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View Full Version : Zelekhut as a PC race?



Whiplord
2008-11-09, 03:41 PM
I notice they do have a level adjustment, but I've been unable to find any other info on them.

afroakuma
2008-11-09, 03:52 PM
A Zelekhut is probably a terrible PC race, as it is designed to follow missions of bringing folks to justice at all times. Could be a decent adventuring hook for a while, but it will probably distort the "party" atmosphere. Also, ahving to be recalled and memory-wiped consistently isn't conductive to team-building and objective-forming.

Whiplord
2008-11-09, 03:57 PM
Well, obviously it would need some DM approval for a little rewrite. Probably either a rogue one, or one who got his 'circuits' fried. Nevertheless, the idea seemed interesting enough to pursue.

Zeta Kai
2008-11-09, 04:23 PM
It could be interesting, as it has a built-in hook. Perhaps it is being persued by other Inevitables, that are trying to take it back for reprogramming.

Whiplord
2008-11-09, 04:28 PM
It could be interesting, as it has a built-in hook. Perhaps it is being persued by other Inevitables, that are trying to take it back for reprogramming.

I agree. The whole idea is very intriguing. It would just be nice to know all the details. No source I've seen has anything like Ability modifiers, or stuff like that.

RTGoodman
2008-11-09, 04:56 PM
As a PC race, the Zelekhut would have, as far as I can tell:


Construct type with the (Extraplanar, Lawful) subtypes
Large size (-1 on attack rolls, AC; -4 Hide)
Base speed 50 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
8 racial HD (d10), +30 HP for being a Large-sized Construct
+10 Str, -- Con, +6 Wis, +4 Cha
+10 natural armor
Retractable Wings: Can be extended as a free action to gain Fly speed; can be retracted as a free action.
2 Spiked Chains (that deal an extra 1d6 electricity damage), which can be summoned and retracted as a free action. A zelekhut’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as lawful-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Qualifies for feats as if it had the Mounted Combat feat.
+4 racial bonus on Search and Sense Motive checks.
Spell-like abilities
Construct traits
Damage reduction 10/chaotic
Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision
Fast healing 5
Spell resistance 20
LA: +7


Basically, it'd be an ECL 15 character before you added class levels, so you'd be 16th level when you added your first class level. I imagine there might be a Savage Species-style progression for them out there somewhere, for playing a Zelekhut from 1st level, but I could be wrong.

monty
2008-11-09, 05:03 PM
In gestalt, it might make a good charger. Since you could get all the fun mounted stuff along with Leap Attack and whatnot, you'd be putting out a lot of hurt.

afroakuma
2008-11-09, 05:04 PM
I remember someone asking for such a progression for a kolyarut in the Request a Homebrew thread. Judging by that, I expect that no printed source, at least, has one.

Flickerdart
2008-11-09, 05:07 PM
I remember someone asking for such a progression for a kolyarut in the Request a Homebrew thread. Judging by that, I expect that no printed source, at least, has one.
You can derive abilities from their Monster Manual entry. A monster, unless specified, has stats of either 10 or 11 before Racial adjustments. The RHD is whatever they have on the listing, and the LA has to be calculated...but this usually makes it way too high. I remember something about CR+1=ECL working pretty well.

Whiplord
2008-11-09, 05:10 PM
As a PC race, the Zelekhut would have, as far as I can tell:


Construct type with the (Extraplanar, Lawful) subtypes
Large size (-1 on attack rolls, AC; -4 Hide)
Base speed 50 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
8 racial HD (d10), +30 HP for being a Large-sized Construct
+10 Str, -- Con, +6 Wis, +4 Cha
+10 natural armor
Retractable Wings: Can be extended as a free action to gain Fly speed; can be retracted as a free action.
2 Spiked Chains (that deal an extra 1d6 electricity damage), which can be summoned and retracted as a free action. A zelekhut’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as lawful-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Qualifies for feats as if it had the Mounted Combat feat.
+4 racial bonus on Search and Sense Motive checks.
Spell-like abilities
Construct traits
Damage reduction 10/chaotic
Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision
Fast healing 5
Spell resistance 20
LA: +7


Basically, it'd be an ECL 15 character before you added class levels, so you'd be 16th level when you added your first class level. I imagine there might be a Savage Species-style progression for them out there somewhere, for playing a Zelekhut from 1st level, but I could be wrong.

So you figure it would have both LA and HD?

Lert, A.
2008-11-09, 05:11 PM
This might help. (http://www.birthright.net/brwiki/index.php/D20:Zelekhut_(Creature))

Edit: so the +7 LA would be accurate.

monty
2008-11-09, 05:12 PM
I remember something about CR+1=ECL working pretty well.

