Suggestions for a templated roper

[Pell-Mell]

If you wanted to go for something to enhance its alien appearance, you could apply the "Non-Euclidean" template from the Book of Templates. It looks like it would be fairly easy to apply.

For something a little different, consider the following duo: Have the roper on the far side of a cavern, with a ten foot or so wide ravine between it and where the PCs enter. The ravine is about 40 ft. deep and filled with spikes. A single stone bridge leads across the ravine. The bridge is actually an advanced mimic ("The Magic-Infused Creature" template on the Wizards site can be easily removed if not desired).

The roper begins combat by using its strands and dragging any hit PCs toward the ravine. PCs have to act quickly to free any dragged companions before they go over the ravine. The mimic attacks anyone who gets close or tries to cross the ravine, using its adhesive attack to keep PCs not affected by the roper down.

 

[Land Outcast]

Make it a Half Fiend Roper (without wings) and give him some nice weapons to wield with his strands.

Vorpal Sword: Surprise! the roper just decapitated you!

 

[megamania]

My first thought was pseudonatural (Comp Arcane, Manual of the Planes, Tome & Blood, Epic Handbook). .

EXACTLY what I was thinking. Nasty nasty nasty template. Throw in some Fighter or Rogue classes......

 

[megamania]

My advice would be to avoid the psuedonatural template. In short, its a wasted template with CR inflation that doesn't reflect increased ability, doesn't compensate for its weaknesses, and doesn't increase the tactical challenge and interest of the fight for the PC's.

Once I hit submit I began to ponder the advantages... then I saw this afterwards. You are correct.

 

[Celebrim]

My first suggestion...

Advanced Half-Earth Elemental Corrupted Roper
Large Outsider (Earth)
Hit Dice: 14d10+126 (203 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares)
Armor Class: 29 (-1 size, -1 Dex, +21 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 29
Base Attack/Grapple: +14/+26
Attack: Strand +13 ranged touch (drag) or bite +21 melee (2d6+6)
Full Attack: 6 strands +13 ranged touch (drag), bite +21 melee (2d6+8), 2 claws +16 melee (1d6+4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. (50 ft. with strand)
Special Attacks: Contamination, drag, strands, spell-like abilities, weakness
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 5, immunity to disease, electricity and poison, low-light vision, resistance to acid 10 and cold 10, spell resistance 30, vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +18, Ref +8, Will +7
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 9, Con 29, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +15, Hide +9*, Listen +10, Spot +10
Feats: Ability Focus (Weakness), Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (strand)
Challenge Rating: 18

Combat
A roper hunts by standing very still and imitating a bit of rock. This tactic often allows it to attack with surprise. When prey comes within reach, it lashes out with its strands. In melee, it bites adjacent opponents with its powerful maw.
Contamination (Ex): A creature that takes damage from a corrupted creature’s bite attack become infected unless they make a DC 26 Fort save. Those that fail suffer from slimy doom and natural and magical healing does not work on the victim until the disease is removed.
Drag (Ex): If a roper hits with a strand attack, the strand latches onto the opponent’s body. This deals no damage but drags the stuck opponent 10 feet closer each subsequent round (provoking no attack of opportunity) unless that creature breaks free, which requires a DC 29 Escape Artist check or a DC 25 Strength check. The check DC’s are Strength-based, and the Escape Artist DC includes a +4 racial bonus. A roper can draw in a creature within 10 feet of itself and bite with a +4 attack bonus in the same round. A strand has 10 hit points and can be attacked by making a successful sunder attempt. However, attacking a roper’s strand does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If the strand is currently attached to a target, the roper takes a -4 penalty on its opposed attack roll to resist the sunder attempt. Severing a strand deals no damage to a roper.
Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): Once/day: magic stone, soften earth, stone shape, spike stone, wall of stone, stoneskin, and earthquake. Caster level 14th. The save DC’s are charisma based.
Strands (Ex): Most encounters with a roper begin when it fires strong, sticky strands. The creature can have up to six strands at once, and they can strike up to 50 feet away (no range increment). If a strand is severed, the roper can extrude a new one on its next turn as a free action.
Weakness (Ex): A roper’s strands can sap an opponent’s strength. Anyone grabbed by a strand must succeed on a DC 28 Fortitude save or take 2d8 points of Strength damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Skills: *Ropers have a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks in stony or icy areas

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Quickling? Half-Golem?

