Armoured Spite (3.5 Monster)

[Deca]

Legend tells of a mighty warrior, whose heart was filled with hate and greed. He and a like-minded band of evil adventurers set out to locate a powerful artifact. Upon discovering the artifact, the warrior betrayed his comrades and killed them all, so the prize would be his alone.

By cruel irony, the artifact burned his hands when he tried to touch it. It was blessed of the Celestial Gods and would not bear evil touch. This angered the warrior, who swore an oath. If he could not have it, nobody would. He would guard the artifact night and day, never resting, never letting down his guard, simply to spite the rest of the world.
Of course, years came and went and the warrior perished. But his willpower was so mighty that it would not pass into the grave. Because of that, some part of the warrior lived on eternally as something less than human.

Commonly called an Armoured Spite, these undead are created when an evil warriors greed, spite and overbearing willpower manage to keep the warrior alive after death. Their bodies rotted long ago, they are nothing more than empty suits of armour, kept animate only by the long-dead warrior's will.

Spites resemble a human wearing full-plate armour. Only close inspection will reveal that their is nothing inside of it. Spites usually believe that they are still the man who they once were, while the truth is that they are nothing more than psychic remnants of the man's hatefulness and greed.

Armoured Spites constantly obsess over the object they are guarding, forbidding all others from even touching it. Some Spites accrue small groups of minions, lesser creatures that are drawn to it's power and brutal charisma. Other Spites are completely solitary and alone, having killed any living being that dared to approach.

************************************************** *******

Armoured Spite
Medium Undead
Hit Dice 10d12 (55 hp)
Speed 30ft ft. (6 squares)
Initiative: +6
Armor Class 20; touch 12; flat-footed 18
(+2 Dex, +8 Armor Bonus)
Base Attack/Grapple +10/+18
Attack +1 Adamantine Greataxe +21 melee (1d12 +8, Crit: X3)
Full-Attack +1 Adamantine Greataxe +21/+16 (1d12+8, Crit: X3)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Spell-Like Abilities
Special Qualities] Standard Undead Traits, Indomitable Will, Adamantine Prison
Saves Fort N/A Ref +5 Will N/A
Abilities Str 27, Dex 15, Con N/A , Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 18
Skills Spot +13, Listen +13
Feats Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (Greataxe), Power Attack, Greater Weapon Focus (Greataxe)
Environment Guarding something valuable (ie, part of the usual dungeon ecosystem)
Organization Solitary, Group (One Armoured Spite and an indefinite amount of minions)
Challenge Rating ????
Treasure Adamantine Greataxe and whatever it’s guarding
Alignment Neutral Evil

Combat:
Armoured Spites are not honourable combatants in any sense of the word. An Armoured Spite will usually begin combat by using its spell-like abilities to cause intruders to lie prone so the Spite or its minions may perform a coup de grace upon their helpless bodies. If this option is denied to them, the Spite will usually abandon all subtlety and just hit the intruders with it's greataxe. It must be noted that Spites usually fight defensively, attempting to stop intruders from getting closer to whatever it's guarding. If someone manages to steal the valuable item without killing the Spite, the Spite will angrily hunt down whoever it was, never stopping until they have reclaimed their treasure.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp):
The Spite has only survived due to an incredible amount of willpower. It’s will has grown so strong that it can impose it’s will upon hapless mortals. For the purpose here, the Spite counts as having ten Caster levels.

At Will- Greater Command

The Will Save DC is 19

Indomitable Will (Ex):
The strength of an Armoured Spite’s willpower is beyond mortal measure. Their very existence is defined by their will and theirs alone. Others are not permitted to tamper with their driving force. Spite’s have complete immunity to all turning and rebuking effects. Additionally, an Armoured Spite automatically passes any Will Save that it is forced to take.

Adamantine Prison (Ex):
While an Armoured Spite looks like a man in a suit of heavy armour, the body has rotted long ago, leaving only the armour infused and animated by the warriors overbearing willpower. The Spite itself has no real substance to hewn or hacked at. Because of this, every time the Spite is driven to 0 HP or below, it does not die. Instead, it's hit points revert back to maximum. To destroy a Spite, adventurers must target the armour by making a Sunder action against the armour. The armour is adamantine full-plate and has a Hardness of 20 with 40 hit points. Until the armour is specifically targeted and destroyed, the Spite cannot die.

