Immortals Handbook - Epic Bestiary (Epic Monster Discussion)

[paradox42]

Paradox, with a Dark Matter dragon, will you be shrinking the mass of the monster as a whole?
I assume superluminal will also be an intrinsic element?

It's Adamic, being the "superposition particles" dragon I originally noted, so any Transcendent abilities will be difficult to justify. However, it's interesting that you mention shrinking of mass- I was playing around with the idea of making them the smallest of the Adamics, one "tick" off the end of the scale U_K suggests in the Bestiary. That is, they'd start with 68 HD, one 12-HD step below 80 (which should be the smallest of the "known breeds").

I mentioned the Concealment Portfolio because according to U_K's scheme, each such dragon is effectively based on a single Dimension. Well, Dimensions ultimately come from beings with doubles in a Portfolio, right? That's why there's a Dominion entry for First One in the main Portfolio template. So ultimately, the Adamic dragons are tied (if loosely) to Portfolios. The idea with this dragon type would be, they're small and weak compared to most, so their powers of stealth and spying are unmatched. They survive because they're rare, incorporeal (that, certainly, fits with the paradigm of Dark Matter as we on Earth today theorize about it), and take care to stay difficult to notice. It might also be that by basing them on a new Portfolio, a Dimension other than the known six, we have a reason for them being so small and relatively weak. The Dimension itself may be new, and given what the Portfolio description itself says- it would be unnoticed by anybody aware of the wider multiverse. Thus, the dragons representing it are also small, relatively new in the cosmic scheme of things, and take care to remain beneath the notice of more powerful beings.

I was also thinking of slipping in some fluff along the lines of the old Dark*Matter setting, specifically the idea that Dark Matter is somehow tied to the way magic works. That would make these Dark Matter dragons extremely powerful spell-users, and I was thinking of using this idea to make their Cosmic bonus a circumstance bonus specifically- the idea being that they actually have a lesser version of the Alter Reality Cosmic ability, but can only use it to grant the bonus rather than just do any old thing like the full ability can. Their bonus Divine ability is going to be Shadow Self, as I have things right now, which seems to fit both the stealth idea as well as the idea that they're dragons of a particle realm that mirrors the particle realms we know, but at a higher mass and passing ghostlike through our own, which are ideas about Dark Matter that are echoed in various parts of the current scientific literature.

I also was toying with some ideas for new Cosmic [Effects] to use for the breath weapon, since none of the existing Cosmic [Effects] really seems both appropriate and not already used by another Adamic dragon type. Gravitic [Effect] should logically be tied to the "gravity dragon" which we suspect will be the Planetary, Annihilating [Effect] is effectively already used by the Void Dragon, and so on. Admittedly the Cometary Dragon's breath doesn't duplicate Chronal [Effect] as written- it's just a 9th-level spell that the dragon can break some rules related to (namely the part about being able to attack the victims)- but maybe that's worth a Cosmic ability? Anyway, I decided that since the Nexus Dragon clearly and obviously has a breath weapon based on a Transcendent effect, and I used that idea to give the Firmament Dragon its breath weapon, logically the Adamics should have breath weapons based on Cosmic effects.

I'd like the Dark Matter dragon to breathe some sort of "Dark Energy" effect, but exactly what that means is unclear. My current idea for this is that it's a type of energy that always hits its target in the worst way- for example, a Red dragon would be hit with Cold damage, while a White would be hit with Fire. Also, given that the dragons which produce this breath weapon are themselves incorporeal, the breath weapon should always work normally against incorporeal, material and Ethereal targets, regardless of its origin- like a Force effect. I figure it would actually deal Force damage against a target that's immune to all the basic energy types. But the question then becomes- if this is a Cosmic ability, how much damage is being dealt here? How much is the ability to always hit an opponent with the energy type it's weakest against "worth" when stacking up against other abilities?

 

[paradox42]

Reconfiguring just allows it to reshape it's interior as per stoneshape, which is fairly devastating.

Well... not really. Reshaping its interior does it no good whatsoever against opponents who attack it from the outside, as nearly every opponent will. It doesn't apparently have any need to "assimilate" lesser creatures as a Borg cube does (through association with its passengers at least), so why would anything ever end up inside it where the Reconfigure becomes significant? I suppose what I'm wondering is, what is this ability used for by the Cube? What is it useful for?

 

[dante58701]

The creator of the cube typically lives within the cube.

This makes the cube exceptionally difficult to destroy since certain spells are designed to repair constructs, even ones typically immune to spells that allow spell resistance. Said creators almost certainly have such spells. Said creators are typically gods.

The reconfiguration makes the cube a virtually endless and deadly labyrinth.

I probably shoulda mentioned that, but I guess I was figuring it was a given that any smart creator would want to live in their own cube.

