Radamond whirled around with his blade, slicing into the creature’s stomach. “Feel the wrath of Radamond the Mighty!” he shouted. His opponent made some type of reply, but Radamond couldn’t understand the hissing and crackling. “What’s that? You are afraid?” he bellowed.
A smack across the back caught the barbarian off guard. Garret’s opponent had feinted at the thief with its halfspear and then lashed out at Radamond with its snakelike tail. “Blast and bedevil you! You try my patience, fiendish denizens of the Underdeep! I will coddle you no more!”
Driving his blade through the tip of the creature’s tail, Radamond punched his own opponent square in the jaw, laughing as the creature crumpled. “Take that, you flame-loving ophidian!” He grinned at Garret’s quizzical look, proud of the big word he used.
“Help me here, will you?” The rogue gestured toward the remaining creature thrashing wildly to free its tail from Radamond’s sword.
“Certainly, good friend.” Radamond jerked his sword upward, freeing the creature’s tail. It hissed and swung around, jabbing at the barbarian’s chest with its spear. Radamond taunted it. “Not fast enough! You’ll have to do better!”
“How is thissss?”
The new voice came from the shadows of a side passage. Radamond squinted to make out the features of the speaker. He moved forward slightly, sloshing through the shallow pool of viscous lava dominating the room, confident in the potion given him by Morthwaite. “Show yourself!” he bellowed.
The figure moved into the light, a larger version of the creatures now littering the floor of the cave. Garret gulped and stepped backward, momentarily distracted from his opponent. The smaller one threw its spear at the rogue, catching him in the shoulder. Garret cried out in pain.
Radamond glanced back at his companion, distracted for only a moment. That was all the time Zeneresh needed. Quick as lightning the creature’s tail whipped out, seizing the barbarian in a vicelike grip. “Here I am.”
“Wh-what are you?” Radamond gasped as he struggled to free his sword arm, hoping the question would catch the creature off guard.
The creature simply stared at Radamond’s feet in the lava. Unnerved, the barbarian glanced down just as he felt the fangs sink into his right ankle. The bright red snake looked up at him, and Radamond could swear it was grinning.
Zeneresh let the human drop after he felt its body go stiff. He leaned down close to its face. “We are salamandersss…”
Many years ago, I pitched a d20 supplement to Mongoose Publishing about salamanders (the elemental outsiders, not the amphibians). Matt declined to pick it up, so I revamped it as an article for Dragon magazine, which ran in issue 314. Since it was originally a stand-alone product, a lot of material was cut to bring it down to article size, so I present some of the trimmings to you now. Next week, we’ll look at what we can update to 4E.
New Alchemical Item
[h=2]Salamander Sweat[/h]The enlarged sweat glands of a salamander can be harvested by dissection with a successful DC 25 Knowledge (the planes) check. Failure means a particular gland is ruptured and the liquid cannot be salvaged. A maximum of five glands can be obtained from a flamebrother, ten from an average salamander, and fifteen from a noble; a skill check is needed to recover each gland. If processed in a laboratory with a successful DC 15 Knowledge (arcana) or Profession (alchemy) check, one gland yields a single dose of alchemist’s fire.
Cost to Create: 66 sp.
New Monster Feats
Aura Wake [General]
You leave a trail of fire wherever you travel.
Prerequisites: Con 16+, Heat special attack.
Benefit: Any space the creature has occupied continues to burn for 3 rounds following the creature’s exit, inflicting the its heat damage on everything within the area each round. The flames are completely normal and may be extinguished by normal means before their duration expires.
Prehensile Tail [General]
You can wield a weapon with your tail.
Prerequisites: Multiattack feat, snakelike tail.
Benefit: A creature with this feat can wield a light melee weapon with its tail. If the weapon is metal, it conducts cold, electricity, or heat and causes additional damage as appropriate to the creature’s natural attacks.
Suppress Flames [General]
You can prevent yourself from causing additional fire damage due to heat or flames.
Prerequisites: Con 13+, Heat special attack.
Benefit: A creature with this feat can suppress its Heat special attack for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution score. While in effect the creature radiates no heat, emits no flames and cannot cause additional fire damage through physical contact. Activation is a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. This feat may be used a number of times per day equal to the creature’s Constitution modifier.
