Tzardok's Miscellaneous Homebrew Repository

[Metastachydium]

Will be made. Propably. I originally planned to create the Fungus Witch and add the Witch's Hat as an extra, like with the Smell of Adventure feat, but I could feel my motivation drain before I even started writing, so I shelved it. (I also wanted to have an extra for each creature, but as you can see that didn't happen. )

Anyway, I'm planing to take a small break from homebrewing and then finish the last of my old projects before starting new things. Maybe the next afterwards? (oh wait, I've got an unfinished 3.5 battle devourer lying around here. Maybe the second thing affterwards?)

Worry not, I know the feeling.

If it's a consolation, the grillo is the one that differs the most from its depiction in the book. Sure, the basic feeling is the same, but some details differ (for example, the original is blind and deaf and can literally only "think" you. Nor does it have shadow powers.)

It is, to an extent, but "how do you remind yourself not ot think about the jittery, clicking thing right there without thinking about the jittery, clicking thing right there" is a big part of the appeal, so I can't help but feel curious what the original's deal might be.

Doh! I can't believe that I a) thought that Experts get 8 skill points per level

That would be kind of nice, in fact. (I like Experts.)

[Tzardok]

It is, to an extent, but "how do you remind yourself not ot think about the jittery, clicking thing right there without thinking about the jittery, clicking thing right there" is a big part of the appeal, so I can't help but feel curious what the original's deal might be.

Spoiler

Show

You Might Want to Begin to Prepare Yourself for Disappointment.

The grillos in the book are less of an acute and more of a long term threat. They are pretty unattentive and focused on themselves (there's a slight reflection of that in my stats in that their Wis is so much lower than their other mental attributes, but I couldn't bring myself to actually make it negative). "It should be enough if you don't think too intensely about them," as deuteragonist Havarius Opal said. On the other hand, that wasn't enough when Princess Dylia and Opal had to go through teeming masses of them. Dylia managed to avoid them by focussing on one of her hobbies: inventing completely useless and crazy stuff in rainbow colors.

[Metastachydium]

Spoiler

Show

You Might Want to Begin to Prepare Yourself for Disappointment.

The grillos in the book are less of an acute and more of a long term threat. They are pretty unattentive and focused on themselves (there's a slight reflection of that in my stats in that their Wis is so much lower than their other mental attributes, but I couldn't bring myself to actually make it negative). "It should be enough if you don't think too intensely about them," as deuteragonist Havarius Opal said. On the other hand, that wasn't enough when Princess Dyhlia and Opal had to go through teeming masses of them. Dyhlia managed to avoid them by focussing on one of her hobbies: inventing completely useless and crazy stuff in rainbow colors.

Spoiler

Show

Not at all! Achieving that while surrounded by an ungodly amount of these that are everywhere is among the exact images the description conjured up for me. Not that I mind yours being even more threatening.

[Tzardok]

Spoiler

Show

Not at all! Achieving that while surrounded by an ungodly amount of these that are everywhere is among the exact images the description conjured up for me. Not that I mind yours being even more threatening.

Spoiler

Show

I don't know if I would call my more threatening, just differently. After all, well, let's hear it from Opal: "The more you think of the grillos, the more they pay attention to you. And the more of your attention they have, the more they become your thoughts. Your worst thoughts. A simple vicious cycle, princess. That's how insanity happens."

[Metastachydium]

You're not doing a very good job convincing me I don't want to read that thing, you know that?

[Tzardok]

You're not doing a very good job convincing me I don't want to read that thing, you know that?

Who said that this is my goal? As the book was published 2017, I think it's unlikely to be translated any time soon, so you'll just have to learn German. And if you think learning a language just for a single book sounds like a lot of work, let me give you another incentive: in Lower Saxony there is the largest bird park (zoo specialised on birds) in the world: the Weltvogelpark Walsrode, where they exhibit birds you won't see anywhere else in the world in captivity. If that won't lure you, I don't know what.

By the way, do you want a plot blurb to Prinzessin Insomnia? Or any of the other books?

[Metastachydium]

Who said that this is my goal? As the book was published 2017, I think it's unlikely to be translated any time soon, so you'll just have to learn German. And if you think learning a language just for a single book sounds like a lot of work,

Technically, I studied German for, like, eight years in my [sniff] troubled past, but my command of it is not as it used to be and it was never very good in the first place. I can usually piece together what a news article's about, but literary texts with a rich language full of verbal humour sound like something that will always be above my pay grade.

let me give you another incentive: in Lower Saxony there is the largest bird park (zoo specialised on birds) in the world: the Weltvogelpark Walsrode, where they exhibit birds you won't see anywhere else in the world in captivity. If that won't lure you, I don't know what.

…
…
Well.
…
Thank you for telling me about that. While I'm not a big fan of keeping birdies in captivity in general, that's a LOT OF birdies in one place, and it looks like they are taken good care of. Must. Visit.

By the way, do you want a plot blurb to Prinzessin Insomnia? Or any of the other books?

Thanks, but I think I should be able to handle that much with a decent dictionary. And if not… Well, that's gonna be on me.

[Tzardok]

New Creatures: Devourers

The following variants of the intellect devourer were originally created for the D&D video game Neverwinter Nights and received 3.0 stats in the Dragon Magazine #303. I converted them to 3.5 and spiffied up them a bit. If someone comes up with other devourer variants that inspire me, I may stat them. Enjoy.

