Sweet! But it makes me really want a Thallid Devourer and a Berserk equipped Khabal Ghoul to round out the party... (one of my two favorite decks of all time.)
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NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
Monster playable race
- Thread starter ratet
- Start date
Sweet! But it makes me really want a Thallid Devourer and a Berserk equipped Khabal Ghoul to round out the party... (one of my two favorite decks of all time.)
What a coincidence the source that I found the thallid happened to have your fav too.
Thallid Devourer
Large (Long) Plant
Hit Dice: 5d8+10 (32 hp)
Initiative: +1 (+1 Dex)
Speed: 20 ft
AC: 18 (+1 Dex, -1 Size, +8 Natural)
Attacks: 1 Slam +7 melee, 1 Bite +2 melee
Damage: Slam 1d6+3, Bite 1d8+3
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 10 ft / 10 ft
Special Qualities: Natural Appearance, Devouring, Saproling Factory
Saves: Fort +6, Refl +2, Will +2
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Hide +4*, Spot +4, Listen +2, Intimidate +4
Feats: Weapon Focus (Slam)
Climate/Terrain: Forests and Valleys
Organization: Solitary, Clutch (2-3), Army (2-16)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: ½ Normal
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: 6-10 HD (large-size), 11-14 HD (huge-size)
Devourers are a mutation of basic Thallid stock that occurred fairly recently, sometime after the fall of the elves that created the base Thallid and Saproling stocks. They are large green fungal beasts, often with tentacular growths or pseudopods. They have an obvious maw and use it to great effect. They are also the first truly carnivorous Thallid, as well as being cannibalistic. They attack living foes in order to consume them immediately instead of allowing
them to rot and be absorbed through their root structure.
COMBAT
Thallid Devourers stride forward into combat swinging their appendages around and trying to bring food to it’s mighty maw, or otherwise bringing it’s maw to the food if necessary.
Saproling Factory: A well-fed Thallid Devourer continuously buds and sprouts Saprolings. Under optimal conditions they bud a Saproling every day. Under typical conditions they will
have 3d4 Saprolings in their immediate area for every Thallid Devourer encountered. Many of these Saprolings will be crawling over and about the Thallid Devourers themselves.
Under dryer or harsher conditions 1d4 or 2d4 Saprolings will be encountered per Thallid Devourer. See the Saproling entry for more information.
Devouring (Su): Thallid Devourers have the ability to assimilate Saprolings and add their life force to it’s own. It may assimilate up to it’s HD in Saprolings in a turn, and each Saproling so devoured adds it’s Hit Dice (and hit points as temporary hit points) as well as a +4 Strength bonus to the Devourer for 1 minute.
Natural Appearance: Thallid Devourers gain a +4 racial bonus to Hide rolls in naturally wooded environments.
And the saprolings.
Saproling
Small Plant
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft
AC: 13 (+1 Size, +2 Natural)
Attacks: 1 Slam +2 melee
Damage: Slam 1d3+1
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Qualities: Natural Appearance
Saves: Fort +3, Refl +0, Will -3
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 4, Wis 4, Cha 4
Skills: Hide +2*
Feats: None
Climate/Terrain: Forests and Valleys
Organization: Solitary, Clutch (10-40), Army (100-1000)
Challenge Rating: 1/6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: None
Saprolings are small, motile fungal creatures budded off from many Thallids. They are generally unnoticed until they join in a rush of Thallids against intruders.
COMBAT
Generally, Saprolings are inoffensive unless motivated into combat by their accompanying Thallids. Then they rush forward and swarm over their enemies.
Natural Appearance: Saprolings gain a +4 racial bonus to Hide rolls in naturally wooded environments.
Thallid Devourer
Large (Long) Plant
Hit Dice: 5d8+10 (32 hp)
Initiative: +1 (+1 Dex)
Speed: 20 ft
AC: 18 (+1 Dex, -1 Size, +8 Natural)
Attacks: 1 Slam +7 melee, 1 Bite +2 melee
Damage: Slam 1d6+3, Bite 1d8+3
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 10 ft / 10 ft
Special Qualities: Natural Appearance, Devouring, Saproling Factory
Saves: Fort +6, Refl +2, Will +2
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Hide +4*, Spot +4, Listen +2, Intimidate +4
Feats: Weapon Focus (Slam)
Climate/Terrain: Forests and Valleys
Organization: Solitary, Clutch (2-3), Army (2-16)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: ½ Normal
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: 6-10 HD (large-size), 11-14 HD (huge-size)
Devourers are a mutation of basic Thallid stock that occurred fairly recently, sometime after the fall of the elves that created the base Thallid and Saproling stocks. They are large green fungal beasts, often with tentacular growths or pseudopods. They have an obvious maw and use it to great effect. They are also the first truly carnivorous Thallid, as well as being cannibalistic. They attack living foes in order to consume them immediately instead of allowing
them to rot and be absorbed through their root structure.
