[New Creature Type] The Fenix, a counterpoint to dragons

[blue_fenix]

This is a new creature type designed as a counterpoint to dragons for a campaign world I'm working on. I realized that the magical beast type didn't really have what I wanted for Fenix (Yes I know that's the wrong spelling. Also, the plural of Fenix is Fenix.), but that dragons get their own type, even though they would otherwise be labeled magical beasts. So here it is:

Creature Type: Fenix
A Fenix is a bird-like creature with various elemental powers who is resurrected by the power of nature when it dies.

Hit Die: d10
Base Attack Bonus: 3/4, as cleric
Good Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saves
Skill points equal to 4 + int mod per hit die, with quadruple points for the first hit die.

Traits (unless specified otherwise in creature entry):
All Fenix have the Fire subtype. A particular type of Fenix may have additional subtypes. Having a subtype with a weakness to fire does not remove a Fenix's immunity to fire.
Unlimited range darkvision and low-light vision
Proficient with its natural weapons only
Not proficient with armor.
Fenix eat and sleep but do not breathe.
Fenix usually have a fly speed. Their maneuverability is never worse than Average.
Fenix speak in a unique language: Fenix-Song. No other creature is capable of reproducing the sounds of this language. When they so choose, a Fenix may allow another creature to understand what the Fenix is saying in Fenix-Song. This is a supernatural ability.

And here's an example Fenix, I may post another example or two later:

Firebird
Type: Fenix(fire)
HD: 10d10+10 (65 hp)
Size: Medium
Move Speed: 15ft, fly 60ft (average)
Initiative:
BAB/Grapple: +7/+7
AC: 15 = 10 + 2(dex) + 3(natural armor)
Attack: Talon +9 melee 1d6
Full AttacK: 2 Talons +9 melee 1d6, bite +4 melee 1d6
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft
Special Attacks: Fireball (10d6, dc 17) 10/day, Cure Serious Wounds 3/day
Special Qualities: Darkvision (unlimited range), low-light vision, Fenix-Song, Fire Control, Fiery Body, Rebirth, immune to fire, vulnerable to cold, Fenix traits, does not breathe.
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +9, Will +9
Abilities: str 10, dex 14, con 12, int 10, wis 15, cha 15
Skills: Listen +10, Spot +10, Knowledge(Arcana) +10, Concentration +10, Diplomacy +10, Sense Motive +10, Survival +5
Feats: Weapon Finesse, Ability Focus(fireball), Sculpt Spell-like ability, Fly-by attack
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: I have no clue
Advancement: by HD, 11-13 medium, 14-17 large, 18-20 huge
Alignment: Usually neutral good.

This is the creature most people think of when they think of a Fenix, an enormous bird covered in bright red, yellow, and orange flames.
Fireball (sp): A Firebird may cast Fireball as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to its hit dice with a caster level equal to its hit dice. The DC is charisma based and boosted by ability focus.
Cure Serious Wounds (sp): A Firebird may cast Cure Serious Wounds 3 times a day as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to its hit dice.
Fire Control (su): A Firebird has a strong connection to fire. By concentrating as a full-round action, a Firebird may detect the presence, location, and size of any fires with in 1000ft regardless of barriers. An additional full-round action may then be taken to increase or decrease the size of any non-magical fire within 100ft that the Firebird has line of sight and effect to by up to 1 size category per round and up to 2 size categories total.
Fiery Body (su): Any enemy of the Firebird who touches it or strikes it in melee takes 1d6 fire damage. A Firebird may choose to allow an ally to touch it without taking damage, in which case they feel only a soothing warmth from the flames.
Rebirth: A Firebird who lives for 100 years or who is slain bursts into flames and is reduced to ash. The Firebird is then reborn from the sun (or the plane of fire, depending on the campaign world) and travels back to the world, returning 2d4 weeks later. A Firebird's body does not age normally, but when it is reborn, the new body is aged as if only 1 year had passed since the last rebirth. A Firebird becomes middle-aged at 100 "years" (rebirths), old at 500, venerable at 1000, and ceases to return 2d4x100 years later. Whether they truly die at that point or merely choose to (or are forced to) remain away from earth/the material plane is unknown. Firebirds mate rarely and may have only one to three children, if any, their entire lives, so the number of Firebirds has not changed much in many millenniums.

