Memento Mori monster

[freyar]

Let's max out Know (hist) and probably Sense Motive, too, since it seems to talk to intruders a lot. Or we could do 2 in spot & listen and 3 in sense motive.

 

[Shade]

Since it's Wis is so poor, let's just forget about Spot and Listen. Search might be worthwhile, however...

If the majority of what it guards is destroyed, either by action of intelligent beings or by decay, the memento mori focuses its attention on whatever remains, even if that involves traveling to a distant land, unerringly seeking some small item of value that was stolen decades before. When it finds its treasure, it guards it wherever it happens to be, as it has no body with which to move the item.

Or maybe a locate object-like power would be more appropriate since it seeks "unerringly"?

How about Skill Focus (Intimidate) and Weapon Focus (electrical touch) for feats?

 

[Shroomy]

A memento mori with no remaining energy will still behave like one with damaging power, threatening potential robbers with its static charge and letting the charred remains of any previous robbers speak for themselves.

I think it needs a high Bluff check. I would max out Intimidate and Bluff, and then split the rest between Spot and Listen.

 

[Shade]

I think it needs a high Bluff check. I would max out Intimidate and Bluff, and then split the rest between Spot and Listen.

Let's split the difference and go with Bluff 5, Intimidate 7, Knowledge (history) 5, Sense Motive 4. With Wis 4, it's already got a -3 modifier on Spot and Listen checks, so a few ranks won't help much. If you think they're important, we could give it racial bonuses.

For feats, let's go with Persuasive instead of Weapon Focus, giving an addtional +2 on Bluff and Intimidate checks. Sound good?

How's this?

Discern Location (Su): A memento mori always knows the location of any portion of its body or treasure. This functions as a discern location spell, but is always active and only applies to the memento mori's body and treasure.

 

[Shroomy]

The feats and discern location ability sounds good, but I'm still having problems wrapping my head around a guardian creature that cannot detect anyone. It either needs a higher Wisdom or some sort of heavy racial bonus.

 

[Shade]

The feats and discern location ability sounds good, but I'm still having problems wrapping my head around a guardian creature that cannot detect anyone. It either needs a higher Wisdom or some sort of heavy racial bonus.

I'm fine with bumping Wis to at least 10. The "short-term memory" doesn't necessarily equate to low Wisdom.

How about we boost Wis to 10, and give it a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Listen, and give it Alertness and Persuasive as its feats? Its skills will then appear as follows:

Bluff +11, Diplomacy +6, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (history) +4, Listen +6, Sense Motive +4, Spot +6

Does that look good?

 

[Shroomy]

Looks good.

 

[Shade]

If they do not immediately flee when confronted by the memento mori, it causes a strong static-electric charge to play over all standing within 20’ of either the body or the memento mori. This charge is non-damaging, but makes the victims’ hair stand on end and causes an unpleasant tingling to play across their skin. The memento mori, now surrounded by a blue nimbus of crackling electricity, then warns the intruders that worse effects are in store if they should persist.

This sounds like a different ability than its shocking touch. How's this?

Electric Charge (Su): A memento mori can release a static electric charge in a 20-foot radius that deals 1 point of electricity damage. When it uses this ability, a memento mori crackles with a blue nimbus of electricity (treat as faerie fire) for 1 round. The memento mori can choose to center this effect on the body it guards instead of itself.

 

[freyar]

Let's make the racial Intimidate bonus a part of this ability (or is that too complicated)? So rather than a flat +4 racial bonus on Intimidate, we have

Electric Charge (Su): A memento mori can release a static electric charge in a 20-foot radius that deals 1 point of electricity damage. When it uses this ability, a memento mori crackles with a blue nimbus of electricity (treat as faerie fire) for 1 round, and the memento mori gains a +4 bonus on Intimidate checks for 24 hours against any creature that it damages with this ability. The memento mori can choose to center this effect on the body it guards instead of itself.

 

[Shade]

I like it! Any objections?