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2006-07-01, 01:37 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2004
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- The Mindfields
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Tremble did the outer spheres... (PEACH)
Pureborn Beast
A great shaggy beast sits upon its haunches beneath a grove of knotted oaks. It then throws its head back, and everything becomes... right.
Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 10d10+20 (75 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 60 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 20 (+3 dex, +8 natural, -1 size), touch 12, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+18
Attack: Slam +13 melee (1d8+6) or Nature's Purity +13 touch (see below)
Full Attack: Slam +13 melee (1d8+4) or Nature's Purity +13 touch (see below)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Life's sweet song, nature's purity
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 2, low-light vision, of spring and brook, plant traits, scent of the alien, woodland stride
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +10, Will +9
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 4, Wis 22, Cha 18
Skills: Hide +11, Move Silently +14, Perform (sing) +10, Spot +6, Listen +6, *Survival +1
Feats: Ability Focus (life's sweet song), Darkstalker, Improved Initiative, Stealthy
Environment: Any forest
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral good
Advancement: 11-19 HD (Large), 20-28 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -
When aberrations are nearby, animals and the trees themselves grow fearful, sensing the unwholesome stench of that which should not be and fleeing from it as best they can. Sometimes though when great danger threatens the natural order of the very world something even below the instinctual is triggered, a twist of primal forces. Creatures of all kinds find themselves giving birth amongst their litters to a strange and beautiful being which suckles for a time before disapearing into the woods.
Perhaps a year later a song begins to echo through the trees, a melody of such sad beauty that it is nearly impossible to remain unmoved by it. Though it is without word, the meaning can almost be grasped, and all living creatures of this world feel vitalized by it. It has become a protector of the forest, though till its death remains a shy, elusive beast. It allow others to approach it, perhaps even stroke it, before it runs back into the growth. Those who try to capture or impose their will on a purebeast rarely see it ever again, the beast fleeing at their mere scent.
A fully grown pureborn beast is an enormous creature with a vaguely dog-like shape covered in silky, luxurious fur of a light bluish-grey hue that hangs straight and clean. Its lanky proportions appear lithe and flexible, with slim legs rising it to over ten feet at the shoulder and ending in four hooves.
The neck is somewhat extended, with a long head and its ears are but tiny flaps on the side of its head. The black-lipped mouth is startlingly human-like, though completely devoid of teeth. Its limpid eyes are almost nocturnally large, taking a good deal of its face, and appears to be devoid of pupil, the entire orb being a jade so dark as to be black. What appears all the world as sprouting shoots hang from its nose like pale green tendrils that flex and twitch with each sniff.
Pureborn Beasts weigh around 600 lbs. They understand Sylvan but cannot speak.
Combat
A pureborn beast does not attack if it can at all help it, instead it prefers to come upon others unwares. If it smells out creatures that violate the natural order they sing out, hoping to cause them to flee. If unsuccessful, and the creature remains, the purebeast finally risks being seen, coming out from behind the creature if possible to brush its purifying nose against it before slipping back out of sight.
Life's Sweet Song (Su):
As a standard action a pureborn beast can sing forth, affecting all aberrations within 120 feet as the Invoke the Cerulean spell (Lords of Madness p. 211) cast by a 10th level caster unless they succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save. Living non-aberrations while within range of this song receive a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. This song appears to come from all directions, and thus does not reveal the location of the beast. Save DC is Charisma-based.
Nature's Purity (Sp):
As a standard action that allows an attack of opportunity a pureborn beast can attempt a touch attack with the tendrils on its nose which glow with a green-tinged white light in proximity to unnatural creatures.
Against undead and constructs this attack deals 2d8 points of force damage.
Against abberations this attack deals 5d6 points of force damage and threatens a critical hit on a roll of 19-20. An aberration slain by this damage is immediately transformed into a clump of pungent-smelling mosses.
Of Spring and Brook (Ex):
Oddly enough a pureborn beast itself has no odor beside maybe a lingering freshness as one might notice near a running stream. Thus it cannot be tracked or detected by scent.
Plant Traits: A pureborn beast is a perfect combination of both plant and animal life, and thus is immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, polymorphing, and mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). It is not subject to critical hits.
Scent of the Alien (Ex):
A pureborn beast has the Scent ability, though it can smell a creature of the aberration and undead type at twice the normal distance, as well as pin-point their location within twenty feet.
Woodland Stride (Ex): A pureborn beast may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at its normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect it.
Skills: A pureborn beast gains a +6 racial bonus on hide, move silently, and perform (sing) checks.
*Pureborn beasts have a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.Last edited by The Vorpal Tribble; 2008-08-23 at 11:52 PM.
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2006-07-01, 01:51 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2005
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- South Korea
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Re: Tremble did the outter spheres... (PEACH)
Ooh, a nice monster! That's cool, really love the concept. :D
“Sometimes, immersed in his books, there would come to him
the awareness of all that he did not know, of all that he had not read;
and the serenity for which he labored was shattered as he realized the
little time he had in life to read so much, to learn what he had to know.”
~Stoner, John Williams~
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2006-07-01, 03:41 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2004
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- The Mindfields
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Re: Tremble did the outter spheres... (PEACH)
Thanks, though I'm still not happy with the name. 'Purebeast' just doesn't hold right with me, but though I had no problem coming up with the concept, a decent name escapes me ::)
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2006-07-01, 03:55 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2005
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- Charlotte, NC
Re: Tremble did the outter spheres... (PEACH)
I donno VT, it seems like this thing should be lawful, somehow. I think I understand why you wouldn't want it to be, but in terms of D&D cosmologies I think it is.
As far as names go...maybe something that evokes the song ability, somehow? That seems to be the main focus of the creature."'To know, to do, and to keep silent.' Crowley had the first two down pat."
