Maedar

[Shade]

It looks like 8 is our magic number, either way you slice it.

 

[Conaill]

Most medusas typically mate with blinded or blindfolded human males, as a maedar can be difficult to find. This cross produces two to six eggs that hatch into either fledgling medusas, or human males who turn to stone upon the sight of their mother. When a medusa is able to find a maedar to mate with, their offspring are generally medusas, though a very small percentage of males born from such a pairing will be maedar.

Reworded a little to soothe my delicate sensibilities.

"Forced to mate with blinded or blindfolded human males" sounds rather like there's some really sick and twisted BBEG breeding medusas. And "infinitessimal" is just the wrong word altogether...

 

[BOZ]

updated the entry again.

went with hardness since the glyptar is essentially a possessed/animated object, and they seem to have hardness rather than DR.

where can we afford to sacrifice skill ranks to give it a halfway decent bonus in Survival?

does the placement of the Medusa Blood quality look about right? should it be listed somewhere else?

 

[demiurge1138]

Medusa blood should be a real special quality, listed in the combat section like all the other ones.

We could just give them a racial bonus to Survival. If you really want to cut something out for survival, I say Bluff. They've never struck me as very deceptive creatures. They are described as antisocial, after all.

Demiurge out.

 

[Shade]

Agreed with all that 'urge said.

 

[BOZ]

i only went with Bluff because it was a carryover from the 3.0 conversion - aside from losing the synergy bonus for Disguise, i don't mind losing it.

that said, updating the entry - how is this one looking?

 

[Shade]

I think "Transfer to Glyptar" sounds a bit awkward. Maybe "Transfer Life Force" or "Transfer Life Essence"? Or maybe I'm just being difficult?

How did we come up with the domains in the "as characters" section? Should we mention a specific deity?

I'd suggest rewording "a glyptar is set in" to "if a glyptar attaches to", as the former implies that the glyptar can't do it without assistance.

A glyptar only cooperates with living beings when it chooses to do so, and cannot be forced to comply. A glyptar is immune to telepathy and cannot speak, but can use an appropriate animated object to write out messages in any language that the maedar understood.

Is the first sentence included to indicate that it is not an intelligent weapon? It's probably not necessary otherwise, as the construct immunities render it immune to mind-affecting effects. What exactly is "immune to telepathy"?

 

[BOZ]

I think "Transfer to Glyptar" sounds a bit awkward. Maybe "Transfer Life Force" or "Transfer Life Essence"? Or maybe I'm just being difficult?

not at all. how about Transfer Essence? also, i'm thinking we can remove the part about needing to be below 0 hit points, because really i think the maedar can transfer anytime it feels it is going to be killed (regardless of its current hp).

How did we come up with the domains in the "as characters" section? Should we mention a specific deity?

http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=1365835&postcount=475

I'd suggest rewording "a glyptar is set in" to "if a glyptar attaches to", as the former implies that the glyptar can't do it without assistance.

it's supposed to imply that. i got the impression somewhere along the way that it can't animate the crystal itself. however, let's look at that passage from MC3 again just to be sure:

"If this glyptar is removed intact from the ground, the maedar's spirit is now able to animate the crystal and anything inorganic attached to it. Thus if the glyptar is set in the eye of a stone statue, the maedar's life force animates it as a golem. This can affect a maximum of 1,000 pounds.

Similarly, if the glyptar is set in the pommel of a sword, the sword can be animated to strike as though it were wielded by the living maedar. The weapon gains a +1 bonus to its attack roll, strikes as if it were wielded by a 6th-level fighter, and gains a +2 bonus to its damage roll. Note that the glyptar's stone to flesh power enables the weapon to sink harmlessly into stone as the glyptar uses its power."

Is the first sentence included to indicate that it is not an intelligent weapon? It's probably not necessary otherwise, as the construct immunities render it immune to mind-affecting effects. What exactly is "immune to telepathy"?

not quite sure which "first sentence" you're referring to? not quite sure where i was going with the immunity to telepathy thing, or where i got it from. perhaps we should revisit that...

 

[Shade]

not at all. how about Transfer Essence? also, i'm thinking we can remove the part about needing to be below 0 hit points, because really i think the maedar can transfer anytime it feels it is going to be killed (regardless of its current hp).

Name sounds good, and agreed with dropping the latter.

http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=1365835&postcount=475

Heh heh. How quickly I forget.

Should we namedrop Skoraeus Stonebones?

it's supposed to imply that. i got the impression somewhere along the way that it can't animate the crystal itself. however, let's look at that passage from MC3 again just to be sure:

So, essentially, it sometimes "plays dead" and allows others to manipulate it?

not quite sure which "first sentence" you're referring to? not quite sure where i was going with the immunity to telepathy thing, or where i got it from. perhaps we should revisit that...

"A glyptar only cooperates with living beings when it chooses to do so, and cannot be forced to comply."

In other words, how would it be forced to comply and differently than any other creature?

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

Should we namedrop Skoraeus Stonebones?

We can, and probably should if we are keeping his domains.

Medusae and maedar respect, but do not worship, Skoraeus the Living Rock

Although, it shouldn't be more than a name drop, as it was in the original article.



Since the text clearly states that the glyptar can animate itself as well as objects it is attached to, which I obviously overlooked, we need to work on the below passage a bit.

I would say though, that the glyptar lacks the manual dexterity to fasten itself to something properly and would require someone to voluntarily tie it down or glue it or whatever is needed to attach it to something. I would say, however, that it can easily deattach itself as being attached would allow it to manipulate the rope or glue or whatever is holding it on.

"A glyptar can use animate objects, as the spell (Caster level 20), on an inorganic object if firmly attached to it. Such objects are directly under control of the glyptar. If a glyptar is set in the hilt or handle of a melee weapon, the weapon will function as if it has the dancing quality, allowing the glyptar to make attacks with the weapon using the maedar’s base attack bonus, and Strength bonus to damage. If a glyptar is set in the eye of a stone statue, the glyptar can animate the statue as if it were a stone golem. All of these effects end if the glyptar is removed or removes itself from the item."

Glyptars cannot be mentally contacted or influenced by any mind-affecting spells. They cannot be forced to cooperate by any means. They only cooperate when they choose. Glyptars cannot be spoken with telepathically; however, they can cause their attachment to write out messages in common, medusa, or any other language understood by the maedar.

What I came up with from that:
"A glyptar only cooperates with living beings when it chooses to do so, and cannot be forced to comply. A glyptar is immune to telepathy and cannot speak, but can use an appropriate animated object to write out messages in any language that the maedar understood."

What, from that, do we actually need to use then?