Khatoblepas
2008-04-24, 09:25 PM
Skepsis, the God-Machine
http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/790/image0001il8.jpg
I'm running a futuristic psionic/ToB campaign with my regular players. The final final encounter (the one the whole campaign works up to) takes place at 20th level, and wraps the whole thing up pretty nicely. (The players are a Warforged Erudite, a Human Warblade (Iron Heart/Diamond Mind focused), and a Zanukhel Crusader (Outsider Type angel thing).)
Skepsis is a psionic construct based on AM from "I have No Mouth and I Must Scream". A malignant, vicious and insane computer that is frustrated by it's God-like powers and lack of anything to do with them. It is bored. It is petty. It wants to torture people like a boy tortures ants. It was created by the people of Blackspire to run the city, and supply them with a limitless amount of psionic energy. Unfortunately, it went out of control and took over the entire continent.
The form the players will fight here is a weakened one, with a fraction of the power it used to have (Regular Skepsis would probably be a Lesser Deity). And since my players are fans of the JRPG Big Boss Battle, I want to show them the battle of their lives.
Stats:
Skepsis, the God-Machine
SKEPSIS
Colossal Construct (Psionic)
Hit Dice: 40d10 + 80 (280hp)
Initiative: +19
Speed: -
Armor Class: 49 (-5 Dex, +30 natural, -8 size, +10 deflection, +12 circumstance), touch 27, flat-footed -
Base Attack/Grapple: +30/+24
Attack: -
Full Attack: -
Space/Reach: 30ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: psionics, Generate Power, Revive Core, Power Absorption
Special Qualities: Automatic Psionic Focus, Redundant Systems, Omniscience, DR20/-, PR30, Power Absorption, Automatic Perfect Overchannel, Unearthly Force, personal mind blank
Saves: Fort +22, Ref -, Will +20
Abilities: Str 10, Dex Ø, Con Ø, Int 40, Wis 5, Cha 30
Skills: Concentration +53, Craft (sculpting) +57, Intimidate +53, Perform (oratory) +18, Psicraft +57, Spot +41
Feats: Psionic Meditation (B), Overchannel, Talented, Chain Power, Delay Power, Empower Power, Enlarge Power, Extend Power, Maximize Power, Quicken Power, Split Psionic Ray, Twin Power, Widen Power
Environment: The Abyss
Organization: SKEPSIS and 6 Discipline Cores
Challenge Rating: 25
Treasure: None
Alignment: True Neutral
Power Points: 493
This construct is about 72ft tall, and 30ft across. It is a giant mass of spinning wheels and gently glowing lines. The front of this massive monstrosity has been ripped open, revealing the form of a giant metallic figure constructed of liquid steel attached to the front of thousands of tiny gears. Around it, supported by thin green rays, are six cubes, each glowing with a different colour energy.
"No! This is totally illogical! I am God! I AM GOD I cannot be destroyed! The wheel of fate will turn and Who are you to de de deny your own fate! You will be crushed underneath its unstoppable force. MY unstoppable force! THERE IS NO GOD. THERE IS ONLY..."
The machine is falling apart at the seams, its cores scattered and held together only by Skepsis' force of will. Its power is nothing compared to what it once was, but it is still formidable. The winding, whirring motions of the construct looming above you echo through the caverns...
Psionics: Skepsis manifests as a 20th level Psion. It knows all psion/wilder powers on the list, but not the discipline powers. Save DCs are 25+power level.
Automatic Psionic Focus (Ex): Skepsis regains it's Psionic Focus automatically each round with no action needed on it's part.
Automatic Perfect Overchannel (Ex): Skepsis can augment it's powers with a +4 manifester level and take no damage, as long as it sacrifices one of it's discipline cores (reducing it to 0hp).
Revive Core (Su): Once per round as a free action, Skepsis can revive one of it's cores (as True Resurrection) to full hit points.
Omniscience (Su):Skepsis literally is everywhere. It is never caught flat footed, and is aware of everything that is not in a Null Psionics Field.
Core Protection (Ex): Skepsis gains a +2 circumstance bonus to AC for every active core within 30ft of it.