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2006-07-01, 04:40 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2005
Re: Tremble did the outter spheres... (PEACH)
I'd say by D&D standards it's true neutral. It's only stated goal is the preservation of the natural order, which in D&D usually means true neutral alignment.
Neutral good does work though.
Cool monster, by the way. Giving me ideas for a Planescape game already.
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2006-07-01, 04:57 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2004
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Re: Tremble did the outter spheres... (PEACH)
I'd say by D&D standards it's true neutral. It's only stated goal is the preservation of the natural order, which in D&D usually means true neutral alignment.
Neutral good does work though.
As far as names go...maybe something that evokes the song ability, somehow? That seems to be the main focus of the creature.
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2006-07-01, 07:30 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2004
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- The Mindfields
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Re: Tremble did the outter spheres... (PEACH)
Despite the fact a song-based name would best fit, the Pureborn Beast seems to roll off the tongue better.
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2006-07-01, 07:41 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2006
Re: Tremble did the outter spheres... (PEACH)
A few minor grammatical points. First, it's "outer" spheres. Second, I believe you need a comma in the first sentence of the description, after nearby. Finally, when you say that "Those who try to capture or impose their will on a purebeast rarely see it ever again, fleeing at the mere scent," I assume you mean that the pureborn beast flees from their sent, not the other way around (as born out by their spring and brook ability).
Other than that, very cool.I am a poor man, some say I’m half crazy,
son of the sword and the knife
Lady I pledge you my sword and my honor,
my heart and my pride and my life
--Bella Doña, by Joe Bethancourt
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Alas, poor Draknir. By Mephibosheth
Owl-atar by KingGolem
You will be missed, dear 'stache...
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2006-07-01, 08:03 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2006
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- Florida
Re: Tremble did the outer spheres... (PEACH)
it...doesnt attack? i mean, i can see the attack stats for it, but you said that if it can, it owuld sing its song, and only if that doesnt work would it come up and...tap it with its weird freaky-deaky nose? and then RUN AWAY! come on man. i see what your going for, but even unicorns attack. it would be good to revolve a quest around one of these things, like "protect the protector" or something, but i dont see it being used as an actual encounter. now, what would really REALLY make it stand out is to give it an opposite. make some abberation that does the opposite, going around corrupting woods or de-evolving the local fish population to puddles of goo or something. tha would be pretty sweet.
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2006-07-01, 08:06 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2004
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Re: Tremble did the outter spheres... (PEACH)
Originally Posted by JackMann
Adjusted.
it...doesnt attack? i mean, i can see the attack stats for it, but you said that if it can, it owuld sing its song, and only if that doesnt work would it come up and...tap it with its weird freaky-deaky nose? and then RUN AWAY! come on man.
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2006-07-01, 08:37 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2005
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- Charlotte, NC
Re: Tremble did the outer spheres... (PEACH)
Yeah, I suppose Neutral Good works well, too. I was just thinking of the way "axiomatic" creatures are always described as being perfect examples etc, and that aspect of your creature reminded me of it. I guess not all aberrations are chaotic, though, and so this creature doesn't need to be lawful. Although I still think Lawful Neutral could work well also. The beast also calls to mind the Spirit of the Forest from Princess Mononoke, a bit, which I'd describe as not necessarily good OR evil.
Oh, and one other thing. Please don't call it the Arian Beast. ;D"'To know, to do, and to keep silent.' Crowley had the first two down pat."
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2006-07-01, 11:08 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2004
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Re: Tremble did the outer spheres... (PEACH)
Oh, and one other thing. Please don't call it the Arian Beast.
That didn't cross my mind till you mentioned it.
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2006-07-01, 11:15 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2006
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- Fairfield, CA
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Re: Tremble did the outer spheres... (PEACH)
A question: could one alter the powers of this and make, say, a "Puretouched" template?
The reason being: what if this Pureborn interacts with a creature that isn't interfering with the natural order of things, but is instead promoting them? Could the Pureborn then "bless" that creature, granting it specific powers but forever changing it afterwards?
I say this because I'm having visions of Puretouched animal companions. A Puretouched robin or something would make an interesting companion for a ranger or druid.Wiki - Q&A - FB - LIn - Tw
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2006-07-01, 11:35 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2005
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- within a light year
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2006-07-01, 11:45 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2004
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Re: Tremble did the outer spheres... (PEACH)
The reason being: what if this Pureborn interacts with a creature that isn't interfering with the natural order of things, but is instead promoting them? Could the Pureborn then "bless" that creature, granting it specific powers but forever changing it afterwards?
The point to them is that they don't like to be seen. They are happy to live as an unseen song.
I could make a template... but it just doesn't seem neccessary. All the creatures sing and purify things... fine, but it'd be like making a Gorgontouched, and all the creatures can breathe poisonous fumes.
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2006-07-02, 01:01 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Tremble did the outer spheres... (PEACH)
Point taken.
Wiki - Q&A - FB - LIn - Tw
d20r Compilation PDF - last updated 9.11.14
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2006-07-02, 12:37 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2006
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- Unfriend Zone
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2006-07-02, 12:57 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2005
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Re: Tremble did the outer spheres... (PEACH)
I humbly suggest the name: The arian
aria is a type of song/music.
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2006-07-02, 01:08 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2004
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Re: Tremble did the outer spheres... (PEACH)
Originally Posted by ziratha
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2006-07-02, 04:27 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Tremble did the outer spheres... (PEACH)
Note to self, read the whole post before responding...
Either way, it's really nifty.
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2006-07-02, 06:29 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2004
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Re: Tremble did the outer spheres... (PEACH)
Originally Posted by ziratha
(Well, not too nifty, had a brain toot and had to redo its HP and AC ::) )