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The Vorpal Tribble
2008-01-22, 09:41 AM
Outer Golem

http://www.eso-garden.com/images/uploads_bilder/leonid_meteor_shower_2.jpg

Gargantuan Construct
Hit Dice: 60d10+60 (390 hp)
Initiative: -2
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), burrow 20 ft.
Armor Class: 44 (-2 dex, +40 natural, -4 size), touch 4, flat-footed 44
Base Attack/Grapple: +45/+77
Attack: Slam +65 melee (8d10+24)
Full Attack: Slam +65 melee (8d10+24) and 4 tentacles +60 melee (6d10+12)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./40 ft.
Special Attacks: Constrict, imact, radiate, trample
Special Qualities: Blindsight 200 ft., damage reduction 35/epic and starmetal, fast healing 10, immunity to cold and heat, immunity to magic, otherworldly, starmetal body,
Saves: Fort +20, Ref +18, Will +20
Abilities: Str 59 (+24), Dex 7, Con -, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 1
Skills: -
Feats: -
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 29
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 61-88 HD (Gargantuan), 89-115 (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: -

Outer golems appear vaguely as pockmarked tortoise shells made of rough, porous stone. Deep within artistically crafted crevices and holes one can see the glint of faintly glowing greenish metal. In certain particularly large, deep holes however something roils unpleasantly before oozing out and hardening into thick tentacles to support its weight and feel about.

Outer golems are a complete enigma, falling unpredictably upon certain areas, usually cities, and then destroying every last shred of its existence and population before simply vanishing. Many even call them Heaven's Wrath, and fear that they are sent from the gods as ultimate punishment. Others venture they were made by an ancient race for protections. A small amount of others fear it is something even more insidious, that these are carefully planned attacks of some otherworldly intelligence of which even the gods are unaware. Such is likely the case they believe as the gods can never answer a single question about the things.

Outer golems emit an eerie whine that changes in pitch and modulation, but if it is a language none have yet deciphered it. Outter golems weigh 80,000 lbs.

Combat
Outer golem always fall from the sky, wiping out a great swathe of area before pulling itself out to face the survivors. It then tramples and slams and constricts, destroying buildings and beings with equal fervor. When harmed, an oily liquid bubbles up and coats the area, repairing the damage. Once all has been ground into dust, or whatever other strange instruction have been carried out, it teleports away, perhaps not be seen again for millenia.

An outer golem’s natural weapons are treated as epic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Constrict (Ex): An outer golem deals 8d10+24 points of damage with a successful grapple check.

Immunity to Magic (Ex): An outer golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. Any spell that does not allow spell resistance that is directed at the outer golem or affects an area that it occupies is automatically affected as if by the Wild Magic trait, and allows no concentration check.

In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.

An outer golem takes double damage from a *Nature's Purity spell.

*Lords of Madness, p. 212.

Impact (Ex): An outer golem that strikes the ground travels 10d10 feet into the ground, creating a crater whose width at top is equal to the depth and slopes inwards. All those in this area automatically take 500d6 bludgeoning damage and 100d6 fire damage. No save is allowed unless the target can move a distance equal to the blast radius in a single move action. If such is the case they may attempt a DC 54 reflex save for half damage.

1,000 feet in every direction of this crater is also affected as by an Earthquake spell and tornado force winds. These winds die down to the next lower category each round.

When falling from any distance an outer golem takes only 1 point of damage per die, and is considered to have only fallen half the distance.

An outer golem may only cause impact damage if coming from space.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an outer golem must hit with a tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Otherworldly (Ex): An outer golem is immune to all divination spells and clairsentience powers.

Radiate (Ex): Upon landing an outer golem is incredibly hot and literally glows with heat. Any creature within 60 feet automatically takes 20d6 fire damage each round they remain in range. This damage decreases by 1d6 points and the range by 5 feet for every hour since its landing. If the golem hits water its heat remains only for 1 round.

As well, for the first hour after landing the golem is so bright it blinds those within 120 feet unless they succeed on a DC 30 fortitude save for a number of rounds equal to the golem's HD. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Starmetal Body (Ex): An outer golem is considered to be made of starmetal and its attacks deal an additional 1d6 damage against creatures with the extraplanar subtype.

Spell-like Abilities: 1/day - Greater Teleport (self only). Caster level 30th.

