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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DnDChick" data-source="post: 462621" data-attributes="member: 54">"The displacer beast in the Monster Manual doesn't look anything like a panther!" you wailed."It doesn't have any cat-like skills or"The displacer beast in the Monster Manual doesn't look anything like a panther!" you wailed."It doesn't have any cat-like skills or feats!" you cried."Why can't it be more like the feline with tentacles that we loved so much from 1e?" you sobbed.Well ... here is the answer to your prayers.  A template that lets you make a displacer beast out of dang nigh anything you want!  Want to surprise your players?  Throw 'em a curve ball with a displacer beast beholder!  Watch them quiver and quake when their enemy turns out to be a displacer beast frost giant!And ... compare my sample displacer beast tiger to the "real thing" in the Monster Manual.  Its a little tougher, but the stats are surprisingly close!  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />     Displacer Beast (Template)Too much exposure to spells such as displacement, blur, teleport, and plane shift can result in the target creature becoming a displacer beast.  The strange planar energies that power those spells somehow become infused in the creature, causing it to undergo a bizarre transformation.  The creature becomes absurdly gaunt and slender, and its eyes begin to glow with a greenish cast.  It takes on a lustrous, jet black coloration, losing any natural coloration it might once have had.  Strangest of all, two long, barbed tentacles sprout from the creature’s back.  The mutation that causes the growth of the tentacles also grows an additional set of arms (or, in quadrupeds, an additional set of forelegs).Creating a Displacer Beast“Displacer beast” is a template that can be added to any Aberration, Animal, Beast, Giant, Humanoid, Magical Beast, Monstrous Humanoid, or Vermin (hereafter referred to as “the base creature”).  If the base creature is an Animal, a Beast, or a Vermin, its type changes to “magical beast.”  If the base creature is a Giant or a Humanoid, its type becomes “monstrous humanoid.”  Aberrations and Monstrous Humanoids remain unchanged.Hit Dice: Increase to d10 if the base creature becomes a Magical Beast; otherwise, same as base creature.  A base creature that advances by character class retains its class hit dice and level.Initiative: Same as base creature.Speed: Same as base creature.AC: A displacer beast has a +2 natural armor bonus.  This bonus stacks with any natural armor bonus of the base creature.Attacks: A displacer beast gains two tentacle rakes as its primary attack, and retains all attacks of the base creature.  A bipedal displacer beast can use its extra set of arms in combat, but they are weaker and can only wield weapons at least one size categor smaller than themselves (i.e. a Medium-size displacer beast can only wield Small or smaller weapons).Damage: A displacer beast a tentacle rake.  Use the table below to calculate the damage of the tentacle rake.Size: Tentacle RakeFine: —Diminutive: 1Tiny: 1d2Small: 1d3Medium-size: 1d4Large: 1d6Huge: 1d8Gargantuan: 1d10Colossal: 2d6Face/Reach: Same as base creature.  The reach of the displacer beast’s tentacles is equal to its normal reach +10 feet.Special Attacks: A displacer beast retains all the special attacks of the base creature.Special Qualities: A displacer beast retains all the special qualities of the base creature, and gains the following.Displacement (Su): A light-bending glamer continuously surrounds a displacer beast, making it difficult to surmise the creature’s true location.  Any melee or ranged attack directed at it has a 50% miss chance unless the attacker can locate the beast by some means other than sight.  A true seeing effect allows the user to see the beast’s position, but see invisibility has no effect.Resistance to Ranged Attacks (Su): A displacer beast gains a +2 resistance bonus to saves against any ranged spell or ranged magical attack that specifically targets it (except for ranged touch attacks).Skills: A displacer beast receives a +8 racial bonus to Hide checks, thanks to its displacement power.Saves: Same as base creature, recalculated to account for changes in ability scores.Abilities: Str -2 (-4), Dex +2, Cha +2.  If the base creature’s Intelligence is 5 or lower increase it to 5, otherwise it remains unchanged.  The parenthetical Strength penalty applies to the second set of arms on a bipedal displacer beast.Skills: Same as base creature.Feats: Same as base creature.  A displacer beast gains the Alertness and Dodge feats for free if it didn’t already have them and meets the prerequisites.  A bipedal displacer beast can learn the Multidexterity feat, but does not gain it for free.  In effect, the new displacer beast has to learn to use its new arms.Climate/Terrain: Same as base creature.Organization: Same as base creature.Challenge Rating: As base creature +2.Treasure: Same as base creature.Alignment: Usually lawful evil.Advancement: Same as base creature.Sample CreatureThis sample displacer beast uses a tiger as the base creature.Tiger Displacer Beast--------------------------------------------------Large Magical BeastHit Dice: 6d10+18 (45 hp)Initiative: +3 (Dex)Speed: 40 ft.AC: 17 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +5 natural)Attacks: 2 tentacle rakes +10 melee, or 2 claws +10 melee, bite +5 melee        Damage: Tentacle rake 1d6+5, claw 1d8+5, bite 2d6+2Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Pounce, improved grab, rake 1d8+2        Special Qualities: Displacement, resistance to ranged attacks, scentSaves: Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +3Abilities: Str 21, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 8Skills: Balance +7, Hide +14*, Listen +3, Move Silently +10, Spot +3, Swim +10Feats: Alertness, Dodge--------------------------------------------------Climate/Terrain:        Any forest, hill, mountains, and plainsOrganization: SolitaryChallenge Rating: 6Treasure: NoneAlignment: Usually lawful evilAdvancement: 7-12 HD (Large); 13-18 HD (Huge) feats!" you cried."Why can't it be more like the feline with tentacles that we loved so much from 1e?" you sobbed.Well ... here is the answer to your prayers.  