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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Other Decavrach [PEACH]



kinem
2023-09-16, 09:20 PM
Decavrach

Size/Type: Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Evil)
Hit Dice: 12d8+132 (186 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 23 (-2 size, +15 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 23
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+28
Attack: Claw +19 melee (2d6+8)
Full Attack: 10 claws +19 melee (2d6+8)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, swallow whole, spit fire
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/-, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to electricity, fire, and poison, resistance to acid 10 and cold 10, spell resistance 21, fast healing 5, arms limit, slime
Saves: Fort +18, Ref +8, Will +9
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 10, Con 31, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +23, Swim +23, Intimidate +15 (+4/size category larger than target), Jump +27, Listen +14, Spot +14, Tumble +15
Feats: Power Attack, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (claw), Improved Toughness, Improved Initiative
Environment: A chaotic evil-aligned or neutral evil-aligned plane
Organization: Solitary, pair, or horde (1d12+2)
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 13-24 HD
Level Adjustment: +6

Decavrachs are huge, grey ten-armed giants covered in slime. Though not particularly intelligent, they are often summoned by evil clerics using Planar Ally spells, because the only payment they ask for is the chance to kill and destroy.

A decavrach stands about 20 feet tall and weighs about 6,000 pounds.

A decavrach's natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as chaotic-aligned and evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, a decavrach must hit a Medium or smaller opponent with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can attempt to swallow the foe the following round.

Swallow Whole (Ex)
A decavrach can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of Medium or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 2d8+8 points of crushing damage plus 6d6 points of fire damage per round. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 25 points of damage to the stomach (AC 17). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A decavrach’s interior can hold 1 Medium, 2 Small, 4 Tiny, or 8 Diminutive or smaller opponents.

Spit Fire (Ex)
As a standard action, a decavrach can spit a ball of fire at a foe. This is a ranged touch attack with a 60' range and causes 12d6 fire damage on a hit.

Arms Limit (Ex)
When making a full attack, the maximum number of claw attacks it can make against a single foe can be limited as its arms interfere with each other. This limit is 2 claws against a Small or smaller foe, 4 claws against a Medium foe, 6 claws against a Large foe, and all claws against a Huge or larger foe. It can still use the remaining claw attacks against other foes within reach.

Slime (Ex)
A decavrach is covered in slime. This gives it a +10 bonus on checks to avoid or escape a grapple, but not on other grapple checks.

Note: Inspired by the monsters in "Homeland" by R. A. Salvatore.

Edit: Decreased Strength by 4; increased LA.

Biggus
2023-09-21, 01:28 PM
In general, looks good. The only thing that concerns me is that its damage output is MASSIVE for CR 12, I can't find anything in the MM of the same CR which does even close to that much (assuming all attacks hit and do average damage). The limiting number of attacks by size certainly helps, but while PCs and companions aren't often huge, large is pretty common. Improved Natural Attack would boost its damage by a further 35, slap a couple of decent buffs on it and it could get insane.

I'm not sure what the best solution is, off the top of my head decreasing its Str a bit and/or increasing its CR by a point or two are all that occur.

Edit: actually the 12-headed hydra does slightly more at CR11, IIRC they're widely considered under-CR'd though.

kinem
2023-09-21, 11:43 PM
Thanks. I was a bit worried about that too. I decided to decrease the Strength by 4, which also decreases the to-hit chance and grapple. Also I increased the LA to 6.

Biggus
2023-09-22, 09:28 AM
Thanks. I was a bit worried about that too. I decided to decrease the Strength by 4, which also decreases the to-hit chance and grapple. Also I increased the LA to 6.

With the decreased chance of hitting every time as well as the decreased damage, I think it works ok now. It's still very dangerous against certain specific opponents (those who are huge or larger and don't have a high AC) but that's fine, it just rewards player cleverness.

I checked the "making monsters" guidelines in the MM and 27 is still well within the recommended Str for huge creatures (24-33).

kinem
2023-09-22, 09:32 PM
Thanks.

Here is an advanced version for higher level games:

Decavrach, Advanced Elite

Size/Type: Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Evil)
Hit Dice: 24d8+312 (420 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 24 (-2 size, +15 natural, +1 dex), touch 9, flat-footed 23
Base Attack/Grapple: +24/+44
Attack: Claw +35 melee (3d6+12)
Full Attack: 10 claws +35 melee (3d6+12)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, swallow whole, spit fire
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/-, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to electricity, fire, and poison, resistance to acid 10 and cold 10, spell resistance 21, fast healing 5, arms limit, slime
Saves: Fort +26, Ref +15, Will +28
Abilities: Str 34, Dex 12, Con 35, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 8
Skills: Climb +39, Swim +39, Intimidate +26 (+4/size category larger than target), Jump +43, Listen +26, Spot +26, Tumble +28, Knowledge (planes) +13
Feats: Power Attack, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (claw), Improved Toughness, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack, Endurance, Steadfast Determination (no auto fail Fort on natural 1; Con instead of Wis to Will saves)
Epic Feats: Dire Charge
Environment: A chaotic evil-aligned or neutral evil-aligned plane
Organization: Solitary, pair, or horde (1d12+2)
Challenge Rating: 18
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +6

Advanced decavrachs are huge, grey ten-armed giants covered in slime. Though not particularly intelligent, they are often summoned by evil clerics using Gate spells, because the only payment they ask for is the chance to kill and destroy.

A decavrach stands about 20 feet tall and weighs about 6,000 pounds.

A decavrach's natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as chaotic-aligned and evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, a decavrach must hit a Medium or smaller opponent with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can attempt to swallow the foe the following round.

Swallow Whole (Ex)
A decavrach can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of Medium or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 2d8+12 points of crushing damage plus 6d6 points of fire damage per round. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 25 points of damage to the stomach (AC 17). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A decavrach’s interior can hold 1 Medium, 2 Small, 4 Tiny, or 8 Diminutive or smaller opponents.

Spit Fire (Ex)
As a standard action, a decavrach can spit a ball of fire at a foe. This is a ranged touch attack with a 60' range and causes 12d6 fire damage on a hit.

Arms Limit (Ex)
When making a full attack, the maximum number of claw attacks it can make against a single foe can be limited as its arms interfere with each other. This limit is 2 claws against a Small or smaller foe, 4 claws against a Medium foe, 6 claws against a Large foe, and all claws against a Huge or larger foe. It can still use the remaining claw attacks against other foes within reach.

Slime (Ex)
A decavrach is covered in slime. This gives it a +10 bonus on checks to avoid or escape a grapple, but not on other grapple checks.

Biggus
2023-09-22, 10:28 PM
Here is an advanced version for higher level games:


Theoretically its CR should be 19 (+6 for HD, +1 for elite stats), but 18 might be more accurate: while it again has extremely high damage for its CR, it's lacking in special abilities (its SR and DR do very little at this level, and most creatures of CR 18+ have a bunch of SLAs and/or other nasty special attacks) so it probably balances out.

On a personal note, while WotC allow monsters to take epic feats as soon as they reach 21 HD, I don't think it makes sense unless their CR is also at least 21. There are creatures with 21HD whose CRs are as low as 9 (greater elementals) and it would be severely unbalancing to give them epic feats.

kinem
2023-09-23, 08:27 AM
Thanks. On the Epic feats, I see that as a judgement call, and it really needs that one.

Biggus
2023-09-23, 08:56 AM
Fair enough.