Prototype #3
Large Outsider (Evil)
Hit Dice: 12d8+48 (102 hp)
Initiative: +1 (Dex)
Speed: 10 ft, burrow 30 ft, climb 20 ft
AC: 25 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +15 natural)
Attacks: +9 BAB
Damage:
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Aura of plant growth, spell-like abilities, noxious growths, decomposition
Special Qualities: Plant qualities, regeneration, SR 19, fire resistance 20, damage reduction 10/+2, immune to disease, cold vulnerability
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +9, Will +13
Abilities: Str 7, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 18, Wis 20, Cha 17
Skills: 144
Feats: 4
Climate/Terrain:
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 13-24 HD (Large); 25-36 HD (Huge)
COMBAT
Decomposition (Su): This effect causes wounds taken within the area of the creature’s aura to fester and decompose, causing 1 hp per round per level of the spell. This lasts for x rounds (So if a 12th-level caster, duration is 12 rounds?), losing 1 hp per round, until it ends, he succeeds at a Heal check (DC 15) or he receives divine healing (is this a heal spell, or just any CLW variety?).
(It works within the same aura range as the plant growth/creation aura – that’s a given. Will it work at the same time, or is the aura’s power going to switch back and forth as the monster sees fit?)
(MissHappen: “I like the Decomposition idea as a last-resort... activated when the thing is wounded... maybe a lingering cloud effect. Connected with the aura, it may be a bit much.”)
Spell-Like Abilities: (at will? X times per day?) antilife shell, blight, command plants, commune with nature, contagion (slimy doom), decay (rusting) touch, disintegrate, harm, soften earth, spike growth, unholy/chaos hammer, and warp wood. These abilities are as the spells cast by a 12th-level (?) sorcerer.
Plant Qualities (Ex): Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. Not subject to critical hits.
Regeneration (Ex): Cold, and holy or blessed weapons deal normal damage to this creature.
Cold Vulnerability (Ex): Cold and frost cause this creature’s physical body to wither and die. In addition to causing normal damage, all cold attacks deal an equal amount of subdual damage to the creature. Also, whenever this creature fails its saving throw against cold attacks, it becomes dormant for 1d4 rounds.
Let me give you my concept of this creature’s nature, given everything we’ve put forward so far. First, it starts out as a tiny little larval creature, and when mature enough it springs forth from its host creature. Most of them do not survive this stage, but those that do quickly become very powerful. At this stage it looks like a little acorn-woody thing, with stubby little limbs. As it grows up, this creature assumes a skin of bark, and eventually becomes almost humanoid in form.
It is a primal force of nature, connected to the elements in a manner similar to genies, but really not holding sway over them so much as that of all floras. It is able to take possession of plant creatures by becoming incorporeal (sacrificing all of its powers in that state except its aura). While possessing, it can use all of its powers again. This possession allows its real body to remain safe and hidden from foes.
The creature also has incorporeal, invisible “rootlets” that it can extend out from its real body. These rootlets allow it to fully extend its magical auras. (As long as you want it, maybe a mile or more?)
OK, I have an idea for the range of the aura of plant growth. Maybe if it increases as it ages, how about if the range is, say, 5 feet per hit die? That would make the standard creature have a range of 60 feet for its aura. Maybe its effects are most powerful within melee range?
As for the briar web, I think I will just go with what I was thinking of originally. Since Masters of the Wild is not OGC, I will just alter the web spell to make it cause damage as well as trap creatures.
I’m considering dropping the Druid spellcasting and class abilities. This thing has a lot going for it already, and I’m not sure it needs them. Comments? If you’d like to keep these things, maybe you can suggest something else to drop?
I have to say, I really do like Storminator’s Noxious growth idea. It is well thought out, and should work nicely. But I do have to agree with those that say it might be too much rolling. 3E likes to encourage the DM to choose the effects rather than rolling for it. It is well set up, but a bit too complex. We need to simplify it out (without necessarily getting rid of all those neat, fun effects). As Knight Otu says, “We need to find a balance between playability and significance of the power.”
Krishnath suggests some form of planeshifting power – sounds reasonable to me.
Summoning – if the monster doesn’t create its own minions from the corpses of its victims, this might be very valuable. (shambling mounds, myconids, evil treants, etc). MissHappen suggests a heavy limit on this, maybe usable once per day.
Looks like we’re merging the pustules, spores, thornball and death throes idea all into one thing. So... when the creature dies, or chooses to die, its pustules will burst in a 60 foot radius. It’s body will be covered in pustules, and this bursting will cause it to die if it is not killed on its own (fiery death, among other things, will prevent the pustule effect from working). These pustules contain spores for reproduction, which are attached to thorns that stick into living flesh. All breathing creatures hit by the thorns must roll a Fort save or inhale the spores as they detach. Also, the larvae automatically implant themselves into plant creatures as well as fresh corpses. I like the genetic memory and the flower ideas from Krishnath’s description, but I agree that the year germination is a bit long for gameplay.
As to Undead Pete’s idea of making a template out of this one – well, we’re kind of going along full steam with our baby as a regular creature, kinda late to switch gears like that now. But, the idea does have merit. Perhaps, when we’re done, we can take the time to rework it as a template and see what we get.
)
