Hunter of the Air's Castle [Elemental War]

[Eighth_Seraph]

The leader of the five Hunters stepped forward to the wounded brainspawn, brandishing its now bloody morningstar nonchalantly "There is no need to carry this fight any further; you are of no concern to us. Simply allow us access to your garden, and we will be gone from here an hour hence." Something similar to a scoff entered the Hunter's mind in return.
"And what," it answered them "could you possibly want with my garden, I wonder?"
"We have need of your pets; that is all you need to know. Now choose: let us pass or die." The spawn did not answer, and the construct's cold eyes glowed blue. "And no, you will not call reinforcements. Deewon cannot stand against us." The Hunter's morningstar crashed into the brainspawn's frontal lobe with a wet thud. All five of the hunters clearly heard in their minds the brainspawn's last thoughts, no longer controlled by the discipline it had in life.
"How...could they...have known...?" One hour later, every crysmal within that garden was dead, and soon afterwards on the Plane of Wind. The elemental war had begun.


[size=2.5]Hunter of the Wind

Size/Type: Medium Construct (Air)
Hit Dice: 11d10+20 (91)
Initiative: +11 (+7 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 40 ft., Fly 50 ft. (good; perfect on the Plane of Air)
Armor Class: 30 (+7 Dex, +13 Natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+17
Attack: Morningstar +11 melee (1d8+3 bludgeoning and piercing, +2d6 against creatures with the Earth subtype)
Full Attack: Morningstar +11/+11/+6/+6 melee
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Crysmal Drain, Elemental Warfare, Psi-blast, Psionic Discharge
Special Qualities: Construct Traits, Crysmal Hunter, Damage reduction 5/adamantine, Elemental Escape, Light Construction, War Eternal,Telepathy 100 ft.
Saves: Fort +4 , Ref +18, Will +2
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 24, Con –, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 1
Skills: Appraise +17, Craft (armorsmithing) +7, Escape Artist +13, Knowledge(The Planes) +17, Search +6, Spot + 10, Listen +10
Feats: Ambidextry, Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Flyby Attack, Wingover
Environment: Elemental Plane of Air
Organization: Pair, Squad (3-6), Strike Force (7-12)
Challenge Rating: 12(?)
Treasure: Standard plus two +2 thundering cold iron morningstars
Alignment: Always True Neutral
Advancement: 11-13 Medium, 14-20 Large
Level Adjustment: – [/size]


Hunters of the Wind are constructs created by Ielenivia Galanodel as her first attempt to gain the element of wind greater influence in the material plane. She realized that the best way to accomplish this task is to find some way to weaken the opposing element, earth, in some way that would empower the elemental plane of air. Thus she created the first generation of elemental hunters, meant to leech the power of the more common elementals, crysmals in this case. Upon her success, Ielenivia has begun to produce these constructs in mass quantities as her primary foot soldiers.
Hunters of the Wind are humanoid-looking constructs made primarily of mithral, though the corpse of a crysmal is also necessary for its construction. Hunters have two cold blue eyes, but they are the only details in its face. Hunters appear very lithe in their movements and will follow orders to the letter, though are intelligent to make the means by which they achieve their goals themselves. If told to defeat a group of nosy adventurers, though it is not particularly calculating, but it can and likely will set an ambush for them. Hunters usually start a battle by finding a high place where they can see their opponents without being seen themselves, then charge from above on any obvious spellcaster, with being unarmored taking precedence over the apparent power. If in a squad or strike force, Hunters try to drop as many opponents in the surprise round as possible.
Hunters of the Wind speak whatever languages its creator speaks, as well as Auran and Terran.

Elemental Warfare (Su): Any weapon wielded by a Hunter of the Wind counts as having the Bane weapon special ability upon a successful hit on a creature with the Earth subtype. In addition, a Hunter of the Wind can detect creatures with the earth subtype as with the Detect Evil spell at will, except that the ability only detects such creatures. A Hunter also has blindsight out to sixty feet, except that it only sense creatures with the earth subtype.

Crysmal Drain (Su): Once per round, a Hunter of the Wind can make a melee touch attack against a crysmal doing 1d4 points of damage, or against the corpse of a crysmal slain within the past hour. If the damage done is at least equal to the crysmal's remaining hit points, the crysmal is slain instantly and the Hunter of the Wind is healed 2d6 hit points and gains use of any of the crysmal's remaining psi-like abilities for that day (multiple absorbed crysmals stack for this purpose). For every thirty HD worth of crysmals the Hunter of the Wind drains in this manner, it can make one use of its Psi-blast supernatural ability, and for every 60 HD worth of crysmals it drains, the Hunter can make one use of its Psoinic Discharge supernatural ability. A Hunter can only contain the energy of up to 60 HD worth of crysmals at any given time, absorbing more will only heal and give powers, but has no other effect. This power can also affect any living creatures made similarly to the crysmal from living crystal.

