Dismemberites

[fnork de sporg]

A new undead, based on some grisly killings and later dismemberments that happened in my campaign just recently.

Dismemberites

Medium Undead

Hit Dice 12d12 (78 hp)

Initiative:+9 (5 Dex, 4 Improved Initiative)

Speed: Flying 50 feet (Perfect)

Armor Class:15 (+5 Dex)

Attacks: 1 Bite +13/+9, 5 Slams +6/+2, 1 Torso Bash +6/+2

Damage: Bite 1d6+3 peircing, Slams 1d6+3 bludgeoning, Torso Bash 2d8+1 bludgeoning

Space/Reach: 5 x 5 / 15 ft

Special Attacks: Dismember, Improved Grab, Constrict

Special Qualities: Dismembered Dodge, Reach, Undead Qualities

Attributes: Str 16, Dex 20, Con -, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 10

Saves: Fort -, Ref +9, Wil +10

Skills: Spot +17, Listen +17, Move Silent +28,

Feats: Improved Intiative, Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Finesse: Bite

Alignment: Usually Chaotic Evil

CR: 10

Dismemberites are a gruesome form of undead made up of a number of flying severed body parts. Nothing makes their warped evil undead hearts happier than gnawing off the limbs of their still living victims.

Most Dismemberites were born from the mutilated remains of murder victims, their rise fueled by a need for vengeance. Often they will hunt down and destroy their murderers and then either go on a mad pointless killing spree or seek out opponents powerful enough to vanquish the Dismemberite and end its suffering. However certain evil clerics also create Dismemberites through certain dark rituals using them as guards or more frequently as very effective theives.



COMBAT

Dismember (Ex): When a Dismemberite begins to attack an opponent it will pick a limb and concentrate its bite attack upon it. Choose the limb or roll a d4, 1 left arm, 2 right arm, 3 right leg, 4 left leg. Each time the dismemberite hits with its bite the opponent must make a Reflex Save (DC 19+damage inflicted) or the Dismemberite will gnaw completely through the limb, severing it. Each time an opponent makes this save the DC is increased by 1. This increase applies to all Dismeberites attacking the opponent, not just the one that succesfully hit.

Improved Grab (Ex): When a Dismemberite succesfully hits an oppnent with its Torso Bash it may make a grapple check as a free action that draws no attacks of opportunity, grabbing the opponent using its animated intestines and other innards. It may use this ability against both Medium and Large creatures, but nothing bigger.

Constrict (Ex): After getting hold with Improved Grab the dismemberites innards will tighten forcefully, slowly crushing its victim and dealing 2d8+3 points of Constriction Damage per round. This process is so disgusting and disturbing that the victim must also make a Will Save (DC 16) or be Shaken for 1d6 rounds.

Dismembered Dodge (Ex): The Dismemberites limbs are in constant motion, swirling around in the air, making them difficult to hit. Melee attacks have a 20% miss chance while ranged attacks have a 50% miss chance.

Reach (Ex): A Dismemberites limbs and other body parts can fly through the air independent of its other bits, thus giving it an effective reach of 15 feet. Dismemberites can make their limbs travel further than this but cannot give them enough momentum to strike at opponents. Still, many an evil cleric has found this ability alone makes the Dismemberite and ideal theif or burgler.

Skills: Dismemberites glide through the air so smoothly they gain a +8 racial bonus to Move Silent.

Dismemberite Characters: A Dismemberite's favored class is Rogue.




I'm not enitrely sure about the CR and I'm still a little iffy on the name. And do you think its too complicated, or too busy? I also really think I need to redo the Dismemberment ability but I'm not sure how it should work. I know I don;t want it to be tied to crits, like vorpal things are. Or do you think that its fine as it is?

 

[the Jester]

I like this idea, it's pretty cool... here are a few specific bits of feedback:

Speed: Flying 50 feet (Perfect)

How does this thing fly? Is it supernatural? If so, I'd list it as a special quality.

Attacks: 1 Bite +13/+9, 5 Slams +6/+2, 1 Torso Bash +6/+2

Monsters don't get iterative attacks. Their attacks work differently. If this is an intentional exception you should specify such in the description, but I think this line should prolly read:

Attacks: Bite +13 melee and 5 slams +6 melee and torso slam +6 melee.

Feats: Improved Intiative, Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Finesse: Bite

I take it that you're using 3.0? In 3.5 Weapon Finesse applies to all your attacks that it can apply to (you no longer need to specify a weapon). Either way, this guy should have a total of five feats (just like a 12th-level character). Hmm, I'd probably add Improved Crit (bite), but this fella doesn't actually meet the BAB prereq. Maybe Weapon Focus (bite)?

