Fax Celestis
2006-08-05, 12:00 AM
A steam-powered creature is a construct created by the City-State of Heliosunde. Unlike most constructs, steam-powered constructs run off of a small steam engine inside of them. They receive their fuel from a strange contraption inside of them that involves a ring of continual create water plus a small gate to the Elemental Plane of Fire. Most steam-powered creatures have the ring removable, so as to provide a way to turn them off.
Steam-powered creatures give off a small amount of steam as they function.
==Creating a Steam-Powered Creature==
Steam-powered creature is an acquired template that can be applied to any construct.
Size and Type
The creature’s type does not change, although it does acquire the (Steam-powered) subtype. It uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Armor Class
The base creature receives a natural bonus to their Armor Class equal to their hit dice.
Attacks
The base creature retains all natural weapons and weapon proficiencies. All of the base creature's attacks deal an addition 1d6 fire damage. In addition, it gains a ranged bolt attack, which deals 1d8 damage plus 1d6 fire damage. This attack criticals on a 20 for x2, and when criticals deals an additional 1d10 fire damage.
Special Attacks
The base creature retains all special attacks. In addition, the base creature gains two breath weapons: a ball of fire, and a jet of water. Treat the first as a fireball spell and the second as a polar ray spell. Caster level on each is equal to the base creature's hit dice. During a round in which a steam-powered creature uses either of its breath weapons, it cannot move or take any other actions. If a steam-powered creature has moved before attacking, it is denied the use of its breath weapons for that round.
Special Qualities
The base creature retains all previous special qualities and gains the following
Fire Resistance
The base creature receives fire resist 5.
Cold Resistance
The base creature receives cold resist 5
Damage Reduction
The base creature receives Damage Reduction 10/mithril. If it has more than 10 HD, it instead receives DR 15/starmetal.
Steam-Powered Weaknesses
Like all steam-powered creatures (due to their dependencies on both fire and water), the base creature reacts strangely to specific spells.
Any spell with the (Fire) descriptor causes the base creature to enter a rage (like a first-level barbarian) for 1d4 rounds. Any spell with the (Cold) descriptor affects it as a slow spell for 1d4 rounds. Any spell that dispels, supresses, or breaks magical enchantments causes the base creature to shut down for the duration of the spell (or 1d4+1 rounds, if the duration is instantaneous). Mordenkainen's disjunction causes the base creature to become nonfunctional.
Abilities
The base creature modifies its abilities as follows: +2 Str, +2 Dex, -4 Int, +2 Wis, -4 Cha.
Feats and Spells
The base creature retains all feats and spellcasting ability. In addition, steam-powered creatures have quicker reflexes and are more perceptive than their magically-powered counterparts. As such, it receives the Improved Initiative and Alertness feats as bonus feats.
Alignment
Always lawful neutral.
Advancement
As construct.
Steam-powered creatures give off a small amount of steam as they function.
==Creating a Steam-Powered Creature==
Steam-powered creature is an acquired template that can be applied to any construct.
Size and Type
The creature’s type does not change, although it does acquire the (Steam-powered) subtype. It uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Armor Class
The base creature receives a natural bonus to their Armor Class equal to their hit dice.
Attacks
The base creature retains all natural weapons and weapon proficiencies. All of the base creature's attacks deal an addition 1d6 fire damage. In addition, it gains a ranged bolt attack, which deals 1d8 damage plus 1d6 fire damage. This attack criticals on a 20 for x2, and when criticals deals an additional 1d10 fire damage.
Special Attacks
The base creature retains all special attacks. In addition, the base creature gains two breath weapons: a ball of fire, and a jet of water. Treat the first as a fireball spell and the second as a polar ray spell. Caster level on each is equal to the base creature's hit dice. During a round in which a steam-powered creature uses either of its breath weapons, it cannot move or take any other actions. If a steam-powered creature has moved before attacking, it is denied the use of its breath weapons for that round.
Special Qualities
The base creature retains all previous special qualities and gains the following
Fire Resistance
The base creature receives fire resist 5.
Cold Resistance
The base creature receives cold resist 5
Damage Reduction
The base creature receives Damage Reduction 10/mithril. If it has more than 10 HD, it instead receives DR 15/starmetal.
Steam-Powered Weaknesses
Like all steam-powered creatures (due to their dependencies on both fire and water), the base creature reacts strangely to specific spells.
Any spell with the (Fire) descriptor causes the base creature to enter a rage (like a first-level barbarian) for 1d4 rounds. Any spell with the (Cold) descriptor affects it as a slow spell for 1d4 rounds. Any spell that dispels, supresses, or breaks magical enchantments causes the base creature to shut down for the duration of the spell (or 1d4+1 rounds, if the duration is instantaneous). Mordenkainen's disjunction causes the base creature to become nonfunctional.
Abilities
The base creature modifies its abilities as follows: +2 Str, +2 Dex, -4 Int, +2 Wis, -4 Cha.
Feats and Spells
The base creature retains all feats and spellcasting ability. In addition, steam-powered creatures have quicker reflexes and are more perceptive than their magically-powered counterparts. As such, it receives the Improved Initiative and Alertness feats as bonus feats.
Alignment
Always lawful neutral.
Advancement
As construct.