Author Topic: Grell  (Read 16288 times)

Offline oslecamo

  • Honorary Mod
  • *****
  • Posts: 10080
  • Creating monsters for my Realm of Darkness
    • View Profile
    • Oslecamo's Custom Library (my homebrew)
Grell
« on: July 15, 2012, 03:31:37 PM »
Grell



Hit Die: d8

LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st
+1
+0
+2
+2
Eater Body, Buoyant, Sightless, Meal Grab
2nd
+2
+0
+3
+3
Constrict, Tentacle Growth, Eater Skills, Electric Speech, +1 Dex
3rd
+3
+1
+3
+3
Growth, Paralysis, Eater Immunities, Expert Grappler, Flight, Tentacle Growth, +1 Con

Class Skills: ((4 + Int. Modifier) x 4 at first level) A Grell’s class skills are Concentration,Craft(Any), Escape Artist,  Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (any), Listen, Move Silently,  Search, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival.

Proficiencies: Grells are proficient with their own natural weapons.

Class Features

Eater  Body: At first level, a Grell loses all racial bonuses, traits, and abilities and gains aberration traits. Grells are medium aberrations with  two tentacle secondary natural  attacks that each deal 1d4+1/2 Str mod damage each, a bite primary natural attack that deals 1d6+ Str mod damage,  and a base speed of 5 feet. Its tentacles can perform fine manipulation and have a natural reach of 10 feet.

In addition the Grell gains a bonus to its Natural Armor equal to  its Con mod.

Due to their unusual anatomy, instead of what an humanoid can usually equip, the grell can only wear two neck items ebedded in the thick hide of its body, two pair of bracers or bracelets on the thick uppet portions of two tentacles, and up to four rings of four additional tentacles (provided it has grown them). They can't wear any of the other usual humanoid items, except for armor in the form of customized barding.

Buoyant:As a swift action, the Grell can grant itself flight with perfect maneuverability with a speed of 30 feet for 1 round, but can't rise more than 5 feet in the air from the nearest surface below it.

Sightless:A Grell is blind, making it immune to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions and other attack forms that rely on sight. Its other senses are exceptionally sharp in return, granting the Grell Blindsight with a range of 60 feet.

Meal Grab: To use this ability, the Grell must hit an opponent with a tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action whitout provoking attacks of opportunity.

Ability Score Increase:
The Grell gains +1 Dex at 2nd level and +1 Con at 3rd level.


Constrict:
At 2nd level on a successful grapple check, the Grell deals 1d6+Str mod damage.

Tentacle Growth: At 2nd and 3rd level the Grell grows four more tentacles like the ones gained with Eater Body, for a total of ten tentacles at 3rd level.

Eater Skills: At 2nd level the Grell gains a Racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks equal to its Grell levels plus ½ its other levels.

Electric speech:
At 2nd level the grell can communicate with creatures whitin 60 feet whitout making any audible sound.

Paralysis: At 3rd level the Grell's tentacles become lined with small spiny barbs, much like a squid's. Any creature hit by a Grell's tentacle must make a DC 6+1/2 HD+Con mod Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 2d4 rounds. Creatures struck by multiple tentacle attacks in the same round do not make multiple saving throws. Instead, they make a single saving throw, but the DC increases by 1 for every additional tentacle that hit in the same round.

Eater Immunities: At 3rd level the Grell becomes immune to electricity and Paralyzation.

Expert Grappler: At 3rd level a Grell can choose to grapple with one tentacle and remain ungrappled itself by taking a -10 penalty on its grapple check instead of the normal -20 penalty. This also grants the Grell a racial bonus on Grapple checks equal to its HD.

Flight: At 3rd level the Grell the Buoyant ability of the Grell is always active, and it can fly as high as it wishes.

Growth:
At 3rd level the Grell grows one size category.

