Converting Creatures from Other Campaign Settings

[Cleon]

Juggernaut, Wicker
Huge Construct
Hit Dice: 3d10+40 (56 hp)
Initiative: –1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 13 (–2 size, –1 Dex, +6 natural), touch 7, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+18
Attack: Slam +8 melee (1d6+8 plus 2d6 fire)
Full Attack: 2 slams +8 melee (1d6+8 plus 2d6 fire)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Burning body, spell transmission
Special Qualities: Construct traits, damage reduction 3/—, fire resistance 15, vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +0, Will –4
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 8, Con —, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: —
Feats: Snatch (B)
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —

An enormous effigy woven from reeds and twigs.

Wicker juggernauts are simple constructs that are generally used to create guardian juggernauts (see the guardian juggernaut template). The rarest basic model of juggernaut, they are weak and fragile in comparison to other juggernaut models let alone a true golem. Wicker juggernauts are the only variety normally piloted by spellcasters, since their spell transmission ability allows their pilot to cast spells from the juggernaut's perspective.

A typical wicker juggernaut stands 30 feet tall and weighs about 4,000 pounds.

COMBAT
These mindless constructs are incapable of developing tactics of their own, but fight according to whatever instructions their masters give them.

Burning Body (Ex): A wicker juggernaut's natural attacks and any melee weapon it wields deal an additional 2d6 fire damage. Creatures hitting a wicker juggernaut with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take fire damage as though hit by the construct's flaming body.

Note that wicker juggernauts are vulnerable to fire damage, including the 2d6 fire damage from their own Burning Body special ability, but its fire resistance of 15 prevents it taking any damage from its own flames as long as it is active.

Fire Resistance (Sp): A standard wicker juggernaut has fire resistance as a spell-like ability, if this is dispelled (caster level equals the wicker juggernaut's construction) the juggernaut can restart the fire resistance as a free action. A wicker juggernaut produced by the create guardian spell does not have fire resistance so will be quickly reduced to ash by its burning body ability unless the juggernaut is given fire resistance by some additional means. In either case, a wicker juggernaut's fire resistance protects the juggernaut’s equipment as well, including any passenger in its spell transmission slot.

Spell Transmission (Su): A wicker juggernaut contains a special spiritual equipment slot that can carry a passenger no larger than two size categories smaller than the juggernaut. If the juggernaut is "equipped" with a volunteer who possesses the same creature type and subtype as its pilot, this allows the pilot to transmit spells and spell-like abilities "through" the volunteer with the following provisos:

1. The range of a spell transmitted through the wicker juggernaut's volunteer originates from the juggernaut rather than the actual location of the pilot. Spells with a range of "personal" can not be transmitted through the juggernaut's volunteer.
2. The pilot cannot target the juggernaut or anything in its spiritual equipment slots, including the volunteer, with a transmitted spell.
3. the pilot cannot transmit spells through the wicker juggernaut if the volunteer is dead or unconscious.

CONSTRUCTION
A wicker juggernaut is crafted from 5,000 pounds of wicker soaked in rare and costly oils with a materials cost of 500 gp.

Weaving the body requires a DC 13 Craft (wickerwork) or DC 13 Craft (carpentry) check.

CL 9th; Craft Construct, animate objects, fire shield, imbue with spell ability, spiritual weapon, caster must be at least 9th level; Price 8,000 gp; Cost 4,250 gp + 300 XP.

Enhanced Wicker Juggernauts
Some wicker juggernauts are built with more powerful combat abilities and the capacity to wield spiritual equipment like guardian juggernauts.

Apply the following changes to the basic wicker juggernaut.

Special Attacks: Stomp, sweep
Special Qualities: Spell transmission, spiritual equipment
Advancement: Huge (4-8 HD), Gargantuan (9-13 HD) or Colossal (14-18 HD)
Challenge Rating: 6 (5 when piloted as a guardian juggernaut)

Enhanced wicker juggernauts can be built with more HD and larger sizes than standard wicker juggernauts. See the Construction section for details.

COMBAT
An enhanced juggernaut normally has weapons and armor in its spiritual equipment slots and uses these and its special attacks in combat, fighting in whatever manner it is ordered to.

Spiritual Equipment (Su): See the Guardian Juggernaut template's Special Qualities for a description of this ability.

