Creatures-By-Poll: Fey #5 (recovery effort)

[Conaill]

Another issue to decide: what powers should the "old man" form have? Is this purely to ease communication with other humanoids (seems unlikely)? Does the fey have the same powers (and abilities, strength etc.) as in bear form? Or does the humanoid form have additional sorcerous powers, whereas the bear form has raw strength plus the breath weapon?

Either way, I feel the bear should be its *true* form, so we can legitimately claim it's size Huge. But it seems like the humanoid form should have some extra functionality...

 

[BOZ]

Good point about the humanoid form's powers. First thing's first though...

I'm still voting for Fear + Deathwatch + some form of necromantic (but non-evil) damage (all three at the same time).

Inflict Light Wounds good enough?

OK, that gives us two solid, different ideas that we can do for the breath weapon. Any others? Rather than debate them, I will set up another poll later today.

 

[James Heard]

It should be a bit larger than inflict light, since the creature's HD are so obscene, right? We're talking about a creature that's probably going to be CR 16-20 right? It's got two forms, one of them a Huge tank, 16+ HD, a breath weapon, and probably at least most of the sorts of things you'd expect to see on a Dire Bear. If it's doing negative energy damage-as-hit-points then we could easily just look up a nasty dragon's breath weapon dice and call it negative energy damage, save fort for half. I'm still thinking ability drain and/or level drain would be a good extra too.

 

[dhaga]

I like lesser prismatic spray and rainbow pattern both. I can see giving it two breath weapons.

I'm a fan of the prismatic breath weapon, as well. I like the options for the colors outlined in Shade's post -- bad effect, save for not quite as bad of an effect.

2 breath weapons sounds like a good idea to me. The ones outlined by Shade -- would those be the "lesser prismatic" effect? What would be the "rainbow pattern" effect? Is that something that has not yet been outlined here (or possibly references a spell I'm not familiar with)?

 

[BOZ]

rainbow pattern is a spell from the PHB.

 

[Conaill]

Inflict Light Wounds good enough?

I assume you're joking, right? For a 16-18HD creature?

I believe the lowest spells I had suggested originally were Ray of Exhaustion (Sor/Wiz3) and Enervation (Sor/Wiz 4). But something like a 6-7th level spell might be better balanced. Mass Inflict Moderate (cone-shaped) would fit. Or Waves of Exhaustion. Or even a cone-shaped Enervation instead of the usual Ray.


PS: When I mentioned Deathwatch earlier, I meant that anyone within the cone of the breath would receive the benefit of the Deathwatch spell. I.e. the targets of the breathweapon would for an instance literally see the mortality of everything around them. A harmless effect (beneficial, if anything), but I figured it fit nicely with the theme, and with the Fear effect...

 

[Conaill]

rainbow pattern is a spell from the PHB.

Hmm... Give the bear form a breath weapon, but the humanoid form can cast Rainbow Pattern? That way the bear can be the "big smash" combat monster, whereas the humanoid form is more of a trickster fairy...


[Edit: If we *do* decide to go with a "prismatic" effect for the breath weapon, I would suggest to go for the full-on Prismatic Spray instead, not the "poor man's version". It's a 7th level spell, which should be balanced for a CR15+ monster.]

 

[James Heard]

I say we make the old man form weak as all get out (except for the change in stats from Huge and the HD), but give 'em prismatic sphere and circle of death at will....and give him kung fu.

ok ok ok, so I'm still stuck on kung fu. Nasty touch-me-not effects though? That would be neat.

 

[dhaga]

rainbow pattern is a spell from the PHB.

Ha. Shows you how many magic users I've played in 3rd Ed.

For the creature:
I agree with Conaill: a full-on prismatic spray breath weapon would be good. I haven't looked at the spell in awhile; do saves negate the effects, or are there lesser effects, as in Shade's "poor man's version"?

I agree with James Heard: I think Prismatic Sphere or the like would be good for the old man form. Not sure about Circle of Death at will, though, and would still prefer no kung-fu

 

[Conaill]

circle of death at will....and give him kung fu.

Wait a minute... aren't those essentially the same thing?