New Grell Feats
(click to show/hide)

Comments
(click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: August 28, 2019, 01:21:55 AM by oslecamo »

Offline oslecamo

  • Honorary Mod
  • *****
  • Posts: 10080
  • Creating monsters for my Realm of Darkness
    • View Profile
    • Oslecamo's Custom Library (my homebrew)
Re: Grell
« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2012, 03:31:50 PM »
Grell Philosopher

 


Prerequisites:
-All levels of Grell.
-Int 13+
-At least 3 ranks in Knowledge (Dungeoneering)
-No levels of Feral Grell

HD:d6
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Feature
1 +0 +0 +0 +2Malicious Magic, Disturbing Truth, +1 Int
2 +1 +0 +0 +3Consesus and Debate, Grell Alchemy, +1 Int
Skills: 4+int modifier per level. A Grell Philosopher’s class skills are Concentration,Craft(Any), Diplomacy, Escape Artist,  Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (any), Listen, Move Silently,  Search, Spellcraft

Proficiencies: Its own natural weapons.

Features:

Malicious Magic: The Grell Philosopher can prepare and cast arcane spells as a Wizard of its class level +2 (stacking with any wizard levels it may gain). It also gains Scribe Scroll as  a bonus feat. It must secure a spellbook and ink or some other similar items to scribe down its first spells over a period of 24 hours, but it doesn't need expensive inks for this time.

Disturbing Truth: The Grell Philosopher partially bases its spells on obscure physical laws, as opposed to magic alone, and therefore gains a +2 bonus on spell penetration checks. Spellcraft and dispel checks against the Gre Philosopher's spells also take a -2 penalty unless it's another Grell Philosopher.

Ability Score Increase:
The Grell Philosopher gains +1 Int at both levels, for a total of +2 Int at 2nd level.

Consesus and Debate: Perhaps one of the most alien characteristics of the Grells, they govern themselves trough cold and logic debates, debating and argumenting carefully for the best of the group, whitout actively seeking to screw over their nearby companions or just trying to look superior. At 2nd level the Grell Philosopher can use Int instead of Cha for Diplomacy and Intimidate checks.

Grell Alchemy: At 2nd level the Grell Philosopher can create certain special items that its race developed. The Grell Philosopher only needs tools and base materials to fabricate those items, whitout need of any proper installations, as its ten tentacles allow it to easily hold multiple ingredients at once.

(click to show/hide)

Comments

(click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: July 16, 2012, 07:41:22 PM by oslecamo »

Offline oslecamo

  • Honorary Mod
  • *****
  • Posts: 10080
  • Creating monsters for my Realm of Darkness
    • View Profile
    • Oslecamo's Custom Library (my homebrew)
Re: Grell
« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2012, 03:32:02 PM »
Feral Grell



Prerequisites:
-All levels of Grell.
-Str 13+
-At least 3 ranks in Hide
-No levels of Grell Philosopher

HD:d10
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Feature
1 +1 +2 +2 +0Fearsome Predator, Hide and Hunt, +1 Con
2 +2 +3 +3 +0Murderous Ambush, Probing Tentacles, +1 Con
Skills: 4+int modifier per level. A Grell Philosopher’s class skills are Concentration, Escape Artist,  Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (any), Listen, Move Silently,  Search, Survival

Proficiencies: Its own natural weapons.

Features:
Fearsome Predator: Despite the name given to them by sages who study these monsters, Feral Grells are far more than wild beasts. Just slightly less intelligent than their philosopher cousins, Feral Grells are renowed for the ease they adjust to their current circumstances, coordinating with allies or striking on their own depending on what they consider more advantageous at the moment.  As a swift action, the Feral Grell can grant itself any Fighter bonus feat (except weapon proficiency feats) or [Monster] feat it qualifies for, lasting 1 round. You can only pick Martial Study up to 3 times per day.

Hide and Hunt:A life surviving on its own teaches the Feral Grell to compress its soft body against terrain features, perfectly blending in. It can now hide whitout need of cover or concealment, as long as adjacent to a  solid surface, and can even fly while hidden as long as it fulfills that condition. In addition if it attacks from hiding and suceeds on grappling and/or paralysing its target, it can muffle their voice and drag them down (or up if hiding in a ceiling), not making a sound nor being detected by others.

Ability Score Increase: The Feral Grell gains +1 to Con at each level, for a total of +2 Con at 2nd level.

Murderous Ambush: At 2nd level the Feral Grell can attack with all of its tentacles as  a standard action, including in a partial charge in a suprise round.

Probing Tentacles: In recent decades stories about tentacle monsters that disrobe their victims before devouring them seem to have gained a considerable popularity. In simultaneous, Grell sightings on our material plane only started some decades ago. One wonders if the two could be somehow related.  At 2nd level the Feral Grell can perform a disarm or Sunder attempt as a free action whitout provoking attacks of opportunity whenever it hits an opponent in melee against a piece of equipment on that opponent's possession.