Battle Devourer
Small Aberration (Evil, Psionic)
Hit Dice: 8d8+24 (60 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 40 ft., Climb 20 ft.
Amor Class: 26 (+1 size, +5 Dex, +9 natural, +1 dodge), touch 17, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+4
Attack: Claw +9 melee (1d6+2 plus poison)
Full Attack: Four claws +9 melee (1d6+2 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Adamantine touch, cone of fear, poison
Special Qualities: Blindsight 120 ft., damage reduction 10/adamantine, immunity to fire, power resistence 27, resistence 15 to acid, cold, electricity and sonic, vulnerability to protection from evil
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +7
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 21, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills: Climb +13, Concentration +11, Hide +28, Move silently +24
Feats: Ability Focus (Cone of fear), Dodge, Psionic Dodge
Environment: Underground
Organisation: Solitary or pod (2-4)
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: ½ coins; standard goods; standard items
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 9-10 HD (small); 11-16 HD (medium); 17-20 HD (large); 21-24 HD (huge)
Level Adjustment: +6

Specifically bread as spies, assassins and couriers, the battle devourer has lost most of its psionic power in exchange for physical toughness. The devourer's brain has developed into a highly specialized sensory organ, increasing the perceptive abilities of the devourer massively. It's body is covered in an exoskeleton resembling natural full-plate, making the creature nearly invulnerable and sharpening its claws to make a formidable combatant.
Battle devourers understand Common and Undercommon. They are unable to speak, requiring writing or telepathy to communicate with their masters.

Adamantine Touch (Ex): A battle devourer's natural attacks count as adamantine in regards to overcoming hardness and damage reduction.
Poison (Ex): Claw; Fortitude DC 17; initial damage 1d4 Dex; secondary damage 2d4 Dex. DC is based on Con.
Cone of Fear (Psi): The last remnant of a battle devourer's psionic abilities, the devourer can project a 40 ft. long cone of fear up to 6 tmies per day. Creatures in the area must make a Will save (DC 16) or be affected as though by the fear spell. The DC is based on Cha.
Vulnerability to Protection from Evil (Ex): A battle devourer is treated as a summoned creature for the purpose of determining how it is affected by a protection from evil spell.
Skills: Battle devourers receive a racial bonus of +8 to Concentration, Hide and Move silently. It can add its Dex modificator instead of its Str modificator to Climb if higher.

Skeletal Devourer
Small Undead (Evil, Psionic)
Hit Dice: 9d12 (58 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 40 ft.
Amor Class: 23 (+1 size, +5 Dex, +7 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+2
Attack: Claw +7 melee (1d3+2 plus Stunning Pain)
Full Attack: Four claws +7 melee (1d3+2 plus Stunning Pain)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Corpse thief, psi-like abilities, stunning pain
Special Qualities: Blindsight 60 ft., damage reduction 10/adamantine and bludgeoning, immunity to cold and fire, power resistence 25, resistence to elektricity 15, vulnerability to turning
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +7
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 21, Con -, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 14
Skills: Bluff +18, Concentration +14 (+18 when manifesting defensively), Hide +21, Intimidate +18, Listen +17, Move silently +21
Feat: Combat Manifest, Penetrating Power, Up the Wall, Wild Talent^B
Environment: Underground
Organisation: Solitary or pod (2-4)
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: ½ coins; standard goods; double items
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 10-15 HD (small); 16-21 HD (medium); 22-27 HD (large)
Level Adjustment: +6

The skeletal devourer, an undead intellect devourer raised by fell magic, resembles a rotting brain held aloft by four bony legs. Both keeping the psychic powers it had when alive and gaining the resiliency of undeath, this disgusting creature becomes even dangerous and terrible. Yet, skeletal devourers are cowards and fear the touch of clerical power.
As skeletal devourers can only inhabit corpses, they prefer to lair near a ready supply of those, like graveyards. Large numbers of corpses may cause them to congregrate.
A skeletal devourer understands Common. It is only able to speak if it possesses a body capable of speech.

Corpse Thief (Su): When a skeletal devourer encounters a corpse, it can consume whatever brain is left and enter the skull. As a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, the devourer can merge its form with that of a dead creature of Small size or larger and animate the body as a zombie or skeleton (depending on the corpse's state). The devourer cannot merge its body with that of a creature immune to extra damage from critical hits. The devourer can exit the body at any time as a standard action, bursting the victim’s skull and resuming its normal form.
The devourer retains its hit points, saving throws, and mental ability scores, as well as its psi-like abilities. It assumes the physical qualities and ability scores of the undead body, as if it had used polymorph to assume its form. The skeletal devourer is able to speak if it occupies a body that could speak when it was alive. It gains none of the body’s specific memories, knowledge or abilities.
Psi-like Abilities: At will—cloud mind, compression, detect psionics, ego whip (2d4, DC 16*), empty mind (+6 on Will saves*), inflict pain (four targets, DC 17); 3/day— claws of the vampire, intellect fortress, mass cause light wounds (DC 17), stygian bolt^CPsi (DC 18). Manifester level 9th.
*Includes augmentation for the skeletal devourer’s manifester level.
Stunning Pain (Su): A skeletal devourer's claws strike unnaturally painful wounds. Every time it damages a creature with its claw, the creature must make a Fortitude save (DC 16) or be stunned with pain for 1 round. This also applies to the natural weapons of any corpse the devourer is possessing. The DC is based on Cha.
Vulnerability to Turning (Ex): A skeletal devourer is treated as if it had only half hit dice (rounded down) for the purposes of turning attempts.
Skills: A skeletal devourer gains a racial bonus of +4 to Bluff, Intimidate, Listen and Move Silently.

