Vote Up a Monster (3.X) #3: For a Few Votes More (Monster Complete, PEACH)

[afroakuma]

Those we export. You'll be aware of some run-down ones... Mike Myers, for instance. We apologize for any inconvenience, but the warranty on said machine has expired.

And those are the only humanoid machines we export. You want a Canadian girl, you come get one and stay for the beer.

[Ascension]

I'd like to change my vote for Ability Damage into a vote for Implant. Engulf stays.

[arguskos]

Those we export. You'll be aware of some run-down ones... Mike Myers, for instance. We apologize for any inconvenience, but the warranty on said machine has expired.

And those are the only humanoid machines we export. You want a Canadian girl, you come get one and stay for the beer.

Damn, I was sincerely hoping to get an import. Also, DAMN YOU FOR MIKE MYERS!!

Ok then, time to leave Zeta's thread in peace.

-argus

[Pronounceable]

But, but, but I wanted a Bladed Blob...

Sigh. OK then, implant and trample? If trample don't count (or if there isn't such an ability and it's something from somewhere else), engulf.

[vegetalss4]

Implant and Engulf

[Lord_Gareth]

Oh, fine, ya punks. I vote for Ability Damage.

You could have done a bladed blob T_T

[afroakuma]

Alright, you lot, I'll cut you a deal: When I do my Acheron project, I'll make a bladed blob.

Satisfied?

[Lord_Gareth]

YAY!

*WHOMPHUGGLES Afro*

[afroakuma]

BAHHH!

*Is WHOMPHUGGLED*

[Zeta Kai]

Honestly that wouldn't be that hard, the ooze would just have to be able to harden parts of its body into weapon shapes, and then fire it out. Incorporeal keeps this so that it is still fairly easy, at which point swarm complicates things.

I had a similar idea, & I really would have liked to use that approach, but I could not. Those would still be technically natural weapons. A manufactured weapon would be more akin to this ghost-blob-swarm (NOTE: not actual name) picking up a sword or crossbow. That's been making me weep for the last 2 days, trying to come up with a cool way to do that.

Alright, you lot, I'll cut you a deal: When I do my Acheron project, I'll make a bladed blob.

Satisfied?

You have my vote, & my sincere thanks.

[Lord_Gareth]

It is quite possible to creatively reinterpret things, Zeta. For example, if we all voted for Manufactured Weapons – which we did – you could take that and say, “How does it wield such weapons?” and come up with something like this –

Dominate Blade (Su) – [Incorporeal Ooze Swarm] has a dark harmony with the weapons like those that compose it. Whenever it is struck by a manufactured weapon, that weapon must make a Will save (DC 15) or animate and attack its owner using the [Incorporeal Ooze Swarm]’s base attack bonus. It fights until it or the ooze is destroyed, and otherwise acts as an animated object. A typical [Incorporeal Ooze Swarm] is usually found with 2d6 weapons animated in this manner already, most of which will be magical.

See what I mean?

[Xallace]

Even without manufactured weapons, it's shaping up to be pretty neat. How many special abilities do you generally decide to use, Zeta? All those with a lot of votes?

[afroakuma]

Lord_Gareth, he did ask that we not do that.

[DracoDei]

Engulf
Because a certain amount of normality is needed as a foil to throw the weirdness into sharper relief.

[Zeta Kai]

It is quite possible to creatively reinterpret things, Zeta. For example, if we all voted for Manufactured Weapons – which we did – you could take that and say, “How does it wield such weapons?” and come up with something like this –

Dominate Blade (Su) – [Incorporeal Ooze Swarm] has a dark harmony with the weapons like those that compose it. Whenever it is struck by a manufactured weapon, that weapon must make a Will save (DC 15) or animate and attack its owner using the [Incorporeal Ooze Swarm]’s base attack bonus. It fights until it or the ooze is destroyed, and otherwise acts as an animated object. A typical [Incorporeal Ooze Swarm] is usually found with 2d6 weapons animated in this manner already, most of which will be magical.

See what I mean?

That's a great idea, one that I would much rather use one a different monster. Thank you again for changing your vote. You didn't have to, so I appreciate it all the more.

[Lord_Gareth]

^_^ Thanks for the compliment, Zeta. I just figured I'd toss an example of subverting an ability out there; nothing says you MUST use it as presented, after all.

