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ngilop
2014-07-19, 09:35 PM
Burning Dead
Size/Type: Medium Undead
Hit Dice: 8d12 (52 HP)
Initiative: +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 40 ft.
Armor Class: 18 (+1 Dex, +7 natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+7
Attack: +7 claw 1d6+3 +1d4 fire
Full Attack: 2 claws 1d6 +3 +1d4 fire
Space/Reach: 5ft by 5ft
Special Attacks: Fire burst
Special Qualities: Undead, Damage Reduction 5/-, Fire Immunity, Resistances, See Invisible
Saves: Fort +2 Ref +3 Will +6
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 12, Con -, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills: Jump +8, Listen + 11. Spot +11
Feats: Altertness, Improved Initiative
Enviroment: Any
Organization: Solitary or band 3-9
Challange Rating: 5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 9-14 HD (Medium)

Burning Dead are the cursed remains of those who have been burnt alive by fire, or the heat of desert or volcanic terrain. Looking very much as parched white skeletons with small flames atop the skulls and hands wreathed in eerie fire.

Burning dead are not brittle as their skeletal appearance would inidicate, very much the opposite. Baked in the fierce heat, the bones are tough and resistant to damage. Possessing a feral intelligence, they seek out spellcasters to slay in particular, knowing their own formidable defenses make them all but immune to most mundane attacks..

Combat
Burning Dead are faster and more alert than what one would expect from a typical skeleton, and much more aggressive. In combat it first launches an assault with its fire burst ability, then egages the foe with its impressive melee ability.

Fire Burst (Sp): As the spell Fireburst as a move action at will, but only once per round. Damage is 5d8 fire and the Burning Dead is immune to its own Fire Burst. Reflex save DC 14 halves the damage.

Fire Immunity (Ex): Burning dead are immune to fire damage.

Resistances (Ex): Burning dead suffer half damage from slashing and peircing attack (factored in before their damage reduction) They have resistance force and sonic (10)

See Invisible (Su): Burning Dead can continuously see invisibility as the spell.

Undead: An undead creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
No Constitution score.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
Cannot heal damage on its own if it has no Intelligence score, although it can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature’s Intelligence score.
Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
Uses its Charisma modifier for Concentration checks.
Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.
Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.
Proficient with its natural weapons, all simple weapons, and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Undead not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Undead are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.

Urist
2014-07-19, 09:43 PM
Cool and interesting! One major mechanical concern, though: the half damage from slashing and piercing is a little ridiculous. DR 5/-, or even something like DR 10/Bludgeoning would probably be more appropriate on a CR 5 creature.

Kasbark
2014-07-20, 06:37 AM
The CR should probably be 1 higher at least. The combination of it's great defenses (DR and half damage from slashing and piercing) and it's good offense means it could be very dangerous to most parties.

I noticed it's Fireburst ability is Spell-Like but the creature does not have any concentration to allow it to cast it defensively. Is that intentional?


Other than that, it's a nice and original creature!

Synar
2014-07-20, 12:49 PM
Why no fire immunity?
Why half damage applying to slashing attacks rather than just perceing ones?

Epsilon Rose
2014-07-20, 01:10 PM
Some of those abilities seem a bit odd, both in terms of fluff justification and relative power. In particular force and sonic resistance are generally fairly rare and cut out some basic standby spells. This is compounded by the fact that there's nothing in their nature or description that would lead you to believe they could resist either of those things. Similarly, where is their at will see invisibility coming from? That just seems like an unwarranted middle finger to characters that are trying to stealth.

On the purely fluff side of things, their description mentions they go after casters in particular. Why? There's nothing in their origin or nature that would make them more predisposed to having casters over anything else.

Finally I find it a bit strange that their main offensive ability is on their move action, so they're better off using a double move to double fire burst... Actually, I'm not sure how reasonable 10d8 aoe damage every round is a reasonable thing.

Debihuman
2014-07-21, 10:28 AM
Why fire resistance 40? That's patently absurd for the CR 5 you set this at. Just give it fire immunity.

Debby

Silva Stormrage
2014-07-23, 12:16 AM
Why fire resistance 40? That's patently absurd for the CR 5 you set this at. Just give it fire immunity.

Debby

Agreed fire immunity makes more sense anyway.

Also I think you should reduce the damage for fire burst a bit. 10d8 damage per round for a CR 5 is kinda ludicrous in an AOE. 3d6 should make it fairly threatening without it being an instant death sentence to any unfortunate mage who got within melee range for 1 round.

ngilop
2014-07-23, 12:58 AM
ok gave it fire immunity and regulated fire burst t only once per round, as I did not think of using a double move to explode things twice in a round.


added in and corrected some of the fluff

Debihuman
2014-07-23, 01:44 AM
Resistances are supposed to be listed in the stat block as should the half damage. For CR 5, it has a lot of resistances, probably too many. Damage reduction is still too high for CR. DR 5/bludgeoning should be sufficient OR half damage from piercing and slashing weapons would be appropriate but not both. Since it has resistance to force 10 and sonic 10, it should have vulnerability to cold.

Debby

IllogicalBlox
2014-07-24, 02:28 PM
Surely its bones would be burned black?

Hanuman
2014-07-26, 02:24 AM
Surely its bones would be burned black?

Depends how they were burnt and what residue is covering the bones. Generally it should be somewhere between black and white for a mundane effect, or red if we are talking diabloII burning dead.

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/diablo.gamepedia.com/8/85/Burning_Dead_%28Diablo_II%29.gif

Synar
2014-07-26, 07:34 AM
Actually the srd (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Fire_Immunity) states that fire immunity automatically gives cold vulnerability:


Fire Immunity

A creature with fire immunity never takes fire damage. It has vulnerability to cold, which means it takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from cold, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.