Anyhow, assuming you're using 3.5 Weapon Finesse his secondary attacks should go up to +8.

Dismemberites are a gruesome form of undead made up of a number of flying severed body parts. Nothing makes their warped evil undead hearts happier than gnawing off the limbs of their still living victims.

Dismember (Ex): When a Dismemberite begins to attack an opponent it will pick a limb and concentrate its bite attack upon it. Choose the limb or roll a d4, 1 left arm, 2 right arm, 3 right leg, 4 left leg. Each time the dismemberite hits with its bite the opponent must make a Reflex Save (DC 19+damage inflicted) or the Dismemberite will gnaw completely through the limb, severing it. Each time an opponent makes this save the DC is increased by 1. This increase applies to all Dismeberites attacking the opponent, not just the one that succesfully hit.

Boy is this problematic! I'd say this ability, as it stands, is radically too good. I think it needs to be tied in to a critical in order to not be overwhelming- I mean, think about it; four of these guys attack a single enemy. In two rounds his save DC is 27, and he has to make it four times a round!

I suggest reworking this so that the dismemberite severs a random limb on a critical hit. Then add in the Augmented Critical special attack and give the bite attack a 19-20 or 18-20 (depending on how much of a bastard you are) threat range.

Dismembered Dodge (Ex): The Dismemberites limbs are in constant motion, swirling around in the air, making them difficult to hit. Melee attacks have a 20% miss chance while ranged attacks have a 50% miss chance.

This is a great ability! I really like it.

Overall, this creature is great. It would require a radical reworking, but I bet it would make a fantastic swarm, too.

 

[robjh]

At least at 3.5, Undead BaB is 1/2 the HD. So primary attack would be +6+5 = +11. The other attacks would be 5 less than that, since Weapon Finesse applies to all.

An undead should still get a Fort save, even though it has no Con. I believe it's HD/3.

I think a 12 HD monster should get 5 feats, so you're missing one.

Yeah, the name sounds a bit like an evil cult.

 

[Knight Otu]

Wow, talk about evil! Looks, errr, good!

Dismember (Ex): When a Dismemberite begins to attack an opponent it will pick a limb and concentrate its bite attack upon it. Choose the limb or roll a d4, 1 left arm, 2 right arm, 3 right leg, 4 left leg. Each time the dismemberite hits with its bite the opponent must make a Reflex Save (DC 19+damage inflicted) or the Dismemberite will gnaw completely through the limb, severing it. Each time an opponent makes this save the DC is increased by 1. This increase applies to all Dismeberites attacking the opponent, not just the one that succesfully hit.
...
I'm not enitrely sure about the CR and I'm still a little iffy on the name. And do you think its too complicated, or too busy? I also really think I need to redo the Dismemberment ability but I'm not sure how it should work. I know I don;t want it to be tied to crits, like vorpal things are. Or do you think that its fine as it is?

As a name, simply "the dismembered" should fit.

For the Dismember attack, if you really don't want to use criticals, how about percentage of total hp? In a single attack or round, they need to deal a fixed percentage of the victims' total hit points to succeed in dismembering that limb? (similar to the 3.0 hydra)

 

[fnork de sporg]

Thanks a lot guys! I'm still easing my self in to 3.5 so I tend to get a lot of things confused between editions. And of course sometimes I just get things plain wrong. Thankfully I have this wonderful forum to make such oddities known to me.


I'll fix the broken stuff then tinker with it a bit and see what I come up with.

 

[fnork de sporg]

OK, here is the revised second draft of the dismemberites, now known as the slightly less goofy sounding Dismembered Ones. What do you think of them now? Better? Anything still need to be worked on?

Dismembered Ones

Medium Undead

Hit Dice 12d12 (78 hp)

Initiative:+11 (7 Dex, 4 Improved Initiative)

Speed: Flying 60 feet (Perfect)

Armor Class:17 (+7 Dex)

BAB: 6

Attacks: 1 Bite +13, 4 Slams +11, 1 Torso Bash +11

Damage: Bite 1d6+4 piercing, Slams 1d6+2 bludgeoning, Torso Bash 2d8+2 bludgeoning

Space/Reach: 5 x 5 / 15 ft

Special Attacks: Dismember, Improved Grab, Constrict, Augmented Critical, Create Spawn

Special Qualities: Dismembered Dodge, Reach, Hard to Track, Undead Qualities

Attributes: Str 18, Dex 25, Con -, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 10

Saves: Fort , Ref +11, Wil +10

Skills: Spot +17, Listen +17, Move Silent +29,

Feats: Improved Initiative, Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Finesse, Multiattack

Alignment: Usually Chaotic Evil

CR: 10

Dismembered Ones are a gruesome form of undead made up of a number of flying severed body parts. Nothing makes their warped evil undead hearts happier than gnawing off the limbs of their still living victims.

