MADE OF LASERS! [3.5 Template]

[Admiral Squish]

The inspiration for this:

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Taken (and lightly edited) from Wickedpowered
Please tell me if that's illegal, and I'll take it down.

Sample Lightbeast

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Red Lightbeast Wolf
Medium Construct (Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 2d10+20
Initiative: +3
Speed: Fly 50 Ft (Perfect)
Armor Class: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 Deflection)
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-
Attack: Bite +3 Melee Touch (1d6+3 Fire)
Full Attack: Bite +3 Melee Touch (1d6+3 Fire)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Destructive Touch
Special Qualities: Low-Light Vision, Darkvision 60, Construct Traits, Incorporeal Traits, Immune to Fire and Electricity, Searing Form
Saves: +0 Fort, +3 Ref, +1 Will
Abilities Str -, Dex 17, Con -, Int -, Wis 12, Cha 14
Skills: -
Feats: -
Environment: Any
Organization: Any
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: -
Alignment: N
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -
the creature standing in front of you only resembles a wolf superficially. It‘s in the same general shape as a wolf, but it‘s body is formed out of a gridwork of lines of searing red light, with only a pair of glowing red orbs where it‘s eyes would be telling you where it looks. You can see through the gaps of the glowing lines easily. Suddenly, it runs at you, feet rising off the ground, seemingly unconcerned with gravity.

Combat

Destructive Touch
A red lightbeast wolf deals 2 fire damage to anything struck by it’s natural attack or a melee touch attack.

Searing Form: Any creature striking a lightbeast with a natural weapon or unarmed strike automatically takes fire damage equal to the lightbeast's charisma modifier, and is automatically affected by the lightbeast's destructive touch ability as well.

Creating a Lightbeast
The lightbeast template is an inherited template that can be applied to any corporeal aberration, animal, dragon, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, or vermin (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

Size and Type
Size is unchanged, but the base creature's type changes to construct and gains the incorporeal subtype. It loses all other subtypes and does not gain the augmented subtype. Recalculate base attack bonus, saving throws, feats, and skills accordingly as described below.

Hit Dice
Drop any HD gained from class levels (To a minimum of 1), and change remaining HD to d10s. See the construct type for more information.

Speed
The base creature gains a fly speed equal to it's base land speed with perfect maneuverability. If the base creature can fly, the lightbeast uses the greater speed, but the maneuverability becomes perfect.

Armor Class
The lightbeast gains a deflection bonus to AC equal to the base creature's natural armor bonus+ it‘s charisma modifier , but loses it’s normal natural armor bonus.

Base Attack
A lightbeast has a base attack bonus equal to 3/4 it's HD (As cleric)

Attacks
A lightbeast retains all the natural attacks of the base creature, but they are resolves as melee touch attacks and deal fire damage in place of physical damage. Add the lightbeast's charisma modifier to attack and damage rolls in place of it's strength modifier.

Special Attacks:
A lightbeast retains all the special attacks of the base creature, provided they do not require a physical body to be used. A Lightbest gains the Destructive Touch ability.

Destructive Touch
When a lightbeast is created, select it’s color. Whenever a light beast hits with a natural attack or a melee touch attack, the target must make a save or be affected by an effect as described below. The save for any of these abilities that allow saves is (10+ ½ base creature’s HD + cha mod)

{table=head] Color|Effect
White| Positive Energy Damage equal to base creature’s HD
Red| Fire Damage equal to base creature’s HD
Orange| Acid Damage equal to base creature’s HD
Yellow| Electricity Damage equal to base creature’s HD
Green| Poison (Fort save, 1d4 Con/Death)
Blue| Targeted Greater Dispel Magic, modifier equal to base creature’s HD
Indigo| Will save or take 1d4 Wisdom Damage
Violet| Fort save or take damage equal to 2x base creature's HD
Black| Negative Energy Damage equal to base creature’s HD
[/table]

Special Qualities
The lightbeast retains all the special qualities of the base creature, provided they do not require a physical body to function. In addition, all light beasts are immune to fire and electric damage. fianlly, all light beast gain the searing form special quality.

