Author Topic: Ice Beast  (Read 16433 times)

Offline Nanshork

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Ice Beast
« on: June 20, 2016, 06:11:31 PM »
Ice Beast, Awakened



Ice Beast Prerequisites:
-Must be a corporeal living creature with 10+Con that does not have the fire subtype


HD: d10

Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1 +0 +0 +0 +0 Ice Body, Frozen Faculty, Ice Power
2 +1 +0 +0 +0 Rime Coating, Ice Power
3 +2 +1 +1 +1 Ice Power
4 +3 +1 +1 +1 Ice Power
5 +3 +1 +1 +1 Frozen Faculty Furtherance, Ice Power
6 +4 +2 +2 +2 Ice Mastery, Ice Power
7 +5 +2 +2 +2 Ice Power
8 +6 +2 +2 +2 Ice Power
9 +6 +3 +3 +3 Frozen Faculty Finality, Ice Power
10 +7 +3 +3 +3 Arctic Abomination, Ice Power

Skill Points: (2 + Int Modifier)
Class Skills: None

Proficiencies: The Ice Beast doesn't gain any new proficiencies.

Class Features:

Ice Body (Ex): An Ice Beast creature's type becomes construct, gaining the following traits.

(click to show/hide)

It also gains a natural armor bonus to AC equal to its Wis mod (if positive). If it already had better natural armor, increase it by 1 instead.
In addition, it gains +1 HP per HD at 5 HD. This bonus increases to +2 at 10 HD, +3 at 15 HD, and +4 at 20 HD.
Finally, the Ice Beast gains the cold subtype but because it is now made of ice the maneuverability of any flight speed it currently has or gains in the future is reduced by one..

Frozen Faculty: The Ice Beast has become infused with ice to its very core, and gains an inherent power selecting either Body, Mind, or Spirit.
(click to show/hide)

Ice Power: At each level of Ice Beast, it can pick one of the following options. Each option can only be chosen once, and any requirements must be met before the Ice Power can be chosen.
(click to show/hide)

Rime Coating (Su): The Ice Beast gains DR/magic equal to 1/2 its HD.  If it already had DR of other kind, it now also demands magic to bypass. If it already demanded magic to bypass, increase it by 2.

The Ice Beast's natural weapons now also count as magic whenever advantageous (such as for bypassing DR).

Frozen Faculty Furtherance: At fifth level the Ice Beast gains improvements to the Frozen Faculty that it selected at first level.
(click to show/hide)

Ice Mastery (Su): The Ice Beast becomes one with the cold.  Any time it would take cold damage, it now heals half of the damage that would have been dealt.  In addition, the Ice Beast starts to be able to damage creatures resistant or even immune to cold.  Against creatures resistant to cold, cold resistance is reduced by twice Ice Beast level.  Creatures immune to cold still take cold damage up to twice Ice Beast level (damage must still be rolled normally).

Frozen Faculty Finality
(click to show/hide)

Arctic Abomination (Su):  Any time the Ice Beast would take cold damage it now fully heals all damage that it would have taken.  In addition, the Ice Beast is better able to damage creatures resistant or even immune to cold.  Against creatures resistant to cold, cold resistance is reduced by three times HD.  Creatures immune to cold still take cold damage up to three times HD (damage must still be rolled normally).




New Feat
Extra Ice Power
Prerequisites: Must have at least one Ice Power.
Benefit: Pick one Ice Power that you qualify for. You gain it.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, each time choosing a new Ice Power that you qualify for.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #1 on: June 20, 2016, 06:13:39 PM »
I got bored at work and did another one.

2 levels seemed appropriate since the template is 1 + 1/2 HD and it doesn't have much going for it.  No stat boosts here (at least currently) because there are none on the template.

Cold Aura and Frigid Touch got boosted, a flat 1d6 damage doesn't cut it.  Cold aura still damages everybody to counteract the free action damage.

Cha mod has been added to the breath weapon DC.


Still feels weak to me...

Offline oslecamo

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #2 on: June 20, 2016, 10:59:25 PM »
Cool!

A thing to remember is that you can slap construct traits in a character with this, which is always pretty useful.

Which reminds me, you should probably add the +1 HP to HD per 5 HD the other constructs around here gain.

Why Cha for natural armor? The original template actually tanks Charisma after all.

