Creature Catalogue Overhaul Project Revisited

[Shade]

Seems fine.

Although I don't see what the Finns have to do with them.

There's Norway I made that typo.

 

[Shade]

Creature Catalog - Preview Creature

Shee
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any/any
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary (always mounted)
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Highly (13-14)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 0
MOVEMENT: (mounted) 24, Fl 18 (C)
HIT DICE: 9
THAC0: 11
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 or 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d8 + 2/2d6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Death wail, Trample (mount)
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: M (but always mounted, on an L)
MORALE: Fanatic (17)
XP VALUE: 7,000

The rare undead “Banshee Rider” is seen only at night, always appearing as an eyeless, glowing white elven maiden with long, streaming white hair. Clad in ornate plate armor, she rides a longmaned, eyeless horse and attacks beings she encounters with the lance she bears. The shee slays those she can catch.

Rider and mount can both see (with 90. infravisionl despite their empty, dark eyesockets. They will turn towards and chase most creatures they encounter (ignoring a target on a 2 in 6 chance).

Combat: The translucent shee will never dismount from her shadow horse, cannot be unhorsed, and will try to ride down any beings who stand in her path. Unless they move with her to continue combat, the Shee will attack a creature only once before galloping on into the night. The strike of a shee.s shadowy, insubstantial lance does 2d8 + 2 damage and causes a l-point Strength loss (strength so lost will return in an hour). Such losses are cumulative. A shee’s lance cannot be grasped, nor can it impale, catch on anything, or be turned aside by shield or armor.

If a lance attack misses, or the Shee is attacking another being, the shadow horse will trample opponents. Anyone so trampled is flung to the ground (fragile carried items may have to make saving throws) and suffers 2d6 points damage. The horse is not related to the undead being known as a shadow, despite its name, and is AC0 and THAC0 11. Some bards and sages believe it is not a separate creature at all, but part of the shee.

Shee may be struck by any sort of weapons and do not exude magical fear. Their touch is said to be cold, but not magically chilling. Shee are considered as “Special” when priests attempt to turn them; a successful turning merely causes the shee to avoid attacking the priest and gallop towards another target.

Like other undead, shee are immune to sleep, hold, charm and related spells and magical effects. Shee cannot be commanded by other undead or by any known magic and are immune to illusions, hypnotic effects, and other forms of mental influence. Shee regenerate 1 lost hit point per turn.

Any successful attack on a shee will cause her to vanish. As she fades away, she will scream. Beings within 60’of her disappearance must save vs. death magic or perish. A “vanishing” shee is actually slowly shifting to another random locale on the same plane. This transfer requires an entire round to complete. In both places, while “vanishing”. a shee can be readily attacked and is AC7.

A shee only vanishes when struck; it cannot travel about at will by this means, but must otherwise gallop. Shee are known to usually head towards the maximum number of targets nearby, but it is not known if they can control their teleports to arrive in specific lands, or deliberately gallop in certain directions-if they have any concept of locations or destinations as living creatures do.

Undead are unaffected by the wail of a shee, but all other shee attacks will affect them, and shee often attack undead. Shee seem immune to special undead abilities and attacks. If a shee is not attacked, she will gallop away after attacking every being present once, and will not wail.

Habitat/Society: Shee seem to gallop continuously in dark regions, hunting living beings to attack. They have been encountered at sea, galloping across the sky low over the waves.

Some sages of the Realms believe that shee are the creations of the god Bhaal, Lord of Murder (a process continued by Cyric, The Dark Sun) or by Malar, who creates shee as his .Ghost Hunt,. Shee are always solitary and no instances have ever been reported of one shee attacking another. Two or even three shee may appear in the same area at once, typically galloping in the air low across a huge battlefield and attacking combatants of both (or all) sides indiscriminately.

Ecology: A shee’s appearances seem related to disasters or important events. Shee may be attracted to great gatherings or outpourings of magical energy.