Trample (Ex): As a standard action during its turn each round, the outer golem can literally run over an opponent at least one size category smaller than itself. The trample deals 10d10+34 points of bludgeoning damage. Trampled opponents can either attempt attacks of opportunity at a -4 penalty or Reflex saves (DC 54) for half damage. The DC is Strength-based.

Yakk
2008-01-22, 12:19 PM
Cute Crab. :)

Note that it takes a -20 on it's Grapple check if it tries to hold someone only using one tentacle.

Is there any point in noting that it is mindless?

You might want to include some semi-flavor text about the use of the carapace (ie, treasure) or remaining fluid.

It lacks any ability to attack things flying nearby -- in theory, a single archer flying 100' up kills this without taking a single point of damage.

Throwing? Rays? Being able to call down meteors? A jump-type move option every 1d4 rounds? The ability to make a single super-long tentacle? Flight?

The Vorpal Tribble
2008-01-22, 12:27 PM
Cute Crab. :)

Note that it takes a -20 on it's Grapple check if it tries to hold someone only using one tentacle.
Why is that?


Is there any point in noting that it is mindless?
How do you mean?


You might want to include some semi-flavor text about the use of the carapace (ie, treasure) or remaining fluid.
There is no treasure for them to keep, and the fluid is made specifically to repair this creature, so kill it and the slime dries up.


It lacks any ability to attack things flying nearby -- in theory, a single archer flying 100' up kills this without taking a single point of damage.
That cane overcome DR 35, and fast healing 10? I mean, I suppose its possible, but by the time it managed that this thing would have already destroyed most of what it was going after.


Throwing? Rays? Being able to call down meteors? A jump-type move option every 1d4 rounds? The ability to make a single super-long tentacle? Flight?
Probably does need something to allow it to fight fliers. Will think on it.

merge
2008-01-22, 12:43 PM
There is no treasure for them to keep, and the fluid is made specifically to repair this creature, so kill it and the slime dries up.


Okay, but shouldn't something interesting happen when it dies? It explodes, it disappears, it carves its own tombstone, it leaves behind a mysterious object, something? Otherwise it seems a little anticlimactic.

Parvum
2008-01-22, 12:57 PM
I can see an epic artificer drooling when one of these comes crashing down...

Say a party actually managed to beat this monstrosity, would there be anything left for the spellcasters/infusers/appraisers to look over other than starmetal?

Yakk
2008-01-22, 01:28 PM
Why is that?

The Grab rules.


Unless otherwise noted, improved grab works only against opponents at least one size category smaller than the creature. The creature has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use the part of its body it used in the improved grab to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a -20 penalty on grapple checks, but is not considered grappled itself; the creature does not lose its Dexterity bonus to AC, still threatens an area, and can use its remaining attacks against other opponents.

Otherwise known as the "That Damn Crab Isn't Quite As Damned" clause.


How do you mean?

No int score -- but nm, every feature of the Mindless trait is covered by the default Construct type. So no point in noting it.


That cane overcome DR 35, and fast healing 10? I mean, I suppose its possible, but by the time it managed that this thing would have already destroyed most of what it was going after.

Naturally it would be an epic archer -- but basically, a CR 29 creature needs something to counter overland flight. Archer was just an example...

Maximized Acid Arrow (Level 2+3) does 112 damage per cast over 7 rounds at level 18+. Cast it 7 times and over 14 rounds the target takes 644 damage, after fast healing 10. All of which can occur at a range of over 1000'.

As Acid Arrow is a conjuration type spell, you don't get to apply spell resistance, hence it gets through the Golem's spell immunity.

But any ranged attack that can damage the Golem can relatively quickly take it out. Engaging the Golem in melee will do some serious damage, I'll admit.


Probably does need something to allow it to fight fliers. Will think on it.

*nod*, or any long-range mobile attacker. CR 29 means it should destroy a balanced group of 4 L 21 characters, right?

smart thog
2008-01-22, 01:29 PM
Maybe give it 10d20 shards of star mettle worth 1000 gp each and 10d20 otherworldly spell components, each worth 1000 gp and give make spells applied to count as if cast in a wild magic zone.

Krimm_Blackleaf
2008-01-22, 07:55 PM
Looks like it has potential as an Elder Evil, despite it's neutrality. I like it.

Shiny, Bearer of the Pokystick
2008-01-22, 08:11 PM
...what, no creation information?

Otherwise...looks good.

Arakune
2008-01-22, 08:25 PM
Lavos prototype?

