Suped-up Monsters and NPCs: Mountaindell and more (updated 04/22/04)

[Iron Sheep]

Olynna

Here's another undead monster. In my campaign she possessed the half-orc barbarian and lead the PCs on a quest to recover some artifacts she had been pledged to protect. Eventually she was exorcised and defeated, although not permanently, and not before taking a toll on the party. They now don't go anywhere she might be without a protection from evil in effect on everybody.

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Olynna, ghost dryad Drd 5/Blighter 4
Medium Undead (augmented fey, incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 13d12 (79 hp)
Initiative: +9
Speed: 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (perfect)
AC: 23 ethereal (+5 Dex, +5 bracers of armour, +3 ring of protection) or 28 manifested (+5 Dex, +5 bracers of armour, +8 deflection), touch 23 or 28, flatfooted 18 or 23
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+8
Attack: corrupting touch +14 incorporeal touch (1d6-1, ethereal); or corrupting touch +14 incorporeal touch (1d6, manifested); or masterwork rapier +15 melee (1d6-1/17, ethereal)
Full Attack: corrupting touch +14/+9 incorporeal touch (1d6-1, ethereal); or corrupting touch +14/+9 incorporeal touch (1d6, manifested); or masterwork rapier +15/+10 melee (1d6-1/17, ethereal)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Corrupting touch, horrific appearance, manifestation, spell-like abilities, spells, telekinesis;
Special Qualities: Incorporeal, low-light vision, rejuvenation, tree dependent, turn resistance +4, undead, wild empathy +23
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +11, Will +18
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 20, Con --, Int 14, Wis 22, Cha 26.
Skills: Concentration +11, Diplomacy +19, Escape Artist +12, Handle Animal +15, Hide +20, Knowledge (nature) +16, Knowledge (religion) +7, Listen +23, Move Silently +12, Ride +7, Search +10, Sense Motive +12, Spellcraft +13, Spot +23, Survival +11 (+20 in aboveground natural environments), Use Rope +5 (+7 on bindings)
Feats: Ability Focus (charm person), Extend Spell-like Ability (charm person), Fly-by Attack, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Environment: Temperate Forests
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 12
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Possessions: masterwork rapier, +5 bracers of armour, +3 ring of protection


Once a druid and portector of the land, Olynna was slain by invading Imperial armies over 1000 years ago. Crucified on her own tree, she returned to haunt the lands she once protected, still tied to the bleached white remains of her tree. Over the centuries, her pain turned to hatred of all living things, and she repudiated her druidic powers, becoming a blighter and feeding off the land for her own power. Where once a mighty forest stood there is now a blasted, rocky landscape where not even weeds survive between the bleached bones of thousands of animals.

Olynna appears as the spectral image of a disheveled, beautiful woman, clothed in tattered white rags and dead leaves, with ice-white skin and hair the colour of snow, but with twigs and briars tangled up in it. Even in death, the force of her personality and charm is apparent. When manifesting her horrific visage, her skin and face appear to rot at a rapid rate, and hundreds of millipedes, ants, and other insects pour out of her, leaving pocked and pitted skin the colour of bleached, dead wood, over bones.

Olynna is smart, clever, supremely self-confident, and utterly unafraid. She is also stark, raving insane, driven mad by a millennia of loss and failed duty.

Olynna speaks Elven, Sylvan and Common.

Combat

Olynna prefers to deal with opponents by turning them to her side. She will attempt to use her malevolence ability on someone first, selecting a warrior or rogue ahead of a spellcaster. Then whe will try to charm other opponents. Only then will she use her spells and spell-like abilities. Olynna avoids melee combat if at all possible, using her corrupting touch or rapier only if there is no other option

Spell-like abilities: At will---speak with plants, dimension door; 3/day---charm person (Will DC 20) as a 4th level Sorcerer; 1/day---deforestation (Fort DC 18 for plant creatures).

Horrific appearance (Su): 1d4 Str, Dex and Con drain to all living creatures within 60 ft (Fort DC 24 negates).

Malevolence (Su): possess a body similarly to magic jar, caster level 13th (Will DC 24 negates).

