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  1. - Top - End - #31
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Thurbane's Avatar

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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    Quote Originally Posted by NotInventedHere View Post
    Victory by default with one entry, not unreasonable. Victory by default with *two* entries feels... idk, cheeky? Greedy? Over the top?
    I totally get that. My only VC win was one of two entries, and while I was glad to beat the other entry, it felt like a bit of a hollow victory. More entries makes a better comp.

  2. - Top - End - #32
    Nerdomancer in the Playground Moderator
     
    DruidGuy

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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    well, I have 2 entries, from two entrants. so have another week
    Spoiler: Medals & Current Characters
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nifft View Post
    More sources, more choices, more power. Welcome to D&D.
    Quote Originally Posted by Peelee
    I mean, I have been assuming Jdizzlean looks like Nathan Fillion this whole time to start with...
    The Mod Life Crisis If you need me to address a thread as a Moderator, please include a link

  3. - Top - End - #33
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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    Well, planning on throwing my hat into the ring with an entry, but I just accidentally deleted the completed build table and can't recover it. So it's going to depend on how unlazy I feel about refilling it out from my other file.
    ARRRRGH, I'm a pirate, ninjas are no match for me, Yargh!
    Also this awesome avatar was done by KillItWithFire

  4. - Top - End - #34
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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    Quote Originally Posted by jdizzlean View Post
    well, I have 2 entries, from two entrants. so have another week
    Ok, since the contest has been extended I'll put together an entry. I don't know if my idea will be any good, but I'll give it a shot.
    I made a webcomic, featuring absurdity, terrible art, and alleged morals.

  5. - Top - End - #35
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    Thumbs up Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    Quote Originally Posted by jdizzlean View Post
    well, I have 2 entries, from two entrants. so have another week
    Thank you. I will commit here and now to getting an entry, or if I cannot do that, I will judge.

  6. - Top - End - #36
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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    Build submitted!
    I made a webcomic, featuring absurdity, terrible art, and alleged morals.

  7. - Top - End - #37
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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    Finally submitted, and as soon as I hit submit, I feel like I've forgotten something and I don't know what
    ARRRRGH, I'm a pirate, ninjas are no match for me, Yargh!
    Also this awesome avatar was done by KillItWithFire

  8. - Top - End - #38
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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    I don't have any clever ideas, and the deadline seems to have long since passed, but I'd like to judge, so I'm posting here to make sure I remember whenever the submissions are posted.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Blade Wolf View Post
    Ah, thank you very much GreatWyrmGold, you obviously live up to that name with your intelligence and wisdom with that post.
    Quotes, more

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  9. - Top - End - #39
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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    Quote Originally Posted by GreatWyrmGold
    I don't have any clever ideas, and the deadline seems to have long since passed, but I'd like to judge, so I'm posting here to make sure I remember whenever the submissions are posted.
    The deadline to submit an entry has not passed yet. It was extended one week, ending tonight. For some reason the current chair dislikes updating the main post which details the rules for the contest and the deadlines. You will need to read through all the comments on every page to discover any changes made for any individual round. It sucks, but that's just the way it is at the moment.

    I am so sorry you believed the deadline had already passed because the main post wasn't updated, and so didn't bother to create an entry. You got screwed. Every round I wonder how many people wind up in the same sort of position you have found yourself in. You have a few hours if you would like to try whipping something up. Judging is perfectly fine as well.
    If you do judge, be sure to still read through all the comments for any updates concerning the rules.
    The beatings will continue until morale improves!

    Vaz approval for the best backstory. Villainous Competition 16: Burn Baby Burn
    http://www.giantitp.com/forums/shows...&postcount=114

    Honorable Mention Villainous Competition 22: I Am The Night
    http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...e-Night!/page6 Xihu Ayame

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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    Quote Originally Posted by PrismCat21 View Post
    The deadline to submit an entry has not passed yet. It was extended one week, ending tonight. For some reason the current chair dislikes updating the main post which details the rules for the contest and the deadlines. You will need to read through all the comments on every page to discover any changes made for any individual round. It sucks, but that's just the way it is at the moment.

    I am so sorry you believed the deadline had already passed because the main post wasn't updated, and so didn't bother to create an entry. You got screwed. Every round I wonder how many people wind up in the same sort of position you have found yourself in. You have a few hours if you would like to try whipping something up. Judging is perfectly fine as well.
    If you do judge, be sure to still read through all the comments for any updates concerning the rules.
    Hey, chair, I may have asked you this before, but would you mind updating the main post when making a change to the deadline? People are clearly missing the updates.
    There, fixed that for you

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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    Quote Originally Posted by H_H_F_F View Post
    There, fixed that for you
    Some people like being polite and subtle about their requests. Um, or so I've heard?
    Quote Originally Posted by The Blade Wolf View Post
    Ah, thank you very much GreatWyrmGold, you obviously live up to that name with your intelligence and wisdom with that post.
    Quotes, more

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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    Quote Originally Posted by jdizzlean View Post
    well, I have 2 entries, from two entrants. so have another week
    Hi jdizzlean - now that you've apparently had a few more entries, is the deadline done, or are you going to be extending it again?

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    smile Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    Even with the chair's generous extension, I won't be completing an entry.

    I'm happy to commit to judging, though.

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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    builds incoming, i haven't time to review, so no snarky comments this time around:)

    1. tentacle kitty

    Spoiler: Pseudonatural Legendary Tiger
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    Source: omgitscrazygirl - deviantart


    Spoiler: Ability Scores
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    - Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
    Racial Modifiers +22 +8 +14 -8 +4 +0
    Pseudonatural +22 +10 +10 3 +10 +0
    Elite Array 13 12 14 15 8 10
    Total 57 30 38 7 22 10

    The Legendary Tiger normally has an Intelligence score of 2. Pseudonatural ensures a minimum score of 3, but that does not take effect unless the score is below 3. Since the Elite Array combined with the Racial Modifier makes the Intelligence score a 7, the Pseudonatural minimum of 3 does not apply.


    Spoiler: Build Table
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    Legendary Tiger is a CR:10 creature and the Pseudonatural Template of the Epic Level Handbook increases the CR by 10. The Pseudonatural Legendary Tiger begins its existence at CR:20. Only one line on the build table is needed.

    CR Class Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Skill Ranks Feats Class Features
    20 Pseudonatural Legendary Tiger +19 +15 +15 +15 Hide: 5
    Jump: 4
    Listen: 5
    Move Silently: 8
    Spot: 7
    Multigrab,
    Greater Multigrab,
    Rending Constriction,
    Imp. Grapple,
    Extended Reach,
    Shape Soulmeld: Pegasus Cloak,
    Bonus Essentia,
    Open Lesser Chakra (Shoulders),
    Shape Soulmeld: Girallon Arms
    Pounce, Imp. Grab, Imp. Grab, Rake, Constant Insight,
    Rotting Constriction, Low-light Vision, Scent,
    Electricity & Acid Resistance: 45, Damage Reduction: 50/epic,
    7 extra Tentacle Rake Attacks, Spell Resistance: 130,
    Alternate Form, Spell-like Abilities


    Spoiler: Standard Stat Block
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    - Pseudonatural Legendary Tiger
    Large Outsider
    Hit Dice/Hit Points: 502
    Initiative: +10
    Speed: 100 ft. (Fly: 40 ft. Avg. w/ Essentia
    AC: 44 (-1 size, +10 Dex, +35 natural) touch: 19, flat footed: 34
    Defenses: Damage Reduction: 50/epic
    Resistance (Acid & Electricity): 45
    Spell Resistance: 130
    Base Attack/Grapple: +19/+63 (67 w/ Essentia)
    Full Attack: 10 Tentacle Rakes +56 (2d8+23)
    Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
    Special Attacks: Pounce, Imp. Grab, Imp. Grab, Rake,
    Constant Insight, Rotting Constriction
    Special Qualities: Low-light Vision, Scent, Electricity & Acid Resistance: 45
    Damage Reduction: 50/epic, 7 extra Tentacle Rake Attacks,
    Spell Resistance: 130, Alternate Form, Spell-like Abilities
    Saves: Fort: 29, Ref: 26, Will: 21
    Abilities: Str 57, Dex 30, Con 38, Int 7, Wis 22, Cha 10
    Skills: *Hide: 23, Jump: 29, Listen: 11, Move Silently: 26,
    Spot: 13
    Feats: Multigrab, Greater Multigrab, Rending Constriction,
    Combat Reflexes, Extended Reach, Bonus Essentia,
    Shape Soulmeld: Pegasus Cloak,
    Open Lesser Chakra (Shoulders),
    Shape Soulmeld: Girallon Arms
    Environment: Any land and underground
    Challenge Rating: 20
    Alignment: Neutral Evil

    Feats: Multigrab: When grappling an opponent with
    the part of your body that made the attack, you take only
    a -10 penalty on grapple checks to maintain the hold.
    Greater Multigrab: When grappling an opponent with only
    the part of your body that made the attack, you take no
    penalty on grapple checks to maintain the hold.
    Rending Constriction: If you maintain a hold with more
    than one appendage on an opponent and are able to
    constrict, you can make an additional rend attack in the
    same round. This attack automatically deals double the
    base damage for a constrict attack, and the damage bonus
    s 1 1/2 times your Strength bonus. However, making this
    rend attack automatically releases the held creature on its
    next action. You must reestablish the hold to constrict again.
    Combat Reflexes: Extra AoO equal to Dexterity bonus.
    Can make AoO while flat-footed
    Extended Reach: Your body or a part of your body with
    which you can deliver a melee attack is boneless and flexible,
    allowing you to threaten a larger than normal area with
    melee attacks. Add +5 feet to your normal reach
    Shape Soulmeld (Pegasus Cloak): Able to shape the Pegasus
    Cloak soulmeld.
    Bonus Essentia: +2 Essentia.
    Open Lesser Chakra (Shoulders): Can bind a soulmeld to
    the Shoulders chakra. +1 Insight bonus on Ref saves.
    Shape Soulmeld (Girallon Arms): Able to shape the Girallon
    Arms soulmeld.

    Spoiler: Soulmelds
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    Pegasus Cloak: While wearing the pegasus cloak,
    you gain the effect of a feather fall spell at all times. You
    also gain a +2 enhancement bonus on Jump checks, since
    the winglike cloak provides a slight boost to your leaps.
    Essentia: Your enhancement bonus on Jump checks
    increases by 2 for every point of essentia you invest in
    your pegasus cloak.
    Chakra Bind (Shoulders)
    Even as your shoulders take on the cloudy white color
    of a pegasus’ coat, your pegasus cloak forms into two
    distinct wings that you can use to achieve true flight.
    You can extend the feathers of the cloak to form a great
    pair of birdlike wings, allowing limited flight capability. This
    grants you the ability to fly (average maneuverability) a
    short distance as a move action. You can fly up to 10 feet
    per point of essentia you invest in your pegasus cloak,
    though you must begin and end each such move on a solid
    surface or you’ll fall.
    Girallon Arms: Your girallon arms grant you a +2
    competence bonus on Climb checks and grapple checks.
    Essentia: Every point of essentia invested in your girallon
    arms increases the bonus on Climb checks and grapple
    checks by 2.


    HD: Maximum Hit Points
    Speed: Speed doubles for all movement types.
    AC: +35 natural armor bonus
    Attacks: Substitutes tentacle rake attacks for regular
    natural attacks, (at highest attack bonus), plus additional
    tentacle rake attacks according to HD.
    Damage: Tentacle rakes deal 2d8+Str modifier.
    Special Attacks: Improved Grab (Ex): When hitting
    a smaller opponent with a bite, deal normal damage and
    attempts a grapple as a free action without provoking an AoO.
    If it gets a hold, it can attempt a rake in the same round.
    Thereafter the pseudonatural legendary tiger and conduct the
    grapple normally, or simply hold the opponent (tiger is not
    considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple
    check automatically deals damage.
    Improved Grab (Ex): When hitting a smaller opponent
    with a tentacle, deal normal damage and attempts a grapple
    as a free action without provoking an AoO.
    Pounce: Charge = full attack.
    Rake: In any round that the tiger has a hold of an opponent,
    it can make two rake attacks (+56 melee) with its hind legs for
    2d6+23 damage each.
    Constant Insight: All attacks made with a +15 insight bonus.
    The tiger is not affected by the miss chance vs concealed targets.
    Rotting Constriction: Once the tiger has hold of an opponent,
    each successful grapple check it makes during subsequent rounds
    permanently drains 2d4 points of Constitution. At the same time,
    the tiger regains 10 lost hit points.
    Spell-like Abilities: At will---blur, dimension door, shield,
    unhallow.
    Caster level 20t.
    Special Qualities: Low-light vision: Can see twice as
    far as normal in low-light conditions.
    Scent: Can detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes,
    and track by sense of smell.
    Resistance (45): Acid & Electricity
    Damage Reduction: 50
    Spell Resistance: 130
    Extra Tentacle Rake Attacks: 7
    Alternate Form: At will, the pseudonatural legendary tiger can
    take the form of a grotesque, tentacled mass (or another appropriately
    gruesome form determined by the DM), but all its abilities remain
    unchanged despite the alien ppearance. Changing shape is a
    standard action. Other creatures receive a +1 morale penalty on
    their attack rolls against pseudonatural creatures in this alternative
    form.
    Skills: +8 racial bonus on both Hide and Move Silently
    checks (included). *In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth,
    the Hide bonus improves to +16.


    Spoiler: Explaination
    Show
    First thing's first, this Pseudonatural Template is perfectly in line with this contest's rules. There are five pseudonatural templates in the editions used for this contest. Two of them are 3.0 and were updated in two separate 3.5 books. They were mentioned on the first page of this round by multiple people asking for clarification on which templates were intended by the chair to not be used in order to qualify for this round's theme.
    Quote Originally Posted by jdizzlean
    Quote Originally Posted by thurbane
    I would have assumed the latest version of the template, which is the Lords of Madness version.

    Seems we will need clarification from The Chair.
    this is indeed the intention
    The Pseudonatural Template from Lords of Madness is disallowed for use for the theme, (but not banned for use), which is the most recent update for the basic template.
    The Pseudonatural Template I chose is from the Epic Level Handbook and is wildly different from any of the others. It is specifically called out in the template itself as being more powerful, and that certain classes that would have power over creatures with the regular pseudonatural template would have no power over this one. There has been no update for this template in 3.5. Two people specifically mentioned this template early on in the thread and the chair clarified they intended the regular template to be the one disallowed for this round of the contest. So this specific version of the template is perfectly available for use.

    Many of the Tiger's abilities come from having such high HD (26). This allows it to receive the more powerful abilities of the template while at the same time costing a lesser CR increase. The Tiger itself was CR:10 and the Template applied to a 26 HD creature only cost +10 CR, making a perfect CR:20 creature.

    Like most Legendary Animals this unique Tiger was created as a companion for another in need. The one in need was not quite right in the head or body and the tiger was created to match this 'off' individual. Over time... yadda yadda... the tiger is alone, carrying on the diabolical plans of it's former companion (or still working with them, whatever works). It's not too smart, but smart enough to scheme and plot and terrorize those it chooses to play with.

    It has over 500 hit points, DR: 50/epic, SR:130, 10 reach attacks w/ free grapples that do permanent Con drain, full attack bonus on all attacks, no penalty for grappling multiple foes (up to ten w/ up to +67 Grapple mod), 11 AoO/round, flight, teleportation, 100 ft. land speed, Pounce, defensive buffs, detection abilities, and you could make an argument for Rending Constriction adding to the Con drain of Rotting Constriction (though I won't bother). Tentacle Kitty is a simple and straightforward build with absolutely no cheese. It has Power, Mobility, Utility, and can take a heck of a beating with it's massive defenses and health.

    Since this round is about mimicking the 'other' Pseudonatural template, let us see how they compare.
    Type: Outsider, Resistance (Acid/Electricity), Damage Reduction, Spell Resistance, Alternate Form (tentacle mass), True Strike (1/day).
    The Tiger has all of that in spades except True Strike. In place of the 1/day Standard Action True Strike, my lovely Tiger as a permanent +15 to ALL attacks. So, similar, but of so much better.
    And though the regular Pseudonatural template does not give any tentacle attacks, or even any sort of extra attacks or usable limbs/appendages at all, that is still a requirement in order to 'mimic' the template. The Tiger's ten reach tentacles, Girallon's Arms, and Pegasus Wings have that well covered.

    Be sure to give a cuddle to the tentacle kitty before you leave.