Also needs the clause where it loses old subtypes or you may end with a Acid/Cold creature. Actually that sounds kinda awesome, so nevermind that.

You could add more levels to allow to pick all the powers. Levels 3+ would add two powers per level. Suggestions for more powers:
-Can pick and use a Cold based SLA once per day per X HD where X is the spell's level.
-Can learn and use cold maneuvers and stances
-Add Slow effects to the cold special attacks?
-Able to hide in plain sight as long as standing on snow/ice? Burrow in snow/ice?

Also breath weapon should be 1d6 per HD or have some extra effect like Slow, otherwise not really worth it.

(click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: June 20, 2016, 11:00:56 PM by oslecamo »

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #3 on: June 20, 2016, 11:47:49 PM »
Cool!

A thing to remember is that you can slap construct traits in a character with this, which is always pretty useful.

Which reminds me, you should probably add the +1 HP to HD per 5 HD the other constructs around here gain.
Done

Quote
Why Cha for natural armor? The original template actually tanks Charisma after all.
I couldn't think of another stat to base it off of except for Str and that seemed like a little much.  Cha is also used for the breath weapon DC.

Quote
Also needs the clause where it loses old subtypes or you may end with a Acid/Cold creature. Actually that sounds kinda awesome, so nevermind that.

You could add more levels to allow to pick all the powers. Levels 3+ would add two powers per level. Suggestions for more powers:
-Can pick and use a Cold based SLA once per day per X HD where X is the spell's level.
-Can learn and use cold maneuvers and stances
-Add Slow effects to the cold special attacks?
-Able to hide in plain sight as long as standing on snow/ice? Burrow in snow/ice?
Hmm, the question then is how many levels and should there be tiers of abilities.  I'm leaning towards just a giant list like Titanic Creature.

Quote
Also breath weapon should be 1d6 per HD or have some extra effect like Slow, otherwise not really worth it.
Changed to 1d6 per HD

Quote
(click to show/hide)
Done, I googled but couldn't find a good picture.

Offline oslecamo

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2016, 01:13:50 AM »
Quote
Why Cha for natural armor? The original template actually tanks Charisma after all.
I couldn't think of another stat to base it off of except for Str and that seemed like a little much.  Cha is also used for the breath weapon DC.
How about Wisdom?

Quote
Also needs the clause where it loses old subtypes or you may end with a Acid/Cold creature. Actually that sounds kinda awesome, so nevermind that.

You could add more levels to allow to pick all the powers. Levels 3+ would add two powers per level. Suggestions for more powers:
-Can pick and use a Cold based SLA once per day per X HD where X is the spell's level.
-Can learn and use cold maneuvers and stances
-Add Slow effects to the cold special attacks?
-Able to hide in plain sight as long as standing on snow/ice? Burrow in snow/ice?
Hmm, the question then is how many levels and should there be tiers of abilities.  I'm leaning towards just a giant list like Titanic Creature.
That would be nice yes. Number of levels would probably be enough to pick everything.

Quote
(click to show/hide)
Done, I googled but couldn't find a good picture.
Wotc keeps online galleries of most of their book's arts. Google often won't show you a specific image directly, but it can usually find the gallery page.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2016, 10:42:16 AM »
Changed to Wis.  I'll brainstorm abilities.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #6 on: June 21, 2016, 11:47:56 AM »
Arctic Ambusher, Ice Magic, and Leeching Cold added.



I'm having issues writing the maneuver gaining ability.  This is what I have so far:

Crystallized Ice: The ice beast learns maneuvers from the Crystalized Silver discipline.  (Something about how it learns x maneuvers and x stances but I'm not sure if it should be HD based of a flat number.)  The ice beast can only learn maneuvers of a level no bigger than half (IL+1), and ice beast levels grant full initiator level.


I think that the capstone will include a recovery mechanism once the maneuver granting ability gets fully sorted out.

Offline Garryl

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #7 on: June 21, 2016, 11:53:33 AM »
Changed to Wis.  I'll brainstorm abilities.