Psi-blast (Su): After draining enough energy from crysmals, a Hunter of the Wind may, as a standard action, release all of this energy as a violent blast of psionic power that takes place as a line of force 5 feet wide, 100 feet long and dealing 10d6+10 damage, as well as having an effect equivalent to a Gust of Wind spell.

Psionic Discharge (Su): A Hunter of the Wind that stores 60 HD worth of crysmals via its Crysmal Drain supernatural ability can choose to discharge all that energy at once, though doing so contains certain dangers. A psionic discharge is treated as using a Psi-blast ability, except that a Hunter must spend a full-round action drawing energy from the various crysmal shards throughout its body, at which time every shard being drwan from glows green before actually expelling the energy (still a standard action). Then creates a line 15 feet wide and doing 12d8+12 damage to every creature in the line, but also does 3d8+6 damage in backlash to the Hunter. This power also creates powerful forces of wind equivalent to the Gust of Wind spell throughout the area of effect, except that it counts objects as one size category smaller than they are for purposes of being checked, knocked down or pused back. Using a psionic discharge makes the Hunter the equivalent of being Fatigued until the next time it uses its Crysmal Drain ability, as drawing that much magical force from its own body weakens its structure.

Elemental Escape (Sp): If in grave danger, a Hunter of the Wind can Plane Shift as the spell once per day, except that it only ends up 1d10 miles away from its intended destination.

War Eternal(Ex): If a Hunter of the Wind has the materials and the required Crysmal corpse, a Hunter of the Wind can Craft another Hunter of the Wind, without the need of knowing or casting the required spells or having the Craft Construct feat. For purposes of giving orders, a Hunter of the Wind built in this fashion is treated as having been created by the one who built the original (following the chain back all the way to a non-Hunter of the Wind, as appropriate), who ordered the newly-created Hunter of the Wind to obey the Hunter of the Wind that did the actual crafting in this instance.

Light Construction: The Hunter of the Wind was designed to be a very lightweight and quick fighter, and that combined with it being made mostly of mithral allows it an extra standard action per turn.

Skills: A Hunter of the Wind gains a +4 racial bonus to the Appraise skill

Construction: A Hunter of the Wind is made primarily of pure mithral, though gold, silver and other miscellaneous materials are used for ornalmental reasons. Building a Hunter also requires the corpse of one crysmal, which is broken up into many small crystals and placed throughout the Hunter's body; making them appear ornamental. The Hunter costs 65,000 gp to create and requires a successful Craft (armorsmithing) check (DC17). The creator must be at least 15th level and have had some peaceful contact with a creature native to the elemental plane of wind. Completing the rituals to make a hunter drains 4,500 XP from the creator and requires Fly, Summon Monster I, Vampiric Touch, Magic Missile, Lightning Bolt, Detect Magic, Plane Shift, and Gust of Wind as well as the Craft Construct feat.

[Lord Iames Osari]

You want the "Air" subtype, not Wind.

Crysmal Drain (Su): Once per round, a Hunter of the Wind can make a melee touch attack against a crysmal doing 1d4 points of damage, or against the corpse of a crysmal slain within the past hour. If the damage done is at least equal to the crysmal's HP, the Hunter of the Wind is healed 2d6 hit points and gains use of any of the crysmal's remaining psi-like abilities for that day (multiple absorbed crysmals stack for this purpose). For every thirty HD worth of crysmals the Hunter of the Wind drains in this manner, it can make one use of its Psi-blast supernatural ability.

You meant HD there, right?

Psi-blast (Su): After draining enough energy from crysmals, a Hunter of the Wind may release all of this energy as a violent blast of psionic force, as a line of force 100 feet long and dealing 10d6+10 damage.

Requiring 30 HD to be drained per use seems a bit excessive. Say one use per 10 HD.

Other than that, it looks good.

[Eighth_Seraph]

No, I meant that if the damage done is enough to drop the crysmal, they gain the extra hit dice and psi-powers. And what I wanted to do is give the Hunter the ability to make a blast for every five crysmals it drains, and since the stock crysmal has 6 HD, I made it take 30. Do you think it should be more powerful then?

And the rest of you, come on! This is my first creature ever; I need all the help I can get for this, in every respect.

EDIT: Clarified function of Crysmal drain, added challenge rating, added average HP, changed subtype.

