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A Xenomorph for your toughts
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<blockquote data-quote="paradox42" data-source="post: 5909753" data-attributes="member: 29746"><p>Dude, Azatas are the "new Eladrins," CG Outsiders from Arborea/Olympus. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> Fortunately, your link actually goes to the monster you meant, the Akata (with a K).</p><p></p><p>As for the template:</p><p></p><p></p><p>A Will save... or else What? What are you saving against?</p><p> </p><p></p><p>No Beast type in PF; Magical Beast seems the best alternative given a typical Xenomorph's abilities.</p><p></p><p></p><p>You don't mention the life cycle with the facehuggers from eggs in the template; if you did, it would be worth mentioning that the size of the facehuggers sets a lower bound on the critters that can become (or rather, hatch) Xenomorphs. I'd think nothing below Small size could really work.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Too complex, IMO- how about just saying it hits everything within a radius of 10 feet, and works like <em>Acid Arrow</em> (so 2d4 damage each round it lasts)? Duration would be either a static 3 rounds, or maybe depends on the Xenomorph's HD (and then works exactly like the spell- so an 18-HD Xenomorph would be a really nasty customer).</p><p></p><p>The same comments apply to the "overkill effect" also, of course.</p><p></p><p></p><p>This isn't a Regenerate ability- this is something else. Maybe, "As a full-round action, the Xenomorph can eat up to 1 pound of organic matter per HD. Eating matter this way heals the Xenomorph by 1 hit point per pound of matter consumed."</p><p></p><p>Not sure what to call it, probably something like "True Digestion" or "Eat to Live"?</p><p></p><p></p><p>This was the only rules-like notation I noticed in that first paragraph of "Survival Instinct;" I called it out because morale is not a part of the core rules set. It <strong>is</strong> a common variant rule, of course; lots of people use it. It's just worth noting that this feature of the template won't have any effect in a standard game.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Nah, fire clearly damaged the Aliens in the movies quite well- that was, after all, why flamethrowers were weapons of choice against them. It often didn't <strong>kill</strong> them, true, but face it- we intend these monsters to have lots of hit points!</p><p></p><p>Plus, we want to standardize this for PF rules, so I'd suggest going with the trio of "Immune to Acid, Resist Cold [X], Vulnerable to Fire" used earlier in the thread.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Nice touch- poisons and diseases should probably be things they're immune to, very definitely. That wasn't something anybody else in this thread caught, but it fits the critter extremely well and makes it more dangerous. More of an "ultimate survivor," which is of course exactly what these are supposed to be.</p><p></p><p>The mind-based magic might not be total immunity- certainly, the minds of these things are very alien, but they can be tricked. So maybe go with the modern <em>Mind Blank</em> and just give them a flat +8 to Will saves against Mind-Affecting spells or effects, and also illusions of course. The illusion thing is easy to explain as being the result of most casters not being able to adjust for the Xenomorph's alien senses.</p><p></p><p></p><p>No need to mention the swimming in this ability, but again, nice catch that was missed earlier. Xenomorphs in the movies are grabbing walls and ceilings constantly- they clearly have some sort of <em>Spider Climb</em>-like ability! The only question, in my mind, is whether to make this ability spell-like, supernatural, or just extraordinary. (Ex) is the most powerful version, of course, since it means it works in antimagic and dead magic areas, and can't be dispelled.</p><p></p><p>Also, as Systole noted early in the thread, giving them a Climb speed is clearly called for, and actually performs many of the same functions going by the standard rules (though it doesn't let them hang on to or run on ceilings, necessarily- they'll still need <em>Spider Climb</em> for that).</p><p></p><p></p><p>Higher CON increase, surely? These things are supposed to be Ultimate Survivors. I'd rate CON as increasing at least +6- or perhaps set a minimum value like 20, the way you set a max on INT.</p><p></p><p>Also, it occurs to me that although we don't know how many hit dice the human victims of the facehuggers had, in the movies, the Xenomorphs hatched from them seemed to have a lot- so maybe we should set a minimum on the number of hit dice a Xenomorph has- like 5. Thoughts?