 

[Celebrim]

Fishbone's beast

Elite Advanced Shadow Roper
Huge Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 20d10+120 (230 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares)
Armor Class: 26 (-2 size, +18 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 26
Base Attack/Grapple: +20/+34
Attack: Strand +22 ranged touch (drag) or bite +26 melee (2d8+12)
Full Attack: 6 strands +22 ranged touch (drag) and bite +26 melee (2d8+12)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft. (60 ft. with strand)
Special Attacks: Drag, spell-like abilities, strands, weakness
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., evasion, fast healing 2, immunity to electricity, low-light vision, resistance to cold 25, shadow blend, dark one’s own luck, spell resistance 30, vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +20, Ref +14, Will +14
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 16, Con 23, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +20, Hide +15*, Listen +16, Move Silently +21*, Spot +16
Feats: Ability focus (Weakness), alertness, combat reflexes, improved initiative, iron will, power attack, weapon focus (strand)
Challenge Rating: 19

Combat
A roper hunts by standing very still and imitating a bit of rock. This tactic often allows it to attack with surprise. When prey comes within reach, it lashes out with its strands. In melee, it bites adjacent opponents with its powerful maw.

Drag (Ex): If a roper hits with a strand attack, the strand latches onto the opponent’s body. This deals no damage but drags the stuck opponent 10 feet closer each subsequent round (provoking no attack of opportunity) unless that creature breaks free, which requires a DC 32 Escape Artist check or a DC 28 Strength check. The check DCs are Strength-based, and the Escape Artist DC includes a +4 racial bonus. A roper can draw in a creature within 10 feet of itself and bite with a +4 attack bonus in the same round. A strand has 10 hit points and can be attacked by making a successful sunder attempt. However, attacking a roper’s strand does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If the strand is currently attached to a target, the roper takes a -4 penalty on its opposed attack roll to resist the sunder attempt. Severing a strand deals no damage to a roper.
Dark One’s Own Luck (Ex): A shadow creature has a +2 Luck bonus on all saving throws.
Shadow Blend (Ex): As long as a shadow creature is not in full sunlight (or a daylight spell), it can blend into shadows, gaining 100% concealment.
Spell-like Abilities: Once/day: Mirror Image, Planeshift (Plane of Shadow only). Caster level 15th.
Strands (Ex): Most encounters with a roper begin when it fires strong, sticky strands. The creature can have up to six strands at once, and they can strike up to 50 feet away (no range increment). If a strand is severed, the roper can extrude a new one on its next turn as a free action.
Weakness (Ex): A roper’s strands can sap an opponent’s strength. Anyone grabbed by a strand must succeed on a DC 28 Fortitude save or take 2d8 points of Strength damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Skills: *Ropers have a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks in stony or icy areas. Shadow creatures have +6 bonus to Move Silently checks.

 

[Three_Haligonians]

Give it wizard levels,

Enough to cast prismatic sphere and then drag the PC's through it.


J from Three Haligonians

 

[Voadam]

Very nicely written. On the believability issue, I think it's fair to declare that the roper is neither terribly bright nor possessed of accurate knowledge of fiends . . . maybe the succubus is just posing as a remaining roper that also survived the destruction of their kind. Maybe some deep, soul-burning urge to have progeny threatens to overwhelm its rational mind. Maybe even some combination thereof.

And now, since this is increasingly diverging from what Voadam wants, I think I'll stop posting in this thread. Good luck!

While not useful to my particular situation ( I just want an ambush scenario that lasts long enough to get the party used to using our newly adopted recharge magic variant as they continue on their existing involved quest) these are great scenario ideas so feel free to keep them coming.

 

[Nyeshet]

Corrupted Half-Earth Elemental

I second this suggestion. Psuedonatural just does not make sense for a cavern connecting to a Lawful Evil plane. Corrupted, however, works very well for a connection to an Evil plane, and Half-Earth Elemental makes a lot of sense for a creature that all but an earth subtype creature already.

Shadow template is also a good idea.

Warlock levels could work well, especially as I think you would add two levels per CR. So for CR 17 or CR 18 that would work out to 10 - 12 levels of Warlock on top of its 10 HD. There are some nice invocations once you get up around those levels, and you can choose the energy resistances as ones the Roper does not already get. Add to that the bit of DR and the 5d6 or 6d6 Eldritch Blast (and there are some nice invocations for altering that as well), and the creatures becomes far more of a challenge than it already is.