Telekinesis (Su): as a 13th level sorcerer, +9 ranged attack.

Burning Hands (Su): as the spell, but on and off at will, and 1d4 fire damage.

Rejuvenation (Su): restoration in 2d4 days if level check DC 16 is made when destroyed.

Turn Resistance (Ex): turns as 17 HD undead.

Undead Wild Shape (Su): can take the form of a skeletal animal.

Tree Dependent (Su): although dead, Olynna is still tied to the area around her tree, she cannot leave the area around it except by possessing someone.

Blighter Spells Prepared (3/5/4/2/1): 0---darkseed, detect magic, ghost sound; 1st---bane, decomposition, detect undead, doom; 2nd---chill metal, darkness, produce flame; 3rd---stinking cloud.

Notes: Fey can't become ghosts, but Olynna was a neat enough concept that I was more than willing to overlook that.

 

[Iron Sheep]

It's been a while since I've posted anything here, so I thought I should update the thread. This character is from Morrus' Cloron Shattersoul Revisited thread, so if Morrus' players haven't killed Cloron yet, they should stop reading now.

More notes at the bottom, but this character was designed to be an undead orc BBEG. I'm not sure weather a CR 19 is quite right, but he's certainly a monster to be feared. In hand-to-hand combat he is most effective when sundering, but he is perhaps a little too weak to go toe-to-toe with a 19th level fighter.

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Cloron Shattersoul, orog death knight Bard 2/Fighter 6/Blackguard 7
Medium Undead (augmented humanoid, orc)
Hit Dice: 15d12 (103 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 20 ft.
AC: 33 (+2 Dex, +13 armour, +5 natural, +3 deflection), touch 14, flatfooted 31
Base Attack/Grapple: +14/+24
Attack: Shattersoul's wrath +28 melee (2d6+20/19 and 2d6 unholy); or touch +23 melee touch (1d8+5 negative energy and 1 Con)
Full Attack: Shattersoul's wrath +28/+23/+18 melee (2d6+20/19 and 2d6 unholy); or touch +23 melee touch (1d8+7 negative energy and 1 Con)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Abyssal blast, aura of despair, bard spells, blackguard spells, command undead, create skeletal warrior, power word, fear aura, smite good 2/day, sneak attack +2d6, spell-like abilities, symbol
Special Qualities: Bardic knowledge +2, bardic music, damage reduction 10/magic, dark blessing, darkvision 120 ft., fiendish servant, fire resistance 5, immune to cold, electricty and polymorph, light blindness, orc blood, see invisibility, spell resistance 25, turn immunity, undead followers, undead traits
Saves: Fort +17, Ref +16, Will +17
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 14, Con --, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 24.
Skills: Bluff +12 [5 ranks, +7 Cha], Diplomacy +18 [7 ranks, +7 Cha, +4 synergy], Gather Information +12 [5 ranks, +7 Cha], Hide +4 [5 ranks, +2 Dex, -3 armour], Intimidate +17 [8 ranks, +7 Cha, +2 synergy], Knowledge (religion) +5 [5 ranks, +0 Int], Listen +8 [5 ranks, +3 Wis], Perform (oratory) +10 [3 ranks, +7 Cha], Ride +15 [13 ranks, +2 Dex], Sense Motive +8 [5 ranks, +3 Wis]
Feats: Cleave, Daylight Adaptation, Divine Vigor, Improved Sunder, Leadership, Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Ride-by Attack, Weapon Focus (greatsword), Weapon Specialization (greatsword)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 19
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Possessions: Shattersoul's wrath (see below), +5 mithral full plate, ring of protection +3, gauntlets of ogre power +2, periapt of wisdom +2, cloak of charisma +4


Cloron Shattersoul was once a great orcish general, famed and feared for his ability to inspire and lead his troops.

Cloron speaks orcish and common.

COMBAT

Before combat, or during the first round, Cloron invokes his Divine Vigor, which increases his speed by 10 ft. and gives him an additional 30 hp for 7 minutes at the cost of one command undead use. Given the opportunity, he will also cast protection from elements against fire, acid or sonic energy, as he feels is most appropriate for the opponents he faces.

