Homebrewed spells, monsters and PrCs [Updated 9 okt: Some new spells and one monster]

[The Forsaken One]

I'm practically done with typing out and translating "the darkhidden", "jungle trolls" and "red eye black kobolds" as monsters. Additionally I got some other spells finished and two other PrC's are ready to go.

I'll hold the PrC's back till I actually get some feedback on the ones already in this thread. I'll prolly get the rest up here tomorrow evening somewhere after I get back to my appartment.

Seems I might actually get around to finishing my 20 level base class "the witch docter" even sometime soon . Never had to create it above level 10 hehe, I used it for some of my jungle trolls.

After this I'll start posting some of my items and other stuff I might come up with in conjunction with the loads of spells and monsters I still have laying around .

 

[JiCi]

And what could actually go that wrong with full damage versus objects?

Well, it's cleary written that objects take half damage from acid (unless noted otherwise), electricity and fire, one-quarter damage from cold and full damage from sonic and force effects, regarless if it is a spell or a non-magical source.

You could add that the bolt can be stopped by a barrier, but that it goes through if it destroys it.

 

[Cheiromancer]

I think the old Yx was CR 30. The new Yx is, as far as I can see, a stronger version of Yx; maybe CR 40 or so. This is just my own impression; really someone else should weigh in. The DR is lower, but the AC is higher; if someone uses Power Attack to overcome DR the two changes cancel each other out almost exactly (assuming -1 BAB = +2 damage). Several of her stats are higher. Her SR is higher. Lots more hit points. Yeah, she is definitely tougher.

At least at these levels one can be confident that means of avoiding grapples and powerful fear effects will be present; not something that could be presumed at level 20, at least in Midnight. She can still escape very well, but there's a chance that someone could use wall spells to block her escape and kill her. The death effect is still very nasty, and even if it is appropriate to Midnight it will increase the CR.

I think you are still looking at her as a boss monster, not one of four encounters that the party is going to deal with that day before deciding to rest.

The difference between HD and SR is still pretty far out; +21 difference. Which is better than the +34 difference, and maybe is OK. Anyway, don't power her up any more. And maybe get a second opinion on the CR thing.

 

[The Forsaken One]

If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the Powerfull Discharge may continue beyond the barrier if the area permits; otherwise it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does. This spell even affects objects constructed entirely of force, such as forceful hand or a wall of force, but not magical effects such as a globe of invulnerability or an antimagic field.

It's already in there . And it's kinda a disintegrate/lightning bolt mix so I took the full damage vs objects. It also gets rid of force effects so it should do that. It's a weird spell if you look at the mechanics and might better be worded as half electricity damage and half disintegration or maybe even fully disintegration but that would make it overpowered since you couldn't ward yourself against it then. Hmmp, while 50/50 would make it as you stated somekind of mages flamestrike and leave some (50%) of the damage still to be warded against. This would just leave it doing 75% of total damage versus objects which isn't too shabby either.

BUT... in the end that would end up making it more powerful then it already is since against 50% of the damage you couldn't ward yourself since disintegration is no specified damage type. Well perhaps proof against transmutation but that would be it then.

Thanks for the input though . Suggestions are always welcome since 2 minds know more then one.

 

[The Forsaken One]

I think the old Yx was CR 30. The new Yx is, as far as I can see, a stronger version of Yx; maybe CR 40 or so. This is just my own impression; really someone else should weigh in. The DR is lower, but the AC is higher; if someone uses Power Attack to overcome DR the two changes cancel each other out almost exactly (assuming -1 BAB = +2 damage). Several of her stats are higher. Her SR is higher. Lots more hit points. Yeah, she is definitely tougher.

At least at these levels one can be confident that means of avoiding grapples and powerful fear effects will be present; not something that could be presumed at level 20, at least in Midnight. She can still escape very well, but there's a chance that someone could use wall spells to block her escape and kill her. The death effect is still very nasty, and even if it is appropriate to Midnight it will increase the CR.

I think you are still looking at her as a boss monster, not one of four encounters that the party is going to deal with that day before deciding to rest.

The difference between HD and SR is still pretty far out; +21 difference. Which is better than the +34 difference, and maybe is OK. Anyway, don't power her up any more. And maybe get a second opinion on the CR thing.

Yeah she is definately designed as a boss monster like I posted above. It's the case with all the unique demons and should be very very challenging for the party in that campaign if not the whole game world.

