My next project (#4)!

[BOZ]

OK, this one might take a little while to work through...

#55
have a look at this one's abilities.

It needs 2 feats, and I think Improved Initiative should be one.

Large Aberration
Hit Dice: 5d8+20 (42 hp)
Initiative: +2 (+4 natural, -2 Dex)
Speed: 10 ft. (see below)
AC: 15 (-2 Dex, -1 size, +8 natural)
Attacks: Slam +5 melee
Damage: Slam 2d6+4
Face/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Landslide, Trample
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 8/?, Tremorsense 120 ft.
Saves: Fort +5, Ref-1, Will +4
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 7, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 2
Skills: Hide +10, Tumble +8
Climate/Terrain: Mountains
Organization: Cluster (3-5), rabble (6-10), or slide (11-20)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: 25% goods (gems only)
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement:. 1-2 HD (Small), 3-4 HD (Medium-size), 6-8 HD (Large), 9-12 HD (Huge)
ROCKs are sentient, mobile rocks. There are many types of ROCKs (sandstone, basalt, gabbro), the most common being granite. They say the walls have ears; so do the rocks.
Combat
Aberration: Unlike most aberrations, ROCKs do not have Darkvision.
ROCK Traits: ROCKs are immune to poison, mind-affecting spells and abilities, and stunning. They are not subject to critical attacks and cannot be caught flat-footed or flanked. ROCKs take half damage from fire- and cold-based attacks.
Landslide (Ex): A group of ROCKs may cause a landslide, assuming they're in an environment conducive to such. A landslide must start on high ground and must be able to travel at least 100 feet from start to finish. The path must follow the natural slope of the terrain, and has a bury zone equal to the total reach distance of all ROCKs in the landslide. For instance, four Large ROCKs, each with a reach of 10 feet, combine for a bury zone of 40 feet. The slide zone to each side of the bury zone of a ROCK landslide is half its bury zone. Those in the bury zone take 3d6 damage plus the normal slam damage of each ROCK in the landslide, or half this damage if they make a successful Reflex saving throw (DC 15). They are subsequently pinned. Those in the slide zone take Id6 damage plus half of the normal slam damage of each ROCK in the landslide, or no damage if they make a successful Reflex saving throw (DC 15). Those who fail their saves are pinned. Pinned characters take Id6 points of subdual damage per minute while pinned. If the pinned character falls unconscious, he must make a Constitution check (DC 15) or take Id6 points normal damage each minute thereafter until dead or freed. This Landslide attack may only be attempted once per day, as the ROCKs must move back into position to do it again should the opportunity present itself.
Trample (Ex): Instead of its normal attack, a ROCK may choose to Trample a creature that is at least one size smaller than itself as a standard action. This attack does double its normal slam damage. Opponents who do not make attacks of opportunity against the creature during the Trample, which are at a -4 penalty, can attempt a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 the ROCK's HD + the ROCK's Strength modifier) to halve the damage.
Tremorsense (Ex): A ROCK does not see in the normal sense, as it has no eyes. By feeling vibrations in the earth, a ROCK automatically senses the location of anything that is in contact with the ground, moving, and within 120 feet.
Skills: ROCKs receive a 4 size penalty and a +10 racial bonus to Hide checks. They also receive a +6 racial bonus to Tumble checks. This is worked into the above skills.

NEW WONDROUS ITEM: MUMBLER
Small chunks of ROCKs sometimes break off during their strange lives. These chunks can be used as translation devices for the purpose of communicating with ROCKs and, sometimes, ordinary rocks. To use a mumbler, it must be placed against the subject rock and then leaned against ear-first. The rock's part of the conversation is heard as rumbling, humming words recognizable as Common with a little effort. Only 25% of mumblers allow communication with ordinary rocks.
Caster Level: 1st; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, charm person, and a suitable portion of a living ROCK; Market Price: 2,000 gp.

 

[demiurge1138]

I agree that the racial initiative bonus should be dropped in favor of giving it Imp. Initiative as a feat. As for another feat... Ability Focus (landslide)? Weapon Focus (slam)?

The landslide ability looks pretty much kosher, judging by the actual landslide rules. The trample should be 3.5 afied (full round action, double speed, etc) and the damage should be listed (4d6+8 or 4d6+6? I can never remember if Tumble is double Str bonus or 1.5x).

And, of course, the ROCKMONSTER shouldn't have things like the size penalty written into its skills listing. The ROCKMONSTER should have 8 skill points, and its skill modifiers, if we put 4 points into each of its class skills, should be Hide +8 (4 +10 racial -4 size -2 Dex) and Tumble +8 (4 +6 racial -2 Dex).

Demiurge out.

 

[BOZ]

The landslide ability looks pretty much kosher, judging by the actual landslide rules.

what book is that in?

The trample should be 3.5 afied (full round action, double speed, etc) and the damage should be listed (4d6+8 or 4d6+6? I can never remember if Tumble is double Str bonus or 1.5x).

according to MM p316, damage is slam damage + 1 1/2 Str mod, so 2d6+4?

usually the only thing listed in the combat section is this:
Trample (Ex): Reflex half DC 15. The save DC is Strength-based.

And, of course, the ROCKMONSTER shouldn't have things like the size penalty written into its skills listing.

ROCKLOBSTER?

