nickia
2014-02-15, 09:37 PM
So for a game I'm running in an lawful neutral society with a long cultural heritage of necromancy. For the game one of the shadowy leaders of the elder council of the country of Rathi will be the one who has been giving the PCs their orders all along. I plan to reveal him soon in the final climatic battle as he comes to the aid of the PCs, but he is my first attempt at creature design so I'm wondering if I could get some pointers. It would be very much appreciated.
RATHIAN BONECLAW (LICH)
Large Undead
Hit Dice: 10d12+40 (105 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (–1 size, +4 Dex, +3 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+14
Attack: Piercing claw +7 melee (2d6+7)* + (1d8+5 negative energy)
Full Attack: 2 piercing claws +7 melee (2d6+7)* + (1d8+5 negative energy)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./20 ft.
Special Attacks: Reaching claws, damaging touch, fear aura, wield the core, osteophage, spells
Special Qualities: +4 turn resistance, damage reduction 5/bludgeoning, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to cold, undead traits, unholy toughness, bone spurs, surgical bones
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +9
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 18, Con —, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 19
Skills: Hide +13, Intimidate +17, Listen +15, Move Silently +17, Search +15, Spot +15
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (claw), Power Attack
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, skeleton
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: None
Alignment: Any
Advancement: 11–22 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: 13
This large skeletal humanoid’s claw-like fingers are at least two feet long. Worse, the slender, knife-sharp claws contract and extend in length from moment to moment, sometimes instantly reaching a length of 10 or more feet, before slowly contracting.
A Rathi boneclaw is a powerful lich who was a master of the ways of oesteomancy during his natural life and as such, in undeath, possesses exceptional control over the length of its claws as well as all bones in general. At will, a boneclaw can extend one or two of its finger-claws out to a distance of 20 feet, neatly skewering fleshy creatures that stand in the way.
A boneclaw stands about 8 feet tall and weighs about 260 pounds.
Boneclaws speak Common.
COMBAT
A boneclaw likes to get the drop on its enemies, especially when its foes are still at range, surprising them with an attack of opportunity by extending its claws as its enemies close to melee range. With its Combat
Reflexes, this can occur often within the same fight. A boneclaw normally attacks using its Power Attack feat, taking a –2 penalty on its attack rolls and gaining a +2 bonus on damage rolls.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A boneclaw lich has +4 turn resistance.
Reaching Claws (Ex): A boneclaw can make melee attacks with its bone claws, instantly extending them as part of an attack to a distance of up to 20 feet (thereby allowing the boneclaw to threaten more squares than even its Large size would otherwise indicate).
Unholy Toughness (Ex): A boneclaw gains bonus to its hit points equal to its Charisma modifier plus its Hit Dice.
Fear Aura (Su): Boneclaw liches can shroud in a dreadful aura of awesome mind numbing fear. Creatures of less than 5 HD in a 60-foot radius that look at the boneclaw lich must succeed on a Will save (DC 20) or be affected as though by a fear spell from a sorcerer of the boneclaw lich’s level. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same boneclaw lich’s aura for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Paralyzing Touch (Su): Any living creature a boneclaw lich hits with its touch attack must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20) or be permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a curse can free the victim (see the bestow curse spell description). The save DC is Charisma-based.
The effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a lich seems dead, though a DC 20 Spot check or a DC 15 Heal check reveals that the victim is still alive.
Bone Spurs (Su): The protruding spikes of bone act as armor spikes and spiked gauntlets. The boneclaw is automatically proficient in the weapons forged directly from his own skeleton, but not the normal weapons of the same type.
He may use this ability at will. As natural weapons, the boneclaw’s bone spurs cannot be sundered.
Surgical Bones (Su): A boneclaw’s bone spurs and bone claws act as adamantine, cold iron, and silver weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Wield the Core (Su): A boneclaw can telepathically control the physical actions of any creature with a skeleton. The target creature must be within 30 feet, and is allowed a Fortitude save (DC 15 + Charisma modifier) to negate the effect. On a failed save, the boneclaw can control the movements of the subject by forcing its bones to move however the boneclaw wills.