Creating a skeletal devourer
A psionic spellcaster can create a skeletal devourer by casting create undead at 8th caster level or higher on the corpse of an intellect devourer while spending his psionic focus and 8 power points. Alternatively a skeletal devourer can also be created by casting create greater undead at 17th caster level or higher on the corpse of an intellect devourer.

Necromorphosis/Stygian Animation
Psychometabolism [Evil]
Level: Death 4, Egoist 5
Display: Material, Visual, Olfactory
Manifesting time: 1 Minute
Range: Touch
Target: One or more corpses
Duration: Instantaneous
Power points: 7 (Death), 9 (Egoist), XP

This power works similiar to the spell animate dead. It differs in that the manifester can only create up to 14 HD of undead at once (double that in the area of a desecrate spell). A manifester can only control up to 4 HD per manifester level. Skeletons and zombies animated through this power gain Cha 11 and Hidden Talent as a bonus feat. The undead gains access to one 1st level power the manifester knows and will be instinctually able to use it in a fight.
This power is usually called Necromorphosis by psions and Stygian Animation by mantle wearers.
XP Cost: 5 XP per HD of the created undead.
Augment: This power can be augmented in different ways:

• For every additional power point spent, increase the maximum number of HD of undead that can be created at once by 2.
• For every 3 additional power points spent, one of the created undead receives the Phrenic template (ignore the usual prerequisites of the template). Phrenic zombies and skeletons have an Int score of 1.
• Alternatively, this power can be modified to create free-willed sapient undead, similiar to create undead. The exact number of additional power points depends on the type of undead created, as described in the following table. Using this version of the power doubles the XP cost.

Undead	Additional power points	Other requirements	Source
Allip	4	-	Monster Manual
Vasuthant	4	-	Monster Manual 3
Psychic Vampire Spawn	6	-	Libris Mortis, Monster Manual
Vampire Mind Flayer	8	illithid's corpse	Lords of Madness
Caller in the Dark	10	at least five corpses of intelligent creatures	Expanded Psionics Handbook
Skeletal devourer	10	intellect devourer's corpse	here
Duncharath	12	-	Hyperconscious

Additional types of undead may be added or researched at the GM's discrition.

[Metastachydium]

New Creatures: Devourers

The following variants of the intellect devourer were originally created for the D&D video game Neverwinter Nights and received 3.0 stats in the Dragon Magazine #303. I converted them to 3.5 and spiffied up them a bit. If someone comes up with other devourer variants that inspire me, I may stat them. Enjoy.

Battle Devourer
Small Aberration (Evil, Psionic)

Cone of Fear (Psi): The last remnant of a battle devourer's psionic abilities, the devourer can project a 40 ft. long cone of fear up to 6 tmies per day. Creatures in the area must make a Will save (DC 16) or be affected as though by the fear spell. The DC is based on Cha.

The gross little bugger gets a DC of 17 (10, +4 HD, +2 feat, +1 CHA)!

Vulnerability to Protection from Evil (Ex): A battle devourer is treated as a summoned creature for the purpose of determining how it is affected by a protection from evil spell.

That also applies to equivalent effects, such as a Magic Circle against Evil, right?

Skeletal Devourer
Small Undead (Evil, Psionic)

[B]

Skills: Concentration +14 (+18 when manifesting defensively), Hide +15, Intimidate +16, Listen +15, Move silently +19

Undead have 4+INT skill points per level, leaving this gross little bugger with 24 further skill points to spend!

Feat: Combat Manifest, Penetrating Power, Up the Wall, Wild Talent^B

What power does it get from Wild Talent? (Is it customary to note that?)

Corpse Thief (Su): When a skeletal devourer encounters a corpse, it can consume whatever brain is left and enter the skull. As a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, the devourer can merge its form with that of a dead creature of Small size or larger and animate the body as a zombie or skeleton (depending on the corpse's state). The devourer cannot merge its body with that of a creature immune to extra damage from critical hits. The devourer can exit the body at any time as a standard action, bursting the victim’s skull and resuming its normal form.
The devourer retains its hit points, saving throws, and mental ability scores, as well as its psi-like abilities. It assumes the physical qualities and ability scores of the undead body, as if it had used polymorph to assume its form. As long as the skeletal devourer occupies a fitting body, it is able to speak.

What if the body couldn't speak? Or "fitting"'s supposed to cover that (in addition to size and a discernible anatomy)?

[Tzardok]

The gross little bugger gets a DC of 17 (10, +4 HD, +2 feat, +1 CHA)!

Psi-like abilities are based on spell/power level, not HD. And fear is a 3rd level spell, so...

That also applies to equivalent effects, such as a Magic Circle against Evil, right?

I would assume so. The text is simply copied from the intellect devourer.

Undead have 4+INT skill points per level, leaving this gross little bugger with 24 further skill points to spend!

Damn! They really do. That requires some reworking.

I divided up whte missing skill points and reduced the racial skill boni.