    Spoiler: Sources
    Show
    Player’s Handbook: Combat Reflexes, general rules, Spell-like Abilities
    Monster Manual II: Legendary Tiger
    Epic Level Handbook: Pseudonatural Template (The one allowed, none of the ones disallowed)
    Savage Species: Multigrab, Greater Multigrab, Rending Constriction, Extended Reach
    Magic of Incarnum: Bonus Essentia, Shape Soulmeld, Open Lesser Chakra (Shoulders), Pegasus Cloak, Girallon Arms
    Spoiler: Medals & Current Characters
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nifft View Post
    More sources, more choices, more power. Welcome to D&D.
    Quote Originally Posted by Peelee
    I mean, I have been assuming Jdizzlean looks like Nathan Fillion this whole time to start with...
    The Mod Life Crisis If you need me to address a thread as a Moderator, please include a link

  15. - Top - End - #45
    Nerdomancer in the Playground Moderator
     
    DruidGuy

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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    2. shadow of the world
    When the heavens above did not exist,
    And earth beneath had not come into being—
    There was Apsû, the first in order, their begetter,
    And demiurge Tiamat, who gave birth to them all;
    They had mingled their waters together
    Before meadow-land had coalesced and reed-bed was to he found —
    When not one of the gods had been formed
    Or had come into being, when no destinies had been decreed,
    The gods were created within them

    ~ Enuma Elish (English translation by W.G. Lambert)

    Spoiler: On The Beginning
    Show

    Translated from Ancient Draconic for the Ashen Mountain Repository by Prof. Johannes Iluthiel, PhD MMag MRCD EPPgnT, Sehaninian Professor of Dracaeology

    First, came the egg. Before there was anything, before there was time to be before, there was an egg. The egg was all colours, and the egg was the world. Then, it hatched. From the egg came Apsu of the fresh water and Tiamat of the salt water. From these two came all other things. From them came the dragons, and after them the gods, and after them the thinking things and after them the other animals and plants of the world. All things come from our mother and our father, and that is why we dragons are the pinnacle of all living things.
    Apsu looked upon his children and saw that their behaviour was wicked, and he was wroth. Apsu made war upon his children, for he could not abide evil. But Tiamat was grieved by the death of her children, and she cursed Apsu. She formed four great giants of war, her greatest children, and they were the giants of earth and fire and air and water. They were Eda, The Strong One, the earthen one, the most resilient; Ix, The Slaughtering One, the fiery one, the most fierce; Hesjin, The Wide One, the watery one, the most unbound; Threa, The Wise One, the airy one, the most far-seeing. But Apsu is the greatest and the strongest of all things, and he struck the giants, and he slew them. The Slaughtering One, he extinguished. The Wise One, he scattered. The Wide One, he caged within the world, and this is why the seas are treacherous, for they still remember they are bound. Only The Strong One, his claws could not break. But Apsu knew all things, and fashioned a charming melody that lulled The Strong One, and it slumbered, and while The Strong One slumbered Apsu brought a poison upon it, and its flesh was destroyed. The bones of The Strong One Apsu could not break, so he flung them into the darkness.
    And Tiamat cursed Apsu again, for twice he had destroyed what she had created. And Apsu was greatly ashamed. And he put aside one full half of his power, and his name, and this is why we call him now only The Greatest One, Bahamuth. And Bahamuth knelt and began to create. But Tiamat did not forgive him, and she swore that as he had destroyed what she had created, so too would she destroy what he had created. And Tiamat again created many dragons of war, and set them against Bahamuth and all the good things he had made. These are our cousins of the matt scales, and they are many, for Tiamat has learned that no one being may stand against Bahamuth's might. They seek to destroy us in revenge for their mother's loss, and we are commanded that we must destroy them, for still Bahamuth cannot abide evil.
    But remember always that they are our cousins, and that Tiamat is our mother. Do not worship her, but do not disrespect her. Many are the powers she may call upon, the powers of air and fire and sea and earth, for to slay the children of Tiamat is not so easily done, even for a god, and in the darkness the bones of The Strong One, who is called Edar, The Earth, The World, remain unbroken.

    Spoiler: Captain's Diary
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    Captain's Diary, 12th of Ascending Water, 892
    Monthly supplies have arrived as usual. Caravan guards brought reports of bandit activity around that old buried mountain temple. If the bloody Elder Elemental Eye cultists have come back again, we'll need to root them out quick. Have dispatched a couple of scouts to take the lay of the land and get a preliminary on what's up there.

    Captain's Diary, 23rd of Ascending Water, 892
    Scouts have returned. Definitely something going on up there, and it's definitely earth-related. They've reported additional earthworks near the temple complex, too smoothly done to be anything but magic, and the stone giant village two valleys away is empty. Hopefully the giants have up and left rather than all been charmed or conscripted; we don't have nearly enough polearms or mages to deal with the whole tribe. Widening patrols; maybe we can catch some of these 'bandits' and get them to spill something.

    Captain's Diary, 2nd of Resplendent Water, 892
    Johnson disciplined for still being drunk at reveille; fined a week's pay and put on kitchen duty.

    Captain's Diary, 9th of Resplendent Water, 892
    Patrol caught one of those 'bandit' groups, brought a few back for interrogation. Wish to Pelor they hadn't. Underneath their weird melted-looking armour the things themselves look like hairless half-melted gnolls. crossed with spiders, and they're all totally mad. At least they spit and curse (or I think they curse, anyway) when asked about Tharizdun and the Elder Elemental Eye. But apparently they serve 'the world'. Would write them off as the weirdest ****ing druids I ever met except that they kept saying things like "the world will arrive", "the world unbreaks", "the world consumes the light", until they finally passed out. Lieutenant Haverford, our pal from the Ranger Corps, has volunteered to try and infiltrate the temple and get a closer look, with a copy of their armour that our mage fabricated. Thanks be to Olladra and Tymora for the stupidity of any cult that uses a full face concealing helmet as part of their uniform.

    Captain's Diary, 10th of Resplendent Water, 892
    The prisoners... melted, in the night. Just turned into some kind of weird brownish-green goop that dripped through the manacles and stained the cell floor. Don't think they've escaped. Too much goop, too many lumps. Not sure what that means, whether it's something they did to themselves, whether it's something that their master did to them to stop us getting any more information out of them. Don't like it.

    Captain's Diary, 12th of Resplendent Water, 892
    Monthly supplies arrived. No more reports of bandit activity this month. Hope we didn't stir them up by grabbing one of their patrols. Or maybe that one patrol was all of them. Can't wait for Haverford to report back.

    Captain's Diary, 6th of Descending Water, 892
    It's been nearly a month. Haverford should have been back by now. Still no more 'bandits', but the clergy from the town say they've been getting omens of increasing fiendish presence, whatever that means. Told the troops to be on lookout for imps, dead sheep, things like that. They're not too happy about that. Can't blame them. We signed up to protect our homeland from orcs and bandits. Let the paladins worry about fighting Hell.

    Captain's Diary, 25th of Descending Water, 892
    Lieutenant Haverford finally returned late last night, safe and sound. She's sleeping off the journey this morning, but hopefully I'll get a full debrief once she wakes up.

    Entry 2, Evening, 25th of Descending Water, 892
    Debriefed Haverford. Seems like we'll be okay. The group up at the temple are just a harmless bunch of druids, and the weird melted things were some sort of fungal experiment of theirs that went rogue and started attacking people. When I asked if she'd seen any fiends she even mentioned that the druids were looking to help us defend against fiends. She's got an answer for everything that was worrying me, thanks be to Pelor. Apparently the druids are going to send us some sort of reinforcements? Not sure how much I like that - foreign groups inside the fort, even helpful ones, is against regulations. But if they're fine camping outside and keeping to themselves, I suppose I can't see the harm in it.

    Captain's Diary, 27th of Descending Water, 892
    Haverford's promised reinforcements arrived today. Just three of them, all women and all druids apparently, so at least we'll have extra magical firepower. Asked them if they'd be keeping a look out for fiends and one of them said "Oh, we'll be looking at a lot of things", and winked at me. Bloody druids with their bloody naked dancing rituals and free love. I'm a happily married man, dammit. I can't be having with winking like that. Not good for military discipline. Going to have to keep an eye on the troops, too. Still, they seem fairly handy to have
    <rest of diary illegible due to bloodstains and damage from fire>
    - Document recovered from ruins of Halstead Border Fortress

    Spoiler: Creed of the Kaorti
    Show
    Our Lord was betrayed and slain.
    Yet he endured.
    Our Lord was bound in the deepest, furthest darkness.
    Yet he endured.
    Our Lord lies poisoned and wounded still, cast out from the world that once was his.
    Yet he will endure.
    We were betrayed, cast away from our home.
    Yet we endured.
    That which was ours is poison to us, burning our flesh, casting us out.
    Yet we will endure.
    Our Lord gives us a dark place of respite, and sends his shadow to aid us in taking back what was ours.
    He will conquer.
    The shadow shall fall over the land, and the world shall be made dark and cool, and he shall rise once more.
    He will conquer.
    The false god who struck down our Lord will be humbled, and those who betrayed us and sabotaged our portal will be annihilated.
    We will conquer.
    The servants of our Lord's mother Tiamat and her daughter Shar will bring ruin and eternal torment upon all those who oppose us.
    We will conquer.
    Our Lord is The World, and The World is his. Our Lord is the Earth, and the ground we tread is his by right. Our Lord is the center of the Shadow, the point around which all darkness revolves, for his was the very first grave. The Shadow will be brought to the world, and The World will consume the light, and our home will burn us no longer.
    His time is coming. His will shall be done. His Shadow is here to lead us. His power will be unleashed.
    We are the Kaorti, and we shall have our revenge.
    - Creed of the Kaorti


    Spoiler: Image
    Show


    Image source Teos Ulanti, https://www.artstation.com/artwork/E6ydA


    Spoiler: CR16 stat block
    Show

    Shadow Of The World

    Shadow Simulacrum of Poisonlaced Corrupted By The Abyss Awakened Skeletal Dragon Half-Dragon (Li Lung) Hecatoncheires

    Huge Construct (Living Construct, Incorporeal, Augmented Aberration)
    Alignment: CE
    HD 26d10-52 (208hp) (max hp per HD, +1hp per HD)
    Init: +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
    Speed: 100ft, burrow 10ft, fly 30ft (perfect)
    AC: 39 (-2 size, +20 insight, +8 deflection, +3 Dex), flat-footed 36, touch 39, or 43 on Plane of Shadows (-2 size, +12 natural, +20 insight, +3 Dex), flat-footed 40, touch 31
    Attacks: 100 unarmed strikes +26BAB+28Str-2size+1WF= +53, 100 boulders +52, 2 claws +47, 1 bite +47
    Damage: 100 unarmed strikes 1d6+28, 19-20/x2(+1d6+death), 100 boulders 2d8+28, 2 claws 2d6+28, bite 3d6+28
    Face/Reach: 15ft/15ft
    Special Attacks: Superior multiweapon fighting, roar, possession (DC 25)
    Special Qualities: Abomination traits, electricity immunity, fast healing 50, SR 70, detect poison, poison immunity, cold immunity, undead traits, turn resistance +2, darkvision, low-light vision, DR 10/cold iron and good, enhanced power, death denied, quickening, eternal renewal, nexus of many lives, living construct traits, hide in plain sight, occupation
    Saves: all base +15, Fort +12, Ref +18, Will +13
    Abilities: Str 66, Dex 17, Con 4, Int 14, Wis 6, Cha 27
    Skills: Disguise 13 (+21), Hide 26 (+29), Diplomacy 26 (+34), Sense Motive 26 (+24), Jump 8 (+64), Listen 18 (+16), Spot 26 (+24)
    Feats: Improved Initiative (B), Ability Focus (possession) (B), Shadow Weave Magic, Craft Wondrous Item, Craft Magic Arms & Armour, Craft Construct, Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Epic Destiny (Eternal Hero), Epic Destiny (Eternal Hero), Epic Destiny (Eternal Hero), Epic Destiny (Eternal Hero), Dire Charge, Brutal Throw, Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus (unarmed strike), Improved Critical (unarmed strike), Overwhelming Critical (unarmed strike), Devastating Critical (unarmed strike)
    Eternal Hero Warrior weapon: Aptitude (+1), Skillful (+2), Enervating (+2), +8 kaorti resin spinning sword
    +43 attack, 2d6+19, 17-20/x4(+1d6+negative level+death), slashing, reach (can use vs. adjacent foe)
    Eternal Hero Arcane spell: Simulacrum
    Eternal Hero Divine spell: Blasphemy
    Eternal Hero Traitor, Evil spells: Greater Planar Ally (evil creatures only), Summon Monster 8 (evil creatures only), Greater Spirit Binding (evil creatures only)
    Superior Multiweapon Fighting (Ex): The hecatoncheires does not suffer an attack or damage penalty for attacking with one hundred weapons. However, the press of limbs prevents the creature from making iterative attacks with any of its arms, nor can it make more than ten attacks against a Small or smaller creature, fifteen attacks against a Medium-size creature, or twenty attacks against a Large creature in the same action (it can make all its attacks against a Huge or larger creature in one action).
    Roar (Ex):A half-li lung can roar three times per day, creating a sound resembling metal scraping against stone. All creatures within 60 feet are automatically deafened for 1 round (no saving throw).
    Possession (Su): Once per round, a shadow simulacrum on a plane linked to the Plane of Shadow (but not the Plane of Shadow itself) can merge its body with a creature on the linked plane. This ability is similar to a magic jar spell (caster level 10th or the shadow simulacrum’s Hit Dice, whichever is higher), except that it does not require a receptacle. The target can resist the attack with a successful Will save (DC 15 + shadow simulacrum’s Cha modifier +2 for Ability Focus). A creature that successfully saves is immune to that same shadow simulacrum’s possession for 24 hours, and the shadow simulacrum cannot enter the target’s space. If the save fails, the shadow simulacrum vanishes into the target’s body.
    To take possession of a different creature, the simulacrum needs to be present (either as itself or through possessing another creature). Attempting to take possession of a new creature ends possession of the original creature only if the new attempt is successful.
    It is possible to identify a creature under possession by a shadow simulacrum in shadowy conditions with a successful Spot check opposed by the shadow simulacrum’s Disguise check. Success means the viewer notices that the target does not match its shadow precisely.
    Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): A shadow simulacrum can use the Hide skill when being observed (except in natural daylight, the area of a daylight spell, or a similar effect).
    Occupation (Su): If the target is dead (effectively an object), the shadow simulacrum can vanish into the corpse, allowing it to interject itself into attempts to reach the dead creature’s spirit. For example, speak with dead reaches the shadow simulacrum, not the spirit of the dead.
    It is possible to identify a corpse under occupation by a shadow simulacrum in shadowy conditions with a successful Spot check opposed by the shadow simulacrum’s Disguise check. Success means the viewer notices that the corpse does not match its shadow precisely.
    Abomination Traits: Immune to polymorphing, petrification, and other formaltering attacks; not subject to energy drain, ability drain, ability damage, or death from massive damage; immune to mind-affecting effects; fire resistance 20; cold resistance 20; nondetection; blindsight 500 ft.
    Undead Traits: Immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death, effects, necromantic effects, mind-affecting effects, and any effect requiring a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage.
    Living Construct Traits: Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, disease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, effects that cause the sickened condition, and energy drain. Cannot heal naturally and gains only half effect from healing subschool spells. At 0 hit points, the simulacrum is disabled, but does not risk further injury due to strenuous activity. When hit points are between –1 and –10, the simulacrum is inert but is considered stable (no additional hit point loss unless more damage is dealt to him). The simulacrum does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe.


