Cheiromancer
Adventurer
What, game mechanically, does Mother Roach do? I.e. how many points of healing how often? Side effects? (are there game mechanical effects for 'bloating'?)
Balphagor and his good intentions
- Thread starter Beholder Bob
- Start date
Beholder Bob
First Post
MOTHER ROACH
Tiny Construct
Hit Dice: 3d10 (16 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 15 (+1 Dex, +2 size, +2 Natural), touch 13, flat-footed 14
Base /Grapple: +2/–7
Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d2–1 plus poison)
Full Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d2–1 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison
Special Qualities: Construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., Low-light, Eggs, The Hunger, Infest
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 13, Con —, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 9
Skills: Hide +10, Healing +10, Listen +4, Spot +4
Feats: Lightning Reflexes
Environment: Any
Organization: Unique
CR: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: LN
Advancement: —
LV Adj.: —
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 11, initial damage sleep for 1 minute, secondary damage sleep for another 5d6 minutes. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Eggs(Ex): Mother Roach can insert her ovipositor into a wound, injecting the subject with her eggs. It takes a full round, requires a helpless or compliant target, and both are subject to AOO while doing so. Each round she remains in contact, she inserts up to 3 eggs. No more then 6 eggs may be inserted into a medium size creature – double or halve this # for each size step up/down. Mother Roach has up to 18 eggs, and regains 1d6 eggs each day of rest.
After d4 minutes of lying fallow in a wound, the eggs begin to hatch, releasing arcane roaches. Any movement on the part of the subject kills d3 roaches. Every minute of inactivity while these roaches crawl inside the wound, they heal 1 HP of damage. The roaches continue to repair damage for d4 rounds each, then attempt to evacuate the body. Roaches fleeing the body have a 1 in 6 chance of erupting out of the skin, making it to the surface and infest the target. Those that fail to make it die inside the host and decompose quickly, releasing a gas that causes the subject to bloat. Subjects so effected remain bloated for 1 hour per roach that dies inside them – and are limited to partial actions until all of the gas is ‘passed’.
Infest (Ex): Subjects who have arcane roaches successfully escape their body are infested by them. These roaches laying eggs and hide in their clothes and personal possessions. Similar to mundane roaches, they are very hard to completely remove this infestation, requiring a DC 20 check (either profession: grooming, healing, or survival). Until that time, the victim suffers a –2 save against all diseases. Any who share a bed or food with an infected person risk being infected as well, DC 14 Fortitude to avoid this. Those suffering from infestation find these roaches in the most unusual places – in their food, inside potion bottles, their beards, etc. If an infestation lasts for more then a year, there is a cumulative 1% chance that a new Mother Roach will be grow from it.
The Hunger (Ex): Although they are constructs, they are also living creatures. They must eat and drink, produce waste product, and aspirate. That said, they also are not fully living creatures. A cure wounds spell heals them for 1 round, then the healing is undone. The same for repair wounds (for constructs). The only way for them to be healed is for both to be applied within 1 round (take the lower result). For starvation and dehydration – use Charisma instead of Constitution.
After the body is sculpted, it is animated through an extended magical ritual that requires a specially prepared laboratory or workroom, similar to an alchemist’s laboratory and costing 500 gp to establish. If the creator is personally constructing the creature’s body, the building and ritual can be performed together. The caster hand feeds Mother Roach 2 HD worth of small animals – not the entire creature, but just the eyes, heart, and lungs. After the first day, Mother Roach is ready to feed on more substantial food, its master, eating 2 fingers (2 toes may be substituted for a single finger) to make the tie between it and its master permanent.
In order to create Mother Roach, the creator must access the following spells: arcane eye, false life, mirror image, mending and vampire touch (cast to gift the construct with some of the caster’s life force).
The creator must be at least 7th level; Price — Cost 5,750 gp + 230 XP. In addition, the caster takes 3d6 HP (may not be avoided) and suffers 1d6 STR and DEX damage, and loses 2 fingers (2 toes may be substituted for a single finger).
And to that awful suggestion of leaving my FROG in a bowl like a TOAD - your lucky Smaug has a sense of humor. Besides, he's a very visual guy - always wants to see whats going on, and deserves his own servant. I mean, this guy has been my friend through thick and thin - he deserves the best! And, well, I bought him a jade bowl with jade rocks, buts thats for when he and I are having drinks and he wants to be comfortable! Phah! Toad. As if I would keep company with a toad!
