[Creature] Cheval

[Fax Celestis]

Cheval
Large Construct (Steam-Powered)
HD 6d10 (63 HP)
Speed 50 ft. (10 squares); swim 20'
Init: +2
AC 20; touch 12; flat-footed 18
(-1 size, +2 Dex, +9 natural)
BAB +4; Grp +16
Attack hoof +11 (1d6+8, 19-20/x2)
Full-Attack 2 hooves +11 (1d6+8, 19-20/x2)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks Breathe fire, create water
Special Qualities construct traits, steam-powered traits
Saves Fort +2 Ref +4 Will +5
Abilities Str 26, Dex 14, Con -, Int -, Wis 16, Cha 8
Skills Unintelligent
Feats Unintelligent
Environment Military
Organization Military
Challenge Rating 1 (alone), 3 (with rider)
Treasure None
Alignment TN
Advancement As construct; Favored Class None
Level Adjustment -

Breathe Fire (Sp)
A cheval can, once every 1d4 rounds, be commanded to breathe a cone of fire. Treat this as a burning hands spell, caster level 4th.

Create Water (Sp)
A cheval can, once every 1d4 rounds, be commanded to emit up to 8 gallons of fresh water from its mouth. Treat this as a create water spell, caster level 4th.

Swimming (Ex)
Cheval can swim, but this slows down their engines. As such, their speed is reduced to 20' while swimming, and they must stay on the surface.

Steam-powered Weaknesses
Like all steam-powered creatures (due to their dependencies on both fire and water), cheval react strangely to specific spells.

Any spell with the (Fire) descriptor causes a cheval to enter a rage for 1d4 rounds. Any spell with the (Cold) descriptor affects it as a slow spell for 1d4 rounds. Any spell that dispels, supresses, or breaks magical enchantments causes the cheval to shut down for the duration of the spell (or 1d4+1 rounds, if the duration is instantaneous). Mordenkainen's disjunction causes a cheval to become nonfunctional.

Cheval (it is both singular and plural) are constructs shaped like horses that run off of a tiny steam-powered engine inside their stomachs. This steam engine (or "steng" as the Heliosundians call it) works through a combination of magic and technology. They weigh roughly 700 pounds.

Inside each cheval is a ring of continual create water, as well as a small permanent gate to the Elemental Plane of Fire. The ring creates water, and the gate heats it, turning it into steam. The steam powers an engine inside the cheval, and it gains basic motor functions. Usually, the ring is placed in the back of the neck and is removable, effectively "turning off" the cheval when it is removed.

A cheval will only do what it is told, and will only obey its rider. It understands Common (or the primary language of its creator), but does not speak it.

If instructed, a cheval will enter combat. Due to their inability to make decisions on their own, a rider in combat on a cheval takes a -5 to all Ride checks, and cannot take 10 or 20 on a Ride check for any reason.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

*blinks*

Hey, err, Fax... did you happen to look at my Curioser and Curioser thread, or is this an absolutely bizarre coincidence? :o

[Fax Celestis]

Absoballylutely coincidence.

I found the motivation at work today to actually stat out the horses the Heliosundians ride in my campaign, and this was the result. I hadn't actually gotten to reading threads yet.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Absoballylutely coincidence.

I found the motivation at work today to actually stat out the horses the Heliosundians ride in my campaign, and this was the result. I hadn't actually gotten to reading threads yet.

Heh, well, scroll down a few threads and you'll see my own Cheval... which is also the name for a type of mirror.

Freaky... ;)

Btw, great creature here! Did you get the steam-powered stuff from the Eberron setting or think it up yourself?

[Fax Celestis]

Heh, well, scroll down a few threads and you'll see my own Cheval... which is also the name for a type of mirror.

Freaky... ;)

Btw, great creature here! Did you get the steam-powered stuff from the Eberron setting or think it up yourself?

Thought it up myself. I don't have any Eberron stuff, though I'd like to.

Also, I don't know how to price the creation costs. Help?

[The Glyphstone]

What's its challenge rating?

[Fax Celestis]

What's its challenge rating?

Considering it needs a rider to do pretty much anything, I'd almost venture to say CR 1 or 2.

[Fax Celestis]

Updated, clarified, and simplified weaknesses.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Tsk, tsk, tsk, Fax. This is in the new monster format. ;)

MitP Vote: Yes (pending conversion to old-style format).

[Fax Celestis]

Updated to old format.

[fangthane]

Just one comment about the steam beasties... Removing the ring from a well-designed steam automaton would actually only 'turn off' a steam-powered beastie after a while, when sufficient steam had been vented. In terms of game balance and in a magical world, that's not necessarily an issue but you might want to give it a 1d4+1 round wind-down should the ring be removed or the gate disabled, with the proviso that whichever power is related to that item will also not function for the 2-5 rounds.

Its hooves should be at +4 base +8 str -1 size=+11 though, shouldn't they?

Given that, its HP and the damage it deals, it might deserve a 3 CR - might do, anyhow. After all, unless it has a rider it's constitutionally incapable of posing a threat in any case, and a rider worth the name will give it appropriate orders each round to make better use of its abilities.

[Fualkner Asiniti]

MitP Vote: Yes. I love new mounts!

[Bob_the_Mighty]

I like this monster, but how is its melee only +8? How are they constructed? Also, you don't specify the type of HD, only that it has 6 of them.

Other than those few things, this monster is just plain cool. I've never seen anything like it, though apparently VT made something similar.

[fangthane]

MitP Vote: Yes.

I like the conditional CR (which, in this case makes sense) and the attack bonus patch-up...

I still think a wind-down makes sense (in some ways) but I can also appreciate that most magical constructs fail when any motive component is removed.

A question about potential solo combat though; obviously it can't breathe fire in such a situation (since that has to be specifically instructed), but presumably it can be given simple instructions (i.e. "attack anything which approaches until I return") or at least be set in some kind of a basic defensive mode, right?

[Fax Celestis]

MitP Vote: Yes.

I like the conditional CR (which, in this case makes sense) and the attack bonus patch-up...

I still think a wind-down makes sense (in some ways) but I can also appreciate that most magical constructs fail when any motive component is removed.

A question about potential solo combat though; obviously it can't breathe fire in such a situation (since that has to be specifically instructed), but presumably it can be given simple instructions (i.e. "attack anything which approaches until I return") or at least be set in some kind of a basic defensive mode, right?

"Kill everything but me that comes near you" is an appropriate command, yes.