A being that has been struck (but not killed) by a shee or her mount gives off a faint, pearly luminescence in darkness. This is known as “The Mark of the Shee,” and those who bear it are regarded with great respect by intelligent beings native to the Moonshaes. A marked creature will not be attacked by common bandits, villagers, and the like; lesser undead the Realms over will avoid attacking a marked creature. This condition is permanent, unless removed by a limited wish (dispel magic will not suffice).

Originally appeared in FA1 - Halls of the High King (1990).

 

[Cleon]

The original looks pretty good.

I'd suggest mentioning the Death Wail in the Vanishing description and/or Tactics entry.

Also, if the lance is insubstantial, shouldn't it be a melee touch attack? For that matter, shouldn't it have Reach?

Also, I'd give them true sight plus immunity to command undead since "Shee cannot be commanded by other undead or by any known magic and are immune to illusions".

 

[Cleon]

There's Norway I made that typo.

So it was someone else who'd Dane it?

 

[Shade]

So it was someone else who'd Dane it?

It turns out it was Dutch ado about nothing.

Added to Homebrews.

We'll need to give it one of the "martial training" abilities in order for it to qualify for the fighter-only Weapon Specialization feat.

I'd suggest mentioning the Death Wail in the Vanishing description and/or Tactics entry.

For consistency's sake, I'd rather give it a separate Wail ability like the MM2 banshee, and note its limitations of use.

Also, if the lance is insubstantial, shouldn't it be a melee touch attack? For that matter, shouldn't it have Reach?

Yes and yes. In fact, we should probably eliminate the Strength drain ability and roll it into a "shadowlance" ability. Something like...

Shadowlance (Su): A shee carries a shadowy, insubstantial lance. Although the shee makes melee touch attacks with the lance, it may add its full Strength bonus to damage and may use any feat that can be used with a normal lance. In addition to normal damage, the shadowlance inflicts 1d3 points of Strength damage. If the shadowlance is separated from the shee in any manner, it immediately vanishes. A shee can create another shadowlance as a swift action.

Also, I'd give them true sight plus immunity to command undead since "Shee cannot be commanded by other undead or by any known magic and are immune to illusions".

True seeing sounds good. For the other, how about...

Free-Spirit (Su): A shee cannot be controlled by any magic that normally controls undead, such as a command undead spell.

Rider and mount can both see (with 90. infravisionl despite their empty, dark eyesockets.

Darkvision 90 ft. and low-light vision?

Shee regenerate 1 lost hit point per turn.

Fast healing 1?

Shee seem to gallop continuously in dark regions, hunting living beings to attack. They have been encountered at sea, galloping across the sky low over the waves.

Rather than actual flight, should we give it ghostwalking like the ghost mount?

Also, shouldn't it have plate armor rather than a high natural armor bonus?

 

[Cleon]

It turns out it was Dutch ado about nothing.

So Sweden't need to worry about it?

Boy, talk about stretching a pun.

Added to Homebrews.

We'll need to give it one of the "martial training" abilities in order for it to qualify for the fighter-only Weapon Specialization feat.

Sure, why not.

For consistency's sake, I'd rather give it a separate Wail ability like the MM2 banshee, and note its limitations of use.

That would be clearer, yes.

Yes and yes. In fact, we should probably eliminate the Strength drain ability and roll it into a "shadowlance" ability. Something like...

Shadowlance (Su): A shee carries a shadowy, insubstantial lance. Although the shee makes melee touch attacks with the lance, it may add its full Strength bonus to damage and may use any feat that can be used with a normal lance. In addition to normal damage, the shadowlance inflicts 1d3 points of Strength damage. If the shadowlance is separated from the shee in any manner, it immediately vanishes. A shee can create another shadowlance as a swift action.

True seeing sounds good. For the other, how about...

Free-Spirit (Su): A shee cannot be controlled by any magic that normally controls undead, such as a command undead spell.

Those both look great!

Darkvision 90 ft. and low-light vision?

I'd have just gone for darkvision, but might as well add low-light too.

Fast healing 1?

Better make it higher for it to be of any consequence. Fast healing 3 or 5?