What power does it get from Wild Talent? (Is it customary to note that?)

Wild Talent doesn't grant a power. Hidden Talent does.

What if the body couldn't speak? Or "fitting"'s supposed to cover that (in addition to size and a discernible anatomy)?

That's what I meant. Is it too oblique?

Besides, what do you think of my little Necromorphosis? Too high level? Too strong? Too expensive? Or just right? Any undead I forgot that simply must be added to the table?

[Metastachydium]

Psi-like abilities are based on spell/power level, not HD. And fear is a 3rd level spell, so...

And my relative inexperience with psionics shows! Go me! (Seriously, I see it allowed less often than martial adepts, the lack of love for whom everyone keeps complaining about.)

Damn! They really do. That requires some reworking.

I divided up whte missing skill points and reduced the racial skill boni.

That should do it.

Wild Talent doesn't grant a power. Hidden Talent does.

…
I knew that. In theory. Sorry 'bout the second false alarm in a row.

That's what I meant. Is it too oblique?

I first figured it's just common sense and not at all, but the overthinker that I am, I immediately started rifling through all the critters with body types that should hinder speech but doesn't and… Ultimately still no, but RAW loopholes are better not left unplugged, if you know what I mean.

Besides, what do you think of my little Necromorphosis? Too high level? Too strong? Too expensive? Or just right? Any undead I forgot that simply must be added to the table?

It's a bit weird. Unaugmented, it feels a tad weak for 5/6th. The augmented alternate Create Undead version, on the other hand feels stronger than Create Undead, even with the XP cost. I don't know.

[Tzardok]

And my relative inexperience with psionics shows! Go me! (Seriously, I see it allowed less often than martial adepts, the lack of love for whom everyone keeps complaining about.)

That's no excuse; spell-like abilities work the same way.

I first figured it's just common sense and not at all, but the overthinker that I am, I immediately started rifling through all the critters with body types that should hinder speech but doesn't and… Ultimately still no, but RAW loopholes are better not left unplugged, if you know what I mean.

I'll change the wording.

It's a bit weird. Unaugmented, it feels a tad weak for 5/6th. The augmented alternate Create Undead version, on the other hand feels stronger than Create Undead, even with the XP cost. I don't know.

It's meant to fulfill the roles of both Create Undead and Create Greater Undead (also, both of those spells are pretty underpowered IMO).
I'll take a look at it later. Maybe reduce the level and recalibrate the cost.

[Metastachydium]

That's no excuse; spell-like abilities work the same way.

[Much nervous shuffling ensues.] Have I mentioned how much cooler Ex and Su abilities are than P/SLAs in the last four minutes yet?

I'll change the wording.

All crystal clear now!

It's meant to fulfill the roles of both Create Undead and Create Greater Undead (also, both of those spells are pretty underpowered IMO).
I'll take a look at it later. Maybe reduce the level and recalibrate the cost.

More than fair. Create Undead, especially, is very disappointing. But you know me: I try to balance stuff against existing stuff, even if existing stuff is bad. Do ignore me as needed.

[Tzardok]

So, Necromorphosis' level got reduced and the extra costs in the table adjusted. I also finally got around to doing the requested modification to the Betting Hedge. Check it out.

[Metastachydium]

So, Necromorphosis' level got reduced and the extra costs in the table adjusted.

Works for me.

I also finally got around to doing the requested modification to the Betting Hedge. Check it out.

It's the Draw of the Luck thing and the extra reach, right? If it is, I so approve of those (even as I think Beni's originally proposed 15' would be even better, but hey, I'm a tad biased here).

[Tzardok]

My new old project has stalled again, so I decided to churn out a few more mephits as a palate cleanser. Enjoy.

New Creature: Even More Mephits

Wood Mephit
Small Outsider (Wood) (or, as an alternative, (Air, Earth, Fire Water) without changing the statistics)
Hit Dice: 3d8+6 (19 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 30 ft, Fly 40 ft (average)
Amor Class: 16 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +4 natural), touch 12, Flat footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+0
Attack: Claw + 5 melee (1d3+1)
Full Attack: 2 Claw + 5 melee (1d3+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, spell-like abilities, summon mephit
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/magic, Darkvision 60 ft, Fast Healing 2, resistence 10 to electricity and acid, vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +3
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 15
Skills: Bluff +8, Diplomacy +4, Disguise +2 (+4 when acting in character), Escape Artist +7, Hide +11 Intimidate +4, Listen +6, Move Silently +7, Spot +6, Use Rope +1 (+3 with bindings),
Feats: Improved Initiative, Toughness
Environment: Elemental Plane of Wood
Organisation: Solitary, gang (2-4 mephits of mixed variations) or mob (5-12 mephits of mixed variations)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Small); 7-9 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: +3

Wood mephits are horndogs with a puerile sense of humor. They are most often encountered on the World Ash Yggdrasil, as the Plane of Wood is rarely visited.
Wood Mephits speak Common and any two of Auran, Aquan, Ignan and Terran.

Breath weapon (Su): 10 ft. cone of wood splinters; 1d4 piercing; reflex, DC 13. These splinters are extraordinarily painful. Living creatures that don't wear protection and fail their save take a -1 penalty to skill checks and attack rolls for 1 minute. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +1 racial bonus.
Fast Healing (Ex): Only when in contact with wooden objects or living trees.
Spell-like abilities: 1/hour – Entangle (DC 13), CL 3. 1/day – Skin of Thorns^SC (DC 15), Meld into Wood (like meld into stone, but only for wood and trees), CL 6.

