the Jester
Legend
In the end of the 2e portion of my game, the characters fought an epic battle against a drow lich with a metal arm named E-Krektor and a strange foe that they never saw, an entity of pure information called Master Control. I used clockwork horrors extensively in the campaign, weaving them into the story as Master Control's agents. During the campaign the villains had co-opted certain other individuals into providing them with new design ideas (lack of creativity being a flaw in beings like MC), and they started pumping out many, many nasty horrors with lots of built-in surprises. When the pcs finally got to the Isle of the Horrors, they found it was an enormous machine-isle (think the Borg but with metal bugs).
Some time ago, a group of pcs woke MC up after he had been held in abeyance by the pcs. Since then, he's been refining some of the nasty surprises he's been building. As my pcs are now epic level, I've been wracking my brains for new types of epic adversaries.
Here's one of 'em. What do y'all think?
OMEGA HORROR
Large Construct
Hit Dice: 30d10+30 (195 hp) plus 100 hp force field
Initiative: +9
Speed: 20’, fly 120’
Armor Class: 45 (-1 size, +1 dex, +30 natural, +5 deflection), touch 14, flat-footed 44
Base Attack/Grapple:+22/+45
Attack: Tentacle slam +40 melee (3d6+11 plus 3d6 electricity)
Full Attack: 6 tentacle slams +40 melee (3d6+11 plus 3d6 electricity) and 4 blaster cannons +30 ranged touch (6d8 force) and 4 laser cannons +30 ranged touch (6d10 fire) and missile +30 ranged (10d8 piercing/slashing plus 10d6 fire)
Space/Reach: 10’/20’ (with tentacles)
Special Attacks: Blaster cannons, constrict 4d6+16 plus 3d6 electricity, guided weapons, laser cannons, missiles, shock, superior grab, superior multiweapon fighting
Special Qualities: DR 15/adamantine and epic, fast healing 10, force field, immunity to acid and electricity, radio link, resistance to cold 20, fire 20 and sonic 20
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +17
Abilities: Str 33, Dex 12, Con -, Int 20, Wis 24, Cha 11
Skills: Climb +50, Hide +30, Knowledge (geography) +38, Listen +40, Move Silently +34, Search +38, Spot +40
Feats: Cleave, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Great Cleave, Improved Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Mobility, Power Attack
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary (sometimes leading other constructs)
Challenge Rating: 27?
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 31-45 HD (large), 46-75 HD (huge), 76-90 HD (gargantuan), 91-120 HD (colossal)
Level Adjustment: -
A strange disc-shaped object, about 10’ in diameter, with a number of bizarre-looking appendages flies through the air. It is obviously made of some sort of dark metal. Tentacles writhe and strange, arcane-looking protrusions swivel about.
An omega horror is a flying beast of metal. It moves with incredible speed and precision and has a bewildering array of offensive weaponry and incredible defensive abilities. Omega horrors were designed by Master Control to be the ultimate weapon for destroying pesky adventurers with.
Combat
An omega horror is a terrifying opponent. Despite its small frame, it is capable of extruding an extremely dangerous combination of weapons, and due to its computer guidance it is capable of utilizing all its weapons simultaneously. It is also extremely adaptive, capable of learning and changing tactics as required.
Blaster Cannons (Ex): An omega horror is outfitted with two blaster cannons. These terrible weapons have a range increment of 200’ and deal 6d8 points of force damage. The horror can fire its blasters continuously for up to an hour before it has any maintenance issues.
Constrict (Ex): If an omega horror gets a hold with a tentacle attack, it can constrict each round thereafter on another successful grapple check.
Guided Weapons (Ex): The computers guiding an omega horror’s weapon systems react far more quickly than a human can, tracking and engaging targets with ruthless speed and efficiency. An omega horror gets a +4 competence bonus on initiative rolls and a +8 competence bonus on attack rolls.
Laser Cannons (Ex): An omega horror is outfitted with two laser cannons and enough spare parts to build a replacement for one. These weapons have a range increment of 1200’, but do only 3d10 points of fire damage outside of their first range increment. An omega horror can fire its laser cannons continuously for up to a week before having any maintenance issues; these are its ‘cheapest’ ranged weapons to use, when power is a consideration.
Missiles (Ex): The omega horror typically holds twelve missiles when fully munitioned. A missile will fly 120’ each round towards its chosen target, rolling to hit when it get within range. The missiles have good maneuverability. If a missile misses its target, it continues flying straight ahead until it either hits a solid object or creature in its path or until it runs out of fuel (after ten rounds of flight). A missile that hits a target inflicts 10d8 points of piercing/slashing damage and 10d6 points of fire damage to the target. All other creatures and unattended objects within 40’ of the impact point suffer the fire damage (though creatures receive a Ref save, 30, for half damage; the save DC is int-based).
