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  1. - Top - End - #31
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by afroakuma View Post
    Going to take a brief pause here and ask if anyone has anything they would like to see covered in this thread, any general preferences, and so forth. I still have plenty of ideas, but I'm open to requests for e.g. more fey, more humanoids, more demons...
    Some undead, please.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Strigon View Post
    Wow.
    That took a very sudden turn for the dark.

    I salute you.
    Quote Originally Posted by AuthorGirl View Post
    I wish it was possible to upvote here.

    I use braces (also known as "curly brackets") to indicate sarcasm. If there are none present, I probably believe what I am saying; should it turn out to be inaccurate trivia, please tell me rather than trying to play along with an apparent joke I don't know I'm making.

  2. - Top - End - #32
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    I'd like a few Deathless or upper planes natives, please.

  3. - Top - End - #33
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    Lundria
    Lundria 1st-level Warrior
    Medium Humanoid
    HD 1d8-1 (3 hp)
    Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
    Init: +4 (+6)
    AC 12 (14); touch 10 (12); flat-footed 12 (+2 armor)
    BAB +1; Grp +2
    Attack Short sword +2 melee (1d6+1)
    Full Attack Short sword +2 melee (1d6+1)
    Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
    Special Attacks Fatecalling aura, foretelling of fate
    Special Qualities Low-light vision, moonvision, phases of the soul, prophecy, sleep vulnerability, surrender to destiny
    Saves Fort +1 Ref +0 (+2) Will +2
    Abilities Str 12, Dex 11, Con 8, Int 7, Wis 15, Cha 8
    Skills Sense Motive +3, Spot +3
    Feats Born under the Crescent MoonB, Improved Initiative
    Environment Any
    Organization Solitary
    Challenge Rating 1/2
    Treasure Standard plus leather armor
    Alignment Any
    Advancement by class; Favored Class Any
    Level Adjustment +0

    A rare and strange people often believed to be linked to the fey, lundrias are not definitively tied to Faerie, though their otherworldly natures and habit of dwelling near boundaries to that other realm do nothing to dispel this association. Though scholars often classify lundrias as an offshoot of humans rather than a true race in their own right, lundrias can be born of many races, with a coupling of a lundria and another humanoid offering a 10-40% chance of yielding a lundria child if the lundria parent is male, 30-60% chance if the lundria parent is female. Lundrias almost never appear in numbers, not due to any inherent avoidance on their part but rather due to their scarcity, for the goddess who created them scattered them across a thousand Prime worlds for the sake of discovery and wonder.

    As noted, lundrias most resemble an offshoot of humans, with alabaster-white skin that can acquire silvery freckles and solid black eyes with patterns on them that exactly mirror the moon (or moons) in the sky of the world they are on presently. They are frequently described as having a "soft" look and a "tragic beauty," a characterization that often annoys them to no end, as lundrias are no more prone to sorrow than any other humanoid. Lundrias have very fine vellus hair on roughly 30% of their body and no other hair below the neck, while their eyebrows tend to grow long and feathery. The hair of their heads tends to be worn extremely long and is resilient to cutting; lundrias have only been seen with two shades of hair, either a platinum silver or a midnight black that looks almost blue depending on the light. Lundria skin can become brittle and form frostlike "snowflake" patterns when exposed to sunlight or bright moonlight for too long; lundrias tend to find this effect very mildly itchy, like a minor course of eczema, and will often rub down affected areas with abrasive cloth. They prefer cooler temperatures and cannot stomach any food containing or made with yeast. Lundrias tend to have long, slender fingers, and often have a habit of stroking, tapping, or running their fingers across the surface of metal.

    Lundria culture is a thin and tenous thing; it can often be very difficult for a lundria to learn more about her heritage, as there are very few places that serve as any kind of hub for their people, and most of those are remote either in wildspace or on the planes. A lundria may be viewed as a witch, changeling, or otherwise seen with suspicion among other humanoids. This is not helped by the fact that lundria personalities shift with the months, to say nothing of their apparent lack of interest in worldly matters. Some believe them to be "cursed" due to their aura involuntarily pushing those on the brink of death one step closer to the grave. Nevertheless, lundrias are possessed of surprising insight and perception, and they have been sought out as "star sages" or "moonsages" by wizards and monarchs for their prophetic abilities.

    Lundrias generally enjoy music and history and are often characterized by rich and deeply felt emotions that they conceal beneath a placid veneer. They are slow to form bonds with others and struggle to establish trust, particularly given how rapidly they change in personality. All lundrias are born at night and identify with their "kindred" who were born under the same phase as they - it is said that there will one day be a lundria born beneath the noonday sun, and that this individual shall threaten all kindred, for she will belong to none. Lundrias are immune to lycanthropy whether transmitted by bite or via magical curse, and they are naturally suspicious of lycanthropes. Lundrias despise moonbeasts and mooncalves; the feeling is mutual, and either kind of creature will seek to kill a lundria on sight. Night hags enjoy preying on lundrias, and it is suspected there is ancient bad blood at work.

    Lundrias have an extreme gender disparity, with 95% being female. A surpassingly small number of lundrias (disproportionately many more male than female) may (1%) be born with more severely frail health but a greater sense of self and natural magnetism (-2 Con, +2 Cha on top of other racial modifiers). For some as-yet unknown reason, these lundrias often possess violently antisocial attitudes and are marked by persistently evil alignments whatever the phase of their soul. Lundrias live for approximately 500 years.

    Fatecalling Aura (Su) At the start of a lundria's turn, any living creature within 30 ft. of her with fewer than 0 hp remaining loses 1 hp. This is not a negative energy effect and the loss of hp cannot be prevented or mitigated through damage reduction, regeneration, and so on. The lundria is incapable of turning off this effect - it is constant. Any given creature can only be affected by one lundria's fatecalling aura each round.

    Foretelling of Fate (Su) Once per encounter as a swift action, a lundria may choose a target within line of sight. For up to 10 minutes, when that target makes any kind of check that requires a roll of a d20 and rolls a natural 15 or higher, before the results of the roll are known, the lundria may force a reroll of that check (this does not require an action or for the lundria to personally witness the attempt being made, it is a foretelling of something that will happen). While a target is under her foretelling of fate, the lundria is incapable of using her prophecy and surrender to destiny abilities. Any hostile action the lundria personally takes against a creature under her foretelling of fate instantly terminates the effect, as she has intervened in the fate she herself foretold, changing the future (same kinds of actions that would break invisibility).

    Moonvision (Ex) A lundria sees in moonlight as though it were full daylight. She can also discern any kind of writing, artwork, or other visual information that is designed to appear only under the light of the moon in some capacity - the same properties that make such a visual interact with moonlight also make it inherently visible to the lundria.

    Phases of the Soul (Ex) A lundria's soul is a complex thing indeed; at every new moon, it takes on a new shade, shifting to a new phase. When this happens, the lundria goes through a few changes:

    • She must choose a new alignment within one step of her current alignment. If her alignment is somehow forced on her, she receives a new saving throw to end the effect modifying her alignment.
    • She may reallocate up to four skill ranks (including those invested in Speak Language or skill tricks), provided this reallocation does not disqualify her from any feat or class she holds (but see below).
    • She may exchange one non-Birth, non-Regional, non-Heritage feat she possesses for another feat that she could have chosen instead of that feat (i.e. if a lundria exchanges a fighter bonus feat, she must exchange it for another fighter bonus feat; if a feat was conferred by a class ability or race and did not offer an alternative, it cannot be exchanged). She must meet the prerequisites for the new feat. If she exchanges a feat for which she had required skill ranks, she may reallocate those ranks as per the above as they no longer constitute a prerequisite. (DM's note: any other kind of feat that is inherent to the character's birth, race, bloodline, or upbringing is similarly unchangeable).
    • Once per year on a new moon, she may exchange her most recently acquired class level for a level in another class for which she meets the prerequisites. If she chooses to do this, her XP total becomes the minimum required to attain her current level; any excess XP is lost immediately and irrevocably.
    • If she possesses a selection of spells known, powers known, or other such limitation, she may exchange one such spell, power, or the like for another.
    • If the lundria possesses traitsUA, one of her traits must change on the night of the new moon.

    A lundria retains all of her memories, but her personality shifts slightly as her soul enters the new phase. Some lundrias exhibit duality of soul, alternating between two states with precious little variance, while others have a panoply of shades throughout the year and beyond and may never revisit the same exact nature of themselves.

    Prophecy (Sp) A lundria possesses the gift of foretelling. Once per day she may use this gift on behalf of another creature via touch, requiring 1 full minute, as though they were the subject of an augury cast at the lundria's character level. The creature touched provides the question for the augury, and the lundria receives the response, which she may reveal in whatever manner she wishes or not at all. During the activation time of this ability, the moons in the lundria's eyes appear to shift as though moving across the night sky for many nights in quick succession. In order to make use of this ability, a lundria must possess a personal focus, a totem or touchstone unique to her with a minimum 100 gp value. If it is damaged, destroyed, or lost, she may secure a replacement, but requires 24 hours to attune to it before being able to use this ability anew.

    Sleep Vulnerability (Ex) Lundria have difficulty resisting sleep and similar effects, suffering a -4 penalty to Will saves to avoid falling asleep. They are treated as having 4 fewer HD for the purpose of effects such as sleep, deep slumber, symbol of sleep and the like. Lundrias suffer the same penalty against nightmare and any ability that copies the effects of that spell.

    Surrender to Destiny (Su) As a swift action once per day, a lundria may immerse herself in the flow of destiny and possibility, allowing her limited prescience to guide her actions rather than trying to rely on her innate reflexes. For 1 minute after using this ability, the lundria uses her Wisdom modifier in place of her Dexterity modifier (on AC, initiative, skills, Reflex saves, and so on). If a lundria finds herself at 0 Dexterity or is otherwise incapable of moving, she cannot meaningfully benefit from use of this ability - it only benefits her insofar as she can actually move.

    • -2 Con, -2 Int, +2 Wis. Lundrias are frail and frequently cast their minds away from the here and now to ruminate on the bigger picture, affording them great insight at the expense of focus, memory, and particular knowledge.
    • Medium-size.
    • A lundria's base speed is 30 ft.
    • A lundria gains one of the following Birth feats as a bonus feat: Born under the Crescent MoonDR340, Born under the Full MoonDR340, Born under the Gibbous MoonDR340, Born under the Half MoonDR340, Born under the New MoonDR340.
    • A lundria does not need to meet the Strength prerequisite for the MoonwarriorDR313 feat.
    • A lundria casts spells of the Divination school and manifests powers of the Clairsentience discipline at +1 caster/manifester level.
    • A lundria cannot be infected by lycanthropy in any form. Other forms of transformation work normally on a lundria.
    • If a lundria has opened her brow chakraMoI, her essentia capacity for brow soulmelds increases by 1.
    • Fatecalling Aura: as above.
    • Foretelling of Fate: as above.
    • Moonvision: as above.
    • Phases of the Soul: as above.
    • Prophecy: as above.
    • Sleep Vulnerability: as above.
    • Surrender to Destiny: as above.
    • Low-light vision
    • Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Any
    • Favored Class: Any.
    • Level Adjustment: +0
    Last edited by afroakuma; 2022-01-25 at 12:44 PM.
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  4. - Top - End - #34
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    Okay, but seriously: why do you hate official LA +0 races so much?

  5. - Top - End - #35
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by Metastachydium View Post
    Okay, but seriously: why do you hate official LA +0 races so much?
    Hate? How so?
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  6. - Top - End - #36
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by afroakuma View Post
    Hate? How so?
    Many of your no RHD LA +0 races (the norrag, the suan, the lundria) are swimming in racial traits, including special qualities that are sometimes quite potent. Don't get me wrong, I really don't like LA but these critters make even LA +1 races simply obsolete through the sheer number of abilities they get for free.

  7. - Top - End - #37
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by Metastachydium View Post
    Many of your no RHD LA +0 races (the norrag, the suan, the lundria) are swimming in racial traits, including special qualities that are sometimes quite potent. Don't get me wrong, I really don't like LA but these critters make even LA +1 races simply obsolete through the sheer number of abilities they get for free.
    It's important to note a few things:

    • Most LA +1 races are not worth LA +1. It's a very poor metric for power. I work with people who have even more experience than I in 3.5 to ensure that when there's an LA +1 on one of these races, it earns its place.
    • LA +0 is all over the map in terms of number of racial features. My balance point is dwarves, who have net +0 stat adjustment, irreducible speed, darkvision, stonecunning, stability, bonuses on saves against poisons, spells, spell-like abilities, a racial bonus to attack rolls against very common low-level foes, a dodge bonus against giants, and two more specific skill perks. Add to that that the ability to wield an exotic weapon as a martial weapon is basically equal to half a feat (a good feat? No, but a feat - Exotic Weapon Proficiency) and dwarves get two of them (plus some supplemental ones in other materials).
    • Compare that to the lundria, above, who possesses a net -2 to ability scores, a saving throw penalty to a specific band of effects, an immunity to one very narrow effect (lycanthropy), a 1/day spell-like ability without combat applications, a 1/encounter ability that has meaningful combat application but is tightly constrained... they may be more interesting abilities than the default LA +0 races get, but that doesn't make them pound-for-pound better.
    • As for whether humans get left behind here (lundrias, among others, get a bonus feat as well as a truckload of other features), it's important to remember that the specific value of the human bonus feat is not merely that it's an extra feat - it's that it's an extra feat slot, which makes it viable to build from. Conversely, there is no feat, prestige class, or other feature in the game that cares if you have Born under the Crescent Moon, which is a nice flavorful feat but contributes dramatically less to build effectiveness than, say, Dodge.