In the mephit code, wood mephits are also known as the booty call mephit.

Metal Mephit
Small Outsider (Earth)
Hit Dice: 3d8 (13 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft, Fly 50 ft (average)
Amor Class: 17 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 13, Flat footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+1
Attack: Claw +6 melee (1d4+2)
Full Attack: 2 Claw +6 melee (1d4+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, spell-like abilities, summon mephit
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/magic, Darkvision 60 ft, Fast Healing 2, Metallic, Phase through metal
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +3
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 15
Skills: Bluff +8, Diplomacy +4, Disguise +2 (+4 when acting in character), Escape Artist +8, Hide +12 Intimidate +4, Listen +6, Move Silently +8, Spot +6, Use Rope +2 (+4 with bindings),
Feats: Improved natural attack (Claw), Combat Reflexes
Environment: Demiplane of Metal, Elemental Plane of Earth
Organisation: Solitary, gang (2-4 mephits of mixed variations) or mob (5-12 mephits of mixed variations)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Small); 7-9 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: +3

Metal mephits are blood-thirsty edgelords. Most of them follow ridiculous self-invented ideas of respect or honor codices, which serve mostly as a reason to take offense and get into fights.
Metal mephits speak Common and a pretty weird dialect of Terran.

Breath weapon (Su): 10 ft. cone of metallic fragments; 1d8 bludgeoning, piercing and slashing; reflex, DC 12. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +1 racial bonus.
Fast Healing (Ex): Only when in contact with ore or worked metal.
Metallic (Ex): If a metal mephit would take damage from electricity, it instead stores that damage as a charge. Whenever it uses its breath weapon or makes a melee attack with its claws or a metal weapon, it can spend up to 10 points of stored electricity damage and add that damage to the damage dealt by the breath weapon or attack. A metal mephit can't store more than 10 points of damage per HD. The charge is lost if it isn't spent within 1 minute.
Furthermore, metal mephits receive a -4 penalty to saves against spells and abilities based onn heat, cold and magnetism. Spells and abilities based on magnetism treat the mephit as if it was a metal object one size smaller.
Phase through metal (Su): A metal mephit can unimpededly move through unattended metal objects with a thickness of no more than 5 ft. at will.
Spell-like abilities: 1/hour – True Strike, CL 3. 1/day – Magnetism^CArc (DC 15), CL 6.

In the mephit code, a metal mephit is only sent to someone you think you have bested totally utterly; essentially a mocking "Go kill yourself."

Athasian mephits

Mephits rarely appear on Athas. Despite this, inhabitants of the Crimson Sphere that managed to escape into the Great Wheel have created mephits adapted to their home's elemental border planes. Athasian mephits are not well known enough on the planes to have meanings in the mephit code.

Rain Mephit
Small Outsider (Air, Water)
Hit Dice: 3d8 (13 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft, Fly 50 ft (good), Swim 30 ft.
Amor Class: 18 (+1 size, +3 dex, +4 natural), touch 14, Flat footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/-1
Attack: Claw + 4 melee (1d3 plus 1d4 electricity)
Full Attack: 2 Claw + 4 melee (1d3 plus 1d4 electricity)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, spell-like abilities, summon mephit
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/magic, Darkvision 60 ft, Fast Healing 2, resistence 5 to electricity and sonic
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +3
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 15
Skills: Bluff +8, Diplomacy +4, Disguise +2 (+4 when acting in character), Escape Artist +9, Hide +13 Intimidate +4, Listen +6, Move Silently +9, Spot +6, Use Rope +3 (+5 with bindings), Swim +8
Feats: Dodge, Mobility
Environment: Paraelemental Plane of Rain, Quasielemental Plane of Lightning
Organisation: Solitary, gang (2-4 mephits of mixed variations) or mob (5-12 mephits of mixed variations)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Small); 7-9 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: +3

Rain mephits are crybabies that turn on the waterworks over every little thing. In some cases this even happens as an intentional attempt at manipulation.
Rain maphits speak Common, Aquan and Auran.

Breath weapon (Su): 10 ft. cone of cold water; 1d4 cold; fortitude, DC 12. Creatures that fail their save are also knocked prone. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +1 racial bonus.
Fast Healing (Ex): Only in the rain.
Spell-like abilities: 1/hour – Thunderhead^SC (DC 13), CL 3. 1/day – Great Thunderclap^SC (DC 15), CL 6.

Sun Mephit
Small Outsider (Air, Fire)
Hit Dice: 3d8+3 (16 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft, Fly 50 ft (good)
Amor Class: 16 (+1 size, +1 dex, +4 natural), touch 12, Flat footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/-1
Attack: Claw + 4 melee (1d3 plus 1d4 fire)
Full Attack: 2 Claw + 4 melee (1d3 plus 1d4 fire)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, spell-like abilities, summon mephit
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/magic, Darkvision 60 ft, Fast Healing 2, light immunity, immunity to fire, vulnerability to cold
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +3
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 15
Skills: Bluff +8, Diplomacy +4, Disguise +2 (+4 when acting in character), Escape Artist +7, Hide +11 Intimidate +4, Listen +6, Move Silently +7, Spot +6, Use Rope +1 (+3 with bindings),
Feats: Dodge, Toughness
Environment: Paraelemental Plane of Sun, Quasielemental Plane of Radiance
Organisation: Solitary, gang (2-4 mephits of mixed variations) or mob (5-12 mephits of mixed variations)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Small); 7-9 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: +3

Sun mephits are aggressively loners. They insist that they need no one. Logically, they search out the company of others so they can demonstratively ignore them or demonstrate their allegeded independentness.
Sun mephits speak Common, Auran and Ignan.

