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View Full Version : You are filth. We shall cleanse. [Monster]



Rolaran
2007-11-24, 10:25 AM
Star Control II fans enjoy.

Talaren stared wide-eyed at the archway. Immediately, he thought of the tales his god had whispered to him in his dreams... Lost beyond the furthest of planes, forgotten to all... and in a few seconds, he would have a way back to this world. Talaren quivered involuntarily at the thought of the power the Twilight One would bestow on his only loyal follower.

Taking a shard of blue-black crystal- the one that had given him the dark visions of the Twilight- he placed it in the bowl at the foot of the archway. A spark of energy flashed between it and the capstone of the gate... and slowly, a doorway seemed to open out of thin air. Talaren spread his arms, his eyes tear-filled with joy, preparing to greet his god.

Then he heard a voice within his mind.

"We are the Kohr-Ah. We cleanse our destiny."

This was not the greeting he had anticipated. Had something gone wrong?

"You are filth. You will soon die."

What... this could not be the Twilight One! He cleared his eyes... and saw a monster, bigger than any living thing he had ever seen, glaring at him through the portal.

"Make whatever rituals are necessary for your species."

Talaren turned to flee. This was a mistake, he was supposed to find his god, not... this thing!

Suddenly, the world seemed to detonate around him. Talaren ducked, wincing as he felt a shockwave ripple through his body. He kept running until, exhausted, he collapsed and passed out...

...and the creature surveyed this new place.

"I sense much filth here. Cleansing must begin now."

http://www.sa-matra.net/quotes/kohr-ah/kohr-ah.gif

Kohr-Ah
Gargantuan Outsider (Extraplanar)
15d8+75 HD (142 HP)
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Init: +2
AC 20; touch 8; flat-footed 20
(Size -4, Dex -2, Natural +12, Deflection +4)
BAB +15; Grp +34
Attack Bite +18 (2d8+10)
Full-Attack Bite +18 (2d8+10) and 2 Claws +16 (1d8+4 each)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks Antithought Field, Sentience Decay
Special Qualities Mentality of Pain, Regeneration 5, Telepathy 100 ft., SR 20
Saves Fort +14 Ref +9 Will +13
Abilities Str 24, Dex 7, Con 20, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 18
Skills Concentration +23, Intimidate +22, Knowledge (Arcana, the Planes, Psionics) +20, Listen +22, Search +20, Sense Motive +20, Spot +22, Survival +22 (+24 when tracking)
Feats Ability Focus (Antithought Field), Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Multiattack, Track
Environment The Far Realms
Organization 1 (Solitary) 2-5 (Cleansing group) 12-20 (Threat eliminators) 45-100 (Death march)
Challenge Rating 12
Treasure None
Alignment Always NE
Advancement by HD; 16-25 (Gargantuan), 26-35 (Colossal)
Level Adjustment N/A

Regeneration: Cold iron deals normal damage to a Kohr-Ah.

Antithought Field (Su): As a standard action, a Kohr-Ah can generate a powerful, invisible field of potential energy with a 10 ft. radius up to 60 ft. away. This field reacts violently when a non Kohr-Ah creature capable of sentient thought (anything with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher) enters it. The Kohr-Ah who created it can also set it off as a move action. The field can be generated even if sentient creatures are in the area (although in this case, it immediately reacts.) The field deals 5d6 damage to everything within it (Reflex DC 23 half); in addition, all creatures within must make a Will save (DC 21) or become frightened for 1 minute; even a success renders them shaken for 1 round. However, the field can be “fooled” by any effect that renders a creature’s thoughts undetectable, such as a mind blank spell or a Ring of Mind Shielding.

Sentience Decay (Su): Once per round, as a move-equivalent action, a Kohr-Ah can surround itself in a field of malevolent mental energy. This field lashes out at the thought processes of all sentient creatures within 10 ft. of the Kohr-Ah, dealing 1d8 Intelligence damage (Will save DC 21 negates). However, this never reduces an Intelligence score below 1. Other Kohr-Ah are immune to the effect.

Mentality of Pain (Ex): A Kohr-Ah’s mind reacts with extreme hostility to any attempts at invading it. Anyone targeting a Kohr-Ah with a thought detection, mind control, or telepathic ability takes 4d6 damage, and must make a Concentration check as usual to maintain the effect. In addition, any time the Kohr-Ah takes damage (even damage rendered nonlethal by its regeneration) while the effect is active, the person using the effect takes the same amount as lethal damage (and must make another Concentration check).

The Kohr-Ah are creatures from a strange and alien realm. Little information has been gathered about them, since those who attempt divinations against them are usually killed by the shock of contacting their mind, and those who see them up close tend to be ripped apart by the monsters.

Each Kohr-Ah appears similar to a black caterpillar the size of a whale. It moves slowly and can be easily seen and heard approaching. However, for most people the best advice is to flee; a single Kohr-Ah can lay waste to a small town.

The Kohr-Ah seem to have only one goal: the eradication of all sentient life they encounter. Upon engaging in combat, they try to get into melee range of as many opponents as possible, using their sentience decay until nothing nearby has enough mental energy to qualify as sentient. They then turn their attention to other opponents nearby, using their Antithought Field to harm and scatter groups of attackers. If all sentient beings have fled or been incapacitated, the Kohr-Ah will finish off the injured and the newly feebleminded, then begin tracking the survivors, following their trail to find other sentients.