    In summation, they're more interesting (I hope) but I don't believe there would be a meaningful power differential and I think the core LA +0 races still all have their place.
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  8. - Top - End - #38
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    1. Stat adjustments are massively overrated (which is directly responsible for ridiculously weak races getting a +1 LA (khm, hobgoblin, khm)).
    2. Many of those dwarven racial traits are incredibly situational or of very limited use. An at-will move action gaze attack (as sleep but actually useful bacause it scales) is, in turn, quite strong and let's not even get into the norrag's Wand Charge and Wandlore (I mean, innate capability to produce a vastly superior version of eternal wands without a single spellcasting level PLUS a wand-specific Deceive Item-equivalent (but better!) is simply not playing in the same league as stuff like stonecunning, stability and weapon familiarity combined).

  9. - Top - End - #39
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by Metastachydium View Post
    1. Stat adjustments are massively overrated (which is directly responsible for ridiculously weak races getting a +1 LA (khm, hobgoblin, khm)).
    2. Many of those dwarven racial traits are incredibly situational or of very limited use. An at-will move action gaze attack (as sleep but actually useful bacause it scales) is, in turn, quite strong and let's not even get into the norrag's Wand Charge and Wandlore (I mean, innate capability to produce a vastly superior version of eternal wands without a single spellcasting level PLUS a wand-specific Deceive Item-equivalent (but better!) is simply not playing in the same league as stuff like stonecunning, stability and weapon familiarity combined).
    1. Yes and no. It depends on how they are being valued. It would take a lot to make stat adjustments worth a +1 LA on their lonesome, as you note; but conversely, net negative adjustments to stats have the potential to be severely impactful depending on how they land.
    2. A bonus to all saving throws against spells is not situational. Many of the others are - but it's important to note that this also applies in a meaningful sense to the abilities of norrags, etc. as well. Lundrias, for example, get increased essentia capacity on brow chakra soulmelds, but this feature only comes online at 9th level at the earliest, and the brow chakra is relatively limited in application. Norrags can indeed make wands, but are still required to front the costs for doing so, must still make Use Magic Device checks to employ such a wand if they are not capable of using it via their class, and it's just a regular ordinary wand if sold or handed off to anybody else. It gives them appreciable flexibility, yes, but is still ultimately situational unless they are willing to meaningfully invest WBL to do things with it, which at that point is an allocation of resources beyond your racial pick.

    In any event, I do not believe they are excessively "over the curve" or would merit adjustment to LA +1. You are welcome to disagree, and of course the great merit of D&D is that DMs can take material and adjust it as they see fit to make it work in line with how they would like the game to operate. I believe that these races can stand alongside, rather than overtaking, elves and dwarves and all the rest.
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  10. - Top - End - #40
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    I dunno that these all hit that “dwarf” sweet spot—I’d say they’re more competitive with a higher tier of LA +0, the likes of human, strongheart halfling, warforged, dragonborn, whisper gnome, non-Dragonwrought “Playing to their Strengths” kobold. But those are all LA +0 races, and all of them are easily stronger picks than any of these in the right situation. For humans, honestly, that’s still going to be most situations. Afro is entirely correct that the value of the human bonus feat is less about what the feat itself can get you, and much, much more about the “build accelerant” that it represents.
    Last edited by Alea; 2021-09-20 at 09:36 AM.

  11. - Top - End - #41
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by afroakuma View Post
    1. Yes and no. It depends on how they are being valued. It would take a lot to make stat adjustments worth a +1 LA on their lonesome, as you note; but conversely, net negative adjustments to stats have the potential to be severely impactful depending on how they land.
    That's an

    2. A bonus to all saving throws against spells is not situational.
    That's why I didn't mention that one, specifically, but rather stonecunning (because seriously), stability and weapon familiarity (whoever uses a dwarven urgrosh or buckler axe anyway?). I could also add the bonuses to skills, especially Appraise and even the resistance to poison.

    Many of the others are - but it's important to note that this also applies in a meaningful sense to the abilities of norrags, etc. as well. Lundrias, for example, get increased essentia capacity on brow chakra soulmelds, but this feature only comes online at 9th level at the earliest, and the brow chakra is relatively limited in application. Norrags can indeed make wands, but are still required to front the costs for doing so, must still make Use Magic Device checks to employ such a wand if they are not capable of using it via their class, and it's just a regular ordinary wand if sold or handed off to anybody else. It gives them appreciable flexibility, yes, but is still ultimately situational unless they are willing to meaningfully invest WBL to do things with it, which at that point is an allocation of resources beyond your racial pick.
    I wouldn't be so quick to undervalue the stuff with the wands. A crafted (massively superior eternal!) wand of CLW is well worth the expenditure even at a fairly low level and the quasi-Deceive Item makes UMDing it a child's play with a minimal investment into CHA (which the stat adjustment helps with). Also, unlike many of the dwarven traits, such as the +1 to hit against orcs and goblinoids, which become weaker and weaker to the point of irrelevance as the character levels, the usefulness of the wand traits increases with time.

    In any event, I do not believe they are excessively "over the curve" or would merit adjustment to LA +1. You are welcome to disagree, and of course the great merit of D&D is that DMs can take material and adjust it as they see fit to make it work in line with how they would like the game to operate. I believe that these races can stand alongside, rather than overtaking, elves and dwarves and all the rest.
    Alright. It's your call, of course. You said PEACH, I gave my honest opinion, and if I'm not helpful, please do ignore me.

  12. - Top - End - #42
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by Metastachydium View Post
    I wouldn't be so quick to undervalue the stuff with the wands. A crafted (massively superior eternal!) wand of CLW is well worth the expenditure even at a fairly low level and the quasi-Deceive Item makes UMDing it a child's play with a minimal investment into CHA (which the stat adjustment helps with). Also, unlike many of the dwarven traits, such as the +1 to hit against orcs and goblinoids, which become weaker and weaker to the point of irrelevance as the character levels, the usefulness of the wand traits increases with time.
    It does, yes, but I like that about it - I enjoy exploring the space where racial options become more relevant over time rather than vastly less, which is also why the suanta have a scaling gaze ability. You do raise a good point about that one, though - I need to go revisit it as originally they could only sleep-zap someone they had already fascinated, which made it require a full round to get someone to sleep and thus was a less valuable proposition. As currently written it's more powerful than I want it to be.

    Alright. It's your call, of course. You said PEACH, I gave my honest opinion, and if I'm not helpful, please do ignore me.
    Oh no, I appreciate the feedback. It's important to see whether there are concerns and to appraise them against my design goals and intended metrics. As Alea noted above, there are several LA +0 races that easily outcompete these, but multiple perspectives never hurt when it comes to reviewing the minutiae of what these races are able to do and how it stacks against official races.
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    Deities of the Lundrias

    Lundria religion is a bit haphazard given the rarity and dispersal of lundrias across the spheres. Word-of-mouth carries much of their lore, which often transforms greatly in the telling, and lundria clerics are fairly uncommon. Nevertheless, much in the same way that lundrias come to recognize their kindred, so too do they find a spiritual awakening calling them to higher ideals, which often correspond with at least part of the pantheon.

    Lundrias are the creation of their patron goddess Elen Eliré, though they were not the first to worship the Starpainter - in her home crystal sphere, she is a deity venerated by humans and elves, among others. Each of their gods is a fragment of Elen Eliré, one aspect of her representing a phase of the moon. A few heretical lundria clerics claim that Elen Eliré herself is but one aspect of one of the other gods, and that which one is supreme in any given age may change. Orthodox believers (even those of chaotic evil alignment who utterly despise Elen Eliré) consider her the source of the other gods and teach that none can exist without the existence of all of the others, by definition. Apart from their pantheon, lundrias are also touched by alien powers from the deep reaches of the Material Plane, the otherworldly Moongods. The entire pantheon opposes the continued influence of these sinister beings.

    Lundria clerics can worship the lundria pantheon rather than an invididual deity; the available domains are Destiny, Moon, Mysticism, Night, and Oracle. By the grace of Elen Eliré, lundria paladins who worship any member of the pantheon (or the pantheon as a whole) do not lose access to their class features provided their alignment remains within one step of lawful good (allowing paladins despite a lundria's phases of the soul requiring an alignment change on a monthly basis).

    Elen Eliré
    Intermediate Power of the Beastlands
    The Unwavering Light, the Fullness of Creation, Starpainter, Secret Star-Queen
    Alignment: Neutral good
    Portfolio: Lundrias, realized potential, the moon, wisdom
    Divine Realm: Beastlands/Karasuthra/Palace of Starlight and Silence
    Symbol: A crystal surrounding a full moon
    Domains Good, Glory, Moon, Mysticism, Radiance, Zeal
    Favored Weapon: Morningstar

    Creator goddess of the lundrias and source of the other lundria deities, Elen Eliré represents the full moon (Purnama Kindred), power, and purpose. Originally a goddess of secret undertakings and small efforts to achieve a greater triumph, she represented the endurance of hope against evil on her home world, eventually becoming the leader of the faction opposing the malevolent solar deity Zohas after he slew their champion and patron, a knightly god of stars who was Elen Eliré's lover. The lundrias are her mourning, her grief, her love, and her legacy - a thousand thousand stars across a thousand thousand worlds, illuminating unwalked paths. Having been essentially conscripted into a role she had never wanted to play, she swore to her children that they would never be forced to be something; they are ever-changing souls by her gift, in her hope that they will all become the best of every identity they have ever taken.

    In order to accommodate the changing natures of the lundrias and ensure that she might not become turned against her own design by their worship following strange currents, the lunar goddess divided her aspects, separating herself so that her children would have freedom. In this way, she has been a lesser power (before the downfall of Zohas), a greater power (after the triumph over Zohas), and now an intermediate power. Elen Eliré is depicted as a middle-aged woman who has retained much of her youth, with hair like clouds in the night, residing in a palace built on the back of a colossal crystal elephant that floats through the sky. She is said to never speak but only observe, and that under her gaze mortals find wisdom by being forced to fill her silence with the lies they tell themselves to avoid the truth, each one flying away as a moth into the darkness, leaving only that which cannot be denied. Many depictions paint her as a figure of sorrow who has lost her words to the grief of being forever split apart and incapable of becoming whole, but others (correctly) show her as a complete figure of soft and benevolent aspect - for her separation from the rest of the pantheon is her way of remaining forever complete.

    Elen Eliré manifests as a dream to all lundrias in their youth, a hazy flash of their life's destiny in total, never fully remembered but providing the insight needed to follow fate's course - or defy it.

    Elen Ulundri
    Demipower of Ysgard
    Sole Star of the Darkest Night, Illuminator of Ways, Princess of Fates Foretold
    Alignment: Chaotic good
    Portfolio: Prophecy, journeys, quests, hope
    Divine Realm: Ysgard/Nidavellir/Stardown
    Symbol: A star or crescent moon in the mouth of a cavern
    Domains Chaos, Good, Hope, Knowledge, Oracle, Travel
    Favored Weapon: Crescent knifeDR275

    One of the youngest of the pantheon, Elen Ulundri is the patron of the crescent moon (Sabit Kindred), voyages, aspirations, and prophecy. Depicted as a young woman with midnight-black hair and skin holding starlight that trickles between her fingers, she is mythologized as both hero and mentor, champion and guide. The truth is somewhere in between - while she will fight with nightmarish ferocity for what she values, Elen Ulundri prefers to stand apart and inspire others. Her realm exists on the back of an immense celestial starfish that sometimes journeys to Ossa, second layer of Arborea, when not spending its time basking in an underground sea on Nidavellir. She has sometimes been conflated with her ally Eilistraee, though a keen observer will note the different eyes and the pure black hair that distinguish her from the drow goddess.

    Elen Ulundri manifests as a dream in childhood, for she is guardian of lundria children, a dream of discovery and exploration that creates a sense of wanderlust. She is also patron of gifts and giving, and is occasionally attributed with healing tears (a dangerous error, as her tears are burning moonfire). She has also been linked to sea travel and the ocean, though not substantially enough to change her nature or give her any water-related domains - this is thought to derive from her role as a guide to navigators and travellers combined with the attribution of her starfish home. It is said that she is the greatest seer among the lundria gods, and she is sometimes depicted as innocent and naive for spending so much time contemplating the future that she knows neither past nor present.

    Orm Oria
    Demipower of Pandemonium
    Vagrant Star, the Garnet Warlock, He Who Departs, the Great Prodigal
    Alignment: Chaotic evil
    Portfolio: Surrender to destiny, living in the moment, strong beginnings, unresolved paths, power, risk
    Divine Realm: Pandemonium/Phlegethon/Shadowbright
    Symbol: A gibbous moon in a red dragon's talon
    Domains Chaos, Destiny, Evil, Pride, Spell, Travel, Trickery
    Favored Weapon: Greataxe

    Patron of the gibbous moon (Benjol Kindred), Orm Oria is a passionate explorer addicted to new experiences, reckless and windblown, utterly committed to the idea that destiny has already made its decisions - an idea he uses to justify refusing to try to change or make efforts to overcome challenging obstacles. Though portrayed as an ambitious and creative soul whose flashing garnet eyes burn with inspiration and a deep, fierce joy, Orm Oria is infamous in myth for his lack of follow-through. An eternal wanderer, he is motivated not only by a hunger for discovery, but also a desire to escape obligation, responsibility, and finishing what he has started. Although he rules the gibbous moon, which is associated with emotions, he does not have the portfolio of emotion - he was considered an unworthy custodian as he is too subject to the power of his own moods.

    While he is strictly speaking a god of evil, Orm Oria is rarely depicted as truly villainous, for he is in fact not actively wicked - neglectful, selfish, callous, vain, and deeply untrustworthy, most definitely. Cruel? Spiteful? Malicious? No. The worst that can be said about Orm Oria is that he lacks morals and principles other than in pure service to himself - he is brash, enthusiastic, impatient, and deeply cowardly, but his brand of "evil" never exceeds the petty, the vindictive, and the self-serving. Notably, the god's planar allies never include fiends (not that his favored slaad are so very much better...) and his allies include several good-aligned deities of Ysgard, Arborea, and the Beastlands.

