Hyper Regeneration

[Fieari]

Inspired by the Death Gate Cycle, I wanted to create an epic template that would mimic an ability described in one of the nastier creatures of the labyrinth. I've written it up as follows:

Hyper Regeneration (Su): A creature with this ability heals all damage dealt to it at the begining of its turn, every round, including lost limbs. In order to kill it, it must be brought to -10 hp in a single round. If made unconscious, it automatically stablizes and regains consciousness when it heals. Death effects, including those from vorpal and similar weapons, act as normal.

This regeneration applies to every aspect of the creature. A single drop of blood spilled from a creature with this ability will form into an identicle copy of itself upon landing. After being dealt damage that does not kill it instantly, a copy will form and be combat ready 1d3 rounds later in an adjacent square. This applies to every attack, so if a character has four iterative attacks and deals damage on all four without killing the ant, four copies will be created. Multiple damage types from the same attack are not counted seperately.

Obviously a devestating ability, since even if you only encounter one creature like this, you could rapidly be facing hundreds. The question I have though, is what kind of CR adjustment should be given to a creature with this ability? It should be a function based on HD of course, since the key here is that the creatures really need to be killed in a single hit to have the challenge ended. On the other hand, increasing the CR too high above the HD means that by the time you approach the level that you're expected to be able to deal with one of these, any one of these critters wouldn't be a threat to the PCs anyway, since they wouldn't be able to get through their AC or saves. So a careful balance needs to be applied...

Here's a list of average damage a wizard can be expected to deal with a single spell per wizard level, up to 17th where Meteor Swarm is the highest damaging spell but doesn't go up via CL. 3.5, 7, 14, 14, 17.5, 21, 28, 28, 31.5, 35, 42, 42, 45.5, 49, 52.5, 56, 112

Phantasmal Killer and such could be factored in as well, in terms of being able to deal with critters like this.

Any suggestions?

 

[Alchemist]

since the key here is that the creatures really need to be killed in a single hit to have the challenge ended.

That's not really true, as it gets the same number of turns every round as the rest of the combatants. It would have to be killed before it's next action came up, not with a single attack.

In any case, this ability has the potential to become a TPK in a heartbeat or be absolutely meaningless, much like save or die spells. The biggest problem lies in the potential for the party to just not be able to reliably deal X damage per round, where X is the HP of the critter. If this is the case, they will probably spend a good amount of time generating more of the beasts than killing them, a losing battle. And if they can deal X/round, every round, the creature is a pushover from the start, as you've mentioned.

The only advice I can give is to make it on the high end of challenging to defeat in one round, and give them lots of clues so they can buff the bejesus out of themselves, making later (or earlier) encounters more challenging as they have used up (or are holding) buffs and blasts.

 

[domino]

Technically, bludgeoning weapons would not cause new monsters to grow. No blood shed, after all. (theoretically.)

 

[the Jester]

Technically, bludgeoning weapons would not cause new monsters to grow. No blood shed, after all. (theoretically.)

Ever hit someone in the head with a hammer?

Me neither- but I betcha money there's blood spilled.

 

[domino]

True. But unlike you and I, odds are anything that gets this will have a hide like a rhino. And that, I'd imagine, is less likely for bloodshed.

 

[Alchemist]

True. But unlike you and I, odds are anything that gets this will have a hide like a rhino. And that, I'd imagine, is less likely for bloodshed.

That fighter wailing on the beast is probably also doing more damage than you or I would endure or dish out.

 

[Nephtys]

What if the creature would shed its own blood? You could have millions of them running around ruining the campaign setting within hours. They would smother the world in an ever thickening blanket of flesh, accumulating their collective mass until the planet ignited into a star from the pressure.

 

[domino]

Especially because it would get to a point where the layers were so thick, the creatures on the bottom would be squished, and then, all that goo would start regenerating into several new creatures.

 

[Nephtys]

Especially because it would get to a point where the layers were so thick, the creatures on the bottom would be squished, and then, all that goo would start regenerating into several new creatures.

Yeah, one big squishy domino-effect .

 

[thompgc]

Perhaps this should be divided into 2 abilities
One would be Regeneration (All), which would heal all damage every round
The other would be create spawn from blood

2nd edition had a werewolf type creature that had the first ability
Mountain loup-garou perhaps?

The create spawn ability is what could easily cause the massive problems, even without the regeneration.

Such an ability is sometimes used in myths. A god is injured and the drops of blood turn into some sort of creature.