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NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
Special Conversion Thread: Will o' wisps
- Thread starter Shade
- Start date
Shade
Monster Junkie
Here's the next one to begin playing with...
Hound of Law
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any
FREQUENCY: very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary or pack
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Average (8-10)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Lawful neutral (Lawful good)
NO. APPEARING: 1 or 1d6+1
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVEMENT: Fl 18 (A)
HIT DICE: 8+2
THACO: 13
NO. ATTACKS: By form, see below
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By form, see below
SPECIAL ATTACKS: By form, see below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: By form, see below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 30%
SIZE: T (1’ globe)
MORALE: Fearless (19)
XP VALUE: 3,000
The hound of law is a form of will o’ wisp that the wind dukes (the vaati) use as trackers, guards, and messengers. In its natural form, a hound of law is a faintly luminous sphere that sheds no more light than a firefly. The sphere can produce buzzing sounds by vibrating rapidly; this allows them to speak in a limited fashion.
Hounds of law can assume the forms of normal animals, which allows them to go about their missions unobtrusively. Hounds in animal form seem trim and muscular, but they can appear well-groomed, filthy, or anything in between.
Combat: A hound’s keen senses give it a +1 bonus to its own surprise rolls and allow it to detect invisible creatures 50% of the time. A hound of law can move to the Astral or Etheral plane or become invisible at will. A hound on the Ethereal or Astral plane can materialize and attack creatures on the Prime Material Plane, imposing a -5 penalty on opponents’ surprise rolls.
Hounds of law cannot attack in their natural forms. When assuming animal forms, they can employ the form’s attacks. Hounds in animal form have better ratings than normal animals.
A hound can assume a new form once a round; each change takes only a few seconds, and the hound is free to move and attack after chaning form. If a hound reverts to its normal and remains in it for 1d4 rounds, it regains 10-60% of any damage it suffered in its previous form.
Hounds of law are unaffected by spells except protection from evil (good), magic missile, and maze. Hounds of law gain a +1 attack bonus when fighting chaotic creatures, and chaotic creatures suffer a -1 attack penalty and a -1 penalty to each die of damage inflicted (minimum one point per die).
A hound can track creatures by sight and scent; use the tracking proficiency. The hound’s base tracking score is 16, and it ignores vision-based penalties (such as poor lighting or attempts to cover tracks).
If a creature a hound is tracking uses flight or teleportation magic of any kind, the hound can use residual magic energies to automatically follow the creature. To determine success, make a tracking roll at a -2 penalty; adjustments for the trail’s age apply, but other adjustments do not. If the roll fails, the hound cannot follow the creature. If the creature the hound is following died or was entrapped in a solid object or on another plane as a result of a teleport, a hound that has made a successful tracking roll senses the disaster and need not follow. When following a teleporting creature, a hound can carry 250 pounds of additional weight.
Habitat/Society: Hounds of law are found only in the company of vaati. They might be encountered anywhere that the vaati have interests. Lone hounds are nearly always performing some mission for their masters, at least one of whom will be nearby.
Ecology: Hounds of law come from a breeding program developed by the vaati. The few hounds of law bred by vaati “wanderers” (the wendeam) are lawful good like their masters.
Form / AC / MV / # AT / Dmg
Dog / 0 / 15 / 1 / 2d4+2
Elephant / 0 / 18 / 5 / 2d8+2/2d8+2/2d6+2/2d6+2/2d6+2
Hawk / 0 / 3, Fl 36 (C) / 3 / 1d3/1d3/1d2*
Horse / 1 / 21 / 2 / 1d6+2/1d6+2
Panther / 0 / 15, CL 3 / 3 / 1d4+2/1d4+2/1d6+2
Rat / 1 / 18, Sw 6 / 1 / 1
Shark / 0 / Sw 27 / 1 / 3d4+2
Snake / 0 / 12, Sw 12 / 2 / 1d2/1d6**
*Can dive for a +2 attack bonus
**Can constrict after the first hit for 1d8 points of damage each round.
Originally appeared in Rod of Seven Parts (1996).
Hound of Law
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any
FREQUENCY: very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary or pack
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Average (8-10)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Lawful neutral (Lawful good)
NO. APPEARING: 1 or 1d6+1
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVEMENT: Fl 18 (A)
HIT DICE: 8+2
THACO: 13
NO. ATTACKS: By form, see below
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By form, see below
SPECIAL ATTACKS: By form, see below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: By form, see below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 30%
SIZE: T (1’ globe)
MORALE: Fearless (19)
XP VALUE: 3,000
The hound of law is a form of will o’ wisp that the wind dukes (the vaati) use as trackers, guards, and messengers. In its natural form, a hound of law is a faintly luminous sphere that sheds no more light than a firefly. The sphere can produce buzzing sounds by vibrating rapidly; this allows them to speak in a limited fashion.