    Spoiler: CR20 stat block
    Show

    Shadow Of The World

    Shadow Simulacrum of Poisonlaced Corrupted By The Abyss Awakened Skeletal Dragon Half-Dragon (Li Lung) Hecatoncheires Warlock 8

    Huge Construct (Living Construct, Incorporeal, Augmented Aberration)
    Alignment: CE
    HD 30d10-60 (240hp) (max hp per HD, +1hp per HD)
    Init: +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
    Speed: 100ft, burrow 10ft, fly 30ft (perfect)
    AC: 39 (-2 size, +20 insight, +8 deflection, +3 Dex), flat-footed 36, touch 39, or 43 on Plane of Shadows (-2 size, +12 natural, +20 insight, +3 Dex), flat-footed 40, touch 31
    Attacks: 100 unarmed strikes +57, 100 boulders +56, 2 claws +51, 1 bite +51
    Damage: 100 unarmed strikes 1d6+28, 19-20/x2(+1d6+death), 100 boulders 2d8+28, 2 claws 2d6+28, bite 3d6+28
    Face/Reach: 15ft/15ft
    Special Attacks: Superior multiweapon fighting, roar, possession (DC 25)
    Special Qualities: Abomination traits, electricity immunity, fast healing 50, SR 70, detect poison, poison immunity, cold immunity, undead traits, turn resistance +2, darkvision, low-light vision, DR 10/cold iron and good, enhanced power, death denied, quickening, eternal renewal, nexus of many lives, living construct traits, hide in plain sight, occupation
    Saves: all base +17, Fort +14, Ref +20, Will +15
    Abilities: Str 66, Dex 17, Con 4, Int 14, Wis 6, Cha 27
    Skills: Disguise 15 (+23), Hide 30 (+33), Diplomacy 30 (+38), Sense Motive 30 (+28), Jump 8 (+64), Listen 22 (+20), Spot 30 (+28)
    Feats: Improved Initiative (B), Ability Focus (possession) (B), Shadow Weave Magic, Craft Wondrous Item, Craft Magic Arms & Armour, Craft Construct, Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Epic Destiny (Eternal Hero), Epic Destiny (Eternal Hero), Epic Destiny (Eternal Hero), Epic Destiny (Eternal Hero), Dire Charge, Brutal Throw, Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus (unarmed strike), Improved Critical (unarmed strike), Overwhelming Critical (unarmed strike), Devastating Critical (unarmed strike), Leap Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Shock Trooper
    Eternal Hero Warrior weapon: Aptitude (+1), Skillful (+2), Enervating (+2) +8 kaorti resin spinning sword
    +43 attack, 2d6+19, 17-20/x4(+1d6+negative level+death), slashing, reach (can use vs. adjacent foe)
    Eternal Hero Arcane spell: Simulacrum
    Eternal Hero Divine spell: Blasphemy
    Eternal Hero Traitor, Evil spells: Greater Planar Ally (evil creatures only), Summon Monster 8 (evil creatures only), Greater Spirit Binding (evil creatures only)


    Spoiler: Build tables
    Show

    Ability Scores:
    Array Hecatoncheires Half-Dragon Skeletal Dragon Awaken Undead (empowered, maximised) Corrupted By The Abyss 56HD 60HD Shadow Simulacrum Final
    Str 14 +40 +8 - - +4 - - - 66 (+28)
    Dex 15 +4 - - - -2 - +1 -1 (HD lowered) 17 (+3)
    Con 10 +22 +2 Becomes - - +4 (becomes 4) - - - 4 (-3)
    Int 12 +0 +2 Becomes - Raised back to 14 - - - - 14 (+2)
    Wis 8 -2 - Set to 10 - -2 - - - 6* (-2)
    Cha 13 +14 +2 - - -2 +1 - -1 (HD lowered) 27 (+8)
    (*Shadow Weave Magic = additional -2 Wis)

    Feats:
    HD Class Feat
    Bonus N/A Improved Initiative, Ability Focus (Possession)
    1 Racial Shadow Weave Magic
    3 Racial Craft Wondrous Item
    6 Racial Craft Magic Arms & Armour
    9 Racial Craft Construct
    12 Racial Power Attack
    15 Racial Cleave
    18 Racial Great Cleave
    21 Racial Epic Destiny (Eternal Hero)
    24 Racial - (Epic Destiny)
    27 Racial - (Epic Destiny)
    30 Racial - (Epic Destiny)
    33 Racial Dire Charge
    36 Racial Brutal Throw
    39 Racial Improved Unarmed Strike
    42 Racial Weapon Focus (unarmed strike)
    45 Racial Improved Critical (unarmed strike)
    48 Racial Overwhelming Critical (unarmed strike)
    51 Racial Devastating Critical (unarmed strike)
    54 Warlock 2 Leap Attack
    57 Warlock 5 Improved Bull Rush
    60 Warlock 8 Shock Trooper

    Spoiler: What (and CR16 highlight)
    Show

    "the more arms, tentacles, limbs, natural attacks, etc, the better"
    The more arms the better, you say. That sounds like a challenge. Let's have the most arms. Let's have one hundred arms. Let's have a Hecatoncheires.

    Now, to pull this off, we need to drop a Hecatoncheires' ridiculous and somewhat inflated CR57 (one of the highest in the game) down to below CR 20. There are a handful of CR-reducing templates, but the highest CR-reduction we can apply to the Hecatoncheires is the Proto-creature template from Bestiary of Krynn, and that's only a -3.
    But there are also four templates which halve CR. Incarnate construct is the most well-known, but a Hecatoncheires in no way meets the "two arms, two legs, one head" restriction (not meeting that restriction being kind of its entire point). Draconomicon's Skeletal/Zombie Dragon, however, apply to any dragon, and even let us keep the Hecatoncheires' extraordinary special attacks and special qualities - which includes almost all our Abomination traits, which are explicitly called out as (Ex), and Superior Multiweapon Fighting. We lose Summon and the other spell-likes, Telepathy, Regeneration (from becoming undead), true seeing (which, even though it is part of the Special Qualities (Ex) trait, is then sub-noted as being a spell-like), and damage reduction (the Errata for the Monster Manual notes that DR that's good or cold iron, both of which the 3.5 updated Hecatoncheires' DR is, is Supernatural). I'm going with Skeletal over Zombie to avoid the crippling 'Slow' trait (also, Zombie specifies 'of at least adult age', which might imply it can only apply to true dragons, whereas Skeletal says 'any dragon'). To qualify as a dragon, we take the half-dragon template, taking half Li Lung to get an (Ex) Roar special attack instead of a (Su) breath weapon, so that we keep it as a skeletal dragon.
    The problem is that only gets us from CR 59 (with the half-dragon +2) down to CR29. We need another halving. We can't stack Skeletal and Zombie Dragon with each other, naturally, so let's look at our final template: Shadow Simulacrum. This is a construct made from its creator's shadow. We can Awaken Undead our Skeletal Hecatoncheires to give it the intelligence and feats to create a construct, and we certainly have at least 10HD and at least a 6 Charisma, but there's one last crucial requirement on Shadow Simulacrum that our Awakened Skeletal Hecatoncheires doesn't meet: 'any living creature'. Now, at an actual table I'd just argue that the 'living' requirement should be waived; liches have shadows just like living casters do, and can be the target of a simulacrum spell, so why shouldn't they be able to craft shadow simulacra? But for this competition, let's get creative.
    Are there type-changing templates that can be applied to turn an undead back into a living being? Stop 1 is 3.0's Manual of the Planes. The Half-Elemental template will make any corporeal creature an Outsider, but it's inherited, so I feel dodgy about applying it after the clearly acquired Skeletal Dragon. Shadow is a better choice, since the MotP example explicitly applies it to an undead and explicitly updates its type to 'Magical Beast'. It even gives a clear RAW example that the 'undead' trait package is a Special Quality, and so is retained by any template that retains special qualities. But Shadow Creature was updated in Lords of Madness, and besides, as the example Shadow Ghoul shows, the creature retains its Con: -. MM3's glossary defines a living creature like so:'Any creature with a Constitution score is a living creature. Constructs and undead are not living creatures.' It is unclear whether the second sentence can be taken to imply 'constructs and undead are explicitly excluded because other creatures that do not have a Constitution score may still be living creatures', but let's see if we can get a Constitution score, which would explicitly make our monster 'living'.
    The Book of Vile Darkness has the Corrupted Creature template. Not only does this acquired template change any corporeal creature to an Aberration, it has a +4 Con modifier. Based on the clear example of the Sentry Ooze template, (which instead of bearing an explicit exemption to some larger rule, or having an 'Int becomes 2' line like the Skeleton's 'Wis becomes 10', simply says +2 Int, and implies that a +2 Int applied to an Int: - creature always results in a 2 Int creature) applying the Corrupted template to our Skeletal Dragon Half-Dragon Hecatoncheires results in a Con: 4 Aberration. (Look, I recognise that this particular step is total cheese by RAI, but if it doesn't work by RAW then how on earth does Sentry Ooze work?) Being both not undead and a creature with a Constitution score, this is clearly a living creature, and can be a target of the Shadow Simulacrum template. The Book of Vile Darkness never received a 3.5 Update, which raises questions like 'so what does DR 10/+3 translate to', but Expedition To The Demonweb Pits contains the Corrupted By The Abyss template, which it describes as 'This template first appeared in Book of Vile Darkness. This version has been updated to v.3.5 rules and adapted for the environment of the Abyss', and indeed, the Corrupted By The Abyss template retains the 'any corporeal creature' targeting, the type change to aberration and the +4 Con.
    Having an intelligent, living creature with at least 10HD and at least 6 Cha, we finally just need to meet the requirements to create a Shadow Simulacrum. CL13, at least 13th character level (i.e. >13HD), Craft Construct, simulacrum, and Shadow Weave Magic. With the assistance and patronage of our half-sister Shar, who is going to be very on board with the plan to merge the Plane of Shadow into the Prime Material, we can pick up Shadow Weave Magic as our 1st HD feat. Craft Construct, however, is trickier. Poisonlaced is the solution, a Unique NPC Ability from DMG2 that gives +0CR because of how tiny the benefits are; immunity to poison (which we're immune to already), and always-active Detect Poison, just so you can spot that stuff you're immune to. Totally irrelevant, except for one thing: the Detect Poison SLA's caster level is equal to your HD. This gives us a caster level, and as per Complete Arcane, lets us pick up Craft Wondrous Item, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, and Craft Construct with our other early feat slots. Finally, while we could always use some of our enormous level 52 WBL to hire someone to cast simulacrum for us, it happens to be an arcane spell of exactly 7th level, and so qualifies for the Arcanist choice from the capstone ability of the Eternal Hero epic destiny.

    So, we move on finally to Shadow Simulacrum. This halves both our CR and our HD. The Shadow Simulacrum has a 'except as reduced by the lowered HD' note in almost every section, making it clear that we lose BAB, base saves, skill points, special attacks, special qualities, and abilities (it's unclear what 'abilities' we could possibly lose except ability score increases from level ups, so let's assume that's what they mean)... but I said 'almost every section' for a reason. The Feats section, and only the Feats section, simply says 'Feats: Same as the base creature, plus Ability Focus (possession) as a bonus feat'. There's no way to interpret the complete absence of an 'except as reduced by the lowered HD' line here apart from either a massive editing error, or as a statement that the Shadow Simulacrum retains *all* the base creature's feats, regardless of HD. Which means 18 feats, up to 11 of them epic. This is a truly staggering number of feats. We can fit a full Epic Destiny ( Eternal Hero gives us a choice of up to 5 high-level spells at CL26 - one of these has to be simulacrum, but we can fit in Blasphemy as the 7th-level divine spell and Greater Planar Ally and Summon Monster 8 as two 8th-level [Evil] spells, with Greater Spirit Binding as a backup for when we have an ally capable of casting a Magic Circle spell and Dimensional Anchor) and the entire Devastating Critical line, which combines with our preposterous strength to leave anyone who takes a critical hit from one of our 15 attacks each round having to make a DC 51 Fort save or die. Dire Charge gives us Pounce provided we charge on the first round of combat - awkward, but it's a feat-based way to acquire Pounce and with a 100ft Speed, getting that charge off on the first round shouldn't be an issue. We have 15 unarmed strikes per Medium-sized opponent, each at a baseline of +53 attack and 1d6+28 damage. Pumping your AC up above 73 at 16th level is tricky. (I've gone with 'half-dragon only says it gives you 2 claws and 1 bite, so you only get 2 claws and 1 bite regardless of how many hands and heads you have' - logically speaking we ought to have 100 claw attacks and be putting all those (unarmed strike) feats into claws instead, but bringing logic into this also requires us to confess our crimes against logic, and they are many.)
    Of course, the melee potential of Shadow Of The World is only applicable on the Plane of Shadow. On the Material Plane, the Shadow Of The World is an infiltrator, possessing anyone who can't make a DC25 Will save (low enough that most PCs at this level can make it, but high enough that plenty of key NPCs around them won't), incorporeally spying on the PCs with Hide In Plain Sight, the general incorporeal ability to duck through walls/the ground/etc and a 500ft Blindsight range, and using Greater Planar Ally to call on various powerful outsiders and elementals (remember, as Summon Monster notes in the PHB, a summoning or calling spell that produces any evil-aligned creature counts as an [Evil] spell, not just one that produces an [Evil] subtype creature. If we're bored of pit fiends and trios of succubi, start getting free wishes from efreeti, or find an Elemental Weird that bucks the 'usually neutral' guidelines and have 18th-level sorceror casting on tap). Note also that the caster level for Eternal Hero spells is equal to our HD, which means that when Shadow Of The World is done spying and decides to just pop out of the ground in the middle of the party and unleash a Blasphemy, it's cast at CL26. Any non-evil 16HD creature, like, say, a 16th level PC, is killed. No save. Anyone up to 21HD is paralyzed for 1d10 minutes, more than enough time for yesterday's long-term contracted planar ally to come along and repeatedly coup-de-grace them into the ground. (And you penetrate SR as though your caster level was 36.)
    On the defensive side of things, our series of 'retain all extraordinary special qualities' and 'retain all special qualities' templates has left us with virtually all the defensive traits of an Abomination, including a laundry list of immunities (polymorphing, petrification, any form-altering attack, energy drain, ability drain, ability damage, mind-affecting effects, death from massive damage), electricity immunity, and SR 70. (That SR 70 is the reason the proto-creature template isn't used anywhere, by the way - although spell resistance is explicitly an extraordinary ability, proto-creature explicitly strips out spell resistance.) We also retain our Skeletal Dragon immunities, the non-duplicates of which are cold damage, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, anything that requires a Fortitude save unless it works on objects or is harmless, critical hits, nonlethal damage, fatigue and exhaustion. The only new immunities Living Construct traits give us are to nausea and sickness, conditions which undead aren't immune to for some reason. I suppose a corpse still comes with muscles that can cramp.
    On top of that, when we take damage we have fast healing 50, 26 temporary hit points refreshed every round, DR 10/cold iron and good, and four immediate action 50% heals per day. With 26 Outsider HD the last time our base save bonuses were recalculated, we have 3 good saves, and the worst one (thanks to our terrible Constitution) is Fortitude - most effects from which, we're immune to. Our naked AC is pretty poor, not much better than a balor or pit fiend's, but incorporeality gives us a bit of a defence against most things and the Hecatoncheires' +20 Insight bonus to AC provides an impediment to touch spells.
    Also, thanks to Eternal Hero we just can't permanently die, ever, so there's that. (Living constructs can be raised or resurrected.)


    Spoiler: CR 20
    Show

    We've added 8 levels to our source creature, The World, which increases its CR by 8, and hence increases Shadow of The World's CR by 4, up to 20. What levels, precisely, we add to The World is honestly kind of irrelevant; its Shadow won't get to keep any HD, class features, skills or special attacks from those levels, and any bonus feats we get will be lost when we lose the class features that grant them. Even if we take, say, 4 levels of fighter and take Weapon Specialisation with one of our regular feat slots, Shadow of The World won't meet its prerequisites and it'll be deactivated. I've therefore chosen Warlock purely on flavour grounds. It seems appropriate for The World, who's been making deals with creatures of the Far Realm, plotting to rewrite the cosmology of the universe, trafficking with fiends, and doing an awful lot of Diplomacy and Bluffing, to go for the 'make pacts with dark powers' class (being sure to grab Beguiling Influence and Otherworldly Whispers).
    The only relevant parts for the Shadow are: we get 4 additional HD, bringing us up to 30 and increasing the CL of our Eternal Hero spells to match. This keeps us on that sweet 'have as many HD as my CR, you die, no save' curve. Our HD going up from 26 to 30 also increases the DC of Devastating Critical from 51 to 53. Also, we get whatever 3 additional feats The World has picked up, unless they require prerequisites we don't meet (such as anything class level or class feature based). Given how many interesting options that rules out, I've gone with the Leap Attack/Shock Trooper combination; pedestrian, I know, but there's something to be said for turning that +30 Outsider BAB into +60 damage per hit on 15 attacks per target.
    And that's the 'CR 20' version of Shadow Of The World. Which is about as much CR 20 as its previous version was CR 16, of course. We're still immune to virtually everything you can be immune to, we still have a once-per-day 'kill the party', we still have access to an enormous spectrum of evil allies, and on the Plane of Shadow we can still punch you til your heart stops.