Searing Form: Any creature striking a lightbeast with a natural weapon or unarmed strike automatically takes fire damage equal to the lightbeast's charisma modifier, and is automatically affected by the lightbeast's destructive touch ability as well.

Saves
Lightbeasts have no good saves.

Abilities
+2 Dex, +8 Cha.
Lightbeasts do not have strength, constitution, or intelligence scores.

Skills
Lightbeasts have no skills

Feats
Lightbeasts lose all feats of the base creature.

Environment
Any

Organization
Any

Challenge Rating
+3

Treasure
None

Alignment
always neutral

Advancement
None

Constructing a Lightbeast
A lightbeast can be built by means of the Craft Construct feat.

A lightbeast built with the Craft Construct feat uses a frame built from specially treated glass and wire, requiring a DC 20 Craft (Glassblowing) check. The cost of the lightbeast's frame is merely the cost of materials, however, to complete the creation, the crafter must have a specially-treated gemstone matching the lightbeast‘s color, costing at least 100 GP per HD of the lightbeast to be created.. The gemstone is consumed as the lightbeast is created, becoming worthless.

The market price of a lightbeast is equal to the cost of its gemstone plus 2,000 gp per Hit Die. The cost to create is equal to the cost of the body plus 1,000 gp and 80 XP per Hit Die, and creating a lightbeast requires a minimum caster level equal to the creature’s Hit Dice.

[al'raith]

looks good overall I'd say a +3 CR also

It?s in the same general shape as a folf, but it?s body is formed out of a gridwork of lines of searing red light,

typo there

[Admiral Squish]

Alright, fixed and fixed.

[Waargh!]

For violet you need to fix the wording. You want to say that if it drops you to less than 0 HP you disintegrate rather than fall unconscious, right? Or do you want to say that if you fail a for you die? (way too powerful)

Violet I believe should have a Fort save, otherwise might be also kind of powerful. Imagine a pack attacking a character with a few points of wisdom. You should add that the damage is temporary (don't know if this is implied by the rules)

[Admiral Squish]

For violet you need to fix the wording. You want to say that if it drops you to less than 0 HP you disintegrate rather than fall unconscious, right? Or do you want to say that if you fail a for you die? (way too powerful)

Violet I believe should have a Fort save, otherwise might be also kind of powerful. Imagine a pack attacking a character with a few points of wisdom. You should add that the damage is temporary (don't know if this is implied by the rules)

That was the original, actually. I was basing it off the prismatic wall spell. I changed it, now it's a fort save or take a bigger chunk 'o damage. I also made the wis damage require a failed will save. Is the poison one too strong, considering it's secondary damage is death?

[Kuma Kode]

Nitpick: It's an inherited template, not an acquired one, unless you can physically transform a normal wolf into a lightbeast wolf.

Though I'd probably buy a low-level white one and carry it on my shoulder. Free healing. Assuming, that is, that the creature must actually intend to deal damage to burn me. The lack of a fire damage clause for someone attacking it in melee or unarmed makes it appear that way.

[Admiral Squish]

Nitpick: It's an inherited template, not an acquired one, unless you can physically transform a normal wolf into a lightbeast wolf.

Though I'd probably buy a low-level white one and carry it on my shoulder. Free healing. Assuming, that is, that the creature must actually intend to deal damage to burn me. The lack of a fire damage clause for someone attacking it in melee or unarmed makes it appear that way.

Glad you caught it, fixed.

Well, the problem with that is that it'd have to be of relatively high HD to be dealing more healing than fire. Might work if you were immune/resistant to fire, though.

I should probably add a fire clause for natural/unarmed attacks...

Edit: There, added the searing form ability.

[Lix Lorn]

...very cool. Now we need rules for a dragon shark! xP

[Eldan]

Not a problem, it's basically just a half-fire dragon shark. Let me stat it up...

