[BDP] Blackdyrge's Templates: Brute released!

[BLACKDIRGE]

Remember the days when the hobgoblin chief at the end of the adventure was simply a bigger, meaner hobgoblin with more Hit Dice? Not to say that humanoids and monsters with class levels aren’t fun and innovative, but sometimes you don’t want or need an orc barbarian or a gnoll ranger. Sometimes, simply bigger is better.

Blackdyrge’s Templates returns with a new template that allows you to make bigger, badder, meaner giants, humanoids, and monstrous humanoids without the addition of class levels. The brute template gives your goblin chieftains, bugbear lieutenants, and hobgoblin captains all the strength and power they need to keep the rank and file in line, fend off rivals, and deal with those pesky adventurers.

So bring back the brawn for your humanoid bad guys with Blackdyrge’s Templates: Brute.

Blackdyrge’s Templates: Brute features 10 pages of new d20 material, and includes the following:

• An introduction by Blackdyrge.
• The brute template.
• Iconic monster # 1: Yarkik Wyrmtooth, a fearsome brute kobold fighter.
• Iconic monster # 2: Karvok “Gatesmasher,” a brute ogre mercenary with a penchant for knocking down walls.
• Fantastic illustrations by Jesse Mohn.

Blackdyrge’s Templates – Brute is available at the following download sites:

RPGNow
DriveThruRPG
Your Games Now
Paizo

 

[JiCi]

Woaw, nice "boss" template you got there Blackdirge.

 

[BLACKDIRGE]

Woaw, nice "boss" template you got there Blackdirge.

Thanks JiCi. That's exactly what I was going for.

Will we be seeing the brute template in one of your creations?

BD

 

[JiCi]

Thanks JiCi. That's exactly what I was going for.

Will we be seeing the brute template in one of your creations?

BD

Hmmm... I haven't thought of a cool concept yet, but a brute hobgoblin Axe Reaver/Tempest might be good (TWF battleaxe mayhem)! However, I will have to include 2 feats into my PC: Endurance and Steadfast Determination. The latter, found in the PH2, allows me to use my Constitution modifier for Will saves instead of my Wisdom modifier. That's basically what was wrong with my other characters... and it,s kinda hard to reshape them using these 2 feats. I could also try to layer the Devout template, even if my character isn't a cleric. Since the favored weapon of Maglubiyet, the Core parent deity of the goblinoids, is the battleaxe, I could end up with a templar powerhouse.

I'll see what I can do. Meanwhile, I'll done lately a drakeling nimbleknife and a gnome legionnaire. Go and check them out!

One more thing, how's the sorcerous and scolary synergy templates progressing? Hope you've haven't dropped the project.

Finally, I can understand "Lesser Half-Dragons" with the dragon turtle, pseudodragon and wyvern, but "Greater Half-Dragons"? What will that cover up? The linnorms from MM2, the rage drake and abyssal drake from MM3, the Spawn of Tiamat from MM4, the Xorviintal dragons from MM5, the elemental drakes from the Draconomicon, the force and prismatic dragons? I want to know!

 

[Alzrius]

In terms of using this template with other materials, the first thing that came to my mind was using it with a creature that also has the Martial template. Add in at least five levels of fighter, and the base creature is going to be scary powerful!

Then I thought, why not add those onto an incorporeal undead creature that also has the Armored Apparition template too? So long as you make the Strength bonuses from the latter two templates apply to the undead creature when animating a suit of armor, it'd work quite nicely, and if done to the right monster (such as the example dread wraith in the Armored Apparition book) it'd be something that your PCs would remember fearfully for a long time to come.

 

[BLACKDIRGE]

One more thing, how's the sorcerous and scolary synergy templates progressing? Hope you've haven't dropped the project.

The synergy templates I'm currently working on are as follows:

Arcane - Wizards
Barbarous - Barbarians
Cerebral - Psions & Wilders

There's also a synergy template in the works for psychic warriors and soul knives, but it's still in the prelimenary stages.

Finally, I can understand "Lesser Half-Dragons" with the dragon turtle, pseudodragon and wyvern, but "Greater Half-Dragons"? What will that cover up? The linnorms from MM2, the rage drake and abyssal drake from MM3, the Spawn of Tiamat from MM4, the Xorviintal dragons from MM5, the elemental drakes from the Draconomicon, the force and prismatic dragons? I want to know!

Greater half-dragons are the spawn of true dragons that are age category ancient or older. Because their dragon parent is such a potent creature, greater half-dragons inherit more draconic traits than standard half-dragons.

You'll just have to wait for the product to learn more than that.

BD

 

[BLACKDIRGE]

In terms of using this template with other materials, the first thing that came to my mind was using it with a creature that also has the Martial template. Add in at least five levels of fighter, and the base creature is going to be scary powerful!

Agreed. That could be a killer combo.

Then I thought, why not add those onto an incorporeal undead creature that also has the Armored Apparition template too? So long as you make the Strength bonuses from the latter two templates apply to the undead creature when animating a suit of armor, it'd work quite nicely, and if done to the right monster (such as the example dread wraith in the Armored Apparition book) it'd be something that your PCs would remember fearfully for a long time to come.

As written, the brute template doesn't work with the undead type. However, I don't think it would be game-breaking to go ahead and allow it.

BD

 

[JiCi]

As written, the brute template doesn't work with the undead type. However, I don't think it would be game-breaking to go ahead and allow it.

However, applying the brute template BEFORE say the ghost template and then applying the Armored Apparition template will do the trick.

 

[Vascant]

I have always wanted to see the genius you apply to the more combat style of templates over to the Arcane side as well.

Not every encounter leads to combat...

 

[BLACKDIRGE]

However, applying the brute template BEFORE say the ghost template and then applying the Armored Apparition template will do the trick.

Heh, oh yeah. Duh.