D&D Wargaming *ARMIES OF EVIL*

[Pyrex]

*goes and looks*
Weird. Applying the Fiendish template doesn't change them to outsiders. I thought it did.

 

[Dalamar]

Just makes them Extraplanar. The half-fiend template, on the other hand, does change the creature to an outsider. Unfortunately I can't afford to apply that to my troops, otherwise I would have to drop lots of the ethereal marauders and/or quasits, and I'd still be hard-pressed to get enough creatures.

 

[Tonguez]

Can someone with more clue than I work out the CR on this thing? (I get CR 10)

The Dark Storm
Large Elemental (Air, Extraplanar, Incorporeal)
8d8+24 (60 hp)
Init +11
Spd Fly 100 ft. (perfect) (20 squares)
AC 21 (–1 size, +7 Dex, +4 natural +1 Deflection), touch 16, flat-footed 13
Bab +6/+12
Attacks Incorporeal Slam +12 melee
Full Attack 2 Incorporeal slams +12 melee -Level Drain (2d6+2 vs Incorporeals)
Reach 10 ft./10 ft.
SA Air mastery, whirlwind, Lightning Storm, Level drain SQ Fettered, Damage reduction 5/–, darkvision 60 ft., Elemental traits, Blindsight, Incorporeal, Spawn Shadows, Fear Aura
Sv Fort +5, Ref +13, Will +2
Str ---, Dex 25, Con 16, Int ---, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills Listen +5, Spot +6
Feats Combat Reflexes, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Whirlwind Attack
Habitat Misylak Forest and The Pack

Fettered: The Dark Storm is not a free ranging entity but is fettered to the Misylak Forest and the Pack. The Dark Storm remains within the confines of the Misylak forest unless the Pack is engage in a hunt at which point it will manifest over the Leader of the Pack. The Dark Storm has no intelligence but will instinctively attack those The Pack has targeted as prey
Air Mastery (Ex): Airborne creatures take a –1 penalty on attack and damage rolls against the Dark Storm.
Whirlwind (Su): The Dark Storm can effect the air surrounding it and generate a whirlwind once every 10 minutes and maintain it for up to 4 rounds. The whirlwind is 5 feet wide at the base, up to 30 feet wide at the top, and can range from between 10 and 40 feet tall. In this form, the Dark Storm can move through the air or along a surface at its fly speed.
The Dark Storm’s movement while in whirlwind form does not provoke attacks of opportunity.Creatures one or more size categories smaller than the Dark Storm might take damage when caught in the whirlwind and may be lifted into the air. Reflex save DC 16 or take 2d6 damage. It must also succeed on a second Reflex save or be picked up bodily and held suspended in the powerful winds, automatically taking the indicated damage each round. Flying creature Reflex save each round to escape. The save DC is Strength based.
must succeed on a Concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) to cast a spell. Creatures caught in the whirlwind take a –4 penalty to Dexterity and a –2 penalty on attack rolls.
Creates a swirling cloud of debris,diameter equal to half the whirlwind’s height, that obscures all vision, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. Creatures 5 feet away have concealment, while those farther away have total concealment.Concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) to cast a spell.

Lightning Storm: The Dark Storm can generate a Lightning bolts at will as per the Call Lightning Storm spell. Each Lightning bolt does 5d10 damage with a maximum of 15 bolts per day

Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by the Dark Storm’s incorporeal slam attack gain one negative level. For each such negative level bestowed, the Dark Storm gains 5 temporary hit points. DC 15 Charisma-based.
Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid slain by the Dark Storms energy drain becomes a shadow in 1d4 rounds. Spawn manifest along with the Dark Storm and remain enslaved until destroyed. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life.

Fear Aura (Su): The Dark Storm can radiate a 30-foot-radius fear aura as a free action. Affected creatures must succeed on a DC 17 Will save or be affected as though by a fear spell (caster level 7th). A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the Dark Storm’s aura for 24 hours. The Pack is immune to the aura. The save DC is Charisma-based.

 

[Pyrex]

I'll try and break it down this afternoon.

How did you arrive at CR 10?

Especially given it's origin, shouldn't it be 'Undead' instead of an 'Elemental'? And why does it have the 'Extraplanar' descriptor?