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Purple Lightbeast Half-dragon shark
Large Construct (Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 7d10 (38)
Initiative: +3
Speed: Fly 60 Ft (Perfect)*
Armor Class: 22 (+3 Dex, +9 Deflection)
Base Attack/Grapple: +6
Attack: Bite +8 Melee Touch (1d6+3+1 Fire)
Full Attack: Bite +8 Melee Touch (1d8+3+1fire) and 2 claws +3 melee touch (1d6+3+1fire)
Space/Reach: 10 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Destructive Touch, breath weapon
Special Qualities: Low-Light Vision, Darkvision 60, Construct Traits, Incorporeal Traits, Immune to Fire and Electricity, Searing Form, Blindsense, Keen Scent, Fire Immunity
Saves: +2 Fort, +6 Ref, +3 Will
Abilities Str -, Dex 17, Con -, Int -, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills: -
Feats: -
Environment: Any
Organization: Any
Challenge Rating: 7**
Treasure: -
Alignment: True Neutral Funky
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -


Combat

Destructive Touch
On every hit, the creature must make a fortitude save DC 14 or take 14 damage.

Searing Form: Any creature striking a lightbeast with a natural weapon or unarmed strike automatically takes fire damage equal to the lightbeast's charisma modifier, and is automatically affected by the lightbeast's destructive touch ability as well.

*Technically would not have a fly speed, as it's land speed is 0. I used it's swim speed instead.
**Half-dragon is +3, but really, it loses half the benefit of half-dragon, so it should probably be lower, and the shark's low charisma is pretty crippling.
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[Admiral Squish]

Awesome! Now, you just have to come up with:

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[Eldan]

Hmm. Let's see.

The Owlcat could be a modified Owlbear. Make it a little weaker, more dextrous, give it pounce.

The Snakerfly... winged snake with low maneuverability.

The Spiderbat... hmm. Not sure how to do that with templates.

[Admiral Squish]

Hmm. Let's see.

The Owlcat could be a modified Owlbear. Make it a little weaker, more dextrous, give it pounce.

The Snakerfly... winged snake with low maneuverability.

The Spiderbat... hmm. Not sure how to do that with templates.

I think the owlcat is more like a reflavored owl, just with pounce.

As for spiderbat, why not just glue winged on a monstrous spider and call it even?

[Starbuck_II]

I think the owlcat is more like a reflavored owl, just with pounce.

As for spiderbat, why not just glue winged on a monstrous spider and call it even?

Spider with Winged template?

[Admiral Squish]

I think it was winged. It's a template in savage species...
*checks*
Yep, it was winged. Give the creature wings and a boost to dex, with a maneuverability based on your dex. The type of wing is up to flavor.

[Jane_Smith]

I beleive their is a template to blend 2 creatures into one. I forgot the name, it was in monster manual 2 or 3 and it was used to make a hobgoblin griffon i beleive as the example creature? Like centaurs. Could use that as a guideline i suppose?

[zyborg]

That's awesome. I like that idea a lot.

[Admiral Squish]

That's in savage species, but it's rather specific. It's called the tauric template. It requires a medium or small humanoid or monstrous humanoid and a medium or large animal/magical beat/vermin with four or more legs, if I remember correctly.

[Innis Cabal]

Tauric was in an MM as well.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Tauric was in an MM as well.

MMII.

There's also a 3rd-party sourcebook that gives rules on all sorts of half-breeds, including a couple of templates for creating general hybrids.

[Admiral Squish]

MMII.

There's also a 3rd-party sourcebook that gives rules on all sorts of half-breeds, including a couple of templates for creating general hybrids.

Oh? Do you know the name of it? I might have it buried somewhere in my collection.

[khantroll]

It may not be what he is thinking of, but Encyclopaedia Arcane: Crossbreeding has rules for creating mash-ups of animals.

Great template, by the way.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

This is as goofy an idea as I've ever seen... and I still like it.

Wonder if a strobing effect wouldn't also be possible, so it can receive a miss-chance.

