Author Topic: Brain's monsters for later use.  (Read 3812 times)

Offline Braininthejar

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Brain's monsters for later use.
« on: October 04, 2015, 08:33:49 PM »
JAGERMONSTER

(Jagermonsters come from the comic Girl Genius by Phil Foglio. They can be adjusted to match and D&D setting, wherever a wizard or a mad scientist would turn humans into his own brand of monsters)

Jagermonster is an acquired template, which can be added to any humanoid, further referred to as 'base creature'.

Creation: Jagermonsters are created by drinking a special alchemical formula, which must be custom adjusted for the recipient's species (the default formula was designed for humans). Those who survive the DC15 fortitude save are incapacitated with pain and slowly transformed over the next 24 hours. Their flesh becomes cords of muscle, nails and teeth sharpen and skin hardens. They also develop random characteristics such as horns, tails or a layer of fur.

Size and type: Size is unchanged, type becomes monstrous humanoid. Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves or skills.

Hit dice: gain one racial die of monstrous humanoid

Speed: unchanged

Armour class: natural armor improves by 2

Attacks: gains either 2 claws and 1 bite attack appropriate for size, or improved unarmed strike feat. (if the base creature already has bite or claw attacks, these remain unchanged)

Abilities: +4 Str, +4 Con, -2 Wis : Jeagermonsters can rip normal humans apart with bare hands, but their predatory instincts make them brash and hot-blooded.

Special qualities:

Gains rage (as barbarian class feature. racial monstrous humanoid HD stack with any barbarian levels the base creature might possess for the purpose of determining any additional effects of rage)

Gains scent

Gains +3 racial bonus on saves against poison and disease.

Gains double the natural healing rate.

In addition, a jaegermonster can have one of the following: (roll a 20 or chose if a specific npc is needed)

1 scaly: natural armor improved by 2 more points
2-3 resistance: 5 points against one energy type, (redundant neural paths, thick fur, etc)
4 claws and teeth: if they weren't chosen at the attacks stage - reroll otherwise
5-6 horns: gains a horns attack (bludgeoning) approppriate for size
7 tail: gets a tail slap attack, appropriate for size.
8 camouflage: gains an ability to change coloration, granting a racial bonus+4 to hide (+8 if naked)
9 big jaw:gain a bite attack, or the bite attack improves by one size category
10 sharp senses: racial bonus +3 to search, spot and listen checks, gets track feat for free.
11-12 feel no pain: gains damage reduction 1/-, cumulative with the barbarian class feature.
13 spines: deals d6 piercing damage with a successful grapple check (whether against the grappled victim or a grappling attacker)
14 fleetfooted: land speed increased by 10 feet.
15 corrosive saliva: can launch a glob of caustic spittle once a day, at a range of 10 feet. An opponent hit in the eyes (which usually requires a touch attack with a -4 penalty) will be blinded until he can wash his face (full round action, requires access to water)
16 predatory instinct: +3 racial bonus to initiative.
17-18 crawler: +3 racial bonus to move silently, can take 10 on climb checks even when threatened.
19 horrific: +4 racial bonus to intimidate checks
20 roll twice

Feats, skills, alignment - unchanged

Organisation: pack (3-6) unit (10-30) or a horde (100+, lead by an elder)

Advancement: by character class, or by racial hit dice (which are gained by aging, see below)

Elder jaegermonsters

Jaegermonsters don't age like humans do. Those who don't die in battle can live for centuries, growing only tougher and more gnarly.

A Jaegermonster gains one extra racial hit die for every full century of life.

At third hit die make another roll on the bonus qualities table, rolling twice and taking the preferred result.

At sixth hit die make another roll the same way and also choose either:

* +4 str, +2 con +2 natural armor and powerful build

or

* +2 natural armor and increase size by one category (with all the normal effects)





« Last Edit: October 04, 2015, 08:39:11 PM by Braininthejar »

Offline Braininthejar

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Re: Brain's monsters for later use.
« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2015, 08:34:38 PM »
Thoughts?  Suggestions? Possible CR?

Offline Amechra

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Re: Brain's monsters for later use.
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2015, 12:01:39 AM »
It lacks the obsession with hats.
"There is happiness for those who accept their fate, there is glory for those that defy it."

"Now that everyone's so happy, this is probably a good time to tell you I ate your parents."

