[3.5] Frozen Immortals (PEACH)

[Drakevarg]

The following shall be a number of critters specific to my campaign, though you're free to use them if you give credit. They're basically my setting's replacement to Fiends, natives of the Frozen Realm, a mountainous landscape where souls of the heroic dead scale the largest mountain in the universe, Mount Cocytus, eternally. At the top rests a longhall where their impossible feat is celebrated with a mighty feast, before they at last rest only to awake at the mountain's base. The lesser dead, those who have been doomed for their wickedness and weakness, are doomed to wander the wastelands of the Frozen Realm below.

In part of a tediously huge homebrewing mission, (I need to overhaul the spellbook, all outsiders, and dragons, just to fit with my universe's fluff.) these are the Frozen Immortals, natives of the Frozen Realm and the closest available proxy to fiends. There are five castes of Frozen Immortals, and it is unknown whether an Immortal can move between them.
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The first, intended to be LA-free and usuable as a base class:

MESSENGER
Messengers are the lowest caste of Frozen Immortal, and by far the most common. Scrambling incessently along the cliffsides of the Frozen Realm, Messengers are exactly what it says on the tin; couriers for the more powerful Immortals, bearing telepathic messages.
Personality: Messengers are generally shy, twitchy beings, more likely to flee at the sight of a stranger than anything else. Sometimes known as the "Envy," they often harbor power fantasies of overruling their often abusive masters.
Physican Description: Messengers are relatively short, about 5 feet tall on average, and heavily muscled. Their head is shaped like a backward-swept oblong, set with a pair of huge, pure blue eyes and no other defining features. Their hands and feet end in claws, and their feet are abnormally alongated, with most of their weight balanced on the ball of their feet. A Messenger's skin is a slick, oily black color with a rubbery texture. Male and female Messengers are almost impossible to tell apart.
Relations: Messengers are fearful and disdainful of other Frozen Immortals, but relatively indifferent towards mortal souls that inhabit the Frozen Realm. Messengers have almost no contact with Burning Immortals, but usually regard them with utter terror.
Alignment: Messengers are usually True Neutral, with no real interest towards moral compunctions.
Messenger Lands: Messengers have no permanent settlements, constantly scuttling about to perform their masters' duties.
Religion: Messengers follow the Frozen God, though they consider Him their king more than their god.
Language: With no mouths, Messengers communicate entirely through telepathy. When not specifically carrying messages from some other being, their thoughts are mostly communicated through images, sound effects, or scenarios, as opposed to words.
Names: Messenger names are usually sounds commonly heard on their travels, which have no literal phonetic translation. Most stronger Frozen Immortals who bother to refer to them by name use some form of descriptive, like "Rocks-Falling-And-Killing-Many."
Adventures: Messenger adventurers are exceedingly rare, since most of their lives are spent as little more than worker ants. Occasionally a Messenger will find itself stranded in the Mortal Realm, and their need to travel will often bring them into the adventurer's lifestyle. Messenger adventurers tend to be Bards. You wouldn't think a creature with no mouth would make a good Bard, but keep in mind they communicate in images and sounds. Messenger Bards are effectively sentient cinema.

Racial Features
Frozen Constitution: Messengers get a +2 Racial Constitution Bonus.
Dumb Brute: Messengers get a -2 Racial Intelligence Penalty.
Darkvision: Messengers have darkvision out to 120 ft.
Telepathy: Messengers have telepathy out to 100 ft.
Cold Resiliance: Messengers get a +4 to Fortitude saves to resist nonlethal damage from exposure to cold.
Natural Climber: Messengers get a +4 Racial Bonus to Climb checks.
Mute: Messengers cannot speak, but may ignore the Verbal component of all spells.
Immortal: If a Messenger ever dies, its body disintegrates (leaving behind any equipment) and resurrects at a random point in the Frozen Realm.* As an Immortal, Messengers do not need to eat or drink.
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The second caste, intended to have an ECL 5;