    Spoiler: In A Campaign
    Show
    Obviously you can't really use Shadow Of The World as a recurring villain quite as easily as you'd use most villains. It doesn't come in anything less than CR 16, and there's no way it's actually CR16 either (a Hecatoncheires may not be CR57, but having most of its abilities available at CR16 along with a pile of epic feats is pretty ridiculous). That's where the cult comes in. Kaorti can't survive for long on the Material Plane, but they can survive just fine on the Plane of Shadow, and planar allies can be employed to quickly plane shift or shadowfade them around, letting them build up cysts while having a line of retreat available when the inevitable meddling adventurers smash up the cyst and leave them exposed to the Material. The World has also convinced them (or maybe their madness always leaned that way) that their stranding in the Far Realm and their transformation was no accident; that someone, somewhere, betrayed them, and they should take revenge. This not only helps to align their motivations with their also-'betrayed' lord, but also pushes them to be more aggressive in going out into the Prime Material and hunting down any scraps of information they can find, instead of staying in their cysts slowly building up - which, in turn, encourages them to rely more on their Plane of Shadow bases, and to rely on the World and its Shadow to protect and give them access to those bases. (And from a meta perspective, being more aggressive means more opportunities for the PCs to encounter kaorti raiding parties at low levels, and raiding parties supported by various levels of shadow monsters, planar allies, etc. at higher levels.) The Shadow itself is best encountered early on only in a scouting/possession role, much like the Shadow Simulacrum in the original Shadowdale adventure; have Shadow Of The World possess important NPCs, spy on the party, coordinate its minions, and maybe use SM VIII to cover its escape if the PCs press it; a hellcat or a fiendish tyrannosaurus makes for a dramatic boss battle for a lower-level party. Ideally, have the grand finale take place on the Plane of Shadow, so that the Shadow's full capabilities can come out to play.


    Spoiler: Item Thoughts
    Show
    If you want to make this even more deadly, any item that boosts Strength or Charisma will boost the save DCs of Devastating Critical and Possession, respectively. A Cape of the Mountebank, Boots of Big Stepping, or similar teleportation item will help in case your table plays Forcecage based on a creature's Space rather than its actual dimensions (at over 30ft tall, a Hecatoncheires is otherwise too large to fit in even a barred Forcecage). You may want to acquire a bunch of Huge +1 scimitars or rapiers of Aptitude also (or just switch the feats over to scimitar; they're only all unarmed strike to fulfil the 'zero equipment reliance' requirement, which I've been explicitly informed by the chair extends to nonmagical equipment as well as magical equipment). The spinning sword from Secrets of Sarlona is also a good choice (hence why it's our Eternal Hero weapon); a one-handed weapon with reach and a 19-20 critical range is excellent, and unlike the whip you do still threaten that area, so you can AoO anyone in a 30ft radius as well as being able to full attack right over the meat shields' heads. Consider also outfitting the Shadow with a ghost shroud - the Libris Mortis version is more explicit than the Magic Item Compendium version that it just generally gives you ghost touch rather than letting you affect incorporeal creatures 'as though' you had ghost touch, but either should be sufficient - assuming you take the part of the 'Attacks' and 'Damage' section of the shadow simulacrum template as simply explaining how 'you are incorporeal when not on the Plane of Shadow' works, and not as a separate prohibition on being able to attack or damage anyone else even with a way to overcome being incorporeal. Ghost Touch armour and an Amulet of Mighty Fists fill the 'increase AC, increase attack' slots; note that a Necklace of Natural Attacks, the normal way to get things like ghost touch, is a terrible idea for Shadow Of The World because the cost is multiplied by the number of natural attacks affected. Consider also a Monk's Belt; the AC bonus is only +1 due to our terrible Wis, but increasing unarmed strike damage to 3d6 is a worthwhile boost for a relatively small investment compared to the WBL of a 30HD character (or, for that matter, a 60HD character: presumably The World would invest a little of its spare change in outfitting its primary minion).



    Spoiler: Possible Rules Issues
    Show
    Using Corrupted By The Abyss to become a 'living creature' again, which potentially violates the Savage Species 'type pyramid' depending on how you interpret 'does not dictate the order in which you must apply templates' (and whether or not you consider the 3.0 book Savage Species to be the final word on template interactions, instead of the primary source of the 3.5 MM's page 293). The final creature clearly follows the type pyramid's recommendation, being a Construct. And the 'Order' section, which has the line 'Undead and constructs, for instance, do not have Constitution scores and therefore cannot become any other creature type' both contradicts the more specific rules of the Sentry Ooze and Corrupted By The Abyss templates in assuming that a creature can never stop having a - score, and also would completely negate the entire Incarnate Construct template. Also this section has the line 'Conversely, a lycanthrope elf is a humanoid (shapechanger) and cannot become a tauric creature. Each rules the other out', which is just flat out wrong about the prerequisites of the Tauric template... which is not only in the same book, but in the same chapter, as this section. Basically, not only should page 293 of the Monster Manual be taken as the official updated 3.5 version of this section, but even by 3.0 rules it's incorrect. Still, I'm noting this bit because while I think I'm on solid ground RAW, I'm aware I'm cheesing the RAI, and it's the cornerstone of the entire build - there's no other way to stack up two 1/2CR templates. Like I said above, in actual play I'd either waive the 'living' requirement on the Shadow Simulacrum template if I were the DM, or request it be waived if I was playing, rather than go through this extra and slightly wobbly set of hoops.
    'Feats: Same as the base creature, plus Ability Focus (possession) as a bonus feat'. RAW, very clear. RAI... yeah. If we strip out 50% of the Shadow of the World's feats, the CR16 version no longer has Greater Planar Ally or Blasphemy, which makes it immensely less lethal, and the CR20 version loses its 1st-round Pounce, its Omae Wa Mou Shinderu, its Shock Trooper ability to pump AC to damage, and a massive chunk of the accuracy of its thrown boulders. None of these are vital to the build, but they do tank its Plane of Shadow combat power fairly heavily.
    Awaken Undead: An awakened undead cannot be more intelligent than a 'typical example' of its living kind. What's the typical example of a completely unique creature like this? I've basically chosen to ignore the 'typical example' business on the basis that The World is the only possible typical example of itself, and assumed that it's okay to put a 12 in Int during array assignment and then pick that 12 back up again when Awakened. If you assume that 'typical example' means 'maxes out at what you would get if you put a 10 in, regardless of empower, maximise, etc.' then that reduces available skill points a bit. Just cut Spot, I guess, we do have a 500ft Blindsight radius to fall back on.
    Other issues: the boulders a Hecatoncheires throws don't actually have a range increment specified anywhere. Where does that +20 insight bonus come from? Should it be counted as something supernatural that would be lost when Skeletal Dragon strips spell-like and supernatural abilities? Also, does Superior Multiweapon Fighting's 'A hecatoncheires fights with a greatsword or a boulder in each hand.' section prohibit a Hecatoncheires from using unarmed strikes? Does 'The hecatoncheires does not suffer an attack or damage penalty for attacking with one hundred weapons' apply to unarmed strikes? Does a hecatoncheires even have 100 unarmed strikes, or does it only have one, and the other 99 arms just sort of hang there?
    I don't think any of those others are serious issues, but god, the hecatoncheires and the ELH in general are just so badly edited that there's quite a few things I thought I should mention in advance so you know I'm aware of them.


    Spoiler: Sources
    Show

    Hecatoncheires: Epic Level Handbook
    Half-Dragon template, Skeletal Dragon template:Draconomicon
    Awaken Undead: SC
    Corrupted By The Abyss template: Expedition To The Demonweb Pits (see also Corrupted template, Book of Vile Darkness)
    Shadow Simulacrum template: Shadowdale - The Scouring Of The Land
    Poisonlaced unique NPC ability: DMG II
    Shadow Weave Magic: FRCS
    Craft Construct: MM
    'Caster level' feat prerequisite explanation: CA, p72
    Brutal Throw, Leap Attack: CAdv
    Epic Destiny (Eternal Hero): Epic Destinies In 3.5 WE (https://web.archive.org/web/20090218.../drfe/20080428)
    Dire Charge, Overwhelming Critical, Devastating Critical: ELH
    Shock Trooper: CW
    Greater Spirit Binding: CA
    Aptitude weapon enhancement: ToB
    Skillful weapon enhancement: CA
    Enervating weapon enhancement: MIC
    Kaorti Resin: WotC Random Encounters web article (http://archive.wizards.com/default.a...d/re/20031014a)
    Spinning Sword: Secrets of Sarlona
    Kaorti: FF
    Elemental Weird: MM II
    Shadowfade: SC
    Boots of Big Stepping: MIC
    Ghost Shroud: LM/MIC

    Image: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/E6ydA
    Exalted Philosopher of Paragnostic Truths: Complete Champion (Paragnostic Assembly)
    Enūma Eliš, translation by W.G. Lambert: http://www.etana.org/node/581
    Spoiler: Medals & Current Characters
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nifft View Post
    More sources, more choices, more power. Welcome to D&D.
    Quote Originally Posted by Peelee
    I mean, I have been assuming Jdizzlean looks like Nathan Fillion this whole time to start with...
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  16. - Top - End - #46
    Nerdomancer in the Playground Moderator
     
    DruidGuy

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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    3. Nyekdar

    Nyekdar: Half-farspawn grell Scout 3/Wild Shape Ranger 10/Whirling Frenzy Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian 1

    Spoiler: Abilities
    Show
    Initial Stats: Str 19, Dex 18, Con 24, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 8
    All ability boosts go to Strength.

    Spoiler: Backstory
    Show
    From the moment it hatched, Nyekdar was odd. Its skin was an unusually dark shade of pink, laced with faint patterns of green and black that almost seemed to shift if you looked at them for too long. It also had twelve tentacles instead of the usual ten, and its beak was … well, no one could quite say what was odd about its beak, though everyone agreed that it was odd.

    Some of the grell in its colony wanted to kill it, or abandon it in the wilderness, but the patriarch refused. Yes, he said, Nyekdar was odd. But oddness could be good as easily as bad. And if it should prove bad, well, problematic grell had been driven out of the colony before. These arguments proved persausive, and Nyekdar was allowed to live.

    At first, Nyekdar seemed to behave normally for all that it looked odd. Like all grell, it was born a near-mindless beast, and lived in the nursery of its colony for several years, hunting down the bugs and rodents the adults would throw in from time to time. Only when it reached the age of five and began to speak did its true nature become clear.

    Nyekdar heard voices whispering to it, voices no one else could hear. It ignored the voices at first, heeding the advice of the other grell who told it they were just its imagination. But one day the voices murmured instructions on how to find some prey – instructions that, when Nyekdar followed them, proved to be true. To Nyekdar, this was evidence that the voices were real and should be heeded. It went into a dark and quiet cave, to commune with them. There it stayed for seven months.

    As it communed with the voices, Nyekdar learned many things. It learned the voices were the whispers of its true parents – not the grell that had laid the egg it had hatched from, but vast and incomprehensible entities that dwelt beyond the borders of reality, who had placed a fragment of their essence in its gestating form and endowed it with a piece of their power. It learned that it could increase its powers by eating, and that if it ate enough, it would be able to open a path for its parents to come meet it in person.

    After seven months, Nyekdar emerged from the deep, a new purpose burning in its soul.

    Spoiler: Build Table
    Show
    CR Class Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Skills Feats Class Features
    5 Half-farspawn grell +3 +8 +5 +7 Bluff +3, Hide +12, Listen +11, Move Silently +12, Search +7, Sense Motive +7, Spot +11, Tumble +8 Air Heritage, Power Attack Blindsight 60 ft., change shape, constrict 1d6+4, DR 5/magic, expert grappler, flight, immunity to electricity and poison, improved grab, paralysis, resistance to acid 10, sightless, spell-like abilities, true strike
    6 Scout 1 +3 +8 +7 +7 Bluff +3, Hide +13, Listen +12, Move Silently +13, Search +7, Sense Motive +7, Spot +12, Tumble +12 Flyby Attack Skirmish +1d6, trapfinding
    7 Scout 2 +4 +8 +8 +7 Bluff +4, Hide +14, Listen +13, Move Silently +14, Search +7, Sense Motive +4, Spot +13, Tumble +14 Battle fortitude +1, uncanny dodge
    8 Scout 3 +5 +9 +8 +8 Bluff +4, Hide +15, Listen +14, Move Silently +15, Search +7, Sense Motive +10, Spot +14, Tumble +15 Fast movement +10 ft., skirmish +1d6/+1 AC, trackless step
    9 Wild Shape Ranger 1 +6 +11 +8 +8 Bluff +4, Hide +16, Listen +15, Move Silently +16, Search +7, Sense Motive +11, Spot +15, Tumble +16 Swift Hunter Fast movement +10 ft., favored enemy humanoid (human) +2, Track, wild empathy
    10 Whirling Frenzy Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian 1 +7 +13 +10 +8 Bluff +4, Hide +17, Listen +16, Move Silently +17, Search +7, Sense Motive +11, Spot +15, Tumble +17 Lion totem, whirling frenzy 1/day
    12 Wild Shape Ranger 2 +8 +14 +11 +8 Bluff +4, Hide +18, Listen +17, Move Silently +18, Search +7, Sense Motive +11, Spot +17, Tumble +18 DR 10/magic, favored enemy humanoid (human) +4, humanoid (elf) +2, skirmish +2d6/+1 AC
    13 Wild Shape Ranger 3 +9 +14 +11 +9 Bluff +4, Hide +19, Listen +18, Move Silently +19, Search +7, Sense Motive +12, Spot +18, Tumble +19 Endurance, Improved Skirmish
    14 Wild Shape Ranger 4 +10 +15 +12 +9 Bluff +4, Hide +20, Listen +19, Move Silently +20, Search +7, Sense Motive +13, Spot +19, Tumble +20 Animal companion, skirmish +2d6/+2 AC
    15 Wild Shape Ranger 5 +11 +15 +12 +9 Bluff +4, Hide +21, Listen +20, Move Silently +21, Search +7, Sense Motive +14, Spot +20, Tumble +21 Wild shape 1/day
    16 Wild Shape Ranger 6 +12 +16 +13 +14 Bluff +4, Hide +22, Listen +21, Move Silently +22, Search +7, Sense Motive +15, Spot +21, Tumble +22 Steadfast Determination Skirmish +3d6/+2 AC, wild shape 2/day
    17 Wild Shape Ranger 7 +13 +16 +13 +14 Bluff +4, Hide +23, Listen +22, Move Silently +23, Search +7, Sense Motive +16, Spot +22, Tumble +23 Favored enemy humanoid (human) +6, humanoid (elf) +4, humanoid (dwarf) +2, wild shape 3/day, woodland stride
    18 Wild Shape Ranger 8 +14 +17 +14 +14 Bluff +4, Hide +23, Listen +23, Move Silently +24, Search +7, Sense Motive +17, Spot +23, Tumble +24 Skirmish +3d6/+3 AC, swift tracker, wild shape (large)
    19 Wild Shape Ranger 9 +15 +17 +14 +15 Bluff +4, Hide +25, Listen +24, Move Silently +25, Search +7, Sense Motive +18, Spot +24, Tumble +25 Extended Reach Evasion
    20 Wild Shape Ranger 10 +16 +18 +15 +15 Bluff +4, Hide +26, Listen +25, Move Silently +26, Search +7, Sense Motive +19, Spot +25, Tumble +26 Skirmish +4d6/+3 AC, wild shape 4/day

    Spoiler: SLAs and Spells
    Show
    SLAs and Ranger Spells
    SLAs can be used 1/day unless otherwise indicated. Caster level equals HD, and saves are Charisma-based.
    CR SLAs 1st 2nd
    5th blur 3/day, touch of idiocy, stinking cloud - -
    6th - - -
    7th blink 3/day - -
    8th - - -
    9th greater invisibility - -
    10th - - -
    12th telekinesis - -
    13th - - -
    14th ethereal jaunt 3/day 1 -
    15th - 1 -
    16th scintillating pattern 2 -
    17th - 2 -
    18th summon monster IX
    (pseudonatural animals or vermin only)
    2 1
    19th - 2 1
    20th implosion 2 2

    Spoiler: Using Nyekdar
    Show
    Spoiler: CR 5
    Show
    CR 5: At this point, Nyekdar has just set forth on its mission. It hasn't developed much power yet, and is fairly cautious, being more interested in easy meals than challenging fights. Should it be forced to battle, it opens with its blur spell-like ability, then pummels its foes with its tentacles. It will flee if reduced below half-health, if possible by fly-running strait up for several rounds.


    Nyekdar is aware that it is a relatively weak creature in the grand scheme of things, and is willing to work with other evil creatures in pursuit of its agenda. So long as it can regularly eat new sorts of creatures, it is willing to ally with anyone who will have it – though such an alliance is unlikely to last long, as Nyekdar feels no compunctions about devouring its putative allies should they prove less than useful.