 

[Ltheb Silverfrond]

This Cube monster sounds interesting. Since it is effectively too large for a human-sized being to fight, it could be treated as a dungeon. Since it can reconfigure itself (think the Alien vs Preadator movie) it could be one heck of an epic adventure trying to reach the "core" and disable it. (Since it is too tough to actually smash to bits for most beings) No doubt it would be filled with guardians or other entities to make this a tricky affair, plus whatever being or super-guardian dwells at the core of the thing, if there is one. (A Mix of golems could be cool. Squads of well matched golems with synergistic powers could wreck some serious havoc)

Or, if you wanted to use it as a monster in the traditional sense, perhaps it's reconfiguration could work like a more extreme Maze Spell. Those inside need to have high enough Int to get out, and if they don't have at least a certain amount of Int, they can't escape at all. Perhaps it has a tractor-beam like way of trapping victims inside. Also, perhaps its ability to reconfigure it's insides grants it a limited form of fast healing. (It simply replaces its damaged sections with more stable metals and moves the damaged portions away from the action)

 

[dante58701]

Those are excellent ideas. Could you stat out the individual abilities, I'd like to see how they'd actually work. The cube isn't truly too big to fight, you'd just need to be extremely powerful to do so. It's meant to be a world ender. A campaign killer of sorts. I was actually envisioning an entire mobile armada of them floating through space, perhaps even The Far Realm or Acheron. A mix of golems...possibly. Though it would only manufacture orichalcum golems, other golems could be lying in wait for our intrepid heroes. Awakened mercury golems might be good for this. As for fast healing, the cube already gets that from being orichalcum. Perhaps...regeneration??? Or perhaps reconfiguration could do both. 1/1d4 rounds the cube could reconfigure itself, repairing all damage inflicted upon it and rearranging the internal labyrinth simultaneously. Wasn't there a movie about a cube filled with traps too. It kinda reshuffled itself every so often, like an endless puzzle. The cube could also work kinda like the Lament Configuration, summoning evil outsiders. But I'd like to leave out abilities like that for a special template that could be applied to the cube.

Basically, I want the cube to be every bit as oppressive and ominous as every horrifying cube there ever was.

Here it is again for reference since I got a bit sidetracked with pointless meandering. Im sure most people missed it entirely.

It still needs a lot of work, but this is the basic idea.


Orichalcum Cube
Macro-Tiny Construct
Hit Dice:40,000d100 (4,081,920 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: Fly 480' (Perfect)
Armor Class:40,333 (+40,451 natural, -128 size), touch -118, flat-footed 40,333
Base Attack/Grapple: +30,000/+30,183
Attack: Slam +30,151 melee (1,280d10+151)
Full Attack: Slam +30,151 melee (1,280d10+151)
Space/Reach: 1,250 ft./1,250 ft.
Special Attacks: Death throes, plasma beam, reconfiguration, sentinels, traps
Special Qualities: Construct traits, damage reduction 100/ - , darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 100, immunity to magic, lowlight vision, unearthly construction
Saves: Fort +19,996, Ref +19,996, Will +19,996
Abilities: Str 322 (+151), Dex 10, Con - , Int - , Wis 10, Cha 1
Environment: Any
Organization: Army (orichalcum cube plus 500 sentinels)
Challenge Rating: ???
Treasure: -
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

Combat

Plasma Beam (Su): As a free action, every 1d2 rounds, the orichalcum golem can generate a beam of divine fire with an effective range of 17.5 miles. Targets struck by the beam suffer 40,000d100 (d100/Hit Dice of the orichalcum cube) divine fire damage (average ). This ability is a ranged touch effect.

Reconfiguration (Ex): The orichalcum cube can reconfigure itself once each round as a free action. Creatures engulfed by the Orichalcum cube may, once each round as a full-round action, attempt to escape from the cube with a successful Intelligence check (DC 35). Success indicate they escape the cube, exiting the cube's fighting space into an open square of the Cube's choice. Failure indicates they remained trapped within the cube. Failure by 20 or more indicates that the engulfed subjects not only remain trapped, but during their escape fall prey to some form of trap or ambush, and suffer 20d6 Slashing, piercing, bludgeoning, fire, or electricity damage (cube's choice). There is no save to negate this damage. Further, as long as the cube has 2,040,960 or more hit points remaining, it heals 40,000 hit points of damage each round it reconfigures itself, in addition to it's natural fast healing ability.

Sentinels (Su): At the behest of it's creator, once per round, as a free action, an orichalcum cube can manufacture 1 orichalcum sentinel, 2 orichalcum golems, or 4 orichalcum guardians.