Collin152
2008-01-22, 08:47 PM
It's a construct, so somebody made this, right?
If these are the servants...

Icewalker
2008-01-22, 08:53 PM
Impressive. I like that 500d6 damage crater. :smallbiggrin:

Although, I think the crater would be much wider than it was deep, unless I read that wrong. Could make it go in 3d20 with a radius of 3x it's distance down, or something like that. Craters don't seem to be hemispherical.


...This seems like a perfect replacement for the tarrasque, or the 'rocks fall, everyone dies.' ..."Giant extra-terrestrial golem falls, everyone dies"?

Obrysii
2008-01-22, 08:54 PM
Isn't the damage for its fall a bit high?

It should do, following the RAW falling object rules, 20d6+320d6 [340d6 or ave. of 1,190 damage]. That is 20d6 max falling plus 1d6 for every 250 pounds it weighs - 80,000 pounds divided by 250 equals 320d6 damage ...

But that's all schematics. I am jealous of your creativity.

The Vorpal Tribble
2008-01-22, 09:06 PM
Naturally it would be an epic archer -- but basically, a CR 29 creature needs something to counter overland flight. Archer was just an example...

Maximized Acid Arrow (Level 2+3) does 112 damage per cast over 7 rounds at level 18+. Cast it 7 times and over 14 rounds the target takes 644 damage, after fast healing 10. All of which can occur at a range of over 1000'.

As Acid Arrow is a conjuration type spell, you don't get to apply spell resistance, hence it gets through the Golem's spell immunity.
I adjusted the spell immunity. Now even if the spell doesn't allow resistance it is as likely to be a problem for the caster as the golem :smallamused:


...what, no creation information?
No one on the planet is capable of making one of these.


Although, I think the crater would be much wider than it was deep, unless I read that wrong. Could make it go in 3d20 with a radius of 3x it's distance down, or something like that. Craters don't seem to be hemispherical.
Was thinking more of a cone.


Isn't the damage for its fall a bit high?

It should do, following the RAW falling object rules, 20d6+320d6 [340d6 or ave. of 1,190 damage]. That is 20d6 max falling plus 1d6 for every 250 pounds it weighs - 80,000 pounds divided by 250 equals 320d6 damage ...
It's actually every 200 pounds you add a 1d6. So technically it should be 420d6. However, it's coming faster than just gravity, so I added a bit extra to round it out at 500d6.


Still trying to think if a realistic way to have it fly and let it maneuver while in space and keep to the theme of the thing.

Collin152
2008-01-22, 09:07 PM
I just noticed: It can make a crater only 5 feet deep, and still do 600d6 damage. Wouldn't that be enough to break through much of the earth's crust?

The Vorpal Tribble
2008-01-22, 09:10 PM
I just noticed: It can make a crater only 5 feet deep, and still do 600d6 damage. Wouldn't that be enough to break through much of the earth's crust?
Considering that there are craters on earth a LOT deeper, and the equivalent of many many nuclear bombs... not really.

I'm actually being quite nice with the estimates of the damage.

However, this does cause earthquakes all over the place as I noted in the ability.

CasESenSITItiVE
2008-01-22, 09:14 PM
Your avatar just fits here.

here i am, reading about this monstrosity you just imagined, and it's like your giving me an evil grin as i'm reading it!

Collin152
2008-01-22, 09:22 PM
Considering that there are craters on earth a LOT deeper, and the equivalent of many many nuclear bombs... not really.

I'm actually being quite nice with the estimates of the damage.

However, this does cause earthquakes all over the place as I noted in the ability.

So... 5 foot craters are acceptable?
Whats the hardness of ground, anyways? Let's do a little math.
Oh, by the way, I love it. It could make an Epic Wizard cry, maybe.

Demented
2008-01-22, 09:54 PM
A 5' cube of stone has 900 hitpoints.
The thing can punch through the topsoil, but I'd expect to come to a complete stop upon encountering stone, 500d6 bludgeoning or not.

The Vorpal Tribble
2008-01-22, 09:56 PM
Well, I adjusted it to doing a hole 10d10. This way it has to be at least 10 feet deep.

Collin152
2008-01-22, 10:02 PM
Great, now I have no raised eyebrows.
The impact ability says "When it strikes the ground". What if it jumps?

JakStone
2008-01-22, 10:06 PM
I like a great deal. Overall, really original creature and well thought out design - I might design a vastly depowered version and use them as a prelude to an extraplanar invasion, since that would be fun.