    Spoiler: CR 10 Sweet Spot
    Show
    CR 10 Sweet Spot: With both swift hunter and pounce, the basics of Nyekdar's build have come online. It is much more willing to engage in combat now, as it trusts in both its combat power and ability to escape a losing fight. It typically opens a fight by charging at the most dangerous looking character and ravaging it with a potentially lethal skirmish full attack. With a +17 Tumble modifier, it can reliably charge past enemies without provoking attacks of opportunity, allowing it to repeat the maneuver in subsequent rounds. Should the fight turn against it, it will use greater invisibility and flee.


    At this point in its life, Nyekdar has assembled a following of lesser grell who it commands through a combination of fear and gifts of food. It sends its minions on missions to raid the countryside and bring back captives to the cave system where it has established its lair. Occasionally it will go on a raid with them, devouring every creature it encounters.


    Spoiler: CR 15
    Show
    CR 15: At this point, Nyekdar picks up wild shape, which it typically uses for burrowing and ambushing, as it has plenty of combat power in its normal form. Improved skirmish further heightens the lethality of its skirmish full attack, steadfast determination fortifies its relatively weak Will save, and ethereal jaunt is both a useful utility option and an effective escape button. That being said, it is basically a melee blender, so its build is starting to fall of at this high of a level.


    Nyekdar's following has grown larger, and includes several of its own children, who have inherited the half-farspawn template (use Nyekdar's CR 5 stats for these children). Its children often serve as lieutenants, and have established several smaller bases around the edge of the territory where Nyekdar itself hunts. From these bases they raid even farther afield, sending tribute to their parent whenever they find a member of a rare or delicious species.


    Spoiler: CR 20
    Show
    CR 20: Like all melee characters, Nyekdar can't really keep up with the casters at this point. Two ninth level spells per day and the wild shape ability of a 10th level druid aren't really enough, and while it can throw out a lot of damage – 12d4 + 72d6 + 84 if all its attacks hit, an average of 366 damage – its ability to actually land those hits against fully-buffed PCs is questionable. It probably is only viable in a lower-op campaign.



    Nyekdar no longer bothers to maintain a lair or minions. Arrogant in its power, it wanders the land, eating everything it encounters. Entire villages or even small towns can disappear overnight when Nyekdar attacks them, and on occasion it will raid larger settlements, though it is usually driven off by high-level defenders when it does so.


    Spoiler: Sources
    Show
    Grell, Half-Farspawn: Lords of Madness
    Air Heritage: Planar Handbook
    Scout: Complete Adventurer
    Improved Skirmish, Swift Hunter: Complete Scoundrel
    Extended Reach: Savage Species
    Wild Shape Ranger, Whirling Frenzy Barbarian: Unearthed Arcana
    Steadfast Determination: PHBII
    Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian: Complete Champion

    [/QUOTE]
    Spoiler: Medals & Current Characters
    Show

    Quote Originally Posted by Nifft View Post
    More sources, more choices, more power. Welcome to D&D.
    Quote Originally Posted by Peelee
    I mean, I have been assuming Jdizzlean looks like Nathan Fillion this whole time to start with...
    The Mod Life Crisis If you need me to address a thread as a Moderator, please include a link

  17. - Top - End - #47
    Nerdomancer in the Playground Moderator
     
    DruidGuy

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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    4. it came from the unknown!

    It Came From the Unknown
    The fishing village of Riverend was for the most part fairly generic. The villagers made their living selling fish to the occasional passing merchant traveling on their way to the capital. Little did they know about the monster lurking beneath their depths.

    Thousands of years ago, before the kingdoms of Humans, one of their ancestors fell into the ravine that would eventually become part of the ocean. The ravine was filled with ancient magic, now lost to the ages. The magic entered the primitive man’s body, transforming it, filling it with the ancient magic of the sea. This new creature laid dormant all this time, close to the coast of what would eventually become Riverend.

    The villagers fished to deeply, and the hooks and barbs of their rods and nets awoke the dormant creature. The spears and tridents of the villagers could barely scratch the monster, and what few wounds it took healed supernaturally quick. The monster tore apart the militia’s bodies like paper, before returning to the depths. The town slowly starves, as the monster kills anyone foolish enough to voyage out to fish.

    The villagers are holding out for a hero. But if you think you have the mettle to face it, beware…
    It Came From the Unknown!
    Spoiler: Image
    Show

    Spoiler: Build Stub/Ability Score Arrays
    Show

    CR 20 Version: Lolth-touched Feral Natural Lycanthrope(Giant Octopus) Amphibious Neanderthal Whirling Frenzy Barbarian 2/Martial Rogue 2/Witch Slayer 5

    Initial Array: Str 15, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10
    Post-Inherited Templates and Racial modifiers (Humanoid Form): Str 25 Dex 10 Con 21 Int 7 Wis 16 Cha 10
    Post-Inherited Templates and Racial modifiers (Hybrid/Animal Form): Str 29, Dex 16, Con 23, Int 7, Wis 16, Cha 10
    CR 20 Ability Array (Humanoid Form): Str 32 Dex 10 Con 28 Int 7 Wis 16 Cha 10
    CR 20 Ability Array (Hybrid/Animal Form): Str 38, Dex 16, Con 30, Int 7, Wis 16, Cha 10


    Spoiler: Some Notes (Please Read First!)
    Show


    Stat Block Saves is assuming that the "It Came From the Unknown" is in Animal-form since that is its primary combat form.

    Lycanthrope says that Animal HD cannot be the first HD and thus never gets the x4 to Skill Points due to being the first level. However, Natural Lycanthrope is an inherited template which means logically it should come before class levels (since Inherited Templates would be applied before maturity and thus the first class level), and inherited templates can be applied in the most beneficial legal order. The build presented below assumes that the Natural Lycanthrope HD come before the Barbarian levels, but does not get the x4 increase for being the first level (in order to be as conservative as possible, without rendering the entire build impossible). Placing the Barbarian level first OR allowing the Lycanthrope HD to get the x4 at first level nets additional skill points that can be allotted into more Intimidate ranks.


    CR Class Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Skills Feats Class Features
    4 Amphibious Neanderthal + Natural Lycanthrope(Giant Octopus) +6 +9 +8 +4 Hide 8 Toughness, Skill Focus(Hide), Alertness, Iron WillB General: Primative Weapon Mastery, Climate Tolerant, Human Blood, +2 to Listen Spot and Survival Checks, Alternate Form (Lycanthrope), Scent, Low-Light Vision, Lycanthropic Empathy(Giant Octopus), Curse of Lycanthropy

    Hybrid Form: 2 Claws (1d6) + Bite (1d8), DR 10/Silver, NA +9

    Animal Form: 8 Tentacles (1d4) + Bite (1d8), DR 10/Silver, NA +9, Ink Cloud, Jet

    Gain Subtype(Shapechanger)
    7 Feral +6 +10 +7 +4 Hide 8 General: Darkvision 90 ft, Fast Healing 4, Type Change(Monstrous Humanoid)

    Humanoid Form: 2 Claws (2d6), Improved Grab, Pounce, Rake, NA+6, Land Speed + 10 ft.
    8 Spellwarped +6 +12 +8 +4 Hide 8 General: Spell Resistance (11+HD), Spell Absorption, NA +2, Type Change(Aberration)
    9 Whirling Frenzy Lion Spirit Totem Wolf Totem Barbarian 1 +7 +14 +8 +4 Hide 8, Intimidate 2 Shape Soulmeld(Airstep Sandals) General: Whirling Frenzy 1/day, Pounce, Medium Armor Proficiency, Martial Weapon Proficiency
    10 Whirling Frenzy Lion Spirit Totem Wolf Totem Barbarian 2 +8 +15 +8 +4 Hide 8, Intimidate 4 Improved Trip (via Wolf Totem)
    13 Martial Rogue 1 (+ CR increases from Feral and Spellwarped due to HD) +8 +15 +10 +4 Hide 8, Intimidate 4, Knowledge(Religion) 4, Sense Motive 2 Power Attack(via Martial Rogue) General: Trapfinding
    14 Martial Rogue 2 +9 +15 +11 +4 Hide 8, Intimidate 4, Knowledge(Religion) 6, Sense Motive 6 Improved Initiative (via Martial Rogue), Knock-down General: Evasion

    Ability Score Up: Strength (from # of HD)
    15 Witch Slayer 1 +10 +17 +11 +6 Hide 8, Intimidate 4, Knowledge(Religion) 6, Sense Motive 6, Spellcraft 2, General: Smite Spirit Sharer
    16 Witch Slayer 2 +11 +18 +11 +7 Hide 8, Intimidate 4, Knowledge(Religion) 6, Sense Motive 8, Spellcraft 2, General: Mettle
    17 Witch Slayer 3 +12 +18 +13 +7 Hide 8, Intimidate 4, Knowledge(Religion) 6, Sense Motive 10, Spellcraft 2 Mage Slayer General: Detect Possession
    18 Witch Slayer 4 +13 +19 +14 +8 Hide 8, Intimidate 4, Knowledge(Religion) 6, Sense Motive 12, Spellcraft 2 General: Slippery Mind

    Ability Score Up: Constitution
    19 Witch Slayer 5 +14 +19 +14 +8 Hide 8, Intimidate 4, Knowledge(Religion) 6, Sense Motive 14, Spellcraft 2 General: Momentary Disjunction
    20 Lolth-Touched +14 +19 +14 +8 Hide 8, Intimidate 4, Knowledge(Religion) 6, Sense Motive 14, Spellcraft 2 General: +4 Racial Bonus to Hide and Move Silently,


    Spoiler: Build Highlights
    Show

    Spoiler: CR 7: The Whelp
    Show
    Thorvagg the Strong and his party of adventurers was the first to even challenge the monster. The battle was long and hard fought, with Thorvagg’s axe leaving only shallow cuts upon the monster’s flesh. The battle raged on for seven days and seven nights. Aethica the Priestess’ mighty holy magicks barely kept up with the wounds upon Thorvagg’s body. Natius the Wizard channeled primal flames, only to buy time for the heroes to rest.

    Eventually Thorvagg landed a mighty blow, severing one of the monster’s tentacles. The monster’s wounds would have healed with time, but Thorvagg pressed the advantage. His axe dug into the monster’s appendages, cutting them slowly one by one.


    CR 7 is a fairly basic point mechanically. Lycanthrope provides most of the heavy lifting, with DR 10/Silver providing a good deal extra bulk against martial characters. Feral provides a great stat modifier set for a dumb melee brute, with Fast Healing adding onto the creature’s bulk. Amphibious prevents the party from stalling out the monster to suffocation due to its slow land speed. Giant Octopus is a surprisingly good Lycanthrope choice for animal form, with 9 natural attacks, the ability to make melee attacks from 20 feet with 8 of them, Large Size, and defensive options in the form of Jet (as an escape option), and Ink Cloud (which provides total concealment). All of the feat choices are made for us because they are inherited from the Giant Octopus statblock.

    Attacking the creature head on without a silver weapon is a poor plan, with DR and Fast Healing being able to reverse most of the potential damage. The martial character is rewarded for more creative thinking, figuring out that sundering the tentacles is an option that removes attacks from the monster.

    Casters have a fairly easier time dealing with this, due to its low Will Save, and lack of resistances. A good portion of the monster’s bulk comes from its DR and Fast Healing, and blasting spells play into that well (giving the Evoker a chance to shine).

    The Whelp is the earliest ‘custom’ version of the monster, with a good portion of its stronger features saved for the next couple CR increases. However, the Whelp can serve as a good boss monster for inexperienced parties. It introduces a couple of simple monster defenses that the party needs to figure out how to deal with (Damage Reduction, and Fast Healing), has a couple of unique defensive abilities to prolong the fight/make the fight a bit more memorable (Jet and Ink Cloud), and has a unique means of weakening the monster that rewards clever martial fighters (sundering the tentacles).



    Spoiler: CR 8: The Father
    Show

    Little did Thorvagg’s motley crew of heroes know that the monster was but a whelp, a child of the original. Months later, after the heroes of Riverend left, the villagers heard a rumbling under the waters. The monster truly emerged from the surface, creating terror and despair. The villagers sent out messengers upon their fastest horses to recall the heroes that once save them.

    The heroes did eventually return, out of good will and hopes of further fame, and they fought against the deadly beast. The battle was fairly even at first. While the heroes had experience fighting the child, this one was much smarter. The monster ambushed the heroes upon their approach, snapping Aethica’s neck with its tentacles. Thorvagg’s newly silvered blade found itself effective against the beast, but the beast kept its distance, harassing the party day and night. The battle was fairly even, with the monster and the heroes trading blows for several days. However that soon changed when Natius channeled his flames once more at the monster. The beast appeared to smile with a crooked grin and leapt into the fire. A blue-ish aura, similar to that of the flames, emanated from the monster, long scars upon its skin glowed with eldritch energy. The monster attacked with increased fervor, overwhelming even Thorvagg’s mighty strength with its own magically enhanced strength. Natius, with his spell ineffective, was quickly slain. Even Sev, the cowardly child thief, was not spared from the monster’s wrath.


    A slightly more advanced version of the CR 7 version, the addition of Spellwarped grants much of the “Far Realm”-esque flavor we are aiming for with this monster. The aberration-type is fitting for something that is supposed to be as alien as our Were-Octopus is supposed to be, and Spell Resistance covers up some of the weakness the monster has against Spellcasters. Combined with Spell Absorption, and you have a nasty surprise ~50% of the time for when the caster tries to hit it with a Scorching Ray or Fireball. It also makes the monster smart enough to justify some smarter tactics, without making it a genius. It’s slightly dumber than an average orc, but should still be smart enough to take advantage of Jet to flee from combat to ambush the party later once its Fast Healing has stitched up some of its wounds (although lost tentacles should still remain lost).

    It can be used instead of the ‘Whelp’ version for slightly more experienced parties (since their CR and thus intended rewards are fairly similar), or serve as a follow up to the ‘Whelp’ a level or two later as a form of callback.



    Spoiler: CR 10: Rage from the Deep (Sweet Spot!)
    Show

    Upon slaying the heroes, the Monster slaughtered the villagers, and surveyed the wreckage. Its anger grew, as it realized the time it had lost. It saw its reflection, and how it had been changed. Fury swelled within its body, and the lingering flames from the fallen Natius’ spells engorged the creature. The Monster remembered hunts it had completed with its comrades, the desperate struggle for survival. The howls of ancient wolves, and of the strange-maned creatures they encountered from far-away lands.

    The Monster longed for the hunt, and mourned for its lost child. Its rage became fuel for its rampage. The hunter had become stronger, and thus desired heartier prey. It channeled its fury towards hunting the hunters, would-be heroes became its prey.
    Adding on two barbarian levels actually makes the monster a lot more dangerous. The Monster gains its first actual feat slot (as opposed to the feats it inherits from the Giant Octopus statblock), and it spends that feat wisely on Shape Soulmeld(Airstep Sandals). Getting a fly speed that is not reliant upon wings or gear counters one of the big weaknesses of melee brutes. It can finally attempt to reach flying player characters, putting the flying Caster within its Natural Attack range.


    The addition of Pounce from Lion Spirit Totem makes winning initiative much more important for martial characters, as full attacks are now a turn one option if the Monster wins initiative. Wolf Totem is especially important, as it gives the Monster access to a battlefield control option. With as many natural attacks that the Monster gets from being a Were-Octopus, being able to spend some to get rid of a PC’s action by forcing them to get up from prone is fairly cheap and effective as an attack option. While tripping was always an option, Improved Trip both grants a fairly large bonus to that option, and reduces the action economy cost of tripping with the extra attack.

    Whirling Frenzy is of course the optimal form of rage. It boosts the Monster’s fairly low AC pre-gear, and grants an extra attack to the already long attack routine. Being limited 1/day is not as big of a deal for an encounter as it is for a PC, since the Monster only needs to fight 1/day from a mechanical perspective.


    Spoiler: CR 16: Knowledge From the Deep
    Show

    The Monster preyed upon its enemies, descending upon them with tentacle and teeth. While many of its wilier opponents could escape the hold of its tentacles, they often soon found themselves lying down with the monster consuming their raw flesh. One quarry proved more difficult than usual. The Templars of the Gilded Moon were a fervent group of monster hunters.