Comments
(click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: July 22, 2012, 07:31:35 PM by oslecamo »

Offline oslecamo

  • Honorary Mod
  • *****
  • Posts: 10080
  • Creating monsters for my Realm of Darkness
    • View Profile
    • Oslecamo's Custom Library (my homebrew)
Re: Grell
« Reply #3 on: July 15, 2012, 03:32:15 PM »
Grell Patriarch



Prerequisites:
-All levels of Grell.
-Both levels of Grell Philosopher or Feral Grell

HD:d8
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Feature
1 +0 +2 +0 +2Eater Sight, Colony Exile, +1 Con
2 +1 +3 +0 +3Powerful Eater, +1 Str
3 +2 +3 +1 +3Hunger Growth, +1 Con
4 +3 +4 +1 +4Might Makes Meal, +1 Str
5 +3 +4 +1 +4Great Eater, +1 Str, +1 Con
Skills: 4+int modifier per level. A Grell Patriarch’s class skills are Concentration,Craft(Any), Diplomacy, Escape Artist,  Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (any), Listen, Move Silently,  Search, Spellcraft, Survival

Proficiencies: Its own natural weapons.

Features:

Eater Sight:
The Grell patriarch's blindsight range increases by 5 feet per Patriarch level, plus an extra 5 feet for every two other levels.

Colony Exile: A Grell aiming to become a patriarch faces the problem the current area patriarch will kill whitout hesitation any possible rivals long before they can grow enough in power to be a threat. Thus an ambitious grell will choose a self-imposed exile. Even if temporary until they grow enough in power, it still teaches them to learn new skills on their own, and even a feral grell will have to master more subtle arts like debate. Choose two Patriarch class skills. You now always count as haxing max ranks in those two skills. If you already had ranks in those skills, you can change them to another skills.

Ability Score Increase: The Grell Patriarch gains +1 Con at levels 1, 3, 5 and +1 Str at levels 2, 4, 5, for a total of +3 Str and +3 Con at 5th level.

Powerful Eater: Grells respect two things above else, physycal prowess and arcane power. Each  patriarch eventually focuses on one of those aspects depending on how it developed.

Philosopher Patriarch.
(click to show/hide)

Feral Patriarch
(click to show/hide)

Hunger Growth: At 3rd level the Grell Patriarch grows one size category. A feral now doesn't take size penalties on hide checks, while a philosopher receives an extra +2 bonus on spell penetration rolls and to resist dispel checks on his spells against enemies smaller than itself.


Might Makes Meal: Anything powerful enough to devour another creature is entitled to do so. At 4th level, an enemy struck by a Grell Patriarch's bite takes a cumulative -1 penalty to AC and saves for 1 minute.

Great Eater: At 5th level the Grell Patriarch stands at the very top of the food chain, even above other grell. It cares little of world domination or the enslavement of other races. Instead, it is primarly interested in enjoying to the fullest the delicacies such other races have to offer and expanding its own species. Choose one of the following abilities

Colonizer-This works as the leadership feat, except you can use your Con Score instead only gain followers, not cohorts (no patriarch will admit a rival near its power level), and they must all be grells, which can take either Feral Grell or Philosopher Grell levels but after that only wizard, barbarian or fighter levels. Casualities are replaced every day, but should the Patriarch lose too many such minions too fast, they may revolt against it. This doesn't stack with actual leadership.

Devourer-If you're a Philosopher Patriarch, you can now bite and channel a spell with a casting time of a standard action or less into the target of the bite, affecting only them even if the spell had multiple targets. If you're a Feral Patriarch, you can now attack with your bite as an immediate action.


Comments
(click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: October 11, 2019, 05:10:16 AM by oslecamo »

Offline oslecamo

  • Honorary Mod
  • *****
  • Posts: 10080
  • Creating monsters for my Realm of Darkness
    • View Profile
    • Oslecamo's Custom Library (my homebrew)
Re: Grell
« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2012, 03:32:29 PM »
Reserved for other possible Grell stuff.