[Zeta Kai]

Alright, the votes for Special Abilities are tallied, & the winner is: Ability Damage, Engulf, & Implant!

So, the creature is going to be an Ooze, with the Incorporeal & Swarm subtypes. It's Size is going to be Large. It's Alignment is going to be True Neutral. It's CR is going to be 12. It's Special Abilities are going to be Ability Damage, Engulf, & Implant. This sounds like it's going to be an insanely interesting critter. I hope that I am up to the task.

Voting is concluded at this point. The resultant creature is being crafted, & will be posted on Tuesday, October 28th. Thanks to everyone who voted (& re-voted).

[Owrtho]

lol, engulf and implant. So either you end up in it or it ends up in you.

Owrtho

[Fako]

So, one week of wait before we get hit with Awesome? I can handle that

lol, engulf and inmpant. So either you end up in it or it ends up in you.

...did you mean for that to sound horribly wrong, Owrtho?

[afroakuma]

Most likely.

Well, we got this one back on the rails. But only after DM pleading. Remember kids, silliness is fun, but only when it's serious silliness.

[Pronounceable]

Alright, you lot, I'll cut you a deal: When I do my Acheron project, I'll make a bladed blob.

Satisfied?

Sure. As long as it's named Bladed Blob, it could be a goblin subrace for all I care.

[streakster]

Alright, you lot, I'll cut you a deal: When I do my Acheron project, I'll make a bladed blob.

Satisfied?

Yay! The Bladed Blob lives!

[Owrtho]

...did you mean for that to sound horribly wrong, Owrtho?

It doesn't sound that bad... If I realy wanted to make it sound horrible I'd have used "penatrate" instead of "end up in".

Owrtho

[afroakuma]

Sure. As long as it's named Bladed Blob, it could be a goblin subrace for all I care.

Is that so?

[Lord_Gareth]

Bump, with great fury!

[afroakuma]

? This didn't need a bump. What schemes are you plotting, Gareth?

[Zeta Kai]

“Well, this is great. If the ionization-rate is constant for all ectoplasmic entities, we can really bust some heads... in a spiritual sense, of course.”
- Dr. Ray Stantz, 1984

Ectoplasmic Swarm

Spoiler

Show

A close-up picture of an Ectoplasmic Swarm, showing the individual Ectoplasms.

Fine Ooze (Incorporeal, Swarm)
Hit Dice: 12d10 (66HP)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 20’ (4 squares), Fly 20’ (4 squares, perfect maneuverability)
Armor Class: 16 (-1 size, +6 Dex, +1 deflection); touch 16; flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/--
Attack: Swarm (3d6)
Full Attack: Swarm (3d6)
Space/Reach: 10’/0’
Special Attacks: Constitution Damage, Engulf, Implant
Special Qualities: Incorporeal traits, Ooze traits, Swarm traits
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +10, Will +4
Abilities: Str -- (+0), Dex 22 (+6), Con 11 (+0), Int -- (+0), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 2 (-4)
Skills: N/A
Feats: N/A
Environment: Any
Organization: solitary, pair, or cluster (3-6 swarms)
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: N/A
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: N/A
Level Adjustment: N/A

What at first appeared to be a small patch of smoke or fog drifts slowly towards you. As it approaches, the individual particles of the cloud can be resolved. These floating specks look like tiny orbs of translucent gel, each about the size of a fingernail. A chill in the air & a whisper of wind is barely noticeable as the cloud closes in.

Often mistaken for a ghost or some other spirit, this cloud-like horde of minute blobs is known as an Ectoplasmic Swarm. Most commonly found at the edges of civilized lands, like the outskirts of a town or village, these swarms can quickly incapacitate a victim, sapping their vitality & life.

No one really knows where Ectoplasmic Swarms come from or what created them, but many scholarly theories abound. One hypothesis is that they hail from the Ethereal Plane, & that they are some predatory embodiment of the plane itself. Another conjecture is that they are a manifestation of spent arcane energy, a kind of magical vestige left by used &/or failed spells. The most popular theory, though, is that they are a remnant left behind when ghosts & other undead pass on to their final resting places, a gathering of spiritual energy that forms into a mindless mass of vaporous slime. These various concepts fail to explain, however, exactly why these swarms gather together & why they are drawn to living creatures.