Shock (Ex): The omega horror’s tentacles deal 3d6 points of electrical damage to any creature that they touch.
Superior Grab (Ex): Whenever an omega horror hits with a tentacle slam attack or makes a successful touch attack with a tentacle, it may make a free grapple check without provoking an attack of opportunity. It gains a +10 racial bonus on all grapple checks, and it is not considered grappled (though a single tentacle is busy and cannot take other actions while grappling its victim). Each round thereafter, the omega horror may constrict.
Superior Multiweapon Fighting (Ex): An omega horror may attack with all its weapons, both ranged and melee, at its full attack bonus (though it may only attack once with each per round under normal conditions). An omega horror’s ranged attacks do not trigger attacks of opportunity.
Force Field (Ex): An omega horror is shrouded by an invisible force field that must be penetrated before the omega horror itself can be damaged. The field provides a +5 deflection bonus to the horror’s AC (included in the stat block above) and deflects all damage until it is destroyed. The field itself has 100 hit points and is damaged only by acid, cold, electricity, fire and sonic attacks. If it is damaged it flares and becomes momentarily visible. It repairs itself at a rate of 10 hit points per round, but if destroyed, it will not regenerate for 24 hours. The force field can also be destroyed with a disintegrate spell or effect. If the force field is destroyed, the omega horror loses its deflection bonus.
Radio Link (Ex): An omega horror can communicate via radio with any other clockwork horrors within 100 miles.
Construction: The secrets of constructing the omega horrors are thankfully known only to Master Control.
Society: Omega horrors are the most deadly of horrors, capable of destroying entire towns with their armament single-handedly. They are usually reserved for ‘special’ situations that require their prodigious firepower.
Skills: An omega horror’s tentacles give it a +6 racial bonus to Climb checks.
I'd be interested in any feedback. Yes, this is a pretty sci-fi monster to throw at your typical dnd group!
Here are a few notes as to my thinking- constructs get crap for attack bonus; to bump this up I threw in the guided weapons ability. The omega horror can dish out tremendous damage, but can't take much compared to other epic monsters. Where do you think the CR should lie?
As a final note, the original 2e version of this guy was incredibly bad to the bone, and the party- absurdly powerful by 2e standards in the neighborhood of 11th-15th level- was running scared of 'em.
Some time ago, a group of pcs woke MC up after he had been held in abeyance by the pcs. Since then, he's been refining some of the nasty surprises he's been building. As my pcs are now epic level, I've been wracking my brains for new types of epic adversaries.
Here's one of 'em. What do y'all think?
OMEGA HORROR
Large Construct
Hit Dice: 30d10+30 (195 hp) plus 100 hp force field
Initiative: +9
Speed: 20’, fly 120’
Armor Class: 45 (-1 size, +1 dex, +30 natural, +5 deflection), touch 14, flat-footed 44
Base Attack/Grapple:+22/+45
Attack: Tentacle slam +40 melee (3d6+11 plus 3d6 electricity)
Full Attack: 6 tentacle slams +40 melee (3d6+11 plus 3d6 electricity) and 4 blaster cannons +30 ranged touch (6d8 force) and 4 laser cannons +30 ranged touch (6d10 fire) and missile +30 ranged (10d8 piercing/slashing plus 10d6 fire)
Space/Reach: 10’/20’ (with tentacles)
Special Attacks: Blaster cannons, constrict 4d6+16 plus 3d6 electricity, guided weapons, laser cannons, missiles, shock, superior grab, superior multiweapon fighting
Special Qualities: DR 15/adamantine and epic, fast healing 10, force field, immunity to acid and electricity, radio link, resistance to cold 20, fire 20 and sonic 20
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +17
Abilities: Str 33, Dex 12, Con -, Int 20, Wis 24, Cha 11
Skills: Climb +50, Hide +30, Knowledge (geography) +38, Listen +40, Move Silently +34, Search +38, Spot +40
Feats: Cleave, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Great Cleave, Improved Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Mobility, Power Attack
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary (sometimes leading other constructs)
Challenge Rating: 27?
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 31-45 HD (large), 46-75 HD (huge), 76-90 HD (gargantuan), 91-120 HD (colossal)
Level Adjustment: -
A strange disc-shaped object, about 10’ in diameter, with a number of bizarre-looking appendages flies through the air. It is obviously made of some sort of dark metal. Tentacles writhe and strange, arcane-looking protrusions swivel about.