So if you wanted to play the Tarrasque, you'd have LA -27? Sounds fun.

afroakuma
2008-11-09, 05:12 PM
I had been referring to the Savage Species-style progression, which isn't as easy to derive.

monty
2008-11-09, 05:13 PM
So you figure it would have both LA and HD?

It does. They're both explicitly listed in the stat block.

Whiplord
2008-11-09, 05:18 PM
It does. They're both explicitly listed in the stat block.


Ah, I get it now. Yeah, it seems like it would need a SS style progression to work at all. Would probably work well on one side of a gestalt progression.

Flickerdart
2008-11-09, 05:20 PM
So if you wanted to play the Tarrasque, you'd have LA -27? Sounds fun.
You can't play a Tarrasque, it doesn't have thumbs. There are rules to what you can and can't make a PC race.

Lert, A.
2008-11-09, 05:22 PM
You can't play a Tarrasque, it doesn't have thumbs. There are rules to what you can and can't make a PC race.

Tell that to the unarmed swordsage awakened velociraptor that's floating around here.

Flickerdart
2008-11-09, 05:26 PM
Tell that to the unarmed swordsage awakened velociraptor that's floating around here.
A velociraptor still has those little hands.

But hey, if your DM lets you play a creature that can't fit into buildings, has -8 INT and moved at a turtle's pace, more power to you. And you can't Awaken it because it's already a Magical Beast.

Lert, A.
2008-11-09, 05:46 PM
A velociraptor still has those little hands.

But no thumbs.:smallfrown:


But hey, if your DM lets you play a creature that can't fit into buildings, has -8 INT and moved at a turtle's pace, more power to you. And you can't Awaken it because it's already a Magical Beast.

Heh heh... I am the DM. *makes notes on new epic campaign*:smalltongue:

monty
2008-11-09, 05:48 PM
A velociraptor still has those little hands.

But hey, if your DM lets you play a creature that can't fit into buildings, has -8 INT and moved at a turtle's pace, more power to you. And you can't Awaken it because it's already a Magical Beast.

Headband of Intellect. It's no Einstein, but it's reasonably intelligent.

The Glyphstone
2008-11-09, 05:49 PM
The rule I was familiar with from super high-level games was (CRx2)-2 = ECL. Still not reliable, but better than giving the Tarrasque a -27 LA.

Magnor Criol
2008-11-09, 06:19 PM
You can't play a Tarrasque, it doesn't have thumbs. There are rules to what you can and can't make a PC race.

There are, but "must have thumbs" isn't one of them; plenty of the creatures detailed in Savage Species don't, and there's magic items to get around the lack of hands. (I forget the name, but there's a pair of gloves - the Hands of Man, maybe? - that acts just like humanoid hands if slipped on the end of a tentacle, arm, etc.)

Whiplord
2008-11-09, 06:43 PM
Anyone want to try their hands at a progression?

Thurbane
2008-11-09, 07:14 PM
Well, here's the basics, based on the Avoral from the Planar Handbook:


Level HD BAB Fort Ref Will Skill Points CR
1st 1d10 +0 +0 +0 +0 (2 + Int mod) x 4 1
2nd 1d10 +0 +0 +0 +0 - 1
3rd 2d10 +1 +0 +0 +0 2 + Int mod 2
4th 2d10 +1 +1 +1 +1 - 2
5th 3d10 +2 +1 +1 +1 2 + Int mod 3
6th 3d10 +2 +1 +1 +1 - 3
7th 4d10 +3 +1 +1 +1 2 + Int mod 4
8th 4d10 +3 +1 +1 +1 - 4
9th 5d10 +3 +1 +1 +1 2 + Int mod 5
10th 5d10 +3 +1 +1 +1 - 5
11th 6d10 +4 +2 +2 +2 2 + Int mod 6
12th 6d10 +4 +2 +2 +2 - 7
13th 7d10 +5 +2 +2 +2 2 + Int mod 8
14th 7d10 +5 +2 +2 +2 - 8
15th 8d10 +6 +2 +2 +2 2 + Int mod 9

Devils_Advocate
2008-11-09, 07:44 PM
I can see a zelekhut working with a group of like-minded PCs, maybe in the service of Saint Cuthbert. Or Mercykillers in a Planescape game. Something like that. No real need to make it a bizarre freak totally different from all normal members of its race, as has seemingly become standard practice for weird monster characters. A regular one would work just fine.

Hunting down fugitives from justice is a perfectly reasonable job for a group of PCs to have. It's not like we're talking about an inevitable with a weird and vaguely evil function, like making sure everyone dies eventually. (Boo, maruts! You suck, Raven Queen!)

Whiplord
2008-11-10, 02:18 PM
One last bump to see if anyone wants to take a crack at filling in the progression table. If not, I'll likely end up doing it myself, but I lack the time to do so right now.