I toughened her up since at CR 30 theres the availability of epic spells and items which sorely changes the game. Sadly I have no real conceptions of how this inpacts things.

To check some of her stats, Hitdice, DR and SR I headed over to Seps Rogues Galery to compare a few values. Compared to the CR 30 stuff there such as Azazal (24 HD), The Horror (18 HD), Grazzt (36 orso? HD) and others, Yx seems severely underpowered in anything straight up. This compared to things such as AC 60+ and things with SR 60 and SR 90. Yx doesn't even cast spells unlike most of those others. Her real challenge lies very much in the enviroment she is presented, in a straight up fight she'll get owned pretty darn fast at that level I think. An average level 30 melee character should hit her about 75% of the time over all attacks considering an attack of 30 BAB, 7 Str mod, 7 enhancement leaves us already at a +44 without even being absurd on the attack bonus against an AC 47. That just misses on a 3 or less, in my opinion that leaves more then enough room to power attack hehe.

And beating SR 45 at level 30 should be peanuts to. 30 caster levels, +4 from spell penetration feats perhaps, +5 casterlevel from even a non epic item for a meager 75thousand gold pieces already gives us a +39 to beat a SR 45 which succeeds on a 6 or higher which is about 75% again.

She seems pretty mince meat against a level 30 party that isn't even using epic spells to beat her. Straight up melee with some walls or a petrification or disintegration effect will take care of her. Most certainly if thats epic petrification or disintegration.

A second opinion from Sep would be cool and I consider PMming him about it or just hijacking his thread about it . I'll give it a nights sleep though but straight up Yx looks pretty solid to me perhaps even weak. In her enviroment I consider her pretty damn challenging for level 30 since she can pretty easily separate a party which is always evry deadly. It's all in the way she is encountered really which leaves plenty of ways to easily balance the challenge and all in all, she was designed as a boss encounter.

Thanks a ton again for the input, its really helpfull. You got a way better eye for CR then me. Much appreciated!

 

[The Forsaken One]

A little idea in the train from my appartment to my parents turned into this rebellious, tribal, voodoo using denizen of the deep jungles of a demi plane I was planning on using but never got around to .

The witch doctor class (full 20 levels progression) is supposed to go with this race as its favored class along with the ranger and barbarian. After I get around to finishing that it will be found somewhere in this thread don't worry .

As always, I'm clueless about a proper CR and Level Adjustment to assign to this critter.


Jungle troll
Medium Giant
Hit Dice: 8d8 + 24 (60 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 40' (8 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+3 natural, +5 dex), touch 15, flat footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+9
Attack: claw +9 melee or bite +9 melee or javelin +11 ranged
Full Attack: 2 claws +9 melee and 1 bite +4 melee or javelin +11/+6 ranged or javelin +9/+9/+4 ranged
Damage: claw 1d6 +3, bite 1d4 +1, javelin 1d6 +3
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: rend (2d6 +6)
Special Qualities: darkvision 90ft., low-light vision, regeneration 2, scent, berserk, resistance to fire 5 and poison and disease, woodland stride
Saves: Fort: +11, Ref: +7, Will +3
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 21, Con 16, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 8
Skills: Climb +10, Survival +5, Move Silently +5, Hide +5 (+9 while in jungle terrain), Spot +3, Listen +3
Feats: alertness(B), point-blank shot, rapid shot, quick draw
Challenge Rating: ?

The jungle trolls are dark, superstitious creatures who revel in the hunt and the rigors of personal combat. After ages of being scattered throughout the eastern jungles and being hunted at every step by jungle dwarves and yuan-ti, they are finally banding together under the leadership of the great witch doctor Mirrek the Spiteful. Equipped with voodoo magic, regeneration and impressive combat skills, these trolls have become relentless in their efforts to claim a jungle homeland for themselves.

A typical adult jungle troll stands about 7 feet tall and weighs about 400 lb. it’s hide a deep shade of blue adept to hide in the shadows of the deep jungle.

Rend (Ex): When a jungle troll hits with both claw attacks, it latches onto the opponent’s body and tears at his foes, ripping armor and muscle apart alike. This attack automatically deals an additional 2d6+6 points of damage.

Regeneration (Ex): Fire and acid deal normal damage to a jungle troll but unlike their northern cousins, jungle trolls have grown resistant to the heat of the eastern jungles. If a jungle troll loses a limb or body part, the lost portion regrows in 3d6 minutes. The creature can reattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump.

