim 30 feet
Armor Class: 12 (+1 size, +1 Dex), touch 12, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/+1
Attack: Bite +2 melee (1d6+1)
Full Attack: Bite +2 melee (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Irontooth
Special Qualities: Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +2
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 1, Wis 14, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +4, Spot +4, Survival +4, Swim +11
Feats: Alertness
Environment: Temperate and cold forests
Organization: Solitary or family (2–10)
Challenge Rating: 1/4
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 2–4 HD (Small)
Level Adjustment: –

Combat
Beavers have few natural predators capable of swimming. When attacked, they flee into water and if need be, retreat into their lodge.

Irontooth (Ex)
The large, orange-brown incisors of beavers have a sturdy enamel, hardened by the iron in it. A beaver's bite overcomes damage reduction as though it were a cold iron weapon and it has a +2 circumstance bonus to damage against wood (living or dead) as well as any object with a hardness of 9 or less.

Skills
A beaver has 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 a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

[Beni-Kujaku]

Thank you for your input, Meta, because the chain of inspiration did not stop. Thank you to Bhu as well for your Beaverfolk. I didn't read it beforehand, and yet I somehow still made this demonic beaver's bite act as if it had the whole Gnaw line of feats with it.


The common beaver is actually initially a kind of aquatic tanar'ri demon, called Bihi-vurrs (meaning "double cleaver", in the abyssal tongue). Some of them were stranded on the Material Plane, and could never go back to the Abyss. The original beaver (called by some dire beaver, though it is not an animal, but instead an Outsider) had extremely sharp incisor teeth that never stopped growing and cut into souls as well as materials. The powerful residents of the Abyss and the devils of the Blood War make for souls resilient enough to wear these teeth down, but they were soon met with a lack of good souls to sink their teeth in on the Prime Material Plane. Most Bihi-vurrs quickly died as their teeth grew too long, rendering them mad enough to slaughter each other and finally try to bite their own soul out. Most of those who survived took on the traits of the Plane itself, slowly morphing into magical beast, then regular animals. But sometimes, an authentic Bihi-vurr emerges, having endured for years or more on the Material Plane. Having feasted on powerful dragons, or slaughtered many in its path, these creatures can be quite cunning when their teeth are relatively short, and often try to trick those they meet into giving up their souls, or into guiding them back towards the Abyss. They sometimes even propose their services to adventurers in order to defeat powerful creatures that will sate their craving for souls for days. However, when their teeth grow long, they change into little more than rampaging beasts, searching any powerful creature to bite to bring them back to a manageable length. At that point, there is no escape.

Bihi-vurr

Size/Type: Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 10d8+30 (75 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 40 feet (8 squares), swim 30 feet
Armor Class: 23 (+4 Dex, +9 natural armor), touch 14, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+14
Attack: Bite +14 melee 19-20/x3 (2d6+6 plus soul rending)
Full Attack: Bite +14 melee or bite +14/+14 (overdrive hunger)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Overdrive hunger, soul-rending bite, augmented critical, soul dam, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, Darkvision 60ft, Amphibious, SR 18, traits of the tanar'ri, evergrowing teeth, DR 5/cold iron, Telepathy
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +8
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 15
Skills:
Bluff+15, Craft (any)+17, Concentration+16, Diplomacy+15, Intimidate+15, Listen +14, Spot +14, Survival +14, Swim +12, Use Magic Device+15
Feats: Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Quicken Spell-like Ability (Spike Growth)
Environment: Temperate and cold forests and rivers or Infinite Layers of the Abyss (aquatic)
Organization: Solitary or adventuring party (1-3 and 1-4 humanoids with 7 to 10 class levels)
Challenge Rating: 12
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 11-15 HD (Medium), 16-25 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: –

The Bihi-vurr looks like a vaguely humanoid beaver, standing on two hairless scaly goat legs and a long flat tail trailing a weird blue-white smoke behind it. Its fur is brown with red and purple hues and seems to undulate eerily. Its eyes burn red with envy and two immense teeth grow out of its mouth, affecting its speech with a kind of lisp. Bihi-vurrs with intelligence above 3 speak Abyssal, Bihi-vurrs with intelligence above 6 also speak common.

Combat
A Bihi-vurr begins combat violently by casting a quickened Spike Growth at the most dangerous opponents before trying to bite a spellcaster. If things go south, it does not hesitate to overdrive its hunger in order to finish opponents off, but only if it is convinced killing its opponents is enough to snap it safely out of it.

