Blog Archive

Thursday 31 January 2019

Manufactured - Template

Many creatures in my dungeons are not natural creatures, but have been created to serve a specific set function. They are not exactly machines, but they do have a purpose and function. They are free-willed but feel obligated to act in a specific way over specific .

Created or Manufactured creatures - look, feel, sound exactly like living creatures, as they were designed to be just that, beings that exist for a specific reason, at a specific place and time. But if you remove them from those specifics, they start to go wonky, as they no longer perfectly fit and their programming is far less useful.

Most manufactured creatures perfectly mimic the creatures to fit a specific role. They do not just appear similar, but essentially are the creature they were intended to be. They do fully realize that they are not a true version, but as long as they fulfill the mission they were intended to do, it causes them no mental hardship. Also, hearing from someone else that they are artificial is meaningless to them, they do not need or want your opinion on their existence, they are fully self assured.

Manufactured Template

Size and Type Change to Construct Type
HD                 Change to d10, gain max (see below)
AC                 Gains +1 natural AC for HD over 5 (8 HD = +3 AC) in addition to any listed for base                                                 creature
Special Qualities Created Mind
                               Hardness 5/ +1 Gain 1 hardness for HD higher than 10
                               Metal Body
                               Resist acid, cold & fire 5 + 1/HD higher than 10
                               Vulnerability to electricity: Double damage on failed save, 1/2 dmg on made save
                               Windup Key - need one hour of winding every day, or will act at half                                                           effectiveness for 24 hours, after that it will shut down.
                              Artificial - Manufactured creatures do not eat, sleep at lower rates and do not heal                                       naturally. They are healed by magic, they slowly weaken from any damage

Abilities               Str +4, Dex +4;
                              Over 5 HD, they gain +1/ HD to Int, Wis, Cha up to 15 HD
                              Constructs always have 10 Constitution
Skills (2+int) X HD; Gain +2 Knowledge (Constructs) per HD/level


Created Mind: Most constructs have a set purpose. They are allowed to pursue other goals as long as it does not cause deviation from their primary one.  They get a +6 on saving throws if any spell would cause them to deviate from their stated purpose. For example, a Construct created to maintain a bridge, spells like Charm would still work, unless you request they ignore damage inflicted on the bridge.

Metal Body: Manufactured Creatures have construct traits but are treated and detected as mortal creatures. While they are partially healed normally by positive energy, they take quarter benefit recovery from cleric healing spells. They can count either as a construct type or outsider when its beneficial, but receive none of the types immunities. Manufactured creatures do not need to eat and sleep at quarter  the normal rate of a human, usually two hours a night. They are not healed from rest.
They do not need to breathe yet if they do stop breathing for more than ten rounds they go into a stupor, and will take an hour per minute break-down to re-awaken.

Windup Key: need one hour of winding every day, or will act at half effectiveness for 24 hours, after that it will shut down. Once they are shut down, they can be re-activated by someone making a
Craft (Construct) skill check - 20+1/day inactive. Most times the key is hidden and attached to their body, often on their back but it may be their heart or back of their brain. By default they cannot self wind.

Constructs in my game world have 10 Constitution, no benefits or penalties, and it cannot be changed thru magic or engineering. Manufactured constructs have max HP at creation, but they do not have the means to heal or wind themselves, so if they are abandoned, they quickly shut down. I normally determine by dice roll what condition they are in, assuming 40% + 2d6 X 5%, but sometimes just pick out their current status.


Wednesday 30 January 2019

Ood - tentacled faced humanoid

This is a monster inspired/stolen from Dr Who. I am a huge fan of both the old and new versions of the show and I like using stylized beasts based on it.


Ood

Medium-Size Humanoid
Hit Dice: 2d6+2 (11 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 15 (+1 Dex, +2 Natural, +2 leather armor), touch 5, flat-footed 5
Attacks: Energy Blast Touch +3 melee
Damage: Touch 1d6+1
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Orb blast
Special Qualities: Blindsight, Minor Telepathy
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +4 Will +4
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 8 / 13
Skills: Athletics +5, Perform +8; Singing +12, Craft +7 (Medicine +10), Survival +8
Climate/Terrain: Any underground or Swamp
Organization: Circle (2-8) or Voice (1 Ood)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral (80% tend towards LN)
Advancement: By Class (Bard, Fighter, Monk, Druid, Artificier)


Alien Appearance: Humanoid, hairless, small black eyes and many short tentacles on their chin. They cannot speak aloud but have a minor telepathy power for creatures that they can see. The difference in their charisma scores are those with an Ood Orb and those without one. Typically no more than two Ood in a circle have an orb.