Woodland stride (Ex): A jungle troll can move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him.

Resistance to poison and disease (Ex): The hardships of jungle life have increased the jungle trolls’ resilience to all kinds of festering diseases and dangerous toxins. A jungle troll gain a +4 bonus on saves to resist the effects of poison and disease.

Berserk (Su): Once per 10 minutes an adult jungle troll (a troll of at least 8 HD) can enter a berserker rage. The troll grows three feet in size and it doubles in weight as its muscles and body mass bulk through rage and fury. This transformation grants a +8 size bonus to strength, a +4 size bonus to constitution and imposes a -2 size penalty to dexterity. The creature’s existing natural armor bonus increases by 4 as its hide toughens with sinew and muscles. The troll’s space and reach change as appropriate to the new size. In addition to the above the rage also grants the troll the benefits of a haste spell and a +2 resistance bonus to saves. If insufficient room is available for the desired growth, the troll attains the maximum possible size and may make a strength check (using its new and increased strength score) to burst any enclosures in the process. If it fails, it is constrained without harm and this ability cannot be used to crush another creature by increasing its size.

All equipment worn or carried by the jungle troll is not enlarged by this ability, if wearing armor or tight clothing the troll must make a strength check to burst from the confinement and destroy anything it might be wearing in the process.


Jungle troll (berserked)
Large Giant
Hit Dice: 8d8 + 40 (76 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 70' (10 squares)
Armor Class: 21 (+7 natural, +4 dex, +1 dodge, -1 size), touch 14, flat footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+17
Attack: claw +13 melee or bite +13 melee or javelin +10 ranged
Full Attack: 3 claws +13 melee and 1 bite +8 melee or javelin +10/+10/+5 ranged or javelin +8/+8/+8/+3 ranged
Damage: claw 1d6 +7, bite 1d4 +3, javelin 1d6 +7
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: rend (2d6 +14)
Special Qualities: darkvision 90ft., low-light vision, regeneration 2, scent, berserk, resistance to fire 5 and poison and disease, woodland stride
Saves: Fort: +15, Ref: +8, Will +5
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 19, Con 20, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 8
Skills: Climb +14, Survival +5, Move Silently +4, Hide +4, Spot +3, Listen +3
Feats: alertness(B), point-blank shot, rapid shot, quick draw

 

[The Forsaken One]

And a few spells.

Just a few to throw some else in then monsters. I hope to be able to get some items, additional spells and the witch doctor class in here somewhere this week.


Winter’s Protoform
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 minutes/level
When you cast this spell, your body, along with all equipment worn or carried, transforms into living protomatter. You take the form of an ooze, and you are immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing, for the duration of the spell. You can still be affected by mind-affecting spells since, unlike oozes, you still possess a mind and retain your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You are not subject to critical hits or flanking. You become blind, but gain the blindsight special quality, which allows you to sense vibrations and subtle changes in the air around you, granting you "vision" of a sort to a range of 60 feet.

You also retain your base attack bonus, base saves, alignment, level, class, type (and subtype), extraordinary abilities, spells, spell-like abilities, and your supernatural abilities except those dependant on a physical aspect such as a gaze attack or breathweapon. You can cast spells for which you can supply the components which most likely will require the use of metamagic feats. The new form can be disorienting. Any time you are in a demanding situation (such as combat), you must succeed at a Will save (DC 19) or suffer a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, saves, skill checks, and ability checks until the situation passes. Upon death, you revert to your original form.

Your new form makes you difficult to kill, and, as a result, you gain a number of bonus hit points equal to your size, as detailed on the following table.

Your Size Bonus
Hit Points
Tiny or smaller --
Small 5
Medium-size 10
Large 15
Huge 20
Gargantuan 30
Colossal 40

While in protoform, you have a speed of 20 feet. You can pass through openings as small as a quarter of an inch in diameter, although passing through an opening two size categories smaller than you takes a full round action. You also gain a natural attack: an abrasive slam with a gritty pseudopod that grants 5 additional feet of reach. The number of times you can attack with this pseudopod each round is determined by your base attack, and you apply 1.5 times your Strength bonus on any damage done as if you were attacking with a two-handed weapon. A successful hit does a base of 1d8 points of slashing and bludgeoning damage.

In muddy or otherwise wet enviroments, you gain a +10 circumstance bonus on all Hide checks and concealment (attacks against you suffer a 20% miss chance). This natural attack form is the only natural attack form you can use while in this state.
Material Component: A handful of protoplasm.