Hounds of law can assume the forms of normal animals, which allows them to go about their missions unobtrusively. Hounds in animal form seem trim and muscular, but they can appear well-groomed, filthy, or anything in between.
Combat: A hound’s keen senses give it a +1 bonus to its own surprise rolls and allow it to detect invisible creatures 50% of the time. A hound of law can move to the Astral or Etheral plane or become invisible at will. A hound on the Ethereal or Astral plane can materialize and attack creatures on the Prime Material Plane, imposing a -5 penalty on opponents’ surprise rolls.
Hounds of law cannot attack in their natural forms. When assuming animal forms, they can employ the form’s attacks. Hounds in animal form have better ratings than normal animals.
A hound can assume a new form once a round; each change takes only a few seconds, and the hound is free to move and attack after chaning form. If a hound reverts to its normal and remains in it for 1d4 rounds, it regains 10-60% of any damage it suffered in its previous form.
Hounds of law are unaffected by spells except protection from evil (good), magic missile, and maze. Hounds of law gain a +1 attack bonus when fighting chaotic creatures, and chaotic creatures suffer a -1 attack penalty and a -1 penalty to each die of damage inflicted (minimum one point per die).
A hound can track creatures by sight and scent; use the tracking proficiency. The hound’s base tracking score is 16, and it ignores vision-based penalties (such as poor lighting or attempts to cover tracks).
If a creature a hound is tracking uses flight or teleportation magic of any kind, the hound can use residual magic energies to automatically follow the creature. To determine success, make a tracking roll at a -2 penalty; adjustments for the trail’s age apply, but other adjustments do not. If the roll fails, the hound cannot follow the creature. If the creature the hound is following died or was entrapped in a solid object or on another plane as a result of a teleport, a hound that has made a successful tracking roll senses the disaster and need not follow. When following a teleporting creature, a hound can carry 250 pounds of additional weight.
Habitat/Society: Hounds of law are found only in the company of vaati. They might be encountered anywhere that the vaati have interests. Lone hounds are nearly always performing some mission for their masters, at least one of whom will be nearby.
Ecology: Hounds of law come from a breeding program developed by the vaati. The few hounds of law bred by vaati “wanderers” (the wendeam) are lawful good like their masters.
Form / AC / MV / # AT / Dmg
Dog / 0 / 15 / 1 / 2d4+2
Elephant / 0 / 18 / 5 / 2d8+2/2d8+2/2d6+2/2d6+2/2d6+2
Hawk / 0 / 3, Fl 36 (C) / 3 / 1d3/1d3/1d2*
Horse / 1 / 21 / 2 / 1d6+2/1d6+2
Panther / 0 / 15, CL 3 / 3 / 1d4+2/1d4+2/1d6+2
Rat / 1 / 18, Sw 6 / 1 / 1
Shark / 0 / Sw 27 / 1 / 3d4+2
Snake / 0 / 12, Sw 12 / 2 / 1d2/1d6**
*Can dive for a +2 attack bonus
**Can constrict after the first hit for 1d8 points of damage each round.
Originally appeared in Rod of Seven Parts (1996).
Shade
Monster Junkie
These straddle the line between Diminutive and Tiny. However, they are the same size as will-o'-deeps, which we made Tiny.
Int is 6 points lower than a will-o'-wisp.
Flight is identical.
AC is far worse. I'd say it clearly benefits only from Dex.
It seems like it should have a Con bonus.
Wisp: Str 1, Dex 29, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 12
Deep: Str 1, Dex 29, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 12
So maybe Str 1, Dex 29, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 16, Cha 12?
Int is 6 points lower than a will-o'-wisp.
Flight is identical.
AC is far worse. I'd say it clearly benefits only from Dex.
It seems like it should have a Con bonus.
Wisp: Str 1, Dex 29, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 12
Deep: Str 1, Dex 29, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 12
So maybe Str 1, Dex 29, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 16, Cha 12?
demiurge1138
Inventor of Super-Toast
Those ability scores sound pretty good to me.
Shade
Monster Junkie
Added to Homebrews.
Should we give them the Law subtype, like their vaati masters?
Racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks? Blindsense?
Simplify to ethereal jaunt, like the ethereal marauder?
Immunity to Magic (Ex): A hound of law is immune to most spells or spell-like abilities that allow spell resistance, except magic missile, maze, and those with the chaotic descriptor.
Should this only apply to creatures with the Chaotic subtype, or all chaotic-aligned creatures?