Collin152
2008-01-22, 10:10 PM
I like a great deal. Overall, really original creature and well thought out design - I might design a vastly depowered version and use them as a prelude to an extraplanar invasion, since that would be fun.

Like the Rikti! Oh, the possibilities!
Magic alien invasions... possibilities endless...

Demented
2008-01-22, 10:17 PM
Well, I adjusted it to doing a hole 10d10. This way it has to be at least 10 feet deep.

What about 2d10 and number it in squares? Only two dice, and everything is neatly measured to the grid. (Unless you regularly grid to feet instead of squares.)

JakStone
2008-01-22, 10:19 PM
Like the Rikti! Oh, the possibilities!
Magic alien invasions... possibilities endless...

I've started many campaigns with magic alien invasions (well, psionic aliens, but still), but never thought to do so by dropping an alien golem on the PCs location. Maybe make some CR5 things like this (which I think I'm going to go do now, with a link to attribute them to VT). If you were using one of these guys as the prelude to an alien invasion, i could see that working for an epic campaign, though I'd /HATE/ to meet the aliens that could drop these things. *shudder*

Mr. Tribble, thank you for the awesome creature and idea. :smallbiggrin:

Obrysii
2008-01-22, 10:23 PM
What about 2d10 and number it in squares? Only two dice, and everything is neatly measured to the grid. (Unless you regularly grid to feet instead of squares.)

Squares are an awful way to go about things. It should be kept in feet, not squares.

Tribble's explanations make sense to me.

Collin152
2008-01-22, 10:36 PM
What about some number of dice times 5 or 10 feet?

Yakk
2008-01-23, 12:07 AM
Not bad, but probably still insufficient: it still needs some kind of ranged combat capabilities.

A wild magic effect has a 35% chance of hitting anyhow, and a 2% chance to hit maximized. It has a 12% chance of not using up the spell slot. The rest of the chances are effectively wasted.

Blocking the acid arrow damage or healing it is easy from reflected arrows. Random target arrows will be very spread out (1200' range at L 20) -- so some peasants will die.

9*7 damage per cast, times .39, using up .88 spell slots.
24 damage per cast for .88 spell slots.
27 damage per spell slot used.

Overcoming fast healing 10 is relatively easy once a few arrows have hit hit.

Note that this isn't about acid arrow as much as it is about "any attack from a reasonable range that can actually harm the target can relatively rapidly kill it". You just have to do more than 45 damage/round (if doing physical damage) or more than 10 damage/round (if your damage bypasses the creature's immunities) by a significant margin.

This is stressed by the fact that approaching this creature is pretty stupid. I suspect that even an L 29 epic fighter would be schooled by the creature in direct combat.

Let's suppose a +10 lance with +6d6 bonus damage from a variety of sources. The L 29 epic fighter has 24 BaB. Let's try a charge+leap based build, with a truestrike buff to make him hit anyhow.

He's also enlarged 2 categories, and has powerful build, so he's using a G sized 2HS.

And 36 strength.

(4d6+72+13+10)*3+6d6

348 average damage per hit.

+40 to hit (0 BaB, 13 strength, 20 true strike, -3 size, 10 enchantment), so it relatively reliably hits.

Pounce from some source.

+40/+35/+30/+25
4+/9+/14+/19+ to hit.
1.9 hits on average

So, the charge build, on average, kills the creature in one round. Ok I'm wrong: it looks like epic melee cheese could do him in.

Now, what would it do attack-wise against an epic melee?

Slam: 68 damage
Full attack: 248 damage
+57 grapple check (assuming it uses only the tentacle).

A grapple monkey would have +24 BaB, +13 stat, +4 to 12 misc bonuses (feats, etc), +8 size, and might remove 6 points off of that grapple bonus.

+57 vs +51 -- a grapple-monkey it would not reliably avoid being grappled with a single tentacle. Non-grapple-monkies would very reliably get grappled on every hit, and never get loose.

That's 68 extra damage on the grapple, and nullifies one attacker.

Now, what are the expected HP of a L 29ish fighter-type?

(sorry about the metagame analysis -- but that is how I think about creature design!)

