(Cydra Rogues' Gallery-My Players STAY OUT)

[Sollir Furryfoot]

Nothing that the PCs have fought so far that I can think of (that you haven't already posted, at least! ) But I was wondering how you pictured Prayzose to be. I'm really curious after his inner dialogue where he's saying he could influence the masses of a country easily (epic diplomacy?) and how he's pretty sure he's the most powerful mortal on Cydra. I can understand why you wouldn't want to stat him up for various reasons, but an approx. class/level build would be neat to see as well.

 

[the Jester]

Nothing that the PCs have fought so far that I can think of (that you haven't already posted, at least! ) But I was wondering how you pictured Prayzose to be. I'm really curious after his inner dialogue where he's saying he could influence the masses of a country easily (epic diplomacy?) and how he's pretty sure he's the most powerful mortal on Cydra. I can understand why you wouldn't want to stat him up for various reasons, but an approx. class/level build would be neat to see as well.

I don't have solid stats for him, but my epic document places him at around 35th level- perhaps cleric 18/telepath 17, or more likely a build using some kind of divine cerebremancer prestige class.

I also sometimes debate giving him levels in divine ascendant, but that's a project still in need of lots and lots of tweaking, and it has been on the backburner for a long time because the player I originally designed it for moved out of the area quite some time ago. (Malford's player.)

 

[the Jester]

The Healer

By request, here are two Cydran prestige classes: the Healer and the Jester. (Yeah, I know there are now WotC versions of both of these, but mine predate them and are better-suited to my campaign.)

HEALER

The healer reveres all life. She possesses strong healing magic as well as great skill with first aid and long term care. Her knowledge of poison and disease is exceptional, and she can treat many conditions that would defeat the skills of others. Most healers are clerics, though bard and druid healers are not unknown. Other classes are unlikely to become healers without multiclassing.

Hit Die: d8
Prerequisites: Heal (8 ranks). Skill Focus (Heal). Must be able to cast cure serious wounds. Must have stabilized a dying creature at least once. Must have cast a healing spell on a total stranger or enemy at least twice.
Class Skills: Concentration (con), Craft (int), Diplomacy (cha), Heal (wis), Knowledge (nature) (int), Profession (healer, midwife or similar) (wis), Sense Motive (wis), Spellcraft (int). Skill points per level: 2 + int bonus.

Base Attack: Poor (as wizard).
Good Saves: Fort and Will.
Poor Saves: Ref.

Level--- Special Abilities
1--- Expert Healing, +1 caster level
2--- Merciful Strike, +1 caster level
3--- Superior Healing
4--- +1 caster level
5--- Purity of Body, +1 caster level
6--- +1 caster level
7--- Restorative Touch, +1 caster level
8--- +1 caster level
9--- Dispel Damage, +1 caster level
10--- Supreme Healing

CLASS FEATURES

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The healer gains no weapon or armor proficiencies.

Expert Healing (Ex and Su): The healer’s abilities with healing magic and with the Heal skill both increase significantly. Any time the healer spontaneously casts a healing spell (if a cleric) or applies metamagic feats to a healing spell (if a bard) the spell’s casting time no longer increases to a full round (allowing a bardic healer to quicken healing spells).

The healer can, however, choose to extend any healing spell’s casting time to a full round in order to add her wisdom bonus to the amount it heals. This is a supernatural ability that will work on any spell that heals real, subdual or ability damage, and that normally has a casting time of 1 action (or 1 free action).

As an exceptional ability, a healer can attempt to make a Heal check, DC20, to heal 1 hp of damage to a freshly-inflicted wound (within the last minute). This is a full round action, during which time neither healer nor recipient can move. This ability works once per wound. When the healer makes a long-term care check with a roll of 20 or higher, the recipient will regain extra hp equal to the healer’s wisdom bonus.

Merciful Strike (Ex): The healer suffers no penalties when attacking for subdual damage in combat.

Superior Healing (Su): Starting at 3rd level, all the healer’s spells heal an extra amount of damage equal to her wisdom bonus.

Purity of Body (Su): The healer is immune to non-magical disease.

Restorative Touch (Su): The healer’s touch is soothing and restorative, and will heal 1d4 points of ability damage to one ability and 2d6 points of subdual damage. The healer can use this power as often as desired but each creature can only benefit from it once per day.

Dispel Damage (Sp): Once per day per point of cha bonus, the healer can create a magical emanation around herself to a range of 30’. Within this emanation, all damage sustained by any creature to hit points, ability scores, and subdual scores is reduced by 10 points. This has no effect on existing wounds. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the healer’s wisdom bonus.