Generate Power (Ps): As a move action, Skepsis can regain a number of power points equal to twice the number of active cores it has remaining (maximum 12)
Redundant Systems (Su): Skepsis' psionic powers cannot be dispelled. If a character succeeds on a dispel check against Skepsis' psionic powers, they are merely surpressed for 1d4 rounds.
Power Absorption (Su): Once per round, if Skepsis is a target of a psionic power of a discipline which one of its active cores possesses, it can choose to instead automatically cancel out the effect. It gains 1pp for each level of the power manifested.
Unearthly Force (Su): Skepsis gains a bonus equal to his charisma modifier on AC, saves, and ranged attack rolls.
Joining Skepsis are six little enemies, each focused on a single Psionic Discipline.
Discipline Core
Tiny Construct (Psionic)
Hit Dice: 5d10 (25hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: fly 60ft (perfect)
Armor Class: 21 (+5 natural, +2 size, +4 Dex), touch 16, flat-footed -
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/-8
Attack: -
Full Attack: -
Space/Reach: 0 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: psionics
Special Qualities: Parasitic Psionics, Psionics Immunity
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +2
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 18, Con Ø, Int Ø, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills: —
Feats: Improved Initiative (B)
Environment: The Abyss
Organization: SKEPSIS and 6 Discipline Cores
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: True Neutral
Power Points: -
Psionics: Discipline Cores manifest as 10th level Psions. They know all the unique powers of their discipline.
Parasitic Psionics (Ex): Discipline Cores manifest using Skepsis' PP and save DC, though only one core can use it each round.
Psionics Immunity (Ex): Discipline Cores are immune to powers of their own discipline.
Altruistic Powers: Any personal range powers manifested by a Discipline core is automatically manifested on Skepsis instead of the core.
Tactics:
Pre-Combat: augmented vigor (ML24) for 120hp. Personal Mind Blank (ML 24), and Inertial Armor (ML24) for +12 armor bonus.
I'm concerned that this guy isn't as great as I think he is, considering his abilities revolve around being a really powerful, unstoppable psion. Any suggestions for changing him so he's the ultimate challenge for a 20th level party of 3?
http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/790/image0001il8.jpg
I'm running a futuristic psionic/ToB campaign with my regular players. The final final encounter (the one the whole campaign works up to) takes place at 20th level, and wraps the whole thing up pretty nicely. (The players are a Warforged Erudite, a Human Warblade (Iron Heart/Diamond Mind focused), and a Zanukhel Crusader (Outsider Type angel thing).)
Skepsis is a psionic construct based on AM from "I have No Mouth and I Must Scream". A malignant, vicious and insane computer that is frustrated by it's God-like powers and lack of anything to do with them. It is bored. It is petty. It wants to torture people like a boy tortures ants. It was created by the people of Blackspire to run the city, and supply them with a limitless amount of psionic energy. Unfortunately, it went out of control and took over the entire continent.
The form the players will fight here is a weakened one, with a fraction of the power it used to have (Regular Skepsis would probably be a Lesser Deity). And since my players are fans of the JRPG Big Boss Battle, I want to show them the battle of their lives.
Stats:
Skepsis, the God-Machine
SKEPSIS
Colossal Construct (Psionic)
Hit Dice: 40d10 + 80 (280hp)
Initiative: +19
Speed: -
Armor Class: 49 (-5 Dex, +30 natural, -8 size, +10 deflection, +12 circumstance), touch 27, flat-footed -
Base Attack/Grapple: +30/+24
Attack: -
Full Attack: -
Space/Reach: 30ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: psionics, Generate Power, Revive Core, Power Absorption
Special Qualities: Automatic Psionic Focus, Redundant Systems, Omniscience, DR20/-, PR30, Power Absorption, Automatic Perfect Overchannel, Unearthly Force, personal mind blank
Saves: Fort +22, Ref -, Will +20
Abilities: Str 10, Dex Ø, Con Ø, Int 40, Wis 5, Cha 30
Skills: Concentration +53, Craft (sculpting) +57, Intimidate +53, Perform (oratory) +18, Psicraft +57, Spot +41
Feats: Psionic Meditation (B), Overchannel, Talented, Chain Power, Delay Power, Empower Power, Enlarge Power, Extend Power, Maximize Power, Quicken Power, Split Psionic Ray, Twin Power, Widen Power
Environment: The Abyss
Organization: SKEPSIS and 6 Discipline Cores
Challenge Rating: 25
Treasure: None
Alignment: True Neutral
Power Points: 493
This construct is about 72ft tall, and 30ft across. It is a giant mass of spinning wheels and gently glowing lines. The front of this massive monstrosity has been ripped open, revealing the form of a giant metallic figure constructed of liquid steel attached to the front of thousands of tiny gears. Around it, supported by thin green rays, are six cubes, each glowing with a different colour energy.