An Ectoplasmic Swarm is about 10’ across & is weightless, having no real mass. It is composed of around 10,000 individual creatures, each of which are only about ½” long. The swarm speaks no language, as it is mindless (& also does not have any mouths).

Combat
An Ectoplasmic Swarm is a mindless entity, so its pattern of behavior is fairly consistent. They almost always move toward the closest living creature & attempt to Engulf it. They usually ignore Constructs, Plants, & Undead; all other types of creatures seem to be fair game. Opponents that stay out of contact range for more than 2 rounds are typically subject to an Implant attack. Being mindless, they will continue to attack until slain/dispersed, but they are easily distracted by living creatures that are closer.

Constitution Damage (Su): Contact with an Ectoplasmic Swarm can sap an opponent’s agility. Each round that a creature comes into contact with an Ectoplasmic Swarm, it must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC16) or take 1d3 points of Constitution damage; the save DC is Strength-based.

Engulf (Ex): Although it moves slowly, an Ectoplasmic Swarm can simply mow down Large or smaller creatures as a standard action. It cannot make another action during a round in which it engulfs. The Ectoplasmic Swarm merely has to move over the opponents, affecting as many as it can cover. Opponents can make opportunity attacks against the cube, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a Reflex save (DC23) or be engulfed; on a success, they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the swarm moves forward. Engulfed creatures are subject to the swarm’s Constitution Damage, and are considered to be grappled & trapped within its body. The save DC is Dexterity-based, & includes a +1 racial bonus.

Implant (Ex): An Ectoplasmic Swarm can fire off individual ectoplasms into a target creature. Each ectoplasm costs 1HP, & no more than 8 can be shot at a time. This attack is a standard action with a range of 40’. If an ectoplasm hits, then it is embedded in the target. Implants can be activated as a free action, at which point all the ectoplasms in a target turn corporeal instantaneously, forcing a Fortitude save (DC16) for each embedded little ooze; the save DC is Strength-based. On a failed save, an ectoplasmic implant gets pulled back out of the body into the swarm, dealing 1 point of Constitution damage & 1d4 points of slashing damage as it does so.

Incorporeal traits

Spoiler

Show

An incorporeal creature has no physical body. It can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons or creatures that strike as magic weapons, and spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities. It is immune to all non-magical attack forms. Even when hit by spells or magic weapons, it has a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source (except for positive energy, negative energy, force effects such as magic missile, or attacks made with ghost touch weapons). Although it is not a magical attack, holy water can affect incorporeal undead, but a hit with holy water has a 50% chance of not affecting an incorporeal creature.

An incorporeal creature has no natural armor bonus but has a deflection bonus equal to its Charisma bonus (always at least +1, even if the creature’s Charisma score does not normally provide a bonus).

An incorporeal creature can enter or pass through solid objects, but must remain adjacent to the object’s exterior, and so cannot pass entirely through an object whose space is larger than its own. It can sense the presence of creatures or objects within a square adjacent to its current location, but enemies have total concealment (50% miss chance) from an incorporeal creature that is inside an object. In order to see farther from the object it is in and attack normally, the incorporeal creature must emerge. An incorporeal creature inside an object has total cover, but when it attacks a creature outside the object it only has cover, so a creature outside with a readied action could strike at it as it attacks. An incorporeal creature cannot pass through a force effect.

An incorporeal creature’s attacks pass through (ignore) natural armor, armor, and shields, although deflection bonuses and force effects (such as mage armor) work normally against it. Incorporeal creatures pass through and operate in water as easily as they do in air. Incorporeal creatures cannot fall or take falling damage. Incorporeal creatures cannot make trip or grapple attacks, nor can they be tripped or grappled. In fact, they cannot take any physical action that would move or manipulate an opponent or its equipment, nor are they subject to such actions. Incorporeal creatures have no weight and do not set off traps that are triggered by weight.

An incorporeal creature moves silently and cannot be heard with Listen checks if it doesn’t wish to be. It has no Strength score, so its Dexterity modifier applies to both its melee attacks & its ranged attacks. Non-visual senses, such as scent and blindsight, are either ineffective or only partly effective with regard to incorporeal creatures. Incorporeal creatures have an innate sense of direction and can move at full speed even when they cannot see.

