Sins of Our Fathers Story Hour - Fiends and Friends

Ippizicus Child-Eater [3.5]
Large Outsider [Demon] (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Evil)
Hit Dice: 7d8 + 35 (66)
Initiative: +4 (Improved Initiative)
Speed: 30’ (6 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (+8 natural, -1 size), touch 9, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+12
Attack: Claw +12 melee (1d8+5)
Full Attack: 2 claws +12 melee (1d8+5) and bite +7 (1d6+2)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Fear aura, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/cold iron or good, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to electricity and poison, resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10, spell resistance 14, telepathy 100 ft.
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 10, Con 20, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 14
Skills: Climb +15, Concentration +15, Hide +6, Listen +15, Spot +15, Move Silently +2, Search +3
Feats: Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Alertness
Challenge Rating: 5

Ippizicus speaks Abyssal and Common.

Ippizicus is approximately 12' in height and weighs 800 lbs.

Ippizicus has an oddly simian appearance, with overlong arms, stooped shoulders, a low forehead, and thick, powerful limbs. His skin is a mottled burgundy in color. His hair is black and ragged, with pupil-less eyes of pure jet. His hide is covered with matted, black fur, and is especially thick in his groin area and upon the backs of his forearms. He wears no clothes of any sort. Finally, his teeth are yellowed and broken, appearing more like the fangs of a crocodile than a human’s, and protrude over his lips.

Fear aura (Su): Ippizicus can radiate a 5-foot-radius fear aura as a free action. Affected creatures must succeed at a Will save (DC 12) or be affected as though by a fear (Cl7). A character that successfully saves cannot be affected again by Ippizicus’ aura for one day. Demons are immune to this aura. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Telepathy (Su): Ippizicus can communicate telepathically with creatures within 100 feet that speak Abyssal or Common.

Spell-like abilities: At will – darkness, magic missile, see invisibility. Caster level 7th.

Summon Demons (Sp): Once per day Ippizicus can attempt to summon 1d3 lemures with a 40% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 3rd-level spell.

Tactics: Ippizicus knows he’s in a weakened state after his recent summoning. He will be fighting for his very survival on the Prime Material Plane and will utilize all of his abilities to defend himself. Traditionally Ippizicus wouldn’t hesitate to flee an encounter that wasn’t going his way, but he realizes he must kill the PC’s to remain on this plane and will fight to the death.

Each round he will utilize his free action Fear aura. He will target those opponents who appear strongest with melee attacks, judging by who damages him. He will cast Magic Missile at any characters outside his melee ranged that appear to be threats – spellcasters, accurate bowmen, etc. Ippizicus will not waste attacks on incapacitated opponents.

If not heavily damaged after the first round, he will attempt to summon lemures.

Death of Ippizicus: If Ippizicus is slain on the Prime Material plane, he will instantly explode into a shower of insubstantial souls – those children and persons he has eaten over the ages.

The DM should inform each conscious player that they see wispy figures explode and flutter through the air, and these figures appear to target the characters. All characters (even unconscious ones) must make a Charisma check (DC 15) to determine if their personal magnetism attracts the attention of a fleeing soul. A successful check indicates that the character’s force of personality was too great for the spirit to resist.

Targeted creatures may make a Will save (DC 15) to negate possession. Otherwise, the DM should roll 1d10 for each possessed character and consult the following table to determine what type of soul enters his body. Multiple results of an identical nature are disallowed, and should be re-rolled.

1 Human male child (+1 Fort Save)
2 Human female child (+1 Ref Save)
3 Dwarf child (Darkvision 60’, dwarf language)
4 Halfling child (+2 Listen checks, halfling language)
5 Gnome child (+4 dodge bonus versus giants, gnome language)
6 Half-elf child (Low-light vision, +1 Search)
7 Elf child (Immune to paralysis, elf language)
8 Half-orc child (gain Toughness feat)
9 Demon child (Immune to demon fear aura, Abyssal language)
10 Animal (gain Alertness feat)

Furthermore, possessed characters gain the supernatural ability to Detect Outsiders at will as per the Detect Evil spell. A successful Listen check (DC 20) indicates the possessing spirit’s whimpering effectively alerts even an unknowing character that an evil outsider is within 60’.

A possessed character may, if desired, attempt to force the spirit out of him and end the possession. He may make a Will save (DC 15) once per month and, if successful, the spirit departs (along with any granted abilities).