    His main depictions show him either as a mighty knight garbed in red armor or a warlock in red silks (though always as a middle-aged manchild with a sheepish or rakish grin). In any guise, his eyes are always garnet, a reflection not only of his favored color but also of how they are not "open" - unlike the lunar eyes of the lundria, Orm Oria's eyes never change, representing how he surrenders to destiny and throws himself blindly into risk. He is arguably the most powerful magic-user of the pantheon and lundria spellcasters and rogues gravitate toward him for the promise of easy victories and strong beginnings.

    Orm Oria's realm towers over a crimson outcropping of rock that resembles a sleeping red dragon coiled up. His dream manifests haphazardly - never before puberty, but anytime after - and leaves a sense of inspiration to try something new, heedless of consequence. Like his sister Elen Ulundri, Orm Oria has a soft spot for children, and his few demonstrated convictions center around protecting lundria young from darker forces than he.

    Héa Eleyr
    Demipower of Limbo
    Guardian of Thresholds, the Unsworn and Unbroken, Siren of the Sea of Souls
    Alignment: True neutral
    Portfolio: Change, light and darkness, individuality, boundaries, moods
    Divine Realm: Limbo/Sea of Souls
    Symbol: A half white, half black disc with an inverted longsword silhouette between the two colors
    Domains Balance, Emotion, Liberation, Moon, Night, Protection
    Favored Weapon: Longsword

    One of the most important lundria deities, the patron of the half moon (Separuh Kindred), of change, of moods, and of thresholds, Héa Eleyr governs the phases of the soul. From their perch atop a vast onyx dolphin that glitters with starlight, the deity traverses a chaotic ocean of light and darkness - their realm, a swirling, pulsing, flowing tribute to the endurance of the lundria people. As guardian of thresholds, Héa Eleyr both sets boundaries and helps lundrias transgress them. A protector figure depicted in myriad ways, the deity represents many facets of lundria experience, and one of their highest principles is freedom - freedom from being bound to a particular path or single way of being, and freedom to be more than one thing, to hold more than one identity, to be an individual despite internal fault lines that could for lesser souls spell division and ruin. The deity of change holds strongly that no being should be left to be a mere fraction of themselves (perhaps somewhat ironic given their relationship to Elen Eliré, though they see no contradiction in this and claim their very existence shows that the goddess of the lundrias refused to be reduced to one facet of herself).

    Besides their role as a tutelary deity and patron of change and liberty, Héa Eleyr is also the muse of lundria bards and a lover of music in all forms. They are venerated in song, for they are a singer of great skill. They believe in balance as the result of trying many different things and averaging out the experiences, rather than standing unchanging in the center.

    Héa Eleyr's dream comes to lundrias at their coming-of-age, on the occasion of their first soul change (which does not usually happen until after puberty/into early adolescence, but can come earlier for some), and is a comforting (albeit hazy) message that the change is not to be feared and does not represent a loss of self, but rather growth and opportunity.

    Liadryn
    Demipower of Carceri
    Moonless Maiden, Midnight Princess of Fate, Star-Siren of Time, Ravenstar
    Alignment: Neutral evil
    Portfolio: Deadly fate, consequence, denial, unrealized possibilities, time, love, death
    Divine Realm: Carceri/Agathys/Midnight's Manse
    Symbol: A raven in flight, seen from below
    Domains Death, Dream, Evil, Fate, Illusion, Time
    Favored Weapon: Unarmed strike

    Youngest of the lundria deities (such as it is, though also depicted as such), Liadryn is the lightless maiden of the new moon (Baru Kindred), a dark counterpart to Orm Oria's embrace of destiny as a journey to new opportunities (she embodies inescapable fates, often negative ones), and a keeper of secrets and the grave. Depicted as an adolescent lundria maiden with golden stars in her midnight hair and profound black eyes, she is often shown holding either a golden hourglass or a raven's feather that sheds light.

    Liadryn is something of a study in contradictions; she is the goddess of death, but also presides over birth; she rules dreams and deception; she is the goddess who oversees love, but is also a figure of eternal solitude in her dark manor. She embodies death as a form of innocence, impartial and without malice, the cold and brutal honesty of fate that cuts through self-deception. She stirs emotion, but also prompts ignorance and a refusal to separate fact from fiction, dream from reality, until destiny makes its unyielding presence known. As the psychopomp of the lundrias, she is a somewhat ominous but never intentionally terrifying figure. Her cruelty is reserved exclusively for the living; her portfolio of love allows her to wrack survivors with grief and guilt, to torture the limerent with the darkness of unrequited passions, and to trap those who desire in reveries that tear them away from the work of attaining their goals. Her odd blend of innocence and cruelty is almost childlike.

    Liadryn despises her neighbor Nerull, believing that he does not meaningfully value either life or death. She torments Orm Oria and is in turn troubled by Elen Ulundri, who can inspire others to see through the dreams of the secretive Moonless Maiden. Alone among the younger lundria deities, Liadryn has begun to gain a following in Elen Eliré's home sphere. She is curiously on good terms with both Wee Jas and Evening Glory.

    Liadryn is not believed to manifest a dream, though some sages believe she sends hers to very young children, filling them with false dreams and imaginings that they will have to grow past if they are to achieve their ambitions. A few believe that such dreams by definition backfire by creating emotions such as wonder, joy, and curiosity. One way or another, the goddess isn't telling.

    Other Deities of the Lundrias

    The Moongods
    Demipowers of the Prime Material Plane
    Secret Star-Sages, Bringers of Calamity, Dark Dreamers, Heralds of the Darkest Hour, the Witch-Stars
    Alignment: Neutral evil
    Portfolio: Astrology, disasters, hidden knowledge, mooncalves
    Divine Realm: Prime Material Plane/unknown
    Symbol: A moon shrouded by tentacle shadows
    Domains Darkness, Evil, Knowledge, Moon, Travel
    Favored Weapon: Spiked chain

    A cluster of distant and uncaring beings whose combined powers constitute the strength and abilities of a demigod, the Moongods are alien beings who stand in opposition to mortal beings. Somehow tied to the monstrous and sinister creatures known as mooncalves, the Moongods stir evil prophecy and dark futures, building hidden cults devoted to finding vile patterns in the skies that promise the end of the world.

    How they came to be enemies of Elen Eliré is unknown; perhaps they filled the void left by Zohas, perhaps the first lundrias trespassed upon their nightmarish reach of wildspace while spreading out to many spheres, or perhaps they simply came to view the moon-linked people as a threat to their long-term plans to wreak calamity. One way or another, the Moongods have made enemies of the entire lundria pantheon and return their hatred tenfold. The enmity between the two factions has grown over centuries, and at some point the Moongods wormed their way into lundria affairs, inserting an insidious taint into a fraction of a fraction of the race, creating the "hidden kindred," the Jahat, who are profoundly charismatic, sickly individuals tainted with evil essences.

    The scope of the Moongods' threat is unknown, as is their level of influence on any given world. Lundrias know of them, though, as the Moongods manifest a dream to them as well - a nightmare, nebulous and vile, projecting a sense of fear that may never be completely shaken. This may in some extreme cases afflict a lundria with a lifelong phobia. The timing of this nightmare seems to vary by kindred.

    Zohas
    Demipower of Baator
    The Immolator, Tyrant-Star, Dark-Dawn, the Oppressor, Burning Lord of All, Conqueror of Gods
    Alignment: Lawful evil
    Portfolio: The sun, tyranny, war, architecture, might, vengeance
    Divine Realm: Baator/Phlegethos/Calefax
    Symbol: A fireball held in a spiked gauntlet
    Domains Evil, Law, Strength, Sun, Tyranny, War, Wrath
    Favored Weapon: Spiked gauntlet or glaive

    At one time a greater deity worshipped by humans, hobgoblins, and azers (among others), Zohas was one of the mightiest gods of his home crystal sphere. Originally a solar deity who was patron of kings and civilization, and an ally of dead Amaunator, Zohas became twisted over millennia by the corruption of his favored servants, whose lineages grew more and more bent on accruing power through force under the supposed legitimacy of their birthright and the approval of their deity. Eventually those civilizations which did not follow his teachings were bolstered by their own patrons, ultimately coming to a head when Zohas murdered three of them and declared his right to the "spoils" (read: people) of those deities. A coalition formed to oppose him, while other gods of evil ambitions and those cowed by the menacing might of the sun god served him in kind. All seemed lost when the champion of the free peoples, a knightly star-god, fell in single combat with Zohas.

    Then Elen Eliré stepped in to take on her lover's mantle, moving from the sidelines of the war to its forefront. Eschewing the direct martial conflict preferred by the wicked sun god, the moon goddess inspired her followers both mortal and divine to bring the battle where Zohas least expected - the hearts and minds of his own followers, or rather their subjects. With the legitimacy of the rulers he promoted being undermined, the often state-mandated faith of Zohas began to crumble, forcing him to take ever-greater risks to secure his power. Sensing weakness, those who had aligned with him in fear broke away, and within a decade the sun god's strength was broken for all time, reducing him nearly to exile from his home sphere.

    Zohas has never forgotten, and never forgiven. He struggles to gain a foothold on other worlds, but he has done it before and it will happen again. He is consumed with restoring his divine right to be the ultimate tyrant by exacting vengeance against Elen Eliré, and in the past century he has finally discovered her secret children. His aim is to destroy her through them, taking what is hers and using it to eradicate his hated enemy. How he plans to do this remains unknown, but lundria myth speaks of a prophesized child born in the heart of daylight, the sole member of the nonexistent Arona Kindred, who will be a threat to lundrias everywhere.

    Zohas is incapable of sending dreams to the lundrias. No known lundria clerics of Zohas exist, though it is likely that he will try to corrupt a lundria to his service in due time.
    Last edited by afroakuma; 2021-10-08 at 05:45 PM.
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  14. - Top - End - #44
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    Drukhmor

    Although the cult of Faluzure claims to have created the first drukhmor, in truth they are the product of the lost draconic deity Kalzareinad, Keeper of Dark Wonders. Product of a spell wielded only by the foulest of dragonkind, drukhmor are undead bound to the essence of their creator, instilled with the powerful draconic essence and attendant magics.

    A drukhmor looks largely as it did in life, although it slowly takes on characteristics of a mummy over time, becoming decayed and desiccated. Its skin tightens to show the skeletal structure, and tends to take on a shade of the patron dragon's scales, while its eyes become black voids with five blazing points of light in each. Its skull shape adjusts slightly to somewhat resemble the patron's, including nonfunctional horns. Its forelimbs grow prominent claws (if none existed already). Most notably, each drukhmor has a single dragon scale on a central point of its body (normally the breastbone for a humanoid), which glows with otherworldly light.

    Creating a Drukhmor
    "Drukhmor" is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid, monstrous humanoid, giant, or magical beast of Small or larger size (referred to hereafter as the base creature). A drukhmor is always created by a true dragon or a spellcaster acting on behalf of and in concert with a true dragon (said dragon referred to hereafter as the patron). The patron's statistics are only considered as of the time the drukhmor is created (e.g. a patron who ages from Adult to Mature Adult does not cause any statistical or physical changes to existing drukhmor created while they were still Adult).

    A drukhmor uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

    Size and Type
    The creature’s type changes to undead (augmented humanoid, monstrous humanoid, giant, or magical beast). Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged. The drukhmor gains the subtypes of the patron, if any.

    Hit Dice
    Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s. A drukhmor gains 2 HD if its patron's age category is Wyrmling to Juvenile; 4 HD if its patron's age category is Young Adult to Old; and 6 HD if its patron's age category is Very Old to Great Wyrm.

    Speed
    Same as the base creature. Drukhmor cannot swim unless the patron has a swim speed.

    Armor Class
    The base creature's natural armor bonus improves by +1/3 of the patron's natural armor bonus, rounded down (e.g. if the patron's natural armor bonus is +8, the drukhmor's natural armor bonus increased by +2).

    Attack
    A drukhmor retains all the attacks of the base creature and also gains a claw attack. If the base creature can use weapons, the drukhmor retains this ability. A creature with natural weapons retains those natural weapons. A drukhmor fighting without weapons uses either its claw attack or its primary natural weapon (if it has any). A drukhmor armed with a weapon uses its claw or a weapon, as it desires.

    Full Attack
    A drukhmor fighting without weapons uses either its claw attack (see above) or its natural weapons (if it has any). If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack along with a claw or other natural weapon as a natural secondary attack.

    Damage
    The damage of a drukhmor's natural weapons remains unchanged. The damage of the drukhmor's claw attack follows the table below:

    Spoiler: Claw Attack
    Show
    Size Damage
    Small 1d3
    Medium 1d4
    Large 1d6
    Huge 1d8
    Gargantuan 2d6
    Colossal 3d6


    Special Attacks
    A drukhmor retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains the following:

    Breath Weapon (Su) A drukhmor gains a lesser version of the patron's breath weapon that is half as effective (e.g. if the patron has a 12d6 breath weapon, the drukhmor's breath weapon deals 6d6 damage; if the patron's breath weapon applies an effect for four rounds, the drukhmor's applies it for 2 rounds, etc.) rounded down. The drukhmor's breath weapon has half the length of that of a dragon of equivalent size (e.g. a Medium drukhmor uses half of a Medium dragon's length, so 60 ft. line would become 30 ft. line). Saving throws are as per the patron's breath weapon; save DCs are Charisma-based for the drukhmor and use its character level in place of the patron's hit dice. A drukhmor may use its breath weapon at most once every other round.

    If the patron has multiple breath weapons, one of them must be chosen to be conferred to the drukhmor. Any abilities possessed by the patron that modify its breath weapon do not pass on to the drukhmor (e.g. feats, class abilities, templates, and so on).

