[Template, +1 LA] Touched by Darkness

[RandomFellow]

Right now, I'm not sure if the penalties is too much for the benefit or not.

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Creating A being Touched by Darkness

"Touched by Darkness" is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid. The creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature) must have a Charisma, Intelligence, and Wisdom score of at least 12 or the Darkness will not bother 'elevating them' and will instead simply consume them before their petition is heard.

A being Touched by Darkness uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type
The creature’s type changes to undead (gaining all traits, except HD die size, of the type) and gains the cold subtype (gaining all traits of the subtype). Do not recalculate the creature’s base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.

Hit Dice
Those Touched by Darkness are more vulnerable than 'normal' undead to damage, even when in their element.
All current and future Hit Dice become d10s.

Speed
A being Touched by Darkness finds itself slower than it should be. The base speeds for all movement types are reduced by -20ft to a minimum of 5ft. (e.g. A human wizard with a light load under the effects of the Fly spell would move at 40' instead of 60'. The same wizard can only walk at a rate of 10' instead of 30'.)

Special Qualities
A being Touched by Darkness has all the special qualities of the base creature as well as those described below.

Light Vulnerability (Ex)
A Touched by Darkness is treated as vulnerable (+50% damage) to all forms of damage when exposed to natural sunlight. In addition, a being Touched by Darkness loses 1 hp per round it is exposed to natural sunlight.

Death by Light (Ex)
If one Touched by Darkness is unable to escape Natural Sunlight within 1 minute, the Touched by Darkness turns to ash.

Darkness is Light (Su)
A being Touched by Darkness sees natural darkness as if it was natural daylight. And vice versa. The spell Daylight and similar effects are treated as Darkness effects for the Touched by Darkness. And vice versa.

Non-magical light sources do not effect the Darkness's vision.

For Example:
In Natural Sunlight the Touched by Darkness can only use his undead darkvision of 60' to see. He can't see an object, say, 61' away during the day.

During the Night the Touched by Darkness can see as if it was daytime.

Power of the Frozen Night (Ex)
A Touched by Darkness, when not in the presence of Natural Sunlight, all forms of cold and negative energy damage (e.g. Weapon with the Frost Property, the Cone of Cold Spell) used by a Touched by Darkness pierces element-specific magical protection. (e.g. Warm Shield would not reduce the cold damage by 50% from the Touched by Darkness. Protection from Energy [Cold] fails to block damage from the Touched by Darkness. A being with Immunity to Cold (Ex) or the Cold Subtype would still be immune.)

Protection of the Night (Su)
When not in the presence of Natural Sunlight, gains a profane bonus of +2 to AC, Saving Throws, and to Turn Resistance.

Abilities
A being Touched by Darkness is smarter and more charismatic than it was before, but physical prowess is unimportant.
Same as the base creature, except that the being Touched by Darkness has no Constitution score, its Strength decreased by -2, its Dexterity decreased by -2, its Intelligence Score increases by +4 and its Charisma score increases by +4.

Skills
Beings Touched by Darkness are used to being hunted.
Touched by Darkness have a +2 racial bonus on Hide, Move Silently, Listen, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.

Environment
The Night and Underground. Those Touched by Darkness are weakened by Sunlight.

Organization
Solitary, Group (4). Those Touched by Darkness are too rare for them to regularly travel in groups. However, from time to time, a few of them may gather to further a goal none of them can accomplish alone.

Challenge Rating
Same as the base creature.

Treasure
None.

Alignment
Any. (Usually Lawful and Evil, The Darkness That Devours usually has no interest in furthering the goals of characters with non-LE alignments.)

Level Adjustment
Same as the base creature +1.

[Schylerwalker]

I would give them a few spell-like abilities. And I'd improve their bonus to Hide (Or give them a 20% miss chance even!). With all the penalties you're giving them, a few more little abilities wouldn't be amiss, and definitely wouldn't raise the LA any.

I would increase the bonus to Hide to +8, or I would increase it to +4 and give it a 20% miss chance. Give it immunity (Or at least resistance) to cold. AND another nifty thing for them would be that any spell they cast of the Darkness or Cold descriptor gets +2 to CL.

As for their spell-like abilities, I'd give them ghost sound, ray of frost, and touch of fatigue at will and darkness 1/day.

[RandomFellow]

I would give them a few spell-like abilities. And I'd improve their bonus to Hide (Or give them a 20% miss chance even!). With all the penalties you're giving them, a few more little abilities wouldn't be amiss, and definitely wouldn't raise the LA any.

I would increase the bonus to Hide to +8, or I would increase it to +4 and give it a 20% miss chance.

How about I give it a +4 to Hide and Hide in Plain Sight (when not exposed to Natural Sunlight)? Make the Boogeymen sneakier makes the most sense I think. Miss Chance is effectively a permanent 3rd level spell (since it does a 2nd level effect, without the drawback of being negated by Blindsense, Tremorsense, and True Seeing).

Give it immunity (Or at least resistance) to cold.

Cold Subtype gives:
Immunity to Cold
+50% Damage from Fire.

