PDA

View Full Version : [Template & Deity] If given the choice, choose to die...



The Vorpal Tribble
2008-08-19, 05:33 PM
Castaway of Votemmaris

http://tn3-1.deviantart.com/images/300W/large/indyart/indymisc/Castaway.jpg

A castaway is exactly as its name suggests in the truest way possible. Once these beings were crewman or travelers upon a vessel but because of storms, pirates or other disasters they found themselves clinging to life on the wreckage of their ship or to the tiny boat they managed to escape upon. As hunger, thirst and sun exposure begins to take its toll they weaken and despair. In their hopeless some curse their god and their luck. In this time of weakness a voice begins to speak of them, promising them survival if only they would worship him. This gives a crumb of hope that many a shipwrecked survivor will make a snatch at... and thus is their doom. For the only thing worse than dying to the elements is to continuing living as a castaway. They find they need no longer require food and drink, and the glare of the sun and the oppressive heat no longer pain them. Their bodies continue to eat themselves up however, and once it will give up nourishment no longer its very soul begins to be consumed by a deity of hopelessness known as Votemmaris. Soon all that is left is an unfillable emptiness and madness that is worse than any hunger they have ever known.

They become little more than a feral, ravenous animal whose hunger can never be sated, but a patient, cunning beast nevertheless. They may wait years before meeting another vestle, but when they do they will leap off their craft and with the use of claws and horrible vitality scramble up upon deck silently. They immediately make for the storm room, killing any guards as quickly as they can, whom they take with them if possible. For days, perhaps weeks and months they will stay within, feasting on the food and drink, taking in entire barrels in a single day. The crew by this time is noticing the sudden lack and will go to search, but most are killed and eaten that day. This sparks terror upon many aboard, causing everything from blows amongst the crew to mutiny. Without food or fresh drink the crew eventually succumbs, which is eventually eaten by the castaway. It'll then haunt this ship until the vessel dashes itself to pieces or is found, and so it all begins anew.

-=-=-=-=-

Sample Castaway

Bart Thomason

Castaway Human Commoner 4
Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 4d4+20 (30 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 10 ft.
Armor Class: 13 (+1 dex, +2 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+8
Attack: Dagger +5 melee (1d4+3) or Unarmed Strike (1d3+3) or Bite +5 melee (1d4+1)
Full Attack: Dagger +5 melee (1d4+3) and bite +0 melee (1d4+1) or Unarmed Strike +5 melee (1d3+3) and bite +0 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, madness of the brine, sea legs
Special Qualities: Insatiable, glare inured, immunity to dazzling and disease, ocean bound, resistance to electricity 10, scent 60 ft., soul morsel, unholy fast
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +3
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 13, Con 20, Int 7, Wis 14, Cha 1
Skills: Balance +2, Climb +7, Profession (sailor) +9, Swim +7, Survival +12, Use Rope +8
Feats: Endurance(B), Improved Unarmed Strike, Old Salt (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Old_Salt,Sto), Sailor's Balance (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Sailor~s_Balance,Sto),
Environment: Warm Aquatic
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: +3

This being appears as little more than skin and bones, covered in leathery skin that appears as angry black sunburn beneath tatters of his former sailor's clothing. The hair on his head appears to have been burned off and his eyes are milky and seemingly sunblinded yet he seems to have no problem seeing. His teeth are black and the gums ravaged from scurvy. The nails on his hands and feet are long or torn off completely.

Bart was once a simple career sailor, having spent most of his fifty odd years aboard a ship of some kind or other. Then one fated day a storm seem to blow out of nowhere, tossing the ship around like a toy. For 3 days they battled it. A burst of lightening then struck the ship, knocking out a chunk of the hull and Bart with it. Scrambling about atop it he called out but was soon carried far away by the waves. For this way he remained nearly a week, living that long only by drinking the rain out of his soaked shirt as the storm lessened. Soon it was bright again and he felt more dead than alive. As he cried out in delirium one day a big of sea foam passed by, taking the vague shape of a powerful, bearded being. It claimed it was a god of the sea and if Bard gave himself body and soul to it he would see to it he would save him from death.

Bart bowed before the creature and worshiped it, continuing on night after night, and though he did not die he felt himself growing ever more hungry, but not for food, but for life. His mind parted ways from sanity before he could realize it was his new god that was feeding off him...

Combat
Bart prefers to lie in wait if his opponent has others, taking them out one by one with swift blows. He then carries them somewhere dark and remote to feast...