Winter’s Impalement
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: No
A razor sharp stalagmite bursts forth from the ground to impale the targeted creature. Although the target gains a Reflex save to halve the damage done, the stalagmite itself is nonmagic and is not subject to spell resistance. Airborne creatures within 20 feet of the ground gain a +4 bonus on this save, and creatures higher than this cannot be harmed by this spell. The stalagmite is about 3 feet wide at its base and up to 20 feet tall. If it encounters a ceiling before it reaches full size, it stops growing.
The sudden growth of the stalagmite does 1d6 points of piercing damage per caster level (maximum 15d6). In addition, a target that fails to make a saving throw against this spell, and takes damage from it, is impaled on the stalagmite and cannot move from its current location until it makes an Escape Artist check (DC 20). The stalagmite can be removed in other ways, as well, such as with a stone shape spell. The victim can even break free with a successful Strength check (DC 25), although this deals an additional 3d6 points of slashing damage on the victim. The damage caused by this spell is nonmagical, but it penetrates damage reduction as if it were a magic weapon.


Winter’s Pseudo Elemental Summoning
Conjuration (Summoning)
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 full round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: One summoned large-size pseudo elemental
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell summons a pseudo elemental to attack your enemies. It appears where you designate and acts immediately, on your turn. As soon as it arrives, you must designate its target or targets by pointing. If there are multiple creatures in the general area where you point, it attacks them all. Because of the pseudo elemental's incomprehensible nature (see the Incomprehensible special quality, below), it is not possible to communicate with it by any means that involves language (including a tongues spell or a monk's tongue of the sun and moon ability). Thus, you cannot redirect its attacks verbally, command it to take other actions, or otherwise control it in any way.

A pseudo elemental cannot be dismissed the way other summoned creatures can. If there are no enemies present, or if the pseudo elemental destroys all the creatures designated as enemies before the duration of the spell ends, it either returns to its home plane voluntarily (25% chance) or attacks the nearest creature (75% chance), even if that creature is you. If it decides to continue attacking and there are multiple potential targets at the same distance, it chooses the one that seems weakest. When the spell duration expires, the creature disappears at the end of your turn if it has not already departed.
Material Component: A drop of blood from a good creature.

Pseudo Elemental
Large-Size Elemental
Hit Dice: 8d8+32 (68 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 20 ft., swim 90 ft.
AC: 22 (+2 Dex, +11 natural, -1 size), touch 11, flat-footed 20
Attacks: 2 Slams +10 melee
Damage: Slam 2d8+5
Face/Reach: 10 ft. by 10 ft./10 ft
Special Attacks: Bloodbath, cause insanity
Special Qualities: DR 5/-, incomprehensible, immune to acid, critical hits, mind-affecting effects, stunning), resistance to electricity 5, elemental traits, sonic vulnerability
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +4, Will +3
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 14, Con 19, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 21
Skills: Bluff +16, Listen +11, Move Silently +12, Search +11, Spot +11, Swim +23, Sense Motive +16
Feats: Cleave, Great Cleave, Power Attack
Climate/Terrain: Any
Organization: Solitary
CR: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 9-12 HD (Large); 13-18 HD (Huge)
A pseudo elemental is a dreadful creature from a remote plane called Uzzhin, or the Far Realm. It is extremely alien in both appearance and outlook, and it has a bizarre intelligence all its own. In their home plane, pseudo elementals have a civilization of sorts, though its nature is incomprehensible to visitors. When summoned to the Material Plane (see summon pseudo elemental spell, above), they are eager to lay waste to all about them and spread madness as they go.

A pseudo elemental resembles a water elemental except that its fluid body is composed entirely of red, vicious liquid. It oozes and undulates as it moves, leaving streaks of red on any surface it traverses vicious tendrils forming and reforming as it goes.

Pseudo elementals communicate with each other via a language of their own that sounds like a series of shuddering gurgles and burps.

COMBAT
Pseudo elementals are extremely hostile and do not hesitate to fight any creature designated as an enemy by their summoners. In melee, they prefer to deal damage immediately with their slam attacks, then use their bloodbath ability on foes that seem weak enough to grapple. Beyond this technique, they exhibit no clear strategy.

