[3.5] Zero-dimensional monster [PEACH]

[Morph Bark]

Pyrefly Rift
Fine Undead (Incorporeal, Swarm)
Hit Dice ¼d12 (3 hp)
Initiative automatically loses initiative, always
Speed --
AC 14 (+1 deflection, -5 Dex, +8 size), touch 14, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple --/--
Attack --
Full Attack --
Damage Swarm 1d6
Space/Reach 5'/0'
Special Attacks space-time slip, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities fast healing 1, immunities and resistances, one-and-a-half dead, weaknesses
Saves Fort +0, Ref --, Will +0
Abilities Str --, Dex --, Con --, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills --
Feats --
Environment --
Organization --
Challenge Rating 2
Treasure None
Alignment Always neutral, neutral good or neutral evil
Advancement ½ - ∞
Level Adjustment --

A magnitude of small wispy specks of ethereal prismatic colours dance around one another in place, as if reveling and having fun while guarding a sacred spot.

A pyrefly rift may be created when a certain kind of monster dies. Its soul is transported to the outer plane appropriate for it, forced through a zero-dimensional rift in space-time where it died.

A pyrefly rift can be created from any living creature that is not incorporeal, a swarm, an elemental, an ooze, an outsider, a plant, vermin or the Tarrasque (basically any creature that has a soul and can die), which becomes known as the “base creature”. The sample pyrefly rift was created from a mighty wizard’s raven familiar.

HD: A pyrefly rift has an amount of HD equal to that of the base creature. The size of the base creature's HD changes accordingly with the change in its type (to d10s for constructs/Neutral base creatures and to d12s for deathless/Good and undead/Evil base creatures).

Space: The space a pyrefly rift takes up is equal in size to the monster whose death created it, with a minimum size of 5’ (usually this is 10’ for Large, 15’ for Huge, 20’ for Gargantuan and 25’ for Colossal creatures). This is only the swarm of soul-wisps (the pyreflies) that fly around the rift. The rift itself is zero-dimensional.

Extraordinary and supernatural abilities: A pyrefly rift has none of the extraordinary and supernatural abilities of the base creature, though it retains its spell-like abilities as detailed below.

Control Immunity: A pyrefly rift is immune to any spells that control undead or deathless creatures or other spells that would take control of them. It is also immune to turning and rebuking.

Fast Healing: The base creature gains fast healing 1.

Immunities and resistances: A pyrefly rift has all the standard immunities and resistances of undead and incorporeal creatures and has the same energy immunities and resistances as the base creature. Furthermore, it has the same damage reduction and spell resistance (or power resistance) as the base creature. It also has most of the same traits as a swarm, except as follows: magic bludgeoning weapons deal half damage, but also have a 50% miss chance.

One-and-a-half dead: If the base creature was evil, a pyrefly rift is an undead type. If the base creature was good, a pyrefly rift is a deathless type. If the base creature was neutral, a pyrefly rift has a 50% chance of being either undead or deathless type.

Space-time slip (Su): A pyrefly cannot move like a normal creature does. Instead its zero-dimensional core slips between the folds of space and time to move around, allowing it to move up to 70 feet as a move action. If a pyrefly rift is affected by antimagic, it disappears to the ethereal plane as normal for incorporeal monsters, but in the ethereal plane it can still move, allowing it to re-appear outside of the antimagic field.

Spell-like abilities: At will- daze, flare; 3/day- haste. Caster level 20th. A pyrefly rift can also still use any spell-like abilities the base creature had, as long as they require no attack roll or something else that a pyrefly cannot do, and uses the caster level of the base creature.

Weaknesses: A pyrefly rift is susceptible to spells like dismissal and banishment. If it fails its save it is effectively destroyed, unless, in the case of dismissal, the 20% chance for it to be sent to "a plane other than its own" kicks in, which forces the pyrefly rift fully into the Ethereal Plane for the next 24 hours.

Challenge rating: CR of the base creature +1 (minimum 2).

[Morph Bark]

Bump for less non-posting and more peaches. The non-princessy kind. While I am rather satisfied with the result, the CR determination will likely be tough, and the SLAs are likely to need changing.

[peacenlove]

Modifiers from non abilities are +0 not -5, you should change it accordingly in your description.