    The Templars tried to hunt the Monster, wounding it deeply with their silvered weapons and forcing it into hiding. However, the Templars didn’t know that the Monster had another form. The Monster could temporarily take the form of man, and it was in this form that the Monster was allowed into their archives. The Monster studied their ways, slowly but surely, and used their own ways against them. The Templars were themselves possessed with the power of angels, and as such were vulnerable to some of their own techniques. The Monster reverted back to its primal tentacle form, and cut through their angel-granted blessings like tissue paper. Few could challenge the rule of the Monster.


    And so the Monster becomes a Witch Slayer. Feat Rogue is primarily used to get the necessary skill points to become a Witch Slayer, however picking up Improved Initiative and Power Attack is pretty generically nifty for a melee brute like the Monster. The second non-bonus feat slot you get is dedicated to Knock-down which cheapens the economy of tripping even more, by allowing the Monster to make the attack first and then make the trip attempt (since barring damage reduction, the Monster always does at least 10 damage on a tentacle attack). Feat Rogue also notably gets Evasion, which helps deal with Breath Weapons (From Dragonfire Adept, Dragonborn, etc.)

    Witch Slayer is for the most part fairly mediocre. The Monster gets little benefit from the Smite Spirit Sharer class feature (most PCs would not qualify). However, the second level of the class gets Mettle which compliments the Monsters strong Fortitude save fairly well (which is one of the more common saves for Save or Die spells). Witch Slayer gets the feature earlier than both Hexblade (which gets it at 3rd) and Sohei (which gets it at 9th).

    The Monster has a good amount of fairly defensive features compared to before. Unfortunately, the CR balloons quite a bit faster than HD acquisition at this point because both the Feral and Spellwarped templates have ticked upwards at the 11 HD. Most of the new defenses are focused on surviving the spells that are getting through its spell resistance but still grants a saving throw, relying on the ability to trip a charging martial before it enters range with an AoO thanks to 20 foot reach.

    Adaption Note (for Prospective DMs): Pious Templar is a valid alternative to Witch Slayer when adapting the Monster for your own campaigns when running the Monster if you want to give it a more divine flair. That would grant access to 3rd level Blackguard spells, a 1/day smite, and a bonus feat instead of the more defensive abilities that Witch Slayer grants. However, that requires 2 feat slots which would either require retraining the feats granted by your RHD which isn’t necessarily RAW or dropping Knockdown and Power Attack for True Believer and Weapon Focus (which drops offensive power).


    Spoiler: CR 20: The Goddess' Blessing
    Show
    The Monster had conquered its prey. Few could stand its path. Powerful mages from across the land came to barter with the creature, hoping to draw on its strange eldritch might. Often times, the Monster would just enjoy them as a tasty snack, with little motivations other than reliving the experiences of its prior hunts.

    However, one such mage entertained the creature. They used strange relics to call upon some sort of “Spider Queen”, their pointed ears reminded the Monster of some of the ‘fair folk’ that the monster fought, but these beings looked different. Their ritual intrigued the Monster, and the Monster soon came face to face with a beauty it did not recognize. Her form was like a beautiful maiden, with hair finer than the purest of silk. However, her lower half denoted strange powers, with legs resembling that of a spider. They dance and they fought. While the Monster was no weakling, the Maiden’s power far outstripped the Monster’s. The Monster found great joy in these battles, and the maiden granted it a blessing. The Monster was reborn, stronger and heartier. It would serve forever by the Maiden’s side, testing her children and hunting those who would betray her.


    The Monster finishes out the Witch Slayer class, gaining Slippery Mind (an addition defense against mind-affecting effects besides Mettle and Spell Resistance), and Momentary Disjunction. At upper levels of combat, Momentary Disjunction probably isn’t very useful. But it grants a RAW way of shutting down a low-level caster’s magic for a bit if you are introducing the Monster very early on into your campaign (a risky play, but potentially good for striking a certain tone).

    It also acquires the Lolth-Touched template, being a generically good stat booster that helps compensate for the now fairly lack-luster damage numbers granted by an individual tentacle. The Monster probably is no longer capable of serving as the BBEG of a campaign at the levels where a CR 20 is a good challenge, but can still serve a role as a Lieutenant, or as a neutral force beholden to Lolth.



    Spoiler: Sources
    Show

    Image: HERE

    Amphibious Creature: Stormwrack pg. 135
    Feral: Savage Species pg. 115
    Spellwarped: Monster Manual III pg. 162
    Whirling Frenzy: Unearthed Arcana pg. 66
    Lion Spirit Totem: Complete Champion pg. 46
    Wolf Totem: Unearthed Arcana pg. 49
    Shape Soulmeld: Magic of Incarnum pg. 40
    Airstep Sandals: Magic of Incarnum pg. 55
    Martial Rogue: Unearthed Arcana pg. 58 (Technically is unnamed)
    Knock-down: Sword and Fist pg. 7
    Witch Slayer: Tome of Magic pg. 67
    Mage Slayer: Monster Manual V pg. 85
    Lolth-Touched: Monster Manual IV pg. 93

    Thorvagg and Other Adventurers: My terrible naming sense. Pg. Unknown.
    Spoiler: Medals & Current Characters
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nifft View Post
    More sources, more choices, more power. Welcome to D&D.
    Quote Originally Posted by Peelee
    I mean, I have been assuming Jdizzlean looks like Nathan Fillion this whole time to start with...
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  18. - Top - End - #48
    Nerdomancer in the Playground Moderator
     
    DruidGuy

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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    5. Jon Eh Zoidburg

    Spoiler: Obligatory Picture
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    You want to pick a favorite Villian maybe?!? Why not Zoidburg!!!


    Spoiler: Ability Scores
    Show
    Source CR Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha Nat. Armor
    Elite Array - 10 12 13 15 14 8 -
    Half-Ogre - +6 -2 +2 -2 - -2 +4
    Entomanothrope
    Monstrous Crab
    (Hybrid Form)
    +5 +12 +4 +10 -2 +2 - +10
    Half-Farspawn +2 +2 +2 +6 - +4 +2 +3
    Total +7 30 16 31 11 20 8 17
    8 HD - - - - +1 - - -
    12 HD - - - +1 - - - -
    16 HD - - - - - +1 - -
    20 HD - - - - - +1 - -


    Spoiler: Build Table
    Show
    CR HD Class Base Attack
    Bonus/Grapple
    Fort
    Save
    Ref
    Save
    Will
    Save
    Skills Feats Class Features Powers
    Known
    Power Points
    /Bonus
    Manifester
    Level
    8 7d8+
    1d6
    Half-Farspawn
    Half Ogre
    Entomanothrope
    (Monstrous Crab)
    Ardent 1
    +5/+23 +5 +2 +4 Ranks (cross-class points)
    Autohypnosis: 3.5 (7)
    Bluff: 3 (6)
    Heal: 1 (2)
    Intimidate: 1 (1)
    K. (Arcana): 1 (2)
    K. (Dungeoneering): 1 (2)
    K. (Nature): 1 (2)
    K. (Psionics): 5 (8)
    K. (Religion): 1 (2)
    K. (the Planes): 3 (6)
    Listen: 3 (6)
    Profession (Heptagonist): 1 (2)
    Profession (Comedian): 1 (2)
    Profession (Art History): 2 (4)
    Psicraft: 4 (7)
    Search: 3 (6)
    Sense Motive: 3 (6)
    Spot: 3 (6)
    Swim: 3 (6)
    Hidden Talent (Expansion),
    Illithid Heritage,
    Illithid Compulsion
    Assume Psionic Mantle (2)
    Deception, Natural World
    2
    Expansion,
    Psionic Charm,
    Dimension Hop
    4/2 1
    9 7d8+
    2d6
    Ardent 2 +6/+24 +5 +2 +5 K. (Psionics): 8 (11) Practiced Manifester (Ardent) Assume Psionic Mantle
    (Deception & Freedom)
    3
    Metaphysical Claw
    8/15 6
    10 7d8+
    3d6
    Flayspawn
    Psychic 1
    +6/+24 +5 +2 +7 Autohypnosis: 5 (10) - Illithid Blast 1/day
    (15-ft. cone, stun 1d4 rounds)
    3 8/15 6
    11 7d8+
    4d6
    Flayspawn
    Psychic 2
    +7/+25 +5 +2 +8 Bluff 5 (8)
    Psicraft: 5 (8)
    Illithid Grapple 1 level of existing manifesting class, Illithid Feat 4
    Psionic Fly
    13/17 7
    12 7d8+
    5d6
    Flayspawn
    Psychic 3
    +7/+25 +6 +3 +8 Sense Motive 4 (7)
    Swim 4 (8)
    Illithid Grapple Illithid Blast 2/day 4 13/17 7
    13 7d8+
    6d6
    Flayspawn
    Psychic 4
    +8/+26 +6 +3 +9 Sense Motive 5 (8)
    Swim 5 (10)
    Illithid Grapple 1 level of existing manifesting class, Illithid Feat 5
    Fake Sensory Input
    19/20 8
    14 7d8+
    7d6
    Flayspawn
    Psychic 5
    +8/+26 +6 +3 +9 Sense Motive 8 (11) - Illithid Blast 3/day, 1 level of existing manifesting class 6
    Psionic Teleport
    27/22 9
    15 7d8+
    8d6
    Flayspawn
    Psychic 6
    +9/+27 +7 +4 +10 Sense Motive 11 (14) Illithid Grapple Illithid Blast
    (30-ft. cone, stun 2d4 rounds)
    6 27/22 9
    16 7d8+
    9d6
    Flayspawn
    Psychic 7
    +9/+27 +7 +4 +10 Sense Motive 14 (17) - Illithid Blast 4/day, 1 level of existing manifesting class 7
    Metamorphosis
    37/25 10
    17 7d8+
    10d6
    Flayspawn
    Psychic 8
    +10/+28 +7 +4 +11 Sense Motive 17 (20) - Illithid Feat 7 37/25 10
    18 7d8+
    11d6
    Flayspawn
    Psychic 9
    +10/+28 +8 +5 +11 Sense Motive 20 (23) Illithid Extraction Illithid Blast 5/day, 1 level of existing manifesting class 8
    Mass Cloud Mind
    48/27 11
    19 7d8+
    12d6
    Flayspawn
    Psychic 10
    +11/+29 +8 +5 +12 Sense Motive 22 (25)
    Spot 4 (8)
    - Illithid Blast (60-ft. cone, stun 3d4 rounds), 1 level of existing manifesting class 9
    Concealing Amorpha
    60/30 12
    20 7d8+
    14d6
    Ardent 3 +12/+30 +9 +6 +13 Autohypnosis: 8 (12) - - 10
    Psionic Animate Plants
    74/36 13

    Spoiler: Monstrous Crab
    Show
    Large Vermin (Aquatic)
    Hit Dice: 7d8+35 (66 hp)
    Initiative: +2
    Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), swim 30 ft. (6 squares)
    Armor Class: 19 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +8 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 17
    Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+19
    Attack: Claw +10 melee (1d8+9)
    Full Attack: 2 claws +10 melee (1d8+9)
    Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
    Special Attacks: Constrict 1d8+9, improved grab, powerful claws
    Special Qualities: Amphibious, darkvision 60 ft., vermin traits
    Saves: Fort +10, Ref +4, Will +2
    Abilities: Str 22, Dex 14, Con 21, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 2
    Skills: --
    Feats: --
    Treasure: None
    Alignment: Always neutral

    This massive creature scuttles about with surprising speed and grace for its size. Its shell is brightly colored in shades of deep orange to bone white, and its twin claws are both sharp and large enough to behead a horse with one slice.

    Monstrous crabs are scavengers, and they feed upon the reeking bodies of dead sea creatures that wash up on shore. Despite this, they aren't above attacking still-living creatures upon sight, since monstrous crabs are always hungry.

    Combat

    A monstrous crab is straightforward in combat. It lumbers forth toward the nearest target and attacks with its claws. Once a monstrous crab has a morsel or creature in each claw, it retreats into the water to feed. Creatures held in its claws when it does so soon drown if they can't breathe water.

    Constrict (Ex): With a successful grapple check, a monstrous crab can crush a grabbed opponent, dealing 1d8+9 points of bludgeoning damage.

    Improved Grab (Ex): If a monstrous crab hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a claw attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it gets a hold, it also constricts on the same round.

    Powerful Claws (Ex): A monstrous crab always applies 1.5 times its Strength modifier to damage inflicted with its claws. Additionally, it gains a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks.


    Spoiler: Write Up
    Show
    Jon Eh Zoidburg is a special creature with mysterious origins. Parentage consists of some strange mixture of Ogres, Humanoids, and creatures best left forgotten about in the back recesses of the mind. Somewhere along the way Vermin became involved and Monstrous Crab got mixed in.
    Think of him as a bright pink lobsterlike giant with reaching tentacles protruding from off orifices around its body. He has travelled the realms learning about peoples and cultures and has picked up a few tricks. He has tried his ‘hand’ at being a Doctor and a Comedian, and has studied Art from what he believed was an advanced civilization. (No telling what they actually were…) Zoidburg is similar to Lycanthropes in that he has three different forms. He doesn’t really realize that though. He stays in hybrid form and doesn’t care to even try to change out of it.
    When threatened, Jon grows to an immense size to scare his opponents and takes delight in the chase. He’s an eldritch horror combined with comedy gold. It’s all in how you run him for your Players.

    Take a look at the Monstrous Crab Stub to see his crab-like abilities. I’ve run out of time to detail everything. Deadline is almost up.


    Spoiler: Feats
    Show
    Hidden Talent (Expansion): Gain 2 Power Points. Choose a 1st level power from any list, it is added to Powers Known.
    Illithid Heritage: Intimidate as a permanent class skill. Gain a bonus on saving throws against spells, powers, spell-like abilities, and psi-like abilities. This bonus is equal to one-half the number of illithid feats you have, including this one.
    Illithid Compulsion: Your manifester level for compulsion powers increases by one. You also add 1 to the save DCs of all psionic powers you manifest that have the compulsion descriptor.
    Practiced Manifester (Ardent): +4 Manifester level. (Advances Ardent Power Points and level of power they can learn)
    Illithid Grapple (x4): Gain a natural tentacle attack. Imp. Grab with tentacle. Can take up to four times.
    Illithid Extraction: Can extract the brain of a helpless or stunned victim with attached with all four tentacles. 2d4 Int damage, 1 temp pp/Int damage.


    Spoiler: CR spots
    Show
    Spoiler: CR 10
    Show
    At CR 10, Jon Zoidburg has access to one of the most powerful abilities in the game. Illithid Blast. An area of effect Stun. It’s only usable once per day at this point, but is definitely to be feared. Large size and reach are always fantastic. Zoidburg’s Spell-like Abilities gives him great offensive and defensive abilities and adds to ‘not quite right’ feel of him. 23 power points usable between four powers gives the giant lobster tentacled monstrosity options he can use. Expansion is to make him Huge size to overwhelm the Players and strike fear into their hearts. Psionic Charm to screw with their minds (both Player and Characters). Metaphysical Claw to up his damage and bypass damage reduction. Dimension Hop for quick movement around the battlefield and stalking his prey. He has two powerful claw attacks and two tentacles so he can spread his attention around. Mind games and atmosphere will make the encounters memorable. He’s not just a beat stick, he’s something to run away from to live and fight another day.


    Spoiler: CR 14: Sweet Spot
    Show
    This is the point where Jon Zoidburg is able to become Gargantuan Horror for 1 hour 30 minutes. He has three additional tentacles attacks from his face tentacles and is able to use Illithid Blast 3/day. Once he gets a hold of someone, his great grapple modifier makes sure they won’t likely get away with special help.

    Beware his battle cry. Whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop!!!!