Note: While this feat does not allow the use of a standard spellbook, it does allow creatures such as azers, efreet and salamanders to use both potions and scrolls.
Transmute Flames [Metamagic]
Your fire-based attacks deal half fire damage, half divine damage.
Prerequisites: Spell or spell-like ability, worshipper of the Eternal Flame (or other fire god).
Benefits: Clerics and sorcerers with this metamagic feat gain two benefits. First, half of the damage caused by any Heat special attack is now divine damage and cannot be prevented by protection from elements (fire) or similar spells. Second, any spell cast or spell-like ability used that deals fire damage also has half of its damage converted to divine damage with no spell slot level adjustment. It has no effect on fire damage caused by magic items.
Note: This feat allows fire-based creatures to damage each other with their natural attacks.
New Weapons
Articulated Whip
An articulated whip is a Small exotic masterwork weapon fashioned from links of brass. Each link is barbed on the outer edge, allowing the weapon to deal 1d4 points of slashing damage with a successful attack. Strength bonuses to damage apply. Although the whip is kept in hand, treat it as a projectile weapon with a maximum range of 15 feet and no range penalties.
Trip attacks can be made with an articulated whip by wrapping it around an enemy’s arm or leg. Salamanders cannot be tripped, but wielders with legs may drop the articulated whip to avoid being tripped during a trip attempt.
When using an articulated whip the wielder gains a +2 bonus on the opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an opponent (including the roll to keep from being disarmed if the wielder fails to disarm the opponent).
Netball
This Small complicated mechanical device is of salamander design. The brass sphere features a multitude of studs covering its surface and a depression into which one can press a thumb or fingertip. Doing so arms the device. When a netball is armed, it can be thrown as a grenadelike weapon or placed on a solid surface as a trap and then armed. In either case, physical contact with another solid object triggers the netball.
When triggered, a netball launches metal filaments from its studs in all directions. The filaments expand to fill a 10-foot-square area and then contract almost instantaneously, ensnaring all within its area of effect (Reflex save DC 20 to avoid). Anyone within the square where a netball lands or is triggered is automatically captured (no saving throw). Breaking free from a netball requires a successful DC 30 Strength check or DC 25 Escape Artist check and causes 1d6 points of slashing damage as the netball takes up the slack in its filaments. A heated netball delivers the additional fire damage appropriate to its thrower (or to its environment, if used on the Elemental Plane of Fire).
If a critical hit is scored when a netball is used as a grenadelike weapon, the filaments wrap around the victim’s throat and choking ensues. Individual filaments have hardness 10 and 2 hit points; at least ten filaments must be cut in order to prevent choking.
A successful DC 25 Disable Device check disarms a netball or causes it to release its victim. Someone ensnared by a netball cannot trigger his or her own release. It takes two hours to cut someone completely free from a netball’s filaments. Each time a netball is used there is a cumulative 20% chance that the kinks and twists in the filaments prevent it from successfully triggering again. Thus, a netball is only usable a maximum of five times.
Repeating Trident
The repeating trident is a Medium-size martial weapon usable for both melee and ranged attacks. The trident’s shaft features a spring-loaded action worked by a trigger and lever. The trigger is pulled to fire the three barbed darts at the end of the tines and the lever is cocked and pulled back to reset the spring and load the next set of darts. Firing and resetting a repeating trident is a full-round action. Performing either movement separately is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity.
A repeating trident holds a maximum of three sets of darts at one time and has a maximum range of 20 feet with no range penalty. Reloading one set of three darts is a full-round action. When used as a ranged weapon, the player makes a standard ranged attack and then rolls 1d3; the result is the number of darts that strike the target. Each dart causes 1d4 points of piercing damage. As long as at least one set of three darts is loaded, it can be used in melee as a normal trident for 1d8 points of piercing damage plus any applicable Strength bonus.
Unbalanced due to the firing mechanism, a repeating trident cannot be thrown as a normal trident.