An interesting effect, however, has been noted if a Kohr-Ah becomes aware of an attempt to access or control its mind. If such an attempt results in an ongoing effect, the Kohr-Ah will begin dealing damage to itself in the most effective way available, attempting to use its Mentality of Pain to kill the "interloper" and counting on its regeneration to allow it to survive. Once it frees itself from mental control, if it can determine the source of the mental attack, it will attack that person, ignoring all others until the threat is eradicated.

Magnor Criol
2007-11-24, 10:41 AM
Cool fluff. Never read or seen or played Star Control (whichever verb fits there), but the concept for the creature is pretty spiffy. Also, that picture is pretty unsettling.

If this guy's from the Far Realms, he should be an Aberration, not an Outsider. Though the distinction between the two terms can often confuse me a little, I know that the Wizards have stated that anything from the Far Realms gets classed as an Aberration. This creature's abilities and general scheme fit Aberration better, anyhow.

You forgot the Initiative number in the stat block. Also, is Knowledge(Psionics) one of the Knowledge skills? I don't recall it, but then, it'd be the logical counterpart to Knowledge(Arcana) I suppose.

Though this is just a presentation nitpick, I'd clean up your formatting a bit here to make it look better. Make the ability names bold (ex. Antithought Field (Su):), make entries in the stat block bold as well, make the creature's name bigger and bold. Format it like the first example in this post (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1183222&postcount=1) from Fax_Celestis' and Vorpal Tribble's excellent homebrewing guide. Though like I said, these are just presentation things, I guarantee you'll get more comments when it's presented like that; more people will take the time to read through it than if it's left as-is. Psychological thing.

Did you consider making a version of this wee beastie using psionics?

Charlie Kemek
2007-11-24, 10:52 AM
You forgot the Initiative number in the stat block. Also, is Knowledge(Psionics) one of the Knowledge skills? I don't recall it, but then, it'd be the logical counterpart to Knowledge(Arcana) I suppose.

It's in the extended psionics handbook (or somthing like that. I have the 3.0 rule one, and it is in there.)

Magnor Criol
2007-11-24, 10:54 AM
It's in the extended psionics handbook (or somthing like that. I have the 3.0 rule one, and it is in there.)

Ah, alright. Figured it'd be something like that, but I don't have my XPH handy. I just didn't recall specifically.

DracoDei
2007-11-24, 02:12 PM
Need to specify how much it regenerates per round.
The size description is inconsistant. The top of the stat block says Large, but the advancement bit doesn't have a range for Huge, and in the fluff you say they are as large as a whale (which would put them at Huge, even if you only meant an Orca... and Gargantuan otherwise).

The_Snark
2007-11-24, 02:27 PM
If this guy's from the Far Realms, he should be an Aberration, not an Outsider. Though the distinction between the two terms can often confuse me a little, I know that the Wizards have stated that anything from the Far Realms gets classed as an Aberration. This creature's abilities and general scheme fit Aberration better, anyhow.

Not necessarily—the half-farspawn template makes a creature into an outsider. Of course, the distinction between an outsider native to the Far Realms and an abberation from the same place is... very small.

Bit of an inconsistency, though... the creature has 15 HD, but only 11 base attack bonus. If it's an abberation, +11 is correct; if it's an outsider, it should have +15. If it is an abberation, though, it would have less skill points.

Also, it looks like you meant to say Gargantuan; both the text description and the size modifiers are for Gargantuan creatures, not Large. (Grapple modifier should be +29, though; +11 BAB, +7 Str, +12 size.)

Do we get the Kzer-Za eventually, too?

Rolaran
2007-11-24, 03:40 PM
Thanks for the feedback!
OK, things that need fixing...
1. Oops, forgot to put the reference in the stat block.
2. Yeah, Large was a typo, meant to put Gargantuan.
3. Thought the BAB included the size mod... will fix.
4. And I got the grapple wrong. Time to get back to work!

As for the Kzer-Za, I might work them up later. I did an Orz for another part of the campaign, I can post it later if you like.

DracoDei
2007-11-24, 04:25 PM
I did an Orz for another part of the campaign, I can post it later if you like.
The more the merrier....

Balkash
2007-11-24, 05:00 PM
very interesting. i'll be sure to remember this. good work!:smallwink:

Demented
2007-11-25, 05:07 AM
I only played Star Control 3, and the Kohr-Ah were never that intimidating. =P

Though, wouldn't the Kzer-Za be virtually identical in a stat-block? Seeing as they're both Ur'quan subspecies.

Tengu
2007-11-25, 05:40 AM
I only played Star Control 3, and the Kohr-Ah were never that intimidating. =P

Though, wouldn't the Kzer-Za be virtually identical in a stat-block? Seeing as they're both Ur'quan subspecies.

What is that Star Control 3 you speak of? There were only two parts of this game. Two, I say!

And Kzer-Za would be different - they are smarter but weaker, and their technology is very different. Remember, the race was split in two a freakishly long time ago.

Maldraugedhen
2007-11-25, 06:58 PM
Bit nitpicky here--animals are sentient, people are sapient (and sentient). If you have an Int score, you are sentient. 2-3 is the dividing line for sapience in D&D.

Demented
2007-11-25, 08:01 PM
Though, it may in theory be possible to have something that is sapient but not sentient.

Edit:
Scratch that. Even a cockroach (or any other vermin) is potentially sentient. Not that they do much with it.