Offline oslecamo

  • Honorary Mod
  • *****
  • Posts: 10080
  • Creating monsters for my Realm of Darkness
    • View Profile
    • Oslecamo's Custom Library (my homebrew)
Re: Grell
« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2012, 03:32:39 PM »
Reserved just in case.

Offline phaedrusxy

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 10717
  • The iconic spambot
    • View Profile
Re: Grell
« Reply #6 on: July 15, 2012, 05:12:02 PM »
The text on Paralysis seems to indicate that it can use all of its tentacles (10 at 3rd level) to attack with. Are the "extra" ones it gains at 2nd and 3rd level secondary attacks? Or primary? Or does it not actually get more attacks?
I don't pee messages into the snow often , but when I do , it's in Cyrillic with Fake Viagra.  Stay frosty my friends.

Offline Nanshork

  • Homebrew Reviewer
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 13401
    • View Profile
Re: Grell
« Reply #7 on: July 15, 2012, 06:06:29 PM »
"Electric speech:At 2nd level the grell can communicate with creatures whitin 60 feet whitout making any audible sound, or "

Or what?

Offline Prime32

  • Over-Underling
  • Retired Admin
  • *****
  • Posts: 2914
    • View Profile
Re: Grell
« Reply #8 on: July 15, 2012, 06:18:36 PM »
"Electric speech:At 2nd level the grell can communicate with creatures whitin 60 feet whitout making any audible sound, or "

Or what?
It's self-demonstrative, clearly. :p

Offline oslecamo

  • Honorary Mod
  • *****
  • Posts: 10080
  • Creating monsters for my Realm of Darkness
    • View Profile
    • Oslecamo's Custom Library (my homebrew)
Re: Grell
« Reply #9 on: July 15, 2012, 06:24:41 PM »
Grell Philosopher added.

The text on Paralysis seems to indicate that it can use all of its tentacles (10 at 3rd level) to attack with. Are the "extra" ones it gains at 2nd and 3rd level secondary attacks? Or primary? Or does it not actually get more attacks?
Like stated, they work just as the tentacles gained at first level. So yes 10 nat attacks at 3rd level (11 with bite). That's why it doesn't get much other options.

"Electric speech:At 2nd level the grell can communicate with creatures whitin 60 feet whitout making any audible sound, or "

Or what?
It's self-demonstrative, clearly. :p
Indeed, plus                                                                                                  :P

Jokes aside, the "or" was just a draft leftover,removed.
« Last Edit: July 15, 2012, 06:26:17 PM by oslecamo »

Offline Nanshork

  • Homebrew Reviewer
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 13401
    • View Profile
Re: Grell
« Reply #10 on: July 15, 2012, 06:29:40 PM »
The Grell Philosopher makes it seem that the Colony Guard feat should let you do 1d6 damage/ HD, but the feat just does 1d6 damage.  Which is correct?

Offline oslecamo

  • Honorary Mod
  • *****
  • Posts: 10080
  • Creating monsters for my Realm of Darkness
    • View Profile
    • Oslecamo's Custom Library (my homebrew)
Re: Grell
« Reply #11 on: July 15, 2012, 07:43:18 PM »
The 1d6 per HD, corrected.

Also added Feral Grell.

Offline sirpercival

  • Epic Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 10855
  • you can't escape the miles
    • View Profile
Re: Grell
« Reply #12 on: July 15, 2012, 07:55:38 PM »
Oh my goodness, I want to play a DFI feral grell with Murderous Ambush.  It's like being polymorphed into a Hydra, but all the time!
I am the assassin of productivity

(member in good standing of the troll-feeders guild)

It's begun — my things have overgrown the previous sig.

Offline phaedrusxy

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 10717
  • The iconic spambot
    • View Profile
Re: Grell
« Reply #13 on: July 16, 2012, 12:07:28 AM »
Oh my goodness, I want to play a DFI feral grell with Murderous Ambush.  It's like being polymorphed into a Hydra, but all the time!
Yeah... I think 10 primary natural attacks (and one secondary) at level 3 is completely over the top. You could say it's secondary tentacles help it grapple (represented by its racial bonus, or whatever), but are not strong/independent/whatever enough to make separate attacks. You also might let it use them for holding/using more items (like Girralon's Blessing lets you use a two-handed weapon + shield, etc). Heck, you could even say it attacks with pairs of them, and increase the damage a bit (1d6), but reduce the number of attacks to half the # of tentacles. But 11 attacks is definitely too much...
I don't pee messages into the snow often , but when I do , it's in Cyrillic with Fake Viagra.  Stay frosty my friends.