SOLDIER
The second-lowest caste of Frozen Immortal, Soldiers are the rank-and-file of the Frozen Realm's military force. When not running combat drills in various mountain fortresses, Warriors are most often found taking the same mounting challange as the heroic dead; scaling the impossibly tall Mount Cocytus.
Personality: Soldiers have a tendancies to be stern and humorless; pushed to the brink on an almost daily basis, they have little to smile over and what little humor they have is usually of the gallows variety. On the other hand, Soldiers are usually very polite in conversation, at least in terms of their phrasing. In terms of tone they're usually dripping with sarcasm.
Physical Description: Messangers are taller than humans, usually about 6'6" to 7'0", and powerfully built. Their head is somewhat canine, though still destintly humanoid. Their eyes are usually pure blue, but other cool colors sometimes occur. They have no ears and a pair of backward-swept horns sprout from their forehead. Their hands end in sickle-like claws that somehow don't seem to detract from their manual dexterity, and their feet are bull-like and end in cloven hooves. Their skin is charcoal black and has a leathery texture.
Relations: Soldiers usually could care less for the existance of Messengers, as the information they carry is generally for the more powerful Frozen Immortals. Soldiers regard their immeadiate superiors, the Brutes, with disdain, believing them to be little more than dumb muscle. The two most powerful castes are regarded with respect and admiration. The lesser dead found within the Frozen Realm are little more than pests to the Soldiers, while the heroic dead are treated as guests. Burning Immortals are usually regarded as a respected enemies.
Alignment: Soliders are often Lawful Neutral, obeying their lords' commands without question and endlessly honing themselves to physical perfection.
Language: Soldiers speak Cocytan, the language of the Frozen Realm. A few may speak spatterings of Valkyran, the language of the Burning Realm, but it often barely extends beyond curses.
Names: Soldier names are gender neutral, often similar in style to orcish names, though family names tend to have a "cold and martial skill" theme as opposed to an orc's "violence and body part" theme. For example, Therik Snowmace would be a normal Soldier name, for either gender.
Adventures: Due to the heavily regimented nature of the Soldier lifestyle, few consider becoming adventurers. The few who do either do so within their home realm, whose harsh environment is a welcome challenge to any Soldier, or in the Mortal Realm, though this is less common simply due to the difficulty in getting there. Soldier adventurers are often Fighters, their martial culture an almost perfect mold for a Fighter's training.

Racial Skills
Balance (DEX)
Climb (STR)
Jump (STR)
Knowledge (Religion) (INT)
Knowledge (The Planes) (INT)
Listen (WIS)
Spot (WIS)
Survival (WIS)
Skill Points: 8

Racial Features
Frozen Strength: Soldiers get a Racial Strength Bonus equal to their racial level -1.
Frozen Constitution: Soldiers get a Racial Constitution Bonus equal to their racial level +1.
Darkvision: Soliders have darkvision out to 60 ft.
Cold Resiliance: Soldiers get a +4 to Fortitude saves to resist nonlethal damage from exposure to cold.
Natural Climber: Soldiers get a +4 Racial Bonus to Climb checks.
Icy Claws: Soldiers can attack opponents with their claws as a pair of natural weapons that deal 1d6 damage each. A Soldier's claw attack qualifies as a light weapon in regards to Strength Modifiers to damage. Furthermore, the Soldier's claws are imbued with the energies of the Frozen Realm, dealing an extra (+1d6/5 racial levels) cold damage on a successful hit.
Tough Hide: Soldiers have a Natural Armor Bonus of +2.
Immortal: If a Soldier ever dies, its body disintegrates (leaving behind any equipment) and resurrects at a random point in the Frozen Realm.* As an Immortal, Soldiers do not need to eat or drink.
Feats: A Soldier's Racial Hit Dice give it two feats.

The Soldier
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Hit Dice|Skill Points|Fort|Ref|Will|Special
1st|+1|1d8|8|+2|+2|+2|+2 CON
2nd|+2|2d8|8|+3|+3|+3|+1 STR, +3 CON
3rd|+3|3d8|8|+3|+3|+3|+2 STR, +4 CON
4th|+4|4d8|8|+4|+4|+4|+3 STR, +5 CON
5th|+5|5d8|8|+4|+4|+4|+4 STR, +6 CON, +1d6 Cold[/table]

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BRUTE

Racial Skills
Balance (DEX)
Climb (STR)
Jump (STR)
Knowledge (Religion) (INT)
Knowledge (The Planes) (INT)
Listen (WIS)
Spot (WIS)
Survival (WIS)
Skill Points: 8