Ooze traits

Spoiler

Show

All creatures with the Ooze type possess the following traits:

• Mindless: No Intelligence score, & immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, & morale effects).
• Blind (but have the blindsight special quality), with immunity to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, & other attack forms that rely on sight.
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, & stunning.
• Some oozes have the ability to deal acid damage to objects. In such a case, the amount of damage is equal to 10 + ½ ooze’s HD + ooze’s Con modifier per full round of contact.
• Not subject to critical hits or flanking.
• Proficient with its natural weapons only.
• Proficient with no armor.
• Oozes eat & breathe, but do not sleep.

Swarm Traits

Spoiler

Show

A swarm has no clear front or back and no discernable anatomy, so it is not subject to critical hits or flanking. A swarm made up of Tiny creatures takes half damage from slashing and piercing weapons. A swarm composed of Fine or Diminutive creatures is immune to all weapon damage. Reducing a swarm to 0 hit points or lower causes it to break up, though damage taken until that point does not degrade its ability to attack or resist attack. Swarms are never staggered or reduced to a dying state by damage. Also, they cannot be tripped, grappled, or bull rushed, & they cannot grapple an opponent.

A swarm is immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate), with the exception of mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects) if the swarm has an Intelligence score and a hive mind. A swarm takes half again as much damage (+50%) from spells or effects that affect an area, such as splash weapons and many evocation spells.

Swarms made up of Diminutive or Fine creatures are susceptible to high winds such as that created by a gust of wind spell. For purposes of determining the effects of wind on a swarm, treat the swarm as a creature of the same size as its constituent creatures. A swarm rendered unconscious by means of nonlethal damage becomes disorganized and dispersed, and does not reform until its hit points exceed its nonlethal damage.

Swarm Attack: Creatures with the swarm subtype don’t make standard melee attacks. Instead, they deal automatic damage to any creature whose space they occupy at the end of their move, with no attack roll needed. Swarm attacks are not subject to a miss chance for concealment or cover. A swarm’s statistics block has “swarm” in the Attack & Full Attack entries, with no attack bonus given. The amount of damage a swarm deals is based on its Hit Dice, as shown in the table.

A swarm’s attacks are non-magical, unless the swarm’s description states otherwise. Damage reduction sufficient to reduce a swarm attack’s damage to 0, being incorporeal, and other special abilities usually give a creature immunity (or at least resistance) to damage from a swarm. Some swarms also have acid, poison, blood drain, or other special attacks in addition to normal damage.

Swarms do not threaten creatures in their square, and do not make attacks of opportunity with their swarm attack. However, they distract foes whose squares they occupy, as described below.

Distraction (Ex): Any living creature vulnerable to a swarm’s damage that begins its turn with a swarm in its square is nauseated for 1 round; a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ swarm’s HD + swarm’s Con modifier; the exact DC is given in a swarm’s description) negates the effect. Spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a swarm requires a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a DC 20 Concentration check.

Ectoplasmic Swarm Lore
Characters that have ranks in Knowledge (Dungeoneering) or Knowledge (Religion) can learn more about Ectoplasmic Swarms. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DC’s.

• DC17: “At the edge of some settlements there is a killing fog.”
• DC22: “This cloud of deadly slime is known as an Ectoplasmic Swarm, & it can drain a victim’s vigor.”
• DC27: “An Ectoplasmic Swarm moves slowly, but it can engulf victims, & even shoot out particles at faster targets.”
• DC32: Characters who succeed this Knowledge check know an Ectoplasmic Swarm’s attack patterns & traits, as well as the specifics of Engulf & Implant.

An Ectoplasmic Swarm appearing in front of an abandoned church.


An extreme close-up of a single Ectoplasm, showing its structure & detail (artificially illuminated for clarity).

[Mr.Bookworm]

Very nice.

Incidentally, you put their size as Fine.

[streakster]

<Awesomeness>

Very, very nice. You pulled it off after all!

[Zeta Kai]

Very nice.

Incidentally, you put their size as Fine.

Technically, swarm creatures have to be Fine, Diminutive, or Tiny. Since they still fill a 10' cube, the swarm as a whole is Large, but the individual creatures must be a lot smaller.