Immortals Handbook - Epic Bestiary (Epic Monster Discussion)

Kalitharus

First Post
paradox42 said:
I know I had fun figuring out size values after giving my version of the Draeden Divine Immensity 14 times. I did that so the thing would be able to get itself down to Large size if it wanted to, to hide from creatures that are actually powerful enough to destroy it, but found to my delight that at the other end of the scale it can grow large enough to fit a planet-sized object in one of its mouths (thus, it can literally eat whole planets without even using its epic spells to carve them up first).

Hello Paradox,

Even though the creature was written up in way back in 1986 (I bought the Immortals Set in '88), the Draeden is one of THE most powerful creatures I have have ever seen in D+D. Gotta respect them... they are very much the 'Keepers of the Cosmos'. :cool: Listed as Chaotic, but acting quite Neutral in the description given.

Kal
 
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Hey guys! :)

I won't be factoring size into the divine ability slots, I'm just going to ignore it (as long as the size is within natural HD parameters).

It throws up too many problems trying to explain it. :D
 

Hi Ltheb mate! :)

Ltheb Silverfrond said:
Wow. And I thought Surtur was a killing machine.

A few of the entries still need finishing, but Achilles is incredible (He has a non min/maxed AC of 69 for a 25th-level Fighter) and Dagda is really powerful - He will show you what a Skyfather is all about*. No Cha is tremendously versatile.

Its trickier gauging the power of the more spellcaster based classes.

*If Dagda is this powerful, I am almost frightened to do stats for Odin and Brahma at some point. :eek:

Ltheb Silverfrond said:
For the size issue, WarDragon has the right idea here: Base "Maximum size" off racial HD.
(I say maximum because perhaps a god might want to, as Frobojoe said, be medium even if it isn't benificial to them.) So a PC deity who becomes a god as a medium sized being has to buy size catagories, but an Elder Titan gets them for free. Both could alter their manifestation to be medium sized, but would lose all the benifits (strength, con, natural armor) of their previous size.

Agreed. It was just to confusing explaining it all. For all the difference it will make, better off ignoring it.
 

paradox42

First Post
Kalitharus said:
Hello Paradox,

Even though the creature was written up in way back in 1986 (I bought the Immortals Set in '88), the Draeden is one of THE most powerful creatures I have have ever seen in D+D. Gotta respect them... they are very much the 'Keepers of the Cosmos'. :cool: Listed as Chaotic, but acting quite Neutral in the description given.

Kal
Yes, I know. They were always one of the coolest things about the gold-box set for me. Ever since the Epic handbook made it possible to stat up beings as powerful as gods (like the perrennial favorite of reviewers, the Xixecal), I've been determined to one day stat up a 3E version of a Draeden- but I never got something I was satisfied with until UK's IH Bestiary postulated new size rules and gave me neat ideas like "Omnicompetent" (Hey! Now I don't have to figure out how to spend tens of thousands of skill points! Yaay!).

I waited for the Divine abilities in Ascension so I could actually make them equivalent to gods, at least in terms of the concept of Divine Rank, which the Immortals rules postulated they were. Since I've had those Divine abilities for some months now, I did get around to completing the Draeden entry in my personal monster book, and it's a whopper. :) CR 41,461, and that's just assuming it's equivalent to a mere Greater Deity (by its HD it could actually be well equivalent to a Time Lord if I wanted to go that high).

I do intend to eventually put it up on the d20 NPC Wiki, but I'm waffling on how many alternate versions to make before I do- because an alternate version is necessary before I can properly share it with anyone else. It uses one rather large house rule in my current campaign, see- a new monster type dubbed "Old One." Old Ones are sort of a cross between Dragons, Outsiders, and Aberrations in terms of creature traits- but since they're a new creature type, that means I have to convert the Draeden at least to a standard type before I can share it. And of course, after taking so long to stat it up the first time, the project of making new alternate versions is sort of on the back burner right now.

Honestly, one of the primary motivators for me to stat up a Draeden in the first place was so I could have a creature with the size/type line reading "Cyclopean Old One." :D I use adjectives for some of the size categories beyond Titanic, see, and Cyclopean happens to correspond to Macro-Titanic (which is what I statted up the "base Draeden" at).
 

