channingman
2015-04-28, 11:17 AM
I'm creating a template for a particular type of enemy in a campaign I'm running that hasn't been introduced yet. I was wondering if I could get some help with balance, abilities, etc. In particular, I'm having difficulty figuring out CR and LA, although any advice would be appreciated. The description here is fairly rudimentary, but I'll update that as I go too.
Soulless
Soulless are desperate creatures who have lost their souls in the attempt to capture demon magic. Under the control of the Chaos god, they populate the material plane, although there are almost no discernible differences between a soulless and the original creature. A few of the most powerful are able to retain their sense of self through the transformation and can act of their own accord.
Creating a Soulless
“Soulless” is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid, monstrous humanoid, fey, Giant, or Undead (hereafter referred to as the base creature). It uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creatures type changes to Outsider and it gains the Augmented, Evil, and Chaotic subtypes (do not recalculate BAB, Saves, or skill points)
Hit Dice: A soulless gains 2 HD (and all the benefits that come along with it) as an outsider in addition to its base HD.
Speed: As base creature +10 ft
AC: A soulless gains +2 natural armour. This amount increases to +4 at 6 HD and +6 at 12 HD. This is in addition to any natural armour the base creature has.
Attacks: In addition to any attacks of the base creature, a soulless gains 2 claw attacks.
Full Attack: A Soulless fighting without weapons uses either its claw attacks (see above) or its natural weapons (if it has any). If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack along with a slam or other natural weapon as a natural secondary attack.
Damage: Soulless have claw attacks. If the base creature does not have this attack form, use the appropriate damage value from the table below according to the vampire’s size. Creatures that have other kinds of natural weapons retain their old damage values or use the appropriate value from the table below, whichever is better.
Size
Damage
Fine
1
Diminutive
1d2
Tiny
1d3
Small
1d4
Medium
1d6
Large
1d8
Huge
2d6
Gargantuan
2d8
Colossal
4d6
Special Attacks: A soulless retains all the special attacks of the base creature and also gains the following special attacks.
Smite Good (Su): Once per day the creature can make a normal melee attack to deal extra damage equal to its HD total (maximum of +20) against a good foe.
Spellcasting (Su): A soulless may cast spells per day as a Paladin of their level from the Soul Magic spell list. A soulless uses their charisma modifier to determine bonus spells and spell dc. Their caster level is equal to one half their hit dice.
Detect Soulless (Su): A soulless automatically detects the presence of any other soulless within 60 feet
Drain Life (Su): Whenever a soulless kills another creature, he regains a spell slot of his soul magic.
Special Qualities: A fiendish creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Damage reduction (see the table below).
Resistance to cold (see the table below).
Spell resistance equal to the creature’s HD + 10 (maximum 30).
Hit Dice
Resistance to Cold
Damage Reduction
1-3
5
-
4-7
10
5/magic
8-11
15
10/magic
12+
20
15/magic
If the base creature already has one or more of these special qualities, use the better value.
If a soulless creature gains damage reduction, its natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Abilities: A soulless gains +4 Str, +4 Dex, +4 Con, and +2 Cha
Saves: +2 to will
Environment: Any
Challenge Rating: Base creature HD 3 or less, as base creature +1; HD 4 to 7, as base creature +2; HD 8 to 11, as base creature +3; HD 12 or more, as base creature +4
Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 3-8 HD or by Character Class
Level Adjustment: +6
Soul Magic:
Lvl 1:
Soul Drain: Target takes 1d8+1/caster level (max 5) damage and heals caster by the same amount.
Ray of Enfeeblement: As wizard spell of the same name
Blink: As a reaction, caster may teleport 10 ft in any direction. Increases to 20 ft at lvl 11.
False Life: As wizard spell of the same name
Lvl 2:
Soul Drain, Greater: Target takes 2d8+1/caster level (max 10) damage and heals caster by the same.
Vampiric Touch: As wizard spell of the same name
Fear: As wizard spell of the same name
Create Soulspawn: creates a soulspawn monster under the control of caster
Lvl 3:
Haste: As the Wizard spell of the same name.
Soul Drain, Mass: Deals 1d8 +1/caster level (max 15) damage to many creatures and heals caster by ½ damage dealt.