They can learn to speak if the individual spends time away from their circle, where group speech and thought is assumed. Few Ood choose to do this and are content and comfortable in their circles. Only individual Ood gain more than four HD.

The Ood were once servile slaves, forced to serve Lords from other worlds. Even when free they are driven to help others. If simple tasks they take action right away, but for longer more complicated tasks it takes them time to evaluate what their best choice of action should be.

They are often strangers in my dungeons, ignored by the primary inhabitants unless they can be used as slaves or most often as sources of info.

While generally very quiet, Ood sing collectively wonderful and personal songs when they are emotionally moved.

Magic Items
Ood are not inherently magical, but many have been trained to create magical devices that help them survive, and communicate with other creatures. After seeing a device, they need to spend one day with magical equipment to create a device to assist them. However it is an ood only device, few creatures can ever utilize the items the ood make for their own kin.

Orb: This is the primary item most ood carry, it is an small orb made of a soft metal, that allows them to speak out loud as well as to sing. The orb can release a shock that inflicts 1d6 damage on close range (20 feet or less). Some Ood, especially those that take fighter class take feats to increase the damage and range the orb can inflict beyond the table below.

1-4 HD      1d6 Dmg           Range 20 feet
5-6 HD      1d8 Dmg           Range 30 feet
7-8 HD      1d10 Dmg         Range 50 feet
9 HD +       2d6 Dmg or 1d8 Dmg for 2 targets

Shared Saving Throw: As an individual, the ood are not always the best at saving throws, but when they come together for a purpose, they learn to trust in their comrades. They add +1 to every saving throw for every two additional ood in their collective. If not in groups, give individual Ood -2 on all mental saving throws.

Minor Telepathy: Ood can telepathicly communicate with intelligent creatures but need to have bonded with them.

Stolen from the New Who series

Tuesday 29 January 2019

Perfected (Template)

This is an ideal monk like character in my world, using no armor or weapons, rarely utilizes spell and
is known for their wisdom and guidance. Living simple contemplative lives, they want to help, yet they
also prefer to find ways that will accomplish the goal without causing violence or to upset life.


        Perfected (Template)

Type Aberration
Hit Dice:                +10d8 (40)
Initiative:                +4
Speed: +20 ft
AC:                       +5 deflection bonus
Attacks:                 Shun all physical attacks
Special Attacks: Gain Stunning Fist (DC 20; 1/HD); Body Spikes (1d20 dmg when grappled)
Special Qualities: Perfect Sight (50 ft all directions), Detect magic/psionics (at will), Dmg Reduction 15/lawful
Saves: F +5, R +5, W +5
Abilities:     Cha +4, either Wis +4 or Dex +4
Skills: Knowledge (History) +12, Knowledge (Psionics) +10
Feats: Peaceful Contemplation, Mental Touch
Requirements: Cha or Wis 20; not from a device or magic spell; Vow of non-violence
Climate/Terrain: Any (Usually Ashrams or Temples)
Organization: Always Solitary
Challenge Rating: +4
Treasure:                Triple
Alignment: CN, N or LN

The Perfected appear to be any type of humanoid that has reached a point of personal spiritual elevation, while often associated with monks, they never come from this class. They are individuals that eschew violence yet are moved to take action, sometimes to help others but most often for a specific cause. Many come from the cleric class, yet those gifted with these powers, serve the living
and shy away from serving the divine.

They are near ideal specimens of their race, with short hair and dress simply. As they have taken the vow of non-violence, they can never carry or use weapons or armor. Most live simple, devoted lives, getting involved only in the causes they care about, not games of power or policy.

While never evil, a few are selfish and have little patience for imperfect ones who do not recognize their glorious status. Some of the perfected lose their status and their abilities, usually suddenly and without notice and never able to recapture their lofty status. Most however live simple lives, directly involved helping others, staying true to their vows and beliefs.

They are often a source of astonishment, both for their abilities to help and guidance. They have often assisted locals with issues and then given rewards for their guidance, most often resolving issues without bloodshed. They often have small hordes of wealth which they can dole out if needed - again privately or secretly as they do not wish to advertise their status.