    Invocations (Sp) A drukhmor gains access to invocations from the dragonfire adept list, based on the age category of the patron, as per the table below:

    Age Category Least Lesser Greater Dark
    Wyrmling 1
    Very Young 2
    Young 2
    Juvenile 2 1
    Young Adult 3 1
    Adult 3 2
    Mature Adult 3 2 1
    Old 4 2 1
    Very Old 4 3 1
    Ancient 4 3 2
    Wyrm 4 3 2 1
    Great Wyrm 4 4 2 1

    The drukhmor uses these with an effective dragonfire adept level equal to their character level.

    Psionics A drukhmor with a psionic patron has some level of psionic ability. The drukhmor gains power points equal to twice the patron's natural armor bonus or twice the patron's HD, whichever is greater, and selects a single psionic mantleCPsi. The drukhmor may use the granted power of that mantle and select powers from it as an ardentCPsi of level equal to the patron's manifester level. If a drukhmor has any such powers available, it loses one invocation per grade.

    Special Qualities
    A drukhmor retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains the following:

    Damage Reduction (Su) A drukhmor has the damage reduction of its patron. Regardless of the patron's DR, a drukhmor's is always DR X/magic and piercing, and never requires additional qualities to bypass (e.g. if the patron has DR 15/good and silver, the drukhmor has DR 15/magic and piercing).

    Dragonbound (Su) Effects that specifically affect dragons in a harmful or unwanted fashion affect the drukhmor as though it were a dragon and not an undead creature, unless it would be more harmful to an undead creature or to an undead (augmented dragon), in which case the drukhmor always suffers the most severe effect of these. For instance, a drukhmor takes an additional 2d6 damage from a dragonbane weapon or an undeadbane weapon.

    Immunities (Su) A drukhmor has any immunities of its patron not conferred to that patron by an acquired template.

    Inheritance (Su) The dark covenant of the drukhmor involves a substantial link of arcane power that is not easily erased from existence. When a drukhmor is destroyed, the last vestiges of its power seek out a new home, latching on to the nearest drukhmor within 1 mile, regardless of patron. The transfer of power lasts for 1 day per age category of the patron. Any given drukhmor can hold at most four inheritances; any above this number are lost. If a drukhmor is destroyed while holding an inheritance, both inheritances pass on to the next drukhmor (this also applies if it was holding more than one).

    When a drukhmor receives an inheritance, it immediately gains 2d8+3 temporary hp which last until the inheritance expires (if it receives multiple, it gains temporary hp for each one received). In addition, a drukhmor benefits from a spell effect for the duration of the inheritance, based on how many they hold:

    Inheritances Spell Effect
    1 divine favor
    2 scintillating scalesSC
    3 fire shield*
    4 righteous might
    *deals damage per the patron's breath weapon, if applicable, otherwise defaults to dealing fire damage. Does not protect against fire- or cold-based effects.

    The effective caster level of such effects is equal to the caster level/manifester level of the patron of the destroyed drukhmor.

    Besides these benefits, a drukhmor also enjoys +1 natural armor, +1 to damage rolls, a +1 bonus to initiative checks, and +2 turn resistance per inheritance currently held. A drukhmor's appearance shifts slightly with each inheritance, seeming slightly larger (or much larger from righteous might) and acquiring an additional glowing scale adjacent to their own.

    Soulscale (Su) A drukhmor's powers and very existence stem from the scale of the patron that is affixed to their body. If this scale is destroyed, the drukhmor immediately disintegrates into ash without passing on its powers via inheritance. The scale has hardness 10, 10 hp, the same DR as the drukhmor, and is only damaged by targeted physical attacks, never by area effects or energy damage. It has the same AC as the drukhmor +8 for size, and its AC applies fully against touch attacks. An attack against the soulscale must be declared before it is rolled. As long as a soulscale exists, the patron can use it as a focus for divination effects (e.g. clairaudience, clairvoyance) as though personally present, allowing the patron to magically sense through its drukhmor.

    Turn Resistance (Ex) A drukhmor has +2 turn resistance. This may increase temporarily due to inheritance (see above).

    Abilities
    Adjust from the base creature as follows: Str +4, Dex -2, Int +2, Wis +4, Cha +2. As an undead creature, a drukhmor has no Constitution score.

    Skills
    Drukhmor have a +4 racial bonus on Climb, Listen, Search, Spot, and Use Magic Device checks, and are considered trained in all of these skills. Otherwise same as base creature.

    Feats
    Same as base creature, plus Ability Focus (breath weapon) as a bonus feat.

    Languages
    Drukhmor speak Draconic in addition to any languages the base creature could speak, provided they are capable of independent speech.

    Environment
    Any.

    Challenge Rating
    Patron's age category Juvenile or younger: same as the base creature +1; Young Adult to Old, same as the base creature +2; Very Old to Great Wyrm, same as the base creature +3.

    Alignment
    Drukhmor are almost always evil and tend to match the alignment of their patron. Some very rare drukhmor retain their individuality and the alignment they had in life, though the power of the spell that created them may still compel them to perform evil acts.

    Sample Drukhmor
    Spoiler: Sample 1
    Show
    Ogre Drukhmor (Patron: Adult Green Dragon)
    Large Undead (Air, Augmented Giant)
    HD 8d12+3 (57 hp)
    Speed 30 ft. in hide armor (6 squares); base speed 40 ft.
    Init: -2
    AC 21; touch 7; flat-footed 23 (+11 natural, +3 armor, -1 size, -2 Dex)
    BAB +5; Grp +18
    Attack Greatclub +12 melee (2d8+10) or javelin +2 ranged (1d8+7) or claw +11 melee (1d6+7)
    Full Attack Greatclub +12 melee (2d8+10) or javelin +2 ranged (1d8+7) or claw +11 melee (1d6+7)
    Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
    Special Attacks Breath weapon, invocations
    Special Qualities Darkvision 60 ft., DR 5/magic and piercing, dragonbound, immunity to acid, inheritance, low-light vision, soulscale (AC 29), turn resistance +2
    Saves Fort +5 Ref +0 Will +5
    Abilities Str 25, Dex 6, Con -, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 9
    Skills Climb +11*, Listen +8*, Search +3*, Spot +7*, Use Magic Device +3*
    Feats Ability Focus(breath weapon)B, Toughness, Weapon Focus (greatclub)
    Environment Any
    Organization Solitary
    Challenge Rating 5
    Treasure Standard
    Alignment Always lawful evil
    Advancement by class

    Breath Weapon (Su) 20 ft. cone, 6d6 acid damage, Reflex DC 15 half.

    Invocations (Sp)DM At will - Breath of the Night, Charm, Deafening Roar, Frightful Presence, See the Unseen.

    Spoiler: Sample 2
    Show
    Manticore Drukhmor (Patron: Young Adult Red Dragon)
    Large Undead (Augmented Magical Beast, Fire)
    HD 10d12 (65 hp)
    Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); fly 50 ft. (clumsy)
    Init: +1
    AC 22; touch 10; flat-footed 21 (+12 natural, +1 Dex, -1 size)
    BAB +8; Grp +19
    Attack Claw +14 melee (2d4+7) or 6 spikes +9 ranged (1d8+3/19-20)
    Full Attack 2 claws +14 melee (2d4+7) and bite +12 melee (1d8+3); or 6 spikes +9 ranged (1d8+3/19-20)
    Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
    Special Attacks Breath weapon, invocations, spikes
    Special Qualities Cold vulnerability, darkvision 60 ft., DR 5/magic and piercing, dragonbound, immunity to fire, inheritance, low-light vision, scent, soulscale (AC 30), turn resistance +2
    Saves Fort +6 Ref +7 Will +7
    Abilities Str 24, Dex 13, Con -, Int 9, Wis 16, Cha 11
    Skills Climb +11*, Listen +11*, Search +3*, Spot +15*, Use Magic Device +4*
    Feats Ability Focus (breath weapon)B, Flyby Attack, Multiattack, TrackB, Weapon Focus (spikes)
    Environment Any
    Organization Solitary
    Challenge Rating 7
    Treasure Standard
    Alignment Always chaotic evil
    Advancement 7-16 HD (Large); 17-18 HD (Huge)

    Breath Weapon (Su) 20 ft. cone, 5d10 fire damage, Reflex DC 17 half.

    Invocations (Sp)DM At will - Deafening Roar, Magic Insight, Scalding Gust, Voracious Dispelling

    Spoiler: Sample 3
    Show
    Medusa Drukhmor (Patron: Ancient Black Dragon)
    Medium Undead (Augmented Monstrous Humanoid, Water)
    HD 12d12 (78 hp)
    Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
    Init: +1
    AC 24; touch 11; flat-footed 23 (+13 natural, +1 Dex)
    BAB +9; Grp +11
    Attack Claw +11 melee (1d6+2) or shortbow +10 ranged (1d6/×3) or dagger +11 melee (1d4+2/19-20) or snakes +11 melee (1d4+2 plus poison)
    Full Attack Shortbow +10/+5 ranged (1d6/×3); or dagger +11/+6 melee (1d4+2/19-20) and snakes +6 melee (1d4+2 plus poison); or claw +11 melee (1d6+2) and snakes +6 melee (1d4+2 plus poison)
    Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
    Special Attacks Breath weapon, invocations, petrifying gaze, poison
    Special Qualities Darkvision 60 ft., DR 15/magic and piercing, dragonbound, immunity to acid, inheritance, soulscale (AC 32), turn resistance +2
    Saves Fort +2 Ref +6 Will +8
    Abilities Str 14, Dex 13, Con -, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 17
    Skills Bluff +10, Climb +6*, Diplomacy +5, Disguise +10 (+12 acting), Intimidate +5, Listen +7*, Move Silently +7, Search +6*, Spot +14*, Use Magic Device +7*
    Feats Ability Focus (breath weapon)B, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Finesse
    Environment Any
    Organization Solitary
    Challenge Rating 10
    Treasure Standard
    Alignment Always chaotic evil
    Advancement by class

    Breath Weapon (Su) 30 ft. line, 10d4 acid damage, Reflex DC 21 half.

    Invocations (Sp)DM At will - Aquatic Adaptation, Beguiling Influence, Deafening Roar, Draconic Toughness, Enthralling Voice, Humanoid Shape, See the Unseen, Walk Unseen, Wingstorm

    Petrifying Gaze (Su) Turn to stone permanently, 30 feet, Fortitude DC 19 negates. The save DC is Charisma-based.

    Poison (Ex) Injury, Fortitude DC 19, initial damage 1d6 Str, secondary damage 2d6 Str. The save DC is Charisma-based.
    Last edited by afroakuma; 2021-10-05 at 03:23 PM.
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  15. - Top - End - #45
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    I love the suan, but I also love the terror fish. Weird supernatural fauna are my jam, and these innocent little blobby things that reek like blood and emit terrifying shrieks are just great
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    Jison
    Large Magical Beast (Extraplanar, Good, Lawful)
    HD 6d10+18 (51 hp)
    Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
    Init: +4
    AC 21; touch 13; flat-footed 17 (+8 natural, +4 Dex, -1 size)
    BAB +6; Grp +16
    Attack Claw +11 melee (1d4+6, 19-20/x2) or light of Mercuria +9 ranged touch (2d6, 4d6 vs. evil outsider or undead)
    Full Attack 2 claws +11 melee (1d4+6, 19-20/x2) and bite +9 melee (1d8+3) and light of Mercuria +7 ranged touch (2d6, 4d6 vs. evil outsider or undead)
    Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
    Special Attacks Gaze of worth, light of Mercuria, pounce, roar, spell-like abilities
    Special Qualities Armor of courage, darkvision 60 ft., DR 5/chaotic or evil, fear immunity, low-light vision
    Saves Fort +8 Ref +9 Will +5
    Abilities Str 23, Dex 19, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 16
    Skills Balance +9, Climb +12*, Disguise +5*, Intimidate +8, Jump +22*, Listen +7*, Move Silently +10*, Sense Motive +13*, Spot +7*
    Feats Improved Critical (claw)B, Multiattack, Run, Subduing StrikeBoED
    Environment Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia (Mercuria)
    Organization Solitary, pair, or pride (4-8 plus 1-12 juveniles)
    Challenge Rating 7
    Treasure Standard
    Alignment Always lawful good
    Advancement 7-12 HD (Large); 13-18 HD (Huge)

    The second layer of Mount Celestia, Mercuria is a golden realm of lush hills and valleys. The flat prairies and savannahs that hide amid the rolling landscape play host to the jison, also known as Mercurian lions, pridebreakers, or lions of Arion. Originally created by a minor deity of courage, jison have spread beyond his realm and sometimes even beyond their home layer, patiently searching for travellers to judge and evildoers to devour.

    A jison resembles a jet-black lion bathed in a lambent golden glow. Its eyes are molten pools of gold. The tail of a jison is heavily furred and resembles a horse's tail more so than a lion's. A jison's hair and fur do not move when the jison is stationary; even powerful winds have no effect. For this reason, a jison at rest can be difficult to distinguish from a black statue. A few other minor features set jison apart from true lions - their hind legs have no claws and they do not appear to be capable of tracking by scent (jison smell chaos and evil, rather than the normal scents of other creatures).

    Jison spend their time stalking prey (generally celestial herbivores) across the wilds of Mercuria, but they will divert from this mission to hunt their true quarry - visitors to the layer. While they will never harass archons, jison demonstrate a mixture of wariness and curiosity where all others are concerned, and may track alongside a traveller for several hours before confronting them with its potent gaze in order to judge their self-worth and take their measure. Jison are adept at dealing subdual damage to those who fail their tests but do not possess the true stink of evil or chaos, and are equally adept at unleashing fast and powerful strikes with their claws and bite should they feel the need to kill. They consider it their duty to test the resolve and character of any who are not native to Mercuria. Although they are predators, jison can go up to a week without consuming meat, and they will never employ their gaze of worth against prey animals. Several villages on Mercuria (and even on some other layers and neighboring planes) use the jison as a symbol, signalling welcome for those of a lawful good bent.

