Monsters Of Questspire Thread (UPDATED 05/12/05)

I have been playing in my homebrew since third edition came out so I though I would slowly start putting up monsters that I created for my that setting. Questspire is a city dominated by the Adventures guild, it is an unexplored region of an unexplored continent, Hundreds a new species and creatures are encounterd by the adventures guild, expanding the boundries of the Kingdom of Marux is the job of adventures. I will try to update this at least bi-weekly if not weekly.

With each of these creatures I will try to include a new and exciting monster ability.

Darkdrake
Large Dragon (Air)
Hit Dice: 10d12+60 (125 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), fly 80 ft. (poor)
Armor Class: 33 (-1 size, +24 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 33
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+22
Attack: Bite +18 melee (1d8 +8)
Full Attack: Bite +18 melee (1d8 +8) and 2 claw +15 melee (1d6 +4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon
Special Qualities: Blindsense, darkvision 60ft., dark scales, dragon traits, immunity to cold and fire, low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +8
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 10, Con 23, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 4
Skills: Hide +14*, Listen +9, Spot +9
Feats: Ability focus, Flyby Attack, Multiattack,Weapon Focus(Bite)
Environment: Warm mountains
Organization: Solitary, Pair, or clutch (2-5)
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Large); 21-30 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -


DESCRIPTION:
"The Darkdrakes deserve our protection, for they are one of the primary reasons no one has ever crossed the Mirrored Barrens. They fly only at night attacking those who are easily spotted and taken unaware upon that wonderous desert of reflective glass. These explorers and exploiters are further hampered by being prepared for the heat of the mirrored barrens, yet unprepared for the weakness the Darkdrake brings. Another advantage that is less well known is that many elves and dwarves have had to learn the hard way they need torches too against the Darkdrake. The Darkdrake locally known as "Pitch" lairs somewhere in the Obsidian Prominence that sits above the Fang Stair on the northern slopes of the Elder Mountains. The local tales of "Pitch", say it prays upon no creatrue that dwells in the obsidian prominece, unless they violate it's lair. "Pitch" also does not like it's meals raw, it lays it's meal about the mirrored barrens to cook to the meat till it is well done. If creatrues like "Pitch" are left unprotected from bounty hunting adventures the wilderlands beyond the mirrored barrrens will have lost thier first line of defense" From Verdantbrand by Owan Longbeard, Elder druid of the wilderland circle

Though often mistaken for dragons, darkdrake eyes hold none of a dragon's intellegence, nor does thier precence spark any unreasonable fear or panic. Darkdrakes have a dark gray to pitch black hued body, scaled like a silver dragon about 12 feet long, with a 6 foot tail. It weights about 2000 pounds.

COMBAT

A darkdrake can deliver a vicious bite along with vicious claw attacks. It usuall attempts to make fly-by-attacks from the air weakening is opponents until one of them is alone.

Breath Weapon (Su): 80-foot line of darkness, once every 1d4 rounds, damage 2d6 dexterity damage, Reflex DC 23 half. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Blindsense (Ex): A darkdrake can locate creatures within 60 feet by nonvisual means (mostly hearing and scent, but also by noticing vibration and other environmental clues). Opponents the darkdrake can’t actually see still have total concealment against the darkdrake.

Dark Scales(Su) a darkdrake's is considered to be invisible when viewed with darkvision.

Skills: Darkdrakes have a chameleonlike ability that grants them a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks In low light or dark areas.

I like it!

A little more information about them would be nice, though. And that quote at the beginning is a little setting-specific.

Still, apart from that, it's a marvellous monster. Can't wait for the next one!

Not bad. Looks good.

I like, but one thing though, I would increase its into to about 5, as although it is not nearly as smart as even a baby white dragon, it is not an animal and thus deservese a higher intelligence than what animals have. This will not have any real effect on your creature short of granting it an additional 26 skillpoints. Which would be best used if you gave them the following skills (modified here to account for their ability scores and other modifiers),

Hide +17*, Listen +14, Spot +14,

Additionally, it's saves should be:

Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +8

Again taking into account the creatures ability scores.

Also, due to the Ability Focus feat, the DC of the creatures breathweapon should be 20.
You also forgot to take into account the creature size modifier when calculating its attacks, it should be bite +14 melee and 2 claws +11 melee.
Additionally, it's natural armor should be +14 to give it the AC you've given it. With a natural armor of +24, its AC should be 33, which is way to high for its CR, which incidentally is a little to low, according to my calculations it should be a CR 9, or a strong CR 8.

