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View Full Version : The Deathwok Clan demon! A playable demon inspired by Buffy and Angel.



kwanzaabot
2008-05-17, 05:29 AM
Also known as "what happens when I try to watch an entire season of Angel in one sitting". What can I say? Lorne rocks. Try and prove me wrong, I dare you. :smalltongue:

Deathwok Clan Demon

“It's always nice to hear the mother tongue. Well, as long as it's not from my mother!”- Krevlorneswath (aka Lorne) of the Deathwok Clan.

A semi-humanoid race of Demons originating from the Abyssal realm of Pylea, Deathwok demons possess green scaly skin, red eyes, red horns, and an innate Psionic ability that allows them to read auras in order to hunt their prey. Some Deathwok demons have taken to opening karaoke bars on the Material Plane.

Deathwok demons form a tribal society of hunters, warriors and farmers in which the most powerful warriors and hunters are held in the highest esteem, regardless of their species. They are highly ritualistic and, like the rest of Pyleans, view existance from a black and white perspective. The young Deathwoks are expected to train in order to use their powers to track down prey, those who refuse to follow the clans' traditions are rejected and their families looked with contempt.
Deathwok demons ocasionally engage in anthropophagy, devouring fugitive slaves beheaded at ritual executions called Bach-nals.These demons also engage in cannibalism; sometimes, one of two brothers is devoured by the parents.
Like the other demon clans of Pylea, Deathwoks express collective emotion through music-less dances such as the Dance of Joy and the Dance of Shame.

• Medium Outsider (Psionic, Semi-Humanoid): Deathwok demons are Outsiders native to Pylea, a layer of the Abyss.
• Semi-Humanoid Subtype: Deathwok demons are less powerful than the average citizen of the Abyss, and as such are affected by anything that effects the Humanoid type, as well as the Outsider type.
• Base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision: Deathwok demons can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
• Naturally Psionic: Deathwok demons gain 2 bonus power points at 1st level. This benefit does not grant them the ability to manifest powers unless they gain that ability through another source, such as levels in a psionic class.
• Psi-Like Abilities: 1/day— Energy Ray. A Deathwok demon can deal only Sonic damage with this ability. It is accompanied by a tremendous, high-pitched shriek. Manifester level is equal to ½ Hit Dice (minimum 1st). The save DC is Charisma-based.
Deathwok demons can also manifest Precognition and Read Thoughts 3/day, but only if the subject (anyone within 60 feet) uses a Perform (Sing) check. There is no DC for the skill check, the act of singing (even badly) is enough. However, a Deathwok demon is more likely to read someone (in the case of multiple singers) if he/she rolls higher than everyone else on the check.
• Poison and Alcohol Immunity: Deathwok demons, like other demons, are immune to poison, but they also have a natural resistance to the effects of alcohol.
• Limited Regeneration: Deathwok demons have a limited form of regeneration, allowing them to survive beheading (and can still control their bodies, provided they can see it) and the loss of limbs. While these parts don't grow back on their own, they can be reattached by holding the severed part to the stump. The only way for decapitation to be lethal to a Deathwok demon is to mutilate the body afterwards.
• Skills: +4 racial bonus on Listen and Perform (Sing) checks.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Abyssal
• Bonus Languages: Any
• Favored Class: Bard or Psion

Any thoughts? I'm shooting for an LA +0, but that regeneration's a tricky thing. Hopefully it's situational enough not to overpower it too much.

See? I can do non-Final Fantasy things if I want to!

Djinn_in_Tonic
2008-05-17, 09:40 AM
• Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar): Deathwok demons are Outsiders native to Pylea, a layer of the Abyss.
• Base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision: Deathwok demons can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
• Naturally Psionic: Deathwok demons gain 2 bonus power points at 1st level. This benefit does not grant them the ability to manifest powers unless they gain that ability through another source, such as levels in a psionic class.
• Psi-Like Abilities: 1/day— Energy Ray. A Deathwok demon can deal only Sonic damage with this ability. It is accompanied by a tremendous scream of rage. Manifester level is equal to ½ Hit Dice (minimum 1st). The save DC is Charisma-based.
Deathwok demons can also manifest Precognition and Read Thoughts 3/day, but only if the subject uses a Perform (Sing) check.
• Poison and Alcohol Immunity: Deathwok demons, like other demons, are immune to poison, but they also have a natural resistance to the effects of alcohol.
• Limited Regeneration: Deathwok demons have a limited form of regeneration, allowing them to survive beheading (and can still control their bodies, provided they can see it) and the loss of limbs. While these parts don't grow back on their own, they can be reattached by holding the severed part to the stump. The only way for decapitation to be lethal to a Deathwok demon is to mutilate the body afterwards.
• Skills: +4 racial bonus on Listen and Perform (Sing) checks.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Abyssal
• Bonus Languages: Any
• Favored Class: Bard or Psion

Any thoughts? I'm shooting for an LA +0, but that regeneration's a tricky thing. Hopefully it's situational enough not to overpower it too much.

See? I can do non-Final Fantasy things if I want to!

While I think the abilities are pretty flavorful, and not overly powerful, the fact that it is an Outsider might bump it up to LA +1 (and Extraplanar? That's quite a problem in PC hands when a Banishment spell hits you.)

That said, it looks good. I'm still confused as to how the Precognition and Read Thoughts are supposed to work (does the target have to be making that check? Do I? What's the DC if I have to make it?), but I think it might be okay. So few limbs are lost in D&D that it's not a problem, and there's already at least one race (LA +0 or +1, I forget) that's immune to Vorpal, so it's not that bad.

EvilElitest
2008-05-17, 10:09 AM
what buffy ep is this from? Could you provide a picture
from
EE

vegetalss4
2008-05-17, 11:21 AM
i think this race sounds more lawful than chaotic

Xefas
2008-05-17, 11:38 AM
what buffy ep is this from? Could you provide a picture
from
EE

It isn't from Buffy; it's from Angel. Lorne is a slightly-major character in the show (more so towards the end) who owns a karaoke bar and can sense peoples' auras while they're singing.

Angel, I believe on more than one occasion, sings "Mandy" by Barry Manilow in order to make use of this ability.

EDIT: Here's a pic
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/86/LorneAngel.jpg

kwanzaabot
2008-05-17, 07:51 PM
While I think the abilities are pretty flavorful, and not overly powerful, the fact that it is an Outsider might bump it up to LA +1 (and Extraplanar? That's quite a problem in PC hands when a Banishment spell hits you.)

That said, it looks good. I'm still confused as to how the Precognition and Read Thoughts are supposed to work (does the target have to be making that check? Do I? What's the DC if I have to make it?), but I think it might be okay. So few limbs are lost in D&D that it's not a problem, and there's already at least one race (LA +0 or +1, I forget) that's immune to Vorpal, so it's not that bad.

Good point on the Extraplanar bit. Maybe a Native Outsider who can be subjected to Humanoid effects?

As for the Precog, i'm gonna clean that up. The target is a single person within, say, 60 feet. They don't have to actually sing well, so there's no DC as such, but if there's more than one person singing, the Deathwok demon will read the person who rolls highest on the check.

And EvilElitest, the Deathwok Clan demons are from Angel, yeah, so I suppose "Buffyverse" would've been more accurate. :)