In melee combat, Cloron enjoys sundering his opponents weapons: Shattersoul's wrath and his Improved Sunder feat mean that he does not take an attack of opportunity when sundering, has a total +37 bonus on his sunder attempts, does 2d6+22 points of damage, and ignores the hardness of his opponent's weapon unless it is more than 20. This is more than enough to shatter most normal weapons. Once his opponent is disarmed, Cloron attacks freely, often using power attack against lightly armoured foes.


Bardic Music: Cloron can use his oratory twice per day to countersong, fascinate, or inspire courage.

Detect Good (Sp): At will, Cloron can use detect good as a spell-like ability, duplicating the effect of the detect good spell.

Poison Use: Cloron is skilled in the use of poison and never risks accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to a blade.

Dark Blessing (Su): Cloron applies his Charisma modifier (if positive) as a bonus on all saving throws.

Smite Good (Su): Twice a day, Cloron may attempt to smite good with one normal melee attack.
He adds his Charisma modifier (+7) to his attack roll and deals 7 extra points. If Cloron accidentally smites a creature that is not good, the smite has no effect but it is still used up for that day.

Aura of Despair (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, the blackguard radiates a malign aura that causes enemies within 10 feet of him to take a -2 penalty on all saving throws.

Command Undead (Su): Cloron can command and rebuke undead. He commands undead as would a 5th level cleric. Cloron has a +2 synergy bonus on command check because of his ranks in Knowledge (religion).

Touch Attack: A Will save DC 24 halves the damage of the touch attack, and negates the Con damage.

Abyssal Blast (Su): 1/day---20 ft. spread of eldritch fire, range 1000 ft, 15d6 damage, half fire, half divine (as flame strike), Reflex DC 24 for half.

Fear Aura (Su): creatures of 5 HD or less within 15 ft. are affected as if by a fear spell, Will DC 24 negates.

Power Word (Sp): 1/day---power word stun (DC 26) or power word blind (DC 25). Caster level 15th.

Symbol (Sp): 1/day---symbol of pain (DC 22) or symbol of fear (DC 23). Caster level 15th.

Spell-like Abilities: 1/day---detect magic, dispel magic, and wall of ice (DC 21). Caster level 15th.

Create Skeletal Warrior (Su): Cloron can transform a dead humanoid into a skeletal warrior. This process takes 1 hour, and the creature's HD count against his total undead followers.

Undead Followers (Su): Cloron attracts up to 30 HD of undead followers as a death knight, in addition to any undead he can command as a blackguard. These undead are usually ghouls, ghasts, skeletons, wights or zombies, and new undead are attracted every week to replace any losses.

See Invisibility (Su): Cloron can see invisible and ethereal creatures constantly as if under the effect of a see invisiblity spell.

Summon Mount (Su): Cloron can summon a special mount, similar to a paladin's summon mount ability, but typically an evil mount is summoned. The mount may have up to 7 HD.

Immunities (Ex): immune to cold, death effects, disease, electricity, mind-affecting effects, necromantic effects, paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep, stunning and anything which requires a Fort save unless it also works on objects.

Turn Immunity (Ex): cannot be turned, but a holy word banishes him to the depths of the Abyssal Planes.

Bard Spells Known (3/2 per day, save DC 17 + spell level, spell failure 25%): 0-detect magic, know direction, message, read magic, resistance; 1st-charm person, feather fall.

Blackguard Spells (3/2/2 per day, save DC 13 + spell level): 1st-cause fear, corrupt weapon, doom; 2nd-darkness, inflict moderate wounds; 3rd-inflict serious wounds, protection from elements.


ITEM

Shattersoul's wrath is a minor artifact. It is a +3 unholy adamantine greatsword which, on a critical hit, bestows a negative level on the target and gives the wielder 1d6 temporary hit points for 24 hours, as a sword of life-stealing. In addition, when wielded by a blackguard, it gives a +5 bonus on sunder attempts (including the normal +3 enhancement bonus to hit), a +5 bonus on damage when sundering (including the normal +3 enhancement bonus to damage) and can damage weapons with up to a +5 bonus. Since it is made of adamantine, it ignores hardness of up to 20 when sundering or damaging objects.


