Start an animated object thread!!!

[Catapilla]

Is it just me, or are there no threads devoted to animated objects? If so I think that's a real big shame, because to my mind, the animated object template is bursting with monster potential. I'm gonna start an animated object thread right here, so if you have any animated object homebrews, please post 'em. I'll start the ball rolling. I'm not very good with monster stats (I've only made 1 monster before!) but I like to think that my ideas are pretty good so if you see any problems feel free to notify me and they will be changed.

I made this monster last night and I found it quite challenging. It's probably riddled with flaws.

Swarm of Toys
Diminutive (Swarm)
Hit Dice :1/2 d10 +3 (5HP)
Initiative:+2
Speed:40ft (8 squares)
AC:14
Base Attack/Grapple :0/0
Attack: Swarm 1d6+3
Full Attack: Swarm 1d6+3
Space/Reach for Swarm: 15ft/0
Reach for Slam: 5ft
Specials Attacks istraction and Wounding and Weapon immunity
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft
Saves: Fort +4 Ref +4 Will -5
Abilities: Str 9 Dex 17 Con - Int - Wis 1 Cha 1
Skills: Hide +10, Spot +2 and Listen +3
Feats:-
Environments: Any (although usually indoors. The idea of a bunch of toys suddenly swarming round someone in a jungle doesn't seem quite right.)
Organization: Solitary
CR:- 2?? NEED HELP ON THIS!
Treasure: None
Allignment: Depends on their master

The toybox rattles and jerks wildly, bucking beserkly on the wooden floor. You step back horrified. You can only dream of its horrific contents. Suddenly the box tips over onto its side, crashing to the ground sending clouds of dust up into the air. Then all is still. The dust settles. Slowly, the lid opens and the white, chipped porcelain hand of a doll extends from the inside. That's when you see the playing cards. Suddenly they soar from the maggoty box and spiral into the air, darting wildly around you and spinning manically. You can see a large worm eaten teddy bear now, lifting its body and lumbering from its prison. The doll, now completely out of the box waddles towards you, its insane grin somewhat disturbing because of the large crack splitting it in two. Another thing that disturbs you is the large slashes in the dolls dress and the dried blood flecks, painfully apparent on its white face.

A swarm of toys is basically a bunch of toys which have been brought to life. The toy swarm basically only want to serve their original purpose, to play with people, but are so horrendously disfigured and maltreated that they think that killing people is playing with them. Because of their previous life of only playing with people, the toys need to be viciously scarred, and marked before they start to think that murder and violence are games. The toys are often accompanied by other toys that have also been maltreated. The larger toys are unnaffected by the swarm and can stand in the same square as the swarm.

Combat
Distraction
The swirling colours of the playing cards and toys can be extremely nauseating.
Any living creature that begins its turn with a toy swarm in its space must succeed on a DC15 Fortitude save or be nauseated for one round. The save DC is Constitution based.

Wounding
Because of the sharp edges of the disfigured toys, for example a chipped spinning top, their attacks can create large gashes in their opponents skin and cause bleeding.
Any living creature damaged by a swarm of toys continues to bleed losing 1HP per round for 4 rounds, (I didn't think it was fair for wounding to go on until someone heals because low levellers might not know how to yet). Multiple wounds do not result in culminative blood loss.


I would really appreciate criticism as with my butterfly swarm which was to say the least, pretty badly done but I do think that the idea is good. Feel free to submit Animated constructs or swarms too just becase I really like them. Oh yeah, and please could someone suggest a CR

 

[BOZ]

heheh, cool idea.

 

[Catapilla]

Thanks!! I was surprised I couldn't find one already. Do you know what its CR should be?

 

[Catapilla]

Why not submit a creature? Or correct mine. Someone. PLEASE.

 

[Conaill]

Hi Cata,

For another example of a construct swarm, have a look at the "Shawabti Swarm" in my contribution to Cooperative Dungeon IV - Tomb of Chaos.

There's actually a party that's going through this adventure *right now* over on the Living EN World: E1: Tomb of Chaos [Judge: Patlin]. But please don't post to that thread and/or point them to the Cooperative Dungeon thread (or here, for that matter)! Wouldn't want to tempt the players to "read ahead" in the adventure...

 

[Conaill]

As for your swarm... I *love* the flavor- great description! But the mechanics may need a little more work.

First of all, I would strongly recommend you settle on a single size category. A mixed size is going to get way too confusing. I would probably go with size Tiny (size of a cat, rat or raven), because it would fit well with the teddy bear and doll. You could easily add some more toys of roughly similar size, like a spinning top, or a toy drum, etc...

Once you've settled on that, I would start with an existing swarm (like the Rat Swarm) and modify that one to fit your concept. Unfortunately, there are no standard rules for how to turn a creature into a swarm of creatures, so making sure you stay balanced with respect to some reference swarm is probably your safest bet.

 

[Catapilla]

THANKYOU!!!! Please look at my butterfly forum for some apologies about my frustration.

Anyway, I will settle on a size category, I just didn't know which one to pick. I knew that I probably shouldn't have put lots of sizes...