************************************************** ********

[Eurus]

Since it is the armor, why not just give it normal HP (in addition to whatever DR or hardness it has)? It seems kind of odd to require that the armor be specifically targeted, when pretty much any normal offense would already require going through the armor anyway.

[Deca]

Since it is the armor, why not just give it normal HP (in addition to whatever DR or hardness it has)? It seems kind of odd to require that the armor be specifically targeted, when pretty much any normal offense would already require going through the armor anyway.

Because I wish to screw players over. Also because that as a moving item, it seems somewhat logical to make it vulnerable to Sunder attacks.

But mainly because it's one of those 'nerny-nerny-nerny, you can't hurt me!' puzzle enemies I enjoy when I feel hostile against my players. Like a Swarm that resembles some sort of ghost so that clerics waste turns using Turning and/or anti-Undead spells to absolutely no effect.

[Ashtagon]

Because I wish to screw players over.

Worst reason ever.

Also because that as a moving item, it seems somewhat logical to make it vulnerable to Sunder attacks.

Strictly speaking, so are golems, and so are animated objects. Both of these have hit points are no special vulnerability or requirement for sunder attacks.

Sunder attacks are "I hit the object instead of the creature". In this case, the object is the creature, so even an attack directed at the "creature" would hit the object. This strikes me as a mis-use of game mechanics to create an artificial distinction.

[Deca]

Worst reason ever.

There are worse. And by 'screw them over', I didn't mean a TPK or anything. I just intended the Spite to be somewhat of a 'puzzle enemy', one that you couldn't just kill with sheer brute force. Instead, you have to kill it with slightly different brute force. Or you could just throw a Shatter spell at it. That would just murder it in one shot.

Strictly speaking, so are golems, and so are animated objects. Both of these have hit points are no special vulnerability or requirement for sunder attacks.

Sunder attacks are "I hit the object instead of the creature". In this case, the object is the creature, so even an attack directed at the "creature" would hit the object. This strikes me as a mis-use of game mechanics to create an artificial distinction.

It's because I feel insecure about my DM'ing so I take it out on my players with bizarre puzzle monsters. I did it because I can, thats why.

[DracoDei]

I like puzzle enemies too, but it seems you are going about it in the wrong way... maybe if SOME of them have the dried out husks of their mortal still inside the armor that would work since there isn't actually any animating force in the corpse but the characters might think that was the case.


I also think that instead of straight out auto-success on will saves that "+10 and does not automatically fail on a natural 1" might work better...

[Waargh!]

I suggest giving it HP, but making it come back to life. That is its trick after all. It is an undying warrior. Its will can make it come back again and again. By destroying the armor it simply has nowhere to come back to. But as said before, you have to give it some from despite the armor, so players can target.
The result will be the desired one, plus players will lose time killing it one or two times. It is also a good way to make the monsters lore useful. If they find out its general story, it will be a hint.

The will can stay as it is. There is no problem giving immunities to monsters. Its special abilities should be SU, not EX, thought you can specify that they work in an AMF.

To calculate the CR, you can use the armor's hp and the hardness as a DR (if the formula uses one).

I don't think there are rules to sunder armors, just weapons and objects. Isn't that true? If it is then it might be problematic. When they hit a monster behind a full-plate, they always hit the armor as well. You want them to take a special sunder action, trying actively to break the armor (whatever that means). But is such an action doesn't exist, the puzzle is ruined.

In any case, I would require them to target the weapons. Have it hold 2-3 weapons if you wish or just one. Makes more sense, because it won't be able to fight without them. It has a SP ability and can have its weapon sheathed to make it more difficult for players. It can also have a cape or something else to obscure it, so you can involve a Spot check as well. Of course, you shouldn't over do it, thus it should draw its weapon at one point.

[Deca]

Yes, you can make sunder actions against armour.

Also, changed it.

[GaiTavMag]

My Deltora senses are tingling...

[GaiTavMag]

Mea Culpa

[EdroGrimshell]

My Deltora senses are tingling...

So i'm not the only one that noticed