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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cleon" data-source="post: 6057704" data-attributes="member: 57383">Tso Working DraftTsoMedium AberrationHit Dice: 7d8 (31 hp)Initiative: +3Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft.Armor Class: 20 (+3 Dex, +6 natural, +1 light darkwood shield), touch 13, flat-footed 20Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+5Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d8 plus poison) or masterwork rapier +9 melee (1d6/18-20) or light crossbow +8 ranged (1d8/19–20)Full Attack: Masterwork rapier +9 melee (1d6/18-20) and bite +6 melee (1d8 plus poison) and 2 claws +6 melee (1d4); or bite +8 melee (1d8 plus poison) and 2 claws +6 melee (1d4); or light crossbow +8 ranged (1d8/19–20)Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Cooperative spellcasting, enslave, spells, poisonSpecial Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., tso traitsSaves: Fort +0, Ref +4, Will +6Abilities: Str 10, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 17Skills: Appraise +8, Balance +7, Climb +11, Concentration +9, Diplomacy +10, Disable Device +4, Intimidate +7, Jump +9, Knowledge (the planes) +8, Move Silently +7, Search +4, Sense Motive +7, Spot +7Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Multiattack (B), Spell Penetration, Weapon Finesse (B)Environment: Any lawful non-good outer planeOrganization: Gang (3–8 plus 8–40 slaves), trading party (8–18 and 20–80 slaves) or brood (10–20 plus 3–6 young and 20–120 slaves)Challenge Rating: 5Treasure: Double standardAlignment: Usually lawful evilAdvancement: By character classLevel Adjustment: —A horrible little creature with a spiderlike body and a long neck and  head resembling a predatory eel, save for the head's pointed ears. The  creature appears intelligent, for it bears equipment. It walks on four  hind legs and has four arms with long-fingered hands that would look  delicate if it weren't for their formidable claws. Entirely hairless,  its body is covered in shiny chitin, with leathery black hide on the  joints and eel-like portions.Tso are relatives of the neogi who journey the planes in search of  wealth. They possess the same enslaving power as their kin and are  seldom encountered without a retinue of slaves. Groups of tso can use a  time-consuming form of cooperative magic to weave spells of formidable  power, this cooperative magic is incomprehensible to non-tso.Highly sociable, a tso rarely strays far from others of its kind. Family bands of tso, known as broods,  travel in flying vessels, most commonly a spider-shaped ship called an  aracheon, aracheas, or arachantine. Broods are led by the most powerful  tso, typically a sorcerer of at least 6th level, although some base  their power on another class or the possession of a mighty slave.  Spellcasting tso leaders usually select metamagic feats as their level  increases.Tso are insatiably avaricious. No act is too contemptible or treacherous  for a tso if there's profit in it, save for one - they always keep a  contract. Tso will only act on a deal once they have an ironclad  contract, but they'll take a contract for kidnapping, sabotage, murder  and soul-trapping as readily as one for smuggling, slave-trading or even  honest trade. It matters not to them whether they're shipping medicine  for a deva to save a city or selling an iron cage of larvae to a devil.  Tso are extremely devious, and use cunning wording or complex  sub-clauses in a contract to trick clients into paying more for less.  They reckon anyone who signs a contract that may lead to penury or  slavery deserves what they get. Tso will make liberal use of spells to  make a profitable business  deal and aren't above using their enslave  ability on an unwary customer. Their contract negotiations with devils  are infamous for their deceitfulness and complexity.Tso reproduction resembles that of neogi. A brood selects one of their  older members and paralyzes it with venomous bites that trigger the  parent-to-be's transformation into a breeding stage. The elder tso is  immobilizes and possessed by ravenous hunger, it eats constantly for 8  to 10 weeks and then 3 to 6 infant tso burst out its swollen body,  killing their parent. Unlike neogi spawn, newborn tso are intelligent  creatures that look (and act) like tiny versions of the adults. They  become active members of their brood's hierarchy within a year. If a  brood's population becomes too large for its flying vessel, it'll try   to alleviate the pressure by dispatching permanent trading parties, but  eventually the over-large brood must split up and build a new ship. This  is a time of great danger, uncertainty and intrigue among tso.A tyical tso stands 5 1/2 feet tall and weighs about 120 pounds.Tso speak Common, even among themselves, and