Crippled Creature

I created this for a character I'm working on for someone else. Let me know what you think of it.



Crippled Creature Template
This acquired or inherited template can be added to any creature with a fixed form. Creatures with the shape changer subtype cannot gain this template.
Size/Type: Effective size is decreased by one category. Type is unchanged.
Hit Dice/Hit Points: Hit Dice are unchanged.
Speed: Crippled creatures move at half the speed of the base creature. Crippled creatures with the ability to fly can have their flight speed reduced by half (minimum 10 ft.) and their maneuverability is decreased to clumsy. Crippled creature which have the ability to fly due to supernatural and/or spell-like abilities do not suffer the penalties stated above. Crippled creatures cannot swim or burrow without the aid of magic.
Armor Class: Natural armor of the base creature is reduced to half the regular amount (minimum 0). Additionally, crippled creatures suffer a minus two penalty to armor class.
Grapple: Crippled creatures suffer an additional minus four penalty on grapple checks.
Attacks: Crippled creatures suffer an additional minus two penalty to all physical attacks. Spells and psionic attacks do not suffer this penalty.
Special Attacks: Any special attack possessed by the base creature which is physical in nature (improved grab, pounce, etc.) is lost. Breath weapons, spell-like abilities, etc. remain.
Special Qualities: As the base creature with the exception of abilities physical in nature (evasion, uncanny dodge, etc.). Crippled creatures also gain the following ability:
Harmless (ex): Due to their generally harmless appearance, most beings don’t consider a crippled creature a danger until obviously attacked. A crippled creature can be detected as a threat with a successful Sense Motive check (DC 10 + CR + Charisma bonus). A crippled creature imposes a minus two penalty to anyone attempting a Sense Motive check for every five ranks they possess in the Disguise skill.
Saves: Crippled creatures suffer a minus two penalty to all saving throws.
Abilities: Str -6, Dex -6, Con -6, Cha -2
Skills: All physical skills suffer a minus five penalty with the exception of Concentration.
Feats: Creatures which are born/created crippled gain two bonus feats at creation. Creatures which acquire the crippled creature template later in life gain one bonus feat every three levels after gaining this template.
Challenge Rating: -2 for Humanoids, -4 for Dragons and Outsiders, -3 everything else.
Level Adjustment: -3.

Note: This template can be removed with a single heal spell if acquired.

-10 penalty to all physical skills is too harsh IMO, after -6 already to all stats (they'll already be at a -3 penalty). I don't think disallowing grappling is necessary, chances are they'll likely be very poor at it. Harmless seems more like a roleplaying feature then a mechanic.

LA -6 seems the most worrisome aspect of it, I would think very carefully before adding that in my own game-I'd definitely have to see the character first. I bet you that the cripple character will be a full on spellcaster of some sort, making a lot of the physical penalties not nearly as 'crippling' (an inconvenience mostly since they get 3 more spell levels worth of ability). Not to mention a simple heal nets you 6 extra levels, unless you lose all your abilities gained (which doesn't make much sense) is an alarming loophole, *shrug*

If you want to play an old aged character, treat them as Venerable (-6 to all physical scores, +3 to all mental stats), still useful for a spellcaster. Maybe trade out 10 ft. of movement/lowered movement and size decrease for 2 extra feats (size decrease from medium to small isn't actually a penalty though large to medium or small to tiny is but meh).

Made a few changes.

Ah, I notice that you're working on this for your other thread, that's neat. Probably -2 CR for a humanoid NPC, -3 or even 4 for certain monsters (ex: dragons, who are very penalized by loss of grapple/natural armor)

You get much kudos from me because you're willing to stat up difficult things for people's use

Sollir Furryfoot said:

Ah, I notice that you're working on this for your other thread, that's neat. Probably -2 CR for a humanoid NPC, -3 or even 4 for certain monsters (ex: dragons, who are very penalized by loss of grapple/natural armor)

You get much kudos from me because you're willing to stat up difficult things for people's use

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Thanks. I just wish I could have gotten more done the past two day. Real life can suck some times.

I'm still looking for more feedback regarding this. Anyone?

I like it. I can see your mechanics working.

My only issue would be the

Note: This template can be removed with a single heal spell if acquired.

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Its one of the real problems with roleplaying when pathos and sorrow can be lifted away with a magic wand. I imagine the twisted wreck that hates with a terrible passion. He just gets visited by an 11th level cleric and redemption is his.
I'm not talking about real people here, for whom magic healing would be a miracle but literary\game characters, for whom magic healing releases plot tension and pathos.


Take Star Wars - how would Darth Vader be looked at if:

Yes he was a crispy mess for a while but the governor called the temple and now he's all better. Seems annoyed about some woman though.

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I don't know if it really functions in a magic enabled world but their should be more curse to the template, maybe even negative levels. Healing should be very, very difficult and include a loss somehow. The crippling should focus the mind with its terrible reality.

The depths of personal destruction offer the perspectives of an inverted and corrupted mountain.

Thanks for all the effort.