Most Dismembered Ones were born from the mutilated remains of murder victims, their rise fueled by a need for vengeance. Their severed body parts magically float through the air at high speeds without visible support, spinning around each other in an almost tornado like formation. Often they will hunt down and destroy their murderers and then either go on a mad pointless killing spree or seek out opponents powerful enough to vanquish the Dismembered Ones and end its suffering. However certain evil clerics also create Dismembered Ones through certain dark rituals using them as guards or more frequently as very effective thieves.



COMBAT

Dismembered Ones often attack in groups, flying through the air in search of victims then descending from the night sky to surrounding their prey like a vile morbid storm. Left to their own devices most Dismembered Ones develop an overwhelming hatred of living creatures and will fight without a care for self preservation. Most wild groups of Dismembered Ones will divide the prey amongst themselves, each worrying away at their own personal victim. However close nit groups of Dismembered Ones, especially those who knew each other in life, may exhibit more effective tactics, such as ganging up on individuals and identifying the stronger combatants and taking them down first. Still, it is only when under the command of an evil cleric that most Dismembered One's will make good use of their natural stealthyness.

Dismember (Ex): When a Dismembered Ones scores a successful critical hit on an opponent with its bite attack it will gnaw through one of their limbs, severing it from the main torso. Roll a d4 to randomly determine the severed limb, 1 left arm, 2 right arm, 3 right leg, 4 left leg, rerolling limbs that are already gone or the DM may simply choose. If all of the opponents limbs have been severed the next critical will sever the head, resulting in instant death. Most creatures missing all their limbs count as Helpless. Creatures lacking limbs, such as oozes and some aberrations, are unaffected by this ability while many creatures, such as golems and most undead, will suffer no ill effects from having their head cut off.

Create Spawn (Su): A Humanoid or fresh humanoid corpse (fresh for this purpose being something that died within the last 10 rounds) that has all its limbs and head severed by a Dismembered One will rise as a fellow Dismembered One in 1d4 rounds. However Dismembered Ones find the mutilation of already deceased corpses somewhat less satisfying than mutilating the living and unless ordered otherwise will generally only dismember the corpses of creatures they themselves have personally killed.

Improved Grab (Ex): When a Dismembered One successfully hits an opponent with its Torso Bash it may make a grapple check as a free action that draws no attacks of opportunity, grabbing the opponent using its animated intestines and other innards. It may use this ability against both Medium and Large creatures, but nothing bigger.

Constrict (Ex): After getting hold with Improved Grab the Dismembered Ones innards will tighten forcefully, slowly crushing its victim and dealing 2d8+3 points of Constriction Damage per round. This process is so disgusting and disturbing that the victim must also make a Will Save (DC 16) or be Shaken for 1d6 rounds.

Augmented Critical (Ex): The Dismembered One’s bite attack naturally has a critical range of 17-20 (Or +1 to crit range for every 5 hit dice.)

Dismembered Dodge (Ex): The Dismembered One’s limbs are in constant motion, swirling around in the air, making them difficult to hit. Melee attacks have a 20% miss chance while ranged attacks have a 50% miss chance.

Reach (Ex): A Dismembered One’s limbs and other body parts fly through the air independent of its other bits, thus giving it an effective reach of 15 feet. Dismembered Ones can make their limbs travel further than this, in fact they‘re range is unlimited though for practical purposes it is usually restricted to line of sight, but floating limbs beyond 15 feet require full concentration and it cannot achieve enough momentum to strike at opponents. Still, many an evil cleric has found this ability alone makes the Dismembered Ones an ideal thief and burglar.

Hard to Track (Ex): Dismembered Ones magically float through the air and thus leave now footprints. The DC to follow one with the Track feat is increased by at least 15, possibly much more depending on the situation and DM’s discretion. Creatures with the Scent ability Track Dismembered Ones normally.

Skills: Dismembered Ones glide through the air so smoothly they gain a +8 racial bonus to Move Silent.

Dismembered Characters: A Dismembered One’s favored class is Rogue.



In the end I went with the severing on a ciritcal, it was just much cleaner and simpler than anything else. U bumped up the stats and gave them a wicked Augmented Critical, as suggested. I also added the Hard to Track thingy, really jsut on a lark, but it made sense give their means of locomotion of supposed propensity as undead theives. I considered making Hard to Track a Su as I figured it was tied to their magic flying, and it was easier tha including a needless clause in the description that it goes away if flying does, but evetually I jsut chose not to mention it all. The DMs common sense will probably work such things out on their own. I also added a spawning ability, though it is fairly limited as those go.