I thought it made more sense for a creature of the night to be damaged by the light-giving element rather than just 'immune' to its own elements (Cold, Negative Energy).

AND another nifty thing for them would be that any spell they cast of the Darkness or Cold descriptor gets +2 to CL.

That would be cool except it gives nothing to say, a Rogue in this class.

As for their spell-like abilities, I'd give them ghost sound, ray of frost, and touch of fatigue at will and darkness 1/day.

This seems fine, but I'll wait for more feedback first. =)

[Eighth_Seraph]

I like the flavor, but I seriously don't think that all of the drawbacks merit a +1 level adjustment. The -20 ft. to base speed is crippling to all melee classes (which this is obviously not meant to be applied to), and makes it a basic necessity for any character using this template to be carried in a cart while traveling, and only at night or else never leave Underdark. That's an interesting balancing faster, yes, but I think it requires a replacement movement ability. Maybe Shadow Jump, as the Shadowdancer, but limited to line of sight within 30 ft. and at-will.

What with the clear emphasis on dark environments, Touched by Darkness also have a dire need of Darkvision, or a 30 ft. extension of range to a base creature that already has it. A description of what a Touched by Darkness looks like would be nice, too.

Ooh! You want to make it nice and flavorful? Maybe give the creature a continuous Darkness effect, as the spell in a 5-foot radius, which upgrades to Deeper Darkness at higher levels. A fear effect would be in character for the Darkness that Devours, an aura of fear like Celestials have, perhaps. Just throwing ideas out there. My homebrewed campaign setting is an ongoing battle between the Sun and Moon and the Great Shadow that they cast, you see. I like this template, and want to make it mechanically sound enough to use it in my own setting. Hope you don't mind.

[RandomFellow]

I like the flavor, but I seriously don't think that all of the drawbacks merit a +1 level adjustment.

Are you saying the level adjustment needs to be higher or +0? If it is the latter, I rather give more abilities than lower the LA. I really don't want this to be a 'free' template since it is 'most effective' on a spellcaster.

The -20 ft. to base speed is crippling to all melee classes (which this is obviously not meant to be applied to), and makes it a basic necessity for any character using this template to be carried in a cart while traveling, and only at night or else never leave Underdark.

Or they could just get a mount and dismount for combat when they need to be able to ambush. It is a template which favors spellcasters but it isn't crippling to a non-caster class.

That's an interesting balancing faster, yes, but I think it requires a replacement movement ability. Maybe Shadow Jump, as the Shadowdancer, but limited to line of sight within 30 ft. and at-will.

Maybe. But at 20' a round it is only half the speed of a Halfling. So I think forcing a mount and/or magical travel is acceptable. Since it is LA +1, the assumption is you'd start with 1,000gp(ish) and therefore can afford a warhorse to carry you around.

What with the clear emphasis on dark environments, Touched by Darkness also have a dire need of Darkvision, or a 30 ft. extension of range to a base creature that already has it.

Undead grants Darkvision 60'.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#undeadType

A description of what a Touched by Darkness looks like would be nice, too.

Holding off on that. I'm not sure if I want it to look like a traditional undead or not.

Ooh! You want to make it nice and flavorful? Maybe give the creature a continuous Darkness effect, as the spell in a 5-foot radius, which upgrades to Deeper Darkness at higher levels.

I could, but it would keep it from seeing out. Which means I'd need it to have blindsense or something.

A fear effect would be in character for the Darkness that Devours, an aura of fear like Celestials have, perhaps.

This Darkness that Devours does not inspire fear in anyone, at least for another thousand years in the setting I'm using. It is a slowly growing fog-like incorporeal being. It takes over a thousand years to reach from its home to the nearest inhabited land, and thousand more before it even is 'near' civilization.

Good idea, and if I really wanted these guys to be evil boogeymen out of the Never Never or something, that would work. But they aren't really meant to be just agents of the Darkness that Devours. More just an initiation of sorts that lets it feed on their souls.

Just throwing ideas out there. My homebrewed campaign setting is an ongoing battle between the Sun and Moon and the Great Shadow that they cast, you see. I like this template, and want to make it mechanically sound enough to use it in my own setting. Hope you don't mind.

You can use it. I don't post things so I can use it just for myself! >.<

[Eighth_Seraph]

Are you saying the level adjustment needs to be higher or +0? If it is the latter, I rather give more abilities than lower the LA. I really don't want this to be a 'free' template since it is 'most effective' on a spellcaster.

Well, it's completely useless to anyone but a caster as it is now, but I think that was your purpose. As things stand, it's a very strong +0 and a somewhat weak +1 template. I completely agree that it shouldn't be a free template, but the problem is that the main drawback to the template is mostly very circumstantial. Any creature with this template will have a vampire's sleep cycle or else stay underground, and as long as it does so it gets some nice bonuses. The +4 to two mental stats is quite significant, but not enough to merit the +1. Let's make a list.