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a castaway must hit with its bite 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, the castaway establishes a hold and begins to tear into its victim ravenously, dealing bite damage every round it maintains the hold. The castaway receives a +4 bonus on grapple checks.

Insatiable (Su): A castaway can take within itself far more than would seem possible, and can eat or drink (or a mixture of both) twice its weight in a single day, burning it away with its awful metabolism. It gains fast healing 4 for up to 24 hours after a feast in which it has eaten twice it's weight. If left undisturbed a castaway can
finish off it's weight in food and drink within an hour.

Glare Inured (Ex): A castaway is so accustomed to the glare off the ocean and the sun in its face that it no longer can be blinded for more than the initial round, and even then it may make a normal save if allowed.

Madness of the Brine (Ex): If a castaway drinks more than a mouthful of brine it goes into a crazed frenzy for a number of rounds equal to 1d6 plus it's constitution modifier. While in this frenzy it temporarily gains a +6 bonus to Strength, and a +4 bonus to Constitution but it takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class. Multiple drinkings do not stack, though after his original frenzy he may drink again to gain its affects.

Oceanbound (Su): A castaway is forbidden by its deity to ever go upon land, and will even keep out of sight of it at all costs. If it is forced upon land however it loses its appetite and will not eat. While it remains on land it does not gain the benefits of its Unholy Fast ability.

Sea Legs (Ex): A castaway is so used to the constant rolling and pitching of waves that it can use them to its advantage. It gains a +6 bonus to balance and tumble checks and a +2 bonus to initiative while on board a sea craft.

Soul Morsel (Su): A castaway's remnant of soul leaves it with a minimal charisma score that cannot be lowered by any means short of a wish or miracle spell, or its death, as the remnant is a direct link to its deity.

Unholy Fast (Su): A castaway's horrible pact with its deity grants it the ability to no longer take damage from hunger or thirst, and gains a +8 unholy bonus to saves against ability damage and drain. They are continuously affected as by an Endure Elements spell.



-=-=-=-=-=-

Castaway

"Castaway" is an acquired template that can be added to any giant, humanoid, or monstrous humanoid without the aquatic or water subtype or the amphibious special quality, hereafter referred to as the base creature. An castaway uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type: Humanoids become monstrous humanoids. Otherwise type is unchanged.

Speed: Castaways gain a swim speed of 10 ft.

Armor Class: The creature's natural armor bonus increases by +2.

Attack: An castaway retain all the natural attacks, manufactured attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature plus also gains a bite attack if it didn’t already have one. It deals the indicated plus 1/2 their strength bonus. When wielding weapons it counts as a secondary attack.



Size Bite Damage
Tiny -
Small 1d3
Medium 1d4
Large 1d6
Huge 2d6
Gargantuan 4d6
Colossal 6d6

Special Attacks: A castaway retains all special attacks of the base creature. A castaway gains the following special attacks.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a castaway must hit with its bite 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, the castaway establishes a hold and begins to tear into its victim ravenously, dealing bite damage every round it maintains the hold. The castaway receives a +4 bonus on grapple checks.

Madness of the Brine (Ex): If a castaway drinks more than a mouthful of brine it goes into a crazed frenzy for a number of rounds equal to 1d6 plus it's constitution modifier. While in this frenzy it temporarily gains a +6 bonus to Strength, and a +4 bonus to Constitution but it takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class. Multiple drinkings do not stack, though after his original frenzy he may drink again to gain its affects.

Sea Legs (Ex): A castaway is so used to the constant rolling and pitching of waves that it can use them to its advantage. It gains a +6 bonus to balance and tumble checks and a +2 bonus to initiative while on board a sea craft.

Special Qualities: A castaway retains all qualities of the base creature. They also gain the following special qualities.

Insatiable (Su): A castaway can take within itself far more than would seem possible, and can eat or drink (or a mixture of both) twice its weight in a single day, burning it away with its awful metabolism. It gains fast healing 4 for up to 24 hours after a feast in which it has eaten twice it's weight. If left undisturbed a castaway can
finish off it's weight in food and drink within an hour.

Glare Inured (Ex): A castaway is so accustomed to the glare off the ocean and the sun in its face that it no longer can be blinded for more than the initial round, and even then it may make a normal save if allowed. They gain immunity to dazzling.

Oceanbound (Su): A castaway is forbidden by its deity to ever go upon land, and will even keep out of sight of it at all costs. If it is forced upon land however it loses its appetite and will not eat. While it remains on land it does not gain the benefits of its Unholy Fast ability.

Scent (Ex): A castaway gains the scent out to 60 feet.