    Jison live in small prides, consisting of 4-8 adults plus up to 12 juveniles (Medium jison with 2-4 HD and no roar). Adults like to wander separately when not raising young, and may be found solo or in mated pairs looking to join up with other couples to form a new pride for mutual defense. Jison have few natural predators on Mercuria, but compete for prey with noctrals. They dislike asuras, moon dogs, and bariaurs, though they will not generally look to kill such creatures. Some jison attach themselves to local communities, where they serve as watchdogs of a sort, examining visitors. By and large, however, while jison may defer to certain celestial beings (almost always to archons), they consider themselves independent and prioritize duty to their pride, their young, and their plane over any other entity. Jison are quite intelligent enough to understand when someone is trying to train them, and they do not care for the notion whatsoever - a jison considers itself much more abreast of what it should be doing with its time than anyone else. Jison are willing to use their spell-like abilities to help others who they have gauged to be of good character and confidence; they are loath to use their prayer ability except in defense of their pride, and do not lightly employ their gaseous form ability as it leaves them vulnerable - transforming into a cloud of shimmering golden vapor disables most of their powers, prevents them from attacking physically, and the ability can only be used once per week.

    Jison do not speak, but understand Celestial and may (20%) also understand another language (most often Dwarven, Draconic, or Auran). If a jison is contacted telepathically, it will often be pleased to carry on a conversation, though its ability to understand most subjects is limited to that of an average human. Jison are most curious about motivation and character, and have even been known to at least exchange a few thoughts with a chaotic or evil being before issuing a stern warning to leave the plane immediately. Jison are not easily duped, but have a tendency to grow morose for weeks at a time on the rare occasions that they discover they have been had. Jison are available as special paladin mounts to a paladin of at least 10th level (as per DMG p.205). Jison may be summoned using summon monster VI.

    A jison's natural weapons are considered magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming DR.

    Armor of Courage (Su) A jison is protected from cowardly acts by its golden aura. Against sneak attacks, sudden strikes, attacks involving poison, attacks made from beyond melee range, attacks made by creatures flanking the jison, attacks made against the jison while prone, attacks made against the jison in a surprise round, or any other circumstance in which an attacker is trying to secure an unfair advantage, the jison gains a +4 deflection bonus to AC. This has been factored into its flat-footed AC above. This bonus applies against any attack made against the jison while it is in gaseous form, ignoring that spell's normal restriction on supernatural abilities.

    Gaze of Worth (Su) A jison's most infamous ability is its gaze, a searching and penetrating unblinking stare that seems to probe the deepest reaches of the soul. The gaze of a jison forces the victim to confront their own self-worth; if it is found wanting, the victim is paralyzed by doubt. As a standard action, a jison focuses its gaze on a creature within 60 ft., who must make a special Will save (DC 16), using their base Will saving throw bonus plus their Charisma modifier, plus any morale modifier and/or insight bonus on Will saving throws. On a failed save, the victim is paralyzed for as long as they are exposed to the jison's gaze and for 2d4 rounds thereafter. The gaze is broken if the jison takes a standard or full-round action or loses line of sight to the victim. Whether or not a creature succeeds on this saving throw, it is also shaken for 6 minutes. Good-aligned creatures get a +2 bonus on this special saving throw, while evil-aligned creatures suffer a -2 penalty. Each round on its turn, the victim may attempt a new saving throw to end the effect. (This is a full-round action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.) No other actions may be taken while under this paralysis, including purely mental actions - the mind is preoccupied by the challenge to self-image. The save DC is Charisma-based.

    This is not a mind-affecting effect but does rely on the victim having complex emotions and capability for self-reflection; creatures without emotion or creatures with any mental ability score below 3 cannot be affected by a jison's gaze. A creature exposed to this effect, regardless of whether their initial saving throw succeeds or failed, cannot be affected by the same jison's or another jison's gaze of worth for 24 hours (this does not erase the effects of the initial exposure, but prevents a second exposure from re-applying the effects). Unlike other gaze attacks, there is no passive function to a jison's gaze - while potential targets can still use the same countermeasures as would work for other gaze attacks, the jison must actively select individual targets for its gaze attack; simply looking at the jison poses no inherent risk.

    Light of Mercuria (Sp) A jison is constantly under the effects of light of MercuriaSC and is able to discharge a ray from the spell effect as part of a full attack action. If this effect is dispelled, suppressed, or runs out due to the jison expending available rays, it is reapplied automatically at the start of the jison's next turn.

    Pounce (Ex) If a jison charges a foe, it can make a full attack.

    Roar (Su) As a standard action, a jison can let out a fearsome roar. Creatures within 30 ft. of the jison of any alignment other than lawful good must make a Will save (DC 16) or be shaken for 1 minute. A creature already affected by a jison's gaze of worth is instead frightened for 1 minute. The save DC is Charisma-based. This is a sonic, mind-affecting effect.

    Spell-Like Abilities (Sp) At will - detect chaos, detect evil, remove fear; 3/day - convictionSC, cure light wounds, divine favor, expeditious retreat; 1/week - gaseous form, prayer. Caster level 6th, save DCs Charisma-based.

    Skills A jison has a +8 racial bonus to Disguise checks to appear to be a statue while immobile. Jison have a +4 racial bonus to Climb, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks, a +16 racial bonus to Jump checks, and a +8 racial bonus to Sense Motive checks.
    Last edited by afroakuma; 2021-10-08 at 10:12 PM.
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  17. - Top - End - #47
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    I like those quite a lot. They are the right thing for my evil group to outwhit. Thank you.

  18. - Top - End - #48
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    Aslan, is that you? Those are some pretty great lions. Any thoughts on a paladin snagging one as a mount?
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by Eurus View Post
    Aslan, is that you? Those are some pretty great lions. Any thoughts on a paladin snagging one as a mount?
    I believe my thoughts on that would be "evil beware."

    I'll need to go review paladin mounts... and summon monster, for that matter. Good call sir!
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    Gornest
    Medium Magical Beast (Extraplanar, Lawful)
    HD 3d10+6 (22 hp)
    Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
    Init: +1
    AC 17; touch 11; flat-footed 16 (+6 natural, +1 Dex)
    BAB +3; Grp +5
    Attack Head butt +6 melee (1d6+3, males only) or gore +6 melee (1d4+3, 19-20/x2, females only)
    Full Attack Head butt +6 melee (1d6+3, males only) or gore +6 melee (1d4+3, 19-20/x2, females only)
    Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
    Special Attacks Maneuvers, powerful charge
    Special Qualities Darkvision 60 ft., electric immunity, low-light vision, mettle, resistance to cold 10, fire 10, and sonic 10, stubborn
    Saves Fort +5 Ref +4 Will +4
    Abilities Str 15, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10
    Skills Balance +5, Climb +10, Intimidate +6, Listen +8, Sense Motive +6, Spot +8
    Feats AlertnessB, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (head butt or gore)
    Environment Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia or Peaceable Kingdoms of Arcadia
    Organization Solitary or herd (12-30)
    Challenge Rating 3
    Treasure None
    Alignment Always lawful neutral
    Advancement 4-6 HD (Medium); 7-12 HD (Large)

    A common livestock animal on Mount Celestia and Arcadia both, gornests superficially resemble somewhat heavyset goats or sheep. Their hair is generally a light shade of brown - ecru, dun, occasionally chestnut or bronze, and only very rarely white or black. Where a goat's beard would be, a gornest has a bony chin spike that hooks downward - more pronounced in males than in females. The pupils of their eyes are diamond-shaped, wider horizontally than vertically, and their irises are normally a deep rich blue. Their hooves are jet-black and all one piece, like those of horses, and their fetlocks are large and pronounced. Most noticeable are the mighty curled horns of gornests, which resemble marble in various hues. Any given herd can be recognized by the distinctive color patterns of members' horns. Both sexes bear these horns, with the males' forming impressive rounded curls that can be used for powerful headbutts, while females' horns curve forward sharply and are used for scraping bark and for goring.

    Gornests have complex eusocial behaviors both among themselves and with their natural predators. They are often called "dueling rams" for adults' habits of assuming powerful combat stances to challenge predators one-on-one. A gornest herd generally has between one and four "warriors," skewing about 60% male on average, who look out for predators and will intercept them before they reach the herd. These warriors will issue a signal with a toss of their head to indicate to both herd and predator that the herd has other warriors who can protect them, indicating that the warrior will challenge the predator and either come out on top or as prey. Occasionally, when a herd leans younger and new warriors have not yet been raised to full independence, the warrior will instead signal that the herd is not ready to risk carrying on without them, which is done via a sharp double stomp with a hoof. A predator who does not heed this warning may sometimes be offered an older and infirm member of the herd, who will step up to take over the challenge; equally often, it seems, refusal to heed the warning will be met with immediate attack by the warrior.

    Gornests chiefly eat grasses and leaves, occasionally supplementing their diets with fruit, bark, and the odd caterpillar or bee (gornests who find a hive will cheerfully snack on it). They adopt fighting styles reminiscent of those practised by some of the most skilled Material Plane warriors, with warriors tending to favor stances and strikes that can either protect the herd (iron guard's glare) or provide for it (mountain hammer to break trees). Gornests are intractable sticklers for behaving in very specific ways - while local predators such as noctrals and jison have come to learn "the rules," other beasts who come calling are likely to get a fierce reception. They are stubborn to a fault and highly resistant to compulsion; they are also considerably more obnoxious to deal with than other magical beasts (+10 to the DC of any Charisma-based check to influence a gornest). Gornests demonstrate substantial loyalty to their herd, and a warrior will never voluntarily back down from a threat to the herd unless another is ready to take its place. Even then, there must be a good reason (kids to rear as warriors, for example).

    Gornest blood evaporates rapidly and dries clear. Properly collected and prepared, it can serve as axiomatic water. As it is hard to keep liquid, a flask of gornest blood lasts at most 1d4+1 days even if sealed airtight. Gornest horns are quite attractive and have been known to fetch high prices on Arcadia and other planes, though some parts of Arcadia discourage the slaying of the beasts for their horns alone (most everywhere on Celestia frowns on the practice). Gornest hair is excellent for fabric and is known to be in use across the Upper Planes. Gornest meat is difficult to prepare well and has been compared to jerky in texture - some also describe it as "salty," "earthy," or "refreshing," and it is particularly prized by dao. Gornests do not speak or understand any language, though they can be interacted with using speak with animals as though they were normal Material Plane beasts.

    Gornests are extremely proud and will normally challenge foes one-on-one unless they perceive foul play, which may include attempting to get to the herd without challenging a warrior, ignoring a warrior's signal to stand down, or multiple foes teaming up against a single gornest. More than one would-be poaching crew has foolishly believed gornests will only ever fight solo, only to discover the entire herd charging toward them as they attempt to exploit a numerical advantage that has rather suddenly turned against them. Gornests are very good at self-herding, with the warriors generally steering the herd to and from optimal grazing areas and recognizing where "home" is, a fact that has made gornest domestication quite easy for those who understand how to work with the beasts (and how to let them think they're taking charge).

    Maneuvers A gornest is capable of initiating martial maneuvers (IL 3rd). To ready or recover maneuvers, a gornest must spend 5 minutes uninterrupted pacing the ground. A gornest knows and readies a number of maneuvers and stances as though it were a warblade of level equal to its racial hit dice (3rd level for the gornest presented here). Gornests may know and ready maneuvers and stances from the Devoted Spirit, Stone Dragon, or White Raven disciplines. Gornests typically select from the following (selections may vary):

    Spoiler: Common gornest maneuvers/stances known
    Show
    Devoted Spirit
    • Crusader's Strike
    • Foehammer
    • Iron Guard's Glare
    • Vanguard Strike

    Stone Dragon
    • Charging Minotaur
    • Mountain Hammer
    • Stone Bones
    • Stonefoot Stance

    White Raven
    • Battle Leader's Charge
    • Bolstering Voice
    • Leading The Attack
    • Leading The Charge
    • Tactical Strike


    Mettle (Ex) If a gornest makes a successful Fortitude or Will saving throw against an attack that normally applies a lesser effect on a successful save, the gornest instead negates the effect completely. An unconscious or sleeping gornest does not benefit from this ability.

    Powerful Charge (Ex) A gornest deals 2d6+6 points of damage (male) or 2d4+6 points of damage (female) when it makes a charge.

    Stubborn (Ex) A gornest has a +4 bonus to Will saving throws against compulsion effects.

    Skills Gornests have a +4 racial bonus to Balance, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks. They have a +2 racial bonus to Listen and Spot checks. They have a +8 racial bonus to Climb checks.
    Last edited by afroakuma; 2021-10-11 at 08:23 PM.
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    Gornest goatherds must be remarkably patient. I love the idea of dueling goats, it's so bizarre but appropriate for a lawful good plane.
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    Tzilgar
    Large Magical Beast (Earth, Extraplanar, Fire)
    HD 8d10+24 (68 hp)
    Speed 40 ft. (8 squares), swim 80 ft. (in lava/magma only), burrow 40 ft.
    Init: +2
    AC 19; touch 11; flat-footed 17 (+8 natural, +2 Dex, -1 size)
    BAB +8; Grp +22
    Attack Tentacle +13 melee (1d4+6 and 1d6 fire) or rock +9 ranged (2d6+6 and 1d6 fire)
    Full Attack 10 tentacles +13 melee (1d4+6 and 1d6 fire) and bite +11 melee (2d6+3 and 1d6 fire) or 4 rocks +9 ranged (2d6+6 and 1d6 fire)
    Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (20 ft. with tentacle)
    Special Attacks Burn, constrict 1d4+6 and 1d6 fire, fluxeater, improved grab, molten bore, rock throwing
    Special Qualities Crusting, darkvision 60 ft., DR 5/magic and slashing, fluxsense, immunity to electricity, fire, and poison, SR 18, vulnerability to cold
    Saves Fort +8 Ref +8 Will +3
    Abilities Str 22, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 6
    Skills Balance +11*, Climb +10*, Listen +8*, Spot +8*, Swim +14*
    Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved ToughnessMMIII, Multiattack
    Environment Para-Elemental Plane of Magma
    Organization Solitary
    Challenge Rating 8
    Treasure Half standard
    Alignment Often chaotic neutral
    Advancement 9-12 HD (Large); 13-16 HD (Huge); 17-24 HD (Gargantuan)

    Ambitious, curious, and a bit territorial, tzilgars (sometimes known as lava squids, among many other names) are predatory beasts that reside on the Para-Elemental Plane of Magma. Resembling squids with magmatic tentacles and a red-hot main body with a black, metallic beak, tzilgars operate in many ways much like their Material Plane counterparts. A large black sphere embedded in the mantle is a sensory organ that combines their fluxsense with vision and auditory senses. Their greatest fondness, and chief weakness, is for searching out planar flux differentials, which they can sense at great distance. Oftentimes, this means prey of some kind - tzilgars quite enjoy "eating" fire elementals and earth elementals who have somehow ended up in the Plane of Magma, and in a pinch they'll also cheerfully chow down on a thoqqua, magma mephit, or magma paraelemental. In many cases, however, the flux originates due to a temporary rift opening to the Prime Material Plane - a volcanic eruption, or a disturbance in the heart of a sun. Tzilgars will hurtle toward these with reckless abandon, ending up stranded on another plane whose environment is less hospitable to them.

