Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="frankthedm" data-source="post: 3578214" data-attributes="member: 1164">MM5 has a <a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20070607a" target="_blank"> ruin elemental</a>. It kinda looks like the artist had been watching the trailer for the new transformers movie.[imagel]http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/dx20070607p_ruinelemental.jpg[/imagel]What appeared at first to be the debris of a fallen wall or crumbling building suddenly lurches to its feet. Composed entirely of rubble, this immense hunchbacked biped rumbles quickly toward you, its rocky fists raised.[sblock=Ruin Elemental]Ruin ElementalRuin Elemental CR 10Usually N Large elemental (earth)Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +9, Spot +9Languages TerranAC 23, touch 9, flat-footed 23(-1 size, +14 natural)hp 161 (14 HD); DR 5/--Fort +16, Ref +4, Will +6Immune elemental immunities, spike stonesSpeed 40 ft. (8 squares)Melee 2 slams +19 each (1d8+9)Ranged rock +19 (2d6+9)Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.Base Atk +10; Grp +23Atk Options Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Power AttackSpecial Actions shock waveAbilities Str 28, Dex 10, Con 24, Int 9, Wis 15, Cha 7SA rock throwing, shock waveSQ elemental traitsFeats Brutal Throw*, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (slam)* New feat; see sidebar.Skills Hide -1*, Jump +13, Listen +9, Spot +9* Ruin elementals have a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in areas of ruined stone.Advancement 15-26 HD (Large); 27-42 HD (Huge)Immunities (Ex) Ruin elementals take no damage and suffer no impeded movement in the area of a spike stones spell.Rock Throwing (Ex) Like giants, ruin elementals are accomplished rock throwers and have a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls when throwing rocks. A ruin elemental of Large size can hurl rocks weighing up to 50 pounds (Small objects) up to five range increments. A Huge ruin elemental can hurl rocks weighing up to 80 pounds (Medium objects) up to five range increments. The range increment is 150 feet for a ruin elemental's thrown rocks.Shock Wave (Ex) Every 1d4 rounds, as a swift action, a ruin elemental can strike the ground to create a shock wave in a 20-foot-radius spread centered on itself. All creatures not of the earth subtype within the radius of the shock wave are treated as if bull rushed by the ruin elemental. The ruin elemental receives a +4 bonus on this check from Improved Bull Rush, as well as +4 for each size category it is larger than the targeted opponent. A typical ruin elemental has a +17 bonus on the opposed check against Medium creatures, +21 against Small creatures, and +13 against Large creatures. Creatures that fail the opposed checks are pushed back 5 feet and knocked prone.Brought into being by ruin chanters (page 132), ruin elementals arise in wasted lands and shattered fortresses. They keep to themselves, avoiding contact with other creatures.Strategies and TacticsRuin elementals are passive, patient creatures, but they turn violent when others trespass within the territory they are dedicated to defending. Ruin elementals guarding their lairs are aggressive and virtually impossible to negotiate with, seeing all creatures in the area as threats to be slain or driven away. Only the ruin chanter that created it and those designated as harmless by the ruin chanter can approach a ruin elemental without fear.When defending their homes, ruin elementals first attempt to take out opponents with volleys of thrown rocks. When foes close to melee range, the elemental meets them with its slam attacks. If fighting multiple foes, a ruin elemental uses its shock wave ability to knock them down. Prone foes likely remain within the creature's reach, but it concentrates on one target before moving on to the rest.In defense of their lairs and the areas they are sworn to protect, ruin elementals fight to the death.Sample EncountersRuin elementals are the servants of ruin chanters. These elementals are called to the Material Plane, and they seldom appear in large numbers.Masterless Servant (EL 10): A lone ruin elemental lurks within the rubble of a fallen castle. The ruin chanter that created it is long dead, but a doppelganger has a lair nearby. The shapechanger knows which areas of the ruins it can hide in to avoid the elemental's wrath. If the doppelganger observes PCs investigating the area, he poses as the ruin chanter and demands tribute in exchange for ordering "his" guardian to stand down. The doppelganger then flees with the payment (or if his ruse is discovered), leaving the party to face the ruin elemental.Final Guardians (EL 13): A trio of ruin elementals guards the exit from an ancient dungeon explored by the PCs. When the characters emerge, the elementals hem them in, preventing their exit but keeping them from fleeing back into the place. Unless the PCs drop the loot they took from the dungeon, these guardians attack and fight until destroyed.EcologyRuin elementals reflect the destructive forces of nature and time even as they protect the remains of history. Their ruin chanter masters create them to guard ancient