Evergrowing Teeth (Ex): Every day, a Bihi-vurr's teeth grow, becoming so sharp that they gain a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls. However, this also damages the Bihi-vurr's psyche, giving it a cumulative penalty of -1 to Int, Wis and Cha. The growth of a Bihi-vurr's teeth can only be halted by biting into powerful souls using its soul-rending bite. Killing creatures below 5 HD does not give enough resistance to slow the growth, killing a creature with 6 HD removes 1 point of penalty to the Bihi-vurr's mental stats and decreases the bite's enhancement bonus by one. More powerful creatures remove one more point of penalty and bonus per 2 HD above 6.

Improved Critical (Ex): A Bihi-vurr's bite threatens a critical on a 19 or 20 and deals triple damage on a critical hit.

Soul Rending Bite (Ex): A Bihi-vurr's teeth sink into one's soul, bypassing any living being's DR bypassed by a special material, dealing one negative levels with each successful bite and forcing a Fortitude save (DC 19) to avoid being stunned for 1 round (the DC is based on Strength). The negative level is multiplied on a critical hit, and lasts for 24 hours, after which affected creatures must make a Fortitude save (DC 17) or lose one level per negative level. A creature that dies from a Bihi-vurr's bite attack cannot be resurrected except by True Resurrection or similarly powerful magic.

Soul dam (Su): Bihi-vurrs are master craftsmen and use the soul bits they bite off their enemies to create grandiose constructs. Once per day as a standard action, if the Bihi-vurr has already killed a creature using its soul-rending that day, it can create a soul dam, a blue-white wall of soulstuff acting as a Wall of Ectoplasm (ML 10), except it is permanent. Successful Bihi-vurrs often build castles out of soul, acting both as houses and as food supplies. Biting a soul dam dispels it, and counts as killing a 6 HD creatures for the purpose of trimming the Bihi-vurr's evergrowing teeth.

Overdrive Hunger (Ex): In extreme situations, the Bihi-vurr can, once per day as a free action, enter a self-destructive fury. When activated and every round afterwards for one minute, the Bihi-vurr's teeth grow, increasing the enhancement bonus and mental stat penalty by one. During this fury, the Bihi-vurr becomes almost fully animalistic, walking on all four (its land and swim speed increase by 20ft), and can make another bite attack at its full attack bonus during a full attack. However, it cannot use its spell-like abilities or items anymore. At the end of the fury, if the Bihi-vurr is still conscious despite the ability score penalties, it is fatigued for an hour.

Spell-like abilities (Sp): A Bihi-vurr with more than 8 Wis can cast the following spell-like abilities at CL 10:
at-will : Detect Poison, Detect Magic, Greater Teleport (self+50lbs of objects), Wood Shape
3/day : Cure Moderate Wounds, Inflict Moderate Wounds (DC 14), Undetectable Alignment, Spike Growth (DC 15)
1/day Fabricate, Minor Creation

Tanar'ri traits (Ex) : Immunity to electricity and poison. Resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10.

Telepathy (Ex): A Bihi-vurr with Intelligence 10 or above can communicate with any creature with a language in a 100ft radius through thought.

[Metastachydium]

…
…
…
…
THE TREE-GNAWERS ARE EVIL, I KNEW IT!! (Also: Beni, this is beautiful.)


and finally try to bite their own soul out.

Chilling. I like it! (Can an Extraplanar Outsider do that, though, what with "body&soul, a single unit undivided"?)


Bihi-vurr

Size/Type: Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Aquatic)


Speaking of… Are they Extraplanar? Did they go Native? "Not able to go back to the Abyss" would imply that much, but then, there are still some on the Abyss. Hm.


Hit Dice: 10d8+2 (6 hp)

10d8+30 (75 hp).


Initiative: +1

+4.


Armor Class: 22 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +9 natural armor), touch 13, flat-footed 18

AC 23, T 14, FF 19 (was the original draft Large?).


Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+1

Grp +14.


Saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +2

Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +8.


Feats: Improved Natural Attack (bite), Cleave, Quicken Spell-like Ability (Spike Growth), Combat Reflexes

Doesn't qualify for Cleave (no Power Attack).


