Converting Epic Level Beings

[Shade]

hmm, indeed! so then i guess the only thing that remains is if we want to keep the "creatures with 4 or less HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds" as-is, or change those numeric values around a bit.

I'd keep that bit. Even epic dragons follow those same parameters.

i'm assuming that meant to say "at -4", which also suggests Ability Focus to me.

Sure, or a racial bonus, or a combination of the two.

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

i'll at least keep the feat in there, which yields:

Frightful Presence (Ex): Vore Lekiniskiy can unsettle foes with his mere presence. The ability takes effect automatically whenever Vore attacks. Creatures within a radius of 240 feet are subject to the effect if they have fewer HD than Vore. A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a DC 42 Will save remains immune to Vore's frightful presence for 24 hours. On a failure, creatures with 4 or less HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds. Vore ignores the frightful presence of other draconic creatures. The save DC is Charisma-based.

 

[Shade]

Looks good. Shall we tackle the breath weapon next?

Vore's breath weapon is like the erupting of a volcano. It is not just fire - but lava and molten rock as well. Because of his tie to the mountain, Vore may use his fiery breath once every three rounds, but it causes him 10 hp internal damage for every blast beyond the first. His breath is a 30' cone that extends at its widest point to 15 feet. It inflicts 25d6+25 hp damage on anything within that area, though victims may attempt to save vs. breath weapon for half. Nonmagical and magical objects must save vs. magical fire or be instantly burned to a crisp. On the following round, anything or any creature within the path of Vore's breath weapon must make a saving throw again or be overcome by the lava that rushes down the mountainside (Vore is smart enough to never breathe uphill.) The lava inflicts 15d6+15 hp damage to anything in a 15' wide area within 100 feet of Vore's snout.

Lava Effects
Lava or magma deals 2d6 points of damage per round of exposure, except in the case of total immersion (such as when a character falls into the crater of an active volcano), which deals 20d6 points of damage per round.

Damage from magma continues for 1d3 rounds after exposure ceases, but this additional damage is only half of that dealt during actual contact (that is, 1d6 or 10d6 points per round).

An immunity or resistance to fire serves as an immunity to lava or magma. However, a creature immune to fire might still drown if completely immersed in lava (see Drowning, below).

You transform natural, uncut or unworked rock of any sort into an equal volume of red-hot molten lava. All creatures in the spell's area who make successful Reflex saves take 6d6 points of fire damage provided they can physically escape the area on their next turn. Creatures that fail their saves, or those unable to escape the area, take 20d6 points of fire damage in each round they remain in the area. Creatures in the lava have their speed reduced to 5 feet and take a -2 penalty on attack rolls to Armor Class. Even after leaving the area of the spell, creatures that were exposed to the lava take half damage (either 3d6 or 10d6) for an additional 1 additional round.

Attempt #1...

Breath Weapon (Su): Vore Lekiniskiy has one type of breath weapon, a 60-foot cone of magma usable once every 1d4 rounds. This attack deals 25d10 points of fire damage (Reflex DC X half). Additionally, damage from this magma continues for 1d3 rounds after exposure ceases, but this additional damage is only half of that dealt during initial contact.

Additionally, the lava lingers for X rounds thereafter, moving away from Vore at X feet per round. Any creature caught in the lava's area must attempt a DC X Reflex save; success indicates that the creature takes 6d6 points of fire damage provided it can physically escape the area on its next turn. Creatures that fail their saves, or those unable to escape the area, take 20d6 points of fire damage in each round they remain in the area. Creatures in the lava have their speed reduced to 5 feet and take a -2 penalty on attack rolls to Armor Class. Even after leaving the area of the spell, creatures that were exposed to the lava take half damage (either 3d6 or 10d6) for 1 additional round. The save DCs are Constitution-based.

Personally I think the 20d6 may be a little too severe - it is based on a creature being completely immersed in the lava rather than being in an area of lava up to his ankles etc.

But, hey, its an epic creature.

You're right...that's probably too severe. I guess what we need to decide (and to clarify in the text) is how much lava we're talking about exactly. Is it just an "up to their ankles" bit, or is it a big wave. Either way, it should definetely be less than total immersion.

Maybe if we base it on the original 25d10 damage, but a percentage - say 50% or rounding down to 12d6 or even 25% (6d6).

If we stick with 6d6 for a successful save, then 12d6 seems reasonable.

I would make the extra lava damage consistant with the lingering damage breath weapon feats. (I am at work so not sure, but i think that is what you have here).

Your breath weapon has its normal effects, but also remains as a lingering cloud of the same shape and size as the original breath weapon. The cloud lasts 1 round.