 

[Tonguez]

I'll try and break it down this afternoon.

How did you arrive at CR 10?

Especially given it's origin, shouldn't it be 'Undead' instead of an 'Elemental'? And why does it have the 'Extraplanar' descriptor?

I based the creature on a Large Elemental (hence Elemental, Extraplanar) which is CR 8 (10.9) and then added (and subtracted) stuff to create the Storm (losing Extraplanar wont be a problem).
I had considered Undead however the Dark Storm isn't the Druid as such just his evil taint animated by the savagery of the Hunt and the twisted nature of the Misylak forest - the Hunter is gone but the Hunt survives

 

[Pyrex]

It's weird to have a non-Undead that both level-drains and creates undead spawn. You've also got a few other problems (incorporeal creatures can't have Natural Armor, they also can't do physical damage to other incorporeal creatures [you're thinking of manifested ghosts], things that drain levels should probably spawn Spectres instead of Shadows, etc)

I've got an undead version that I'm about ready to post for you to take a look at.

 

[Pyrex]

If you're dead-set on being Elemental instead of Undead, the Incorporeal trait and the Energy Drain attack probably need to go (Air Elementals aren't actually Incorporeal. Go figure...)

Here's what I've got so far for an undead version, what do you think?

Dark Storm v2
Large Undead (Incorporeal)

(+0.8 ) Large (No Con)
(+1.1 ) Intelligent Undead
(+1.3 ) Incorporeal
(+4.5 ) 10 HD (Int. Undead) (Good Will save, 4sp/hd)

(+1.05) Fly 100', Perfect
(+0.4 ) Deflection +2
        
(+0.6 ) Spawn CR6 Spectre in d4 rds
(+0.5 ) DR 5/-

(+1.6 ) Drain 2lvls each on 2 Slams

(+1.0 ) Blindsight
(+0.5 ) Fear Aura

(+0.15) SP-Call Lightning Storm 3/day, CL 10

(-2.2 ) Str 0
(+1.4 ) Dex +14 (no other stat mods)

(+0.2 ) 1x Bonus Feat

Total:  12.9  Golden Rule: 10.95  Silver Rule: 9.3075

 

[Tonguez]

Your undead versions cool and thank you for the effort and help

but I'm thinking that an over perponderence of undead in our forces is making us far too predictable and far too vunerable to the Good forces and there seemingly ubiquitous celestials -So I'd actually prefer this creature specifically not be undead!.

Like I said this creature isn't the Druid returned its something entiely different. Elemental was used as a convinient baseline but on reflection making it a native outsider might be more appropriate. This creature was based on the 'idea' of the Wild Hunt - a 'force of nature' that sweeps across the land like a howling wind forcing all who cross its path to join its eternal hunt.

The whirlwind effect+fear aura was to simulate the howling winds and the level drain + spawn to simulate the creatures being caught up in the eternal hunt (spectres are fine I only choose shadows cause of there lower CR).

I personally see no reason not to add Incorporeal subtype to the Dark Storm as it helps simulate the concept of it being a vague 'Force of Nature' rather than an actual being (like an elemental) and Incorporeal can really be added to anything (WotC has a huge Incorporeal ooze statted on its site - which I was thinking of using in this battle too)

The only thing added outside the base concept was the lightning storm - which is there to make the Dark Storm combat capable against objects (eg buildings and machines)


hope that helps clarify my thoughts...

 

[Pyrex]

The problem is that all the creatures in the MM with the Energy Drain and Create Spawn abilities are undead.

Also, if you're Incorporeal, the Whirlwind ability won't work.

Now if the Dark Storm wanted to exude a Mind Fog continuously and make Mass Suggestions that creatures within range tear each other apart, that'd make for a kick-ass Rage Elemental...

(I'd be happy to whip something up along those lines if you're interested...)

 

[Tonguez]

Now if the Dark Storm wanted to exude a Mind Fog continuously and make Mass Suggestions that creatures within range tear each other apart, that'd make for a kick-ass Rage Elemental...

(I'd be happy to whip something up along those lines if you're interested...)

That sounds very cool - please do...