Need evil race, weak against arcane magic

[Janx]

I'm working on filling out some back-end bits for my world. I've got an idea of that I want a race of bad guys and such, but I haven't made my final selection.


I'm looking for an evil race (preferably in the MM or MM2) that is powerful (high CR) but has a vulnerability to the arcane. This would be a race that has been using other races to do its bidding, but in a direct fight is no weakling. Dragons would have been a good candidate, but I somehow think they're actually pretty happy facing wizards. The last being important, because I'd like this race to be more sucseptible to arcane magic, than any other character type (clerics, fighters, etc). In theory NOT having specific spell resistances would be sufficient.

What choices do you recommend?

Thanks,
Janx

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

What's wrong with the usual evil races, ie orcs and goblinoids? They're not particularly vulnerable to magic, but I don't think that any race has any kind of "magic vulnerability", unless you count those races with penalties to their wisdom, constitution or dexterity...

What races ahve you considered and went "nah, not those guys" and why?

AR

 

[diaglo]

Hill giant....their Reflex and Will saves R 4 SuXX0rs

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

You could take an existing race and give them an actual vulnerabilty to arcane magic - just like a vulnerability to fire (i.e. double on failed save, half if successful)... Reckon that's worth a pretty hefty CR reduction - probably sliding in scale.
i.e

Existing CR
1-5 CR -1
6-11 CR -2
12-20 CR -3

or something similar.


Another option is one someone suggested for a somewhat similar race for my campaign: The Amonites - long vanished/they also used simple lies, threats and base cunning (i.e. diplomacy!) - but no magic - to persuade others to do their bidding... I was considering using a 'reskinned' Mindflayer for mine.

The suggestion was to 'Stargate' the bad guys. They're pretty much normal humanoids with no special powers. They just have a lot of imposing armour and technology (divine magic items in your case?). Really threw the players a curveball - they're gradually working it out and it has them nicely confused.

It's great. Just wish I could remember who'd suggested it, so I could credit them!

One way to model their arcane weakness. I'd consider not giving them any arcane magic users. Then I'd apply the 'Psionics are different' rules when their clerical magic tries to dispel/protect from arcane magic. Compensate with technology. If that makes any sense!

 

[frankthedm]

Unfortunatly the 3e designers has a big stick up thier rumps about those sorts of things. Done right these sorts of things can be quite interesting, but wotc was so terrified they might loose a few crybaby players if they even HINTED at such a thing. "WAHHHHHH! My character can't kill it! WAAAAHHHH! I ain't buying any more books!"

I would just take some humaniod race, lets say lizard men, improve thier natural armour, morphic guts that prevent sneak attack and give them divine spell resitance. Give them the shtick 'From before the time of the Gods of Man'

 

[Calico_Jack73]

That is a VERY difficult question. In what sense are they weak against magic? It completely depends on the spell. For example, Fighters are weak against spells that require a Reflex or Will save but are great against spells which require a Fortitude save. I don't think there are ANY races that are completely vulnerable to magic in all it's forms (though I could be wrong).

 

[Piratecat]

This is also easily modeled by giving them a -4 on saves vs. arcane magic, and/or giving them spell resistance only against divine magic and psionics. With that tacked on, you can pick your favorite race.

 

[Janx]

These are all good ideas. In my case, all the common mundane evil races like Orcs and Goblins have been allocated already as "alien" races (along with dwarves, elves, halflings and gnomes).

The bad guy I have in mind is strong enough that one of them alone can sink a big sailing ship or two. Red Dragons of a large size for instance. I'm not the type who memorizes all the monster stats and such to know exactly which monster will meet my needs. So I'm seeing what others come up with.

Now as long a my players (not known to surf enworld) don't read this, I can spill the beans.

I'm running an emulation of Babylon5. Human Wizards = PsiCorp. Shadows = ?. Elves = Minbari. Etc. I'm not in a rush to figure out who the Vorlons and Shadows will be played by, but I need a suitable raceto set the mood. It's working out great as a campaign. The players are currently in the Earth-Minbari war stage. So for those familiar with the show (and now better informed of what I need), I'm not stuck in a crunch trying to finish an adventure. The players won't meet up with this for 2 real years, likely.

Now I can take PirateCat's idea (-4 to saves vs. arcane) and tack that onto anything, to ensure I get the effect I want. The essence is, the BBEGs are vulnerable to magic, to promote the idea of why they've been wiping out mages, and/or redirecting them. I don't want them to melt at the slightest touch of a Mage, but I do want having a Mage in your party more effective than not having a Mage in your party. The question is, what race should I use?

Or to put it more abstractly, I need 2 ancient races of beings. One very lawful (and presumed Good), the other very chaotic (and presumed Evil). These 2 factions have been resting for 1000 years. Then they go to work, getting the other races to do their fighting for them. Until it climaxes in a direct head-to-head show down. They're not gods (close). The bad race is vulnerable to Arcane Magic (just because).

I could do Gold vs. Red dragons. I could do "Dragons" vs. MindFlayers. I'm open (I'm assuming somebody's suggestion will strike a chord in me, and I'll go with that).

So, anymore suggestions?

Thanks,
Janx

 

[Epametheus]

Heh. Maybe Modrons or Formians as the Vorlons and Death Slaad as the Shadows.

And ALL of the Shadows are Death Slaad, and those with a more scientific bent rework living creatures into weapons of mass destruction. Dragons could represent these living weapons (that used to be human beings!), and maybe have some incredible penalty on saves vs. Compulsion effects, representing their inability to resist the Shadows or human magic.

 

[Psychotic Jim]

Sheens

Well, the only "race" that comes to my mind that is weak against magic are the "sheens" back from Dragon Magazine #258 in the Mage vs. Machine article for 2E. Basically, a cyst of mechanical beings coming from a non-magical world that kept reproducing by collecting resources and establishing factories. The "sheens" were quite weak against magic (except for being constructs) -3 to save vs. magic (though you could change this to just arcane magic) and +1 damage done to them per die of damage of a magical spell at them. They were neutral (and not really all that conscious) but you could do a malfunctioning form of them that made them grow and multiply all out of control like cancer. The malfunction could also give them a chaotic, malicious sentience and mentality. Also, if you wanted them having humanoid minions, you could also supplement the sheens with the half-machine template from Dungeon magazine 91. The template is an acquired template in which the base creature turns into something like the Borg from Star Trek, mechanically enhanced but under Domination by the central computer.

You would have to do some converting of the Mage vs. Machine article, but it does have some convient resources you might be looking for, like mage spells that help fight against machines and a "machine mage" kit that might make for a good PrC. The Creature Catalog has some conversions of the actual sheen monsters in the Converted Monster section.

If you're going for something strictly from the MM or MM2, perhaps going for some stupid giants like the hill giant that was mentioned earlier would be the best route. Or perhaps Awakened animals and dinosaurs with Chaotic and/or evil alignments. Poor will saves and a general lacking of the ability to cast spells.