Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
Character Builds & Optimization
Rogues Gallery for Shemmy's Planescape Storyhour #1 (up to date 5-9-06)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Solarious" data-source="post: 3102277" data-attributes="member: 27346"><p>Heh. Don't flatter me. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite9" alt=":eek:" title="Eek! :eek:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":eek:" /> </p><p></p><p>I'm also interested in which feats from the BoVD you would use. Like I said, I don't have it, and so.... <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> Can you help me out?</p><p></p><p>I usually perfer using Core and SRD stuff when creating more standardized monsters myself, unless I want the creature in question to be either a memorial BBEG, or an exemplar of it's kind. Upon further consideration, I have dropped Cleave as a feat and instead picked up Stand Still from the XPH... also found in the SRD. It's wonderfully wicked when an Astraloth suddenly surges from the floor beneath you, and then consequently threatens everything in a 25' radius from a 10'/10' creature. Then keeps them from running, gunning up into a full attack flurry of tentacles.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Hmn. You can always drop Stand Still back for Cleave, but I like it. It's a general feat with few psionic links anyways. You can thank my interest in the Incarnate class: it made me look more closely at the incorporeal rules.</p><p></p><p></p><p>I wanted to convey the 'Contruct immunities, save by Holy or Blessed wepons' without being confusing, so I made the Spawn of the Ebon quality to explain it, as well as being able to stuff anything else that was strange about Astraloths (which is plenty). As for the Inscrutable Mind quality, my thought was that since the random stat damage was being too random and strange, hit all of them at once. Violence to the rescue one again! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite7" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":p" /> I made it deal only 1d4 damage on a save, because I think there aren't enough partial Will/Fortitude effects, and to make Mettle matter more.</p><p></p><p>The origianal Astraloth writeup had d10 die, so I used it here too. If I change it back to d8s, and combine it with your Con boost suggestion below, it will have 10 more hp and a +4 bonus to it's Fortitude saves, making it the highest save with a +22. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p><p></p><p></p><p>I get a vision of something similar to Ridley (from Metroid) from Shemmy's description of the Astraloth, except with a jackal-like head (plus the absent eyes) and a ton of tentacles floating around it. The tail of Ridley is one of his nastier weapons in his arsenal, as it is very prehensile and is used to repeatedly stab/lash at Samus or smash the ground like a jackhammer. I can't drop it, the imagery is too good! <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/nervous.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":heh:" title="Nervous Laugh :heh:" data-shortname=":heh:" /> </p><p></p><p></p><p>Done. It doesn't make too much of a difference either way.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Hmn. You might be right... I'm going to boost the CR to 19 for the time being. Can you do me a favour and compare the Astraloth to the Nightcrawler and the Nightwalkers? Especially since Nightwalkers are on par with Greater Stone Golems with a CR of 16, plus all kinds of lovely spell-like abilities... Greater Dispel Magic at CL21, Invisibility, Haste, Cone of Cold, and Finger of Death, as well as many Undead immunities plus Desecrating Aura for a touch of pump and -6 on turning checks. Nightcrawlers have all that, and worse (at CL25 to boot), standing at CR 18 and about AC 35, 212 hp, and so on....</p><p></p><p></p><p>Interesting idea... I've added a small line under the Spawn of the Ebon stating spells with the Good subtype bypass those listed immunities as well. Thoughts?</p><p></p><p>EDIT: On second thought, nah. No real point.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Well, of course. A Greater Stone Golem is CR 16! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite7" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":p" /> Which is on par with a Cornugon, definitely inferior to an Astraloth.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Done! Note they are still vulnerable to an archtypical Holy Avenger-weilding Paladin: sure to bring on plenty of critical hit, holy smite-backed pain. <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious :]" data-shortname=":]" /></p><p></p><p></p><p>Argh, stop buttering up my ego! I just collected Shemmie's and your thoughts and made them readable, nothing really creative on my own. You're going to make me do something silly, like stat up a bunch of MtG creatures and overstep my abilities and end up crashing and burning. <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/laugh.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing :lol:" data-shortname=":lol:" /> </p><p></p><p></p><p>Nope. Negative energy busts it, and positive energy... err... burns it.</p><p></p><p>Mind you, anything with a Unholy Smite at will can blast it until it absorbs enough to fully heal. Even if you don't allow those CL checks to be intentionally failed, Unholy Smite won't hurt it, and it will eventually absorb some spells because of it's fairly hefty SR 30.</p><p></p><p>Oh, and Astraloths can also heal naturally: nothing stops that. Maybe they're construct-like, but they're also alive. Of course, for anything faster than that, you probably have to go back to the 'lothy labs. Powerful Hunter-Killer 'loths they are, but expensive too. <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/paranoid.