• Change Type to Undead (+ -)
• d10 Hit Dice for Casters (+)
• +4 to Two Primary Casting Stats (+ +)
• Semi-significant but flavorful Skill bonuses (+)
• AC and Save bonuses when not in natural Sunlight (+)
• Touch of Frozen Night (Okay, I guess)
• Complete Debilitation during the Day (- -)
• Movement -20 feet (-)
• -2 to Two Primary Physical Stats (-)

I'm not sure about this. I can't think of anything that would make this template worthwhile to a player just because of the sunlight vulnerability, unless everyone in the party has nocturnal tendencies. To make this a decent +1 template, we can either front-load this and make it even better at night and equally as screwed during the day, or we can make a way around the sunlight vulnerability in terms of getting from place to place. I like Shadow Jump as an alternative, but apparently you don't.

I could, but it would keep it from seeing out. Which means I'd need it to have blindsense or something.

Not necessarily. A simple "This darkness does not affect the base creature's vision in any way," clause in the ability would cover that.

This Darkness that Devours does not inspire fear in anyone, at least for another thousand years in the setting I'm using. It is a slowly growing fog-like incorporeal being. It takes over a thousand years to reach from its home to the nearest inhabited land, and thousand more before it even is 'near' civilization.

'kay, that's up to you. I still think it would've been cool, though. *sniff*

[RandomFellow]

Just so you can get in on some of the feedback I have from elsewhere:

I think if you added any more power it would be way too powerful for a +1 LA and as it is it may well already have gone too far you have to remember that as well as the added powers from the template it also gains undead traits which are also quite powerful already.

While it is the only person arguing it is borderline powerful already...I just thought it should be brought up.

Well, it's completely useless to anyone but a caster as it is now, but I think that was your purpose.

More or less, it doesn't make sense to me for a 'martial' character to go seek out an eldritch power at the edge of civilization for 'more power'. That said, I'm not opposed to building a similar template for non-casters.

As things stand, it's a very strong +0 and a somewhat weak +1 template.

Alright. Now we know which way you think it should scale, more power captain! =)

I completely agree that it shouldn't be a free template, but the problem is that the main drawback to the template is mostly very circumstantial. Any creature with this template will have a vampire's sleep cycle or else stay underground, and as long as it does so it gets some nice bonuses.

Until someone collapses some cave ceilings or rips off the building's roof. =)

The +4 to two mental stats is quite significant, but not enough to merit the +1. Let's make a list.

• Change Type to Undead (+ -)
• d10 Hit Dice for Casters (+)
• +4 to Two Primary Casting Stats (+ +)
• Semi-significant but flavorful Skill bonuses (+)
• AC and Save bonuses when not in natural Sunlight (+)
• Touch of Frozen Night (Okay, I guess)
• Complete Debilitation during the Day (- -)
• Movement -20 feet (-)
• -2 to Two Primary Physical Stats (-)

I consider Touch of the Frozen Night a (+) which is how I balanced it originally. With Lord of the Uttercold, a spellcaster can nuke himself and regenerate 50% of the damage in HP. That means an 8d6 fireball is also a 4d6 heal if someone gets w/i 20' of the spellcaster.

I'm not sure about this. I can't think of anything that would make this template worthwhile to a player just because of the sunlight vulnerability, unless everyone in the party has nocturnal tendencies.

Templates aren't always for players. =)

But yes, I never intended this template for a non-nocturnal party.

To make this a decent +1 template, we can either front-load this and make it even better at night and equally as screwed during the day, or we can make a way around the sunlight vulnerability in terms of getting from place to place.
I like Shadow Jump as an alternative, but apparently you don't.

They can get from place to place with a horse moving at night. I don't view giving them a movement ability as needed. And a warhorse (or any other combat-trained mount) is easy enough to control in battle.

Not necessarily. A simple "This darkness does not affect the base creature's vision in any way," clause in the ability would cover that.

True.

'kay, that's up to you. I still think it would've been cool, though. *sniff*

Sorry. =(
You can always modify it to add it in for your games tho. =)

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I suggest the following:
Death by Light (Ex)
If one Touched by Darkness is unable to escape Natural Sunlight within 1 minute, the Touched by Darkness turns to ash.

Darkness is Light (Su)
A being Touched by Darkness sees natural darkness as if it was natural daylight. And vice versa. The spell Daylight and similar effects are treated as Darkness effects for the Touched by Darkness. And vice versa.

Non-magical light sources do not effect the Darkness's vision.

For Example:
In Natural Sunlight the Touched by Darkness can only use his undead darkvision of 60' to see. He can't see an object, say, 61' away during the day.

During the Night the Touched by Darkness can see as if it was daytime.

[brian c]

Looks interesting. To be honest, I only checked this thread out because I was hoping it was a "Touched by an Angel" parody.

[RandomFellow]

Looks interesting. To be honest, I only checked this thread out because I was hoping it was a "Touched by an Angel" parody.

It is ok, I love you anyway.

[DracoDei]

"Darkness is Light" is a VERY interesting idea. I have no comment on whether it would fit this particular creature, but someone ought to use it for something...