Tiny Construct
Hit Dice: 3d10 (16 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 15 (+1 Dex, +2 size, +2 Natural), touch 13, flat-footed 14
Base /Grapple: +2/–7
Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d2–1 plus poison)
Full Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d2–1 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison
Special Qualities: Construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., Low-light, Eggs, The Hunger, Infest
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 13, Con —, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 9
Skills: Hide +10, Healing +10, Listen +4, Spot +4
Feats: Lightning Reflexes
Environment: Any
Organization: Unique
CR: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: LN
Advancement: —
LV Adj.: —
COMBAT
Mother Roach does not normally enter combat, but when she must fight, she fights from beneath objects, reaching out to bite the legs and feet of her foe.Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 11, initial damage sleep for 1 minute, secondary damage sleep for another 5d6 minutes. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Eggs(Ex): Mother Roach can insert her ovipositor into a wound, injecting the subject with her eggs. It takes a full round, requires a helpless or compliant target, and both are subject to AOO while doing so. Each round she remains in contact, she inserts up to 3 eggs. No more then 6 eggs may be inserted into a medium size creature – double or halve this # for each size step up/down. Mother Roach has up to 18 eggs, and regains 1d6 eggs each day of rest.
After d4 minutes of lying fallow in a wound, the eggs begin to hatch, releasing arcane roaches. Any movement on the part of the subject kills d3 roaches. Every minute of inactivity while these roaches crawl inside the wound, they heal 1 HP of damage. The roaches continue to repair damage for d4 rounds each, then attempt to evacuate the body. Roaches fleeing the body have a 1 in 6 chance of erupting out of the skin, making it to the surface and infest the target. Those that fail to make it die inside the host and decompose quickly, releasing a gas that causes the subject to bloat. Subjects so effected remain bloated for 1 hour per roach that dies inside them – and are limited to partial actions until all of the gas is ‘passed’.
Infest (Ex): Subjects who have arcane roaches successfully escape their body are infested by them. These roaches laying eggs and hide in their clothes and personal possessions. Similar to mundane roaches, they are very hard to completely remove this infestation, requiring a DC 20 check (either profession: grooming, healing, or survival). Until that time, the victim suffers a –2 save against all diseases. Any who share a bed or food with an infected person risk being infected as well, DC 14 Fortitude to avoid this. Those suffering from infestation find these roaches in the most unusual places – in their food, inside potion bottles, their beards, etc. If an infestation lasts for more then a year, there is a cumulative 1% chance that a new Mother Roach will be grow from it.
The Hunger (Ex): Although they are constructs, they are also living creatures. They must eat and drink, produce waste product, and aspirate. That said, they also are not fully living creatures. A cure wounds spell heals them for 1 round, then the healing is undone. The same for repair wounds (for constructs). The only way for them to be healed is for both to be applied within 1 round (take the lower result). For starvation and dehydration – use Charisma instead of Constitution.
CONSTRUCTION
Mother Roach’s body was made from a paste made from crushed insect carapaces and 1 pint of spring water, 2 pints of the creator’s blood, and the ashes from a child under 6 months in age. In addition; the sinew and muscle from a dead physician, , 1 pound of roach eggs, a freshly made alchemical solution (DC 20 to make, used to soak the roach eggs), 1’ sq. of the creator’s skin (used for the face), alchemical anesthetic (DC17 to make), ½ pound of rot grubs, and the mandrake root. The creator assembles the body personally. The blood must be fresh, though the skin can be collected over 1-week period. Creating the body requires a DC 15 Craft (sculpting or construct) check, a Concentration DC 17, and Fortitude DC 15. Failing any roll results in the entire process being wasted.After the body is sculpted, it is animated through an extended magical ritual that requires a specially prepared laboratory or workroom, similar to an alchemist’s laboratory and costing 500 gp to establish. If the creator is personally constructing the creature’s body, the building and ritual can be performed together. The caster hand feeds Mother Roach 2 HD worth of small animals – not the entire creature, but just the eyes, heart, and lungs. After the first day, Mother Roach is ready to feed on more substantial food, its master, eating 2 fingers (2 toes may be substituted for a single finger) to make the tie between it and its master permanent.
In order to create Mother Roach, the creator must access the following spells: arcane eye, false life, mirror image, mending and vampire touch (cast to gift the construct with some of the caster’s life force).
The creator must be at least 7th level; Price — Cost 5,750 gp + 230 XP. In addition, the caster takes 3d6 HP (may not be avoided) and suffers 1d6 STR and DEX damage, and loses 2 fingers (2 toes may be substituted for a single finger).