Soul Morsel (Su): A castaway's remnant of soul leaves it with a minimal charisma score that cannot be lowered by any means short of a wish or miracle spell, or its death, as the remnant is a direct link to its deity.

Unholy Fast (Su):
A castaway's horrible pact with its deity grants it the ability to no longer take damage from hunger or thirst, and gains a +8 unholy bonus to saves against ability damage and drain. They are continuously affected as by an Endure Elements spell.

Immunities: A castaway has immunity to disease.

Resistance to Electricity: A castaway creature has resistance to electricity 10.

Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Dex +2, Con +6, Int -6 (min 2). Charisma is reduced to 1; see Soul Morsel ability.
Skills: A castaway has a +4 bonus on climb and swim checks and a +10 bonus on survival checks.
Feats: A castaway gains Endurance as a bonus feat.
Environment: Any aquatic.
Challenge Rating: Same as base creature +2.
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil.
Level Adjustment: +3

BRC
2008-08-19, 05:38 PM
Tribble, your homebrews send shivers down my spine on a daily basis.

The Vorpal Tribble
2008-08-19, 05:39 PM
Votemmaris
The Briber, Feeder and Starver, Twisted Promise Keeper
Lesser God (Lawful Evil)

If ever there was a shameless opportunist it would be Votemmaris. Preying on the hopelessness of those adrift at sea, extending a hand, with conditions, to aid them when their bodies and will are at their lowest ebb and have nothing to lose... so they think. He promises life for worship, but most would agree, there are worse things than death. Votemmaris always honors the deals he makes, though rarely is the actual promise what was supposed.
Votemmaris appears as a sweating man, skeletal man draped in a robe composed of sea froth. However, his blackened, sunburned skin is stretched taught over the bones, and his pure white, seemingly sun-blinded eyes peer out from sunken, scarred sockets.
Votemmaris favorite weapon is the net. His symbol is a choppy, unmarred sea extending out to the horizon where it meets the sky.
Portfolio: Castaways, endless expanses, shipwrecks, starvation, sunburn, thirst
Domains: Madness, Ocean, Trickery, Weather
Cleric Training: Clerics of Votemmaris rarely come into his service voluntarily. They are chosen carefully by his priests for their talents and strengths, and then kidnapped or coerced onto a ship crewed by Votemmaris' followers. Once far out to sea the potential clerics are given a small boat stocked with several days worth of salted jerky and liquor and abandoned to the waves. The food and drink is not meant to nourish but to madden as they will do only more harm than good, bringing thirst even more quickly. They are spiritually marked by the Priests and so when the begin to feel the worst of their hunger pains and their hopelessness is at their peak Votemmaris will give them a choice. Die or worship and serve him forever. Some choose the path of life and so the waves and wind take them to shore where Votemmaris' followers wait. If they refuse the deity waits till the last hour of life they have to them and gives them a second choice. Die or allow him their souls, for if they give it up he will save their life. Most are too far gone to much care about the state of their souls and give in, becoming Castaways, doomed to be ever hungry and thirst, but never dying from the lack, cursed to remain forever exposed upon the ocean.
Quests: Clerics of Votemmaris often allow themselves to be hired onto ships, saying, quite truthfully, that their god gives them powers over the wind and waters. They then wait for a storm to brew and give the crew a choice, join with him and give themselves heart and soul to his awful deity and he will calm the sea as he can, or die without his aid.
Prayers: Prayers to Votemmaris normally consist of re-pledging their promise to make certain their deity has not forgotten.
Temples: Temples of Votemmaris vary in size and material but are usually open and allowing in the sea breeze, and always to be found on islands, symbolizing solitude in the midst of the sea.
Rites: Votemarris' rites often have to do with fasting for long periods or exposing themselves to harsh environments to show their god their willingness to endure exposure.
Heralds and Allies: Votemarris uses fiendish water genasi who are 20th level clerics as his heralds. Allies are weresharks, scyllans and primal water elementals.

DracoDei
2008-08-20, 12:37 AM
Sure you don't mean "(Min. 3)" for the intelligence thing?

Fako
2008-08-20, 02:22 PM
...now I need to incorporate oversea travel to use this... :smallamused:

One question though: Is Votemmaris' avatar Davy Jones by any chance? :smallbiggrin:

Icewalker
2008-08-20, 04:16 PM
This is fantastic. It also makes me happy I have a sea based campaign world. You're always good with people using your creations, right?

You seem to have been making a lot of stuff lately. Which is excellent, considering that nothing I've seen from you is anything short of awesome. I really like this one though...creepy.