Racial Features
Large Size: A Brute's size gives them a -1 penalty to Armor Class, a -1 penalty to attack rolls, a -4 penalty on Hide checks, a +4 bonus on grapple checks, and a double lifting and carrying capacity in comparison to Medium creatures, along with a space and reach of 10 ft.
Frozen Strength: Brutes get a Racial Strength Bonus equal to their racial level -2, to a minimum of +0.
Frozen Constitution: Brutes get a Racial Constitution Bonus equal to the racial level.
Dumb Brute: Brutes get a Racial Intelligence Penalty and a Racial Charisma Penalty of -2.
Darkvision: Brutes have darkvision out to 60 ft.
Immunity to Cold: Brutes take no damage from cold-based effects. However, all fire-based effects deal 150% damage.
Natural Climber: Brutes get a +4 Racial Bonus to Climb checks.
Icy Claws: Brutes can attack opponents with their claws as a pair of natural weapons that deal 1d8 damage each. A Brute's claw attack qualifies as a light weapon in regards to Strength Modifiers to damage. Furthermore, the Brute's claws are imbued with the energies of the Frozen Realm, dealing an extra (+1d6/5 racial levels) cold damage on a successful hit.
Icy Jaws: Brutes can bite opponents as a natural weapon that deals 1d6 damage. A Brute's bite attack qualifies as a one-handed weapon in regards to Strength Modifiers to damage. Furthermore, the Brute's teeth are imbued with the energies of the Frozen Realm, dealing an extra (+1d6/5 racial levels) cold damage on a successful hit.
Icy Horns: Brutes can gore opponents with their horns as a natural weapon that deals 1d8 damage. A Brute's gore attack qualifies as a two-handed weapon in regards to Strength Modifiers to damage. Furthermore, the Brute's horns are imbued with the energies of the Frozen Realm, dealing an extra (+1d6/5 racial levels) cold damage on a successful hit.
Tail: Brutes can strike opponents with their tail as a natural weapon that deals 3d6 damage. A Brute's tail attack qualifies as a two-handed weapon in regards to Strength Modifiers to damage.
Tough Hide: Brutes have a Natural Armor Bonus equal to half their racial level.
Immortal: If a Brute ever dies, its body disintegrates (leaving behind any equipment) and resurrects at a random point in the Frozen Realm.* As an Immortal, Brutes do not need to eat or drink.
Feats: A Brute's Racial Hit Dice give it four feats.

The Brute
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Hit Dice|Skill Points|Fort|Ref|Will|Special
1st|+1|1d8|8|+2|+2|+2|+1 CON, Feat
2nd|+2|2d8|8|+3|+3|+3|+2 CON, +1 NAB
3rd|+3|3d8|8|+3|+3|+3|+1 STR, +3 CON, Feat
4th|+4|4d8|8|+4|+4|+4|+2 STR, +4 CON, +2 NAB
5th|+5|5d8|8|+4|+4|+4|+3 STR, +5 CON, +1d6 Cold
6th|+6/+1|6d8|8|+5|+5|+5|+4 STR, +6 CON, +3 NAB, Feat
7th|+7/+2|7d8|8|+5|+5|+5|+5 STR, +7 CON
8th|+8/+3|8d8|8|+6|+6|+6|+6 STR, +8 CON, +4 NAB
9th|+9/+4|9d8|8|+6|+6|+6|+7 STR, +9 CON, Feat
10th|+10/+1|10d8|8|+7|+7|+7|+8 STR, +10 CON, +5 NAB, +2d6 Cold[/table]

*This is technically identical to any mortal with the Frozen Realm as their destined afterlife, except Immortals may leave. (Provided they have a way out.)

[Temotei]

The immortal ability could be very powerful, or it could be very weak.

What kind of defenses does the realm have against things that want to leave?

How many methods are there of getting out?

Does the frozen immortal lose a level from dying, like other characters?

[Drakevarg]

The immortal ability could be very powerful, or it could be very weak.

What kind of defenses does the realm have against things that want to leave?

How many methods are there of getting out?

Does the frozen immortal lose a level from dying, like other characters?

Defenses? Other than the basic idea that most creatures can't plane shift, none. And since it's not dead, you can't raise dead it out.

And a Frozen Immortal does not lose a level from dying. (In fact in my own campaigns I usually don't deal xp penalties for resurrection at all. Hell, if you were badass enough to be put on Mount Cocytus, you'd probably come back out higher level, if anything. Climbing an impossibly tall mountain an infinite number of times ain't exactly easy.)

[Strudel110]

I like the idea looking forward to more but one thing I have to point out...the correct spelling is messenger.

[Temotei]

I like the idea looking forward to more but one thing I have to point out...the correct spelling is messenger.

I don't believe they're meant to be called messengers.

I stand corrected.

[Drakevarg]

Thanks for the spelling tip.