Supreme Healing (Su or Ex): The healer’s spells heal more damage than another caster’s would. Any spell that heals hit points, subdual or ability damage uses the next higher die type; for instance, a cure light wounds spell cast by a 10th-level healer heals 1d10 + 5 + wis bonus points of damage. This is a supernatural ability.

Using the Heal skill, a healer can do any of the following: Heal 1d4 points of subdual damage once per creature per hour (DC20); treat broken bones or similar critical wound effects such as hamstring to remove a penalty to the use of a body part (DC25); heal 1d3 points of ability damage just inflicted by poison (must be used before secondary damage occurs; DC30); or destroy parasitic infections, such as slaad eggs, rot grubs, green slime, gibberslugs, etc.) This is a full round action and the DC is 30. As this is an invasive procedure, it deals 1d6 points of damage to the subject. If the healer’s natural roll on her heal check is a 3 or less the healer must make the appropriate save against contracting the infection herself, if applicable. This is an exceptional ability.

 

[the Jester]

The Jester

THE JESTER

Quick of wit and fleet of foot, able to make people laugh even at themselves; these are the hallmarks of the jester. Sometimes court fools, sometimes independent performers, jesters are mostly drawn from the ranks of bards, but ultimately, anyone can become a jester.

Hit Die: d6
Prerequisites: Perform (8 ranks), Tumble (5 ranks). Skill Focus (perform). Must have demonstrated a sense of humor under adversarial conditions.
Class Skills: Balance (dex), Bluff (cha), Climb (str), Diplomacy (cha), Disguise (cha), Escape Artist (dex), Forgery (int), Gather Information (cha), Handle Animal (cha), Hide (dex), Jump (str), Knowledge (nobility) (int), Move Silently (dex), Perform (cha), Pick Pocket (dex), Read Lips (wis), Sense Motive (wis), Speak Language (int), Spot (wis), Tumble (dex), Use Rope (dex). Skill points per level: 4 + int bonus.

Base Attack: Medium (as rogue).
Good Saves: Reflex.
Poor Saves: Fort and Will.

Level--- Special Abilities
1--- Enthrall, Evasion
2--- Stall, Uncanny Dodge
3--- Snatch Arrows
4--- Universal Humor, slow fall 10’
5--- Humiliate
6--- Improved uncanny dodge
7--- Improved Evasion
8--- Improved Enthrall
9--- Slow Fall 20’
10--- Superior Feint

CLASS FEATURES

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Jesters gain no weapon or armor proficiency.

Spells: A jester’s spells are known to him much like a bard’s, and are based on charisma.

Enthrall (Ex): The jester’s skill with performance is so good that he can attempt to use a nonmagical enthrall effect once per day per class level. The save DC is half the jester’s perform check.

Evasion (Ex): When wearing light or no armor the jester gains the Evasion ability.

Stall (Ex): The jester may attempt to stall creatures, causing them to forfeit their actions. This is a mind-affecting ability. It affects only up to one creature per point of cha bonus, and it can target any creatures that you can see that are not under direct attack (a creature that has already been attacked is unaffected) but is otherwise similar to the jester’s enthrall ability except that as soon as you stop performing the effect ends.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): If the jester already has the uncanny dodge ability, he instead gains improved uncanny dodge.

Snatch Arrows (Ex): A jester gains Snatch Arrows as a bonus feat, even if he does not have the usual prerequisites for it.

Universal Humor (Ex): None of the jester’s perform skills or class abilities are now considered language-dependent.

Slow Fall (Ex): The jester can treat a fall as if were shorter than it actually is when within arm’s reach of a wall.

Humiliate (Ex): The jester can attempt to humiliate a foe to such an extent that it suffers a -2 morale penalty on attacks, checks and saves. The target may make a Will save using its cha bonus instead of its wis bonus to resist the scathing wit of the jester; the DC is 10 + class level + cha bonus. If it fails, it is humiliated for 1d4 + the jester’s cha bonus rounds. A successful save makes the target immune to the jester’s humiliate ability for 24 hours. Humiliate is a full round action that provokes attacks of opportunity.

Improved Enthrall (Ex): As per enthrall, except the jester can maintain it for up to one hour plus one per point of con bonus. Also, creatures with four or more HD or a wisdom score of 16 or higher are considered friendly for the duration if they fail their saving throws (but are still aware of their surroundings).