The effect only allows the boneclaw to control the movement of the creature's bone structure, and not its mind. Thus, the bone claw cannot make the controlled creature speak, but he can cause the creature's jaws to clench shut, which would prevent a character from casting a spell with a verbal component or using an item that has a command word. This effect lasts for a number of minutes equal to the boneclaws charisma modifier.
Obviously suicidal commands, such as forcing the creature to walk off a cliff or jump into lava, end the effect. Once control is established, the range at which it can be exercised is unlimited, as long as the osteomancer has line of effect to the subject. Because the osteomancer must remain in line of effect (and therefore potentially keeping himself in harm's way), commanding a creature to face an obviously superior foe does not end the effect. As this power targets the bone structure of a being, rather than its mind, corporeal undead are subject to its effect. The osteomancer can use this power three times per day.
Osteophage (Su): This loth-level ability is the most lethal power at the osteomancer's command. Once per day, an osteomancer can cause the skeleton of a target to liquefy in a matter of seconds, causing the target to collapse in on itself This collapse causes instant death on a failed Fortitude save (DC 15 + Charisma modifier); a successful save prevents skeletal collapse but still deals 10d6 points of damage.
THE LICH’S PHYLACTERY
An integral part of becoming a lich is creating a magic phylactery in which the character stores its life force. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a lich for sure is to destroy its phylactery. Unless its phylactery is located and destroyed, a lich reappears 1d10 days after its apparent death.
Each lich must make its own phylactery, which requires the Craft Wondrous Item feat. The character must be able to cast spells and have a caster level of 11th or higher. The phylactery costs 120,000 gp and 4,800 XP to create and has a caster level equal to that of its creator at the time of creation. All Rathi Boneclaw phylacteries require the involvement of bones of a descendent of the lich hopeful. For example, one prominent Rathi Boneclaw’s phylactery consists of the adamantine plated bones of his stillborn son covered in fine gold and silver traceries. Upon the regeneration of his body he can be found cradling the tiny body.
RATHIAN BONECLAW (LICH)
Large Undead
Hit Dice: 10d12+40 (105 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (–1 size, +4 Dex, +3 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+14
Attack: Piercing claw +7 melee (2d6+7)* + (1d8+5 negative energy)
Full Attack: 2 piercing claws +7 melee (2d6+7)* + (1d8+5 negative energy)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./20 ft.
Special Attacks: Reaching claws, damaging touch, fear aura, wield the core, osteophage, spells
Special Qualities: +4 turn resistance, damage reduction 5/bludgeoning, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to cold, undead traits, unholy toughness, bone spurs, surgical bones
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +9
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 18, Con —, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 19
Skills: Hide +13, Intimidate +17, Listen +15, Move Silently +17, Search +15, Spot +15
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (claw), Power Attack
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, skeleton
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: None
Alignment: Any
Advancement: 11–22 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: 13
This large skeletal humanoid’s claw-like fingers are at least two feet long. Worse, the slender, knife-sharp claws contract and extend in length from moment to moment, sometimes instantly reaching a length of 10 or more feet, before slowly contracting.
A Rathi boneclaw is a powerful lich who was a master of the ways of oesteomancy during his natural life and as such, in undeath, possesses exceptional control over the length of its claws as well as all bones in general. At will, a boneclaw can extend one or two of its finger-claws out to a distance of 20 feet, neatly skewering fleshy creatures that stand in the way.
A boneclaw stands about 8 feet tall and weighs about 260 pounds.
Boneclaws speak Common.
COMBAT
A boneclaw likes to get the drop on its enemies, especially when its foes are still at range, surprising them with an attack of opportunity by extending its claws as its enemies close to melee range. With its Combat
Reflexes, this can occur often within the same fight. A boneclaw normally attacks using its Power Attack feat, taking a –2 penalty on its attack rolls and gaining a +2 bonus on damage rolls.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A boneclaw lich has +4 turn resistance.