Offline Cheshire Weasel

  • Lurker
  • *
  • Posts: 15
  • We're all mad here. At least, I am.
    • View Profile
Re: Grell
« Reply #14 on: July 16, 2012, 01:44:30 AM »
First off, I think this is pretty awesome.  I've always loved Grells, the concept of a giant floating brain with tentacles just clicks with me for some reason.

However, 11 attacks at third levels?  That makes this the most powerful monster at that level, period.  Even with fairly low ability scores(and you know the player will actually put 18 on strength or something), that's way more damage than is possible at that level with any other class.  I dread to think of what will happen when one of these takes the Lion Totem barbarian and the Shock Trooper and Leap attack feats.  It would be unstoppable.  Not to mention that with eleven attacks his turn is going to take at least twice as long as all the other players, and they will feel upstaged by him.  You're obviously more experienced at making monsters than I am, but I would strongly suggest reducing the number of attacks, making them secondary, giving it more at higher levels, or at least nerfing it in some way.  As it is, there's no way I'd allow it in the games I DM.
But, you know, your choice.  Maybe I'm just overreacting.
~Cheshire Weasel

Offline estradus

  • Lurker
  • *
  • Posts: 26
  • Preparing for mad science!
    • View Profile
Re: Grell
« Reply #15 on: July 16, 2012, 07:49:41 AM »
Wow, all ten tentacles in 3 levels? I've been trying to figure out making a grell for this thing for a long while now and none of my attempts ever came close to that...

The best one I came up with when I was trying had one tentacle at 1st level and got one more each hit dice, even after ending the three levels in the class, to ten at tenth level. They could also become less overpowering if they were secondary weapons as well? 10 attacks at level three could be less overpowering if they were at half strength and at -5 penalty without feats. Maybe lowering the damage dice would help as well, but not much; though both of those ideas don't really mirror the original grell, the original grell was a cr 3 creature but a level 13 player race.

Can the feral grell both grapple and sunder/disarm with the same attack?

Any chance they could get a scaling blindsight, like what the kythons have, or no?

Other then the tentacle stuff, I love these! I cant wait for the other grell presteige classraces.


Offline oslecamo

  • Honorary Mod
  • *****
  • Posts: 10080
  • Creating monsters for my Realm of Darkness
    • View Profile
    • Oslecamo's Custom Library (my homebrew)
Re: Grell
« Reply #16 on: July 16, 2012, 10:05:11 AM »
10 primary natural attacks is indeed too much in retrospective, so nerfed them to secondary attacks and upgraded the bite to primary attack.

That hopefully will bring it to the level of other monster classes. Remember something like the Antromorphic animal can pull 9 natural attacks at 3rd level (two of which are adding full Str, and another two adding 1,5 Str mod, plus overal with better damage HD), plus having an actual Str bonus.

Sure it's 10 attacks, but dealing 1d4+1/2 Str damage anything with decent DR will shrug them off like a boss, even if you pick 18 starting Str. You also can't leap attack when your actual land speed is 5 feet.

Can the feral grell both grapple and sunder/disarm with the same attack?

Any chance they could get a scaling blindsight, like what the kythons have, or no?
-Yes, that's the whole idea behind Probing tentacles.

-Maybe for the patriarch, which hopefully will get done today.

Offline oslecamo

  • Honorary Mod
  • *****
  • Posts: 10080
  • Creating monsters for my Realm of Darkness
    • View Profile
    • Oslecamo's Custom Library (my homebrew)
Re: Grell
« Reply #17 on: July 16, 2012, 08:50:06 PM »
Grell Patriarch added.

Offline estradus

  • Lurker
  • *
  • Posts: 26
  • Preparing for mad science!
    • View Profile
Re: Grell
« Reply #18 on: July 18, 2012, 12:40:06 AM »
yay! patriarch looks pretty. i cant wait to see if the other reserved pages gets anything. good luck on those!

Offline dman

  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 753
    • View Profile
Re: Grell
« Reply #19 on: August 24, 2019, 10:52:11 PM »
Grell has Growth in the table at level 3 and not in the text.