Evergrowing Teeth (Ex): Every day, a Bihi-vurr's teeth grow, becoming so sharp that that gain a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls. However, this also damages the Bihi-vurr's psyche, giving it a cumulative penalty of -1 to Int, Wis and Cha. The growth of a Bihi-vurr's can only be halted by biting into powerful souls using its soul-rending bite. Killing creatures below 5 HD does not give enough resistance to slow the growth, killing a creature with 6 HD removes 1 point of penalty to the Bihi-vurr's mental stats and decreases the bite's enhancement bonus by one. More powerful creatures removes one more point of penalty and bonus per 2 HD above 6.

A creature that is thoroughly Evil in the strictest sense but still has a very good reason to lashn out at every CR-appropriate opponent left and right? I can only applaud that.


Soul Rending Bite (Ex): A Bihi-vurr's teeth sinks into one's soul, bypassing any living being's DR bypassed by a special material, dealing one negative levels with each successful bite and forcing a Fortitude save (DC 19) to avoid being stunned for 1 round (the DC is based on Strength). The negative level is multiplied on a critical hit, and lasts for 24 hours, after which creatures affected by them must make a Fortitude save (DC 17) or lose one level per negative level. A creature that dies from a Bihi-vurr's bite attack cannot be resurrected except by True Resurrection or similarly powerful magic.

Soul dam (Su): Bihi-vurrs are master craftsman and use the soul bits they bite off their enemies to create grandiose constructs. Once per day as a standard action, if the Bihi-vurr has already killed a creature using its soul-rending that day, it can create a soul dam, a blue-white wall of soulstuff acting as a Wall of Ectoplasm (ML 10), except it is permanent. Successful Bihi-vurr often build castles out of soul, acting both as houses and as food supplies. Biting a soul dam dispels it, and counts as killing a 6 HD creatures for the purpose of trimming the Bihi-vurr's evergrowing teeth.

C-R-E-E-P-Y (as it should be)!


Spell-like abilities (Sp): A Bihi-vurr with more than 8 Wis can cast the following spell-like abilities at CL 10:
at-will : Detect Poison, Detect Magic, Greater Teleport (self+50lbs of objects), Wood Shape
3/day : Cure Moderate Wounds, Inflict Moderate Wounds (DC 15)

Is that a 15 because it's based off the Druid version?


♣

Anyway, have another big thank you for giving us all a reason to kill and eat every beaver we see this contribution expanding the horizons of the demonology!

[Beni-Kujaku]

…
…
…
…
THE TREE-GNAWERS ARE EVIL, I KNEW IT!! (Also: Beni, this is beautiful.)
Thanks! As soon as I read that fey and plant creatures considered them devilish, I wondered what they would look like as actual fiends, and why they would not be able to survive as is on the Material Plane to explain why they would evolve into regular beavers. The whole soul-rending came naturally from there.


Chilling. I like it! (Can an Extraplanar Outsider do that, though, what with "body&soul, a single unit undivided"?)
They most certainly can try! Also, Bihi-vurrs do not have to rip the soul out, they just need to bite into it, so having the soul be one's body just makes it more exposed.


Speaking of… Are they Extraplanar? Did they go Native? "Not able to go back to the Abyss" would imply that much, but then, there are still some on the Abyss. Hm.
I honestly don't know how that works here. I'd say the unaltered ones like the one presented are still extraplanar, but they became native shortly before not being Outsiders at all anymore.


10d8+30 (75 hp).
+4.
Grp +14.
Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +8.

AC 23, T 14, FF 19 (was the original draft Large?).
Yes, I initially intended for them to be large, and to make an intermediary Magical Beast version be medium, but I finally decided against it. Maybe I'll make the Magical beaver one of these days. It is basically a shaman beaver, bigger and wiser than its brethren, organizing beavers in huge colonies to build dams much grander than they could otherwise, feeding their delusions of grandeur both figuratively and literally since they absorb the spirits of beavers below them to maintain their magic. One of them, maybe the last one left, absorbed the spirits of many other elders (given willingly) in a massive ritual when they noticed that their magic was running out, and thus does not fear losing his magic. He is depressed at the state of its race, and trying to bring them back to what they were through the use of Awaken and similar magic, but realizes beavers cannot come back to what they were, and maybe it wouldn't be good if they could, and he researches a ritual that could make Awaken transmissible from parents to children.