- Superchilled Hide: Deal cold damage to melee attackers.
- Rimefire Infusion: Removes the fire vulnerability from the cold subtype. Adds +1 fire damage/die of cold damage to the other abilities.
- Snow Storm: Improves Cold Aura, letting it create an Obscuring Mist or Sleet Storm sort of thing you can still see through when you activate it.
- Death Throes: Explode for massive cold damage when you die. Also throw in a Bloodied Death Throes sort of thing (either baseline or as an upgrade) so it triggers when you get grievously injured but are still alive, too.
- Ice Lance: Standard action, ranged touch attack, like a Warlock's Eldritch Blast. Deals cold and piercing damage.
- Alternate Form: Melt into a puddle and ooze around, then reform yourself.
- Ice Shaping: Create magic items like a spellcaster with the appropriate crafting feats and spells, but only objects made out of ice (including Blue Ice). Edit: Also, maybe adds Craft as a class skill.
- Icewalking: Like the White Dragon ability. Might want to make this baseline at some level, rather than an option you have to pick, though.

By the way, you've got Ice Power x2 listed on the table at 2nd level instead of Rime Coating.

I'm having issues writing the maneuver gaining ability.  This is what I have so far:

Crystallized Ice: The ice beast learns maneuvers from the Crystalized Silver discipline.  (Something about how it learns x maneuvers and x stances but I'm not sure if it should be HD based of a flat number.)  The ice beast can only learn maneuvers of a level no bigger than half (IL+1), and ice beast levels grant full initiator level.

"An Ice Beast with this ability learns and can ready maneuvers from the Crystalized Silver discipline as a Crusader/Swordsage/Warblade/Homebrew martial adept class of its Ice Beast level. Each of its maneuvers can be used once per encounter, with no recovery. Selecting this ability a second time allows it to learn stances as well. Selecting this ability a third and final time allows it to recover its maneuvers as a Crusader/Swordsage/Warblade/Homebrew martial adept class does."

I'm also going to plug Frozen Night as another discipline option while I'm here.
« Last Edit: June 21, 2016, 12:25:52 PM by Garryl »

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #8 on: June 21, 2016, 12:09:04 PM »
Ice Power x2 for second level is fixed, I got a little too copy/paste happy.


Hmm, I was viewing Ice Beast as just a little prestige class with a capstone.  Would people prefer something more like Titanic, get a big list and pick whatever you want from it?  (Granted, this would probably match the source material a little better.)



Edit: Would it be better to have the maneuver granting ability grant a flat amount or to have the ice beast gain the maneuver progression of another class as Garryl suggested?  If it's the maneuver pgression of another class that will cause issues if chosen at later level.

Offline Garryl

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #9 on: June 21, 2016, 01:12:38 PM »
Hmm, I was viewing Ice Beast as just a little prestige class with a capstone.  Would people prefer something more like Titanic, get a big list and pick whatever you want from it?  (Granted, this would probably match the source material a little better.)

I'm just trying to help with the brainstorming of ideas.

Personally, I'd keep adding levels on the class as long as I had a supply of fixed class features that you want all Ice Beasts to have as the core of the Ice Beast identity, with some extra bonus powers that you can choose from that you're going to get some of but not all of, thus allowing some degree of customization. When you hear "Ice Beast", you should have some idea of what's going on beyond just the damage type, plus a little extra because they're all special snowflakes. Think of Rogues and their higher level special abilities (except with less suck and more at lower levels); you know you're gonna get sneak attacked by someone you shouldn't bother flanking or throwing fireballs at, but you don't know if you should also not bother with enchantments (slippery mind), or if their allies are going to set you up for extra pain (opportunist), or if they'll just be doubling down on the sneak attack nastiness (crippling strike).

Edit: Oh, and if you go to significantly higher levels (10+), make sure to include something that lets the cold damage, which seems to be all the Ice Beast does, deal with cold resistance and/or immunity to some degree.

Edit: Would it be better to have the maneuver granting ability grant a flat amount or to have the ice beast gain the maneuver progression of another class as Garryl suggested?  If it's the maneuver pgression of another class that will cause issues if chosen at later level.

Depends on how you wind up running it. I was working under the assumption that the class was just a 5 level thing, so the difference between getting some maneuvers earlier versus snagging them all at max level would be minimal, and the actual scaling across the levels of the class wouldn't be too big. If you're going to make a much larger class, I'd strongly recommend considering the maneuvers, if you keep them, as being part of the class's core identity that every member gets (which also solves some of the problems about how you describe the ability and have it scale).
« Last Edit: June 21, 2016, 01:17:54 PM by Garryl »

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #10 on: June 21, 2016, 01:32:35 PM »
I already have the fixed class features from the template, anything now is icing on the cake.