Superior Feint (Ex): With a successful perform check opposed by the target’s sense motive check, you can initiate a special feint against any opponent within 30’ that can see or hear you. You may choose to deny it its dex bonus against any one creature for a full round. This is a full round action but does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Jester Spells Known By Level

1--3
2--4
3--5/2
4--5/3
5--5/4/2
6--6/4/3
7--6/5/4/2
8--6/5/4/3
9--6/6/5/4
10--6/6/6/5

Jester Spells Per Day By Level

1--1
2--2
3--2/1
4--2/2
5--2/2/1
6--3/2/2
7--3/2/2/1
8--3/3/2/2
9--3/3/3/3
10--4/4/3/3

Jester Spell Lists By Level

1st level
Charm Person
Dancing Lights
Daze
Feather Fall
Ghost Sound
Grease
Jump
Mad Gesticulation
Prestidigitation
Silent Image
Tasha’s Hideous Laughter
Ventriloquism

2nd level
Change Self
Color Spray
Eagle’s Splendor
Feather Fall
Hangover
Insolent Insult
Minor Image
Misdirection
Scare

3rd level
Astonishing Sight
Elasticity
Emotion
Emphatic Gesture
Fool’s Speech
Nondetection
Oops, Sorry
Slapstick

4th level
Charm Monster
Feeblemind
Fumble
Incredible Curse
Leomund’s Lamentable Belaborment
Otto’s Irresistible Dance
Phlegmatic Spray


***

Many of the jester class' spells are unique to the class. If you're interested in the details, you can find them at my Yahoo group (named 'Cydra' aptly enough). Just join up, go to the files section and d/l the spells document.

 

[the Jester]

Vaxalath, the Terror from the Sky

There have been some requests for a few of the 'Storming Hell' monsters, especially Asmodeus and my hellfire wyrm. (Whatever gave people the idea I'd mod the hellfire wyrm anyway? )

So anyhow, here's the Terror from the Sky:

VAXALETH, Corrupted Hellfire Wyrm
Huge Aberration (extraplanar, fire)
Hit Dice: 23d12+230 (401 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 60’, fly 250’ (clumsy)
Armor Class: 44 (-2 size, -1 dex, +32 natural, +5 deflection), touch 12, flat-footed 44
Base Attack/Grapple: +23/+42
Attack: Bite +32 melee (3d8+11 plus 11 vile)
Full Attack: Bite +32 melee (3d8+11 plus 11 vile) and 2 claws +27 melee (3d6+5 plus 11 vile)
Space/Reach: 15’/10’
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, crush 3d8+16, disruptive attack, enhanced power, frightful presence, spell-like abilities (+4 to save DCs of special attacks)
Special Qualities: Fast healing 10
Saves: Fort + 23, Ref +12, Will +20
Abilities: Str 33, Dex 8, Con 31, Int 23, Wis 26, Cha 26
Skills: Bluff +34, Diplomacy +36, Intimidate +36, Jump +49, Knowledge (arcana, politics, religion, the planes) + 31, Listen +33, Search +31, Spellcraft +33, Spot +33
Feats: Cleave, Clinging Breath, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Snatch
Epic Feats: Dire Charge
Challenge Rating: 29
Treasure: Ring of protection +5, vivid purple torus ioun stone (reduces recharge time on breath weapons by 1 round), bag of holding (type 2), 4 elixirs of heal (CL 15),
Alignment: Lawful evil

Breath Weapon (Su): Vaxaleth can breathe a 50’ cone of infernal flame that deals 14d10 hp of damage (Ref half DC 35). Half of this is fire damage, the other half is infernal damage and thus not subject to fire resistance. He must wait 1d4-1 rounds before breathing again; if he uses his Lingering Breath feat, he must wait 1d4 rounds.

Crush (Ex): Crushed creatures must make Ref saves (DC 35) or be pinned. While pinned, the victim suffers crush damage each round.

Frightful Presence (Ex): When Vaxaleth charges, attacks or flies overhead, he inspires terror in all creatures with 22 Hit Dice or less. All such creatures must make Will saves, DC 33, or become panicked (if 4 HD or less) or shaken for 4d6 rounds.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will- blasphemy, charm person, demand, desecrate, dictum, fire storm, greater dispelling, greater teleport, hold person, improved invisibility, misdirection, pyrotechnics, sending, suggestion, true seeing, unholy aura, unhallow, wall of fire; CL 20; save DC 22 + spell level.

 

[Murazor]

Hmm.. I don't know. To me, that certainly doesn't look like a CR29 creature.

Granted, I don't have MM2, so I don't know the exact stats of the Hellfire Wyrm. But when I look at the Mature Adult Red Dragon, with the Corrupted Template added to it (only CR21), it seems superiour to Vaxaleth in all way, except perhaps in the number of spell-like abilities.

In your story-hour (a great read!), the PCs seemed to make short work of Vaxaleth. So did you feel that, as statted above, Vaxaleth is actually worth its CR29?

