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View Full Version : The Lifeless (not an undead, and my first monster.)



StoryKeeper
2008-03-30, 09:27 PM
So I wanted somehting different for the personal servants of my BBEG, and I came up with these. I'm just now writing up the stats, but I'm not sure whether they'd actually be better off as a race...
Anywho, I'm new to monster-making, and I could use some help smoothing out the details on these things.

The Lifeless
Medium-Size Construct
HD: 1d10 (5 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 15
Attacks: Slam+ 2 melee
Damage: Slam (1d4)
Face/Reach: 5ft. by 5ft./5ft.
Special Attacks: Energy Drain
Special Qualities: Construct Traits,
Saves: Fort-0, Ref-3, Will-2
Abilities: Str-14, Dex-16, Con ---, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8
Skills: Hide +2, Move Silently +2
Climate/Terrain: Any
Organization: Any
Challenge Rating: ???
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually Neutral
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: +2


The Lifeless are created to serve as sentient minions for masters who require their servants be both intelligent and loyal. The bodies of the lifeless are shaped from clay and marked with magical symbols. Through the feeding of alchemically altered blood, they gain a limited form of existence, though they are bound to their masters and forced to continue draining life from the living to sustain it. This, along with their lack of what scholars would refer to as a soul has lead them to call themselves the “lifeless.”

The Lifeless are thin and wiry. They resemble thin humans with expressions that are either constantly blank, or constantly surprised and excited. A Lifeless is never found that appears to be older than 20. This is because their artificial bodies cease growing after a short time (during which they grow very quickly if at all), and they lack the ability to age after their forms have reached “maturity.” Many Lifeless are the size and shape of children, though teenagers and young adults are only slightly less common.

Combat:
Construct Traits: Lifeless are immune to mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromantic effects, and any effect that requires a fortitude save unless they also work on objects. The creature is not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, or death from massive damage. It cannot heal itself, but it can be healed through repair. It cannot be raised or resurrected. Lifeless have dark vision (60 ft. range.)

Spell-Like Abilities: The magical ruins that construct a lifeless allow it to use one level of spells per hit die the Lifeless possesses as spell-like abilities. These spells are chosen at creation, and cannot be changed later. A lifeless may never access all of these spell-like abilities if does not increase in HD during its existence. Each ability is useable once. Uses may be recharged through use of the Blood Drain or Energy Drain abilities. Caster level for these abilities is equal to the Lifeless’s HD.

Energy Drain (Su): Any creature struck by a Lifeless’s slam attack takes one negative level. A fortitude save of DC 14 negates this.

Blood Drain (Ex): A Lifeless that successfully pins a foe can suck the blood from an already existing wound (the target of this ability must have been wounded already) dealing 1d2 constitution damage until the pin is broken. Each point drained recharges one use of a spell-like ability.

Adopt Personality (Su): The Lifeless’ Energy Drain ability resulted in an odd side effect never intended by their creators. By remaining near a creature for an hour, the lifeless may drain a single point of Charisma from the creature (Will Save DC 20 negates). A creature cannot be affected by any Lifeless’s charisma drain twice. In addition to allowing them to blend in more easily, every two points of charisma gained in this way increase the save DCs of a Lifeless’s spell-like abilities by one. These extra points of charisma last permanently or until spell-like abilities are used. Each use of a spell-like ability causes a number of charisma points equal to the spell level to “leak” from the Lifeless. The charisma drained from other creatures causes the lifeless to develop a personality with similar characteristics. Thus, a Lifeless that spends extended periods of time with a good creatures may eventually become a righteous and morale individual. For the Lifeless, this is the one of the highest goals to which they can aspire. The development of such a personality is, to them, the creation of a soul, allowing them to join the ranks of the living. A Lifeless that reaches 30 charisma in this way becomes free-willed, and is no longer forced to obey its creator. Understandably, the Lifeless make every effort to avoid using their spell-like abilities once they have drained any amount of charisma from another creature.


Construction: A Lifeless is created through a complex combination of alchemy and sculpting (DC 20 Craft sculpture and DC25 alchemy). The ruins etched on their bodies require extensive knowledge of magic (knowledge arcane DC 25) The creator must be 16th level, and able to cast geas/quest, limited wish, and polymorph any object. The creation process costs 1,000 gp in materials, and 200 XP from the creator. Once created, the Lifeless is sentient, able to develop complex plans (within the limits of its intelligence score), and completely subject to the will of its master. Any command given the Lifeless must be obeyed completely, and the Lifeless cannot intentionally use loopholes to its own ends.

dman11235
2008-03-30, 09:46 PM
First off, races are monsters, the difference is that a race is played. So any int 3+ non-unique monster can really be a race.

Second, check out the top of the forum: guide to homebrewing. There is a lot there you need to read, and there is a template you can use to make it look nice.

Third, what are the spell like abilities it gains? Also, clarify everything, cause right now it's a tad too confusing. And it's not a LA +2 with that energy drain, no way.

Fourth, not bad for a first go, but it needs a TON of work.

StoryKeeper
2008-03-31, 07:59 AM
Er...ok, I'll go ahead and do that then.

DracoDei
2008-04-02, 10:41 AM
Energy Drain doesn't have rules for fueling SLA's off of it.