Dimensional displacement (Sp): A pyrefly cannot move like a normal creature does. Instead it teleports around, as it zero-dimensional existence sneaks through the fabric of space-time to get into a different position. It can teleport up to 70 feet per as a move action. Caster level 20th.

Immunities and resistances: A pyrefly rift has all the standard immunities and resistances of undead and incorporeal creatures and has the same energy immunities and resistances as the base creature. Furthermore, it has the same damage reduction and spell resistance (or power resistance) as the base creature. It also has most of the same traits as a swarm, except as follows: magic bludgeoning weapons deal half damage, but also have a 50% miss chance. Finally, a pyrefly rift is immune to anti-magic and anti-psionics effects unless they also affect beings with a divine rank (even though a pyrefly rift has no divine rank at all).

Does he keep other abilities as well or he loses all supernatural, extraordinary and spell like abilities (like the zombie template does)?

Also immunity to antimagic? What does it mean? he won't disappear in an antimagic field? then this is very strong because you cannot defeat an incorporeal creature without magic.

One-and-a-half dead: If the base creature was evil, a pyrefly rift is an undead type. If the base creature was good, a pyrefly rift is a deathless type. If the base creature was neutral, a pyrefly rift instead functions as if it were of the construct type. A construct type pyrefly rift gains bonus hp based on the size of the creature whose death created it.

Both three types change the original racial hit die of the base creature (undead and deathless make it d12, Constructs make it d10), that should be mentioned in the HD section of your template.

Challenge rating: The challenge rating for a pyrefly rift is a complete and utter mystery.

Indeed however if you remove timestop i believe its CR: +0 or +1 depending on creature, La: -

[Morph Bark]

Modifiers from non abilities are +0 not -5, you should change it accordingly in your description.

I checked through my Monster Manual again for examples of these just to be sure, and I see that I was wrong to impose the penalty on the Fort save, indeed. However, the penalty to AC and Initiative I took from the Shrieker (the only monster I could find with Dex --). Has that changed since the release of the MM?

Does he keep other abilities as well or he loses all supernatural, extraordinary and spell like abilities (like the zombie template does)?

The intent was that it loses all supernatural and extraordinary abilities, but not spell-like abilities. I'll edit that in.

Also immunity to antimagic? What does it mean? he won't disappear in an antimagic field? then this is very strong because you cannot defeat an incorporeal creature without magic.

Heh, I know, but I figured I might better include that, for otherwise a wizard could create an AMF and it would become incapable of movement (since dimensional displacement is a spell-like ability)

Both three types change the original racial hit die of the base creature (undead and deathless make it d12, Constructs make it d10), that should be mentioned in the HD section of your template.

Ah! Right, completely forgot about that. Thanks.

Indeed however if you remove timestop i believe its CR: +0 or +1 depending on creature, La: -

Hmmm, true... I figured I could throw time stop in as it is supposed to be beyond time and space, sortakinda-ish, but for low-HD low-CR monsters it would be out of whack. I'll just remove it and keep the other SLAs as they are.

[peacenlove]

Nonabilities

Some creatures lack certain ability scores. These creatures do not have an ability score of 0—they lack the ability altogether. The modifier for a nonability is +0.

Dexterity

Any creature that can move has at least 1 point of Dexterity. A creature with no Dexterity score can’t move. If it can perform actions (such as casting spells), it applies its Intelligence modifier to initiative checks instead of a Dexterity modifier. The creature automatically fails Reflex saves and Dexterity checks.

Intelligence

Any creature that can think, learn, or remember has at least 1 point of Intelligence. A creature with no Intelligence score is mindless, an automaton operating on simple instincts or programmed instructions. It has immunity to mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects) and automatically fails Intelligence checks.

Mindless creatures do not gain feats or skills, although they may have bonus feats or racial skill bonuses.

The shrieker entry is in error, his reflex should be N/A. Also his initiative should be : always last, because he fails at Intelligence based checks, and his initiative is based now on his intelligence.

