Grell

[oslecamo]

Grell



Hit Die: d8

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special
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

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Colony Guard [Monstrous]
Prerequisites:At least one level of Grell
Benefit: You're in the possession of a silver tubelike device about 3 feet in length that can channel your race's internal energy. This weapon deals 1d6  points of electricity damage per HD to a single enemy whitin 60 feet as a standard action with a successful ranged touch attack. It works only in the grasp of a grell, or someone else suceeding on a DC 25 Use Magic Device. It has 5 charges, which recharge each hour. If you lose it, you 'll have back to your colony and petition for a new one, probably having to provide a good justification to why you lost your previous one.

Comments

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Basically floating blind octopus with even more tentacles than usual.

The Grell is pretty straightforward at first, move in and lots of natural attacks, also solid skills, but overall a grappler true and trough. Unfortenely, it's only 3 levels long so no really more space for more abilities. So that's why I'm going to make a bunch of racial prcs to expand it.

So if you want to play an Eater of Flesh, the grell's your starting point!

[oslecamo]

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	+2	Malicious Magic, Disturbing Truth, +1 Int
2	+1	+0	+0	+3	Consesus 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.

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Grell Crystal-A dingy, translucent, dishwater gray in color, it is a common building material in grell lairs. It is usually used to fashion light walls, shelves, partitions and utensils.

In its unset form,it is a dry silver-gray powder that looks like rough, dirty salt. When dropped in water, they expand and harden into flat sheets. One pound of crystal powder and 5 gallons of water create a 25-square-foot sheet that is inch thick and weights 50 pounds.  The growth and solidification takes 1 hour to finish, allowing it to be pruned or shaped into specific forms and/or items with Craft(Crystalwork) checks. When set, it has hardness 7, 20 HP per inch of thickness, break DC 20, climb DC of 25. The price for 1 pound of this crystal powder is 10 GP and the Craft(Alchemy) DC is 20.

Lighting Lance-As the weapon gained from the Colony Guard Feat. It costs 3800 GP of base materials and 24 hours of work to craft, and demands the knowledge of the Shocking Grasp feat. If you have the Colony Guard feat and you still crafted one of these, you now deal 1d8 damage per HD when using a lighting lance instead of 1d6 per HD thanks to your combination of experience with the weapons plus knowing its inner workings in detail now.

Greater Lighting Lance-A larger and more powerful version of the previous weapon, this 5 feet long slender silver tube works as a Lighting Lance that deals two extra HD of damage, and if it hits, the electricity bolt then arcs to a second target of the user's choice whitin 30 feet of the primary target, dealing the same amount of damage minus 2 HD (aka the regular damage of a Lighting Lance) with a succesful ranged touch attack. It also has double the charges per hour. It demands the knowledge of shocking Grasp, CL 5 and 18 000 GP in base materials, no exp cost.

Silverspear-This device is designed to be worn over the end of one of a grell's tentacles, replacing that tentacle's attack. It deals damage as a regular +2 silvered shortspear and cannot perform iteratives, but it grants an additional 5 feet of reach with that tentacle. Tiny channels in the weapon's interior convey the grell's paralyptic poison to the weapon's head, so creatures struck by it are affected by paralysis just as if they had been struck by that grell's tentacle. In the hands of a non-grell, it works as a regular +2 silvered shortspear. Demands the knowledge of Greater Magic weapon, 4000 GP and 300 exp to craft. Any grell is automatically proficient with this weapon.

Comments

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The "big brains" of Grell society, making decisions and crafting their magic bling. They still like to nom humanoids by themselves in their free time. Following Prime32's formula for the Cloaker Lord.

So if you want to play a giant tentacled arcane brain, the Grell's Philsopher's for you!

[oslecamo]

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	+0	Fearsome Predator, Hide and Hunt, +1 Con
2	+2	+3	+3	+0	Murderous 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

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The opposite of the Grell Philosopher, this kind of Grell leads a more solitary existence, surviving on its own wits instead of relying on a colony, altough it may temporaly join any it finds.

Focus on tentacle attacks and stealth with some extra versatility thrown in to represent the whole “I may not use weapons or magic, but I'm no brute monster either”.

So if you want to play an hentai monster, the Feral Grell's for you!

[oslecamo]

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	+2	Eater Sight, Colony Exile, +1 Con
2	+1	+3	+0	+3	Powerful Eater, +1 Str
3	+2	+3	+1	+3	Hunger Growth, +1 Con
4	+3	+4	+1	+4	Might Makes Meal, +1 Str
5	+3	+4	+1	+4	Great 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.

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At 2nd, 3rd, , 4th and 5th levels the Philosopher Patriarch's wizard casting increases by another level.

Feral Patriarch

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At 2nd level it can paralyze even creatures normally immune to it, but they gain a +5 bonus on their saves, and it no longer takes penalties for moving at full speed while hiding.

At 3rd level it ignores Freedom of Movement effects on its enemies when grappling them, and its tentacles inflict an automatic Dimensional Anchor on grappled enemies as long as the grapple lasts.

At 4th level its Bite attack now adds 1,5 Str mod to damage rolls  and ignores all DR and miss chances.

At 5th level its tentacles become primary attacks, adding full Str mod to damage rolls.

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

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The top guys of grell society, patriarchs lead by example, noming lesser rivals and still hunting on their own.

Some diferent abilities for Feral and Philosopher, and then chooseable capstone because aparently either you're running a colony or you've pissed them off and you're on your own.

So if you want to play a floating octopus boss, the Grell Patriarch's for you!

[oslecamo]

Reserved for other possible Grell stuff.

[oslecamo]

Reserved just in case.

[phaedrusxy]

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?

[Nanshork]

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

Or what?

[Prime32]

"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.

[oslecamo]

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.

Indeed, plus                                                                                                 

Jokes aside, the "or" was just a draft leftover,removed.

[Nanshork]

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?

[oslecamo]

The 1d6 per HD, corrected.

Also added Feral Grell.

[sirpercival]

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!

[phaedrusxy]

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...

[Cheshire Weasel]

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.

[estradus]

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.

[oslecamo]

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.

[oslecamo]

Grell Patriarch added.

[estradus]

yay! patriarch looks pretty. i cant wait to see if the other reserved pages gets anything. good luck on those!

[dman]

Grell has Growth in the table at level 3 and not in the text.