An omega horror is a flying beast of metal. It moves with incredible speed and precision and has a bewildering array of offensive weaponry and incredible defensive abilities. Omega horrors were designed by Master Control to be the ultimate weapon for destroying pesky adventurers with.
Combat
An omega horror is a terrifying opponent. Despite its small frame, it is capable of extruding an extremely dangerous combination of weapons, and due to its computer guidance it is capable of utilizing all its weapons simultaneously. It is also extremely adaptive, capable of learning and changing tactics as required.
Blaster Cannons (Ex): An omega horror is outfitted with two blaster cannons. These terrible weapons have a range increment of 200’ and deal 6d8 points of force damage. The horror can fire its blasters continuously for up to an hour before it has any maintenance issues.
Constrict (Ex): If an omega horror gets a hold with a tentacle attack, it can constrict each round thereafter on another successful grapple check.
Guided Weapons (Ex): The computers guiding an omega horror’s weapon systems react far more quickly than a human can, tracking and engaging targets with ruthless speed and efficiency. An omega horror gets a +4 competence bonus on initiative rolls and a +8 competence bonus on attack rolls.
Laser Cannons (Ex): An omega horror is outfitted with two laser cannons and enough spare parts to build a replacement for one. These weapons have a range increment of 1200’, but do only 3d10 points of fire damage outside of their first range increment. An omega horror can fire its laser cannons continuously for up to a week before having any maintenance issues; these are its ‘cheapest’ ranged weapons to use, when power is a consideration.
Missiles (Ex): The omega horror typically holds twelve missiles when fully munitioned. A missile will fly 120’ each round towards its chosen target, rolling to hit when it get within range. The missiles have good maneuverability. If a missile misses its target, it continues flying straight ahead until it either hits a solid object or creature in its path or until it runs out of fuel (after ten rounds of flight). A missile that hits a target inflicts 10d8 points of piercing/slashing damage and 10d6 points of fire damage to the target. All other creatures and unattended objects within 40’ of the impact point suffer the fire damage (though creatures receive a Ref save, 30, for half damage; the save DC is int-based).
Shock (Ex): The omega horror’s tentacles deal 3d6 points of electrical damage to any creature that they touch.
Superior Grab (Ex): Whenever an omega horror hits with a tentacle slam attack or makes a successful touch attack with a tentacle, it may make a free grapple check without provoking an attack of opportunity. It gains a +10 racial bonus on all grapple checks, and it is not considered grappled (though a single tentacle is busy and cannot take other actions while grappling its victim). Each round thereafter, the omega horror may constrict.
Superior Multiweapon Fighting (Ex): An omega horror may attack with all its weapons, both ranged and melee, at its full attack bonus (though it may only attack once with each per round under normal conditions). An omega horror’s ranged attacks do not trigger attacks of opportunity.
Force Field (Ex): An omega horror is shrouded by an invisible force field that must be penetrated before the omega horror itself can be damaged. The field provides a +5 deflection bonus to the horror’s AC (included in the stat block above) and deflects all damage until it is destroyed. The field itself has 100 hit points and is damaged only by acid, cold, electricity, fire and sonic attacks. If it is damaged it flares and becomes momentarily visible. It repairs itself at a rate of 10 hit points per round, but if destroyed, it will not regenerate for 24 hours. The force field can also be destroyed with a disintegrate spell or effect. If the force field is destroyed, the omega horror loses its deflection bonus.
Radio Link (Ex): An omega horror can communicate via radio with any other clockwork horrors within 100 miles.
Construction: The secrets of constructing the omega horrors are thankfully known only to Master Control.
Society: Omega horrors are the most deadly of horrors, capable of destroying entire towns with their armament single-handedly. They are usually reserved for ‘special’ situations that require their prodigious firepower.
Skills: An omega horror’s tentacles give it a +6 racial bonus to Climb checks.
I'd be interested in any feedback. Yes, this is a pretty sci-fi monster to throw at your typical dnd group!
Here are a few notes as to my thinking- constructs get crap for attack bonus; to bump this up I threw in the guided weapons ability. The omega horror can dish out tremendous damage, but can't take much compared to other epic monsters. Where do you think the CR should lie?
As a final note, the original 2e version of this guy was incredibly bad to the bone, and the party- absurdly powerful by 2e standards in the neighborhood of 11th-15th level- was running scared of 'em.
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