As for "more," I have 4 more Frozen Immortals planned. ECLs 5, 10, 15 and 20.

Then the Burning Immortals, then the Dragons (2, with 5 stages of growth each) aaaand the entire bloody spellbook.

EDIT: @Temotei; these fellows are called Messengers because thats pretty much their job; they crawl around and carry news between the stronger Immortals. Gotta get on that fluff as soon as I manage to break free of TVTropes...

[Strudel110]

Thanks for the spelling tip.

As for "more," I have 4 more Frozen Immortals planned. ECLs 5, 10, 15 and 20.

Then the Burning Immortals, then the Dragons (2, with 5 stages of growth each) aaaand the entire bloody spellbook.

EDIT: @Temotei; these fellows are called Messengers because thats pretty much their job; they crawl around and carry news between the stronger Immortals. Gotta get on that fluff as soon as I manage to break free of TVTropes...

Oh I know right it's just so darn interesting...

[Drakevarg]

Finally broke free, so I'm working on fluff. It helps that I've read half the pages before...

[Strudel110]

That reminds me I should make some fluff of my own...

[Milskidasith]

These things are actually pretty weak. They have a penalty to a mental stat for a bonus to con (good, but losing skill points is annoying for any character), they have a bunch of minor bonuses (and they can take the Mindsight feat, which is pretty absurdly good), but most of all, they can't speak. At all. And they don't get Silent Spell for free, so all casters suck (It's like being a Buommen Druid, except not all casters can wildshape in order to cast Natural Spells, and I think they didn't need verbal components for spells but I can't remember right now.)

So, it gets a minor bonus or two in exchange for being useless for half of the classes in the game and less than stellar for a solid chunk of the rest (partial casters).

Not only that, but since they can't cast to Plane Shift, they need allies to do it, and, at best, Plane Shift is a 5th level spell for a cleric, the same as Raise Dead. Except Raise Dead lets you do it easily, while Plane Shift puts you miles off target, and you have to fight your way too him and cast another Plane Shift, so it's twice the spell slots and a chance of having to trek hundreds of miles (not that it matters, it's 1 random encounter no matter what, probably, unless it becomes a major quest) to do the same thing you could do if they died normally. Their immortality is a weakness and a liability to the party.

[Drakevarg]

Added fluff, and Silent Spell as a racial feat. What else?

[Milskidasith]

Added fluff, and Silent Spell as a racial feat. What else?

Even with Silent Spell, all casters still have the problem that they cast all their spells at a level higher than normal, which is... well, it's kind of like having LA 2, but with no useful abilities to back it up. Not that these make excellent casters in the first place, but there's no point to completely eliminating the possibility.

[Drakevarg]

Perhaps I could just say that Messengers can automatically ignore the Verbal component of spells?

[Milskidasith]

Perhaps I could just say that Messengers can automatically ignore the Verbal component of spells?

That's probably a reasonable thing to do. Then again, that might be considered OP by some, but basically they are an OK race for casters (Con boost yay, Int penalty boo for some casters), and automatically having silent spells probably isn't gamebreaking unless you tend to get gagged a lot.

[Drakevarg]

Though seeing a Messenger cast Greater Shout should be interesting...

As for the fact that a Messenger would need an ally to plane shift out of the Frozen Realm, well a Messenger Cleric could bypass that and pretty much self-rez.

[Milskidasith]

Though seeing a Messenger cast Greater Shout should be interesting...

As for the fact that a Messenger would need an ally to plane shift out of the Frozen Realm, well a Messenger Cleric could bypass that and pretty much self-rez.

Again, now that they have the benefits of silent spell, yes (and since, unlike Buommen, they already have a way to communicate built in, the silence but still casting doesn't break anything fluffwise). Before, a Messenger Cleric *could* get out, but why would there ever be a Messenger Cleric PC (An NPC, sure, but you can give him extra HD so he can cast stuff.)

[Drakevarg]

*shrug* I generally make my NPCs in the exact same way I make PCs.

Anywho, anything else need fixing? Or should I get to work on the next caste?

[Drakevarg]

Next caste is up; the Soldiers, or "Frozen Demon Spartans."

[Drakevarg]

Caste 3 Up: Brutes, from whence the stereotypical image of demons arises in this particular world.

Fluff coming later.

Still haven't cemented what I want to do with the last two castes. Any thoughts?

Also, fixed up a few things with the Soldiers.

EDIT: Now with pictures!