template: half-quasielemental

[Devon]

Hi, folks,

Here is a template for creating half-quasielementsl.

Let me know if you see any problems,

- Devon

Template, Half-Quasielemental

Half-Quasielementals are the offspring of the union between mortals and quasielemental creatures, or the end result of the rare infusion of quasielemental energy into living beings.

Creating a Half-Quasielemental:
"Half-Quasielemental" is a template that can be added to any corporeal creature with an intelligence score of 4 or more that is not an elemental (refered to hereafter as the "base creature").

Type: Changes to "outsider."

Speed: Vacuum and steam half-quasielementals gain a fly speed of 60' (average manuverability) or their base fly speed and manuverability, whicever is greater. Lightning and radiance half-quasielementals gain a fly speed of 60' (good manuverability) or their base fly speed and manuverability, whicever is greater.

AC: Natural armor increases by +1 for Vacuum, Dust, Ash and Steam half-quasielementals, and by +2 for Mineral and Salt half-quasielementals.

Special Attacks: Half-Quasielementals retain all the special attacks of the base creature. Half-quasielementals with an Int or Wis score of 8 or higher also possess the following spell-like abilities, using their character levels or hit dice as the caster level, as specified in the table. Each ability is useable once per day:

Half-Mineral Quasielemental
1-2 . . . . Magic stone
3-4 . . . . Glitterdust
5-6 . . . . Keen edge
7-8 . . . . Meld into Stone
9-10 . . . . Spike stones
11-12 . . . . Stoneskin
13-14 . . . . Passwall
15-16 . . . . Iron body
17-18 . . . . Elemental swarm (summons Mineral quasielementals)
19+ . . . . Plane shift

Half-Lightning Quasielemental
1-2 . . . . Shocking grasp
3-4 . . . . Haste
5-6 . . . . Phase door (only through conductive materials)
7-8 . . . . Call lightning
9-10 . . . . Lightning bolt
11-12 . . . . Hold monster
13-14 . . . . Chain lightning
15-16 . . . . Control weather
17-18 . . . . Elemental swarm (summons Lightning quasielementals)
19+ . . . . Plane shift

Half-Radiance Quasielemental
1-2 . . . . Faerie fire
3-4 . . . . Color spray
5-6 . . . . Daylight
7-8 . . . . Searing light
9-10 . . . . Rainbow pattern
11-12 . . . . Fire shield
13-14 . . . . Sunbeam
15-16 . . . . Sunburst
17-18 . . . . Elemental swarm (summons Radiance quasielementals)
19+ . . . . Plane shift

Half-Steam Quasielemental
1-2 . . . . Obscuring mist
3-4 . . . . Fog cloud
5-6 . . . . Gaseous form
7-8 . . . . Wind wall
9-10 . . . . Air walk
11-12 . . . . Solid fog
13-14 . . . . Acid fog
15-16 . . . . Whirlwind
17-18 . . . . Elemental swarm (summons Steam quasielementals)
19+ . . . . Plane shift

Half-Dust Quasielemental
1-2 . . . . Soften earth and stone
3-4 . . . . Feather fall
5-6 . . . . Sleep
7-8 . . . . Blindness
9-10 . . . . Rusting grasp
11-12 . . . . Shatter
13-14 . . . . Crumble *
15-16 . . . . Disintegrate
17-18 . . . . Elemental swarm (summons Dust quasielementals)
19+ . . . . Plane shift

* Found in Magic of Faerun?

Half-Vacuum Quasielemental
1-2 . . . . Chill touch
3-4 . . . . Invisibility
5-6 . . . . Silence
7-8 . . . . Protection from elements
9-10 . . . . Quench
11-12 . . . . Improved invisibility
13-14 . . . . Antilife shell
15-16 . . . . Reverse gravity
17-18 . . . . Elemental swarm (summons Vacuum quasielementals)
19+ . . . . Plane shift

Half-Ash Quasielemental
1-2 . . . . Chill touch
3-4 . . . . Feather fall
5-6 . . . . Stinking cloud
7-8 . . . . Pyrotechnics
9-10 . . . . Cone of cold
11-12 . . . . Murderous Mist*
13-14 . . . . Cloudkill
15-16 . . . . Horrid wilting
17-18 . . . . Elemental swarm (summons Ash quasielementals)
19+ . . . . Plane shift

* Found in Magic of Faerun?