    Spoiler: Monster Stub
    Show
    Large Outsider (Shapechanger) (Hybrid Form)
    Hit Dice: 7d8+7d6+154 (Avg. 204 hp)
    Initiative: +3
    Speed: 50 ft. (8 squares), swim 40 ft. (6 squares)
    Armor Class: 29 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +17 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 26 (Gargantuan: AC:24)
    Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+26 (Gargantuan:+8/+36)
    Attack: Claw +18 melee (1d8+15) or Tentacle +18 melee (1d6+10) or Face Tentacle melee +18 (1d6+10) (Gargantuan: Claw +17 (3d6+18), Tentacle (2d6+12), Face Tentacle (2d6+12))
    Full Attack: 2 claws +18 melee (1d8+15) + 2 Tentacles +13 melee (1d6+5) + 3 Face Tentacles +13 melee (1d6+5) (Gargantuan: Claws +17 (3d6+18), Tentacles +12 (2d6+6), Face tentacles (2d6+6))
    Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. (Gargantuan: 20 ft./20 ft.)
    Special Attacks: Constrict 1d8+15 (Gargantuan:3d6+18), Improved Grab, Powerful Claws, True Strike 1/day, Spell-like Abilities: (3/day: Blink, Blur), (1/day: Touch of Idiocy, Stinking Cloud), Illithid Blast 3/day: (15-ft. cone, stun 1d4 rounds),
    Power Points: 49, Manifester Level 9, Mantles: Deception, Freedom (+10 ft. speed), Natural World (Wild Empathy), Powers Known: Expansion, Psionic Charm, Dimension Hop, Metaphysical Claw, Fake Sensory Input, Psionic Fly, Psionic Teleport
    Special Qualities: Amphibious, Darkvision 60 ft., Blindsight 60 ft., Immunity to Poison, Resistance 10: Acid & Electricity, Damage Reduction: 5/magic, Spell Resistance: 17, Change Shape (Tentacled Mass)
    Saves: Fort +17, Ref +6, Will +14 (Gargantuan: Ref: +4)
    Abilities: Str 30, Dex 16, Con 32, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 9 (Gargantuan: Str: 34, Dex: 12)
    Skills: --
    Feats: Hidden Talent (Expansion), Practiced Manifester, Illithid Heritage, Illithid Compulsion, Illithid Grapple x3,
    Alignment: Chaotic Evil


    Spoiler: CR 15
    Show
    Zoidburg’s fourth tentacle has arrived and his Illithid Blast has grown more powerful. Everything else is essentially the same as CR 14.


    Spoiler: CR 20
    Show
    Illithid Blast 5/day with max range and power. Only ten powers known but many of them will only need to be manifested once. There are plenty of power points to spare wit that in mind.


    Spoiler: Sources
    Show
    Player’s Handbook
    Races of Destiny: Half-Ogre
    Lords of Madness: Half-Farspawn
    Expanded Psionics Handbook: Powers
    Complete Psionics: Ardent, Flayerspawn Psychic, Powers, Feats
    Web: Entomanothrope http://archive.wizards.com/default.a...d/re/20040621a, Monstrous Crab http://archive.wizards.com/default.a...d/fw/20040221a
    Spoiler: Medals & Current Characters
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nifft View Post
    More sources, more choices, more power. Welcome to D&D.
    Quote Originally Posted by Peelee
    I mean, I have been assuming Jdizzlean looks like Nathan Fillion this whole time to start with...
    The Mod Life Crisis If you need me to address a thread as a Moderator, please include a link

  19. - Top - End - #49
    Nerdomancer in the Playground Moderator
     
    DruidGuy

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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    ok, now the fun begins :)
    Spoiler: Medals & Current Characters
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nifft View Post
    More sources, more choices, more power. Welcome to D&D.
    Quote Originally Posted by Peelee
    I mean, I have been assuming Jdizzlean looks like Nathan Fillion this whole time to start with...
    The Mod Life Crisis If you need me to address a thread as a Moderator, please include a link

  20. - Top - End - #50
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    MindFlayer

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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    Oooh, this is a fun set of builds. Can't wait to see what the judges make of them.

    Quick stub of my aforementioned second idea which ended up too boring to submit, btw:
    Skarn Conjurer 5/Alienist 10/Conjurer 6-7/Incarnate 3.
    Alienist gives an awful lot of the Pseudonatural template features without actually giving you the template itself. To cover the ones Alienist doesn't provide: True Strike, just prepare it. Incarnate is for the Spellward Shirt; we have to go up to Incarnate 3 to get the 'capacity increase' to be able to pump 5 essentia into the shirt and get SR 25, but we don't want more than 3 levels or we don't get 9ths. Arcane Disciple (Suffering) to be able to cast Bane, to get something close to the Pseudonatural Form's 'enemies take -1 to attack you'. Conjuration specialist ACF from UA gets free Augment Summoning, which frees up the slots to go Aberrant Blood -> Inhuman Reach -> Deepspawn for some tentacles. Load up your spellbook with stuff like Fearsome Grapple, Evard's Menacing Tentacles, Girallon's Blessing, Gutsnake, etc. Needs to be Skarn for favoured class: Incarnate, but fluff-wise was thinking something along the lines of "skarn's quest for perfection of form reinterpreted by alienist as 'perfect form is a horrible mass of tentacles'."

  21. - Top - End - #51
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    GnomePirate

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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    5 unique, interesting, and headache inducing entries. Well done!

    I've only read the fluff and gave a surface level reading of the mechanics. I'll get to actual judging soon.

  22. - Top - End - #52
    Ogre in the Playground
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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    I didn't like my build enough and started to vazzini. It was a half far spawn illithid body tamer.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zaq View Post
    I feel like telling the ghost of Gary Gygax to hold your beer is a good way to suddenly stop being the GM, but I have to admit that this would probably be remarkably effective. At what, I dunno, but effective.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zombulian View Post
    I am continually astounded by how new you are here in contrast to how impressive your mind is.

  23. - Top - End - #53
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    Thurbane's Avatar

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    Exclamation Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    Posting my stub:

    Spoiler
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    V'athr'dri, the Mage Hunter



    Half-Farspawn Advanced Tsochar Ranger 1/Mortal Hunter 10

    HD 12d8+1d8+10d10+138


    Ability Scores
    Array Racial Template Size Increase 8HD 12HD 16HD 20HD Great Intelligence Final
    Str 13 +2 +2 +4 +1 - +1 +1 - 24
    Dex 10 +8 +2 -2 - - - - - 18
    Con 8 +6 +6 +2 - - - - - 22
    Int 14 +4 - - - - - - +1 19
    Wis 12 +4 +4 - - - - - - 20
    Cha 15 +2 +2 - - +1 - - - 20



    CR Class Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Skills Feats Class Features
    5 Aberration (Outsider) 4 +3 +1 +1 +4 Alertness, Multigrab, Weapon FinesseB Blindsight, 60 ft, change shape, constrict, darkvision 60 ft,
    DR 5/adamantine and magic, immunity to poison, improved grab,
    poison, resistance to acid 10, cold 5, electricity 10, SR, SLAs,
    take spells, telepathy 100 ft, true strike, wear flesh
    6 Aberration (Outsider) 5 +3 +1 +1 +4 - -
    6 Aberration (Outsider) 6 +4 +2 +2 +5 Greater Multigrab -
    6 Aberration (Outsider) 7 +5 +2 +2 +5 - -
    7 Aberration (Outsider) 8 +6 +2 +2 +6 - -
    7 Aberration (Outsider) 9 +6 +3 +3 +6 Rending Constriction -
    7 Aberration (Outsider) 10 +7 +3 +3 +7 - -
    8 Aberration (Outsider) 11 +8 +3 +3 +7 - -
    9 Aberration (Outsider) 12 +9 +4 +4 +8 Mortal Bane -
    10 Ranger 1 +10 +6 +6 +8 TrackB 1st favored enemy Arcane hunter, Track, wild empathy
    11 Mortal Hunter 1 +11 +8 +6 +8 - Mortal hunting +1, mortal skin (any humanoid)
    12 Mortal Hunter 2 +12 +9 +6 +8 Boost Spell-Like Ability (stinking cloud)B,
    Darkstalker
    Detect mortals, Boost Spell-Like Ability
    13 Mortal Hunter 3 +13 +9 +7 +9 - Mortal hunting +2
    14 Mortal Hunter 4 +14 +10 +7 +9 - Smite mortals
    15 Mortal Hunter 5 +15 +10 +7 +9 Extended Reach Spurn mortal magic, mortal skin (any nondragon)
    16 Mortal Hunter 6 +16 +11 +8 +10 - Mortal hunting +3
    17 Mortal Hunter 7 +17 +11 +8 +10 - Claws of the overfiend
    18 Mortal Hunter 8 +18 +12 +8 +10 Great Intelligence Mortal skin (any), mortalbane shout
    19 Mortal Hunter 9 +19 +12 +9 +11 - Mortal hunting +4
    20 Mortal Hunter 10 +20 +13 +9 +11 - Slay mortal

    *Authors note: this round requires no reliance on gear, otherwise, since Tsochars have UMD as a racial skill, UMD would have been maxed out, to add to versatility for the build.

    DR, SR, SLAs & Spells
    HD CR DR SR SLAs 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
    4 5 DR 5/adamantine, DR 5/magic 14 Blur 3/day, touch of idiocy 1/day - - - -
    5 6 DR 5/adamantine, DR 5/magic 15 Stinking cloud 1/day - - - -
    6 6 DR 5/adamantine, DR 5/magic 16 - - - - -
    7 6 DR 5/adamantine, DR 5/magic 17 Blink 3/day - - - -
    8 7 DR 5/adamantine, DR 5/magic 18 - - - - -
    9 7 DR 5/adamantine, DR 5/magic 19 Greater invisibility 1/day - - - -
    10 7 DR 5/adamantine, DR 5/magic 20 - - - - -
    11 8 DR 5/adamantine, DR 5/magic 21 Telekinesis 1/day - - - -
    12 9 DR 5/adamantine, DR 10/magic 22 - - - - -
    13 10 DR 5/adamantine, DR 10/magic 23 Ethereal jaunt 3/day - - - -
    14 11 DR 5/adamantine, DR 10/magic 24 - 0+2 - - -
    15 12 DR 5/adamantine, DR 10/magic 25 Scintillating pattern 1/day 1+2 - - -
    16 13 DR 5/adamantine, DR 10/magic 25 - 1+2 0+1 - -
    17 14 DR 5/adamantine, DR 10/magic 25 Summon monster IX (pseudonatural animals and vermin only) 1+2 1+1 - -
    18 15 DR 5/adamantine, DR 10/magic 25 - 1+2 1+1 0+1 -
    19 16 DR 5/adamantine, DR 10/magic 25 Implosion 1/day 1+2 1+1 1+1 -
    20 17 DR 5/adamantine, DR 10/magic 25 - 2+2 1+1 1+1 0
    21 18 DR 5/adamantine, DR 10/magic 25 - 2+2 1+1 1+1 1+1
    22 19 DR 5/adamantine, DR 10/magic 25 - 2+2 2+1 1+1 1+1
    23 20 DR 5/adamantine, DR 10/magic 25 - 2+2 2+1 2+1 1+1

    I'll try to make a start on judging on the weekend, or early next week...

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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    Normally, we judge based on four criteria: Originality, Build Elegance, Competence/Power, and Memorable Villainy. However, specific to this contest, we were specifically told that "the more arms, tentacles, limbs, natural attacks, etc, the better". So instead of just those four qualities, I'm going to add a fifth for Number of Limbs. (I could probably add that into one of the other categories, but it makes more sense to keep it separate; it's being counted because of a special rule, not because it's part of one of the other categories.)

    Spoiler: Limbs Ranking
    Show

    I'll focus on the number of limbs at the highest level, but the level a which they come online will also be a factor.

    Shadow of the Void: 100 arms, obviously, with an equal number of natural attacks. The art gives them some root/tentacles as well, which somehow let it run at over 45 miles per hour. I feel like I should deduct points for going to the most obvious source for every one of them, but I'd have to deduct a lot for SotV not to come first.

    Nyekdar: According to the art I googled, grells have 6-10 tentacles. Cracking open my Lords of Madness PDF, it says they have ten; to my surprise, all of them are natural weapons. The half-farspawn template adds two more. Twelve limbs, twelve natural attacks. (This number can change with wild shape, I guess.)

    Tentacle Kitty: At least ten tentacles, possibly in addition to four tiger-limbs. Soulmelds add wings and one (two?) pair of arms. That's 14-20 limbs in total, and most of them can make attacks. TK has only two fewer natural attacks, and its total limb count is slightly higher to nearly double; the two are close, but I put Nyekdat higher in the end because its twelve tentacles come online way faster. (Technically TK comes online immediately, but only because it can't exist below CR 20).

    Jon E Zoidberg: I imagine the hybrid state of a crab entomanthrope would have fewer legs and no more arms than its crab form, so I'll count from there. Crabs have eight legs and two claws; add two tentacles from half-farspawn and we've got 12 limbs and four natural attacks. Illithid Grapple grants four additional tentacles and natural attacks, bringing Jon to 18 and 8 by level 15. I wasn't sure whether to put Jon above Nyekdar, below TK, or between them; however, the relatively slow progression (compared to Nyekdar), number of mechanically-useless limbs, and likelyhood that Jon will spend most of his time in forms with only two legs earns it this spot.

    It Came From The Unknown!: Two arms and two legs in its humanoid form, eight tentacles in animal form, probably tentacles plus legs (and maybe arms?) in hybrid form. Oh, and a bite. I'll count that as ten limbs at maximum, with nine natural attacks. To my surprise and disappointment, Lolth-touched does not grant additional spider legs.

    This was a lot closer than I expected! An argument could be made that the middle three could go in basically any other order. I planned to give first place gets a 5, second 4, etc, but I don't want to give Jon half as much as Nyekdar because I eventually decided it counted lower. Also, Shadow feels like it's cheating. So Shadow gets four points, Nyekdar gets 3.5, TK gets 3, Jon gets 2.5, and ICFTU gets 1. Vanilla octopodes just can't compete in this category.


    Another aspect that I am going to include in the main rankings is "Lovecraftiness"—the extent to which these pseudo-pseudonatural creatures evoke that vague sense of cosmic horror associated with the late, great, full-of-hate[abbr=Okay, Lovecraft's infamous (and blatant-even-for-the-day) bigotry was borne from fear more than hate, but hate rhymes better.]([/abbr] author. I'll be rating it on a scale of 0 to 1, then adding that to the 1-4 points I assign to the Originality and Memorable Villainy rankings. This is because good Lovecraftiness is, I feel, part of those elements. Also because none of you can stop me from making these as complicated as I want.

    Anyways, here's the scores. Notable edits/additions are italicized.

    Spoiler: Tentacle Kitty (8.8)
    Show

    Tentacle Kitty (TK for short) is a dumb brute. A plain melee brute plus an epic template that mostly makes it more brutish, with a dash of incarnum for spice (and ethereal limbs). It's a pile of numbers with no story or place in the world. That's not in an eerie "this thing should not be" kind of way, but a "the author didn't explain why this thing is" kind of way.

    Limbs: 3
    Lovecraftiness: TK is from the "Go slaughter this big scary monster with lots of tentacles!" school of Lovecraft imitators. 0

    Originality: At the end of the day, it's a ball of tentacles and violence. Adding the soulmelds makes it stand out a bit from other balls of violent tentacles, but not in a very distinctive way. It's enough to avoid a big fat 0, though. 1 —> 0.8+0 —> 0.8
    Build Elegance: Normally, I'd give this a perfect 5; it's one creature, one template, and some feats. The problem is, that template should have been banned. I'd have given this a 0 if A. the chair hadn't given this an ambiguous OK and B. I didn't want to reserve that dishonor for an even messier build. I'm still giving this a 2, because no pseudonatural should mean no pseudonatural, dangit! And I'm not increasing it with the other stuff, because that detail sits worse with me the longer I think about it.
    Competence/Power: I give this villain...monster...stat block flak for just being a pile of numbers, but in fairness they're good numbers. And it's not just big damage and lots of HP; it's a pile of tentacles that'll keep everyone tied down at once. Greater Multigrab evokes the big-tentacle-monster feeling better than any number of tentacle attacks. That said, it's basically a one-trick pony; if the players can avoid grapples, it's basically just a pile of damage and HP. Not only that, but the raw numbers wrap around past strong into being unfair. Spell Resistance 130, damage/electricity/acid resistance 45-50, +56 on attack rolls... 3
    Memorable Villainy: Back to criticism of the monster's nature...it's a scary monster, that's it. There's not even a single suggestion given for what it might be doing or how the PCs might encounter it. 0 —> 0+0 —> 0

    Spoiler: Shadow of the World (16.05)
    Show

    "Shadow Simulacrum of Poisonlaced Corrupted By The Abyss Awakened Skeletal Dragon Half-Dragon (Li Lung) Hecatoncheires" sounds like the kind of line you'd make up if you wanted to parody the most ridiculous monsters that 3.5's modular yet hyperspecific templates let you build. Beyond that, it's transparent that this mass of mechanical cruft was designed with the primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary, etc purpose of letting you sneak the chassis of a CR 57 monster into a sub-epic range. But to this mechanical framework, the author ties a web made of two parts Mesopotamian mythology, one part D&D lore, and one part dread into a whole that gels far better than it has any right to.