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":uhoh:" title="Paranoid :uhoh:" data-shortname=":uhoh:" /></p><p></p><p>I also have a question for our resident King of Crosstrade. Should any of the Save DCs be linked to stats? Things like Aura of Dispair look like they are linked to Constitution, but what about thinks like the Energy Drain (which could be DC 22 if linked to Charisma)? This is especially relavant if we monkey around with the stats, like we just did. I'm updating the Astraloth stat block from my master file here, but when I crossposted the second most recent Astraloth block in the Homebrew forums (over <a href="http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=176453" target="_blank">here</a>, with acknowledgements to Shemeska and you, of course <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />), these questions came up (I gave Astraloths perfect manuverability, btw).</p><p></p><p>Also, I just realized we haven't applied the size modifiers for Astraloths. Should be pump up a bonus to cover that, or take the hit?</p><p></p><p>EDIT: Extra tinkering done.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Solarious, post: 3102277, member: 27346"] Heh. Don't flatter me. :o I'm also interested in which feats from the BoVD you would use. Like I said, I don't have it, and so.... ;) Can you help me out? I usually perfer using Core and SRD stuff when creating more standardized monsters myself, unless I want the creature in question to be either a memorial BBEG, or an exemplar of it's kind. Upon further consideration, I have dropped Cleave as a feat and instead picked up Stand Still from the XPH... also found in the SRD. It's wonderfully wicked when an Astraloth suddenly surges from the floor beneath you, and then consequently threatens everything in a 25' radius from a 10'/10' creature. Then keeps them from running, gunning up into a full attack flurry of tentacles. Hmn. You can always drop Stand Still back for Cleave, but I like it. It's a general feat with few psionic links anyways. You can thank my interest in the Incarnate class: it made me look more closely at the incorporeal rules. I wanted to convey the 'Contruct immunities, save by Holy or Blessed wepons' without being confusing, so I made the Spawn of the Ebon quality to explain it, as well as being able to stuff anything else that was strange about Astraloths (which is plenty). As for the Inscrutable Mind quality, my thought was that since the random stat damage was being too random and strange, hit all of them at once. Violence to the rescue one again! :p I made it deal only 1d4 damage on a save, because I think there aren't enough partial Will/Fortitude effects, and to make Mettle matter more. The origianal Astraloth writeup had d10 die, so I used it here too. If I change it back to d8s, and combine it with your Con boost suggestion below, it will have 10 more hp and a +4 bonus to it's Fortitude saves, making it the highest save with a +22. ;) I get a vision of something similar to Ridley (from Metroid) from Shemmy's description of the Astraloth, except with a jackal-like head (plus the absent eyes) and a ton of tentacles floating around it. The tail of Ridley is one of his nastier weapons in his arsenal, as it is very prehensile and is used to repeatedly stab/lash at Samus or smash the ground like a jackhammer. I can't drop it, the imagery is too good! :heh: Done. It doesn't make too much of a difference either way. Hmn. You might be right... I'm going to boost the CR to 19 for the time being. Can you do me a favour and compare the Astraloth to the Nightcrawler and the Nightwalkers? Especially since Nightwalkers are on par with Greater Stone Golems with a CR of 16, plus all kinds of lovely spell-like abilities... Greater Dispel Magic at CL21, Invisibility, Haste, Cone of Cold, and Finger of Death, as well as many Undead immunities plus Desecrating Aura for a touch of pump and -6 on turning checks. Nightcrawlers have all that, and worse (at CL25 to boot), standing at CR 18 and about AC 35, 212 hp, and so on.... Interesting idea... I've added a small line under the Spawn of the Ebon stating spells with the Good subtype bypass those listed immunities as well. Thoughts? EDIT: On second thought, nah. No real point. Well, of course. A Greater Stone Golem is CR 16! :p Which is on par with a Cornugon, definitely inferior to an Astraloth. Done! Note they are still vulnerable to an archtypical Holy Avenger-weilding Paladin: sure to bring on plenty of critical hit, holy smite-backed pain. :] Argh, stop buttering up my ego! I just collected Shemmie's and your thoughts and made them readable, nothing really creative on my own. You're going to make me do something silly, like stat up a bunch of MtG creatures and overstep my abilities and end up crashing and burning. :lol: Nope. Negative energy busts it, and positive energy... err... burns it. Mind you, anything with a Unholy Smite at will can blast it until it absorbs enough to fully heal. Even if you don't allow those CL checks to be intentionally failed, Unholy Smite won't hurt it, and it will eventually absorb some spells because of it's fairly hefty SR 30. Oh, and Astraloths can also heal naturally: nothing stops that. Maybe they're construct-like, but they're also alive. Of course, for anything faster than that, you probably have to go back to the 'lothy labs. Powerful Hunter-Killer 'loths they are, but expensive too. :uhoh: I also have a question for our resident King of Crosstrade. Should any of the Save DCs be linked to stats? Things like Aura of Dispair look like they are linked to Constitution, but what about thinks like the Energy Drain (which could be DC 22 if linked to Charisma)? This is especially relavant if we monkey around with the stats, like we just did. I'm updating the Astraloth stat block from my master file here, but when I crossposted the second most recent Astraloth block in the Homebrew forums (over [url=http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=176453]here[/url], with acknowledgements to Shemeska and you, of course ;)), these questions came up (I gave Astraloths perfect manuverability, btw). Also, I just realized we haven't applied the size modifiers for Astraloths. Should be pump up a bonus to cover that, or take the hit? EDIT: Extra tinkering done. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
Character Builds & Optimization
Rogues Gallery for Shemmy's Planescape Storyhour #1 (up to date 5-9-06)
Top