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Cipher Stars
2012-06-26, 01:32 PM
The Alphawolf
^- Suprisingly a totally original name, according to google now showing any other d&d/pf resources named "Alphawolf". I'd have expected to run into something... Guess its clear.
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/078/a/e/Werewolf_2_by_el_grimlock.jpg (http://el-grimlock.deviantart.com/art/Werewolf-2-157771147?moodonly=69)


Alphawolves are greater beings then a mere werewolf. They are exceedingly rare, caused by an unknown genetic code in a far few creatures that reacts to the lycanthropy causing a mutation over time to create the Alphawolf. They are powerful creatures and any who it considers an enemy would do well to fear.

Creating an Alphawolf:
Alphawolf is an acquired template that can be added to any Werewolf.

To become an Alphawolf, there are several elements that must be assembled for the mutation to occur.
The werewolf must have six other werewolves under its command or more.
The werewolf must have defeated a Vampire Lord on its own- reducing it to a gaseous form counts.
The werewolf must have been near death due to a silver weapon, while exposed to great amounts of silver. Such as being critically wounded by a silver bullet and fell onto large pile of silver coins at least as large as yourself, or placed in a silver coffin.
The werewolf must have successfully defended its position as leader of its pack from another werewolf of equal HD.

Once these conditions are met, it can become an Alphawolf by spending a an entire night of a full moon in werewolf form and kill the leaders of two other werewolf packs, and twelve supernatural creatures of some sort whether they be vampires, ghosts, mummies, ghouls, zombies, or whatever.
At the light of dawn, the werewolf is hit with great pain as its body is transfigured into an Alphawolf.

Once an Alphawolf is established, the Alphawolf template is now hereditary and any offspring have a 25% chance of becoming an Alphawolf automatically at an equivalent age to 16-18 on a human. If a person does not inherit the Alphawolf template, the chance decreases to 15% for it's children, then 5%, then to a minimum of 1%.

Level Adjustment (3.X): Perhaps around 8.
or:
Challenge Rating (Pathfinder): Perhaps around 6.

Alignment: The Alphawolf retains its previous alignment, but can change desired without special restrictions.

Hit Dice: Alphawolves hit dice all change to d10s unless they are higher, and they double their constitution bonus per level.

Senses: The Alphawolf retains the senses sit had prior to this template and gains the following:

Scent (EX):
The Alphawolf has the Scent ability, at six times normal ranges.

Alpha Scent (Su):
The Alphwawolf can determine Age, Sex, Race, the nature of their class (Arcane caster, divine caster, warrior, divine warrior, ect), and a general idea of how innocent a creature is based on the deeds it has done in the past, as well as a general idea of what kind of sins they've committed. This is within half Scent's range.
This scent also functions as blindsight within 30ft, and blindsense out to 60ft. This is based on smell, and a creature that does not have a smell of any sort is immune to being directly detected in this manner but the Alphawolf does retain the ability to sense disturbances within it's blindsight radius.

Bloodsight (Su):
The Alphawolf can see in perfect darkness and through magical darkness without hindrance, its vision is heavily tinted in red that alters the visuals enough that effects such as Obscuring Mist and Fog Cloud do not hinder it, as the fogs are altered to be a very faint transparent shade of red while the living are quite vivid. This ability can be toggled.
---Undead Enmity: Vampire's are always marked with a red mist about them to the Alphawolf's eyes, even when Bloodsight is toggled off.

Keen Ears (Ex):
Alphawolves have very keen ears. They have a +30 to Listen checks, or Perception checks made to listen.


Speed: Alphawolves have a land speed speed of +30ft in their natural form, a land speed +40ft in Wolf form, +60ft in Hybrid form, and +70ft in Direwolf form. Alphawolves have a climb speed equal to their land speed when in Hybrid form.


Armor class: Alphawolves gain +15 Natural Armor, their tough hide is awkwardly soft, but beneath it their hard muscles and tough hide makes them feel like hard statue of marble.


Attack:
Alphawolves have a bite attack that deals 4d6 piercing damage from their incredible jaw and razorlike teeth with long canines. At Huge size, the attack is 4d8, Gargantuan: 6d6, Colossal: 6d8.
Alphawolves have a claw attack that deals the same damage as their bite, with slashing damage.