Breath weapon (Su): 10 ft. cone of solar glare; Fortitude DC 12 no effect. Sighted creatures that fail their save are blinded for 10 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +1 racial bonus.
Fast Healing (Ex): Only in full sunlight.
Light immunity (Ex): Sun mephits don't take damage from spells and abilities based on light. They still can suffer secondary effects.
Spell-like abilities: 1/hour – Nimbus of Light^SC, CL 3. 1/day – Fireball (DC 15), CL 6.

Silt Mephit
Small Outsider (Earth, Water)
Hit Dice: 3d8+6 (19 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft, Fly 40 ft (average), Swim 30 ft
Amor Class: 15 (+1 size, +4 natural), touch 11, Flat footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+1
Attack: Claw + 6 melee (1d3+2 plus 1d4 acid)
Full Attack: 2 Claw + 6 melee (1d3+2 plus 1d4 acid)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, spell-like abilities, summon mephit
Special Qualities: Breathing Adaptation, Damage reduction 5/magic, Darkvision 60 ft, Fast Healing 2, Immunity to acid
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +3
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 15
Skills: Bluff +8, Diplomacy +4, Disguise +2 (+4 when acting in character), Escape Artist +6, Hide +10 Intimidate +4, Listen +6, Move Silently +6, Spot +6, Use Rope +0 (+2 with bindings),
Feats: Power Attack, Toughness
Environment: Paraelemental Plane of Silt, Quasielemental Plane of Dust
Organisation: Solitary, gang (2-4 mephits of mixed variations) or mob (5-12 mephits of mixed variations)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Small); 7-9 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: +3

Silt mephits are petty and pointless vandalls who delight in defacing and breaking stuff.
Silt mephits speak Common, Aquan and Terran.

Breathing Adaptation (Ex): Silt mephits can breath dust, Athas' silt and unbreathable gases as easily as air. This makes them immune to gaseous attacks and inhaled poisons.
Breath weapon (Su): 10 ft. cone of swirling silt; 1d6 acid plus 1d6 desiccation; reflex, DC 13. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +1 racial bonus.
Fast Healing (Ex): Only when in contact with silt or dust.
Spell-like abilities: 1/hour – Corrosive Grasp^SC, CL 3. 1/day – Sandspray^{Dark Sun 3.5} (DC 15), CL 6.

[Metastachydium]

My new old project has stalled again, so I decided to churn out a few more mephits as a palate cleanser. Enjoy.

New Creature: Even More Mephits

Wood Mephit

[Starts bouncing about.]

Environment: Elemental Plane of Wood

[More bouncing around.]

Fast Healing (Ex): Only when in contact with wooden objects or living trees.

Dead wooden objects triggering the fast healing strikes me as odd.

Meld into Wood (like meld into stone, but only for wood and trees), CL 6.

What's wrong with Tree Shape? It's very similar and about the right level.

♣

I'll go through the rest sometime later, probably.

[Tzardok]

Dead wooden objects triggering the fast healing strikes me as odd.

It's a wood mephit, not a plant mephit (propably made by a wu jen somewhere). Like, if it were a meat mephit, I'd also have it heal when touching a grilled steak in addition to living animals.

What's wrong with Tree Shape? It's very similar and about the right level.

I dunno, it feels not right. It allows you to hide as a tree, yes, but the Plane of Wood is IIRC a gaint tree, as is Yggdrasil, and hiding as a small tree on a bigger tree is kinda eh. Besides, this way it can hide effectively in worked wood too.

[Metastachydium]

It's a wood mephit, not a plant mephit (propably made by a wu jen somewhere). Like, if it were a meat mephit, I'd also have it heal when touching a grilled steak in addition to living animals.

Heh. Fair enough. Don't mind me being me. (Also, the Semi-Elemental Plane of Meat sounds like a fun place.)

I dunno, it feels not right. It allows you to hide as a tree, yes, but the Plane of Wood is IIRC a gaint tree, as is Yggdrasil, and hiding as a small tree on a bigger tree is kinda eh. Besides, this way it can hide effectively in worked wood too.

The Plane of Wood is a big tree indeed – but it's a big tree with trees (and other planties) growing all over it! But yeah, fair again. I just happen to like Tree Shape.

[Beni-Kujaku]

Heh. Fair enough. Don't mind me being me. (Also, the Semi-Elemental Plane of Meat sounds like a fun place.)
The Plane of Wood is a big tree indeed – but it's a big tree with trees (and other planties) growing all over it! But yeah, fair again. I just happen to like Tree Shape.

We could probably create an Energy Transformation Field containing Arcane Fusion casting Energy Transformation Field and Sanctum Stone to Flesh, all of this cast inside the Plane of Earth-> Bam, self-extending and sustaining demiplane of meat.