I hope you are not put of by my advice and take it for what it is. I am looking forward to see your next creation.

Edit: I just noticed, you have given it way to many hitpoints compared to its HD, after a simple calculation (6.5*10+30), I have come to the conclusion that the creature should have 95 hp on average.

Beast of the Green (Horned Cat, Unicorn Beast)

Gah! I cannot believe I messed up that many states, I will correct those this week, (it's an old design before I used a stat calculator),

Drakes in Questspire are not intelligent, the get animal intelligience, this is a setting specific thread, but feel free to change it.

Here is one of the most dangerous creatures around questspire, a pride are nearly unstopable.


Beast of the Green
Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 13d10+78 (149 hp)
Initiative: +10 (+4 Dex +6 insight)
Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares),
Armor Class: 37 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +18 natural, +6 insight), touch 19, flat-footed 33
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+33
Attack: Gore +28 melee (2d6 +16)
Full Attack: Gore +28 melee (2d6 +16) and bite +26 melee (2d6 +11) and claw +26 melee (1d8 +11)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Horn of the beast, improved grab, powerful charge, pounce, rake
Special Qualities: Blindsense, darkvision 60ft., Hidden scent, low-light vision, resistance to energy 20, scent, spell-like abilities, trackless step, woodland stride,
Saves: Fort +20, Ref +14, Will +14
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 19, Con 23, Int 10, Wis 19, Cha 12
Skills: Hide +26*, Jump +24, Listen +18, Spot +18, Survival +14
Feats: Dodge,Improved Natural Attack, Mobility, Multiattack, Spring Attack, Track(B)
Environment: Warm Forest
Organization: Solitary, Pair, Family (2-5), or Pride (5-20)
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 14-26 HD (Large); 27-39 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -
DESCRIPTION
“We went to the Vale of Whispers and The Labyrinth of the Green to find Sather the Blighted who had fled the king’s justice. Yet when we went down into the valley after her, we all began to hear whispers in some strange tongue. Lorinel our elven archer said it was the language of the forest folk and these creatures had already hunted and eaten Sather. They also warned all uprights to leave or be leftovers!”— Excerpt from Rigan’s Guide to Slaying

Also called the Horned Cat or The Unicorn Beast, It is a dangerous carnivore closely related to Smilodons (saber-toothed tigers) more so than other magical horned creatures such as the Unicorn.

A Rhino-like hunting cat the size of tiger; with a gray-green hide of bare flesh without hair or fur. A foot and a half of green-gray ivory points nearly straight forward out of its snout.

This creature can only be found in isolated tropical and subtropical forests. The most well known location is the "Vale of Whispers" so named for the Beasts preferred form of communication and its hedge-vine labyrinth known as The Green. Their primary prey there are the giants of Titian's plain.

Beasts of the Green have no care for gold they value hunting only for raw meat and must eat their body weight in meat a day. For the most part, they simply wish to be left alone to hunt, eat, and breed. Beasts of the Green have a racial hatred for all humanoids and monstrous humanoids remembering attempts by various humanoids to hunt them for sport or to tame them as pets. Though it will not attack them on site it will often warn them via a whisper to leave or it will be forced to defend its territory. Often times it runs afoul of adventures when it eats an adventure’s horse, animal companion or familiar that has wandered into its territory. It will hunt any creature for food save a elder dragon.

COMBAT:
Beasts of the Green attack with stealth, usually leaping out of the deep fog, they attack with a powerful charge pouncing upon thier opponents, few creatures live through such an attack, much less that of an enitre pride.

Horn of the Beast (Su): generates a continuous non-detection 20th level and grants an insight bonus of ½ the beasts HD to AC, Checks, Saves, Attack and Damage rolls. It's gore attack ignores all forms of damage reduction and hardness.

Powerful Charge (Ex): A beast of the green deals 4d6+32 points of damage when it makes a charge.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a beast of the green must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can rake.

Pounce (Ex): If a beast of the green charges a foe, it can make a full attack, including two rake attacks.

Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +26 melee (1d8 +11)

Trip (Ex): A beast of the green that hits with a claw can attempt to trip the opponent (+10 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the beast fo the green.

Hidden Scent (Ex): a beast of the green cannot be tracked or located by scent.

Resistance to Energy 20 (Ex): a beast of the green has resitance to all forms of energy including but not limited to acid, cold, electricity, fire, force, positive, negatice, and sonic. A beast cannot lower this even if it wishes to be affected by the energy (including conjuration healing spells).