most also know Celestial, Draconic and Infernal.COMBATTso avoid melee, preferring to cast spells or use their enslaving  ability from a safe distance. They go to great lengths to let their  slaves and summoned monsters do their fighting for them but are  surprisingly capable combatants if given no other option. While tso try  to avoid throwing away the lives of their slaves, as it's poor business  to lose valuable property, they always put their own lives ahead of any  slave's.A portion of tso in an encounter will often be armed with a simple   darkwood polearm (quarterstaff, spear or longspear)  instead of the  sample tso's rapier  and darkwood shield. A typical tso  has a +6 melee   attack with a  darkwood polearm and is AC 19 instead of 20, since it  has  no shield  bonus.Cooperative Spellcasting (Sp): A group of two or more tso can form a spellcasting collaboration which can increase the number and power of their spells.Forming The Collaboration: To form a spellcasting collaboration, the entire group must agree which tso will lead their collaborative spellcasting and then ready their sorcerer spells together in a special ceremony which takes 1 hour to complete. This hour includes the 15 minutes the tso participants need to ready their personal sorcerer spells. The leader of the collaboration gains the spells per day of a sorcerer with a level equal to their own level plus +1 level for every other tso in the collaboration (max +12 levels). These bonus levels only increase the number of spells the leader can ready, they do not increase the leader's own casting level. The leader casts the spells per day of their personal caster level normally, but the additional spells they gain are "Collaborative Spells" that follow special rules detailed below.Spells per Day Example: A standard tso has 4th-level sorcerer spellcasting and Charisma 17, giving it 6/7/4 spells per day. It becomes the leader of a collaboration with five other tso, giving it the spells per day equal to a 9th level sorcerer (6/7/7/7/4). Of these spells, 6/7/4 are normal spells and the remaining three 2nd level, seven 3rd level and four 4th level spell slots are collaborative spells (0/0/3/7/4). The leader's caster level is 4th.Assisted Spellcasting: The collaboration's leader can have their spellcasting assisted by any other member of the group. This gives the leader a +1 bonus to caster level for each assistant (maximum +12 CL). To provide this CL boost, an assistant must be within 30 feet of the leader, have line of effect, and take a standard action every round for the spell's entire casting time. If any of these conditions are broken or the assistant loses focus (by failing a Concentration check, for example) the leader's spellcasting does not receive a CL bonus from that assistant, although they can still receive CL bonuses from other assistants.Casting Collaborative Spells: The leader of the collaboration (and only the leader) can cast collaborative spells. The leader is not limited to their Sorcerer Spells Known list, but can cast any Sorcerer/Wizard spell as a collaborative spell. The tso also have access to secret collaborative-only spells, such as the enchant aracheon spell used to create their plane-traveling flying ships.Collaborative spells can only be cast using Assisted Spellcasting (see above). The leader's caster levels, plus the bonus CLs from Assisted Spellcasting, must be equal to or more than the sorcerer level required to cast the spell, or the collaborative spell will fail. The leader must meet all of the collaborative spell's costs (XP, material components, et cetera) themselves and can modify the spell with Metamagic Feats. A collaborative spell takes longer to cast than the normal version of the spell, although this can be shortened by applying the Quicken Spell feat, as detailed in the Collaborative Spell Casting Time table (see below). In all other respects, a collaborative spell uses the rules for a normal sorcerer spell. Breaking The Collaboration: A spellcasting collaboration breaks down when a participating tso readies a new set of sorcerer spells. If the leader readies their spells, the entire collaboration is broken. If an "assistant" readies their spells, they exit the collaboration and the leader must recalculate their spells-per-day without the level bonus they get from that assistant (if any). The leader is immediately aware of this loss and knows which tso exited the collaboration, but has no knowledge of the circumstances. Normally, a group of tso will ready their spells together to form a new collaboration while breaking the old one.Table: Collaborative Spell Casting Time<table style='width: 100%'><tr><td>Original Spell's Casting Time</td><td>Collaborative Spell's Casting Time</td><td>Collaborative Casting Time with Quicken Spell</td></tr><tr><td>Immediate</td><td>Standard