Offline Braininthejar

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Re: Brain's monsters for later use.
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2015, 03:51:31 AM »
That's a cultural thing rather than template-derived

Offline bhu

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Re: Brain's monsters for later use.
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2015, 04:06:10 AM »
The wiki says their constructs

Offline Braininthejar

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Re: Brain's monsters for later use.
« Reply #5 on: October 05, 2015, 06:28:21 AM »
A "construct" is a blanket word that means "something a spark cooked up in a lab" - it has nothing to do with an actual construct subtype.  :smirk

Offline bhu

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Re: Brain's monsters for later use.
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2015, 02:10:41 AM »
http://girlgenius.wikia.com/wiki/Construct  its a Hyde so I guess construct is out.  I thought they were Frankensteins.
« Last Edit: October 06, 2015, 02:16:57 AM by bhu »

Offline Braininthejar

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Re: Brain's monsters for later use.
« Reply #7 on: October 06, 2015, 06:14:34 AM »
Do you actually read the series, or just the wiki?

Offline bhu

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Re: Brain's monsters for later use.
« Reply #8 on: October 06, 2015, 06:17:38 PM »
Been readin since it began as an actual comic book.

Offline Braininthejar

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Re: Brain's monsters for later use.
« Reply #9 on: October 06, 2017, 08:58:57 AM »
Door Golem - medium size construct
HP 53 (6K10+20)
AC: 20/10/20 (+10 natural, +0 Dex)
Attack/Grapple: +4/+8
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 10, Con -, Int-, Wis 10, Cha 1
Saves: 2 / 2 / 2
space/reach: 5 / 10
Full Attack: 3 tentacles: +8  1D6+4
Special qualities: construct traits, magic immunity, damage reduction 10/adamantine, improved grab, constrict, anchored, one-sided, ghost touch, protective wards.
Advancement: 7-10 HD

A door golem looks like a solid door, reinforced with metal, like one leading to a treasury (which is often the case) When unauthorized creatures approach the entry, the door golem comes to life, anchoring itself in the door frame, and extending tentacles - tongue-like appendages of living metal that bludgeon and grapple the intruders.

Magic immunity: a door golem is immune to spells that allow MR, except for disable/repair construct spell line, which works normally, and rust effects.

Anchored: a door golem is anchored to the frame, immovable except by things capable of pushing down the whole wall (should that happen, the golem goes offline, although it can be reestablished in another door frame.) That means it is effectively immune to flanking, trip and bull rush, and benefits from a +6 circumstance bonus for starting and maintaining grapples. However, it automatically fails reflex saves. If it is attacked while open, the golem loses the bonus, and is vulnerable to critical hits against exposed hinges while flat footed. It will close and anchor itself as part of its first action in the combat.

One-sided: While a formidable defender, a door golem is one-sided by nature, and few creators are willing to spend the resources to change it. When attacked from ‘behind’, the door golem is unable to fend off those attackers - it has an effective dexterity of 0, and can be hit automatically exactly like an object would. It does not provide a flanking bonus to attackers from the front.

Ghost touch: The door cannot be phased through, and as a side effect it can also strike opponents like a magical ghost touch weapon.

Protective wards: A door golem is often equipped with a protective spell it can discharge periodically. A single attack spell can be put in the door, at caster level equal to the golem’s HD, and casting stat modifier of +3. The first time the door is hit with a melee attack from the front, It discharges in a half-spread of 10’ in front of the door if it was an area effect, or hits the attacker if it was a ray, touch, or single target spell. The trap resets after 5 rounds.

Construction:

What do you think? CR? caster level/cost to create? Would you change anything?

Offline bhu

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Re: Brain's monsters for later use.
« Reply #10 on: October 07, 2017, 02:41:16 AM »
A few questions:

Is it supposed to have reach 10?

Not being able to phase though the door means no passwall or ethereal yes?  Cause if the wall the golem is built into doesn't have that property as well it doesn't do much to have it on the door.

Constriction needs damage listed.  Improved Grab normally only works on smaller creatures, so if the door can grapple medium critters that needs to  be spelled out.

Most attack spells are evocation or conjuration or necromancy, you could just limit the spell to those schools.

One sided is potentially a problem once the PC's have gained entry.

Offline Braininthejar

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Re: Brain's monsters for later use.
« Reply #11 on: October 07, 2017, 06:27:29 AM »
1: yes. since it can't move, it needs reach.

2: if the creator had half a brain, they do. This feature was added to prevent the opposite.

3: oh, missed that about improved grab.

4: why? too much magic immunity?

5: that's the point.

Offline bhu

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Re: Brain's monsters for later use.
« Reply #12 on: October 08, 2017, 03:58:24 PM »


4: why? too much magic immunity?

I meant for the spell it could cast, as just saying attack spell can be construed as vague.  I usually say "spell requiring an attack roll" or "spell dealing hit point damage"