</p><p></p><p></p><p>They'd get an automatic +8 to Climb and Swim from having Climb speed and/or Swim speed. So those can probably be dropped. +6 or +8 to Stealth works rather well. How about +6 to Escape Artist (to explain their ability to move in tight spaces), and +6 to Acrobatics?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="paradox42, post: 5909753, member: 29746"] Dude, Azatas are the "new Eladrins," CG Outsiders from Arborea/Olympus. :) Fortunately, your link actually goes to the monster you meant, the Akata (with a K). As for the template: A Will save... or else What? What are you saving against? No Beast type in PF; Magical Beast seems the best alternative given a typical Xenomorph's abilities. You don't mention the life cycle with the facehuggers from eggs in the template; if you did, it would be worth mentioning that the size of the facehuggers sets a lower bound on the critters that can become (or rather, hatch) Xenomorphs. I'd think nothing below Small size could really work. Too complex, IMO- how about just saying it hits everything within a radius of 10 feet, and works like [I]Acid Arrow[/I] (so 2d4 damage each round it lasts)? Duration would be either a static 3 rounds, or maybe depends on the Xenomorph's HD (and then works exactly like the spell- so an 18-HD Xenomorph would be a really nasty customer). The same comments apply to the "overkill effect" also, of course. This isn't a Regenerate ability- this is something else. Maybe, "As a full-round action, the Xenomorph can eat up to 1 pound of organic matter per HD. Eating matter this way heals the Xenomorph by 1 hit point per pound of matter consumed." Not sure what to call it, probably something like "True Digestion" or "Eat to Live"? This was the only rules-like notation I noticed in that first paragraph of "Survival Instinct;" I called it out because morale is not a part of the core rules set. It [B]is[/B] a common variant rule, of course; lots of people use it. It's just worth noting that this feature of the template won't have any effect in a standard game. Nah, fire clearly damaged the Aliens in the movies quite well- that was, after all, why flamethrowers were weapons of choice against them. It often didn't [B]kill[/B] them, true, but face it- we intend these monsters to have lots of hit points! Plus, we want to standardize this for PF rules, so I'd suggest going with the trio of "Immune to Acid, Resist Cold [X], Vulnerable to Fire" used earlier in the thread. Nice touch- poisons and diseases should probably be things they're immune to, very definitely. That wasn't something anybody else in this thread caught, but it fits the critter extremely well and makes it more dangerous. More of an "ultimate survivor," which is of course exactly what these are supposed to be. The mind-based magic might not be total immunity- certainly, the minds of these things are very alien, but they can be tricked. So maybe go with the modern [I]Mind Blank[/I] and just give them a flat +8 to Will saves against Mind-Affecting spells or effects, and also illusions of course. The illusion thing is easy to explain as being the result of most casters not being able to adjust for the Xenomorph's alien senses. No need to mention the swimming in this ability, but again, nice catch that was missed earlier. Xenomorphs in the movies are grabbing walls and ceilings constantly- they clearly have some sort of [I]Spider Climb[/I]-like ability! The only question, in my mind, is whether to make this ability spell-like, supernatural, or just extraordinary. (Ex) is the most powerful version, of course, since it means it works in antimagic and dead magic areas, and can't be dispelled. Also, as Systole noted early in the thread, giving them a Climb speed is clearly called for, and actually performs many of the same functions going by the standard rules (though it doesn't let them hang on to or run on ceilings, necessarily- they'll still need [I]Spider Climb[/I] for that). Higher CON increase, surely? These things are supposed to be Ultimate Survivors. I'd rate CON as increasing at least +6- or perhaps set a minimum value like 20, the way you set a max on INT. Also, it occurs to me that although we don't know how many hit dice the human victims of the facehuggers had, in the movies, the Xenomorphs hatched from them seemed to have a lot- so maybe we should set a minimum on the number of hit dice a Xenomorph has- like 5. Thoughts? They'd get an automatic +8 to Climb and Swim from having Climb speed and/or Swim speed. So those can probably be dropped. +6 or +8 to Stealth works rather well. How about +6 to Escape Artist (to explain their ability to move in tight spaces), and +6 to Acrobatics? [/QUOTE]
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