COMBAT
Thallid Devourers stride forward into combat swinging their appendages around and trying to bring food to it’s mighty maw, or otherwise bringing it’s maw to the food if necessary.
Saproling Factory: A well-fed Thallid Devourer continuously buds and sprouts Saprolings. Under optimal conditions they bud a Saproling every day. Under typical conditions they will
have 3d4 Saprolings in their immediate area for every Thallid Devourer encountered. Many of these Saprolings will be crawling over and about the Thallid Devourers themselves.
Under dryer or harsher conditions 1d4 or 2d4 Saprolings will be encountered per Thallid Devourer. See the Saproling entry for more information.
Devouring (Su): Thallid Devourers have the ability to assimilate Saprolings and add their life force to it’s own. It may assimilate up to it’s HD in Saprolings in a turn, and each Saproling so devoured adds it’s Hit Dice (and hit points as temporary hit points) as well as a +4 Strength bonus to the Devourer for 1 minute.
Natural Appearance: Thallid Devourers gain a +4 racial bonus to Hide rolls in naturally wooded environments.
And the saprolings.
Saproling
Small Plant
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft
AC: 13 (+1 Size, +2 Natural)
Attacks: 1 Slam +2 melee
Damage: Slam 1d3+1
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft / 5 ft
Special Qualities: Natural Appearance
Saves: Fort +3, Refl +0, Will -3
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 4, Wis 4, Cha 4
Skills: Hide +2*
Feats: None
Climate/Terrain: Forests and Valleys
Organization: Solitary, Clutch (10-40), Army (100-1000)
Challenge Rating: 1/6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: None
Saprolings are small, motile fungal creatures budded off from many Thallids. They are generally unnoticed until they join in a rush of Thallids against intruders.
COMBAT
Generally, Saprolings are inoffensive unless motivated into combat by their accompanying Thallids. Then they rush forward and swarm over their enemies.
Natural Appearance: Saprolings gain a +4 racial bonus to Hide rolls in naturally wooded environments.
That makes me think that the racial class needs more levels, because the Saprolings could be effective in combat. At least 3-5 levels.
Oh, BTW, one thing that is a big departure for MC's racial levels that I should have spelled out is that his racial levels are full levels. Unlike the original SS version, they advance BAB, HD, saves, and all those other "class abilities." And furthermore, those levels need not be taken in full before advancing in another class...or even at all. A PC with access to racial class levels need never even take a single racial class level, ever.
That's a big change from the SS version.
Oh, BTW, one thing that is a big departure for MC's racial levels that I should have spelled out is that his racial levels are full levels. Unlike the original SS version, they advance BAB, HD, saves, and all those other "class abilities." And furthermore, those levels need not be taken in full before advancing in another class...or even at all. A PC with access to racial class levels need never even take a single racial class level, ever.
That's a big change from the SS version.
Thank you!
That's a lot stronger and more effective than I would have expected them to be... and I think makes that sapproling factory balance issue a lot harder. Is there some built in mechanic to stop them from becomming tribble like in their over population besides the Thallid Devourer (since the Elvish Farmers are apparently extinct from the origin description)?
Nellisir
Hero
Well, to start with the basics, thallid have Str +2, Con +4, Int -4, Wis +2, Chr -2. That's a little unbalanced, but not too bad.
Two hit dice.
1 natural attack (1d6)
+4 bonus to hiding in wooded environments. That's not a big deal.
+6 natural AC. That's really steep, but you could offset it in part by restricting their armor.
So, without the plant immunities or saproling power, I'd put this at two racial levels. They'll tend towards fighter, ranger, and possibly barbarian.
Plant immunities are:
Low-light vision. - not a big deal.
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). - that's a level there.
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning. - another level.
Not subject to critical hits. - partial level
Proficient with its natural weapons only. - Eh.
Proficient with no armor. - Eh. Helps offset the natural AC for a few levels.
Plants breathe and eat, but do not sleep. - Someone is pulling guard duty every night.
I'm not a big fan of levels without hit dice, so there's another three racial levels (d8, attack as cleric, 2+Int skills). That gives you five levels to spread the various immunities and abilities out across - the thallid will be very resistant, but not very exciting offensively.