action</td><td>Swift action</td></tr><tr><td>Swift</td><td>Full round</td><td>Standard action</td></tr><tr><td>Standard</td><td>1 round per spell level</td><td>Full round</td></tr><tr><td>Full Round</td><td>1 minute</td><td>1 round per spell level</td></tr><tr><td>More than 1 round</td><td>Multiply casting time by 10</td><td>2 rounds per spell level</td></tr></table>Enslave (Su): A tso can try to enslave any one living creature  within 30 feet as an at-will standard action. This ability functions  similarly to a dominate monster spell (caster level 16th; Will DC  18). An enslaved creature obeys the tso's telepathic commands to the  letter. The subject can attempt a new DC 18 Will save every 24 hours to  break free. Otherwise, the tso's control is broken only by the death of  the tso or the enslaved creature, by a remove curse or dispel magic effect,   or if the tso travels more than 1 mile from the enslaved creature. At   any given time, a tso can have a number of creatures enslaved by means   of this ability equal to 1 + its Cha modifier (but tso also keep   additional slaves in the normal, nonmagical manner). The save DC is   Charisma-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 15, initial damage 1d6 Dex and 1d4 Con, secondary damage 1d6 Dex and 1d4 Wis. A tso can coat a weapon with poison from its fangs as a standard action. The poison remains active for 1 minute after application and functions as it does when delivered by means of a bite. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus. Spells: A tso casts spells as a 4th-level sorcerer.Typical Sorcerer Spells Known (6/7/4; save DC 13 + spell level) 0—detect magic, detect poison, mage hand, mending, read magic, resistance;1st—comprehend languages, mage armor, summon monster I;2nd—eagle's splendor.Skills: Tso can use their Dexterity score instead of their Strength score for Climb and Jump checks. Tso have a +8 bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks even if rushed or threatened.Enchant AracheonTransmutationLevel: Sor/Wiz 9Components: V, SCasting Time: 10 minutes (see below)Range: TouchTarget: One vehicle with a volume of up to one 10 ft. cube per caster levelDuration: 1 day/levelSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: NoThis powerful spell creates a flying vessel called an aracheon. The  target of this spell can be any movable object — usually a ship, but  it  could be a wagon, juggernaut, sledge, or any other form of  transport.Only tso can use this spell, since casting it requires a group of at  least thirteen tso using their cooperative spellcasting ability (see the  tso entry for details). It takes 10 minutes to cast enchant aracheon  as a standard collaborative spell, or 2 minutes if the tso brood uses the Quicken Spell metamagic feat.An aracheon can fly at a speed of 40 feet with poor maneuverability, or     30 feet with clumsy maneuverability if the vehicle is heavily armored    or   carrying a heavy load. The aracheon can also hover, as per the    Hover  feat, and will hover in midair if left unattended. An aracheon's   normal carrying capacity is 500 lbs. per 5 ft. square  it occupies;  its  "heavily loaded" carrying capacity is 1000 lbs. per square.Any tso who participates in casting enchant aracheon has the  potential to pilot the resulting vehicle. The leader of the spellcasting  collaboration decides which of the tso  in the group can pilot the  aracheon. The leader can freely change the  list of approved  pilots as a  standard action. An aracheon's "helm" is a rune that appears identical  to an arcane mark. Approved pilots can touch this steering rune  and direct the aracheon's movement as a move action. The rune is so  small it can only be touched by a single tso. The pilot must use a move  action every round to steer the aracheon, if they stop directing the  vehicle it will continue on its present course for 1d6 rounds before  slowing to a hover.When the duration of enchant aracheon expires the magic fades   slowly. Should the aracheon be aloft, the vehicle floats downward 60   feet per round for 1d6 minutes. If it reaches the ground in that amount  of  time, it lands safely. If not, it falls the rest of the distance,   taking 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet of fall. The aracheon also  descends in this way if the enchant aracheon is cancelled by another effect, but not if it is negated by an antimagic field. An enchant aracheon spell cannot be dispelled, but it can be undone by break enchantment, mage's disjunction and similar powers.The secrets of enchant aracheon are jealously guarded by the tso, who will never reveal it to outsiders.Permanency: A permanency spell can make enchant aracheon permanent at the cost of 5,000 XP.Originally appeared in Planescape Monstrous Compendium II (1995)</blockquote>

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