This possession is undetectable by most normal and magical means. If a character is possessed by a demon child, however, that character has a 10% chance to return an Evil alignment when subjected to applicable detection spells or abilities.


Behind the DM Screen: Ippi was the first of many demons and devils thrown at the Sins party. The poor guy got his hairy butt handed to him upon arrival, as the party was buffed and ready for him. I tried to update some of his stats to comply with 3.5 changes - I'm sure there are still some inherent errors (especially within his skill point totals).

This campaign began well before the Midnight campaign setting arrived, but one of its themes is similar to that setting - a scarcity of magical items. To even the playing field, I occassionally granted characters special abilities (such as those in the table above) to help keep things balanced. Such benefits may or may not be commensurate with other campaigns; they seemed to have worked well for us.

I can't recall completely, but many of the characters were justifiably worried when the souls exploded from Ippi's body - they successfully warded off any possession attempts. A few of them did not, and those instances will come out as the story hour progresses. I do not have the specifics for the various spirits, but each of the above souls has an in-game background (name, heritage, how and where they were eaten by Ippi, etc.) that, I think, adds a bit more than simply stat boosts.

For DM's wanting to make a quick gut-check for Ippi's suggested CR, he's not too different from a 3.5 babau demon (CR6).

Cheers,
D

Sweet. I cannot wait to read more about those "blessed" with possession.

Alejandro said:

Sweet. I cannot wait to read more about those "blessed" with possession.

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Me neither. SUBSCRIBE.

Olive said:

Me neither. SUBSCRIBE.

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Thats what I'm stressing.

thanks for heeding our clamor for stats destan. i look forward to future additions to "fiends and friends." by the by, very cool way of implementing a balancing factor for scarcity of magic items. this is probably the most elegant system for such [including good campaign-speciic rping stuff] that i've seen.

Baden Dost (prior to fight with Ippizicus)

Hi all,

At Destan's request we have digging through our old stuff in hope of finding old character sheets and what not. I found this for Baden. This was his conversion to 3E (updated to 3.5E) and just predates the fight with Ippizicus.

Cheers,

frostrune


BADEN DOST
Dwarven Male Fighter 3
HIT DICE: 3d10+12 (36)
INITIATIVE: +1 (Dex)
SPEED: 20'
ARMOR CLASS: 18 (+5 Breastplate armor, +2 large shield, +1 Dex)
BASE ATTACK/GRAPPLE: +3/+6
MELEE ATTACK: +8 (+1 Dwarven Waraxe, d10+4 damage)
SPACE/REACH: 5'/5'
SPECIAL ATTACKS: none
RACIAL QUALITIES: +4 Dodge bonus vs giants, 60' darkvision, Stonecunning, +1 to hit Goblinoids, +4 stability bonus, +2 saves vs spells and spell-like abilities, +2 saves vs poison
SAVES: FOR +7 REF +2 WIL +2
ABILITIES: STR 16 DEX 12 CON 18 INT 12 WIS 10 CHA 8
SKILLS: Climb +6, Weaponsmith +8, Armorsmith +6, Search +3 (+5), Ride +5
FEATS: Toughness, Bullheaded*, Weapon Focus (Dwarven Waraxe), Power Attack, Cleave

Baden Speaks: Dwarven, Common, and Undercommon

From Destan's posts you all have a pretty fair idea of Baden's personality. From day one he has been the frontline melee guy for the group. His high AC (relatively) and abundance of hit points allow him absorb the most punishment. While Vath and Raylin generally dealt more damage in a given round, Baden was usually the one still standing at the end of a fight.

* Astute readers will note that I have one too many feats for this level. As part of his Campaign, Destan grants each PC one additional regional feat at 1st level.

Thanks frostrune! Very appreciated.

Valusian Campaign-Specific Race: Half-troll

HALF-TROLLS

Perhaps the rarest race upon Ostia Prim, half-trolls are outcasts, exiles, and loners. No single nation, kingdom, town, or city boasts a remarkable population of half-trolls, though some of the mountain towns in the Rorn have significant percentages due to the large populations of trolls in those hills.

Trolls are a scattered and divided race. They exist in the wilds of Ostia Prim as separate tribes. Some of the more intelligent trolls may serve within mercenary companies of ill repute, but nearly all half-trolls are the result of warfare and its inevitable consequence – rape.