 

[the Jester]

Hmm.. I don't know. To me, that certainly doesn't look like a CR29 creature.

Granted, I don't have MM2, so I don't know the exact stats of the Hellfire Wyrm. But when I look at the Mature Adult Red Dragon, with the Corrupted Template added to it (only CR21), it seems superiour to Vaxaleth in all way, except perhaps in the number of spell-like abilities.

In your story-hour (a great read!), the PCs seemed to make short work of Vaxaleth. So did you feel that, as statted above, Vaxaleth is actually worth its CR29?

Many people think the basic hellfire wyrm is overrated at CR 27 (? not sure off hand if that's precisely the correct base CR off hand). In retrospect, it prolly is a lil bit, but there are a few juicy bits- the half-infernal breath weapon for one (screw your fire resistance, pal!)- I'd probably give a 'straight' hellfire wyrm around CR 24.

Keep in mind that true dragons are under-CR'ed in the MM et. al.

And furthermore, I made a terrible tactical error- I completely failed to check the 3.5 version of Dire Charge, assuming it had changed to be like the 3.5 pounce (FA after a charge).

Nope.

This really spelled the end of my beautiful monster more than anything else- he should've used dire charge in round one, grabbed someone and flown above the cloud cover to dispose of them in rd 2, and started strafing after that. But my failure to read the revised feat and the limited wish that eliminated the cloud cover really did me in on that one. :\

Had I been able to use my uber-cool deadly tactics, it woulda been a better fight- but frankly I blew it.

Anyhow, to answer the question in short, Vaxaleth was probably realistically closer to CR 25 than to 29. Oh well, live and learn...

 

[the Jester]

My version of Asmodeus was based on the BoVD version, updated to 3.5 and using stuff from other books. He had Epic Spellcasting, with a Spellcraft (with items) or something like +90 (?), a lot of cool epic powers through his rod of Hell, etc. I'll try to find my notes on him, but they're on paper, not electronic, so I'll have to do some digging (remember, this game was months ago at this point!)

One of the best things he had going on was his epic ward that he had to disjoin to free the pit fiends. It prevented a lot of specific abilities from penetrating its area and dispelled them if they were in it, including mind blank, stoneskin and true sight.

 

[Greybar]

Was it pretty much his rage that was his undoing?
Or just that his defenses hadn't left enough wiggle room when pressed by Lucifer's forces on the outside?
I mean, he isn't a combat kinda guys, so as soon as a combat-focused enemy could get to him without bodyguards he was in trouble, right?

I'm not meaning to knock ya here, it's a problem I think about a lot too. Somewhere in the future my PCs are going to get to a point where they're going to be near epic and will need to confront a just-into-epic lich mystic theurge and I'm really going to need a big plan for how she can plan to confront the inevitable opposition to her plans from goody-goods like the PCs. The projected image trick is one going into her book definitely, as well as being in a super-warded area as well, lots of undead, construct, and cohort type bodyguard, etc...

Does this get back to "you need a 'party' of badguys to have the variety of disciplines to contest another 'party' of good guys?"

 

[the Jester]

Was it pretty much his rage that was his undoing?
Or just that his defenses hadn't left enough wiggle room when pressed by Lucifer's forces on the outside?
I mean, he isn't a combat kinda guys, so as soon as a combat-focused enemy could get to him without bodyguards he was in trouble, right?

There were a couple of interwoven problems that Asmodeus had facing the epic superparty.

First of all, when he disjoined the prismatic box trap Orbius made, he had to destroy his own epic ward of baditude. That would have made a huge difference in and of itself.

Secondly, he wasn't expecting a massive assault in the midst of his throne room. With his castle's exterior seriously well-guarded, and the whole thing dimension locked, he thought he'd be secure. However, Lucifer and Glaisig knew secrets of the castle of Hell that predate Asmodeus, including sneaky 'back doors' that lead into it through unconventional directions. The dimlock did, however, prevent Asmodeus' easy retreat.

The third thing that threw Asmodeus off was the shield of Graz'zt that Veil has. When it pointed out his location with its dramatic beam of light- he was in a little bolt hole behind the wall- he knew that if he tried to physically run away the shield would aid the heroes in tracking him down.

Then, when they struck Glasya down, the big A decided to come out and start casting some gnarly spells, but he never had a chance- Inoke's unbelievably deadly charge caused my jaw to drop, it beat out anything else he's pulled out so far. Almost 800 hp in one full attack!! Damn!

I had a whole strategy for Asmodeus, but it hinged on his epic ward being in place. I had a back-up plan for him too, but it hinged on his being able to get off an action or two.