Stomp (Ex): An enhanced wicker juggernaut can stomp an opponent two or more size categories smaller than itself. This is a special full-round action during which the juggernaut moves up to twice its ground speed and attempts to move into its opponent's space. If the victim fails a DC 19 Reflex save, the opponent takes 4d8+12 bludgeoning damage plus 2d6 fire damage, following which the juggernaut may either pin or kick the opponent. If the victim succeeds at the Reflex save, the victim takes half damage, the juggernaut's movement ends next to the opponent's space, and the opponent may make an attack of opportunity against the juggernaut. The save DC is Strength-based.

If the juggernaut pins its opponent, the victim automatically takes stomp damage during the next round unless the juggernaut moves off them. If the juggernaut chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack. Pinned opponents continue to take stomp damage each round if they don’t escape.

If the juggernaut kicks the opponent, the victim travels 1d6 × 10 feet, and takes 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet traveled plus stomp damage from the kick.

Sweep (Ex): This special attack allows an enhanced wicker juggernaut to sweep its arms* from side to side as a standard action. The sweep affects a half-circle with a radius of the juggernaut's reach, extending from an intersection on the edge of the juggernaut's space in any direction. Creatures within the swept area are affected if they are two or more size categories smaller than the juggernaut. A sweep automatically deals twice the juggernaut's base slam damage (or claw damage, if the juggernaut has no slam attacks) plus 1-1/2 times the juggernaut’s Strength bonus (round down) plus 2d6 fire damage. Affected creatures can attempt Reflex saves to take half damage (the save DC is Strength-based).

*An enhanced wicker juggernaut with a non-standard anatomy can use other limbs, such as wings or a tail, to make a sweep attack.

CONSTRUCTION
An enhanced wicker juggernaut is crafted from 5,000 pounds of wicker soaked in rare and costly oils with a materials cost of 1,000 gp. An enhanced wicker juggernaut with more than 3 Hit Dice can be created, but each additional Hit Die adds 600 gp to the market price. If this increases the size of the creature the price increases by 3,000 gp for a Gargantuan juggernaut and by an additional 5,000 gp for a Colossal one. The higher price includes the cost of the extra materials required to build a larger juggernaut, the total material cost is 2,000 gp for a Gargantuan wicker juggernaut and 4,000 gp for a Colossal one.

Weaving the body requires a DC 15 Craft (carpentry) or DC 15 Craft (woodcarving) check.

CL 11th; Craft Construct, animate objects, fire shield, imbue with spell ability, righteous might, spiritual weapon, caster must be at least 11th level; Price 15,000 gp; Cost 8,000 gp + 560 XP.

Gargantuan 9 HD Juggernaut: Price 21,600 gp; Cost 11,800 gp + 784 XP.
Colossal 18 HD Juggernaut: Price 32,000 gp; Cost 18,000 gp + 1,120 XP.

 

[Cleon]

Ah dang it, that's about all the energy I have for today.

I'll call it a night and if you're lucky I'll catch up some more tomorrow after I finish work.

 

[freyar]

I wonder if the fiery aura would best be dealt with by something like a fire elemental's burn ability since no one nearby is damaged. I guess we could just add fire damage to the slams, but that doesn't seem entirely right.

Also, I don't think the volunteer is a "sacrifice" since I don't see why they can't get out after the duration of the create guardian spell runs out. Plus they're protected!

We should probably think fairly carefully about the spell channelling. I don't understand why the original text says they couldn't cast color spray based on the "no touch or zero range" restriction, unless that spell worked very differently before!

 

[Cleon]

I wonder if the fiery aura would best be dealt with by something like a fire elemental's burn ability since no one nearby is damaged. I guess we could just add fire damage to the slams, but that doesn't seem entirely right.

Also, I don't think the volunteer is a "sacrifice" since I don't see why they can't get out after the duration of the create guardian spell runs out. Plus they're protected!

Yes, I should remember to rephrase that as "volunteer" as the text indicates they survive the experience provided they have fire resistance and aren't killed by external forces.

We should probably think fairly carefully about the spell channelling. I don't understand why the original text says they couldn't cast color spray based on the "no touch or zero range" restriction, unless that spell worked very differently before!

I believe the idea behind it was touch or zero range spells are cast directly from/through the caster so can't be channeled through the "life force" of the volunteer in the Wicker Juggernaut and are thus wasted.

I'd be fine changing that restriction. Maybe allow "Touch" spells but not "Personal" spells? That'd prevent a cleric going divine power in a Wicker Juggernaut.