Heh, I know, but I figured I might better include that, for otherwise a wizard could create an AMF and it would become incapable of movement (since dimensional displacement is a spell-like ability)

An incorporeal (undead by RAW, however many DM's houserule all incorporeals) creature doesn't exists (and cannot be affected by anything) as long as the antimagic field is present, however if its duration lapses the creature reemerges. A dimentional anchor/lock is much easier to cast (it has range and longer duration) AND allow the mage to attack the creature effectivelly.

[DracoDei]

I am not getting any sense of what these things DO. They lack any concept of behavior or drives or whatever.

[peacenlove]

I am not getting any sense of what these things DO. They lack any concept of behavior or drives or whatever.

They mindlessly teleport and inconvenience/damage people. Think of them like wasps or wild bees.
They can be immobile guardians of a temple or a graveyard since they exist after a death.
However we shall await the OP to explain us i guess.

[Morph Bark]

With regards to their behaviour and drives, I hadn't given it much thought, mainly because they'd likely have as much drive as a zombie does, though likely less so.

Fluff:

These things come to be when a certain kind of monster dies -- or rather, they can come to be, because it would be rather silly if they showed up at every death of a creature whose type is compatible. While I imagine there'd always be a zero-dimensional rift when a creature dies, most of these cease to be immediately after the soul passes through. Sometimes though? Sometimes they don't for some reason, like the soul getting "stuck" in the rift or magic forcing it to remain existing (the aura of a deity briefly manifesting its power on the Material Plane would have such an effect).

While the rift itself is merely the core of this creature, it is the soul wisps (or "pyreflies") that give it its true sentience, however little. These pyreflies retain vague memories of the base creature, pertaining to those they were closest to in life, things they often did and, in case of a violent death (most often the cause of the existence of a pyrefly rift), their cause of death and whomever was involved. Pyrefly rifts do pretty much nothing at all until first approached by a living creature. If this creature threatens it (even if it is incapable of attacking incorporeal or swarm creatures), the pyrefly rift responds in kind and attacks it until it flees (Evil pyrefly rifts may attack even without provocation, Good pyrefly rifts tend to wait until the creature attempts to attack it). Afterwards, pyreflies tend to linger still in the same location, though through magical or divine influence they may seek out what and whom they knew in life; yet others aimlessly wander around.

While the name "pyreflies" was taken from FFX as I liked the name and hadn't seen a similar concept before, it is by no means meant to be the same. Though right now, I'm thinking of perhaps making a normal "pyrefly" creature and make this concept the focal point of a future campaign. (Prior to now, I thought of making it only a minor thing, such as pyrefly rifts being encountered at an old battlefield, near a temple or possibly at a graveyard.)

The zero-dimensional core of a pyrefly rift continually spawns new pyreflies, but this does not increase its size or abilities due to it being a swarm. It is merely growing its swarm to "maturity" (explaining why a pyrefly rift has potentially hundreds or thousands of component pyreflies while the death of a single creature does not nearly create that many) or replenishing those it lost (explaining its fast healing ability).

[Morph Bark]

To expand upon the concept some more, here is the normal pyrefly. I have also made a few changes to the pyrefly rift, mainly adding a weakness and altering its movement. I also increased its Wisdom score to 10.



Pyrefly
Fine Undead (Incorporeal)
Hit Dice 1d12 (6 hp)
Initiative automatically loses initiative, always
Speed Fly 10 ft (perfect)
AC 14 (+1 deflection, -5 Dex, +8 size), touch 14, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple --/--
Attack --
Full Attack --
Damage --
Space/Reach ½'/0'
Special Attacks dimensional displacement, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities immunities and resistances, one-and-a-half dead, weaknesses
Saves Fort +0, Ref --, Will -5
Abilities Str --, Dex --, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills --
Feats --
Environment --
Organization --
Challenge Rating ½
Treasure None
Alignment Always neutral, neutral good or neutral evil
Advancement --
Level Adjustment --

A small wispy speck of ethereal prismatic colour emerges from the rapidly dissipating body of the dragon, twirling around as it dances through the air and flies away from you.

A pyrefly comes to be when a living creature dies and its soul passes on. The pyreflies a creature’s death creates usually do not linger for long, eventually being absorbed by the Ethereal Plane, but sometimes pyreflies linger longer, often for unknown reasons or because magical effects keep them tied to their own existence.