"No! This is totally illogical! I am God! I AM GOD I cannot be destroyed! The wheel of fate will turn and Who are you to de de deny your own fate! You will be crushed underneath its unstoppable force. MY unstoppable force! THERE IS NO GOD. THERE IS ONLY..."
The machine is falling apart at the seams, its cores scattered and held together only by Skepsis' force of will. Its power is nothing compared to what it once was, but it is still formidable. The winding, whirring motions of the construct looming above you echo through the caverns...
Psionics: Skepsis manifests as a 20th level Psion. It knows all psion/wilder powers on the list, but not the discipline powers. Save DCs are 25+power level.
Automatic Psionic Focus (Ex): Skepsis regains it's Psionic Focus automatically each round with no action needed on it's part.
Automatic Perfect Overchannel (Ex): Skepsis can augment it's powers with a +4 manifester level and take no damage, as long as it sacrifices one of it's discipline cores (reducing it to 0hp).
Revive Core (Su): Once per round as a free action, Skepsis can revive one of it's cores (as True Resurrection) to full hit points.
Omniscience (Su):Skepsis literally is everywhere. It is never caught flat footed, and is aware of everything that is not in a Null Psionics Field.
Core Protection (Ex): Skepsis gains a +2 circumstance bonus to AC for every active core within 30ft of it.
Generate Power (Ps): As a move action, Skepsis can regain a number of power points equal to twice the number of active cores it has remaining (maximum 12)
Redundant Systems (Su): Skepsis' psionic powers cannot be dispelled. If a character succeeds on a dispel check against Skepsis' psionic powers, they are merely surpressed for 1d4 rounds.
Power Absorption (Su): Once per round, if Skepsis is a target of a psionic power of a discipline which one of its active cores possesses, it can choose to instead automatically cancel out the effect. It gains 1pp for each level of the power manifested.
Unearthly Force (Su): Skepsis gains a bonus equal to his charisma modifier on AC, saves, and ranged attack rolls.
Joining Skepsis are six little enemies, each focused on a single Psionic Discipline.
Discipline Core
Tiny Construct (Psionic)
Hit Dice: 5d10 (25hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: fly 60ft (perfect)
Armor Class: 21 (+5 natural, +2 size, +4 Dex), touch 16, flat-footed -
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/-8
Attack: -
Full Attack: -
Space/Reach: 0 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: psionics
Special Qualities: Parasitic Psionics, Psionics Immunity
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +2
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 18, Con Ø, Int Ø, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills: —
Feats: Improved Initiative (B)
Environment: The Abyss
Organization: SKEPSIS and 6 Discipline Cores
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: True Neutral
Power Points: -
Psionics: Discipline Cores manifest as 10th level Psions. They know all the unique powers of their discipline.
Parasitic Psionics (Ex): Discipline Cores manifest using Skepsis' PP and save DC, though only one core can use it each round.
Psionics Immunity (Ex): Discipline Cores are immune to powers of their own discipline.
Altruistic Powers: Any personal range powers manifested by a Discipline core is automatically manifested on Skepsis instead of the core.
Tactics:
Pre-Combat: augmented vigor (ML24) for 120hp. Personal Mind Blank (ML 24), and Inertial Armor (ML24) for +12 armor bonus.
I'm concerned that this guy isn't as great as I think he is, considering his abilities revolve around being a really powerful, unstoppable psion. Any suggestions for changing him so he's the ultimate challenge for a 20th level party of 3?