There are numerous trollish strains. Mountain trolls, or kubak k’klor, are the most common and also the largest of their kin. Standing over seven feet in height with stone-colored skin and gray hair, a mature male mountain troll is a formidable opponent for even the most skilled warrior. Wood trolls are slightly smaller than their mountain cousins, and these kubak dathgotha are the only strain of trolls that do not unite into smaller tribes or clans, preferring the solitary existence in the wild as hunters and murderers. They possess brown, bark-colored skin and green hair. The three remaining strains of trolls are extremely rare, even for such a rare species, and are sea trolls, sand trolls, and swamp trolls. Rumors persist of giant, ebony-skinned cave trolls (cavok k’klor), but that particularly large and vicious strain supposedly died out near the birth of the Apian Empire.

Trolls are as splintered in worship as they are in their cultures. Each tribe usually worships any of the gods – Greater or Lesser – or pays homage to the war leader of that tribe as anointed by the heavens. It is common, also, for tribes to honor various cults and sects.

Mountain trolls are found in any of the major ranges, including the Balantir Cor, Cor Brunfe, and Gordian mountains. Large enclaves of mountain trolls also survive in the harsh Rorn mountains. Wood trolls exist in all the major forests of Ostia Prim, in particular within the Bight in Luc Valu.

All trolls speak a common tongue, but accents and dialects vary greatly from species to species. Half-trolls may learn the common tongue, but it is very difficult for them to speak it properly and their voices are guttural and harsh.

Due to their anatomy, half-trolls breathe heavily and cannot sleep for any amount of time without loudly snoring. Half-trolls can eat nothing but meat; any vegetables or fruits they attempt to devour will be vomited forth immediately. Some half-trolls have survived on bread when the only alternative was starvation.

Half-trolls’ skin range in color from a dark gray to a sickly yellow and are often covered with bumps, blisters, and boils.

They are incredibly strong and hardy creatures, somewhat fast on their feet, but less nimble and intelligent than all the other races. Needless to say, all other humanoids, humans, and demi-humans believe half-trolls to be extremely ugly in appearance and subsequently detest and revile them throughout the realm. Half-trolls, in turn, commonly have a hatred for all races, including humans and trolls.

Game Information: +1 Natural Armor, Troll Language, Troll Blood, Darkvision 60’, -4 Move Silently, -1 saves vs. Fire/Acid attacks, no arcane spellcasting capability, no alcohol, prefer only meats for nourishment.

+2 STR, +1 CON, -2 INT, -3 CHR

Some rare strains of Rorn half-trolls possess the Scent (Wis) skill capability. Requirement: Wis 11+.


***


Brother Vath the Pious

Half-troll Mnk4 (Ilmater)

STR 19
Dex 15
Con 10
Int 06
Wis 16
Chr 06

Feats: Weapon focus (Unarmed), Dodge (Valusian bonus feat), Blooded (Regional)

Remarkable items: cavok k'klor tooth*, Ring of the Balantir Ram (+1d4 hp damage from unarmed strike 1/lvl/day), Leggings of Lilipo (+1 Tumble, +1 Jump, +1 Balance, +5' Mvmt), Ring of Life Transferrance (transfer <10 hp to wearer of twin ring 1/day), Potion of Cure Light Wounds, Potion of Sustenance, set of wyvern scales

* Vath removed one of his own teeth - a painful process Ilmater doubtless approved - and inserted the tooth of a cave troll. This allows him to deliver a Stunning Bite attack, not unlike his Stunning Fist monk ability.

Notes: Vath is possessed by a demonic child which grants him the ability to speak and understand the Abyssal tongue while likewise conferring a chance to return an evil alignment upon being targeted with applicable detection spells.

Question: does Vath get any hit point regen?

dpdx said:

Question: does Vath get any hit point regen?

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He does not. We looked at when building the Valusian version of the half-troll, but I wanted to maintain an ECL of +0. This was before Savage Species or 3.5E or other helpful books were out, so I was terrified of making the half-troll imbalanced.

So I started with the half-orc (orc blood, darkvision, +2 STR, -2 INT/CHA) and began to adjust from there. Gave a point of CON, took away another point of CHA and enforced a -4 Move Silently penalty. Gave +1 NA and threw in a penalty to fire/acid-based saves.

Balanced? I dunno. The race remains attractive to my players - we'll see another half-troll PC in (not-too-distant) future. And I like it, as a DM, because the archetype meshes well with the campaign.

Hope that answers your question, dpdx.

D