I would see the Plane of Wood more as the inside of an infinite tree. Like Concordant Opposition, there's a center to the plane (since all stumps have concentric circles indicating their age), but no limits on either direction, and people carve their homes inside of that infinite tree.

[Metastachydium]

We could probably create an Energy Transformation Field containing Arcane Fusion casting Energy Transformation Field and Sanctum Stone to Flesh, all of this cast inside the Plane of Earth-> Bam, self-extending and sustaining demiplane of meat.

I call you MAD!! (Also, that's brilliant. Gotta do that in one of these games.)

I would see the Plane of Wood more as the inside of an infinite tree. Like Concordant Opposition, there's a center to the plane (since all stumps have concentric circles indicating their age), but no limits on either direction, and people carve their homes inside of that infinite tree.

I'm not saying that doesn't make sense, but… Well, I'm glad you didn't write MotP, after all. The canon being "it's a happy plant place where happy plants live and intruders are lynched for playing lumberjack" sits far better with me, you know.

[Tzardok]

Hah, it's a great feeling seeing the views tick up, only lessened by the fact that so few people post. But no matter, let's keep the thread from falling too far.

New Creature: Just for Pun 2

This is just something I cobbled together over two days. I hope it's still enjoyable.

Mind Rape
Tiny Plant (Psionic, Swarm)
Hit Dice: 9d8+18 (58 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: -
Amor Class: 16 (+1 Dex, +2 size, +3 natural), touch 13, Flat footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/-
Attack: Swarm attack (2d6 plus distract)
Full Attack: Swarm attack (2d6 plus distract)
Space/Reach: 10 ft/0 ft
Special Attacks: Distract (DC 16), psi-like abilities
Special Qualities: Empathic communication, half damage from slashing and piercing, hive mind, low-light vision, plant traits, swarm traits, vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str 4, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 3, Wis 16, Cha 17
Skills: Spot +15
Feats: Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Power Penetration
Environment: Temperate plains
Organisation: Patch (1-6)
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

Mind rape is a yellow flower resembling a rapeseed, but doesn't grow higher than a foot. The plant's roots and stem have small knots that give them the appearance of nerves. A single mind rape plant has a dull mind and a spark of psionic ability, but no ability to communicate or to use psychic abilities. Only in the wild nature, where the plant grows in dense patches, can the flowers bundle their powers. A patch of mind rape usually uses its abilities to control creatures into fighting off herbivores, clearing rocks or fallen trees away that hurt the plants or keep them from getting enough sun, to spread their seed or in rare cases to fertilize the ground with their corpses.
For obvious reasons, mind rape is dangerous to domesticate, but some communities with a high percentage of manifesters still try because of the properties of its oil.

Empathic Communication (Su): A patch of mind rape can empathically communicate emotions and desires. This is not as nuanced as spoken or telepathic communication, but usually enough to give simple commands.
Hive Mind (Ex): Any patch of mind rape with at least 1 hit point per Hit Die a hive mind, giving it psionic abilities. When a patch of mind rape is reduced below this hit point threshold, it loses access to its psi-like abilities and its empathic communication.
Psi-like abilities: At will – cloud mind (DC 15), id insinuation* (four targets, DC 18), mental disruption* (20 ft. spread, DC 16), psionic grease (DC 14); 3/day – death urge (DC 17), psionic dominate* (additionally affects animals, fey, giants, magical beasts and monstrous humanoids, DC 18) ; 1/day – mind thrust* (9d10 damage, DC 18). 9th manifester level, DC is based on Cha.
*Augmentations for high ML already included.

Mind rape oil
Like normal rapeseed, the plant and especially its seed has a high oil content. This oil grants food prepared with it a energetizing taste that seems to clear the mind. A manifester eating food fried in mind rape oil gains temporary power points equal to their manifester level that last for 1 hour. A character can receive this benefit only once every 8 hours.
Food fried in mind rape oil costs 10 gp.

[Metastachydium]

Hah, it's a great feeling seeing the views tick up, only lessened by the fact that so few people post. But no matter, let's keep the thread from falling too far.

Didn't forget about the thread; I was merely busy with other stuff (and you do some work far too clean to need constant typohunting and checking for math errors).

New Creature: Just for Pun 2

This is just something I cobbled together over two days. I hope it's still enjoyable.

Mind Rape

Well, damn. You are, like, Evil!

Mind rape is a yellow flower resembling a rapeseed, but doesn't grow higher than a foot. The plant's roots and stem have small knots that give them the appearance of nerves.

FLOWERS!

Special Qualities: Empathic communication, hive mind, plant traits, swarm traits, vulnerability to fire

Half damage for S and P is usually spelled out explicitly (even though it's technically a swarm trait). Do the little flowers have that? Or is it removed because, well, stationary target?

Abilities: Str 4, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 3, Wis 16, Cha 17

A single mind rape plant has a dull mind and a spark of psionic ability, but no ability to communicate or to use psychic abilities.

A funny thing: this is something we've been discussing with Beni over in the NLA thread just the other day. "Plants have low INT and drink blood" are too old clichés of 3.5 monster design that makes me endlessly SAD (and not like a T1 caster). Now, "the swarm is smarter than its components" is a well-respected twist on the standard "the swarm is stronger than its components" that is, like, the basis of the concept in D&D, but even Shimmerlings go up to INT 7 when together. Would anything break if the flowers had a 3 when alone/unswarmed and a 10 when cooperating (beyond the need for another class skill) notionally or mechanically?