I was surprised that you said that my monster should draw heavilly from something because it already does. I based most of the statistics on the tiny animated object category and tried to upgrade it to CR(Another abbreviation I know ) 2 by improving stuff and giving it new abilities. I also reffered a lot to other swarms although my finished monster stats don't really resemble them. So yeah I already I have. That comment was quite SCARY though. How did you know I did that???????(looking around madly like a paranoid, checking for video cameras in room) Also I LOVE your shabati thingy swarm. Its sooooooooo cool!!!
You are gonna scare those players out of their wits when they see it. They are so DOOOOOMED!!(sorry I got carried away like usual) Can I submit it on this thread??? Pretty please??

 

[Ilium]

Icky idea. Very nice.

Mechanics: You definitely have to pick a size because swarms of Tiny creatures take 1/2 damage from weapons and swarms of Diminutive and Fine creatures are immune to weapon damage.

A swarm doesn't usually do more damage on a full attack. It just automatically does the swarm damage to any creature whose space it occupies at the end of its movement.

Swarms generally have a grapple check of -- (that is, they can't grapple or be grappled). I would strongly suggest you keep this or you get the weird effect of someone winning the grapple check and pinning your swarm.

In fact, I think what you really want here is two different things. A swarm of Diminutive toys and accompanying Tiny toys that have slam and grapple attacks. Make sure you include in the swarm description that other toys are immune to the swarm damage, so the Tiny toys can stand in the same space as the swarm (and since they're Tiny they can share space with PCs too). That should get you the right feel.

 

[Catapilla]

YOU ARE A GENIUS!!! You've solved the different size problem perfectly! I will change the previous stats. One burnt rocking horse coming right up (thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthan....)

 

[Catapilla]

Ashen Rocking Horse
Small Construct (Maltreated toy)
Hit Dice:1d10+10 (15hp)
Initiative:+1
Speed: 10ft (rocking is not exactly an efficient way of moving)
Armour Class:14
Base Attack/Grapple:+0/-4
Attack: Slam+1 melee(1d4)
Full Attack:Slam+1 melee (1d4)
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Blindsense, Construct traits
Saves: Fort+0 Ref+1 Will-5
Abilities:Burning ashes and Trample
Skills: Listen +12
Feats:None
Environment: Anywhere (usually indoors. Arctic rocking horses seem unlikely somehow.)
Organisation: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 2 (depends on last burn time)

You swivel round and gasp in amazement as towards rocks a large smouldering rocking horse, with large gashes in its neck and a hideous smile, barely visible through the thick layer of ash coating it rocks towards you. Once it would have had a large attractive white face, with round glassy eyes and long eyelashes. The contorted features of what's moving towards you are twisted and crooked, the very shape of the horse warped by the immense heat it must have experienced. The wood its made of groans as it moves, screaming in pain as it approaches. Its now blackened face looks terrifying, due to the large cuts and slices in the woodwork. The glue the horse is made of has bubbled and spat out from its joints leaving strange transparent lines running down its once proud face. The horse rocks.

Another maltreated toy, an ashen rocking horse is a rocking horse which has been continually set on fire and extinguished, and set on fire and extinguished. The result is a crooked rocking horse composed of ash and soot, which slowly rocks towards those it wants to play with. Because it is a maltreated toy, once animated it believs that those it wants to play with must play the "games" that others having playing with it, in this case, burning and scarring things horrendously. Generally it is incredibly difficult to create an ashen rocking horse unintentionally as usually they just turn to ash. To stop it from being entirely consumed by flame involves a lot of conjury and spells.

Combat
Burning Ashes (Ex)
If a rocking horse decides to "play" with something it usually moves up to it to try and burn it using its ashen body or trample it by rocking over it. Anyone coming into physical contact with the horse must succeed on a penalty depending on how long ago the horse was last, char-grilled

If the horse has been out of the fire for a day or more it deals
1d8 hit point damage

If the horse has not been burned for 4 days, this effect becomes invalid.
The horse comes into physical contact with something everytime it enters an enemies square. Each time it does this it may move the enemy 2 squares back or trample them. There is no save for these effects. The horse may not trample or move back opponent's of a size larger than medium.

Trample (Ex)
If the rocking horse enters an opponent's square it may attempt to trample them rather than initially making physical contact. When a rocking horse attempts to trample someone it rears up and crashes down on top of them, rocking slowly over them. The attack deals 3d4 hit point damage if succesful but has a DC18 Reflex save of 18. If the save is successful, then the horse misses them and deals no burn damage or trample damage and may not move them from the square. The horse in that case must move into a square next to the square which it just attacked.
If the horse uses trample it may not slam in the same turn. Similarly, it may not trample after slamming someone. The horse may not trample opponents of a size larger than medium.


Notice that it has a subtype, maltreated toy. I decided that since I was gonna make a few of em, I might as well make a type for them, maybe even a template to make maltreated toy animals...... Please tell me if there is something wrong with it. I really don't know what to do about the Cr. It might not even be right anyway...