And to that awful suggestion of leaving my FROG in a bowl like a TOAD - your lucky Smaug has a sense of humor. Besides, he's a very visual guy - always wants to see whats going on, and deserves his own servant. I mean, this guy has been my friend through thick and thin - he deserves the best! And, well, I bought him a jade bowl with jade rocks, buts thats for when he and I are having drinks and he wants to be comfortable! Phah! Toad. As if I would keep company with a toad!
Beholder Bob
First Post
Frog, toad, it's all the same to me. Everyone knows pseudodragons and hawks are infinitelly better 
Urrr. Well. I see. If you are unable to tell the difference between a lowly toad and fine Frog, then more the worse for you. As to hawks (fowl creatures) and pseudo (false) dragons - well if the quality and personality of your companion do not matter to you, why then by all means. Note, however, the more discriminating folks will judge you for your choice of low brow companions. A pseudo dragon! Hmmph. Liars, fakes, and want-to-be lizards. And carnivorous chickens. My word. What will your mother think!
Smaug the frog, on the other hand, has dined with royalty, is an accomplished singer, and is possibly going to write a book (I'll pen it) on life in a swamp. How many wannabe dragons and killer chickens have written books, eh?
For your own relief, I wanted to let you know Smaug has no hard feelings. As you are obviously from the lower end of the social spectrum, you must be suffering from the delusions associated with the poor breeding inherent to your lowly social stratum.
Smaug the frog, on the other hand, has dined with royalty, is an accomplished singer, and is possibly going to write a book (I'll pen it) on life in a swamp. How many wannabe dragons and killer chickens have written books, eh?
For your own relief, I wanted to let you know Smaug has no hard feelings. As you are obviously from the lower end of the social spectrum, you must be suffering from the delusions associated with the poor breeding inherent to your lowly social stratum.
Beholder Bob
First Post
Kemrain said:
Sir Queezy - I appreciate the applause - and I'm going to assume the vomit was in response to the thought a wizard could fail to appreciate the difference between toad and frog - or that they could prefer a vulgar bird or want to be dragon to a amphibian! Of course, exceptions are made for vultures - discriminating avians who see little use as familiars but are bright, emotional creatures with a notable tendency to the arts.
I suggest a mixture of soda ash and bitter waters.
Serpenteye
First Post
The creation of life in all its forms is a laudable act, I too applaud your creativity. I must ask, though, how practical a mr Toad would be for the travelling arcanist. Is he durable enough to endure the rigours of the road, or the dangers of battle? Does he consume less sustenance than he can produce? How does his child-like mind cope with the often dangerous life-style of the typical ambitious wizard?
Beholder Bob
First Post
Serpenteye said:
Ah, a fellow of the necromantic arts, perhaps? In answer to Mr. Toad's use to a travelling arcanist - Durability is moderate, very much so for general travel (tough as a strong horse) but not meant to see combat. I made Mr. Toad as a gift for my familiar, not for battle. His speed is decent and his endurance and health are excellent. He consumes as much as a healthy gnome - but the tubules of flesh that can be harvested from him provide enough meat for 4 human sized creatures daily. The water that can be drained from his hump is capable of 5 days water daily, and he consumes enough water for a human. When not harvested for meat, he gets uncomfortable after a few days, but if excess water is not harvested, it drains through the sore membranes. As he is smarter then a horse as well as more maneuverable, he tends to be fairly rugged. In addition, while being ridden by my familiar Smaug, he has an excellent mind guiding him. As a side effect of his construct nature, he is immune to fear magics (but, sadly, he, as a creature with its own mind, occasionally acts afraid due to personality flaws). Overall, I find him better then a Homunculus.
As a side note, Mr. Toad also carries my excess gear and odd items for Smaug, including alchemy fire, caltrops, and acid (as a gift, I made a few items for Smaug. Among these is a circlet of Mage hand).
I would be reticent to take him into strife ridden battle, but more then comfortable to take him travelling. He is slightly more susceptible to combat then my familiar is - though he can wear magic items, such as a ring of invisibility, giving him excellent protection.
As to his child-like mind, he is devoted though perhaps overly emotional. If unguided by my familiar - I would fear to take him into dangerous environs.
By the sound of it, I assume you too are an explorer in the field of life-giving. I would love to hear your results! This often overlooked field is my driving passion. One look at creation is enough to ensure that even the most 'devout' wizard is aware of the ineptness of the gods in this field. Improvements must be made!
I look forward to hearing from you, Balphagor