The question is do we want that? I guess we could lift the range restrictions altogether but I can't help thinking we should apply some kind of restrictions to what spells can be channeled through the Juggernaut.

Do we want the caster to be able to, say, polymorph themselves into, say, a brown bear and become an ursine wicker juggernaut with the ridiculous Str boost that would provide?

The intent appears to be that the helmsman can cast spells thjrough the volunteer to affect targets around the Juggernaut but not spells that boost the Juggernaut itself.

 

[freyar]

Wow, I am really behind!

If I understand your proposal correctly, I think I agree. No personal spells, so the pilot can't affect the juggernaut. But I'd be ok with a juggernaut running around and putting bull's strength on allies or using vampiric touch on enemies or whatever.

 

[Cleon]

Wow, I am really behind!

If I understand your proposal correctly, I think I agree. No personal spells, so the pilot can't affect the juggernaut. But I'd be ok with a juggernaut running around and putting bull's strength on allies or using vampiric touch on enemies or whatever.

Okay, so to recap.

Instead of the "burning fists" we'll give the Wicker Juggernaut a variant of the Fire Elemental's Burn ability, with the additional proviso that it needs resistance from fire effects to prevent lighting itself on fire.

So something like:

Burning Body (Ex): A wicker juggernaut’s slam attack deals bludgeoning damage plus 2d6 fire damage from the construct's flaming body. Creatures hitting a wicker juggernaut with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take fire damage as though hit by the juggernaut's slam attack.

Note that wicker juggernauts are vulnerable to fire damage, including the 2d6 fire damage from their own Burning Body special ability, but its fire resistance of 15 prevents it taking any damage from its own flames as long as it is active.

Fire Resistance 15 (Sp): A wicker juggernaut fire resistance is a spell-like ability so can be dispelled (the caster level equals the CL of the wicker juggernaut's construction). The wicker juggernaut can restart its fire resistance as a free action.

Vulnerability to Fire (remember to add to SQ list)

Spell Transmission (Su): A wicker juggernaut contains a special spiritual equipment slot that can carry a passenger no larger than two size categories smaller than the juggernaut. If the juggernaut is "equipped" with a volunteer who possesses the same creature type and subtype as its pilot, this allows the pilot to transmit spells and spell-like abilities "through" the volunteer with the following provisos:

1. The range of a spell transmitted through the wicker juggernaut's volunteer originates from the juggernaut rather than the actual location of the pilot. Spells with a range of "personal" can not be transmitted through the juggernaut's volunteer.
2. The pilot cannot target the juggernaut or anything in its spiritual equipment slots, including the volunteer, with a transmitted spell.
3. the pilot cannot transmit spells through the wicker juggernaut if the volunteer is dead or unconscious.

 

[freyar]

I can go with all that. The volunteer should get the fire resistance, too. I forget, how does the vulnerability to fire work with the fire resistance? Is only the fire damage that exceeds the resistance increased by the vulnerability?

 

[Cleon]

I can go with all that. The volunteer should get the fire resistance, too. I forget, how does the vulnerability to fire work with the fire resistance? Is only the fire damage that exceeds the resistance increased by the vulnerability?

If I remember correctly, the FAQ on wizards.com says you apply Resistance before Vulnerability.

i.e. if a Wicker Juggernaut is hit by a 22 point fire attack, its fire resistance 15 knocks it down to 7 and then the Fire Vulnerability increases that 7 to 10 points of damage.

Hold on a mo while I check my FAQ files.

If you don't have them yet, they're still available from Wizard's FAQ page, though I believe the 3.5 update (http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/files/Main35FAQv06302008.zip) subsumes all the older FAQs.

Yup, on page 113 of that pdf: "If the creature has both resistance and vulnerability to the same kind of damage, apply the resistance (which reduces the damage dealt by the effect) before applying the vulnerability (which increases the damage taken by the creature)."

 

[Cleon]

The volunteer should get the fire resistance, too.

Dang it, I was going to make that explicit in the ability but somehow it never happened.

The following amendment ought to cover it:

Fire Resistance 15 (Sp): A wicker juggernaut fire resistance is a spell-like ability so can be dispelled (the caster level equals the CL of the wicker juggernaut's construction). This resistance protects the juggernaut’s equipment as well, including any passengers in its equipment slots. The wicker juggernaut can restart its fire resistance as a free action.

 

[Cleon]

Updating Wicker Juggernaut Working Draft.