Half-Salt Quasielemental
1-2 . . . . Saltskin (like Barkskin, but the special effect is salt crystals)
3-4 . . . . Vampiric touch
5-6 . . . . Gentle repose
7-8 . . . . Shrink item
9-10 . . . . Antilife shell
11-12 . . . . Horrid wilting
13-14 . . . . Diminish plants (stunt growth only)
15-16 . . . . Cloudkill
17-18 . . . . Elemental swarm (summons Salt quasielementals)
19+ . . . . Plane shift

Special Qualities:
A half-quasielemental creature has all the basic abilities of the base creature. Half-quasielementals are immune to disease and gain a +4 racial bonus against poison. In addition they get special qualities depending on type.

Mineral Half-Quasielementals: Immune to polymorph
Lightning Half-Quasielementals: Immune to electricity
Radiance Half-Quasielementals: Immune to fire
Steam Half-Quasielementals: Immune to fire
Dust Half-Quasielementals: Immune to disintegration
Vacuum Half-Quasielementals: Becomes breathless (Cannot die from suffocation, since it has no need to breathe.)
Ash Half-Quasielementals: Cold subtype
Salt Half-Quasielementals: Immune to fire and dehydration

Saves: Same as base creature.

Abilities: Changes from the base creature as follows:
Ash, Salt: Str +2, Dex +0, Con +4, Int +0, Wis +2, Cha +0
Mineral: Str +4, Dex +0, Con +2, Int +0, Wis +2, Cha +0
Lightning, Dust: Str +0, Dex +4, Con +2, Int +0, Wis +2, Cha +2
Steam, Vacuum, Radiance: Str +0, Dex +2, Con +0, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +2

Skills: A half-quasielemental has 8 skill points, plus it's Int bonus, per Hit Die. Treat skills from the creature's skill list as class skills, and other skills as cross class; it gains skills for class levels normally. Any racial bonuses that apply to the base creature, apply to the half-quasielemental creature as well.

Feats: Half-quasielementals have one feat for every four levels or the base creature's total number of feats, whichever is greater.

Climate/Terrain: Same as the base creature or the quasielemental
Organization: As the base creature, but often solitary.
Challenge Rating: Base creature +2
Alignment: Same the base creature
Treasure: Same as the base creature
Advancement: Same as the base creature

 

[Magus Darkholme]

Not bad. All in all a nice template you got here Devon .

 

[Krishnath]

Very Nice, a few comment's though.

The quasi-elementals spell-like abilities, to be precise:

Lightning: Haste should be farther up the list. Remove Hold Monster (it doesn't fit.)
Try changing the list to the following:

1-2 . . . . Shocking grasp
3-4 . . . . Cat's Grace
5-6 . . . . Lightning Bolt
7-8 . . . . Haste
9-10 . . . . Call Lightning
11-12 . . . . Phase door (only through conductive materials)
13-14 . . . . Chain lightning
15-16 . . . . Thunder Swarm (found in MotW)
17-18 . . . . Elemental swarm (summons Lightning quasielementals)
19+ . . . . Plane shift

Radiance: Try and exchange Sunburst with Prismatic Spray

Steam: Try exchanging Wind Wall with Murderous Mist, as murderous mist is a nasty cloud of steam

Ash: Change Murderous Mist to Cloud Kill and Cloud Kill to Incendiary Cloud

Salt: Interchange Horrid Wilting and Cloud Kill.

Just some thoughts...

 

[Devon]

THanks, Krishnath -- those are all fine suggestions.

With the Ash half-quasielemental, though, I had to reject Incendiary Cloud as a power over and over again because it still involves fire, and Ash is a cold element which ahd been set up to be, at least in part, in opposition to fire.

I've removed their extreme vulnerability to fire, but I still hesitate to give them fire powers. The only reason I gave them pyrotechnics was because that spell tends to consume the fire quickly.

Maybe I'm being too strict.

- Devon

 

[Devon]

As for Radiance, I think the Prismatic series of spells is too wizard-like and magical, and nowhere close to elemental. Maybe I should bring SUnburst down to a lower level.

- Devon

 

[Krishnath]

Perhaps. But you must remember that the prism-spells are the epitome of light magic, and what is radiance if not blindingly brilliant light?

And with the Ash elemental, the problem is that Murderous Mist also deals fire damage (As it is a superheated cloud of steam.)

Just a couple of thoughts, but the template is still very, very good.