[Lord Iames Osari]

If a crysmal has 6HD, don't you think dealing 1d4 damage would take kind of long time? Yes, I think it should be more powerful.

[martyboy74]

This is pure evil...


Anyways, don't you think you should say about how many crysmals it has destroyed recently, and how many uses of the psi-like abillites it has at the time the party meets them?

[Eighth_Seraph]

I would put that up to the DM, or if you want a basic outline, I would base it on the environment the Hunter's been walking around lately. If it's been on an excursion to the plane of earth, then it'd probably have quite a few sets of spells, and I'm thinking of making it so that the Hunter could expend multiple uses of a crysmal's same mindthrust to have the damage stack. I really want the Hunter to have some fairly reliable ranged attack, but I want it to be able to have only what it can carry conviniently. In regards to the crysmal's consumed, I'd roll a d10, divide by two rounded down.

and Iames, do you really think Crysmal Drain should be stronger? I meant for it to be a finishing blow or a post-finishing blow techinique. Though it is true that it's a whole lot safer to simply go with a an extra attack and then drain the crysmal after it's dead... What do you think would make it fair without overpowering? Also, can someone help me with the construction? How much this costs will decide how the next construct shapes up.

Also, how's the CR, do ya think?

[Jack_Simth]

Consturction... let's see....

Speed: 30 ft., Fly 50 ft. (good)

Suggests Fly - especially as you wanted him built by an arcanist...

Elemental Warfare (Su): Any weapon wielded by a Hunter of the Wind counts as having the Bane weapon special ability upon a successful hit on a creature with the Earth subtype.

If we look at the Bane property, it requires Summon Monster I - so this suggests Summon Monster I as a good pre-requisite.

Crysmal Drain (Su): Once per round, a Hunter of the Wind can make a melee touch attack against a crysmal doing 1d4 points of damage, or against the corpse of a crysmal slain within the past hour. If the damage done is at least equal to the crysmal's remaining hit points, the crysmal is slain instantly and the Hunter of the Wind is healed 2d6 hit points and gains use of any of the crysmal's remaining psi-like abilities for that day (multiple absorbed crysmals stack for this purpose). For every thirty HD worth of crysmals the Hunter of the Wind drains in this manner, it can make one use of its Psi-blast supernatural ability.

Okay, this one's just wierd (for pre-req purposes, anyway); maybe Vampiric Touch, or Touch of Idiocy?

Psi-blast (Su): After draining enough energy from crysmals, a Hunter of the Wind may release all of this energy as a violent blast of psionic force, as a line of force 100 feet long and dealing 10d6+10 damage.

Magic Missile, Lightning Bolt (it's a cross between the two)

Crysmal Hunter (Su): A Hunter of the Wind can detect crysmal as with the Detect Evil spell at will, except that the ability only detects crysmals. A Hunter also has blindsight out to sixty feet, except that it only detects crysmals.

Special case of Detect Magic or Detect Evil, perhaps?

Elemental Escape (Sp): If in grave danger, a Hunter of the Wind can Plane Shift as the spell once per day, except that it only ends up 1d10 miles away from its intended destination.

Suggests Plane Shift.

Alright, what do you guys think? This is my first creature ever, so really let me have it. I'm thinking that maybe the attack bonus should be brought up a bit and that some form of ranged attack should be given as an option for support roles in a squad. Please help me on the construction, as I have no idea how expensive this should be.

Okay, so my current listing of suggested spells:
Fly
Summon Monster I
Vampiric Touch or Touch of Idiocy
Magic Missile
Lightning Bolt
Detect Magic or Detect Evil
Plane Shift

Oh yeah - and Craft Construct.

For skills, let's split the difference on the DC for the Iron and Stone golems (20 and 17, respectively) and require a type of check as per the Iron golem - say, DC 18 Craft (armorsmithing) check or a DC 18 Craft (weaponsmithing) check

Oh, and for flavor:
War Eternal(Ex): If a Hunter of the Wind has the materials and the required Crysmal corpse, a Hunter of the Wind can Craft another Hunter of the Wind, without the need of knowing or casting the required spells or having the Craft Construct feat. For purposes of giving orders, a Hunter of the Wind built in this fasion is treated as having been created by the one who built the original (following the chain back all the way to a non-Hunter of the Wind, as appropriet), who ordered the newly-created Hunter of the Wind to obey the Hunter of the Wind that did the actual crafting in this instance.

Hmm... that's a mouthful.



As for bread and butter costs.....Putting it at CR 12.... you're looking at somewhere between the CR of an Iron Golem (CR 13) and a Stone Golem (CR 11);
Iron Golem has: 16th level; Price 150,000 gp; Cost 80,000 gp + 5,600 XP
Stone Golem has: 14th level; Price 90,000 gp; Cost 50,000 gp + 3,400 XP.