Notes:

• orogs are deep orcs taken from the Races of Faerun; the template used in this version is the death knight of Krynn from the 3.5 Dragonlance book.
• Used a super-elite array of 17, 16, 15, 14, 12, 10 for base ability scores.
• I have him using Charisma for all save DCs of spell-like abilities: by the book it should be Int (ie. as a Wizard). Cha just seems more appropriate to me.
• I haven't statted out his fiendish familiar/mount.

 

[Iron Sheep]

This creature was intended as a possible mount for Cloron and his allies. To be a reasonable mount for the final version of Cloron, it would need to be advanced somewhat.

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Corpse Yrthak
Huge Undead (Augmented Magical Beast)
Hit Dice: 12d12 (78 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (clumsy)
AC: 17 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +8 natural), touch 9, flatfooted 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+27
Attack: bite +17 melee (2d8+7); or sonic lance +11 ranged touch (6d6)
Full Attack: bite +17 melee (2d8+7) and 2 claws +15 melee (1d6+3) and slam +15 melee (2d6+3); or sonic lance +11 ranged touch (6d6)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Sonic lance, explosion
Special Qualities: Blindsight 120 ft., immunities, vulnerability to sonic
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +9, Will +5
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 12, Con --, Int 7, Wis 13, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +12, Move Silently +9
Feats: Endurance, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Snatch
Challenge Rating: 10
Alignment: Chaotic Evil


COMBAT

A corpse yrthak prefers to attack from the air, strafing the ground with sonic attacks or snatching up and dropping prey.

Sonic Lance (Su): Once every 2 rounds, a corpse yrthak can focus sonic energy in a ray up to 60 feet long. This is a ranged touch attack that deals 6d6 points of damage to a single target.

Explosion (Su): A corpse yrthak can fire its sonic lance at the ground, a large rock, a stone wall, or the like to create an explosion of shattered stone. This attack deals 2d6 points of piercing damage to all within 10 feet of the effect’s center. This counts as a use of the sonic lance attack and thus is usable only once every 2 rounds, and never on the round following a sonic lance attack.

Blindsight (Ex): A corpse yrthak can ascertain all foes within 120 feet. Beyond that range it is considered blinded. Corpse yrthaks are invulnerable to gaze attacks, visual effects of spells such as illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight. A corpse yrthak whose sense of hearing is impaired is effectively blinded, treating all targets as having total concealment.

Immunities: Corpse yrthaks have immunity to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight.

Skills: Corpse yrthaks have a +4 racial bonus on Listen checks.

 

[Iron Sheep]

This was another attempt at a mount for Cloron and his allies. Again, this would need to be beefed up to be Cloron's mount, but with the fast healing ability, this is a good CR 10 challenge.

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Dread Physowyvern: Corpse Two-headed Learnean Physowyvern
Large Undead (Acid, Augmented Dragon)
Hit Dice: 9d12 (58 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 60 ft. (clumsy)
AC: 18 (-1 size, +9 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+20
Attack: Sting +15 melee (1d6+7 plus poison) or talon +15 melee (2d6+7) or 2 bites +15 melee (2d8+7) or slam +15 melee (1d8+10)
Full Attack: Sting +15 melee (1d6+7 plus poison) and 2 bites +13 melee (2d8+7) and 2 wings +13 melee (1d8+3) and 2 talons +13 melee (2d6+7); or slam +15 melee (1d8+10)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Acid breath, poison, improved grab
Special Qualities: Darkvision 90 ft., immunity to acid, fast healing 12, low-light vision, multi-headed, scent, undead traits
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +6
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 10, Con --, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 9
Skills: Hide +8, Listen +17, Move Silently +12, Spot +20, Search +0
Feats: Ability Focus (poison), Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Flyby Attack, Multiattack(B)
Environment: Warm hills
Organization: Solitary, pair, or flight (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 10-12 HD (Huge); 13-23 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: —

A distant cousin to green dragons, the two-headed physowyvern is a huge flying lizard with a poisonous stinger in its tail and the ability to breath a cloud of acidic gas. Necromancers use foul magic to animate their corpses in such a way that they keep all the special abilities they had in life.