Doesn't qualify for Cleave (no Power Attack).
Ah, damn, it would have fit. Replaced it with Blind-Fight, Also fits a creature that lives in the tarwater of the Styx.


A creature that is thoroughly Evil in the strictest sense but still has a very good reason to lashn out at every CR-appropriate opponent left and right? I can only applaud that.
C-R-E-E-P-Y (as it should be)!
Yeaah! I particularly like the Soul Dam ability, linking with both parts of the Bihi-vurr (beaver and soul-eating demon). One of my main concerns with demons is "what do these super-genius creatures with no bodily concern or society do with their free time?". Building castles and finding worthy opponents is not a mind flayer level of depth, but it's at least a good start of a personality.


Is that a 15 because it's based off the Druid version?
The answer is absolutely yes (a faint link to nature is why it evolved into an Animal and not an Aberration in the first place), but I just noticed that druids have Cure Moderate Wounds as a 3rd level spell, but not Inflict Moderate Wounds. Changed to reflect the cleric version.


Anyway, have another big thank you for giving us all a reason to kill and eat every beaver we see this contribution expanding the horizons of the demonology!
You're welcome! The next one is a bee-shaped Angel that acts both as Cupid with a love-inducing sting and as a pollinating insect accelerating the growth of plants in order to promote life of any kind on the Material Plane to increase the power of Positive Energy in the multiverse, thus empowering the clerics of the Good gods.

[Metastachydium]

They most certainly can try! Also, Bihi-vurrs do not have to rip the soul out, they just need to bite into it, so having the soul be one's body just makes it more exposed.

Oh. That's quite convenient, actually, yeah.


Yes, I initially intended for them to be large, and to make an intermediary Magical Beast version be medium, but I finally decided against it. Maybe I'll make the Magical beaver one of these days. It is basically a shaman beaver, bigger and wiser than its brethren, organizing beavers in huge colonies to build dams much grander than they could otherwise, feeding their delusions of grandeur both figuratively and literally since they absorb the spirits of beavers below them to maintain their magic. One of them, maybe the last one left, absorbed the spirits of many other elders (given willingly) in a massive ritual when they noticed that their magic was running out, and thus does not fear losing his magic. He is depressed at the state of its race, and trying to bring them back to what they were through the use of Awaken and similar magic, but realizes beavers cannot come back to what they were, and maybe it wouldn't be good if they could, and he researches a ritual that could make Awaken transmissible from parents to children.


…and a partial success of this endeavour, ultimately Druidic of nature as forms of magic go, led to the accidental rise of the True Druidic Master Race, the Anthropomorphic Bat. (Don't experiment on bats, kids. It's mean and can lead to unfortunate consequences.)

More seriously, that's sad in a way more wholesomely melancholy than what I'd expect of anything Demonspawn( or Beaver)-related. I'm all for it to be a thing!


Yeaah! I particularly like the Soul Dam ability, linking with both parts of the Bihi-vurr (beaver and soul-eating demon). One of my main concerns with demons is "what do these super-genius creatures with no bodily concern or society do with their free time?". Building castles and finding worthy opponents is not a mind flayer level of depth, but it's at least a good start of a personality.

Building castels from impossible substances and living to randomly fight stuff so as to avoid true madness are very Chaotic too, so bonus points for that.


You're welcome! The next one is a bee-shaped Angel that acts both as Cupid with a love-inducing sting and as a pollinating insect accelerating the growth of plants in order to promote life of any kind on the Material Plane to increase the power of Positive Energy in the multiverse, thus empowering the clerics of the Good gods.

REALLY?? [Starts bouncing up and down. Squees a lot.]

[Beni-Kujaku]

More seriously, that's sad in a way more wholesomely melancholy than what I'd expect of anything Demonspawn( or Beaver)-related. I'm all for it to be a thing!