Otherwise this is nice and I like it (and nobody is surprised!). The only mechanically concerning thing is the complete lack of movement modes, which is thematic, of course, but a tough predicament.

[Tzardok]

Didn't forget about the thread; I was merely busy with other stuff (and you do some work far too clean to need constant typohunting and checking for math errors).

Oh, don't worry; I wasn't griping over you. You are a treasure and I'm happy to have you here.

By the way, you forgot to look over the rest of the mephits.

Well, damn. You are, like, Evil!

I think my official alignment is given as Playful Evil.

Half damage for S and P is usually spelled out explicitly (even though it's technically a swarm trait). Do the little flowers have that? Or is it removed because, well, stationary target?

Added. Also added low-light vision, which I forgot.

A funny thing: this is something we've been discussing with Beni over in the NLA thread just the other day. "Plants have low INT and drink blood" are too old clichés of 3.5 monster design that makes me endlessly SAD (and not like a T1 caster). Now, "the swarm is smarter than its components" is a well-respected twist on the standard "the swarm is stronger than its components" that is, like, the basis of the concept in D&D, but even Shimmerlings go up to INT 7 when together. Would anything break if the flowers had a 3 when alone/unswarmed and a 10 when cooperating (beyond the need for another class skill) notionally or mechanically?

Otherwise this is nice and I like it (and nobody is surprised!). The only mechanically concerning thing is the complete lack of movement modes, which is thematic, of course, but a tough predicament.

I originally planned to make this thing smarter, but as I already have another plantal (and one funghal) mastermind on my to-do list I felt this could get a bit samey. So I instead chose to go for a barely sapient instinct driven psi-user at the lowest INT I could justify. I thought about having the singular flower be completely mindless, but hive minds increasing INT are pretty typical, so I went for another route.

[Metastachydium]

Oh, don't worry; I wasn't griping over you. You are a treasure and I'm happy to have you here.

[Equally happy flower vocalizations.] I demand to be double treasure, though.

By the way, you forgot to look over the rest of the mephits.

Hey, I did say later! We're still later!

Added. Also added low-light vision, which I forgot.

Oh, right. That. It's such a giuve-or-take that I honestly didn't notice it's not there!

I already have another plantal (…) mastermind

…
All is forgiven.

[Tzardok]

Just had an idea and added it. This of course adds the question: what's mind rape oil worth?

[Metastachydium]

Just had an idea and added it. This of course adds the question: what's mind rape oil worth?

I like the idea. But pricing it is tough. Since it actually scales with [checks] ML, its value for a given manifester will vary accordingly. I'm not sure that's a very common issue with items either (CON-boosting items are similar, of course, as are arguably boosters on casting stats, as those might give variable numbers of extra slots depending on level, but I can't think of much else). As a consumable, it should naturally have a price less steep than a cognizance crystal, but beyond that… I suppose potions of Owl's Wisdom/Eagle's Splendour/Fox's Cunning (for the reason stated above) might help set a benchmark?

[Tzardok]

Maybe I should look up prices for mana potions in Unearthed Arcana. The whole thing is very much ... food for thought.

[Metastachydium]

Maybe I should look up prices for mana potions in Unearthed Arcana. The whole thing is very much ... food for thought.

Are those even a th-

The whole thing is very much ... food for thought.

very much ... food for thought

food for thought

[And that's when the screaming began.]

[Metastachydium]

(Okay. So, allow me to infirnge on your thread and intellectual properties with something pointlessly demented! I spent the last few days travelling and noticed something peculiar. They are spreading. Rapeseed has become such a common crop hereabouts, that it cannot all fit into the fields where it is planted. So it spills out. I've seen individual plants by the road much everywhere. By patches of reed. Atop wooded hills. Even in cities. And I sensed a fell purpose behind this! And so, the idea of this was born:

Yellow Peril
Its life usually short and hard, the yellow peril is a willing outcast. Assumed to be a rare life stage of the common mind rape, it has remarkable intellect as well as the power of locomotion. It spends most of its life running along roads, never asleep and rarely tired, faithfully sending rudimentary reports back to the home patch. For what nefarious end – that is poorly understood.

Yellow perils understand Sylvan or Common, but do not speak.

Size/Type: Tiny Plant
Hit Dice: 1d8-3 (1 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 10 feet (2 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (+2 size, +1 Dex, +3 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-13
Attack: –
Full Attack: –
Space/Reach: 1 1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: –
Special Qualities: Empathic transfer, low-light vision, plant traits, vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort -1, Ref +1, Will +2
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 12, Con 5, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 11
Skills: Hide +9 (or +4 when not on temperate plains), Listen +6, Spot +6
Feats: Endurance, Run^B
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1/8
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: –
Level Adjustment: –

Combat
The yellow peril does not fight. The yellow peril hides. It is not good at hiding.

Empathic Transfer (Su)
Although it is no part of the hive mind anymore, a yellow peril maintains a connection with it. It can transmit its exact position and how it feels about the position in question to the swarm from any distance and receive minimal feedback (usually amounting to satisfaction or dissatisfaction over its progress).

Skills
When away from the patch and its natural habitat, the yellow peril has a -5 racial penalty on Hide checks.)