Their bites and claws are never hindered by Ethereal or Incorporeal natures, and they always count as if Regeneration or Damage Reduction was weak against them- Always bypassing regeneration and damage reduction to inflict normal damage, though the regeneration still acts as fast healing (It's just not immune or undying and what not).



Special Defenses: Alphawolves retain all special defenses they had before, and gain the following:

Magic Immunity (Ex):
Alphawolves are immune to all magic not cast from another Alphawolf or Archvampire. No spell, spell-like, Supernatural, or even Psi-like ability can effect them. Whether it be an illusion, a fireball, or an Imprisonment spell. It can't effect them directly. (You could do something such as use an Earthquake spell to shake the ground, that's effecting the ground- not the Alphawolf).

Fast Healing (Ex):
Alphawolves have fast healing equal to twice their hit dice +10.

Damage Reduction (Ex):
Alphawolves have damage reduction equal to their Hit Dice +10.

Incredible Hide (Ex):
Alphawolves feel like unbelievably hard stone or metal covered in a soft coat of thick fur. They are immune to Bludgeoning, Piercing, Falling, Crushing, and Pressure damages. They take half damage from Slashing.



Special Attacks: The Alphawolf retains all special attacks it had previously, and gains the following:

Shread (Ex):
The Alphawolf can take a full attack action to attack with two claws and its bite attack per attack it can make from having a high base attack bonus. It can use this even when grappling, using its hind legs to tear into them while it maintains its grapple with its upper claws, making it really stupid to try to bear hug an Alphawolf.

Leap (Ex):
The Alphawolf can leap as part of a charge and make a full attack action at the end of it.

Howl (Ex):
The Alphawolf can release a long howl as a full round action that automatically makes an intimate check against anyone who can hear it, usually a 10 mile radius. Every mile farther, its check is -2 lower. But those who can actually see the Alphawolf howl take a -10 on their opposing checks to resist intimidation. This is a fear effect.

Terror Howl (Su):
The Alpha can charge its howl with supernatural fear. This functions as howl, but at half the range as its deeper and doesn't travel as far. Creatures within the Terror Howl suffer an intimidate check as well, but with +5 on the wolf's behalf. After Intimidation is worked out, they must make a will save DC = 10 + wolf's HD + wolf's Cha mod or be panicked for 1d12 minutes.
Terror Howl can be used once every 15 minutes. This is a fear effect.

Necrobane (Ex): Alphawolve's are evolved to better destroy their natural enemy, vampires. An Alphawolf can consume the body of a vampire, even an Archvampire, to permanently prevent it's resurrection so long as the Alphawolf lives. The vampire's foul presence melds into the Alphawolf and taint's it's mind and body bit by bit. On small-game vampire, the taint might as well be nonexistant.
For every 100 vampire's the Alphawolf consumes, it's speed increases by 5ft, it's resistances increase by +1 (Such as Fast Healing and Damage reduction becoming HD + 11 and so on) but it loses 1 wisdom and 1 intelligence. When both scores are below 5, the vampires become in control with the most powerful vampire in there having primary command over the body.
Archvampire's count as 100 normal vampire's for this countdown, but also cause -2 drain on the Alphawolf's scores but also a +1 Str, Con, and Dex. Archvampire's can make one will save DC Alphawolf's HD + Cha + 5. If they succeed, they can reverse the save back towards the Alphawolf. If the Alphawolf fails this save, the Archvampire possesses the Alphawolf. Every Full Moon the Alphawolf can make a new save.
A Wish or Miracle spell can remove all effects of consuming the vampires, beneficial and negative. Though the vampire's remain contained, the counter is effectively reset.