Foes caught in the breath weapon's area when you breathe take no additional damage from the lignering breath weapon, provided they leave the cloud by the shortest available route on their next turn. Otherwise, anyone who touches or enters the cloud while it lasts takes one-half of the breath weapon's normal effects; any saving throw the breath weapon normally allows still applies. Damaging breath weapons deal one-half their normal damage, and breath weapons with effects that have durations last for half the normal time. If a creature is affected by the same non-damaging breath weapon twice, the effects do not stack.

Here's that spell I mentioned.

DEADLY LAHAR
Conjuration [Earth, Fire]
Level: Druid 8, sorcerer/wizard 8, wu jen 8 (earth and fire)
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Area: Cone-shaped spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex partial
Spell Resistance: No

A rushing torrent of liquid rock bursts from the ground, washing over your foes.

You create a liquid landslide of molten-hot volcanic material. All creatures in the area of the spell take 10d6 points of fire damage. Additionally, those creatures are coated in a thick layer of the viscous substance, slowing them (as the slow spell) for the next 3 rounds and dealing an additional 5d6 points of fire damage per round. A successful Reflex save reduces the initial damage by half and prevents the slow effect and the additional damage.

 

[Mortis]

RE: Breath Weapon

Did you see this post?

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

Did you see this post?is

Yep, I was still editing.

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

Heh, actually I had a big post prepared for this issue, but Shade got most of it for me. here’s what’s left:

The issue of his breath weapon was big enough that I felt like keeping it to a separate post.

First of all, Shade suggested changing the frequency to 1d4 to match other dragons.

and, well, then, everything else that Shade just posted.

P.S., posted in homebrews last night.

 

[Shade]

Checked out homebrews while giving other folks a chance to respond on the breath weapon:

Tail slap should be 4d8.

Damage reduction 15/epic is about comparable to epic dragons of its Hit Dice.

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

i'll print that part out and take a look at it when i get the chance.

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

and, so done!

First of all, the breath weapon format taken from the MM, for reference:

Breath Weapon (Su): 30-foot cone?, once every 1d4 rounds, damage (energy or effect), Reflex DC X half (or Fortitude DC X negates). The save DC is Constitution-based.
(see behir, chimera, dragons, dragon turtle, frost worm, iron golem, gorgon, hellhound, cryohydra and pyrohydra, mephits, winter wolf)

Do we want to incorporate this part? “it causes him 10 hp internal damage for every blast beyond the first.”

Note that the original description says “a 30' cone that extends at its widest point to 15 feet”, but I don’t know how that works in 3.5 for a Colossal dragon.

Should we put in a note about unattended objects, or should that be assumed by a DM anyway? “Nonmagical and magical objects must save vs. magical fire or be instantly burned to a crisp.”

“On the following round, anything or any creature within the path of Vore's breath weapon must make a saving throw again or be overcome by the lava that rushes down the mountainside” - OK, it does not specify how many rounds the lava lasts, so that will be up to our interpretation. All it says is that creatures take damage on the round following the breath, not whether the lava lingers beyond that second round.

“The lava inflicts 15d6+15 hp damage to anything in a 15' wide area within 100 feet of Vore's snout.” It took me a second to think of what this meant, but I think I get it now. since the breath weapon in 2E was 15-feet wide, essentially the lava would trail down the side of the mountain in a 15-foot “line” and go for 100 feet before stopping.

Perhaps, then, we could say the lava keeps moving until it reaches 100 feet. If it moves X feet per round, then the duration would be 100 divided by X.

 

[Mortis]

Do we want to incorporate this part? “it causes him 10 hp internal damage for every blast beyond the first.”

Personally, I vote no - in a strange way it might mean that his insides don't have the fire subtype and that could cause all sorts of problems if he swallowed a wizard.

Note that the original description says “a 30' cone that extends at its widest point to 15 feet”, but I don’t know how that works in 3.5 for a Colossal dragon.

The standard cone for a colossal dragon is 70'. All(?) cones in 3.5 are as wide as they are long.

Should we put in a note about unattended objects, or should that be assumed by a DM anyway? “Nonmagical and magical objects must save vs. magical fire or be instantly burned to a crisp.”

Well, novice DM's shouldn't be doing Epic, but I'd put a note in anyway.

Perhaps, then, we could say the lava keeps moving until it reaches 100 feet. If it moves X feet per round, then the duration would be 100 divided by X.

Could work, will we need to state 'downhill'? what happens on the flat - does it just cover the 3 squares in front of the creature and not move.

If we were dealing with real life the lava's speed would be influenced by the degree of inclination of the slope - the steeper the slope the faster the movement rate, but as this is DnD I'd suggest either 20 or 25 which means its around for 5 or 4 rounds respectively.

Regards
Mortis