I just don't want to go too crazy and make it too different from the source material.

Edit: Example thought I had, at first level you choose between frost based maneuvers and frost based spellcasting instead of getting an Ice Power choice.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #11 on: June 21, 2016, 05:09:24 PM »
The question boils down to, would it be better to go with something like what I currently have (which pretty closely matches the written template) or go with something that is the embodiment of being an ice beast (like the Paragon/Titanic/Evolved Undead templates on here)?

I can go crazy with this thing if it comes right down to it.

Offline oslecamo

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #12 on: June 23, 2016, 04:01:02 AM »
Arctic Ambusher, Ice Magic, and Leeching Cold added.
Artic Ambusher needs a speed for the burrowing, others looking good.

I'm having issues writing the maneuver gaining ability.  This is what I have so far:

Crystallized Ice: The ice beast learns maneuvers from the Crystalized Silver discipline.  (Something about how it learns x maneuvers and x stances but I'm not sure if it should be HD based of a flat number.)  The ice beast can only learn maneuvers of a level no bigger than half (IL+1), and ice beast levels grant full initiator level.


I think that the capstone will include a recovery mechanism once the maneuver granting ability gets fully sorted out.
Amount of maneuvers/stances gained should be a fixed number in particular because it auto-scales. Also probably some clause in that it can use Wis instead of Charisma. You may also add an option that you can retrain the maneuvers when you level up. Remember to add a clause to clarify if you can recharge them with other initiator classes or not.

The question boils down to, would it be better to go with something like what I currently have (which pretty closely matches the written template) or go with something that is the embodiment of being an ice beast (like the Paragon/Titanic/Evolved Undead templates on here)?

I can go crazy with this thing if it comes right down to it.

Well it basically depends on how inspired you feel. Right now once you add a maneuvers option it would be a pretty solid job all around.

On the other hand Paragon is kinda my most popular single piece of homebrew, and titanic got plenty of positive feedback, so clearly people like the huge list of options approach. But it also takes quite a lot of work.

Of course nothing stopping you from adding more abilities now and then. The Half-golem started with just some 4 materials, and then more got added over a period of months/years.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #13 on: June 23, 2016, 11:28:43 AM »
Burrow speed added.

Frozen Faculty added.

Ice Mastery expanded.

Maneuvers currently don't have a recovery mechanism, I couldn't come up with one easily.

Does the ice beast need stat bonuses?



I'm trying to decide if I want it to be a longer class and if so what to add.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #14 on: June 23, 2016, 06:45:23 PM »
Also, the base template removes fly speed.  That's shitty so I didn't keep it, but if the first level needs to be toned down a bit I could add a maneuverability reduction for fly speed.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #15 on: June 24, 2016, 03:09:59 PM »
Once everything has been okayed as is so far (after we decide on stat boots, get a recovery mechanism, and its decided if the flight thing needs to be adjusted) I'll be expanding the class. 

I've got a few ideas with where I could go with it, (hopefully) this is going to turn out pretty good.

Offline oslecamo

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #16 on: June 26, 2016, 04:06:20 AM »
-Reducing flight maneuverability at first level sounds like a good idea.
-You should say that the Ice Creature can use Wis instead of Cha for all Crystallized Silver purposes since certain maneuvers have extra effects based on Cha besides save DC.
-Don't think this needs stat bonus. In particular because it will be virtually gaining three abilities every level (two ice powers+spells/maneuvers).
-Since it's not a primary initiator it doesn't really need a recovery mechanism either. Just usual 5 minutes to ready/change. Thus the maneuvers are useable 1/encounter each, promoting the use of regular ice powers to back them up.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #17 on: June 26, 2016, 01:55:04 PM »
Flight speed maneuverability reduction added.

Language updated for Frozen Faculty: Physical.

Okay, if everything looks good as is I'll start brainstorming expanding the class.

Offline oslecamo

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #18 on: June 28, 2016, 08:08:34 AM »
Yeah, everything so far looks fine now, I look forward for more cool stuff from you. :p

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Ice Beast
« Reply #19 on: June 28, 2016, 11:12:44 AM »
An Ice Power option has been removed from the table for 5th level for consistency.

Brainstorming has begun.