Help me find a template to slap on a rust monster

[Felon]

A Ruster can be scary at low level when PC's are strapped for cash, but I want the party to fight one when they're high enough level that its ability will prove truly costly to a careless character.

Naturally, the first thing I'm doing is increasing its hit dice so that it can absorb some damage. Then I figure I'll put a template on it in order to give it some nastier natural weapons in order to make it a deadlier beast. Half-dragon seems the obvious choice. Half-fiend would work too. Then there's multi-head...that's pretty mean.

Can anyone else come up with some effective template ideas?

[EDIT--when you suggest a template, please state its source reference.]

 

[demiurge1138]

A Multiheaded Fiendish Winged rust monster. Not fun. And a low CR investment for multiple badnesses. Multiheaded for more rusting per turn and more Con and HD, Winged for mobility and more Dex and Fiendish for good magical/energy defenses (because they'll probably try to run and nuke it with fireballs).

Demiurge out.

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

Making it skeletal would give it a lot of defense from disposable ranged attacks, and feindish would give it elemental resistances, which would be good.

Templats are easy enough, but you could also make it an animal companion to a Druid or Ranger, or even a Paladin mount or familliar. This would give it benefits AND potential spell buffing. Of course, I'd hate to see the Wizard that had such an advanced familliar.

Also, simply advance it so it gains more feats. There are alot of them that grant bonuses to the DC of natural abilities. Even a Holy Avenger isn't safe from a rust monster, and bumping up the DC would scare the PCs to death.

Maybe you could Awaken it, then have it start taking levels of Forsaker. But that would be very off the wall.

 

[tarchon]

Dunno... lycanthrope? Once it's a were-rust monster, I guess you can make it a fiendish half dragon vampire were-rust monster pretty easily.

 

[thullgrim]

isn't there a legendary template-something about the absolute perect example of a creature of its type. I like hit it with one of the elemental templates from Motp and then multi-headed. I think the earth template granted DR...

after a little research-Axiomatic, SR equal to double its HD, other nifty things its in MotP as well.
let me go do some research

Thullgrim

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Howzabout half-rust Dragon? They get a rusting breath weapon, IIRC. Give it one of those amulets that Andy Collins (?) made, that increases the DC of a natural ability, and Ability Focus.

 

[d4]

Maybe you could Awaken it, then have it start taking levels of Forsaker. But that would be very off the wall.

now that is scary. give it a few Barbarian levels while you're at it.

 

[Kodam]

Hi!

I'd take levels of Monk. Just one word: flurry

Kodam

 

[Psion]

Paragon

 

[thundershot]

*takes notes*

My players FEAR rust monsters, because something bad ALWAYS happens to one of their characters precious items when they encounter one... The last one, a Goblin Cavalier of Heironeous, lost his magical full plate armor to a bad saving throw...

The adventure I'm concocting consists of an area that's a breeding ground for Rust Monsters, and there turns out to be a BIG MOMMA Rust Monster having all of these weird templated critters... So...

*continues to get ideas*




Chris