Trackless Step (Ex): as the druid abililty of the same name

Woodland Stride (Ex): as the druid abiity of the same name.

Spell-like Abilities: at-will: whispering wind. Caster Level 13

Skills: +4 racial bonus to Hide, Jump, listen, and Spot. *The Hide bonus increases to +14 in fog

did some additional corrections on the darkdrake, to bring it into line with my stat generator. I have learned my lesson to use this on all my old monsters, I did make some changes to str and con.

Lightning Mongoose

LIGHTNING MONGOOSE
Medium Magical Beast (Air, Augmented animal)
Hit Dice: 3d10+9 (25 hp)
Initiative: +11 (+7 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 21 (+7 Dex, +4 natural), touch 17, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+6
Attack: Bite +10 melee (1d6 +3 plus 1d6 electricity)
Full Attack: Bite +10 melee (1d6 +3 plus 1d6 electricity)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Chattering war cry, improved attach, shocking bite, sprint,
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft., evasion, immunity electricity, lightning agility, low-light vision, scent, uncanny dodge,
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +10, Will +2
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 25, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills: Balance+11 Climb +13, Escape Artist +17, Hide +13, Jump +7, Listen +5, Move Silently +11, Spot +5, Survival +5, Tumble +13
Feats: Dodge(B), Improved Initiative, Mobility(B), Track (B), Weapon Finesse
Environment: Any underground
Organization: Solitary, Pair, Family (2-5), or Pack (5-20)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: standard
Alignment: Normally Lawful Neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Medium); 7-9 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -

“The Lightning Mongoose was first created when the Illren Empire were doing experimentation into the Ryth, They used a Dire Mongoose as the host for a newly discoved elemental spirit of lightning. As with most of the Illren empires experiments, it was a tragic success. When the Illren Empire fell during the Freedom War the lightning mongooses allied themselves with the Silverscale Kobolds. Only the Illren could cause Mongoose and Serpent to work together.” an Except from Fallen Empires by Kipling Foresttome.

This creature is rather like a small tiger in its fur and its tail,
but quite like a weasel in his head and its legs.
Its eyes and the end of its restless nose are bluish-white;

Lightning Mongooses grow to be up to 10 feet long and can reach a weight of 700 pounds. They have long bodies, short legs and small rounded ears placed on the side of the head. Their tails are 5 feet long. Its back is covered with dark stripes, Males are slightly larger than females.

Lightning mongoose tend to eat behir, psuedodragons, giant snakes, viper rats, dire rats, giant birds & their eggs, vermin, giant reptile eggs including dragon, drake, and wyvren eggs,

COMBAT:
Lightning Mongooses stalk their prey in the dark and then quickly strike it, biting in attempt to remove its opponents head.

A Lightning Mongooses attacks are treated as magic for purposes of bypassing damage reduction.

1st round. Sprint Charge Attack (using Chattering War Cry), Tumbling through threatened areas
2nd round Improved attach; continue until creature is unconscious or dead
Following round: Retreat full Run.

Chattering War Cry (Su) : ``Rikk-tikk-tikki-tikki-tchk!'' When a lightning mongoose utters his war cry during a charge action. Opponents within range who hear the chattering war cry become shaken (Will DC 12) or panicked on a failed save. The range is 30 feet with a duration of 5d6 rounds. This ability affects only opponents with fewer Hit Dice or levels than the lightning mongoose have has. An opponent that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to that same lightning mongooses war cry for 24 hours. Chattering War Cry is a mind-affecting fear effect.

Evasion (Ex): a lightning mongoose can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the lightning mongoose is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless lightning mongoose does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Improved Attach (Ex): A Lightning Mongoose that hits with its bite attack latches onto the opponent’s body with its powerful jaws. An attached lightning mongoose does not loses its Dexterity bonus to AC and . An attached lightning mongoose can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached lightning mongoose through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the creature.

Lightning Agility (Su): a mongoose can turn up to 90 degress at a full run or during a charge action (even a sprint attack). A lightning mongoose retains it Dex modifer to AC even at a full run and can still preform tumble checks. If a lightning mongoose rolls below a 10 on an intuitive check it takes a 10 instead.

Shocking Bite (Su): A Lightning mongooses bite is treated as if it had the shocking special weapon quality

Sprint (Ex): Once per hour, a lightning mongoose can move ten times its normal speed (500 feet) when it makes a charge.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): a Lightning Mongoose can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

Skills (Ex): A lightning mongoose has a +4 racial bonus on Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Spot and Tumble,