Ask, and you shall receive:

Elder Beaver

The Bihi-vurrs were tanar'ri demons who got stranded on the Material Plane after being tricked by devils. The lower ambient level of magic of the plane and the lack of powerful creatures to sustain them killed most of the stranded Bihi-vurrs, and most of the rest regressed to a form more adapted to the plane: that of the common beaver. However, some Bihi-vurrs desperately clung to their former power even as it escaped them. Through sacrificial rituals and cannibalism, they maintained an intermediate form, now known as that of an Elder Beaver. The Elder Beaver is not an Outsider anymore, as the very rituals it performed to absorb any ambient magic merged its very being with the natural power of the Material Plane, giving it an understanding of something akin to druidic magic, but rooted in the remains of its original power rather than in a divine source like regular druids. Tapping into this source of power progressively weakens it, up until it is dried out, at which point the Elder Beaver loses its ageless body and becomes just another beaver. Elder Beavers call this process "falling".
Elder Beavers surround themselves with regular beavers, a constant reminder of what they could become if they keep their guard down, coercing them with strength and magic to build great dams from which the Elder Beavers rule colonies up to a few hundred beavers, often choosing a select few as lieutenants by using their Awaken ability. They act as leaders of these feeble troops and sometimes try to attack nearby settlements for food, materials and sacrifices, in a sorry mockery of the great battles of the Blood War that they once took part in.
Some Elder Beavers live in the constant fear of their inevitable fall. Anxious and paranoid, they rarely leave their dam and sacrifice their underlings for any slight, eventually leading to the fall of the colony as a whole, as well as their own.
Others see their fallen brethren as still worthy of living, sometimes more than themselves. These Elders act generally as overprotective parents, protecting the colony with all their might, and seeking humanoid mages rather than their own as sacrifice fodders. Those Elders may attract the attention of adventurers, and do all that they can to drive them away from the dam.
Elder Beavers with Int 3 or more speak common. Those with Int 10 or more speak abyssal as well.

Size/Type: Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 10d10+20 (75 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 feet (6 squares), swim 30 feet
Armor Class: 18 (+2 Dex, +6 natural armor), touch 12, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+12
Attack: Bite +14 melee (1d10+5)
Full Attack: Bite +14 melee
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Powerful bite, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, Darkvision 60ft, Amphibious, Beaver Leader, One with Everything, Antimagic vulnerability
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +5
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 13
Skills: Craft (any) +6, Concentration +8, Intimidate +9, Listen +6, Spot +4, Survival +4, Swim +12
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Dodge, Improved Natural Attack (bite)
Environment: Temperate and cold forests and rivers
Organization: Solitary or colony (1 and 10-20 beavers and 1-4 darkenbeasts) or possee (3 and 1-10 beavers and 1-6 darkenbeasts)
Challenge Rating: 7
Alignment: Usually evil
Advancement: 11-15 HD (Medium), 16-25 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: –

An Elder Beaver looks like a giant beaver standing on its two hind legs. The tip of its hair is pure white, and seems to shine faintly in the dark. Its tired eyes look much too intelligent for a beaver. As you approach, you hear a near-inaudible voice from inside your head.

Combat
An Elder Beaver never enters combat alone if it can avoid it, but always stands in the frontline. It tries to bite spellcasters in priority, hoping that melee fighters could be subdued through its insidious whispers alone. It tries to avoid using its spell-like abilities, but knows about their power if need be.

Powerful Bite (Ex and Su): An Elder Beaver's bite is imbued with the remnants of what it once was, and cuts through flesh and materials alike. The bite attack of the Elder Beaver counts as adamantine for the purpose of bypassing hardness and DR, and continually has a +2 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls.

Spell-like abilities (Sp): Using spell-like abilities drains the Elder Beaver's already shallow magic reserves, and accelerates its fall. Casting a spell-like ability drains 1 point of Int, Wis and Cha from the Elder Beaver per level of the duplicated spell. This drain can only be reversed by drinking the blood of a dead beaver or creature that was once capable of casting arcane spells or spell-like abilities (a full-round action restoring one point of drain for a beaver, or one point per two caster levels of another creature). The Elder Beaver casts its spell-like abilities as a 10th level druid (levels of the duplicated spell are in parenthesis):
At will: Detect Magic (0th)
3/day: Entangle (1st, DC 12), Impeding Stones (1st, DC 12), Legion's Snake's Swiftness (2nd), Wood Shape (2nd)
1/day: Freedom of Movement (4th), Awaken (5th), Create Darkenbeast (5th)

One with Everything (Su): An Elder Beaver's soul is unstable and only loosely attached to its material body. In effect, it subsumes everything in a 30ft radius in some capacity. In that area, the Elder Beaver can communicate with every natural thing, and has a constant Speak with Plants and Stone Tell effect. Intelligent creatures in that radius also hear the Elder Beaver's thoughts as if they were theirs, making a Will save each turn (DC 16). Failing a Will save means the creature fascinated for one round. Failing another while fascinated subjects the creature to a Suggestion to protect the Elder Beaver (or similar depending on the Elder Beaver's thoughts). A third failed Will save means the creature is charmed by the Elder Beaver for 24h, at the end of which they make another save at a -4 penalty to avoid being charmed for another 24h. A successful save means the creature cannot be affected by this ability for 24 hour and removes the Suggestion, but does not suppress the charm for the day nor does it preclude making a Will save after 24h to avoid extending the charm.