    A tzilgar radiates intense body heat, which can be channelled into sand, stone, or loose dirt to either tunnel through it or simply to create a pool of molten rock for the tzilgar's own comfort. It draws energy from planar flux differentials, including (somehow) its own, and given enough time and a fresh enough place to burrow into stone, a tzilgar's own molten form can eventually create a brief rupture between the Material Plane and the Plane of Magma - not at all good for the locals of the Prime, but an opportunity for a tzilgar to get back home safely. In an enclosed space of any kind, a tzilgar's own presence is usually quite sufficient to produce a severely hot environment of at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit - not its preferred environment by any means, but hot enough to keep it from becoming too uncomfortable. As the process of creating a new magmatic rift generally takes 1-2 months, a tzilgar is also likely to need to feed on some of the local wildlife to ensure its health.

    Reports of tzilgars on the Material Plane are fairly rare, no doubt due to the circumstances of their arrival being less than optimal - many will cool down past the point of survivability before reaching a safe patch of stone in which to nest and reside. When they do appear, it is usually from a total or partial volcanic eruption, which sees a tzilgar use its tentacles in a "rolling" sort of motion to rush down the mountain in search of stone that has not been touched by the disruptive energies of the rift that swept it up in the first place. From a distance, especially at night, this can look very faintly like a flaming horse galloping down the mountainside, which has earned them the unlikely moniker "mountain mares."

    Erimish and efreet consider tzilgar "meat" to be a delicacy, while elementals try to avoid them as the battle will always be dreadfully one-sided. Tzilgars have been successfully employed by genies as "pets" of a sort, generally by those of malevolent bent who want something unusual to feed visitors to. For the most part, tzilgars dislike containment or confinement of any stripe, and do not appreciate being made to do anything they don't want to. Most of what a tzilgar wants to do, of course, consists of eating, mating, searching out rifts, or playing with debris and pockets of nonnative matter. Some tzilgars like to "sculpt" stones they find around them, though rarely into anything that a humanoid would recognize, and it's even odds whether a tzilgar's curiosity takes the form of a magmatic tentacle erupting out of the ground to poke about, or whether the whole mantle will pop up so that its large black "eye" can peer at whatever has provoked its interest.

    Tzilgars do not live together and are never naturally encountered in multiples. Mating involves a long and detailed "dance" requiring several tentacle flourishes, at the end of which time the female, if she approves of the male's performance, grabs two of his tentacles to ensure a coupling position, collects what she needs, and rips the tentacles away while expelling fertilized eggs that look like oblong black diamonds. The weakened male guards the eggs while the female departs, exploiting the interest of local fauna to prey on them as he regenerates his missing limbs. Once the male's tentacles are back, he throws each egg in a random direction as a diversion for anything he doesn't expect to be able to fight and swims off into the endless magma.

    Tzilgars do not speak, but may understand Ignan and/or Terran. It has been rumored that Fierna is breeding fiendish tzilgars to guard parts of Phlegethos, the fourth layer of Baator. If they can be communicated with, tzilgars have a personality somewhere between impatient child and impatient puppy, wanting to both indulge their curiosity and secure food, both of them right now, always. Tzilgars despise cold, for obvious reasons, and will greatly appreciate efforts to ensure they are sufficiently warm. Mind you, tzilgar "gratitude" can still involve being hugged with a thick tentacle made of pure lava, so it's best to socialize from a safe distance. More massive tzilgars have been seen on the Para-Elemental Plane of Magma, and it is said that some truly colossal specimens fight with extraplanar dragons over prey.

    An opponent can attack a tzilgar's tentacles with a sunder attempt as if they were weapons. A tzilgar's tentacles have 10 hit points each. If a tzilgar is currently grappling a target with the tentacle that is being attacked, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the opponent making the sunder attempt. Severing one of a tzilgar's tentacles deals 5 points of damage to the creature. A tzilgar usually withdraws from combat if it loses five tentacles. The creature regrows severed limbs in 1d10+10 days (1d4+4 days on the Para-Elemental Plane of Magma).

    Burn (Ex) A tzilgar's natural attacks deal additional fire damage. Those hit by a tzilgar's natural attacks also must succeed on a Reflex save(DC 16) or catch on fire. The flame burns for 1d4 rounds. A burning creature can take a move action to put out the flame. The save DC is Constitution-based.

    Creatures hitting a tzilgar with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take fire damage as though hit by the tzilgar's attack, and also catch on fire unless they succeed on a Reflex save.

    Crusting (Ex) Tzilgars cannot comfortably endure temperatures below those of their home plane. At any given time, a tzilgar's body will exhibit patches of cooling outer crust when not at home on the Para-Elemental Plane of Magma or in a similarly hot environment, but these are rarely serious enough to cause an issue. However, at temperatures below 110 degrees Fahrenheit, a tzilgar's body will gradually start crusting over in more extreme fashion. For each hour spent below 110F, a tzilgar must make a Fortitude save (DC 15, +1 per previous save) or lose 5 ft. of ground movement speed, gain +2 natural armor, and gain hardness 1. After reaching hardness 8 in this fashion, a tzilgar reduces down one size category, and suffers 1 point of Constitution damage for each hour of exposure thereafter (Fort negates). A tzilgar needs exposure to significant heat (above 1000F) in order to recover naturally from these effects. Exposure to temperatures below 32F causes the tzilgar to make such saves once per minute rather than once per hour, and exposure to at least 10 points of cold damage forces an immediate save.

    Fluxeater (Su) Tzilgars feed on a very distinctive kind of energy which consists of either living elemental matter or living matter from certain other planes. When attacking a creature of the elemental type, or a creature native to another Inner Plane, a transitive plane, or the Plane of Faerie, a tzilgar's natural attacks deal an additional 1d8 damage. Certain other planes' denizens may also be subject to this effect. A tzilgar attacking or being attacked by a creature native to the Far Realm suffers 1d8 damage for each successful natural attack and becomes sickened for 1 minute.

    Fluxsense (Su) Tzilgars can sense the planar flux differential of rifts or gates between planes, as well as the flux differential surrounding creatures that have travelled from one plane to another. For stationary flux differentials such as portals, gates, or rifts, a tzilgar can sense their rough location up to a mile away per hit die. For individual creatures or moving differentials, a tzilgar can sense these up to 20 ft. away per hit die. Only lead, adamantine, or certain other rare and precious metals can block this sense.

    Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a tzilgar must hit an opponent of any size with a tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict. *A tzilgar has a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks.

    Molten Bore (Ex) In place of any attack, a tzilgar can extend one of its tentacles into the surrounding terrain, provided it is solid (or semi-solid, i.e. sand) and not impervious to heat. The tzilgar chooses one 5 ft. square within reach of its tentacles, which begins to heat up from the magmatic intensity of the tentacle below it. Any creature in this square suffers 2d6 fire damage (Reflex DC 20 half) as the tzilgar's tentacle attempts to break through. At the start of the tzilgar's next turn, if it has not withdrawn the tentacle from that square, creatures in that square suffer 4d6 fire damage from the molten ground beneath them (Reflex DC 20 half), and the tzilgar may immediately make a tentacle attack against any such creatures with a +4 bonus to the attack roll. This effect repeats until the tentacle is withdrawn. Using the tentacle to attack, moving to a position from where that square is no longer in reach, or having the tentacle severed all count as withdrawing the tentacle for this purpose. Once a tentacle is withdrawn from a square, it remains hazardous for 2d4 rounds. Creatures entering or starting their turn in such squares suffer 1d6 fire damage (no save). Save DCs are Strength-based.

    Spells and effects which move the earth underneath or around a tzilgar can force the tentacles to withdraw, including but not limited to move earth or earthquake. The tzilgar may be entitled to a saving throw against such effects to resist withdrawing its tentacles.

    Rock Throwing (Ex) The range increment is 100 feet for a tzilgar's thrown rocks.

    Skills Tzilgars have a +8 racial bonus to Swim checks (in magma or lava only). They have a +4 racial bonus to Balance, Climb, Listen, and Spot checks.
    Last edited by afroakuma; 2021-10-17 at 09:18 PM.
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  23. - Top - End - #53
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    ...Oh dear. For something so completely and utterly dangerous to be around, that description was worryingly cute.
    Avatar by araveugnitsuga.

  24. - Top - End - #54
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    Leir
    Leir 1st-level Warrior
    Medium Monstrous Humanoid
    HD 1d8+2 (6 hp)
    Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
    Init: -2
    AC 13; touch 8; flat-footed 15 (+3 studded leather armor, +2 natural armor, -2 Dex)
    BAB +1; Grp +3
    Attack Whip +2 melee (1d3+2 subdual) or barbed bolasCWar -1 ranged (1d4+2)
    Full Attack Whip +2 melee (1d3+2 subdual) or barbed bolasCWar -1 ranged (1d4+2)
    Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
    Special Attacks Restraint
    Special Qualities Antivenom, curl, darkvision 60 ft., insectile, odor signals, poison immunities, swarm resistance
    Saves Fort +4 Ref -2 Will +1
    Abilities Str 10, Dex 7, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 6
    Skills Climb +6, Intimidate +2, Jump +6
    Feats Dive for CoverB, Weapon Focus (whip)
    Environment Temperate forests
    Organization Solitary, clutch (4-8), or conclave (16-60)
    Challenge Rating 1/2
    Treasure Standard plus studded leather armor
    Alignment Often lawful (any)
    Advancement by class; Favored Class Factotum
    Level Adjustment +0

    Uncommon on most worlds, the leir are a displaced people who live in small enclaves and have limited contact with others. Despite their appearances and mannerisms being off-putting to many humanoids, leir weavers are known for producing some of the finest silks that can be found on any world, and while few would ever describe a leir as "friendly," they are almost universally agreed to be cordial.

    A leir stands roughly 6 to 7 ft. tall, with a rare few being shorter. Lithe and slender in appearance, they appear somewhat skeletal, with chitinous plates over their limbs that resemble large leaves and bony fingers with needlelike tips. Leir faces are ovoid and feature jet-black eyes that occasionally exhibit internal facets, catching the light as a gemstone would, a total lack of nose (leir smell through their necks), and a lipless humanoid mouth with pointed teeth, surmounted by two slender chelicerae. A leir's tongue, rarely seen, is a foot long, threadlike and feathery. In place of eyebrows, leir have two black "eyespots" over each eye, which are believed to assist in darkvision but have no inherent capacity for sight. Leir skin is coated either in chitinous leafy plates or a fine hair, and is conventionally either golden, red, brown, or black (with hair to match). Chitin is most commonly white but may exhibit "stain" or tinting closer to the leir's skin coloration. A leir's back looks slightly domed due to chitinous shells covering vestigial wings. Around the leir's collar, between throat and scapulae, is an oily, colorful membrane which may take any hue (similar membranes appearing at the back of the leir's head where a humanoid's hair would be). Leir also exhibit 1-4 pairs of tiny vestigial antennae on their foreheads, and may bear cornifications or tiny horn patterns made of chitin. Most unusually, leir have a "second leg" emerging from each thigh above the knee, a curving, stiff, insectile structure that provides additional balance, more force when jumping, and another contact point when climbing. This gives them a slightly centaur-like profile, though not substantially so.

    Leir have difficulty conveying their emotional states without overt signalling. For simple emotions communicated between each other, they use odor signals, but most carry white or rose-colored lacquer masks that they can switch onto their face to ensure that their mood is being exhibited outwardly. Many leir forget to remove or switch these masks when not having strong feelings, which can lead to misinterpretation on the part of others. They do not speak with any kind of insectile "buzz" or "hum" and most find it quite rude when others imitate them in such a fashion. About once a year, a leir will roll up into a ball and exude scapular oils to form a cocoon, which lasts about a week and helps them grow and refresh chitin. Some leir will cocoon more often depending on their individual needs, and typically a leir's end of life involves rolling up into a cocoon and simply never emerging.

    The leir have had a rough history, beginning with the destruction of their homeworld by the grell, forcing the leir to flee to other worlds. Leir and desmodu hate one another for reasons long lost to time, while their distaste for elves stems from their resemblance to drow, who enslaved and tortured large numbers of leir. While the leir have a basic appreciation for dwarves as a people, they find it hard to be on truly good terms with them as they consider the dwarven mindset rather odd. Leir get on best with xephs and bhukas (the latter of whom rarely encounter leir in their current habitats) and they are considered particularly tasty prey by ettercaps.

    Leir are experts in enamel and lacquer, owing to their habit of cultivating insects for resources; most particularly, they are considered masterful handlers of silk, producing several unique varieties that they employ to make a variety of useful tools. The best nonmagical silk is produced by the leir. Leir are egg-layers who lay clutches of 8-32 young at a time, though the fragility of infant leir means a 90% mortality rate in their first year of life is not unexpected. Leir live for around 250 years.