Special Qualities: The Alphawolf retains all special qualities it had previously and gains the following:

Pack Curse (Ex):
Any creature bitten by an Alphawolf becomes a werewolf loyal to the Alphawolf, and cannot go against its orders once they suffer their first change. On the next full moon, they suffer involuntary change for the first time and seek out the Alphawolf to swear service.
There is no save against an Alphawolf bite's forced infliction of lycanthropy unless the creature is already supernatural in nature, any creature with a race given Supernatural ability or possessing 10 or more HD/Class levels.
In those cases, they can make a DC 20 + Alpha's cha mod= Will save. This will save negates both the loyalty and the infliction.
Creatures with 1/2 the Alphawolf's HD no longer have to save against the loyalty, and gain their own free will (that is, they are not supernaturally compelled to serve the Alphawolf but may do so on their own accord).
If the Alphawolf is killed, the loyal wolves retain loyalty as normal and carry out the Alpha's wishes and will strive to acquire a Resurrection for their Alpha in some manner using their own judgement on how to go about it.
This is a mind-effecting effect. If the target is immune to such an effect, they are still afflicted with standard Lycanthropy if applicable. If it is immune to Lycanthropy it must still make a DC = HD + Cha save or become three steps more friendly to the Alphawolf and that disposition is locked in place until a Remove Curse spell is used on the victim, when it becomes free and nature takes it's course (Ie; they become pissed, want to hunt the Alpha, or don't care, ect).

Size increase:
Alphawolve's size increases.
Their natural and normal wolf forms remains its base size.
Their hybrid and Dire Wolf forms gains +1 sizes (Medium to Large Hybrid, and Large to Huge Dire Wolf)

Alternate Form (Ex):
Alphawolves can assume their natural shape they had before they ever became a werewolf, they can take the shape of a wolf, a Dire Wolf, and they can assume a hybrid form with almost all the features of the Dire Wolf but retaining a sleek muscular humanoid-lupine like shape. They gain all traits the creature possesses but they are scaled up to match your HD or are superseded by an ability shown on this template.

An Alphawolf must be in its Hybrid, or a Wolf form to access its Bite, Claws, Shred, Leap, Howl, Terror Howl, and Pack Curse abilities.

Ageless (Ex):
Alphawolves do not age once they hit maturity or whenever they became an Alpha.

Weaknesses: Alphawolf lose all weaknesses from previous werewolf templates and gains or alters the following:

Weakness to Silver (Ex):
An Alphawolf is more perfectly merged between man and beast, in turn however it is weaker against Silver.
An Alphawolf is not immune or damage resistant to silver weapons, slashing piercing or otherwise. So long as it is pure.
An Alphawolf who has a silver dagger, arrow, or shuriken embedded in it's flesh, or is in the presence of large amounts of silver, such as in a silver room, the Alphawolf cannot alter its form, takes normal damage to piercing weapons, takes half damage to damages it was previously immune to, has no damage reduction, and is not immune to magic, instead it has Spell Resistance 4 + HD rather then immunity.
Alphawolves do not have fast healing against damage caused by a silver weapon.

Abilities: The Alphawolf ability scores increases from their past templates as follows:
Str +16, Dex +6, +6 Con, +4 Int, +4 Wis, Cha +6.

Bonus Feats: Alphawolves gain the following bonus feats even if they do not meet the prerequisites:
Alertness, Athletic, Blind Fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge- Mobility- Spring Attack, Endurance- Diehard, Run, and Leadership.

Skills: A Alpha receives the following skill bonuses:
+6 Climb, +4 Disguise, +6 Intimidate, +6 Jump, +4 Listen, +4 Move Silently, +4 Spot, +8 Survival

Environment: any, usually same as the base creature.

Organization: solitary, pair (One male, one female) , or pack (1 plus 2–4 Werewolf Lords plus 5-10 Werewolves).

Treasure: triple standard.


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Level Adjustment (3.X): Perhaps around 2.
or:
Challenge Rating (Pathfinder): Perhaps around 1.

Alignment: The Alphawolf retains its previous alignment, but can change desired without special restrictions.

Hit Dice: Alphawolves hit dice all change to d10s unless they are higher, and they double their constitution bonus per level.

Senses: The Alphawolf retains the senses sit had prior to this template.

Alpha Scent (Su):
The Alphwawolf can determine Age, Sex, Race, the nature of their class (Arcane caster, divine caster, warrior, divine warrior, ect), and a general idea of how innocent a creature is with a general idea of what kind of sins they've committed. This is within half Scent's range.
This scent also functions as blindsight within 30ft, and blindsense out to 60ft. This is based on smell, and a creature that does not have a smell of any sort is immune to being directly detected in this manner but the Alphawolf does retain the ability to sense disturbances within it's blindsight radius.

