The rule WOTC missed & Olwbears

[smetzger]

Hi,

So, we have rules for creating all kinds of magic items. But exactly how where Owl Bears created? The MM says "The most common theory is that a demented Wizard created the first specimen by crossing a giant owl with a bear."
But wait, there are no rules for creating new creatures.

Now there is. The Create Wonderous Creature is a feat in th.e new netbook of Feats. I submitted this feat a long time ago (over a month before Tome & Blood came out). Here is the feat:
CREATE WONDROUS CREATURE [Item Creation,
Creature]
COPYRIGHT 201, Scott Metzger
You know how to create Aberrations, Beasts, Magical
Beasts, Monstrous Humanoids, and Plants.
Prerequisite: Knowledge (Arcana) or Knowledge
(Psionics), Knowledge (Nature), Spellcaster level 5th+ or
Manifester level 5th+
Benefit: You can create any Aberration, Beast, Magical
Beast, Monstrous Humanoid, or Plant whose prerequisites
you meet. The creature created is not necessarily under
your control. To create a creature you need access to a lab,
similar to an alchemist?s lab, of at least 500gp value. The
creation of a creature involves taking a similar creature or
creature(s) and subjecting them to various spells and
grafting techniques. There is a chance that the experiment
will be a failure. To create a creature you must succeed both
a Knowledge (Arcana) or Knowledge (Psionics) and a
Knowledge (Nature) check (DC 20 + CR of attempted
creature). You may not ?take 10? on these rolls. However,
you get a +1 circumstance bonus for every attempt at a
specific creature that you have previously made, whether
successful or not. If both Knowledge skill checks are failed the creature dies a horrible death. If one Knowledge skill
check fails and one Knowledge skill check succeeds the
resulting creation is horribly deformed in some way and is
hostile towards you. The base price of a creature is the
challenge rating squared times 1000gp (CR x CR x 1000gp).
Creating a creature takes 1 day for every 1,000 gp in its base
price. To create a creature, you must spend 1/25 of its base
price in XP and use up raw materials costing half of its
base price. The minimum caster level for creating a creature
is 2 x CR of the intended creature. The appropriate spells
must be used in order to add extraordinary (Ex), spell-like
(Sp), and/or supernatural (Su) abilities.
Special: If a Charm Monster spell is cast every day of the
creation process, a successfully created creature will be in
permanent servitude to you. If a Limited Wish is used in
the creation process a successfully created creature will be
in permanent servitude to you and will even follow a life
goal, determined by you, after you have died. If a Wish is
used in the creation process a successfully created creature
and its descendants will follow a life goal, determined by
you, even after you have died.
Balance: 3.96 (Purp 5.00, Pow 4.20, Port 4.00, Comp
3.00, Rule 3.60)
Comments: Characters should be encouraged to create
their own unique magical beasts and not just create another
Owlbear, Tendriculos, Mimic, or Skum. If the creature is a
new creature the DM should determine the CR.

So what do you think?

 

[Ferret]

I like it, seems balanced, and i like the wish part*Rubs hands egarly*

 

[CRGreathouse]

I don't like it and don't think it's balanced.

The checks are too easy, for one thing - a Wiz16 making a mind flayer has only to roll a 3+ (or so) to make it, for an 80+% chance to create it.

Additionally, there are realism/verisimilitude problems - why monstrous humanoids but not humanoids? Why would Knowledge (nature) help with making an unnatural creature like a naga? Why is it so easy for a character to create new life?

Finally, I disagree with the mechanics used - it should be a prestige class, not a feat.
(Sorry, Scott)

 

[el-remmen]

New feats and such should be in house rules. . . I'll move it over for you.

 

[Shirt Guy John]

There are just some things that PCs don't need to be able to do.

This is one.

 

[Tonguez]

I don't like it, I think its too easy to do (but then I think all the Item creation feats are too easy)

However this one is a special case and I suspect WOTC left it out on purpose. Combining exisiting creatures to create a new creature which is both viable and fertile is a MAJOR activity.

Personally I'd make it a class ability for an Epic Prc (a Genomancer???) You also need someway of limiting the creatures created - perhaps int 0- 3 only

In a GURPS based game I had a historic group of Genomancers (from when the gods still dwelt with men) whose knowledge was now 'lost'.- however the Jabbawoks and Gorgons which plagued the Wastelands were their legacy...

 

[wolfpunk]

Although I realize that many people do not like this feat (I am not really sure if I like it or dislike it myself), let's see what little changes we could make to perhaps make it much less desirable to create a magical creature thereby limiting it to use by wildly fanatic individuals.

First off, a 500 gp labroratory should not be capable of creating life. That should be upped to 5,000, 10,000 or perhaps even more. If we were to look at labs of today they are easily spending millions on equipment for genetic research.

I would UP the DC to 30+ the CR of the creature. I realize we are using magic, but all the things that have to fall into place in order to create the spark which is life should be very difficult to attain, accordingly, with a DC of 30 it becomes true luck that allows you to create life.

I would change the creation time from 1 day per 1,000 gp to 1 month per 1,000 gp. This is still a bargin considering the gestation period for a human baby is nine months.

Those are just some thoughts I had off of the top of my head. This is the sort of feat that is taken with the YMMV statement attached to it.

 

[telepox]

Although I realize that many people do not like this feat (I am not really sure if I like it or dislike it myself), let's see what little changes we could make to perhaps make it much less desirable to create a magical creature thereby limiting it to use by wildly fanatic individuals.

First off, a 500 gp labroratory should not be capable of creating life. That should be upped to 5,000, 10,000 or perhaps even more. If we were to look at labs of today they are easily spending millions on equipment for genetic research.

I would UP the DC to 30+ the CR of the creature. I realize we are using magic, but all the things that have to fall into place in order to create the spark which is life should be very difficult to attain, accordingly, with a DC of 30 it becomes true luck that allows you to create life.

I would change the creation time from 1 day per 1,000 gp to 1 month per 1,000 gp. This is still a bargin considering the gestation period for a human baby is nine months.

Those are just some thoughts I had off of the top of my head. This is the sort of feat that is taken with the YMMV statement attached to it.

ONE MILLION DOLLARS I say

 

[hong]

the Jabbawoks

Is that like some sort of unholy combination of the Jabberwock and ewoks? If so, how many SAN points would you lose on encountering one?

 

[hong]

Is that like some sort of unholy combination of the Jabberwock and ewoks?

Or worse still, some combination of Jabba and the ewoks? Which incidentally would be the BESTEST NAME EVAR for a rock band.


Hong "following up myself will make me go blind" Ooi