places against those intent on plunder or defilement.Ruin elementals instinctively collect curios from the ruins in which they arise, usually taking great care to safeguard such objects. These items can be nearly anything from worthless statuary to potent artifacts. Although a ruin elemental is very possessive of the treasure it collects, the surface of the creature's body is so abrasive that most objects it touches and handles suffer significantly from that contact. Mundane items in a ruin elemental's hoard are inevitably damaged by its touch, and they often look like nothing more than junk.Environment: Ruin elementals guard long-abandoned cities, temples, and fortresses in the farthest corners of the world. Trackless deserts, tundra, and other places so inhospitable that their ruins were never resettled are these creatures' homelands.Typical Physical Characteristics: Ruin elementals are stooped, shambling creatures that stand some 14 feet tall. Their rocky forms weigh about 7,000 pounds. Over time, the rubble from which a ruin elemental is made is ground down by its movement and the friction that movement creates against its surroundings. The oldest ruin elementals look as though they are made of rough gravel and spurs of harder stone.Alignment: Ruin elementals care little for the lives of other creatures, and they are typically benign unless they or the areas over which they claim stewardship are threatened. They are usually neutral.Typical TreasureRuin elementals collect whatever odds and ends they find interesting, but these items are not necessarily valuable or useful. Although they are rarely found in possession of coins, ruin elementals frequently hoard fine weapons and art. These are often worn or damaged in some way because of the creature's abrasive touch, and they are worth their full value only to collectors. Magic items are also commonly found in a ruin elemental's lair, since such objects are more capable of withstanding the ravages of time and the creature's touch. Ruin elementals have half standard treasure for their Challenge Rating, almost all of which is in the form of the aforementioned items.  New Feat: Brutal ThrowYou have learned how to hurl weapons to deadly effect.Benefit: You can add your Strength modifier (instead of your Dexterity modifier) to attack rolls with thrown weapons.Normal: A character attacking with a ranged weapon adds his Dexterity modifier to the attack roll.Special: A fighter can select Brutal Throw as one of his fighter bonus feats. [/sblock]  Here is the full advancement of that critter. I have balance concerns involving Rock Chuckers with brutal throw and power throw, but here is for those who want it.  [sblock=Unplatested max advancment Ruin Elemental]Great Ruin Elemental CR ?18?LE huge elemental (earth)Init -1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +9, Spot +9Languages Terran-----------------------------------------AC 24, touch 7, flat-footed 24 (-2 size, -1 dex +17 natural)hp 567 (42 HD); DR 5/--Fort +33, Ref +13, Will +18Immune elemental immunities, spike stones------------------------------------------------Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)Melee 2 slams +45 each (2d6+16)Power Attack [20 point] 2 slams +25 each (2d6+36)Ranged rock +47/+42/+37/+32 (3d6+16 19-20 crit)Power Throw [30 point] +17/+12/+7/+2 (3d6+46 19-20 crit)Power Throw [15 point] +32/+27/+22/+18 (3d6+31 19-20 crit)Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.Base Atk +31; Grp +23Atk Options Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Brutal Throw, Rapid ShotSpecial Actions shock wave----------------------------------------------Abilities Str 42******, Dex 8, Con 28, Int 10*, Wis 15, Cha 7SA rock throwing, shock waveSQ elemental traitsFeats Brutal Throw[CAd] [1], Improved Bull Rush[3], Improved Sunder [6], Power Attack [9], Iron will [12], Weapon focus (rock)[15], Point Blank shot [18], Quickdraw [21], skill focus (hide)[24], Brutal throw[CAd][27], Improved crit (rock) [30], Far shot[33], Awesome blow [36], skill focus spot[39], blind fight[42]Skills Hide +26*, Jump +18, Listen +22, Spot +25* Ruin elementals have a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in areas of ruined stone.---------------------------------------------Immunities (Ex) Ruin elementals take no damage and suffer no impeded movement in the area of a spike stones spell.Rock Throwing (Ex) It hurls rocks weighing up to 80 pounds (Medium objects) up to five range increments. The range increment is 300 feet for this ruin elemental's thrown rocks.Shock Wave (Ex) Every 1d4 rounds, as a swift action, a ruin elemental can strike the ground to create a shock wave in a 20-foot-radius spread centered on itself. All creatures not of the earth subtype within the radius of the shock wave are treated as if bull rushed by the ruin elemental. The ruin elemental receives a +4 bonus on this check from Improved Bull Rush, as well as +4 for each size category it is larger than the targeted opponent. Creatures that fail the opposed checks are pushed back 5 feet and knocked prone.Total Bonuses+32 against Small creatures+28 against Medium creatures+24 against Large creatures+20 against Huge creatures[/sblock]</blockquote>

Verification