Saproling factory is a tricky one. I'd call adventuring a "harsh" condition, and restrict the saprolings to no more than the thallid's racial level, at least initially. They are going to die faster and faster at higher levels - it's somewhat comparable to an ability to cast Summon Monster I once per day. I'm also doubtful that a saproling is any more effective than a ranger's animal ally - probably less so, in many cases - so given that a thallid is offensively pretty weak, and already has 5 racial levels, I'd probably be OK with it sticking at 5 and just adding saproling factory in as the "signature" ability (every class should have one, even racial classes).
Mixing racial and class levels is fine IMO, just don't give the thallid all the good abilities at first level, and racial abilities should be tied into racial levels.
Hope this helps.
Two hit dice.
1 natural attack (1d6)
+4 bonus to hiding in wooded environments. That's not a big deal.
+6 natural AC. That's really steep, but you could offset it in part by restricting their armor.
So, without the plant immunities or saproling power, I'd put this at two racial levels. They'll tend towards fighter, ranger, and possibly barbarian.
Plant immunities are:
Low-light vision. - not a big deal.
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). - that's a level there.
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning. - another level.
Not subject to critical hits. - partial level
Proficient with its natural weapons only. - Eh.
Proficient with no armor. - Eh. Helps offset the natural AC for a few levels.
Plants breathe and eat, but do not sleep. - Someone is pulling guard duty every night.
I'm not a big fan of levels without hit dice, so there's another three racial levels (d8, attack as cleric, 2+Int skills). That gives you five levels to spread the various immunities and abilities out across - the thallid will be very resistant, but not very exciting offensively.
Saproling factory is a tricky one. I'd call adventuring a "harsh" condition, and restrict the saprolings to no more than the thallid's racial level, at least initially. They are going to die faster and faster at higher levels - it's somewhat comparable to an ability to cast Summon Monster I once per day. I'm also doubtful that a saproling is any more effective than a ranger's animal ally - probably less so, in many cases - so given that a thallid is offensively pretty weak, and already has 5 racial levels, I'd probably be OK with it sticking at 5 and just adding saproling factory in as the "signature" ability (every class should have one, even racial classes).
Mixing racial and class levels is fine IMO, just don't give the thallid all the good abilities at first level, and racial abilities should be tied into racial levels.
Hope this helps.
Hmmm. I like it. Very tough but not very threatening. The way to make them a threat is through classes and everything that comes with them. Do you think that at later racial lvls they should gain more abilities from more thallids? Like gaining power and hp from devouring saps like thallid devourer. Or regen like savage thallid. Or spawn more at later lvls. But that might be far to strong. What do you all think?
Nellisir
Hero
Right now this is a 5-level class, which one would then supplement with a normal class. However, if you wanted to make a "super" thallid, you could easily extend it to 10 levels or beyond.
You can actually be fairly generous with abilities - at 1d8 hp/level, you're looking at a severely underpowered fighter for comparison. Fighters get a feat every other level, so thallids could get an ability equal to a feat at every other level and still be behind (no choice, and still weak on hit points). An ability equal to a feat every level, or an ability worth two feats every other level might be a better solution.
I'm not at all familiar with thallids beyond what's been posted here, so I don't know what other abilities they might gain. However...
- abilities should not be tied to a particular place or event (ie, "devouring saps"), because such things are subject to DM fiat, and the frequency, and thus utility, might vary highly.
- try to decide what's "iconic" about a thallid, and accentuate that. Saprolings, plant type, and strong defense are the clearest themes. That suggests powers like more spawn, tougher or smarter spawn, increased slam attack damage, increased natural AC, energy resistance, communication with plants and/or fungi, increased healing, and damage resistance.
For saproling possibilities, look at animal companions and summoning spells. Maybe once per day a thallid can create a saproling equivalent in power to a creature summoned by a summon monster (character level/2) spell, in addition to its normal saprolings. As a side effect of the increased power, the uber-saproling burns out and dies in 1 hour.
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That does seem kinda underpowered. But I do love the suggestions for abilities. they sound awesome! Maybe do low racial lvls and have spells or feats to help out. Maybe some specifically for them. I even had an idea for a class called Mycologist that is based on thallids and saprolongs. Kinda a mix of Druid and Summoner from Pathfinder. One big creature that constantly evolves and the ability to summon more thallids or saps. And some spells from magic as inspiration for the spell list.
Actually, I like the idea of having Saproling Factory being a specialized & limited variant of a Summon Nature's Ally SLA, so you could use the Meta-SLA feats with it, like those listed some time ago by a fellow forumite:
In addition, that makes the durability of the Saprolings self-limiting.
In addition, that makes the durability of the Saprolings self-limiting.
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