Bloodsight (Su):
The Alphawolf can see in perfect darkness and through magical darkness without hindrance, its vision is heavily tinted in red that alters the visuals enough that effects such as Obscuring Mist and Fog Cloud do not hinder it, as the fogs are altered to be a very faint transparent shade of red while the living are quite vivid. This ability can be toggled.
---Undead Enmity: Vampire's are always marked with a red mist about them to the Alphawolf's eyes, even when Bloodsight is toggled off.

Keen Ears (Ex):
Alphawolves have very keen ears. They have a +4 to Listen checks, or Perception checks made to listen.


Speed: Alphawolves have a land speed speed of +10ft in their natural form, a land speed +30ft in Wolf form, +50ft in Hybrid form, and +60ft in Direwolf form. Alphawolves have a climb speed equal to 1/2 land speed when in Hybrid form.


Armor class: Alphawolves gain or has existing natural armor increase to +HD Natural Armor, their tough hide is awkwardly soft, but beneath it their hard muscles and tough hide makes them feel like hard statue of marble. In their natural form this natural armor is at 1/2HD, and is resilient to damage while retaining a soft texture as if it was normal flesh.


Attack:
Alphawolves have a bite attack that deals 4d6 piercing damage that is considered to be adamantine for the purposes of damage reduction due to their incredible biting force and strength of their bones. At Huge size, the attack is 4d8, Gargantuan: 6d6, Colossal: 6d8.
Alphawolves have a claw attack that deals the same dice as their bite but one less die size, with slashing damage.
An Alphawolf ignores fast healing, damage resistance, and regeneration of vampires.



Special Defenses: Alphawolves retain all special defenses they had before, and gain the following:

Spell Resistance(Ex):
Alphawolves gain spell resistance 15+HD.

Fast Healing (Ex):
Alphawolves have fast healing equal to their hit dice.

Damage Reduction (Ex):
Alphawolves have damage reduction equal to their constitution score, overcome by silver weapons.


Special Attacks: The Alphawolf retains all special attacks it had previously, and gains the following:

Shread (Ex):
The Alphawolf can take a full attack action to attack with two claws and its bite attack per attack it can make from having a high base attack bonus. It can use this even when grappling, using its hind legs to tear into them while it maintains its grapple with its upper claws, making it really stupid to try to bear hug an Alphawolf.

Leap (Ex):
The Alphawolf can leap as part of a charge and make a full attack action at the end of it.

Howl (Ex):
The Alphawolf can release a long howl as a full round action that automatically makes an intimate check against anyone who can hear it, usually a 10 mile radius. Every mile farther, its check is -2 lower. But those who can actually see the Alphawolf howl take a -10 on their opposing checks to resist intimidation. This is a fear effect.

Terror Howl (Su):
The Alpha can charge its howl with supernatural fear. This functions as howl, but at half the range as its deeper and doesn't travel as far. Creatures within the Terror Howl suffer an intimidate check as well, but with +5 on the wolf's behalf. If the Alpha succeeds, subjects are panicked for 1d12 rounds, +1 roundx2 for every HD less then yours the creature is. After that, it becomes frightened for half the duration, then shaken for that same amount of minutes rather than rounds.
Terror Howl can be used once every 15 minutes. This is a fear effect.


Special Qualities: The Alphawolf retains all special qualities it had previously and gains the following:

Pack Curse (Ex):
Any creature bitten by an Alphawolf becomes a werewolf.
There is no save against an Alphawolf bite's forced infliction of lycanthropy unless the creature is immune to disease, in which case they are immune as normal. Werewolves are in no way bound to the Alpha, but may seek it out of their own free will.