So, tell me what you think!

[Kyace]

Rebirth: A Firebird who lives for 100 years or who is slain bursts into flames and is reduced to ash. The Firebird is then reborn from the sun (or the plane of fire, depending on the campaign world) and travels back to the world, returning 2d4 weeks later. A Firebird's body does not age normally, but when it is reborn, the new body is aged as if only 1 year had passed since the last rebirth. A Firebird becomes middle-aged at 100 "years" (rebirths), old at 500, venerable at 1000, and ceases to return 2d4x100 years later. Whether they truly die at that point or merely choose to (or are forced to) remain away from earth/the material plane is unknown. Firebirds mate rarely and may have only one to three children, if any, their entire lives, so the number of Firebirds has not changed much in many millenniums.

The rebirth text is confusing. Do you mean that a Firebird who has been on the material plane for 100 years but otherwise healthy will burst into flame and be reborn? If they are always aged 1 year when they reborn, how do they become venerable?

[blue_fenix]

The rebirth text is confusing. Do you mean that a Firebird who has been on the material plane for 100 years but otherwise healthy will burst into flame and be reborn? If they are always aged 1 year when they reborn, how do they become venerable?

What I mean is, their body does not age as time passes, but when they are reborn their body ages by 1 year. So a Fenix who has lived 1200 years (and thus died of "age" 12 times) and been killed 22 times would have a body that is the equivalent of a 34 year old animal. I may have made the time spans too long in general, but do you get how the math works? The key statement is "aged as if 1 year had passed since the last rebirth"

[Kyace]

Ah ok. Calling a length of time that don't actually measure years but instead measure deaths "years" makes it read confusingly. If you don't mind, you might instead consider something like:

Rebirth: A Firebird who is slain, or has lived 100 years since their last birth, bursts into flames and is reduced to ash. The Firebird is then reborn from the sun (or the plane of fire, depending on the campaign world) and travels back to the world, returning 2d4 weeks later. A Firebird's body does not age normally, but when it is reborn, the new body is aged by 1 year. A Firebird becomes middle-aged at 100 rebirths, old at 500, venerable at 1000, and ceases to return 2d4x100 rebirths later. Whether they truly die at that point or merely choose to (or are forced to) remain away from earth/the material plane is unknown. Firebirds mate rarely and may have only one to three children, if any, their entire lives, so the number of Firebirds has not changed much in many millenniums.

This puts a typical firebird at living on the material plane for 1500 rebirths, or 150,000 years. This is so close to being truely immortal that I wouldn't bother counting.

[blue_fenix]

You make a good point, Kyace. 150,000 years is a little too long, although their lifespans are significantly reduced if they get killed often enough. Maybe I'll cut it all down by a factor of 10 or 20, I dunno. Anybody got an opinion about any of the other mechanics, though? What about CR?

[Deesix]

This seems pretty neat. Phoenix's as a counter to dragons would be interesting, but you need to get more specific with the abilities the template can give...Like, how many spell-like abilities one might have, for certain hit dies. More stuff that allows a person to make their own using what you have there, I think.

Maybe you don't want it that way though, I dunno. Seems cool.

[blue_fenix]

This seems pretty neat. Phoenix's as a counter to dragons would be interesting, but you need to get more specific with the abilities the template can give...Like, how many spell-like abilities one might have, for certain hit dies. More stuff that allows a person to make their own using what you have there, I think.

Maybe you don't want it that way though, I dunno. Seems cool.

Thanks Deesix. As far as giving guidelines for people to make their own, I was kinda planning on doing essentially the same thing that was done with dragons in the original monster manual. That is, dragons are defined as a general type, and then the monster manual gives ten different types of dragons (red, black, gold, copper, etc.) as examples. Based on the examples, people have drawn general conclusions about dragons which were then used to write other matieral such as Dragon Magic, the Draconomicon, and the various other types of dragons in other books such as the gem dragons and the planar dragons, but if you look at the definition of the dragon creature type, it is actually very short and minimalist. In fact, "dragon" is technically defined at the same level of abstractness as "animal," "outsider," and "magical beast." I want to do the same type of thing with Fenix

[Deesix]

Alright, so a general creature type. I imagine you could add more examples, though, right? This is something I might use if I ever run D&D again.