dante58701

Banned
Banned
Here's an idea

Akasetsu
Colossal Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 50d8+700 (900 hp)
Initiative: +18 (+14 Dexterity, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 160 ft. (12 squares), climb 160 ft., fly 320 ft. (perfect), swim 160 ft.
Armor Class: 55 (-8 size, +14 Dex, +39 natural armor), touch 16, flat-footed 41
Base Attack/Grapple: +50/+88
Attack: Coil whip +72 melee (4d6+22) or spit venom +63 ranged (blindness and stun)
Full Attack: Coil whip +70 melee (4d6+22) and bite +68 melee (4d6+11 plus poison) or coil whip +70 melee (4d6+22) and spit venom +61 ranged (blindness and stun)
Space/Reach: 100 ft./65 ft. (30 ft./20 ft. when coiled)
Special Attacks: Charming gaze, constrict 4d6+33, improved grab, poison, spells
Special Qualities: Archivist abilities, chameleon ability, damage reduction 25/epic, darkvision 60 ft., flight, low-light vision, scent, spell resistance 60, tremor sense 60 ft.
Saves: Fort +51, Ref +51, Will +47
Abilities: Str 54, Dex 39, Con 39, Int 42, Wis 42, Cha 42
Skills: All skills at +53 plus ability modifiers and miscellaneous modifiers.
Feats: Combat Casting, Eschew Materials (b), Improved Counterspelling, Scribe Scroll, Silent Spell, Still Spell
Epic Feats: Epic Spellcasting, Ignore Material Components, Polyglot, Scribe Epic Scroll
Divine Abilities: Maven, Omnicompetent
Environment: Any subterranean
Organization: Solitary, pair, or nest (3-4)
Challenge Rating: 50
Treasure: Standard + Archives
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: 51-63 HD (Colossal); 64-127 HD (Titanic); 128-150 HD (Macro-Fine)
Level Adjustment: +75

As you enter the stone chamber you cannot help but feel that you are not alone. In the darkness that surrounds you there is naught but silence, though the scent of the crypt seems strangely subdued. As you tremble forward, leering emerald eyes, loom up out of the shadows and into the light of your torch, gleaming with the malice of untold ages and the sinister wisdom of forgotten lore. Coiling around you, it's disarming gaze invites you, welcoming you into it's embrace, all the while crushing you within it's coils.

Akasetsu are extremely powerful cobra-like serpents. Lurking in forgotten tombs and subterranean lairs, they while away the time by studying the secrets of the dead. Considered by many cultures to be the keepers of dusty tomes and moldy remnants of times long since past, they are often sought out for information, though more often than not, such seekers often become the akasetsu's latest meal and their bones are used to fortify the structures in which the akasetsu dwell.

Akasetsu know and speak all languages.

Akasetsu are 100 ft. long, with a 5 ft. diameter, and weigh 900 tons (1,800,000 pounds), due to their incredible muscular density.

Combat

Akasetsu prefer subtlety to stupidity and will always avoid direct confrontation if at all possible, though if a threat is perceived to be dangerous enough for the akasetsu to become concerned for it's own safety, it will either destroy the threat personally, using it's most devastating abilities, or flee if it feels the threat is too great to deal with. It is important to note that, although they are more than capable of doing so, akasetsu never swallow prey whole unless they are absolutely sure their prey is dead.

An akasetsu’s natural weapons are treated as epic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Archivist Abilities (Ex): Akasetsu are skilled archivists and possess 25th-level Archivist abilities, these abilities are equivalent to half their Hit Dice (rounded down). For more details concerning Archivists, consult Heroes of Horror.

Spells: As 25th-level Archivist (Caster level 50th; 4/9/9/9/9/8/8/8/8/7; Epic Spells Per Day: 5). The save DC is Wisdom-based. As each akasetsu is a unique individual with their own motives and personality, there truly is no typical selection of spells that they memorize each day.

Chameleon Scales (Ex): Because of it's everchanging scales, an akasetsu blends in with it's surroundings, gaining a +10 circumstance bonus on Hide checks.

Charming Gaze (Su): An akasetsu's gaze functions like the mass charm monster spell against creatures withing 90 ft. (Will DC 51 negates). The save DC is Charisma-based.

Constrict (Ex): An akasetsu deals 4d6+33 points damage with a successful grapple attack against a Huge or smaller opponent.

Flight (Su): An akasetsu can fly as though with a fly spell at 360 ft. with perfect maneuverability. This ability grants it a +6 circumstance bonus on Move Silently checks when flying.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability an akasetsu must hit with it's bite or coil whip attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Poison (Ex): Bite, Fortitude DC 49; initial and secondary damage 5d8 Constitution. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Prehensile Tail (Ex): An Akasetsu has an extremely dexterous prehensile tail that can be used to perform any task that could otherwise be performed with a single hand. Including, though not limited to, pointing, turning pages, wielding a tool or weapon, and scratching one's head in confusion.

Spit Venom (Ex): Akasetsu can spit their venom up to 240 ft. distant at a single target. A successful strike with this attack causes the target to be blinded and stunned by the shock and pain. They will remain stunned for 1 round, and will be blinded until they take 1 minute (10 rounds) to rinse their eyes out with water.

Skills: Akasetsu have a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks. An akasetsu can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. An akasetsu has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
 
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Anabstercorian

First Post
I envision a monster. Some sort of time-python. It begins every encounter wrapped around the PC's - literally, as soon as any member of the party encounters it, they are entwined in it's coils. A pre-emptive grapple.
 