Size increase:
Alphawolve's size increases.
Their natural and normal wolf forms remains its base size.
Their hybrid and Dire Wolf forms gains +1 sizes (Medium to Large Hybrid, and Large to Huge Dire Wolf)

Alternate Form (Ex):
Alphawolves can assume their natural shape they had before they ever became a werewolf, they can take the shape of a wolf, a Dire Wolf, and they can assume a hybrid form with almost all the features of the Dire Wolf but retaining a sleek muscular humanoid-lupine like shape. They gain all traits the creature possesses but they are scaled up to match your HD or are superseded by an ability shown on this template. The Alpha retains their own statistics where they would be superior.

An Alphawolf must be in its Hybrid, or a Wolf form to access its Bite, Claws, Shred, Leap, Howl, Terror Howl, and Pack Curse abilities.

Ageless (Ex):
Alphawolves do not age once they hit maturity or whenever they became an Alpha. They lose all benefits or penalties they gained from aging, if any, an do not age further. Thus they cannot gain benefits of aging (or penalties), nor die of old age.

Weaknesses: Alphawolf lose all weaknesses from previous werewolf templates and gains or alters the following:

Weakness to Silver (Ex):
An Alphawolf is more perfectly merged between man and beast, in turn however it is weaker against Silver.
An Alphawolf is not immune or damage resistant to silver weapons, slashing piercing or otherwise. So long as it is pure.
Alphawolves do not have fast healing against damage caused by a silver weapon until 1d10 minutes have passed.

Abilities: The Alphawolf ability scores increases from their past templates as follows:
Str +16, Dex +6, +6 Con, +4 Int, +4 Wis, Cha +6.

Bonus Feats: Alphawolves gain the following bonus feats even if they do not meet the prerequisites:
Alertness, Athletic, Blind Fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge- Mobility- Spring Attack, Endurance- Diehard, Run, and Leadership.

Skills: A Alpha receives the following skill bonuses:
+6 Climb, +4 Disguise, +6 Intimidate, +6 Jump, +4 Listen, +4 Move Silently, +4 Spot, +8 Survival

Environment: any, usually same as the base creature.

Organization: solitary, pair (One male, one female) , or pack (1 plus 2–4 Werewolf Lords plus 5-10 Werewolves).

Treasure: triple standard.

Volthawk
2012-06-26, 01:44 PM
Pack Curse seems a...tad too powerful. I really don't like the fact that if you don't have a race with (Su) stuff you're automatically screwed by it. And even if you are, and can resist, you're still facing a save inflated above the normal scaling that pretty much everything else has in the game (and then you get +6 Cha on top of that). So pretty much if you're bitten, you're screwed. End of.

NeoSeraphi
2012-06-26, 01:56 PM
Pack Curse doesn't make sense. Lycanthropy is a supernatural disease. The save should be a Fortitude save.

Additionally, Pack Curse and Alternate Form are both supernatural, not extraordinary. This also raises an awkward question. How does an alphawolf transform if he's immune to supernatural abilities? You can't just designate an ability to be extraordinary, the actual lycanthrope template has already said that Alternate Form is supernatural.

Howl- Little typo here, that should read "Intimidate check". Also, you don't make a "save" against an Intimidate check, it's a modified level check to resist.

I don't really like the idea of damage reduction based on holy water. You removed the alignment restriction, so there is nothing inherently evil about an Alphawolf. Why should he be weak to holy water? That's a vampire's thing. It seems like you're trying to make some kind of vampire/werewolf hybrid, which is...weird to say the least.

Anyway, the rest of the template looks really good. A perfect Tier Cipher lycanthrope. I like it.

Cipher Stars
2012-06-26, 02:03 PM
So pretty much if you're bitten, you're screwed. End of.

As it is in almost every werewolf fiction I know of.



Pack Curse doesn't make sense. Lycanthropy is a supernatural disease. The save should be a Fortitude save.

Additionally, Pack Curse and Alternate Form are both supernatural, not extraordinary. This also raises an awkward question. How does an alphawolf transform if he's immune to supernatural abilities? You can't just designate an ability to be extraordinary, the actual lycanthrope template has already said that Alternate Form is supernatural.

Howl- Little typo here, that should read "Intimidate check". Also, you don't make a "save" against an Intimidate check, it's a modified level check to resist.