Splitting the difference.....
Creater must be 15th level, Price: 120,000 gp; cost: 60,000 gp + 4,500 xp

Hmm.. I ramble.

[Eighth_Seraph]

That was helpful, I'll get right on that. Still waiting for D1 to show up...

EDIT: Done, added a few things of my own. I'm thinking of giving the Hunter Gust of Wind as an SLA. Is that balanced, do you think?

EDIT: And I though that maybe to give psi-blast that "ultimate attack of absolute doom" quality that I was going for, maybe making it so that discharging 60HD worth of crysmals would result in a line 15 feet wide. I like it, but I think I'd have to raise the CR to do it.

[The Demented One]

Is this that one you've been going on about?

[Eighth_Seraph]

....

You're not attempting to assassinate me? Unless that poisoned dart at the football game earlier.... But seriously, that wasn't the expected reaction. I just made something that is made from the mangled corpses of crysmals. Crysmals. At least have the decency to humor me.

EDIT: fixed average HP, and it looks a bit low for a CR12, maybe I should bring it up?

[asromta]

MitP Vote: Yes

[Gralamin]

question

how would these interact with a psion using Crystal Body [Dragon magic]?

[Eighth_Seraph]

I've no idea, as I'm working with core books and the SRD. Give me a descritpion of the spell and I I'll gladly tell you what happens.

[Gralamin]

Well only one line is really important, a vunerability:
You Become Vulnerable to ALL Special attacks that affect crystalline creatures

[Eighth_Seraph]

Crysmal drain and crysmal hunter do not affect all crystaline creatures; just crysmals. If there are any other crystalline earth elementals I don't know about, someone let me know so I can update this Bad boy. And since apparently NOONE caught the joke:

"We have need of your pets; that is all you need to know. Now choose: let us pass or die." The spawn did not answer, and the construct's cold eyes glowed blue. "And no, you will not call reinforcements. Deewon cannot stand against us."

Deewon---->D1---->The_Demented_One.

[Gralamin]

I was wondering about that.

Currently crysmals are the only crystalline creature I know of personally.

[LordOfNarf]

Don't forget about Psion Killers

[edit] and gem dragons, don't foget the gem dragons I'm sure theres more, i just cant be botherd to pull out my sorcebooks now

[Gralamin]

Well It still could be read as "if it affects any one crystal creature" as it is a bit ambiguous.

[Eighth_Seraph]

How about...adding something along the lines of a shatter spell to any melee weapon that the hunter wields CL 5? Any creature struck by the weapon is affected as though by the shatter spell upon a successful critical hit by a melee weapon wielded by a Hunter of the Wind; this ability only affects cristalline creatures. That looks good; too powerful, perhaps? Crysmals would get mowed down like stalks of corn that've had three days of rain during the growing season.

Also, Hunters are fighting the Plane of Earth, not crystalline creatures; they are simply crysmal specialists in that never-ending war.

[Gralamin]

isn't the only neve rending war the blood war?

[Eighth_Seraph]

Earth vs. Wind, Fire vs. Water. The Elemental wars; if they end, then the material plane as we know it will cease to exist. So for the good of us all, let's just say that they're never-ending, hm?

[Gralamin]

Is that core or your world :o

[Eighth_Seraph]

That's core as far as I know. Aren't the elemental planes always striving for increased influence on the material plane? There fore if one of the planes managed to actually defeat the opposing plane, the material plane would be majorly screwed. Imagine:

-A world without earth
-A world without water
-A world without fire
-A world without air

Not very nice models for a material plane, huh? That's why I hope that someone has the sense to make something to counter the Hunter lest the material plane be a mass of floating plants and animals with farmers trying to grow food with nothing to plant them in.

ANYway, is there nothing else to fix with the Hunter? I'm sure that there's something that can be done to improve it somehow... For example, how could any creature without a burrow speed survive on the plane of earth? I can make an item for this easily enough, but I'd rather use a preexisting if at all possible.

[Delcan]

MitP vote: withheld, for now.

It's way, way too specific. If a wizard would want to create a creature designed to screw Earth in favor of Air, why make it so specific to killing crysmals? Make it a terror against crysmals, earth elementals, xorn, the earth genasi... EVERYTHING from the Plane of Earth. As it is, this creature is hardcore-deadly against a single type of creature, and not very interesting against anything else.

[Eighth_Seraph]

Alright, updates to make this a more general-purpose soldier coming up, as well as a bump to the ELEMENTAL WAR!