Anabstercorian said:
I envision a monster. Some sort of time-python. It begins every encounter wrapped around the PC's - literally, as soon as any member of the party encounters it, they are entwined in it's coils. A pre-emptive grapple.

Neat, though spellcasters will definitely complain :).

Or, what about if it does every action retroactively; Ex: If it grapples you in round 3, then it has effectively grappled you in round 1, and the results of that grapple would need to be rolled out. Or if it bites you in round 4, 3 other bite attacks are rolled for each round before that against you.
Meh, complicated. :)
I dunno, just sounds cool.
 

Hi dante mate! :)

hope you had a great Christmas!?

Cool base monster but I still think it needs a bit of work to stand out mechanically.

I don't know why, but I just had the idea maybe instead of scales this snake could have spellbooks and magical tomes.

Then when its wounded the books would open along the gash and pages would fly out in one big line attacking the opponent in some fashion.

Or maybe its togue is like pages from the books (casting spells) and it has a barb at the end of its tail/body which drains spells when it hits.

...just brainstorming out loud. :)
 

paradox42

First Post
Ltheb Silverfrond said:
Anabstercorian said:
I envision a monster. Some sort of time-python. It begins every encounter wrapped around the PC's - literally, as soon as any member of the party encounters it, they are entwined in it's coils. A pre-emptive grapple.
Neat, though spellcasters will definitely complain :).

Or, what about if it does every action retroactively; Ex: If it grapples you in round 3, then it has effectively grappled you in round 1, and the results of that grapple would need to be rolled out. Or if it bites you in round 4, 3 other bite attacks are rolled for each round before that against you.
Meh, complicated. :)
I dunno, just sounds cool.
The pre-emptive part could be given to it (at least in part) by the ability that lets you always win initiative (I forget its name just now).

And as for abilities to attack victims in the past, that could be simulated by forcing them to always lose any bonuses to AC except armor, natural armor, divine, and deflection against its attacks, and its reach actually extends to any location within its base move rate since it presumably moves to strike the victim. But then, you'll have to force it to so move on its turn. Of course, if a potential victim has some ability to literally see across time, like Seventh Sense, that will negate the ability to catch said creature flat-footed since it will in fact be able to see the attack coming. Also, I suppose Uncanny Dodge comes into play here, but the "Time Python" should count as a Rogue of level equal to its HD for the purpose of bypassing that ability.

Perhaps extensive use of the Immediate Action mechanic can work to the designer's advantage here.

Obviously it'll need to have Slipstream as an ability, being immune to any attempt to attack it via time travel. And it should probably have Time Stop as a Spell-Like Ability, possibly even an at-will SLA (which would obviously be absurdly powerful- but this is an Epic creature you were envisioning was it not, Anabstercorian?).
 

paradox42 said:
The pre-emptive part could be given to it (at least in part) by the ability that lets you always win initiative (I forget its name just now).

And as for abilities to attack victims in the past, that could be simulated by forcing them to always lose any bonuses to AC except armor, natural armor, divine, and deflection against its attacks, and its reach actually extends to any location within its base move rate since it presumably moves to strike the victim. But then, you'll have to force it to so move on its turn. Of course, if a potential victim has some ability to literally see across time, like Seventh Sense, that will negate the ability to catch said creature flat-footed since it will in fact be able to see the attack coming. Also, I suppose Uncanny Dodge comes into play here, but the "Time Python" should count as a Rogue of level equal to its HD for the purpose of bypassing that ability.

Perhaps extensive use of the Immediate Action mechanic can work to the designer's advantage here.

Obviously it'll need to have Slipstream as an ability, being immune to any attempt to attack it via time travel. And it should probably have Time Stop as a Spell-Like Ability, possibly even an at-will SLA (which would obviously be absurdly powerful- but this is an Epic creature you were envisioning was it not, Anabstercorian?).

This kindof reminds me of a mechanic I thought up for super-fast beings. Eventually, being would want to move faster than even Superluminal, and the only thing faster than that is flat-out teleportation. So the idea I came up with was a "Space-Folding" power, similar to that of the Umbral Blot, but could be utilized as a Non-Action meaning the user can be anywhere at any time. This basically foils any attacks against the user by anyone without this power. (They just "zip away" as you attack, and zip back after you miss) Said ability would, in IH terms, be at least Transient, but more likely omnific. (As for the monster I gave this to, you don't even wanna know)

As for timestop at will, Not really necessary to have at will. Maybe 1/day or 3/day. A strict interpretation of Timestop makes it not-too potent, but a lenient DM makes it pretty powerful. (Personally, for most non-epic games I run, If a mage gets timestop, I'll let him do whatever he wants. Its a friggan 9th level spell. :) Though I would be pretty strict with an epic-level game)
Since said snake is a python, perhaps it has a swallow whole power that not only eats them, but displaces them in time or something? Like their gullet is a Time-Portal to some place outside normal time or something. I would say to give it a Venom that Ages foes or stasis' them, but Constrictor snakes don't usually have poison.
 

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