 

[demiurge1138]

Rules for landslides are on pg 90 of the DMG, under avalanche. And the ROCKMONSTER's landslide is pretty much the same, although it's substantially less lethal (which makes sense, comparing their CRs).

ROCKLOBSTER?

Something like that

Demiurge out.

 

[BOZ]

how does this look now?

Landslide (Ex): A group of (three?) or more ROCKs may cause a landslide (see Dungeon Master's Guide p90), assuming they are in a position to cause a landslide and all are within (50?) feet of each other. A landslide must start on high ground and must be able to travel at least 100 feet from start to finish. The path must follow the natural slope of the terrain, and the landslide has a width equal to double the total reach of all ROCKs in the landslide. For instance, four Large ROCKs, each with a reach of 10 feet, combine for a width of 80 feet.

Characters in the bury zone take 3d6 points of damage plus the slam damage of each ROCK in the landslide, or half that amount if they make a DC 15 Reflex save. They are subsequently pinned (see below). Characters in the slide zone take 1d6 points of damage plus half the slam damage of each ROCK in the landslide, or no damage if they make a DC 15 Reflex save. Those who fail their saves are pinned.

Pinned characters take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage per minute. If a pinned character falls unconscious, he must make a DC 15 Constitution check or take 1d6 points of lethal damage each minute thereafter until freed or dead, so long as the ROCKs maintain the pin.

A ROCK landslide is otherwise the same as a normal landslide. After performing a landslide, the ROCKs must move back into position to repeat the maneuver.

according to MM p316, damage is slam damage + 1 1/2 Str mod, so 2d6+4?

usually the only thing listed in the combat section is this:
Trample (Ex): Reflex half DC 15. The save DC is Strength-based.

how is that for the trample?

 

[demiurge1138]

I think that three ROCKs should be the minimum for the landslide. And the trample looks good. I don't know if you're still including the magic item, but if you are it desperately need to be redone. For one thing, I don't think that only a random percentage of mumblers should be able to communicate with rocks. The pricing should probably be based off comprehend langauges and, for the non-living rocks version, something like commune with nature.

Demiurge out.

 

[BOZ]

I don't know if you're still including the magic item, but if you are it desperately need to be redone. For one thing, I don't think that only a random percentage of mumblers should be able to communicate with rocks. The pricing should probably be based off comprehend langauges and, for the non-living rocks version, something like commune with nature.

yeah, I guess I have to include it. I don't know that I want to make two separate versions, honestly. I think I will either go with all being able to talk to ordinary rocks, or none. No idea why they wanted charm person to be the main spell idea.


Also, I?m looking for a better way to break the rest of this of up, and get rid of what I don't need.

Aberration: Unlike most aberrations, ROCKs do not have Darkvision.
ROCK Traits: ROCKs are immune to poison, mind-affecting spells and abilities, and stunning. They are not subject to critical attacks and cannot be caught flat-footed or flanked. ROCKs take half damage from fire- and cold-based attacks.
Tremorsense (Ex): A ROCK does not see in the normal sense, as it has no eyes. By feeling vibrations in the earth, a ROCK automatically senses the location of anything that is in contact with the ground, moving, and within 120 feet.

 

[demiurge1138]

I think you should go for all talk to rocks as well as ROCKs. That'd be more useful.

Since most monster entries don't have a writeup in the combat section about type traits, leave it out and just don't give it darkvision as a special quality. I'd put immune to mind-influencing effects, poison and stunning in the SQ lineup, and give it the fortification quality to explain its immunity to crits and sneak attack (which is why I assume the no flat-footed or flanking - it has no dex bonus, so no uncanny dodge is needed, and I think it should still be flankable if not sneak attackable).

Also, since there's no "half damage from" anymore, give it superior fire and cold resistance (I'd say 20).

Demiurge out.

 

[BOZ]

I think you should go for all talk to rocks as well as ROCKs. That'd be more useful.

I happen to agree.

MUMBLER
A mumbler is a small chunk broken off of a living ROCK, which is something that happens naturally from time to time. One of these chunks can be used to translate the language of the ROCKs into the language spoken by the character using it. To use a mumbler, a character must place it against a ROCK and place his ear up to the mumbler. The character will hear the ROCK's words as rumbling, humming sounds that he can recognize (with a DC 15 Listen check?).

A mumbler can also be used to speak with ordinary rocks if used in the same fashion. This communication is similar to the way speak with plants works with plants and plant creatures.

Faint divination; CL 1st; Craft Wondrous Item, comprehend languages; Price 2,000 gp.; Weight X lbs.

give it the fortification quality to explain its immunity to crits and sneak attack (which is why I assume the no flat-footed or flanking - it has no dex bonus, so no uncanny dodge is needed, and I think it should still be flankable if not sneak attackable).

I agree that it should be flankable (like most creatures), but not necessarily sneak attackable, because of its anatomy. Borrowing from our verme conversion:

Fortification (Ex): A ROCK's thick, rock like hide protect its vital areas effectively. When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on a ROCK, there is a (25, 50, 100?)% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and damage is instead rolled normally.

Also, since there's no "half damage from" anymore, give it superior fire and cold resistance (I'd say 20).

I was thinking more like 10 for each, since it is only a 5-HD creature.

 

[demiurge1138]

I like the new mumbler, and I think that the DC 15 Listen check is a good idea. The fortification should probably be 100%. And the energy resistance 10 works.

Demiurge out.