    Antivenom (Ex) Leir scapular oils function as an antivenom when administered fresh from the leir's body, providing a +2 alchemical bonus on the leir's Heal checks to treat poison (+6 if the poison is the natural venom or toxin of a vermin). The oils go inert one round after removal from the leir's body if not applied by a Heal check. A leir cannot benefit from this bonus directly; only another non-leir creature being treated can enjoy the benefits.

    Curl (Ex) A leir's body reflexively curls when it is prone, conferring an additional +4 natural armor bonus (bringing the leir's total to +6). A leir can elect to resist curling up when falling prone, but as there is no meaningful disadvantage to doing so, rarely bothers.

    Insectile (Ex) Leir share many traits with vermin, though they are not insects or arachnids in any real sense. Effects which function on vermin (but not a specific kind, such as only spiders) may work on a leir as well; if they allow a saving throw, the leir gets a +4 bonus to such a save. If the effect deals damage to vermin but would not deal similar damage to a monstrous humanoid, it deals only half damage to the leir (or the amount of damage it would specifically do to a monstrous humanoid, whichever is greater).

    Odor Signals (Ex) Leir emit a narrow range of faint odors which convey moods, and can concentrate these to deliberately convey a feeling to other leir (treat as a message of at most three words, each of which must be an emotion). Any leir within 60 ft. of another can pick up on mood and immediately detect a deliberate emission unless there is a strong wind, large flame (at least one 5 ft. square within 10 ft. of the leir), or contaminating gas/vapor present. Leir odor signals are not inherently mutually intelligible with similar signals emitted by other creatures (such as saurials) though with familiarity and practice, a degree of recognition could be achieved. Leir know which other leir is emitting which odor. Creatures with the scent ability have a +4 bonus on checks to track or locate a leir.

    Poison Immunities (Ex) Leir are immune to the poison of any natural vermin of Large or smaller size and have a +2 bonus on Fortitude saving throws to resist the effects of any other poison.

    Restraint (Ex) Leir are masters of nonlethal methods of subdual. When using a weapon to deal subdual damage (including an unarmed strike), they get a +2 bonus to damage rolls. They are also surprisingly accomplished grapplers despite their relative fragility and gain a +2 racial bonus to grapple checks. A leir using a weapon that normally deals lethal damage to inflict subdual damage takes only a -2 penalty on their attack roll rather than the normal -4 penalty.

    Swarm Resistance (Ex) Leir ignore swarm damage from vermin, as well as any effect that would require damage to be dealt (e.g. injury poison). Other swarm abilities such as distraction, and the swarm damage of non-vermin swarms (such as bat swarms or swarms of fiendish vermin), are unaffected.

    • -2 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Con, +2 Int, +2 Wis, -2 Cha. Leir have brittle chitinous bodies and thin slender limbs, but a durable torso; they are observant and contemplative but withdrawn and uncomfortable interacting with others for very long.
    • Medium-size.
    • A leir's base speed is 30 ft.
    • A leir has +2 natural armor thanks to chitinous plates.
    • A leir gains Dive for CoverCArc as a bonus feat.
    • Leir are monstrous humanoids.
    • Leir have a +2 racial bonus to Appraise and Craft checks pertaining to silk, enamel, or lacquer.
    • Leir have a +2 racial bonus to Balance, Climb, and Jump checks due to their unusual leg structure.
    • Leir have a +2 racial bonus to Search and Spot checks conducted in anything less than bright illumination.
    • Darkvision 60 ft.
    • Leir are proficient with whips, bolas, sai, sasumatasDR331, and nets.
    • Antivenom: As above
    • Curl: As above
    • Insectile: As above
    • Odor Signals: As above
    • Poison Immunities: As above
    • Restraint: As above
    • Swarm Resistance: As above
    • Automatic Languages: Common, Leir. Bonus Languages: Bhuka, Desmodu, Dwarven, Elven, Formian, Grell, Ignan, Silthilar, Sylvan, Tirbana, Undercommon, Xeph
    • Favored Class: Factotum.
    • Level Adjustment: +0
    Last edited by afroakuma; 2022-01-25 at 12:44 PM.
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  25. - Top - End - #55
    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    Ooh. A truely easy to use insectoid race. Interesting!

    Quote Originally Posted by afroakuma View Post
    Leir have difficulty conveying their emotional states without overt signalling. For simple emotions communicated between each other, they use odor signals, but most carry white or rose-colored lacquer masks that they can switch onto their face to ensure that their mood is being exhibited outwardly. Many leir forget to remove or switch these masks when not having strong feelings, which can lead to misinterpretation on the part of others.
    Reminds me of Mass Effect's Elcor. Talking to those was always fun, and this version seems to rife for similiar comedy.

    Incidentally, does this race have any kind of religion or spirituality?

  26. - Top - End - #56
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    Deities of the Leir

    Although the leir pantheon is weak and struggling in the wake of several severe blows to their worshipper base over the millennia, they remain remarkably tight-knit. Many leir choose to worship the pantheon as a whole, though each deity has their own clerics and small shrines - generally little more than a living tree with some ornamentation.

    The weakest deity of the leir is actually their creator, a mother goddess whose essence was tied to their homeworld, Yurd. When the grell destroyed the ancient leir homeworld and scattered the survivors, this goddess found herself broken and drained, a wound that has never healed. Her wife and co-mother, a goddess who laid the skeins of possibility, was driven mad and became the archenemy of the remaining leir, a hollow thing of chaos motivated only to cause turbulence, throwing aside all hope for the future after the calamities of the desmodu, the drow, the grell, and other wicked and hostile beings drove her to believe that nothing could await the leir beyond further tribulation and strife. The strongest of their deities is the firstborn child of these two, who became a questing explorer to lead the remnants of the leir to new worlds.

    Leir clerics can worship the leir pantheon rather than an invididual deity; the available domains are Community, Law, Protection, Repose, and Silk*.

    Almalere
    Demipower of Arborea
    The Cocooned Goddess, She Who Shall Not Surrender, the Weaver of Wounds, Sister of Seasons
    Alignment: Chaotic good
    Portfolio: Change, transformation, cocoons, resilience, healing, winter, death
    Divine Realm: Arborea/Olympus/Silk of Spring and Arborea/Pelion/Winter's Weave
    Symbol: A shield draped with a net
    Domains Chaos, Good, Healing, Protection, Repose, Winter
    Favored Weapon: Rapier

    Youngest child of Omatra and Calo, Almalere represents many facets of life - she is the healer, protecting leir from poisons and weaving together their wounds to mend flesh; the enduring one, who does not bend against the cruelties and depredations of enemies; the passage of time from spring to winter and back again, with all the myriad changes that it brings; the connection to leir history and their nature as changing beings; and the psychopomp, who calls elderly leir to form their final cocoon and enter the sleep of death, escorting their souls away from their husks to lead them to Zass's spindle. Where Zass is symbolized by moths, Almalere is represented by caterpillars and butterflies. It is noted that while she is a death goddess, she is not the goddess of the dead, and as such her realms are filled with life, change, and depictions of the various parts of the leir life experience. She is a fierce adversary of undeath and forced transformation of any kind, believing change to be a sacred process and a choice. She is symbolized by maple trees.

    Calo
    Demipower of Pandemonium
    The Tangling One, the Unweaver, the Maddened Mother, Queen of Delirium
    Alignment: Chaotic neutral (formerly neutral good)
    Portfolio: Strife, madness, turbulence, deception, misfortune, fear
    Divine Realm: Pandemonium/Cocytus/Madloom, formerly Elysium/Amoria/Cloudloom
    Symbol: A fraying thread tangled in a broken spindle
    Domains Chaos, Destruction, Fear*, Luck, Madness, Trickery, formerly Air, Community, Good, Luck, Silk*, Sky
    Favored Weapon: Whip

    Co-creator of the leir and at one time the wife of Omatra, Calo was responsible for weaving joy, lightness, and good fortune into the nature of the leir. It is commonly believed that she was driven mad by the destruction of her temples during the harrowing of Yurd by the grell, but in truth her mind fractured due to the overwhelming despair that consumed Omatra causing her to become alienated from her love, and Calo's increasingly desperate efforts to mend what the slavering aberrations had sundered ran up against additional trials that caused her to succumb to her own despondence. Leiren might have been able to help, were he not preoccupied with salvaging what few leir he could rescue and bringing them to new worlds; Zass and Almalere did attempt to assist her, but the horrific wars against the grell and the desmodu, and the rebellion against the drow, forced them to channel their efforts toward collecting and protecting the souls of the dead. Watching everything she had tried to make wondrous turn to dust while her wife quite literally descended into Niflheim to waste away in despair caused Calo to snap, finding herself wandering the caverns of Cocytus in a giggling mania totally unlike herself, trailing strands of the Tapestry of Time that she had attempted to hold onto so tightly that she had caused them to tear away - threads of hope and joy, of laughter and life, of safety and stability.

    Presently, the once-joyous goddess rarely sees her divine children, and never sees her ex-wife. Her realm, Madloom, is filled with twisted skeins and towering spools of shadowy threads that writhe and jerk about of their own accord, sometimes detaching to crawl amok like fragments of spiders. A false Tapestry, tattered and torn, continues to be woven and unravelled at her hands - the Tapestry of Troubles, which she laces with fear, strife, and violence, all born of her own nightmares. Calo has become the chief architect of the current struggles of her own children, but the maddened goddess is not truly to blame - she is blind to hope and does not understand the consequences of her own actions in a meaningful sense. Existence has become a long sick joke to her, and her maddened laughs join with the screams of Cocytus in a terrifying blend. She is not cruel, and can be convinced to leave things alone (for a time) if she is shown the outcomes of her actions - but while she may not be deliberately malevolent or even fully understand the harm she causes, Calo is on the cusp of falling to evil, for as the leir rebuild, she can see only false hope, and becomes more intent on destroying it. Her clerics are thankfully rare, but are usually leir driven to the same madness and despair that seized her. The goddess does not intentionally accept evil clerics or worshippers in her service, but her madness obscures the true nature of them from her more often than not. Calo's sacred tree is the black cypress, which leir communities attempt to remove from their lands as a symbol of despair and strife.

    Leiren
    Lesser Power of Ysgard
    Darksighted, the Seeking Savior, the Restless Hero
    Alignment: Lawful good
    Portfolio: Exploration, community, protection, hope
    Divine Realm: Ysgard/Nidavellir/wanders
    Symbol: A spool of silk around a spear
    Domains Community, Courage, Good, Law, Protection, Travel
    Favored Weapon: Spear

    Namesake of the leir (who formerly called themselves yurden after their homeworld) and first child of Omatra and Calo, Leiren is an unsleeping deity who keeps a close watch on the surviving conclaves of his people. As his mothers have both sunken into a broken state, Leiren considers it his duty to preserve their children and ensure that they have a future, which keeps him on the move through the planes, always listening for new threats that might require another voyage into the stars. Leiren understands the principles of spelljamming and to save the leir in an ancient era, risked everything to make himself incarnate on the Prime and lead them through the phlogiston to new spheres, knowing that his destruction in that place would end his existence as the Flow is cut off from the planes proper. He is still considered (in effect) the chief deity of the pantheon and wears the responsibility uneasily on his scapulae. Leiren is symbolized by oak trees.

    Omatra
    Demipower of Hades
    Stillheart, Silent Mother, Lighter of Life
    Alignment: True neutral (formerly lawful good)
    Portfolio: Leir, the earth, life, home
    Divine Realm: Hades/Niflheim/the Crumbling Chrysalis, formerly Bytopia/Dothion/the Radiant Chrysalis
    Symbol: A dried chrysalis or an apple sitting in a discarded chrysalis
    Domains Cavern, Decay, Earth, Life, Repose, formerly Earth, Good, Law, Life, Renewal, Repose
    Favored Weapon: Bolas

    One of the two mother goddesses of the leir, Omatra was the embodiment of the ancient leir homeworld and a goddess of the cycle of life. In the wake of the shattering of Yurd by the grell, Omatra fell into utter despondence, and the despair and sorrow her children felt for the loss of their home only further reinforced her own pain, resulting in her palatial chrysalis realm plummeting out of its celestial home and finding itself deep within the fog and sorrow of Niflheim. Her divine children continue to visit and attempt to keep her connected to the pantheon and her people, and she remains the goddess to whom they reach out when once more trying to build beneath the surface of the earth, but Omatra continues to fade with each passing year. None can say what would happen to the leir if she died, and few are keen to find out. Omatra rarely interacts with any other deities of her own volition but is known to awaken with great fury at the mention of Vesperian, the desmodu god, or any rumblings of Lolth. Omatra is symbolized by apple trees and fruit.

    Oncacatra
    Demipower of Bytopia
    Weaver of Shelter, Succoring Hand, the Merciful
    Alignment: Neutral good
    Portfolio: Mercy, restraint, aid, shelter
    Divine Realm: Bytopia/Shurrock/Succor's Hearth, formerly Bytopia/Dothion/Weavers' Conclave
    Symbol: A tent containing a spindle
    Domains Community, Good, Healing, Liberation, Protection
    Favored Weapon: Net

    A great friend of Zanat despite their opposing views, Oncacatra is the patron of merciful combat and submission, the battle goddess who gifted the leir with their prowess with the net, sai, and whip. In the wake of the shattering of Yurd, the merciful goddess moved her realm from pastoral Dothion to wild Shurrock in order to offer aid to those in need, but she has remained relatively untouched by the struggles of the pantheon compared to many of her brethren. Her faithful serve as healers and jailers, wardens and protectors, scouts and guards. In the distant past, she worked alongside Zanat in his role as the god of justice, but now she tempers his teachings with her methods of mercy. The second child of Omatra and Calo, she is the only one who still attempts to visit both mothers (the others check in on Omatra but have grown despondent about Calo's madness). It is at the instruction of Oncacatra that leir conclaves allow outsiders to visit, and she reminds the leir (alongside Leiren) that they too are strangers in strange lands, travellers seeking succor, and interlopers trying to find what they need to make new lives. Her sacred tree is the birch, which is often found at the "entrance" to a conclave's lands.