Antimagic Vulnerability (Ex): An Elder Beaver concentrates at all time to maintain its own magic power. Losing access to all magic makes their body and mind wither away frighteningly fast. When in an antimagic or dead magic zone, an Elder Beaver is nauseated and is drained of one point of Int, Wis and Cha per round (this drain can be reversed as the one from using spell-like abilities)

Beaver Leader: All beavers and beaver-based darkenbeasts in a 30ft radius from the Elder Beaver gain the benefit of Powerful Bite and share their vision with the Elder Beaver. If one is not flat-footed, none of them are. None is considered flanked unless they all are.

Terminus

One Elder Beaver, in an attempt to save the spirits of his unfallen companions if not their body, gathered many Elders and welcomed their souls in him in a massive ritual. The combined magic power liberated finally stabilized his body in an existence that could persist on the Material Plane. The one who now calls himself Terminus believes that it may be possible to reverse the fall, and puts his now considerable power to the task. He rules an immense colony of thousands of beavers, more than a thousand of which are awakened, with dozens having class levels. Along the centuries, Terminus started wondering how much what he was doing was helping beaverkind as a whole, if it really is possible to bring back the Bihi-vurrs, and if it would really be a good thing to do so, and instead seeks to create a whole new species that could act as guides for the fallen beavers on a much larger scale than what the Elders are doing. To that end, he tries to find a way to make the Awaken effect be passed down to one's offspring. Though he has not yet succeeded in his task, some sages believe his experiments are the origin of the creation of anthropomorphic animals, notably due to the higher-than-average concentration of anthropomorphic bats in the region around Terminus's dam.

Combat
Terminus loathes fighting, and will rather talk with uninvited guests than strike them down. If forced, Terminus fights as an Elder Beaver druid 6 with no animal companion. The multiple spirits in him allow him to concentrate on any number of spells at a time, and to continue casting spells while doing so. Contrary to other Elder Beavers, he does not incur any penalty for casting his spell-like abilities.

Size/Type: Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 10d10+6d8+64 (146 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 feet (6 squares), swim 20 feet (base speed 30 ft land, 30ft swim)
Armor Class: 20 (+1 Dex, +3 Hide armor, +6 natural armor), touch 11, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +14/+18
Attack: Bite +20 melee (1d10+8), or quarterstaff +19 (1d10+6)
Full Attack: Bite +20 melee, or quarterstaff +17/+17/+12/+7 and bite +15
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Powerful bite, spell-like abilities, spells, Wild Shape 2/day
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, Darkvision 60ft, Amphibious, Beaver Leader, One with Everything, Antimagic vulnerability, Nature sense, Wild empathy, Woodland stride, Trackless step, Resist nature’s lure
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +10, Will +13
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 12
Skills: Craft (any) +7, Concentration +16, Diplomacy +14, Intimidate +5, knowledge (Nature) +11, Listen +9, Spot +9, Survival +7, Swim +14
Feats: Blindsense, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Lion's Pounce, Power Attack, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (Quarterstaff)
Organization: Solitary or colony (1 and 1-200 awakened beavers and 1-20 awakened beavers fighter 4 or cleric 4)
Challenge Rating: 13
Alignment: True Neutral

Spells: Terminus casts spells as a 6th level druid (5/5/4/3). An example of prepared spells is as follows:
0: Create Water, Cure Minor Wounds, Guidance, Resistance x2
1: Shillelagh, Obscuring Mist, Goodberry, Omen of Peril, Lesser Vigor
2 : Animal Trance, Summon Swarm, Bull's Strength, Brambles
3 : Poison, Wind Wall, Stone Shape

[Metastachydium]

Ask, and you shall receive:

Elder Beaver

Attack: Bite +14 melee (1d10+5)

Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Dodge, Improved Natural Attack (bite)

1d10 is a rather unusual value for INAtt to produce.