Pyreflies are created upon the death of a living creature with a soul, from this point known as the “base creature”, despite this not being a template. For aberrations, fey, giants and humanoids, 3 pyreflies come to be for every HD they have. For animals, magical beasts and monstrous humanoids this is 4 pyreflies and for dragons this is 6 pyreflies per HD. Creatures with less than 1 HD only release 1 pyrefly upon their death. (If in your campaign creatures of other types also may have souls, simply choose an amount of pyreflies from 3-6 for each HD they have to appear upon their death.)

Control Immunity: A pyrefly rift is immune to any spells that control undead or deathless creatures or other spells that would take control of them. It is also immune to turning and rebuking.

Ethereal current (Su): A pyrefly cannot move like a normal creature does. Instead it simply rides current of ethereal wind, allowing it to move up to 10 feet per move action. If a pyrefly is affected by antimagic, it disappears to the ethereal plane as normal for incorporeal monsters, but in the ethereal plane it can still move, allowing it to re-appear outside of the antimagic field.

Immunities and resistances: A pyrefly has all the standard immunities and resistances of undead and incorporeal creatures, but unlike a pyrefly rift it does not have any immunities and resistances the base creature had.

One-and-a-half dead: If the base creature was evil, a pyrefly rift is an undead type. If the base creature was good, a pyrefly rift is a deathless type. If the base creature was neutral, a pyrefly rift has a 50% chance of being either undead or deathless type.

Spell-like abilities: 1/day- daze, flare. Caster level 1st. Unlike a pyrefly rift, a pyrefly cannot use any spell-like abilities the base creature had.

Weaknesses: A pyrefly is susceptible to spells like dismissal and banishment. If it fails its save it is effectively destroyed. Antimagic effects (other than antimagic fields) instantly destroy a pyrefly.

[DracoDei]

Well, that kinda makes staging someones death very very difficult without magical assistance...

[Morph Bark]

Well, that kinda makes staging someones death very very difficult without magical assistance...

Problems are there to be overcome. That's why someone would want to stage someone else's death anyway, too.

[The-Mage-King]

If you are, in fact, the same M-Bark as the WotC board's one...

Spoiler

Show

...M-Bark, I see that you have moved your video game races over to here as well. Excellent.

Anyway, nice. I might use it on my PCs...

[Morph Bark]

If you are, in fact, the same M-Bark as the WotC board's one...

Spoiler

Show

...M-Bark, I see that you have moved your video game races over to here as well. Excellent.

Anyway, nice. I might use it on my PCs...

Indeed I am. Nice to make your re-acquaintance, TMK. I figured GitP would be more befitting of my smalltime homebrewing, even after looking over several other fora. Frankly, I haven't ported over my video game races yet (to my knowledge; unless I've been having random amnesia again), but perhaps I should start that up again. Sadly, my video game-based campaign fell apart a few months ago... but broadening the concepts a bit, as with these pyreflies here, I suppose I could give them new life.

[The-Mage-King]

Indeed I am. Nice to make your re-acquaintance, TMK. Frankly, I haven't ported over my video game races yet (to my knowledge; unless I've been having random amnesia again), but perhaps I should start that up again. Sadly, my video game-based campaign fell apart a few months ago... but broadening the concepts a bit, as with these pyreflies here, I suppose I could give them new life.

You have yet to do so, but I assumed that since you started with Pyreflies, you'd add Unsent at a later time...

[Morph Bark]

You have yet to do so, but I assumed that since you started with Pyreflies, you'd add Unsent at a later time...

In all honesty, I hadn't thought about that. My mind currently is more focused on ideas regarding randomized card-based systems to turn DnD into a screwball game and new, unique ToB disciplines.

Perhaps there might be ways to combine either of those with Unsent though...

[The-Mage-King]

In all honesty, I hadn't thought about that. My mind currently is more focused on ideas regarding randomized card-based systems to turn DnD into a screwball game and new, unique ToB disciplines.

Perhaps there might be ways to combine either of those with Unsent though...

I'm working on a new discipline based on FFVII:ACC... Care to aid me?

[Morph Bark]

I'm working on a new discipline based on FFVII:ACC... Care to aid me?

If you PM me the specifics, I could in due time. I am currently busy with exams, so my personal projects are rather slow right now.

