Help me find a template to slap on a rust monster

[Sir Draconion]

I made my high level party get decimated by some Rust hulks
waiting in ambush

rust hulks my idea (rust monster + umber hulk)
they borrow for precious metals and wealthy adventures
just take the best of both creatures
they deal mass damage + rusting and confusion

 

[Sejs]

Umbral or Ghost Brute.

Incorporeal rust monsters that can float thru floors or walls and still destroy your gear.


Axiomatic Umbral Rust Monster Swarm!

 

[Ferret]

I made a Rust-diver out of the symbiotic template from the bullette, some toughness with the rusting power is cool.

Although adding something that gives DR that can only be passed by a metal (Cold iron, slver or admantium) would be good, althouhg I don't remember if it can rust those metals... Add in deflect arrows. You have a very hard to kill (from weapons) monster, unless you can deal over the DR limit.

 

[jerichothebard]

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

Now that... that is truly wicked!

 

[mmadsen]

Perhaps you should go in the opposite direction and add the rust monster's rust attack to something else entirely, e.g., add rust to an iron golem for a rust golem.

 

[MerakSpielman]

Am I really the first person to suggest a vampiric rust monster?

 

[pawsplay]

It sounds like what you need to do is slap Paragon on it and add some HD and size. Anything else seems to get away from the Momma Rust Monster concept. Maybe Fiendish, Axiomatic, Earth, or Anarchic, though.

 

[Felon]

Lots of great ideas so far. Some aren't technically possible--awaken only affects creatures of the plant and animal type, the vampire emplate is only applicable to humanoids and monstrous humanoids, and I think a skeletal ruster would probably lose its antenae--but they've certainly planted the seeds for some cool idea. I hadn't thought of the rust dragon angle (from the Draconomicon), but it is a good match. The ghost brute sounds vicious too.

 

[Nifft]

MotP's Shadow Creature Template! It hides, it moves +50% faster, it gains total concealment in non-direct-daylight, it resists cold and gains a +2 to all saving throws (at that HD range). MotP also presents the Half-Elemental Template... Earth is certainly appropriate, but what would they do if a giant fire started eating their armor?

Savage Species' Insectile Template is nice if it's somewhere that a climb speed would help. If it's in an aquatic or boggy environment, consider the Reptilian Template from that same book.

MotP and ELH both have decent Pseudonatural Templates, with the one from the ELH being ever-so-slightly stronger. ELH also has a Paragon Template which is probably a wee bit too strong for your current party.

-- N

 

[Nightfall]

Elemental creature from MotP, probably fire.

Half elemental too to make it even more deadly.

Toss on corrupted creature you got something most parties are saying "Damn!"