Edit: It appears that the vaati in 3e have air mastery.
Track as a bonus feat?
Modify this...
Astral Tracking (Su): A spectral hound can attempt to track normally even through the featureless wastes of the Astral Plane (base DC 25). A spectral hound can use this ability to track quarry that uses a teleportation spell to travel, by entering the Astral Plane at the departure point, following the trail of the teleportation through the Atral Plane, and returning to the plane of departure at its quarry's destination.
and/or this...
Planar Tracker [General]
You can track a creature through the magical signature it leaves behind after using a teleport or plane shift effect.
Prerequisites: Alertness, Track, Wilderness Lore 15 ranks.
Benefit: Using the Track feat, you can follow tracks even if your quarry has used a teleport or plane shift effect to escape. When you reach the location at which the magical method of escape was employed, you can attempt a Wilderness Lore check (DC 30). Success means you are aware that a teleport or plane shift effect has been used. If your check result beats the DC by 10 or more, you konw which effect was used. If your check result beats the DC by 15 or more, you know the firection in which your quarry has moved (in the case of teleportation) or the destination plane (in the case of plane shift). In any case, if you locate the creature's tracks within 1 hour per character level, you can instantly identify them as your quarry's and attempt another Wilderness Lore check (DCs as given in the Wilderness Lore skill description in the Player's Handbook) to determine how fresh they are.
Source: Dragon #306, page 52.
Should we give them the Law subtype, like their vaati masters?
Racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks? Blindsense?
Simplify to ethereal jaunt, like the ethereal marauder?
Immunity to Magic (Ex): A hound of law is immune to most spells or spell-like abilities that allow spell resistance, except magic missile, maze, and those with the chaotic descriptor.
Should this only apply to creatures with the Chaotic subtype, or all chaotic-aligned creatures?
Edit: It appears that the vaati in 3e have air mastery.
Track as a bonus feat?
Modify this...
Astral Tracking (Su): A spectral hound can attempt to track normally even through the featureless wastes of the Astral Plane (base DC 25). A spectral hound can use this ability to track quarry that uses a teleportation spell to travel, by entering the Astral Plane at the departure point, following the trail of the teleportation through the Atral Plane, and returning to the plane of departure at its quarry's destination.
and/or this...
Planar Tracker [General]
You can track a creature through the magical signature it leaves behind after using a teleport or plane shift effect.
Prerequisites: Alertness, Track, Wilderness Lore 15 ranks.
Benefit: Using the Track feat, you can follow tracks even if your quarry has used a teleport or plane shift effect to escape. When you reach the location at which the magical method of escape was employed, you can attempt a Wilderness Lore check (DC 30). Success means you are aware that a teleport or plane shift effect has been used. If your check result beats the DC by 10 or more, you konw which effect was used. If your check result beats the DC by 15 or more, you know the firection in which your quarry has moved (in the case of teleportation) or the destination plane (in the case of plane shift). In any case, if you locate the creature's tracks within 1 hour per character level, you can instantly identify them as your quarry's and attempt another Wilderness Lore check (DCs as given in the Wilderness Lore skill description in the Player's Handbook) to determine how fresh they are.
Source: Dragon #306, page 52.
demiurge1138
Inventor of Super-Toast
Ethereal jaunt, air mastery, a modified astral tracking and immunity to magic all sound good.
Shade
Monster Junkie
OK...so since teleportation is tied to the Astral Plane, I think we can just borrow a couple of abilities from the spectral hound...
Astral Tracking (Su): A hound of law can attempt to track normally even through the featureless wastes of the Astral Plane (base DC 25). A hound of law can use this ability to track quarry that uses a teleportation spell to travel, by entering the Astral Plane at the departure point, following the trail of the teleportation through the Atral Plane, and returning to the plane of departure at its quarry's destination.
Plane Shift (Sp): A hound of law can travel from the Astral Plane to any plane that borders the Astral Plane and back again. This ability is similar to a plane shift spell, except that the spectral hound can transport itself only and it chooses its destination with pinpoint accuracy.
Astral Tracking (Su): A hound of law can attempt to track normally even through the featureless wastes of the Astral Plane (base DC 25). A hound of law can use this ability to track quarry that uses a teleportation spell to travel, by entering the Astral Plane at the departure point, following the trail of the teleportation through the Atral Plane, and returning to the plane of departure at its quarry's destination.
Plane Shift (Sp): A hound of law can travel from the Astral Plane to any plane that borders the Astral Plane and back again. This ability is similar to a plane shift spell, except that the spectral hound can transport itself only and it chooses its destination with pinpoint accuracy.