Its tired eyes look much too intelligent for a beaver.

It's nice to see a little detail of fluff text driving the point home so hard as those tired eyes there.

Spell-like abilities (Sp): Using spell-like abilities drains the Elder Beaver's already shallow magic reserves, and accelerates its fall. Casting a spell-like ability drains 1 point of Int, Wis and Cha from the Elder Beaver per level of the duplicated spell. This drain can only be reversed by drinking the blood of a dead beaver or creature that was once capable of casting arcane spells or spell-like abilities (a full-round action restoring one point of drain for a beaver, or one point per two caster levels of another creature).

One with Everything (Su): An Elder Beaver's soul is unstable and only loosely attached to its material body. In effect, it subsumes everything in a 30ft radius in some capacity. In that area, the Elder Beaver can communicate with every natural thing, and has a constant Speak with Plants and Stone Tell effect. Intelligent creatures in that radius also hear the Elder Beaver's thoughts as if they were theirs, making a Will save each turn (DC 16). Failing a Will save means the creature fascinated for one round. Failing another while fascinated subjects the creature to a Suggestion to protect the Elder Beaver (or similar depending on the Elder Beaver's thoughts). A third failed Will save means the creature is charmed by the Elder Beaver for 24h, at the end of which they make another save at a -4 penalty to avoid being charmed for another 24h. A successful save means the creature cannot be affected by this ability for 24 hour and removes the Suggestion, but does not suppress the charm for the day nor does it preclude making a Will save after 24h to avoid extending the charm.

A magical soul-eater, reduced to a state where its own soul, already barely attached, is leaking away with every magical trick it tries to pull… The Material becoming an Ironic Hell for an Evil Outsider is a really nice twist of things.


Terminus

Though he has not yet succeeded in his task, some sages believe his experiments are the origin of the creation of anthropomorphic animals, notably due to the higher-than-average concentration of anthropomorphic bats in the region around Terminus's dam.

[A fit of uncontrollable laughter ensues.] Damn, you really did that!


Size/Type: Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 10d10+6d8+64 (75 hp)


146 hp.


Speed: 30 feet (6 squares), swim 30 feet
Armor Class: 20 (+1 Dex, +3 Hide armor, +6 natural armor), touch 11, flat-footed 19

Hide armour should affect all those speeds.

No other remark here; this is just very good.

[Metastachydium]

So, I find myself full of half-baked ideas (including three more Periodics), but with very little energy and not enough time or focus to actually do something about them. Still, life doesn't stop just because I'm being woozy, so until such time as I pull myself together, have another quick and dirty Vermin, the all too dramatically named

Dread Elater
Dread Elaters are elongated brown or brown-black beetles with a narrow body and long antennae swept back along their sides. Their length rarely exceeds eight feet. Omnivorous beings as they might be, they pose little threat even to lonely travellers, but they are nevertheless seen as pests as they will raid crops and even snatch away smaller livestock. Such behaviours become more common mid-spring, at around the creatures' meting season.

Size/Type: Medium Vermin
Hit Dice: 2d8+2 (11 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 feet (6 squares), fly 20 feet (clumsy)
Armor Class: 14 (+4 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+3
Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d8+3)
Full Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d8+3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: –
Special Qualities: Click, darkvision 60 ft., mindless
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +0
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 11, Con 12, Int –, Wis 10, Cha 9
Skills: Jump +6
Feats: –
Environment: Temperate hills and plains
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 3–5 HD (Medium), 6–8 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: –

Combat
Dread elaters tend not to attack creatures not significantly smaller than themselves unless starved. However, if they feel cornered, they might rush the perceived threat to drive it back. They rarely fly and rely more on their click ability to flee the scene if the opportunity presents itself.

Click (Ex)
A curious structure on the underside of the muscular forebodies these large beetles have allows them to contract themselves and then use the force so produced to suddenly spring into the air with a loud clicking noise. A dread elater can stand from prone as a swift action and is always considered to jump with a running start for the purpose of determining the check DC. Due to the noise accompanying them, neither kind of movement provokes attacks of opportunity unless the beetle's opponent succeeds on a DC 14 Will save. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.

Skills
Dread elaters receive a +4 racial bonus on Jump checks.


♣


And that's it for now. I hope to come back with some PLANTIES in the near future.