A smack across the back caught the barbarian off guard. Garret’s opponent had feinted at the thief with its halfspear and then lashed out at Radamond with its snakelike tail. “Blast and bedevil you! You try my patience, fiendish denizens of the Underdeep! I will coddle you no more!”
Driving his blade through the tip of the creature’s tail, Radamond punched his own opponent square in the jaw, laughing as the creature crumpled. “Take that, you flame-loving ophidian!” He grinned at Garret’s quizzical look, proud of the big word he used.
“Help me here, will you?” The rogue gestured toward the remaining creature thrashing wildly to free its tail from Radamond’s sword.
“Certainly, good friend.” Radamond jerked his sword upward, freeing the creature’s tail. It hissed and swung around, jabbing at the barbarian’s chest with its spear. Radamond taunted it. “Not fast enough! You’ll have to do better!”
“How is thissss?”
The new voice came from the shadows of a side passage. Radamond squinted to make out the features of the speaker. He moved forward slightly, sloshing through the shallow pool of viscous lava dominating the room, confident in the potion given him by Morthwaite. “Show yourself!” he bellowed.
The figure moved into the light, a larger version of the creatures now littering the floor of the cave. Garret gulped and stepped backward, momentarily distracted from his opponent. The smaller one threw its spear at the rogue, catching him in the shoulder. Garret cried out in pain.
Radamond glanced back at his companion, distracted for only a moment. That was all the time Zeneresh needed. Quick as lightning the creature’s tail whipped out, seizing the barbarian in a vicelike grip. “Here I am.”
“Wh-what are you?” Radamond gasped as he struggled to free his sword arm, hoping the question would catch the creature off guard.
The creature simply stared at Radamond’s feet in the lava. Unnerved, the barbarian glanced down just as he felt the fangs sink into his right ankle. The bright red snake looked up at him, and Radamond could swear it was grinning.
Zeneresh let the human drop after he felt its body go stiff. He leaned down close to its face. “We are salamandersss…”
Many years ago, I pitched a d20 supplement to Mongoose Publishing about salamanders (the elemental outsiders, not the amphibians). Matt declined to pick it up, so I revamped it as an article for Dragon magazine, which ran in issue 314. Since it was originally a stand-alone product, a lot of material was cut to bring it down to article size, so I present some of the trimmings to you now. Next week, we’ll look at what we can update to 4E.
New Alchemical Item
[h=2]Salamander Sweat[/h]The enlarged sweat glands of a salamander can be harvested by dissection with a successful DC 25 Knowledge (the planes) check. Failure means a particular gland is ruptured and the liquid cannot be salvaged. A maximum of five glands can be obtained from a flamebrother, ten from an average salamander, and fifteen from a noble; a skill check is needed to recover each gland. If processed in a laboratory with a successful DC 15 Knowledge (arcana) or Profession (alchemy) check, one gland yields a single dose of alchemist’s fire.
Cost to Create: 66 sp.
New Monster Feats
Aura Wake [General]
You leave a trail of fire wherever you travel.
Prerequisites: Con 16+, Heat special attack.
Benefit: Any space the creature has occupied continues to burn for 3 rounds following the creature’s exit, inflicting the its heat damage on everything within the area each round. The flames are completely normal and may be extinguished by normal means before their duration expires.
Prehensile Tail [General]
You can wield a weapon with your tail.
Prerequisites: Multiattack feat, snakelike tail.
Benefit: A creature with this feat can wield a light melee weapon with its tail. If the weapon is metal, it conducts cold, electricity, or heat and causes additional damage as appropriate to the creature’s natural attacks.
Suppress Flames [General]
You can prevent yourself from causing additional fire damage due to heat or flames.
Prerequisites: Con 13+, Heat special attack.
Benefit: A creature with this feat can suppress its Heat special attack for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution score. While in effect the creature radiates no heat, emits no flames and cannot cause additional fire damage through physical contact. Activation is a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. This feat may be used a number of times per day equal to the creature’s Constitution modifier.
Note: While this feat does not allow the use of a standard spellbook, it does allow creatures such as azers, efreet and salamanders to use both potions and scrolls.
Transmute Flames [Metamagic]
Your fire-based attacks deal half fire damage, half divine damage.