[The-Mage-King]

Makes me glad I'm on break until the 23rd... PM'd you some details.

[137beth]

Caster level 20th? That could be a huge problem. Suppose you applied this template to a CR 1 monster. That would mean you'd have a CR 2 monster with spell-like abilities at CL 20th.

Also, the always losing initiative thing is sort of strange...
Suppose you had a CR 30 monster with this template. It would come after a rat in initiative order. On top of that, what would you do if a monster and a player both "always lost initiative"? For clarity sake, it may be a good idea to change this to "-20 initiative".

[Morph Bark]

Caster level 20th? That could be a huge problem. Suppose you applied this template to a CR 1 monster. That would mean you'd have a CR 2 monster with spell-like abilities at CL 20th.

Also, the always losing initiative thing is sort of strange...
Suppose you had a CR 30 monster with this template. It would come after a rat in initiative order. On top of that, what would you do if a monster and a player both "always lost initiative"? For clarity sake, it may be a good idea to change this to "-20 initiative".

Only daze, flare and haste always have CL 20th, the others use the CL of the base creature.

And I don't think there is a way for a player character to "always lose initiative" unless they somehow also had this template, which would make them no longer viable as player characters... so I don't think that is an issue.

[DracoDei]

And I don't think there is a way for a player character to "always lose initiative" unless they somehow also had this template, which would make them no longer viable as player characters... so I don't think that is an issue.

Not much of one... but -20 (or -40 just to be on the safe side) would be even better, what if someone ended up... OH BLEEP!!! You just gave every cleric the ability to cast Haste at CR 20 if they can get access to one of these things of the correct alignment (depending on if they Turn or Rebuke undead)... and it doesn't even take up that much of their control pool since it is so low HD. Yeah... slap an immunity to Commanding (as in Command Undead/Deathless) on there pronto... or just give them a bunch of turn resistance. And even then you need to take care of stuff like this little number: Command Undead (the spell)

[Aran Banks]

I was kind of hoping for a zero-dimensional construct... I guess the template is cool.

Undead shouldn't be thar. The classic idea behind something without dimensions is that it doesn't really exist. Putting a living/nonliving/unliving label on a non-dimensional creature just ain't cool.

So, IMO, the result of the 0-dimensional template being applied should always make the base creature into an Incorporeal Construct.

EDIT: It'd also get rid of that nasty cleric cheese.

[Morph Bark]

Not much of one... but -20 (or -40 just to be on the safe side) would be even better, what if someone ended up... OH BLEEP!!! You just gave every cleric the ability to cast Haste at CR 20 if they can get access to one of these things of the correct alignment (depending on if they Turn or Rebuke undead)... and it doesn't even take up that much of their control pool since it is so low HD. Yeah... slap an immunity to Commanding (as in Command Undead/Deathless) on there pronto... or just give them a bunch of turn resistance. And even then you need to take care of stuff like this little number: Command Undead (the spell)

I was kind of hoping for a zero-dimensional construct... I guess the template is cool.

Undead shouldn't be thar. The classic idea behind something without dimensions is that it doesn't really exist. Putting a living/nonliving/unliving label on a non-dimensional creature just ain't cool.

So, IMO, the result of the 0-dimensional template being applied should always make the base creature into an Incorporeal Construct.

EDIT: It'd also get rid of that nasty cleric cheese.

Hm, I suppose you are right. I didn't consider that part, honestly, and thought it perhaps would be more "flavourful" if there was more than one type involved (I don't know how I got on that specific train of thought...) - though if it'd be really 0-dimensional and the reasoning would then be that it couldn't exist... well if it couldn't exist it wouldn't ever be there and couldn't have a creature type either, no? (That and since it involves death and all, undead/deathless seemed to fit more, since it deals with soul particles being stuck in a 0-dimensional gate-point to the Outer Planes.)

I also thought there was a way for Clerics to be able to turn constructs, or there was some Wizard PrC that had that... not sure, but it definitely would work better.

I'll just make it Undead/Deathless, removing the Construct part and making it a 50-50 chance for Neutral creatures, and make them immune to turning and spells like command undead (I suppose Spell Immunity would work there, but would that work for all Undead-commanding spells?).