Reaching Claws (Ex): A boneclaw can make melee attacks with its bone claws, instantly extending them as part of an attack to a distance of up to 20 feet (thereby allowing the boneclaw to threaten more squares than even its Large size would otherwise indicate).
Unholy Toughness (Ex): A boneclaw gains bonus to its hit points equal to its Charisma modifier plus its Hit Dice.
Fear Aura (Su): Boneclaw liches can shroud in a dreadful aura of awesome mind numbing fear. Creatures of less than 5 HD in a 60-foot radius that look at the boneclaw lich must succeed on a Will save (DC 20) or be affected as though by a fear spell from a sorcerer of the boneclaw lich’s level. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same boneclaw lich’s aura for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Paralyzing Touch (Su): Any living creature a boneclaw lich hits with its touch attack must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20) or be permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a curse can free the victim (see the bestow curse spell description). The save DC is Charisma-based.
The effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a lich seems dead, though a DC 20 Spot check or a DC 15 Heal check reveals that the victim is still alive.
Bone Spurs (Su): The protruding spikes of bone act as armor spikes and spiked gauntlets. The boneclaw is automatically proficient in the weapons forged directly from his own skeleton, but not the normal weapons of the same type.
He may use this ability at will. As natural weapons, the boneclaw’s bone spurs cannot be sundered.
Surgical Bones (Su): A boneclaw’s bone spurs and bone claws act as adamantine, cold iron, and silver weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Wield the Core (Su): A boneclaw can telepathically control the physical actions of any creature with a skeleton. The target creature must be within 30 feet, and is allowed a Fortitude save (DC 15 + Charisma modifier) to negate the effect. On a failed save, the boneclaw can control the movements of the subject by forcing its bones to move however the boneclaw wills.
The effect only allows the boneclaw to control the movement of the creature's bone structure, and not its mind. Thus, the bone claw cannot make the controlled creature speak, but he can cause the creature's jaws to clench shut, which would prevent a character from casting a spell with a verbal component or using an item that has a command word. This effect lasts for a number of minutes equal to the boneclaws charisma modifier.
Obviously suicidal commands, such as forcing the creature to walk off a cliff or jump into lava, end the effect. Once control is established, the range at which it can be exercised is unlimited, as long as the osteomancer has line of effect to the subject. Because the osteomancer must remain in line of effect (and therefore potentially keeping himself in harm's way), commanding a creature to face an obviously superior foe does not end the effect. As this power targets the bone structure of a being, rather than its mind, corporeal undead are subject to its effect. The osteomancer can use this power three times per day.
Osteophage (Su): This loth-level ability is the most lethal power at the osteomancer's command. Once per day, an osteomancer can cause the skeleton of a target to liquefy in a matter of seconds, causing the target to collapse in on itself This collapse causes instant death on a failed Fortitude save (DC 15 + Charisma modifier); a successful save prevents skeletal collapse but still deals 10d6 points of damage.
THE LICH’S PHYLACTERY
An integral part of becoming a lich is creating a magic phylactery in which the character stores its life force. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a lich for sure is to destroy its phylactery. Unless its phylactery is located and destroyed, a lich reappears 1d10 days after its apparent death.
Each lich must make its own phylactery, which requires the Craft Wondrous Item feat. The character must be able to cast spells and have a caster level of 11th or higher. The phylactery costs 120,000 gp and 4,800 XP to create and has a caster level equal to that of its creator at the time of creation. All Rathi Boneclaw phylacteries require the involvement of bones of a descendent of the lich hopeful. For example, one prominent Rathi Boneclaw’s phylactery consists of the adamantine plated bones of his stillborn son covered in fine gold and silver traceries. Upon the regeneration of his body he can be found cradling the tiny body.