    Seleir
    Demipower of Baator
    the Sartorial, Sunstealer, the Gold-Faced God
    Alignment: Lawful evil (formerly lawful neutral)
    Portfolio: Fashion, finery, pride, light, culture
    Divine Realm: Baator/Dis/Szartor, formerly Arcadia/Abellio/Sartoria
    Symbol: A leir mask with four spikes mimicking the rays of the dawning sun
    Domains Evil, Law, Nobility, Silk*, Sun, Wealth, formerly Community, Law, Silk*, Sun, Trade, Wealth
    Favored Weapon: Whip

    Another deity severely changed by the violent history of the leir, Seleir was at one time the leir god of commerce and culture. In the wake of the scattering of the leir remnants, the sun god has become a prideful, fragile creature whose most popular myth is that he steals the sun away for half of each day (causing night) because he cannot bear to be parted from its golden glory. Seleir appreciates this myth as it keeps him relevant, but in truth beneath his narcissistic veneer, the god of fashion feels his relevance fading, as insular conclaves struggle to trade and the challenges facing the leir continue to grow in number. While his clerics keep up appearances, in truth Seleir is concerned about the future of the leir and goes back and forth between Leiren and Zanat exploring solutions for their current struggles. His sacred tree is the cherry.

    Tesk
    Lesser Power of Mount Celestia
    Pureflame, the Brilliant Brand, the Torchbearing God
    Alignment: Lawful good
    Portfolio: Fire, wisdom, self-understanding
    Divine Realm: Celestia/Solania/the Pearly Caldera
    Symbol: A flame inside a lantern
    Domains Fire, Good, Knowledge, Law, Passion, Purification
    Favored Weapon: Scimitar or torch

    Technically an interloper deity rather than a child of Omatra and Calo, Tesk was befriended by Leiren during the escape from Yurd, sometime before the dark era of the desmodu. A god of light, warmth, and flame, Tesk sent his burning emissaries to liberate the leir during hostilities with the desmodu and again to aid them in revolting against the drow, cultivating a base of worship among the leir and an eternal reverence for the power and usefulness of fire. Tesk is unorthodox as fire deities go - most are neither lawful nor good, and relatively few live on the Upper Planes, let alone on Mount Celestia. It is the teaching of his church and the leir at large, however, that fire is among the most orderly forces of the cosmos, for although its power may spread unchecked if one is not careful, fire obeys predictable rules and will always act in ways that can be understood. Tesk is depicted as an ascetic, living in a crystalline chamber in a misty caldera, not unlike a flame in a lantern - a monk whose passions flare up when he is fed too liberally or exposed to strong drink (not unlike how fire will spread when given solid fuel or introduced to alcohol).

    Tesk is sometimes depicted as a golden leir with flames in place of his scapular and cranial membranes, and other times as a pillar or sphere of living flame. His allegiance with the leir pantheon fascinates the leir, who have taken to learning the Ignan language in some conclaves as a show of respect for the historical role Tesk's flaming servants played in helping preserve the race. Alone among the leir pantheon, Tesk is worshipped by members of other races on a regular basis, as he was not native to Yurd and is not a racial deity. Tesk is symbolized with ash trees.

    Usknavar
    Demipower of Gehenna
    Truthweaver, Keeper of the True Face, Unraveller of Lies
    Alignment: Lawful evil
    Portfolio: Truth, emotions, masks, honesty, painful realization
    Divine Realm: Gehenna/Krangath/Uttermost Truth
    Symbol: A cracked leir mask
    Domains Evil, Fate, Inquisition, Knowledge, Law, Passion
    Favored Weapon: SasumataDR331

    An unusual deity, Usknavar is the goddess of truth, who exposes leir to the painful realities of the cosmos, demanding that they confront their anger, despair, and confusion in order to become stronger and more in touch with their own truth and the universal truths. She is also the patron of maskmakers, and the famous rose lacquer masks of the leir were devised by her as a ritual implement to use in honest communication. It is said that she lurks deep in her icy layer, trying to craft a mask that will reveal the perfect truth to Calo and in doing so heal her madness - some myths instead say she is making a mask to show the truth of leir survival to Omatra, in order to raise her up from despair. The darkest myths claim Usknavar's work is intended to reveal the truth of total despair, to reveal to the mother goddesses in order to destroy them both, but her devotees say this is insulting nonsense. Usknavar is on good terms with the rest of the pantheon besides the mother goddesses, though she rarely speaks with them except to replace their masks. She reviews Zass's Tapestry of Time to find falsehoods and pick out stray threads and tangles that have infiltrated it at Calo's hand, and while she is sometimes portrayed as a diabolical figure in leir religion, she is nonetheless publicly revered and not generally considered an adversarial figure. That said, Usknavar herself would be the first to admit she is often deliberately cruel and unkind, but the goddess is known to never tell a lie or even allow a false impression to stand. It is against her nature - she doesn't use the truth in order to hurt others; she uses hurt when it would force them to confront the truth. Usknavar's symbolic tree is the elm, and many lacquer masks are made using elm wood as the base.

    Zanat
    Demipower of Acheron
    The Horned Warrior, Silkensteel, the Violent One, the Vengeance of Yurd
    Alignment: Lawful evil (formerly lawful neutral)
    Portfolio: Combat, vengeance, violent defense, harm
    Divine Realm: Acheron/Avalas/Dynastes
    Symbol: A hercules beetle
    Domains Evil, Law, Metal, Protection, Retribution, War, formerly Community, Family, Law, Protection, Renewal, Retribution
    Favored Weapon: Halberd

    Though leir are as a general rule inclined toward nonviolent solutions, peaceful methods, and subdual over slaughter, the horrors of their racial history gave new character to Zanat, the god of justice, civilization, and progress. Where his mother Omatra broke from the pain of her world's destruction, Zanat hardened, absorbing the feelings of injustice and terror in his followers and creating the artifact known as the Steel Cocoon, wherein he transformed himself, taking in the strength and ferocity he needed without allowing himself to be swept away by madness and pure rage. His emergent form is horned, cold, steely, and wears a permanent metal mask fused to his face. While his ideals still lean toward justice (and indeed, he is considered the preeminent deity of leir courts when they must be convened), Zanat has become a proponent of war and violence to ensure that the leir will never again be victims of those whose cruelties so shattered the race. Although his nature has turned evil, Zanat is still a fairly benign deity as far as his own people are concerned, well-regarded, worshipped in leir conclaves, and on good terms with his siblings in the pantheon. He has disowned Calo as his mother due to her madness and the strife she causes, and visits Omatra to promise vengeance against the grell, the desmodu, the drow, and others. Zanat's symbolic tree is the holly.

    Zass
    Lesser Power of Mechanus
    The Silken God, the Silver Spool, Master of Moths
    Alignment: Lawful neutral
    Portfolio: Silk, patience, craft, history, the dead
    Divine Realm: Mechanus/Silver Spindle
    Symbol: A spindle with moth wings
    Domains Craft, Knowledge, Law, Repose, Silk*, Time
    Favored Weapon: Sai

    A quiet, reserved, and patient god, Zass is unlikely friends with Seleir despite their opposing personalities. As one of the two funerary deities of the leir, Zass is responsible for overseeing tradition, legacy, and history, all traits which make him the perfect custodian of the leir art of silk cultivation. From his silvery tower, Zass observes the threads of leir lives as they intermingle and ultimately come to an end, weaving their way into the Tapestry of Time and showing him the patterns of perseverance that mark the leir character. His mothlike servitors escort the souls of dead leir past the Tapestry of Time to let them witness their own individual contributions and how things shall endure going into the future. The process of harvesting silk has always been interwoven with death, and the silvery needles used to unthread the filaments from the dead insects are consecrated to Zass in almost all leir communities. The sacred tree of Zass is the mulberry.

    Other Deities of the Leir

    Lupercio
    Demon Lord of the Abyss
    Baron of Sloth
    Alignment: Chaotic evil
    Portfolio: Sloth, darkness, the strength of darkness
    Divine Realm: Abyss/128/Slugbed
    Symbol: A fanged maw in a jet-black circle
    Domains Chaos, Darkness, Destruction, Evil, Sloth, Strength
    Favored Weapon: Unarmed strike

    It remains unknown whether the demon lord Lupercio first set his attentions on the leir due to the mad weavings of Calo, or whether it was some vile cultists among the desmodu (or even the drow) conjuring him to consume the race that had escaped their grasp. Regardless of how it happened, it did happen, and while the Baron of Sloth is among the least menacing of Abyssal lords to count as a foe, he remains a child of Pale Night herself, a terrible force of darkness kept in check only by his own all-consuming laziness. Fortunately for the leir, Lupercio has very few cults on the Material Plane and almost no followers who can channel his power into spells; unfortunately for the leir, some few mad members of their own kind have made it their life's work to give the Baron of Sloth power over their souls. On any world in which one of these scattered tendrils of the demon lord's power exists and can produce a viable caster, such an agent will likely move against any leir conclaves that can be found, chiefly for Lupercio's personal amusement, but also to sate his hunger for new souls to devour.

    Zuggtmoy
    Demon Lord of the Abyss
    Demon Queen of Fungi, Lady of Rot and Decay, Lady of Fungi
    Alignment: Chaotic evil
    Portfolio: Fungi
    Divine Realm: Abyss/222/Shedaklah
    Symbol: A broken jawless skull with a sickly mushroom growing from a hole in its crown
    Domains Chaos, Corruption, Evil, Ooze, Plant
    Favored Weapon: Scythe

    Unlike Lupercio, it is very well known how Zuggtmoy discovered the leir - as with many other terrible things that have happened, it was through the agency of Lolth, Demon Queen of Spiders. In the wake of the escape of the leir from the control of the drow, Lolth tricked one of her own high priestesses into converting to Zuggtmoy's faith and had her share with the Demon Queen of Fungi the nature of the leir and their defiance of Lolth. Zuggtmoy could not believe the windfall - an insectile race that could be parasitized by her evil fungi, not only extending her reach on the Material Plane, but also proving herself superior to her hated rival, succeeding where Lolth had failed? It was too perfect. Zuggtmoy has been an enemy of the leir ever since, although her champion priestess in the cause ran afoul of Tesk's high priest and had an unfortunate encounter with as much fire as was needed to burn her to death and then a bit more than that. Lolth was most likely responsible for that happening, too - after all, Lolth is the worst.

    Regardless of the involvement of the drow goddess, Zuggtmoy now considers the leir hers to infest, torment, control, and ultimately devour. She would contest Lupercio's ambitions if she actually knew about them, but the Baron of Sloth is both a more minor player on the Prime and also deeply lazy. Nevertheless, the presence of two demon lords vying to consume and annihilate the leir race is an ill tiding for the scattered people, and Zuggtmoy's powers of infestation have delivered her far more leir cultists than Lupercio has. In a way, Zuggtmoy's ambitions both play into Calo's mad interventions and are counteracted by them - the insane goddess attempts to disrupt any gathering of leir in numbers and strength purely out of an impulse to sow strife and weakness, which includes the Lady of Rot's gathered infested cults.

    New Domains

    Fear Domain
    Granted Power You get a +2 bonus to saving throws against fear effects. The save DC of your fear effects is increased by 1.
    1st - cause fear
    2nd - scare
    3rd - blade of pain and fearSC
    4th - fear
    5th - phantasmal killer
    6th - aura of terrorSC
    7th - opalescent glareSC
    8th - final rebukeSC
    9th - weird

    Silk Domain
    Granted Power You get a +2 bonus to Balance, Climb, and Use Rope checks. All of these are treated as class skills for you.
    1st - peacebondCity
    2nd - web
    3rd - spiderskinSC
    4th - minor creation (can also make silk fabric, thread, or rope)
    5th - fabricate
    6th - superior resistanceSC
    7th - veil
    8th - true creation
    9th - cocoonSC
    Last edited by afroakuma; 2022-01-11 at 11:02 AM.
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  27. - Top - End - #57
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by afroakuma View Post
    Curl (Ex) A leir's body reflexively curls when it is prone, conferring an additional +4 natural armor bonus (bringing the leir's total to +6). A leir can elect to resist curling up when falling prone, but as there is no meaningful disadvantage to doing so, rarely bothers.
    Hm. Note to self: I should really put together some woodlouse creatures (with all the legs!) one of these days.

    • Automatic Languages: Common, Leir. Bonus Languages: Bhuka, Desmodu, Dwarven, Elven, Formian, Grell, Ignan, Silthilar, Sylvan, Tirbana, Undercommon, Xeph
    Tirbana, eh? Quite appropriate! (It's also nice to see poor Xeph getting some love.)

    Quote Originally Posted by Tzardok View Post
    Ooh. A truely easy to use insectoid race. Interesting!
    What's wrong with diopsids?

  28. - Top - End - #58
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    The lore is again excellent. I particularly like the relationship Usknavar's has with hurt vs. truth, and how she's evil in a practical manner and not because she want to rule or destroy.

    I do question why Zanat's primary symbol is something associated with fertility and lasting life (as many evergreens are). I would have expected Hawthorn (associated with protection) or Hickory (associated with strength) given his description.

  29. - Top - End - #59
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by Metastachydium View Post
    What's wrong with diopsids?
    With what? The only insectoid races I remember are thri-kreen, various high level monstrous humanoids and those dromites, and those barely count.

  30. - Top - End - #60
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    Default Re: Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by Tzardok View Post
    With what? The only insectoid races I remember are thri-kreen, various high level monstrous humanoids and those dromites, and those barely count.
    Big, funny beetles from the Dragon Compendium. No RHD, LA +1, lots of fun special qualities.

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