Engulf (Ex): With a successful grapple check (grapple bonus +22, including a +5 racial bonus on grapple checks), a pseudo elemental may engulf a creature of up to its own size category. An engulfed creature is subject to drowning (see the Drowning Rule in Chapter 3 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). The elemental may eject the engulfed creature at any time. A victim that is still alive when it emerges from the pseudo elemental's body (whether by escaping the monster's hold or by being ejected) takes 1d6 points of Wisdom damage because of the strain on its sanity that the sensation of drowning in vile protoplasm produced. Furthermore, the victim creature must make a successful Fortitude save (DC 16) on emerging or be nauseated for 2d6 rounds.

Cause Insanity (Sp): Once per day, a pseudo elemental can produce an effect identical to that of the insanity spell (caster level 13th; save DC 22).

Immunities(Ex): The pseudo elemental's alien psychology and physiology make it immune to poison, disease, critical hits, mind-affecting effects and stunning.

Vulnerable to sonic (Ex): A pseudo elemental takes half again as much (50%) damage from sonic damage.

Incomprehensible (Ex): Because of its alien mentality, a pseudo elemental does not understand verbal communication of any sort, nor can its own gurgling language be understood by any creature except its own kind. A pseudo elemental is immune to all language-dependent spells and effects, and no mundane or magical effect that usually allows verbal communication (including a tongues spell or a monk's tongue of the sun and moon ability) functions with respect to it.

Winter’s Defiance of Fate
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, XP
Casting Time: See text
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: See text
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Winter’s Defiance of Fate allows you to automatically get a result of "20" on one saving throw, ability check or caster level check (the next saving throw or ability check you make after casting the spell). You choose to cast this spell instead of rolling the dice. You can cast this spell quickly enough to gain its benefits in a clutch situation. If you cast the spell during your turn, it counts as your swift action for this turn. You also can cast this spell as an immediate action when it isn't your turn and whenever you would normally make a saving throw or ability check. No matter when you cast this spell, it counts toward the normal limit of one swift or immediate action per round.
Your result of 20 guarantees success on a saving throw. Your result of 20 may or may not give you success on an ability check. You can use this power to affect a skill check provided that the skill can be used untrained. If you use the power to make a skill check, apply only the roll of 20, plus your relevant ability modifier. The use of this spell is very straining on your personal energy is is as such only used in the most dire of circumstances.

Experience Cost: 500 XP


Winter’s Forced Fate
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V
Casting Time: See text
Range: Medium (100ft. + 10ft./level)
Target: One Creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
Winter’s Forced Fate forces a single creature within range to reroll a saving throw, attack roll, caster level check, or skill check, and use the worse of the two rolls as the result.

You can cast this spell quickly enough to gain its benefits in a clutch situation. If you cast the spell during your turn, it's cast as a swift action, just like a quickened spell. You can also cast this spell when it isn't your turn as an immediate action and whenever you or the target creature would normally make a saving throw, attack roll, caster level check or skill check. No matter when you cast the spell, it counts toward the normal limit of one quickened power per round.


Winter’s Prophecy
Divination [Mind-affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Personal
Area: 20 ft. radius emanation centered on you
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
All creatures in the area receive a premonition of their future death or similar terrible experience. If they fail their saving throw, the effect caused by this spell is dependent on the creature's levels or Hit Dice as compared to your caster level. If the creature has equal to or more HD than your caster level, it is shaken and suffers a -2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks for the duration of this spell. If the creature has fewer HD than your caster level, it is fightened instead. If you have five or more caster levels than the affected creature has HD, the creature is panicked instead. (See page 294 of the Dungeon Master's Guide for more information on panic.)

 

[gamecat]

Your pseudoelemental is based off of the blood elemental out of WotC's spellbook article, no?

 

[The Forsaken One]

Yup sure is . But my female NPC wizard in question (obviously going by the name of Winter) was an Alienist so it seemed more fitting. Which ended up with me toying around with it for a bit. I think I hardly changed anything really, originally I turned it into an outsider I think but it didn't feel right and I changed it back. Totally have no idea where it currently stands as opposed to the original creature on which it is based.

Thanks for the reply, those are always more then welcome .

Any actual thoughts about the spells themselves? In the end I'm looking for criticism here so I can improve upon my work here .

 

[gamecat]

It looked familiar...

I don't know how one would go about using somatic components in protoform - perhaps you could leverage a concentration check to let the spellcaster create appendages stable enough for said somatic components?

Fate Defiance seems a bit low level to me, off of the top of my head - i think Fate of One is a 4th level psion power that allows a reroll... I see the xp cost, but I'd drop it to 250 and make it a 6th level spell.