A template that lets you make a displacer beast out of dang nigh anything you want!  Want to surprise your players?  Throw 'em a curve ball with a displacer beast beholder!  Watch them quiver and quake when their enemy turns out to be a displacer beast frost giant!And ... compare my sample displacer beast tiger to the "real thing" in the Monster Manual.  Its a little tougher, but the stats are surprisingly close!  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />   Displacer Beast (Template)Too much exposure to spells such as displacement, blur, teleport, and plane shift can result in the target creature becoming a displacer beast.  The strange planar energies that power those spells somehow become infused in the creature, causing it to undergo a bizarre transformation.  The creature becomes absurdly gaunt and slender, and its eyes begin to glow with a greenish cast.  It takes on a lustrous, jet black coloration, losing any natural coloration it might once have had.  Strangest of all, two long, barbed tentacles sprout from the creature’s back.  The mutation that causes the growth of the tentacles also grows an additional set of arms (or, in quadrupeds, an additional set of forelegs).Creating a Displacer Beast“Displacer beast” is a template that can be added to any Aberration, Animal, Beast, Giant, Humanoid, Magical Beast, Monstrous Humanoid, or Vermin (hereafter referred to as “the base creature”).  If the base creature is an Animal, a Beast, or a Vermin, its type changes to “magical beast.”  If the base creature is a Giant or a Humanoid, its type becomes “monstrous humanoid.”  Aberrations and Monstrous Humanoids remain unchanged.Hit Dice: Increase to d10 if the base creature becomes a Magical Beast; otherwise, same as base creature.  A base creature that advances by character class retains its class hit dice and level.Initiative: Same as base creature.Speed: Same as base creature.AC: A displacer beast has a +2 natural armor bonus.  This bonus stacks with any natural armor bonus of the base creature.Attacks: A displacer beast gains two tentacle rakes as its primary attack, and retains all attacks of the base creature.  A bipedal displacer beast can use its extra set of arms in combat, but they are weaker and can only wield Small or Tiny weapons.Damage: A displacer beast a tentacle rake.  Use the table below to calculate the damage of the tentacle rake.Size: Tentacle RakeFine: —Diminutive: 1Tiny: 1d2Small: 1d3Medium-size: 1d4Large: 1d6Huge: 1d8Gargantuan: 1d10Colossal: 2d6Face/Reach: Same as base creature.  The reach of the displacer beast’s tentacles is equal to its normal reach +10 feet.Special Attacks: A displacer beast retains all the special attacks of the base creature.Special Qualities: A displacer beast retains all the special qualities of the base creature, and gains the following.Displacement (Su): A light-bending glamer continuously surrounds a displacer beast, making it difficult to surmise the creature’s true location.  Any melee or ranged attack directed at it has a 50% miss chance unless the attacker can locate the beast by some means other than sight.  A true seeing effect allows the user to see the beast’s position, but see invisibility has no effect.Resistance to Ranged Attacks (Su): A displacer beast gains a +2 resistance bonus to saves against any ranged spell or ranged magical attack that specifically targets it (except for ranged touch attacks).Skills: A displacer beast receives a +8 racial bonus to Hide checks, thanks to its displacement power.Saves: Same as base creature, recalculated to account for changes in ability scores.Abilities: Str -2 (-4), Dex +2, Cha +2.  If the base creature’s Intelligence is 5 or lower increase it to 5, otherwise it remains unchanged.  The parenthetical Strength penalty applies to the second set of arms on a bipedal displacer beast.Skills: Same as base creature.Feats: Same as base creature.  A displacer beast gains the Alertness and Dodge feats for free if it didn’t already have them and meets the prerequisites.  A bipedal displacer beast gains the Multidexterity feat if it meets the prerequisites.Climate/Terrain: Same as base creature.Organization: Same as base creature.Challenge Rating: As base creature +2.Treasure: Same as base creature.Alignment: Usually lawful evil.Advancement: Same as base creature.Sample CreatureThis sample displacer beast uses a tiger as the base creature.Tiger Displacer Beast--------------------------------------------------Large Magical BeastHit Dice: 6d10+18 (45 hp)Initiative: +3 (Dex)Speed: 40 ft.AC: 17 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +5 natural)Attacks: 2 tentacle rakes +10 melee, or 2 claws +10 melee, bite +5 melee        Damage: Tentacle rake 1d6+5, claw 1d8+5, bite 2d6+2Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Pounce, improved grab, rake 1d8+2        Special Qualities: Displacement, resistance to ranged attacks, scentSaves: Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +3Abilities: Str 21, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 8Skills: Balance +7, Hide +14*, Listen +3, Move Silently +10, Spot +3, Swim +10Feats: Alertness, Dodge--------------------------------------------------Climate/Terrain:        Any forest, hill, mountains, and plainsOrganization: SolitaryChallenge Rating: 6Treasure: NoneAlignment: Usually lawful evilAdvancement: 7-12 HD (Large); 13-18 HD (Huge)</blockquote>

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