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Iku Rex
2008-11-15, 12:32 PM
I've been exploring the potential of the effigy construct template from Complete Arcane. As a fan of Naomi Novik's Temeraire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temeraire_(series)) series the below effigy caught my attention in particular. I'm getting one for my character. Are you?


Gargantuan Wyvern Effigy (12HD)
MM picture (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/MM35_gallery/MM35_PG259a.jpg)
Size/Type: Gargantuan Construct
Hit Dice: 12d10+60 (132 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 60 ft. (poor)
Armor Class: 26 (-4 size, -1 Dex, +17 natural, +4 armor), touch 5, 26 flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+32
Attack: Sting +20 melee (2d6+15) or talon +20 melee (4d6+15) or bite +20 melee (4d8+15)
Full Attack: Sting +20 melee (2d6+15) and bite +18 melee (4d8+15) and 2 wings +18 melee (3d6+7) and 2 talons +18 melee (4d6+7)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., construct traits, low-light vision, DR 7/adamantine
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +4
Abilities: Str 41, Dex 8, Con -, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 1
Feats: MultiattackB
Alignment: Neutral

Adjustments from base wyvern (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/wyvern.htm):
+2 Str (+1 at 8 and 12 HD)
+4 Str, -2 Dex, +2 nat arm effigy template
+8 Str, -2 Dex, +3 nat arm Large->Huge
+8 Str, +4 nat arm Huge->Gargantuan
=+22 Str, -4 Dex, +9 nat arm, -3 AC/Att size

Cost breakdown:
3050 Studded Leather Armor +1 w/ Easy Travel (MIC 109)
25000 Body
24000 12 HD

52050 Market price

The market price is what a character or adventuring party would have to pay for one. An item creator with the Extraordinary Artisan feat will only need 28687,5 gp to build it himself.

Carrying Capacity (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/carryingCapacity.htm):
The "Easy Travel" enhancement on the wyvern's barding lets it carry a medium load as if it was a light load, thus allowing it to fly with a medium load at no penalty.

For some reason flying creatures count as Large quadrupeds for the purpose of carrying capacity. (Example (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/eagleGiant.htm)) That means it can carry 12x the load of a Str 41 Medium creature.

So: 306 lbs (Medium load Str 21) x4x4 (quadrupled twice to get to Str 41) x12 (Gargantuan quadruped) = 58752 lbs.

Speed:
It can move 240 feet (4x60) per round using the run action. It doesn't need food or water and never tires. Travel speed is 240 x 10 (per minute) x 60 (per hour) = 144 000 feet, or around 27.3 miles per hour (44 km/h)

For comparison an Eberron airship can move at around 20 mph, and carry 30 tons of cargo.


Size:
It's hard to fully appreciate the size of this thing based on just a "20 ft. space" entry. The Draconomicon has more detailed descriptions of (regular) dragons. There's no entry for wyverns, but here are the measurements for a Gargantuan black dragon. Overall Length: 85 ft. Body Length: 24 ft. Neck Length: 23 ft. Tail Length: 38 ft. Body with: 10 ft. Standing height: 16 ft. Maximum Wingspan: 80 ft. Minimum Wingspan: 40 ft. Weight: 160 000 lbs (?!)

Gargantuan red dragon next to a human:
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/draco_gallery/75580.jpg


Items you may want to consider buying for the effigy:

Rigging (http://www.temeraire.org/wiki/Dragon_rigging): In order to carry cargo and allow the crew/pilot to move around the wyvern has to be covered with a leather harness. (I'm not quite sure how much it should cost, or how it should work game mechanically. Suggestions?)

Panther Mask (MIC 201, 2700): This item grants the wearer the Run feat (and +5 ft. land speed). The effigy can then fly at 300 ft. per round, or 34.1 mph.

Belt of the Wide Earth (MIC 204, 8000): Doubles your carrying capacity. Though at some point it gets hard to explain how the cargo is stored without hampering flight. Probably works better on a land creature.


Items you may want to consider buying for the pilot and/or crew:

Least crystal of adaption (MIC 24, 500) and Mask of Sweet Air (MIC, 2000): Travel can be dangerous in a fantasy setting. Travel at 30000 ft. above ground is, strangely enough, less dangerous. The pilot and any crew would need to be protected from the cold and (more importantly) thin air at this altitude. A land-based threat would have to be very dedicated to set out after you, and if it does you have plenty of time to spot it and run or get ready to fight. You have time to recover if for some reason the effigy stalls and starts to fall. The low temperatures at high altitudes could even be used to keep perishable cargo cold.

Boots of landing (MIC 77, 500) or adding landing to armor (MIC 12, 4000): A Gargantuan flyer with Poor manuverability (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/movement.htm#movingInThreeDimensions)can't always land everywhere, and when it can land it needs room to get airborne again. Why not just jump off? The boots (-20 ft.) or armor (-60 ft.) lets you fall a certain distance and land on your feet without taking damage. These items may also help a little if the wyvern crashes for some reason.

Wand of Repair Light Damage (SpC lv1 spell, 750): "Healing". Requires Sor/Wiz casting or Use Magic Device.

Rod of Viscid Globs (MIC 176, 2000): Hit an attacker with the tanglefoot effect and the halved speed will most likely slow it down enough for you to escape even if it makes its save and avoids plummeting to the ground. Only works on Large or smaller creatures.

Vanisher Cloak (MIC 145, 2500): Turn yourself and the effigy invisible for a few rounds to escape a dangerous situation. Will look odd if there are other, visible creatures onboard.

Amber Amulet of Vermin (Giant Wasp) (MIC 68, 800): Summon a giant wasp to harry an attacker while you escape or get ready for battle.

Fighter craft effigies (cost varies): You could build or buy one or two Large effigies and use them as detachable fighter craft. Manticores, hippogriffs, pegasi or even Large wyverns are good options.

***

Any other ideas for improving the wyvern?

For using such a creature in a campaign world?

Or for other effigy creatures not primarily intended for combat? (I have some ideas already - I may post them later.)

Lappy9000
2008-11-15, 12:41 PM
*Adds to Christmas list*

Thurbane
2008-11-15, 07:27 PM
Nice. Very nice. :smallbiggrin:

ColdSepp
2008-11-15, 07:31 PM
Very cool. I want one.

newbDM
2008-11-15, 07:33 PM
OK, which Power Rangers season was this again?


edit:
My bad, I thought you were going to hollow it out like I did for one of my previous characters.

It was a 10HD Red Dragon Effigy (large size). My psionic artificer grey elf PC had it open like an anime mech at the chest, my psion PC got a use-activated ring of reduce person, and I got the DM to rule a homebrewed "piloting" cockpit where he could sit. He also made one of those every lasting air bottles, which he installed in the cockpit before making it air tight.

Later the DM allowed me an idea I had to make a device where he could place power stones and dorje (which were held in brackets above the PCs head in a ring in the cockpit) in a slot at the very front of the controls. The PC would then activate the stone or dorje, but the power would instead manifest from the effigy's (named Pucca) mouth. (Anyone want to guess where I got this part from?)