    Limbs: 4
    Lovecraftiness: A dead god, taking its name from a real-world pre-Christian deity, wreaking havoc on the mortal realm through its cult? The only way this could be more Lovecraft is if the monster had nothing to do with its namesake. Well, and if it wasn't designed to ultimately be something mere mortals can overcome, but that's D&D for you. 1

    Originality: On one hand, it's playing with standard archetypes and ancient mythology. On the other hand, it does this very smoothly. Also, I don't see many people admitting their mechanically monstrosity isn't actually an appropriate threat and instead recommending that it take a background role is pretty uncommon in this sort of contest. I have to complement the sheer ingenuity it took to smoosh the Hecatoncheires into a CR 16 box, too. 5 —> 4+1 —> 5
    Build Elegance: 0, do I need to explain? Zeroes are apparently reserved for illegal builds (though Thurbane reports having his builds simply disqualified for illegality), so I'll go with the suggested minimum score of 0.25.
    Competence/Power: Its sheer combat prowess is of course impressive, but it has powers beyond that which let it directly menace PCs at any level. 5
    Memorable Villainy: At the end of the day, though, it's a Big Evil Thing with a cult that the PCs need to fight. It's not the most common TRPG plotline, but it's up there. 1 —> 0.8+1 —> 1.8

    Spoiler: Nyekdar (15.6)
    Show

    First off, only two of these guys have anything like a name, and only Nyekdar's feels name-ey. (Why not Zoidberg, you ask? Well...because Zoidberg.)

    Limbs: 3.5
    Lovecraftiness: Nyekdar's backstory feels something like an accidental Dunwich Horror, except that the community it takes place in is made of grells instead of humans. Having the monster just run around and eat things does reduce the Lovecraftiness a good bit, though. 0.4

    Originality: I like the weird mixture of cult leader and wild animal Nyekdar has going on. Also, having an eldritch entity reach out and touch something already as inhuman as a grell is a neat twist on the formula. 3.5 —> 2.8+0.4 —> 3.2
    Build Elegance: One template and three classes? I've seen better, but I've seen much worse. 3
    Competence/Power: Nyekdar has a few little tricks, but at the end of the day it's just a dozen flying tentacle attacks. Still, it's an effective dozen attacks for a time, and some of those tricks make for a very effective ambush-blender strategy. 3 3.1
    Memorable Villainy: A cult made of a bunch of hungry tentacle-monsters is more memorable than just another cult or just another tentacle monster. Or a cult with a pet tentacle monster, for that matter. 3 —> 2.4+0.8 —> 2.8

    Spoiler: It Came From the Unknown! (10.5)
    Show

    A classic-feeling monster with twists here and there, but overall pretty straightforward. I really like the idea of a wereoctopus on its own, but I'm trying not to let that get in the way of evaluating how well the whole fits into the contest.

    Limbs: 1
    Lovecraftiness: Maybe it's just the title, but this feels more like a Universal Pictures monster than a Lovecraft one. The ancient evil being unearthed is a little Lovecrafty, but it's a relatively mundane evil—basically an Indian-burial-ground story, except that the curse came as much from where the body was buried as from being dug up. Spell absorption is distinctly weird, and the resulting "Oh no I thought I was solving the problem but made it worse!" thing feels Lovecraft as heck. 0.3

    Originality: "Neanderthal wereoctopus born-again Lolth-ian" is more random than original, but it makes up originality points by sneaking into the templars' archives and learning their secrets. 2.5 —> 2+0.3 —> 2.3
    Build Elegance: Five templates and three classes isn't a great look, especially when you used alternate versions for two of them. 1 1.5, both because of the Shadow Bump and because I shouldn't have considered the alternate classes used. (It still feels like I should, but rules are rules.)
    Competence/Power: I appreciate the cleverness and willingness to expand its skillset, even if it feels like it's just a justification to take certain classes and templates. It also has better defenses, especially against spells, than most of its competition. (Except Tentacle "Spell Resistance 130 bitches" Kitty, of course.) Still, at the end of the day it's just a melee brute; it's hard to rate precisely since no actual stat blocks were provided, but it seems much less impressive at that than the others. 3, and it'd be lower if it wasn't for the archive stunt.
    Memorable Villainy: Aside from my personal love of cephalopods and the first time it absorbs a spell, the only memorable thing about this critter is the archive stunt. Still, if the PCs are allied with the templars, discovering that the monster you drove off a few levels ago has been learning their tricks right under your nose sounds pretty memorable. 3 —> 2.4+0.3 —> 2.7

    Once I dug into it, there was less than I expected. I wish I could rate this higher, but...

    Spoiler: Jon (7.9)
    Show

    A mixture of (half-)ogre, crab, illithid, and gods-don't-know-what. Between the entomothropy (as accurate a term as lycanthropy) and some of the psychic powers it has some neat shapechanging potential, but it doesn't seem like that's really leveraged.

    Limbs: 2 I changed my mind, it isn't even trying to exploit those legs for limb potential.
    Lovecraftiness: Zoidberg is from the "Go slaughter this big scary monster with lots of tentacles!" school of Lovecraft imitators. Well, not the original Zoidberg, that's more of a "Laugh at this poor sod with lots of tentacles!" situation. Anyways, 0

    Originality: Putting aside the Futurama jokes, there's not much to this. It's a neat mixture of ocean monsters, but that's about it. 1 —> 0.8+0 —> 0.8
    Build Elegance: Two classes, one a natural prerequisite to the prestige class, is good. Two templates is alright. Half-ogre as a base is a little questionable, being (as always) just a cheap path to Large size. 2.5 2.6
    Competence/Power: I don't know how to rate psionics, but they seem to add something to the beatstick routine most everyone else went for. Not sure how well the disparate aspects come together; the AoE stun can only take him so far if the gish elements aren't well-aligned. 2.5
    Memorable Villainy: Error 404 villainy not provided. All we're left with is a seafood list and a Futurama reference. Oh, and a vague handwave about ~mysterious origins~. 0 —> 0+0 —> 0



    Quote Originally Posted by NotInventedHere View Post
    Oooh, this is a fun set of builds. Can't wait to see what the judges make of them.

    Quick stub of my aforementioned second idea which ended up too boring to submit, btw:
    Skarn Conjurer 5/Alienist 10/Conjurer 6-7/Incarnate 3.
    Alienist gives an awful lot of the Pseudonatural template features without actually giving you the template itself. To cover the ones Alienist doesn't provide: True Strike, just prepare it. Incarnate is for the Spellward Shirt; we have to go up to Incarnate 3 to get the 'capacity increase' to be able to pump 5 essentia into the shirt and get SR 25, but we don't want more than 3 levels or we don't get 9ths. Arcane Disciple (Suffering) to be able to cast Bane, to get something close to the Pseudonatural Form's 'enemies take -1 to attack you'. Conjuration specialist ACF from UA gets free Augment Summoning, which frees up the slots to go Aberrant Blood -> Inhuman Reach -> Deepspawn for some tentacles. Load up your spellbook with stuff like Fearsome Grapple, Evard's Menacing Tentacles, Girallon's Blessing, Gutsnake, etc. Needs to be Skarn for favoured class: Incarnate, but fluff-wise was thinking something along the lines of "skarn's quest for perfection of form reinterpreted by alienist as 'perfect form is a horrible mass of tentacles'."
    If the fluff was developed a bit, I can see myself liking that.


    Quote Originally Posted by Thurbane View Post
    Posting my stub:
    -snip-
    I'd have rated this build high on Elegance, and Mortal Hunter is a neat class that could interact interestingly with the tsochar stuff, but I put a lot of focus on story (since this is a villain competition and not a monster competition), so it's hard to say where this would have landed without any idea what that might have been.
    Last edited by GreatWyrmGold; 2021-03-06 at 11:37 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Blade Wolf View Post
    Ah, thank you very much GreatWyrmGold, you obviously live up to that name with your intelligence and wisdom with that post.
    Quotes, more

    Winner of Villainous Competitions 8 and 40; silver for 32
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    Pixel avatar by me! Other avatar by Recaiden.

  25. - Top - End - #55
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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    Expect my judgement within the next 5 days, guys.

  26. - Top - End - #56
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    Post Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    OK, here's my judging. Sorry if it feels a little rushed, but things are a little stressful IRL right now. Happy to respond to any and all disputes and/or errors I have made.

    Spoiler: Tentacle Kitty
    Show
    Tentacle Kitty 12.5

    First thing that sprang to mind here was the coeurl from the A. E. van Vogt story Black Destroyer/The Voyage of the Space Beagle - the monster that inspired the displacer beast in D&D.

    Originality - can't fault you too much here. Was definitely not expecting this kind of entry. Having said that, Legendary Animals do pop up now and again in VC (side note: I think Legendary animals should have been magical beasts, and not animal type - at least this isn't the chassis for a lycranthrope). All things considered, I'm happy to give a solid 4.0.

    Build Elegance - one base monster, one template. Doesn't get much more elegant than that. Having said that, I am having to ping this build for use of Pseudonatural template. Yes, technically you didn't use the one specifically spelled out as being banned, but it feels like you are getting through on a technicality, and going a bit against the spirit of the challenge. Also, being an epic template, it skews the numbers quite a lot for non-epic play. 3.0 here.

    Competence and Power - this entry has big numbers, although a lot of its melee tactics can be shut down with a simple Freedom of Movement, which a lot of PCs will have by ECL 20. Very resilient, though. I also appreciate the addition of the soul melds, which help versatility quite a bit. Coupled with SLAs, should be a solid ECL 20 challenge (if the party can get around that DR and SR). Take a 4.5.

    Memorable Villainy - only coming online at ECL 20 hurts in this category. Combined with not having a backstory or much of a tactics section, I'm afraid this comes across more as a random encounter, or end of level mini-boss fight, than a true villain. I generally don't penalize entries for having short backstory or tactics sections, but for this entry, I would have like some kind of backstory, at least. 1.0.

    Spoiler: Shadow of the World
    Show
    Shadow of the World 14.0

    I have a real soft spot for Babylonian mythology.

    Originality - hard to find fault here. Shadow Simulacrum of Poisonlaced Corrupted By The Abyss Awakened Skeletal Dragon Half-Dragon (Li Lung) Hecatoncheires? Lets say 5.0 and be done.

    Build Elegance - you know how high I rated this for originality? I'm afraid it's just the opposite here. I mean, it seems mechanically well built (unless I missed anything - this was definitely the hardest build to get my head around), but you've mashed a whole lot of templates and a spell effect in here to make what is essentially an epic monster weigh in at less than CR 20. I do appreciate you making a "Possible Rules Issues" subsection. Unless I'm missing something, no standard build table with skills etc? All in all, I just cannot call this an elegant build. 1.0.

    Competence and Power - hard to deny the sheer power of this entry. Massive number of attacks, huge SR and FH, and the possession ability adds a lot of options. Epic Destiny never goes astray. The only Achilles heel I can see, is those hit points. If it gets clobbered by an ubercharger, or nailed by an SR-no spell from a mailman build, could be in real trouble. Still, happy to give 4.5.

    Memorable Villainy - again, only coming online at CR 16 hurts a bit, but still, better than appearing at CR 20. There is nice backstory/flavour text, and fairly detailed play guides/tactics suggestions. I'm calling this category 3.5.

    Spoiler: Nyekdar
    Show
    Nyekdar 15.5

    Originality - half-farspawn on a tentacled creature was somewhat expected to approximate pseudo natural, but I don't feel I should penalize that too harshly. Lets call it an average score: 3.0.

    Build Elegance - base creature with one template, then into class progression. This was one of the easiest build tables for me to read this round. The only thing that stops me giving a perfect score here is the barbarian dip, with it's ACFs for extra attacks and pounce: I know it's a reliable source of full attacking on a charge, and I've used it myself, but still, it's a dip. 4.5.

    Competence and Power - while this may not be the juggernaut that some other entries are, it should be able to hold its own at respective CRs. Paralysing tentacles, SLAs and eventually wild shaping are all solid. I'm happy to give a 3.5.

    Memorable Villainy - I like the writeups, and the backstory/motivation. And this is a villain that can grow with the party from CR 5 on, so can be a recurring nemesis. 4.5.

    Spoiler: It Came From the Unknown
    Show
    It Came From the Unknown 14.5

    Originality - all pretty unexpected stuff here. The only thing that seems stock standard are the barbarian levels, for pounce. Let's call it a 4.5.

    Build Elegance - there's a fair bit of template stacking going on, but not as much as some of the other entries. I understand your reasoning about having the Octopus HD first, but I'm not sure it's RAW. Still, I won’t penalize that too harshly. The flow of class levels isn’t too bad, all things considered. Not sure how much it approximates pseudonatural, though. I’m giving an average score here: 3.0.

    Competence and Power - Again, this isn’t as OP as some of the entries, but is a competent melee type nonetheless. It doesn’t have much in the way of offense other than melee and a handful of class abilities. On the other hand, it has a couple of decent defences against casters. I’ll call this an average score of 3.0.

    Memorable Villainy - I like this entry, and it has enough writeups and fluff text to be interesting. Can also be a recurring foe from CR 4 onwards. I’m happy to award 4.0 here. A little more backstory, and I might have gone up half a point.

    Spoiler: Jon Eh Zoidburg
    Show
    Jon Eh Zoidburg 15.0

    Originality – While half-farspawn was somewhat expected, the rest of this entry wasn’t. Have a 4.0.

    Build Elegance - I’m not overly familiar with psionics, but as far as I can see, classes flow pretty well. Two templates on a base race isn’t too bad, all things considered. I will point out that the monstrous crab was updated in Stormwrack, and toned down a little from the online version. Happy to call this a 4.0.

    Competence and Power – it's a competent melee type, with psionics and mind blasts to back it up. Not quite the juggernaut some other entries were, but quite capable in melee, and with mind blasts to boot. 4.0.

    Memorable Villainy - Starts off at CR 8, so can be somewhat of a recurring foe. Would have like to see more backstory/fluff for this one. I do appreciate your honesty that you ran out of time in the writeup section. As a massive Futurama fan, I did enjoy the Zoidberg imagery of this entry. I’ll call this section 3.0.

  27. - Top - End - #57
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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    Update: apologies, friends, but a little bit of family stuff held back the judgement. All is well, and I should still be able to complete it in a few days.

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    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    let there be disputes!

    Quote Originally Posted by Shadow of the World
    GreatWyrmGold - First off, I really appreciate that you liked my lore and my mechanical ingenuity, and the general Lovecraftian-ness of the fluff. I was never expecting more than a 1 for Elegance for this build, and it seems a bit churlish to dispute when you gave me the highest score, but that 0 does distress me.
    I don't know if you're operating on a scoring schema where you're ranking things 0-5 and that's just your score for 'this build is incredibly inelegant', but I was under the impression that a 0 was strictly reserved for builds that are flat-out illegal or disqualified, and if that's your reason for scoring me a 0, I'd like to know a bit more about your reasoning so I can discuss it? Your scoring criteria is between you and the chair, but as I said in the build, I think I've got a good case by RAW that everything I did works.

    No disputes for Thurbane. I know what I did.

    Quote Originally Posted by Into the Unknown
    Hi, my dispute is towards GreatWyrmGold's judgement of "Into the Unknown!"


    I see in Elegance you've marked the build as a 1 for using 5 templates, and 3 classes. A deduction for that is perfectly fair, the build does involve a lot of template stacking to achieve what I wanted for the villain.

    However, you mention in the latter half of that judgement that it is not elegant "especially when you used alternate versions for two of them". I'm not sure if that played a large factor in the Elegance score, but if it did, I'm not sure if that is necessarily the intent of the category.

    In the clarifications section of the rules, it is mentioned that in regards to Unearthed Arcana, "The variant character options (such as Wildshape Ranger and Thug Fighter) should not be penalized". That implies that the use of Alternate Class Features (such as Feat Rogue and the two Totems for Barbarian) shouldn't be penalized result in an Elegance penalty. Obviously, this point is moot if it did not play a factor in the Elegance judgement, but I figured I should raise the dispute just in case.

    Thank You for your Consideration!
    Spoiler: Medals & Current Characters
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  29. - Top - End - #59
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    DrowGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    Moscow
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    I am reading previous rounds now...
    So many ideas! I want these temes again!
    Will one of next rounds be able tribute for past competitions?

  30. - Top - End - #60
    Troll in the Playground
     
    RogueGuy

    Join Date
    Aug 2014

    Default Re: Villainous Competition XXXIX: Sorta Psuedo

    I don't even have a specific idea, but i can't wait until i finally prevail in my suggestion of a kaiju monster round. Limitations like must be huge or larger, maybe maybe a ban on prepared casting, maybe a collateral damage subcategory for memorable villainy.

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