A two-headed physowyvern’s body is 15 feet long, and dark brown to gray; half that length is tail. Its wingspan is about 20 feet. A two-headed physowyvern weighs over one ton.

Two-headed physowyverns speak Draconic, but usually don’t bother with anything more elaborate than a loud hiss or a deep-throated growl much like that of a bull alligator.

COMBAT

Two-headed physowyvern are rather stupid but always aggressive: they attack nearly anything that isn’t obviously more powerful than themselves. A two-headed physowyvern dives from the air, snatching the opponent with its talons and stinging it to death. A two-headed physowyvern can slash with its talons only when making a flyby attack.

A two-headed physowyvern can be killed either by severing both its heads or by slaying its body. To sever a head, an opponent must make a successful sunder attempt with a slashing weapon. (The player should declare where the attack is aimed before making the attack roll.) Making a sunder attempt provokes an attack of opportunity unless the foe has the Improved Sunder feat. An opponent can strike at a physowyvern’s heads from any position in which he could strike at the physowyvern itself, because the physowyvern’s heads writhe and whip about in combat. An opponent can ready an action to attempt to sunder a two-headed physowyvern’s head when the creature bites at him. Each of a two-headed physowyvern’s heads has 29 hit points. Losing a head deals 14 points of damage to the body. A natural reflex seals the neck shut to prevent further blood loss. A physowyvern can no longer attack with a severed head but takes no other penalties.

Each time a head is severed, two new heads spring from the stump in 1d4 rounds. A physowyvern can never have more than four heads at any one time, and any extra heads it gains beyond its original number wither within a day. To prevent a severed head from growing back into two heads, at least 5 points of fire or electricity damage must be dealt to the stump (a touch attack to hit) before the new heads appear. A flaming weapon (or similar effect) deals its energy damage to the stump in the same blow in which a head is severed. Fire or electricity damage from an area effect may burn multiple stumps in addition to dealing damage to the physowyvern’s body. A physowyvern does not die from losing its heads until all its heads have been cut off and the stumps seared by fire or acid.

A physowyvern’s body can be slain just like any other creature’s, but physowyverns possess fast healing and are difficult to defeat in this fashion. Any attack that is not (or cannot be) an attempt to sunder a head affects the body.

Targeted magical effects cannot sever a physowyvern’s heads (and thus must be directed at the body) unless they deal slashing damage and could be used to make sunder attempts.

Two-headed physowyvern can attack with all their heads at no penalty, even if they move or charge during the round.

Acid Breath (Su): The two-headed physohydra can breathe a cloud of acid gas 10 feet high, 10 feet wide, and 20 feet long. All heads breathe once every 1d4 rounds. Each cloud deals 3d6 points of acid damage per head. A successful Reflex save halves the damage. The save DC is 14. The DC is Constitution based.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a two-headed physowyvern must hit with its talons. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and stings.

Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 15, initial and secondary damage 2d6 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Fast Healing (Ex): Each round, a hydra heals damage equal to 10 + the number of its original heads.

Skills: Wyverns have a +3 racial bonus on Spot checks.

Two-headed physowyverns have a +2 racial bonus on Listen, Spot and Search checks, thanks to their multiple heads.

Feats: A two-headed physowyvern’s Combat Reflexes feat allows it to use all its heads for attacks of opportunity.


Note: Physo- is the greek root word for breath or gas, in parallel with pyro- and cryo-. This creature uses the rules for hydras from 3.5 to replicate the learnean part of the template, rather than the 3.0 rules presented in the Savage Species template. The template doesn't seem to have a CR adjustement for the Learnean ability, but CR 10 doesn't seem to be too bad a measure of the creature. I made the saves based off the usual 10 + 1/2 HD + ability formula.

You can add up to 2 more heads for a +1 CR, increasing the HD by 2 per head.

Giving them the elite ability array also makes sense, for +1 CR.

 

[Lela]

Now that is cool.

 

[Imruphel]

OK so the thread might be old but just wanted to say, thanks, I'll be slotting the black brambles into my campaign set in the Unapproachable East as soon as possible!

I've also stolen the yuan-ti dinosaurs for my next campaign that will be set in the Shining South.