Rather than actual flight, should we give it ghostwalking like the ghost mount?

I like flight and ghostwalking.

How about we simplify it to air walk as a (Su) or (Sp) ability?

Also, shouldn't it have plate armor rather than a high natural armor bonus?

It's an evil fey ghost, so how about +1 elven chain and increasing its Dexterity bonus to +4 for the same AC?

Armor Class: 20 (+4 Dex, +6 armour +1 elven chain), touch 14, flat-footed 16
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 19, Con —, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 17

Hang on, that omits its size penalty... make it mithral full plate and a +3 Dex bonus?

Armor Class: 20 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +8 armour mithral full plate), touch 12, flat-footed 17
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 17, Con —, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 17

 

[Shade]

So Sweden't need to worry about it?

Iceland corrected.

Boy, talk about stretching a pun.

My shame is exceeded only by my lack of self-control.

Better make it higher for it to be of any consequence. Fast healing 3 or 5?

Let's go with 3.

I like flight and ghostwalking.

How about we simplify it to air walk as a (Su) or (Sp) ability?

Just borrow this?

Air Walk (Su): A hoary steed can ride through the air as well as on the ground, as though affected by a permanent air walk spell.

Hang on, that omits its size penalty... make it mithral full plate and a +3 Dex bonus?

Armor Class: 20 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +8 armour mithral full plate), touch 12, flat-footed 17
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 17, Con —, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 17

I like this option. Updated.

For the wail, we've currently got...

Death Wail (Su): A shee that is hit by any successful attack will utter a horrifying scream, which functions as the wail of the banshee spell but affects all targets within a 60 foot radius. Shee do not use this power intentionally, and only wail when harmed.

The banshee has...

Wail (Su): During the night, a banshee can loose a deadly wail. This attack can slay up to eighteen living creatures within a 30-foot spread centered on the banshee, or within a 60-foot cone extending from the banshee, at the creature's option. A successful Fortitude save (DC 26) negates the effect. Once a banshee wails, it must wait 1d4 rounds before it can do so again, and it can wail no more than three times per day.


Also, for the vanishing, rather than the odd -7 penalty to AC, why don't we just state they are considered flat-footed while vanishing?

 

[Cleon]

Iceland corrected.

Thank heavens that's Finland'ly over.

Just borrow this?

Air Walk (Su): A hoary steed can ride through the air as well as on the ground, as though affected by a permanent air walk spell.

Suits me, as does the Fast Healing 3.

Death Wail (Su): A shee that is hit by any successful attack will utter a horrifying scream, which functions as the wail of the banshee spell but affects all targets within a 60 foot radius. Shee do not use this power intentionally, and only wail when harmed.

I'm tempted to change it to "A shee that is damaged by any successful attack", but I quite like "hit by" too.

Also, for the vanishing, rather than the odd -7 penalty to AC, why don't we just state they are considered flat-footed while vanishing?

That's OK by me.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

If we stick with the existing CC version of wail, we'll need to add the save DC and usage limitations, like the no more than 3/day for a banshee.

A shee is x feet tall/long and weighs x pounds.

Shee speak Elven and Sylvan?

 

[Cleon]

Updated.

If we stick with the existing CC version of wail, we'll need to add the save DC and usage limitations, like the no more than 3/day for a banshee.

Agreed, I don't want it to be DC19+Cha like the spell! Does it only kill one creature like the spell? i.e. the first to fail their save, starting from the closest.

A shee is x feet tall/long and weighs x pounds.

A heavy warhorse plus armoured rider can easily weigh 1600-2000 pounds. Since fey tend to be a bit lightweight (slim build, dieting and mithral you know), how about 1500 pounds.

Maybe:

A shee on its mount are 9 feet long, with the top of the shee's head standing 8 feet tall, they weigh about 1500 pounds.

Shee speak Elven and Sylvan?

That seems right.

Are Bhaal, Cyric or Malar associated with a particular lower plane? If so, that might support adding Abyssal or Infernal.

I'm too lazy to pull out any of my Forgotten Realms stuff to check.