Tractor Beam (Su): Once per round, as a standard action, the Orichalcum cube may attempt a ranged touch attack at +29872 to hit against any foe within 17.5 miles. If this touch attack hits, they foe must make an opposed strength check with the Orichalcum Cube or be pulled 1250 ft towards the orichalcum cube, +50 ft per 5 the cube exceeds the foe's strength check. Foes pulled into the Orichalcum Cube's square are engulfed within it and cannot easily escape (see Reconfiguration ability, below).

Unearthly Construction (Ex): These cosmic constructs use d100s for Hit Dice. Orichalcum cubes also have maximum hit points per Hit Die.

 

[Ltheb Silverfrond]

Ok, here goes:

Tractor Beam (Su): Once per round, as a standard action, the Orichalcum cube may attempt a ranged touch attack at +29872 to hit against any foe within 17.5 miles. If this touch attack hits, they foe must make an opposed strength check with the Orichalcum Cube or be pulled 1250 ft towards the orichalcum cube, +50 ft per 5 the cube exceeds the foe's strength check. Foes pulled into the Orichalcum Cube's square are engulfed within it and cannot easily escape (see Reconfiguration ability, below).

Reconfiguration (Ex): The orichalcum cube can reconfigure itself once each round as a free action. Creatures engulfed by the Orichalcum cube may, once each round as a full-round action, attempt to escape from the cube with a successful Intelligence check (DC 35). Success indicate they escape the cube, exiting the cube's fighting space into an open square of the Cube's choice. Failure indicates they remained trapped within the cube. Failure by 20 or more indicates that the engulfed subjects not only remain trapped, but during their escape fall prey to some form of trap or ambush, and suffer 20d6 Slashing, piercing, bludgeoning, fire, or electricity damage (cube's choice). There is no save to negate this damage.
Further, as long as the cube has 2,040,960 or more hit points remaining, it heals 40,000 hit points of damage each round it reconfigures itself, in addition to it's natural fast healing ability.

Note that these abilities were written for those who wish to fight the creature directly. The damage the cube does to those who fail their Int checks by 20 is to abstract some form of nasty trap or ambush. I would recommend that if it is intended for the PCs to fight their way to the core and defeat it's controller that the Int check be disregarded and that the inside of the cube be run as a rapidly changing and evolving dungeon.

 

[dante58701]

Consider them snagged. We'll worry about cleaning it up completely once we have the basics in order. Then we'll recheck the math and blah blah blah. Well, you get the idea.

Perhaps some sort of ability to turn "visitors" into half-orichalcum golems???

That would require a separate template as well, but we could worry about the "borg/cenobite" template later.

Perhaps, we treat the outside of the cube as a normal monster and the inside of the cube as a rapidly changing dungeon? How would the abilities work then?

 

[Pssthpok]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_(aficionado)

It was an enworld glitch...not mine.

PS...Websters dictionary is not a very legitimate source. It has a lot of MADE UP words in it that are part of the AMERICAN language and not part of the ENGLISH language.

So...adult, go to your room. You're grounded for two weeks.

You lose, Dante.

Now drop it... you derailer, you. I'm ignoring you from here on out; I suggest you do the same. Saves us and everyone else having to suffer these little... annoyances you consider cunning blows to my credibility.

 

[Upper_Krust]

You two are bickering like a married couple!

 

[Ltheb Silverfrond]

Perhaps, we treat the outside of the cube as a normal monster and the inside of the cube as a rapidly changing dungeon? How would the abilities work then?

Sort of simple: The outside is a monster. Attacking it from the outside = normal combat against a monster.

Inside the thing is a bit trickier. I found this to be an interesting monster/dungeon/adventure idea and gave it some thought. Ever see the "aptly named" movie, The Cube? (or one of it's sequels?) Basically, throw together a series of random trap, monster, and room feature tables for the dungeon. Each time they enter a room, roll 'em. (Make sure there is a good chance for 'nothing' to keep the PCs on their toes with suspicion) Or pick/plan them yourself.

What could also be an interesting idea would be that the entire dungeon would have a set amount of permanent spell effects that would affect it at any given time, expressed in spell levels. Let the Cube, each round it reconfigures itself, change its spell effects. Since it's a pretty epic foe, I'd give it ~50 spell levels worth of constant effects. These effects could range from dungeon-wide conditions (Mass Incendiary Cloud/cloudkill/Evards black tentacles/dimension lock) to new powers and defenses manifested by it's inhabitance (all monsters gain haste/stoneskin/foresight/spell turning/heroism) to "spell traps". (The cube 'casts' an attack spell directly at the intruders) I would make it's caster level 100 for simplicity sake. I encourage some challenging combinations early on, but after a few rounds, the Cube should stop 'playing nice' and set up combinations that specifically hamper the player's fighting styles. (Cast slow/bestow curse/hold monster on the fighters, finger of death/flesh to stone/disintigrate on the mages, etc and protective spells on the monsters to counter their common attack forms, like Energy Immunity [fire] against a mage who likes fireballs)