Stycotl
2008-01-23, 12:53 AM
magnificent.

i think it deserves a fly speed and a burrow speed. i think it fits character. flight especially; it's gotta have some way to leave the atmosphere after a mission (though the teleport could do that too...) and to take off towards its next target. maybe even give it a planeshift ability, and some sort of navigation, like a locate object/place/person/fill in the blank ability.

aaron out.

Binary Stars
2008-01-23, 01:55 AM
Well, well, quite a neat... Horrible killing doom thingy, if we do say so ourself. :smalleek:

We, however, were half-expecting a golem made out of outerspace itself. :smalltongue:

If someone or something managed to defeat it, I would expect some pretty horrific explosions upon death. :smallwink:

GoC
2008-01-23, 10:37 AM
Lavos prototype?

I second this question.

The Vorpal Tribble
2008-01-23, 10:47 AM
Not bad, but probably still insufficient
Well, the problem here is that epic is nuts. Most ANYTHING can be taken out by these optimized epic builds of characters. I mean, an adamantine golem, which this thing could crush, is a CR 25, and a non-epic character could take it out easily.


Lavos prototype?
Not a clue what that is.

Magnor Criol
2008-01-23, 11:09 AM
Not a clue what that is.

Lavos is the uber-endboss from the most excellent RPG Chrono Trigger. Old SNES game. Excellent, excellent one.

Among many other things, it was a gigantic starfarer that crashed to earth. Complete with large shell and everything.

Arakune
2008-01-23, 11:37 AM
Lavos is the uber-endboss from the most excellent RPG Chrono Trigger. Old SNES game. Excellent, excellent one.

Among many other things, it was a gigantic starfarer that crashed to earth. Complete with large shell and everything.

Don't forget the MAX/near-MAX damage output by the lavos needle or the fire rain attack. Even lvl 99 all maxed, best equipment, take some notable damage.

And the fact that he destroied the world in... less than 15-30 min?

BadJuJu
2008-01-23, 01:05 PM
You could make him a ship for some crazy alien type invasion. Imagine the fear when bizzare creatures start pouring out of this monstosity.

Arakune
2008-01-23, 05:39 PM
You could make him a ship for some crazy alien type invasion. Imagine the fear when bizzare creatures start pouring out of this monstosity.

Interesting enough, Lavos WAS a type of spaceship. At least what people thoght was the real lavos.

Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll
2008-01-23, 05:47 PM
About the size of craters, have you looked at a map of the world? Or Canada?

The coast of Quebec, where it meets Hudson's bay. Take a looooong look at that area. There is a huge perfectly circular area with a bunch of islands near the area. Now measure that area.

One big crater.

GoC
2008-01-24, 07:58 PM
Don't forget the MAX/near-MAX damage output by the lavos needle or the fire rain attack. Even lvl 99 all maxed, best equipment, take some notable damage.

Well I beat him at level 45 with just Chrono in newgame+. I think it only does about 200-300 damage. I'd say the final fight is harder.:smallcool:


And the fact that he destroied the world in... less than 15-30 min?
I've been confused about this. Was the Earth 40km in diameter or was it just that collection of islands that lavos attacked?
I prefer the latter but it means that the other countries in the world cared nothing for that poor lonely collection of islands! It wouldn't have ben too hard for them to kill Lavos (one bunker buster bomb should do it).

Scion_of_Darkness
2008-11-19, 06:10 AM
This is... absolutely amazing. Add some creation information please!

Fako
2008-11-19, 08:06 AM
While seeing one of VT's old creations come up to kill us again isn't a bad thing, thread necromancy still has the [evil] descriptor no matter what it is used on...

Also, anyone foolish enough to attempt to create this will get killed pretty fast once it awakens...

Triaxx
2008-11-19, 09:36 AM
Which is why you dump it in space and point it at it's target before waking it up. :smallbiggrin:

Lappy9000
2008-11-19, 10:24 AM
While seeing one of VT's old creations come up to kill us again isn't a bad thing, thread necromancy still has the [evil] descriptor no matter what it is used on...

Also, anyone foolish enough to attempt to create this will get killed pretty fast once it awakens...

Homebrews are usually an exception to this rule.

Thrall_Of_Ao
2008-11-22, 04:47 PM
While I am humbled by the mathematical capabilities necessary to creat (or critique!) such things, I will make a suggestion no one has yet considered.

For range, consider rays (I can picture emrald green lines of death of worse emmited from the tips of the tentacles), and/or smaller creature creation/summoning, great for crowd control.

Good job though, I applaud your effort.

-TOA