Their physical acts are to protect others or accomplish a goal, never simply to punish or do acts of harm. Most times their words and defensive spikes are enough to avoid such things

Special Abilities 

Body Spikes: Any time a perfected is grappled or threatened, their body generates anthril body spikes (or generic magic damage) for a moment, inflicting 11-20 damage. This is a passive damage, they do not activate it - but they do not need to be aware or even awake, as their physical body will generate the body spikes if  the body is in any kind of physical danger. They can suppress the spikes if they are aware.

Perfect Sight: Allows the perfected to be in constant awareness of all living, unliving and potential threats within 50 ft of them at all times.

New Feats

Peaceful Contemplation: Gain a +20 on knowledge or wisdom checks to resolve an issue or problem. They need to have 10 hours of perfect, peaceful & uninterrupted solace to gain the insight. If they fail to gain enough awareness to resolve the issue, they cannot repeat the process for the same issue. They can do this no more than once every week (10 days).

Mental Touch: If the perfected individual needs to touch something to activate, and there is a danger, they can use their thoughts to open or touch the object in question. Unlike many other abilities, this is exhausting for the perfected, and can do this a limited number of times (Cha Score Bonus / day)


Monday 28 January 2019

Razorvine


Ripped off from 2e Planescape, this nasty barbed wirey vine stuff is located in many parts of my world that is abandoned, but often frequented by outer planar creatures.


Razorvine
Medium-size Plant

HD:                      1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative:              0
Speed:                   0 ft
AC:                      15 (+5 Natural Armor)
Attacks:                Nil Vines +0 (melee)
Damage:               Vines 1d3, 1d4, or 1d6 + base AC
Face/Reach:          5 ft x 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks:    Vines
Special Qualities:  Plant, Weapon Immunity, Fire Resistance 5
Saves:                     Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +0
Abilities:                Str 11, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 5, Wis 15, Cha 2

Climate/Terrain:    Any
Organization:        Patch (2-20 vine pieces)
CR:                           2
Treasure:               None
Alignment:            Neutral (Always)
Advancement Range: 3-8 HD (Medium-size), 9-16 HD (Large)

Advancement: Increase all ability scores except for intelligence by +3 for each increase in size.

Razorvine's a black-leaved vine with an exceptionally sharp-edged stem hidden under the foliage. The plant's capable of surviving almost any conditions, and flourishes in most environments. Razorvine can grow several inches in a single day, and can cover a small building or untended wall in a few weeks.

The razorvine's leaves are small, clover-shaped, and so dark as to be nearly black. They grow in dense clumps near the stem on short, wiry sprigs. The leaf-edges are serrated, but harmless if one doesn't touch them. A razorvine's stem is triangular in cross-section, with elevated, iron-hard ridges running along the stem.

COMBAT
The razorvine is non-combative, it just lies waiting for someone to fall into it or try to touch it.

Vines (Ex): Razorvine can inflict damage in three ways. Anyone handling the stuff or brushing past are likely to get cut. Anyone trying to slash through it or cut through it might get cut. Anyone falling into it will get cut. Handling razorvine includes wading through the stuff. Each round someone tries to retrieve something or wade through it, they must make a Dexterity check (DC 15.) Those who succeed take 1 point of damage those who suffer suffer 1d3 + base AC in damage.

Hacking through it is as dangerous because the tightly twisted vines are under tension. When a vine is cut, it recoils and might slash the basher who just severed it. If it hits, it deals 1d4 + the base AC in damage to the victim and no save is allowed.

Falling into a patch is deadly because most folk will bleed to death before getting out. This deals 1d8 + (20 - base AC) with no save or attack roll needed. When someone falls into a patch, they take no damage, except for when they fall or tumble into it or try to move out of it. Each round that they try to get out, they suffer full falling in damage all over again. Normally it takes 1-3 rounds to get out.

A person's base AC is his armor without Dexterity bonuses, shields, or magical adjustments that don't actually cover his or her whole body or rely on misdirection.

Weapon Immunity (EX): Razorvines are only affected by slashing weapons.

Fire Vulnerability (Ex): Razorvine is unusually resistant to fire. Normal fire only blackens and hardens the stem while burning the leaves off. Magical fire affects the plant, as normal fire would normally do.

Plant: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing unless targeted to work on plants. Not subject to critical hits.