Enervation: As the wizard spell of the same name
Lvl 4:
Soul Drain, Greater, Mass: Deals 2d8 +1/caster level (max 20) damage to many creatures and heals caster by ½ damage dealt.
Teleport: As the Wizard spell of the same name.
Soulless
Soulless are desperate creatures who have lost their souls in the attempt to capture demon magic. Under the control of the Chaos god, they populate the material plane, although there are almost no discernible differences between a soulless and the original creature. A few of the most powerful are able to retain their sense of self through the transformation and can act of their own accord.
Creating a Soulless
“Soulless” is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid, monstrous humanoid, fey, Giant, or Undead (hereafter referred to as the base creature). It uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creatures type changes to Outsider and it gains the Augmented, Evil, and Chaotic subtypes (do not recalculate BAB, Saves, or skill points)
Hit Dice: A soulless gains 2 HD (and all the benefits that come along with it) as an outsider in addition to its base HD.
Speed: As base creature +10 ft
AC: A soulless gains +2 natural armour. This amount increases to +4 at 6 HD and +6 at 12 HD. This is in addition to any natural armour the base creature has.
Attacks: In addition to any attacks of the base creature, a soulless gains 2 claw attacks.
Full Attack: A Soulless fighting without weapons uses either its claw attacks (see above) or its natural weapons (if it has any). If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack along with a slam or other natural weapon as a natural secondary attack.
Damage: Soulless have claw attacks. If the base creature does not have this attack form, use the appropriate damage value from the table below according to the vampire’s size. Creatures that have other kinds of natural weapons retain their old damage values or use the appropriate value from the table below, whichever is better.
Size
Damage
Fine
1
Diminutive
1d2
Tiny
1d3
Small
1d4
Medium
1d6
Large
1d8
Huge
2d6
Gargantuan
2d8
Colossal
4d6
Special Attacks: A soulless retains all the special attacks of the base creature and also gains the following special attacks.
Smite Good (Su): Once per day the creature can make a normal melee attack to deal extra damage equal to its HD total (maximum of +20) against a good foe.
Spellcasting (Su): A soulless may cast spells per day as a Paladin of their level from the Soul Magic spell list. A soulless uses their charisma modifier to determine bonus spells and spell dc. Their caster level is equal to one half their hit dice.
Detect Soulless (Su): A soulless automatically detects the presence of any other soulless within 60 feet
Drain Life (Su): Whenever a soulless kills another creature, he regains a spell slot of his soul magic.
Special Qualities: A fiendish creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Damage reduction (see the table below).
Resistance to cold (see the table below).
Spell resistance equal to the creature’s HD + 10 (maximum 30).
Hit Dice
Resistance to Cold
Damage Reduction
1-3
5
-
4-7
10
5/magic
8-11
15
10/magic
12+
20
15/magic
If the base creature already has one or more of these special qualities, use the better value.
If a soulless creature gains damage reduction, its natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Abilities: A soulless gains +4 Str, +4 Dex, +4 Con, and +2 Cha
Saves: +2 to will
Environment: Any
Challenge Rating: Base creature HD 3 or less, as base creature +1; HD 4 to 7, as base creature +2; HD 8 to 11, as base creature +3; HD 12 or more, as base creature +4
Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 3-8 HD or by Character Class
Level Adjustment: +6
Soul Magic:
Lvl 1:
Soul Drain: Target takes 1d8+1/caster level (max 5) damage and heals caster by the same amount.
Ray of Enfeeblement: As wizard spell of the same name
Blink: As a reaction, caster may teleport 10 ft in any direction. Increases to 20 ft at lvl 11.
False Life: As wizard spell of the same name
Lvl 2:
Soul Drain, Greater: Target takes 2d8+1/caster level (max 10) damage and heals caster by the same.
Vampiric Touch: As wizard spell of the same name
Fear: As wizard spell of the same name
Create Soulspawn: creates a soulspawn monster under the control of caster
Lvl 3:
Haste: As the Wizard spell of the same name.
Soul Drain, Mass: Deals 1d8 +1/caster level (max 15) damage to many creatures and heals caster by ½ damage dealt.
Enervation: As the wizard spell of the same name
Lvl 4:
Soul Drain, Greater, Mass: Deals 2d8 +1/caster level (max 20) damage to many creatures and heals caster by ½ damage dealt.
Teleport: As the Wizard spell of the same name.