Prerequisites: Spell or spell-like ability, worshipper of the Eternal Flame (or other fire god).
Benefits: Clerics and sorcerers with this metamagic feat gain two benefits. First, half of the damage caused by any Heat special attack is now divine damage and cannot be prevented by protection from elements (fire) or similar spells. Second, any spell cast or spell-like ability used that deals fire damage also has half of its damage converted to divine damage with no spell slot level adjustment. It has no effect on fire damage caused by magic items.
Note: This feat allows fire-based creatures to damage each other with their natural attacks.
New Weapons
| Name | Cost | Damage | Critical | Range Increment | Weight | Type |
| Articulated whip | 320 gp | 1d4 | X2 | 15 feet (see description) | 4 lbs | Slashing |
| Netball | 200 gp | None (see description) | None (see description) | 10 ft | 2 lbs | None (see description) |
| Repeating trident | 500 gp | 1d8 (see description) | X2 | 20 ft (see description) | 10 lbs | Piercing |
An articulated whip is a Small exotic masterwork weapon fashioned from links of brass. Each link is barbed on the outer edge, allowing the weapon to deal 1d4 points of slashing damage with a successful attack. Strength bonuses to damage apply. Although the whip is kept in hand, treat it as a projectile weapon with a maximum range of 15 feet and no range penalties.
Trip attacks can be made with an articulated whip by wrapping it around an enemy’s arm or leg. Salamanders cannot be tripped, but wielders with legs may drop the articulated whip to avoid being tripped during a trip attempt.
When using an articulated whip the wielder gains a +2 bonus on the opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an opponent (including the roll to keep from being disarmed if the wielder fails to disarm the opponent).
Netball
This Small complicated mechanical device is of salamander design. The brass sphere features a multitude of studs covering its surface and a depression into which one can press a thumb or fingertip. Doing so arms the device. When a netball is armed, it can be thrown as a grenadelike weapon or placed on a solid surface as a trap and then armed. In either case, physical contact with another solid object triggers the netball.
When triggered, a netball launches metal filaments from its studs in all directions. The filaments expand to fill a 10-foot-square area and then contract almost instantaneously, ensnaring all within its area of effect (Reflex save DC 20 to avoid). Anyone within the square where a netball lands or is triggered is automatically captured (no saving throw). Breaking free from a netball requires a successful DC 30 Strength check or DC 25 Escape Artist check and causes 1d6 points of slashing damage as the netball takes up the slack in its filaments. A heated netball delivers the additional fire damage appropriate to its thrower (or to its environment, if used on the Elemental Plane of Fire).
If a critical hit is scored when a netball is used as a grenadelike weapon, the filaments wrap around the victim’s throat and choking ensues. Individual filaments have hardness 10 and 2 hit points; at least ten filaments must be cut in order to prevent choking.
A successful DC 25 Disable Device check disarms a netball or causes it to release its victim. Someone ensnared by a netball cannot trigger his or her own release. It takes two hours to cut someone completely free from a netball’s filaments. Each time a netball is used there is a cumulative 20% chance that the kinks and twists in the filaments prevent it from successfully triggering again. Thus, a netball is only usable a maximum of five times.
Repeating Trident
The repeating trident is a Medium-size martial weapon usable for both melee and ranged attacks. The trident’s shaft features a spring-loaded action worked by a trigger and lever. The trigger is pulled to fire the three barbed darts at the end of the tines and the lever is cocked and pulled back to reset the spring and load the next set of darts. Firing and resetting a repeating trident is a full-round action. Performing either movement separately is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity.
A repeating trident holds a maximum of three sets of darts at one time and has a maximum range of 20 feet with no range penalty. Reloading one set of three darts is a full-round action. When used as a ranged weapon, the player makes a standard ranged attack and then rolls 1d3; the result is the number of darts that strike the target. Each dart causes 1d4 points of piercing damage. As long as at least one set of three darts is loaded, it can be used in melee as a normal trident for 1d8 points of piercing damage plus any applicable Strength bonus.
Unbalanced due to the firing mechanism, a repeating trident cannot be thrown as a normal trident.