[DracoDei]

I also thought there was a way for Clerics to be able to turn constructs, or there was some Wizard PrC that had that... not sure, but it definitely would work better.

Anyone who wants to develop their homebrew skills should read the following, anyone who just cares about the specific critter should skip to the next quote.
Oh, sure, in some homebrew or splatbook I am sure it exists. But that isn't nearly as much of a problem as something in Core, since the likelyhood of the two ending up in the same game is much smaller, and any game that is pulling from that many sources probably has players and GMs good enough that they would just handle it. I suppose if you phrased your fix for undead/deathless right, it would stretch to include the construct aspect.

I'll just make it Undead/Deathless, removing the Construct part and making it a 50-50 chance for Neutral creatures, and make them immune to turning and spells like command undead (I suppose Spell Immunity would work there, but would that work for all Undead-commanding spells?).

The way you now have it phrased seems to work for me.

Why do you have the rift listed as 1/4 HD? Typically you would use a 1st level character for an example. Also, the Type line should probably be
"Fine Deathless/Undead (Incorporeal, Swarm)"
The space/reach stuff is a mess. Ravens aren't Fine, and you never say how or if the Space thing interacts with the rift itself being fine.

[Aran Banks]

should all be constructs.... undead means animated via negative energy and evil. Deathless is stupid.

In other news... black holes?

[DracoDei]

should all be constructs.... undead means animated via negative energy and evil. Deathless is stupid.

Undead can occur naturally and it seems M-Bark does not agree with your take on Deathless (or he wouldn't have used it in the first place) so you probably want to present a bit more evidence there if you want to convince him...

[Debihuman]

1/2 d12 is 3 hit points; 1/4 is 1 hit point. [.25x6.5=1.625 (and since you always round down in 3.5 that makes it a single hit point].

Debby

[Lev]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't a 0th dimensional being being a dot?
And I don't mean a physical dot, I mean a geometric dot, as in it doesn't "technically" have a physical form as it is infinitely small, and by technically I mean it actually having a form is figurative.

A series of dots would probably either be a swarm of 2 dimensional monsters as the 3rd dimension is actually 2 dimensional space folded in on itself infinitely, or monsters traveling through the 6th dimension, which is just 4th dimension (time) folded in on itself and therefore could use quantum theory to pop in and out of existence randomly.

[Morph Bark]

should all be constructs.... undead means animated via negative energy and evil. Deathless is stupid.

In other news... black holes?

Undead can occur naturally and it seems M-Bark does not agree with your take on Deathless (or he wouldn't have used it in the first place) so you probably want to present a bit more evidence there if you want to convince him...

Yes, constructs are... well, constructed. The only thing that could fit these better would be the Outsider type, but I neither want them to have a Con score, nor do I think it'd fit as they aren't alive.

1/2 d12 is 3 hit points; 1/4 is 1 hit point. [.25x6.5=1.625 (and since you always round down in 3.5 that makes it a single hit point].

Debby

Ah, thanks. Fixing that.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't a 0th dimensional being being a dot?
And I don't mean a physical dot, I mean a geometric dot, as in it doesn't "technically" have a physical form as it is infinitely small, and by technically I mean it actually having a form is figurative.

A series of dots would probably either be a swarm of 2 dimensional monsters as the 3rd dimension is actually 2 dimensional space folded in on itself infinitely, or monsters traveling through the 6th dimension, which is just 4th dimension (time) folded in on itself and therefore could use quantum theory to pop in and out of existence randomly.

Yes, prettymuch, but... well it isn't so much that the creature is 0-dimensional. It is soul-stuff that is stuck inside a 0-dimensional point and whisps of it just linger about and make it actually visible that there is a gate-point to the Outer Planes there.

I created stats for a single, lone Pyrefly for the sake of completion, but I figure that on their own they'd be easier to harm, since they'd simply linger. I'm not clear on how single Pyreflies would continue to linger... still have to figure that out, since they'd prettymuch just vanish within a day or so as the soul would pass on.

[137beth]

Maybe they DON'T linger more than a day, but the heroes just encounter them during the time they are there? Or possibly, since having your soul stuck in a 0-dimensional space seems unpleasant, maybe a villain has some ritual to bind them?