I don't really like the idea of damage reduction based on holy water. You removed the alignment restriction, so there is nothing inherently evil about an Alphawolf. Why should he be weak to holy water? That's a vampire's thing. It seems like you're trying to make some kind of vampire/werewolf hybrid, which is...weird to say the least.

Anyway, the rest of the template looks really good. A perfect Tier Cipher lycanthrope. I like it.

Because Pack Curse is Extraordinary and a Will save. I don't believe I ever said it was Fortitude or Supernatural.

Pack Curse and Alternate form are Extraordinary abilities, as I said in their entries.

Check, yes. I knew that, just a typo~ *fixes*

Holy Water is used to imbue alter the workings of the silver to a degree to effect the Alphawolf's blood to a greater degree by magnifying the Silver's natural strength against shape-changers and a lot of the supernatural in general.
Similar reason why Flame Strike's divine damage can still damage a Celestial or a Cleric of the same deity.

Thank you. I'm going to make a depowered Archvampire to bring it down to the Alphawolf's level. As Alphawolf is more playable.

Volthawk
2012-06-26, 02:08 PM
As it is in almost every werewolf fiction I know of.

The becoming a werewolf aspect, fine. The 'you're automatically completely loyal and can't go against anything it tells you to do, ever, from this point, no matter who you are and how powerful you are, yes even if you're a godslaying titan, since he bit you and you happened to have been born a human and not some magical being' part? No so fine.

Cipher Stars
2012-06-26, 02:15 PM
The becoming a werewolf aspect, fine. The 'you're automatically completely loyal and can't go against anything it tells you to do, ever, from this point, no matter who you are and how powerful you are, yes even if you're a godslaying titan, since he bit you and you happened to have been born a human and not some magical being' part? No so fine.

Ah! Thats what I was going to change. I was editing it and I felt like I forgot something XD Problem with forgetting something is you can never quite remember what you've forgotten.
*goes to fix the loyalty part*

Sir Swindle89
2012-06-26, 02:16 PM
Additionally, Pack Curse and Alternate Form are both supernatural, not extraordinary. This also raises an awkward question. How does an alphawolf transform if he's immune to supernatural abilities? You can't just designate an ability to be extraordinary, the actual lycanthrope template has already said that Alternate Form is supernatural.

I'm fairly sertain you can just designate things as you please. The actual ability descriptions in the SRD don't have Types. Theres no reason you can't have an Ex alternate form (like a hedge hog or a cuddle fish or somthing)

Overcoming all DR seems silly if you just give them DR xx/+6 it overcomes basically every thing any way.

Pack Curse is OP Theres basically no reason one of these wouldn't have Whightocalypsed the world already with it.

Really the whole thing just seems like DM fiat. If you want to have an unkillable endgame plotdevice villan just have one. It's not like any one will stumble upon a way to kill it (wierdly made silver spears that still only deal half damage) you're party will have to quest to find that. You might as well just gave him DR that only the Infinity +1 Sword can overcome once it's combined with the MacGuffin.

Cipher Stars
2012-06-26, 02:58 PM
Oshizbawlz.

I forgot the Silver Weakness. Lol. *Edits*

MalikLucius
2017-04-28, 12:15 AM
Really the whole thing just seems like DM fiat. If you want to have an unkillable endgame plotdevice villan just have one. It's not like any one will stumble upon a way to kill it (wierdly made silver spears that still only deal half damage) you're party will have to quest to find that. You might as well just gave him DR that only the Infinity +1 Sword can overcome once it's combined with the MacGuffin.

It's hard to put it better than this, right here. This doesn't seem to be a P.E.A.C.H. thread, but as it's getting rather old, I'm going to give one in brief, anyhow.

This template reads as if it was written in loving devotion to the Underworld franchise, rather than with any actual understanding of how the rules work and progress by level.
There is an in-place guideline for what constitutes an EX ability versus a SU ability, but that's not even the problem here.

Half the abilities don't function coherently. Hit dice don't work that way, or DR, or Fast Healing, or Damage reduction.
As Swindle said above, this is so far out of usability that you might at well just remove the stats and say "**** off, Mate, you can't kill him, he's my invincible OC", and leave it at that.

I came around looking for something akin to Libris Mortis's "Master Vampire" PrC.
Just, really bloody disappointed.