That laseranimute comic made me ill though.

Fakesy cutie anime talking to themselves must die...

[DracoDei]

At first glance the colors seem very unequal... some just add damage, some slay outright on a failed save. This would be perfectly acceptable if they had separate CR adjustments, but they don't, there-for I find it problematic.

Or do the first 4 not allow a save? In that case they MIGHT be roughly equal.

[Admiral Squish]

It may not be what he is thinking of, but Encyclopaedia Arcane: Crossbreeding has rules for creating mash-ups of animals.

Great template, by the way.

I go a-book hunting.

This is as goofy an idea as I've ever seen... and I still like it.

Wonder if a strobing effect wouldn't also be possible, so it can receive a miss-chance.

That laseranimute comic made me ill though.

Fakesy cutie anime talking to themselves must die...

Isn't it just?

I don't think stroking would be practical, honestly. Incorporeal should be plenty. Just cast blink on it if you really want.

I would like to point out the comic does NOT take itself very seriously, which may help alleviate your gut-wrenching disgust.

At first glance the colors seem very unequal... some just add damage, some slay outright on a failed save. This would be perfectly acceptable if they had separate CR adjustments, but they don't, there-for I find it problematic.

Or do the first 4 not allow a save? In that case they MIGHT be roughly equal.

If it does not mention a save, it does not provide a save. Well, the poison does, but poison always does.

[Jane_Smith]

... Out of curosity, why cant's outsiders get this template? Im thinking positive-energy critters would love this. >_>

[Admiral Squish]

Well, I based the template availability off effigy creatures, but fluff-wise, I think you could say that while you can create the likeness of an outsider with this, It wouldn't have any of the same properties due to the unique nature of outsiders and their relationship with their souls.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Oh? Do you know the name of it? I might have it buried somewhere in my collection.

No, but it was by Green Samurai or Green Ronin or something like that.

It may not be what he is thinking of, but Encyclopaedia Arcane: Crossbreeding has rules for creating mash-ups of animals.

No, Crossbreeding: Flesh and Blood is not what I'm thinking of, and it doesn't have templates, just ways to say how hard and expensive it is for Mialee to make hybrid X. (Picky, ain't I?)

[khantroll]

Just making suggestions. There is a section on how to combine various animals in Crossbreeding though.

I have most of the Green Ronin books for the d20 system, so I'll go book hunting as well.

I'm sure some one here can do this better then me, because it has been a while since I made a monster (joys of being a player) but I did the Green Spiderbat for fun using the a small monstrous spider, the winged template from Savage Species, and of course the lightbeast template.

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Green Lightbeast Spiderbat
Small Vermin
Hit Dice: 1d10 (5)
Initiative: +5
Speed: Fly 30 Ft (Perfect)
Armor Class: 23 (+5 Dex, +1 Size, +1 Deflection)
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-6
Attack: Bite +4 Melee (1d4-2 +1 Fire)
Full Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d4–2 +1 Fire)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Destructive Touch
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60, Construct Traits, Incorporeal Traits, Searing Form, Tremorsense
Saves: +2 Fort, +5 Ref, +2 Will
Abilities: Str 7(-2), Dex 21, Con -, Int —, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: -
Feats: -
Environment: Any
Organization: Any
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: -
Alignment: True Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

Destructive Touch
On every hit, Poison (Fort save DC14, 1d4 Con/Death)

Searing Form: Any creature striking a lightbeast with a natural weapon or unarmed strike automatically takes fire damage equal to the lightbeast's charisma modifier, and is automatically affected by the lightbeast's destructive touch ability as well.

[Admiral Squish]

Awesome spiderbat. Simply awesome.

[firemagehao]

There's also a 3rd-party sourcebook that gives rules on all sorts of half-breeds, including a couple of templates for creating general hybrids.

The Book of Erotic Fantasy has rules for hybrids.
My justification for picking up a book with a title like this: I was looking for a variant rule for determining stats based on parentage.