[3.5]Improved monster classes: adapting creatures for player use-taking requests!

[Oslecamo]

MMII, CR 10. The sad thing about that is that its best ability is a bunch of at will SLAs, none of which is above level 3 (except for teleport).

Phantasmal killer is lv 4. Anyway that's what you get from picking stuff from the worst designed oficial MM, and a specialized monster at that. By all means feel free to spice it up with (non at-will) SLAs.

It can also cause you to be shaked for 1d4 rounds if you fail a will save. So, I'm going to give it the ability to do stuff like change produce flame (one of its only offensive spells) to negative energy damage, probably as a capstone wisdom or charisma damage, and maybe throw a negative level in there somewhere.

Why? It's the boatman of the river Styx. Why is it good at throwing mini necro fireballs at his oponents? If anything, he likes to scare people, not KILL THEM WITH FIRE! like you also had with the horned devil.

Also, if you have any ideas on abilities that might be related to being a boatman without being highly situational, please do tell. I was thinking of giving it a skiff that would work like a phantom steed.

What do boatmans do? They carry people. And the marraeloth does have a better than average summoning power. I say to focus on it, make it able to easily summon others to back him up. The marraelonth doesn't like to get in fights himself, he gets others to fight for him. Perhaps some kind of permanent cohort, an indebted soul working for the boatman in return for safe passage to a safer plane.

Also, he's a damn good boatman. Make him able to travel from one body of water to other (even from diferent planes) he has met really quickly, shaddow-walk like. The phantom-steed is also good, a ghost-boat of sorts that floats into a small cloud of mist that mysteriously forms right under the boat.

[Mystic Muse]

I think we should abandon this thread and make the new one. We don't have all that many posts left to use in this one and it'll be easier for other people to join Conversations on new/old monsters if they start in that thread.

[Gorgondantess]

Phantasmal killer is lv 4.

...Huh. That it is.

Anyway that's what you get from picking stuff from the worst designed oficial MM, and a specialized monster at that. By all means feel free to spice it up with (non at-will) SLAs.

Actually, I'm basing it off of the Planescape Campaign Setting from AD&D, which is an excellent book. It's virtually identical there.

Why? It's the boatman of the river Styx. Why is it good at throwing mini necro fireballs at his oponents? If anything, he likes to scare people, not KILL THEM WITH FIRE! like you also had with the horned devil.

Mainly because of this picture. Seriously, that is an awesome picture.
Now: Why not at will produce flame? Give me a logical argument from a purely mechanical standpoint.
Also: scaring people is all fine and dandy, but what happens when he meets an undead/construct/ooze/something with otherwise immunity to mind-affecting/something with otherwise immunity to fear/something with a mind blank on?
I wasn't thinking of "kill it with fire", I was thinking "channeling the power of the river styx", which a Marraenoloth is closely tied to, and just synergizing that with his produce flame. Although, what would work is just tying it onto touch attacks so he could use it with poison as well.

What do boatmans do? They carry people. And the marraeloth does have a better than average summoning power. I say to focus on it, make it able to easily summon others to back him up. The marraelonth doesn't like to get in fights himself, he gets others to fight for him. Perhaps some kind of permanent cohort, an indebted soul working for the boatman in return for safe passage to a safer plane.

Hmmm... well, I'll certainly give him something along the lines of what I gave the Cornugon.

Also, he's a damn good boatman. Make him able to travel from one body of water to other (even from diferent planes) he has met really quickly, shaddow-walk like. The phantom-steed is also good, a ghost-boat of sorts that floats into a small cloud of mist that mysteriously forms right under the boat.

Yeah, I'll be giving him plane shift- probably something like low daily uses, and it doesn't expend a use if he's plane shifting to the gray wastes. And teleport really covers the whole "body of water" thing... I'll just include a clause that he can teleport his skiff & all the passengers on it.
Also, that would make a pretty nifty combat ability, as he could just plane shift enemies to the gray wastes.


Aaaaanyways... so how 'bout that Cornugon?

[Crafty Cultist]

The marenoloth seems like a businessman first and foremost, so maybe they could have a basic summoning ability with the ability to summon more powerful entities if they form a contract with them. Or like a planar ally spell, where they have to negotiate for the service the called creatures provided. powers related to their boats might be useful too, like giving them bonuses while onboard.

Just a few thoughts. feel free to use or ignore

[Oslecamo]

I think we should abandon this thread and make the new one. We don't have all that many posts left to use in this one and it'll be easier for other people to join Conversations on new/old monsters if they start in that thread.

New thread done. Will continue discussion there.

Also, somebody had made a compilation of the requests made so far wich I seem unable to find again, could someone please point me to it?

[RelicForger]

{Scrubbed}

[Vaynor]

The Red Towel: Thread locked (50 pages). The new thread can be found here.

[Oslecamo]

Huh. Thread's not really locked, is it?

DON'T POST HERE PLEASE! I specifically requested for this thread to remain open so I could edit older monsters!

DON'T POST HERE ANYMORE PLEASE!

[Rumel]

Natural Warrior



CLASS

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Hit Die: d10

Natural Warrior
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special

1st|

+1

|

+2

|

+0

|

+2

|Natural Body, Natural Power +1, Sharp Fangs

2nd|

+2

|

+3

|

+0

|

+3

|Natural Power +1, Lesser Power, Natural Parry

3rd|

+3

|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|Natural Power +3, Natural Magic

4th|

+4

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Natural Power +4, Lesser Power, Greater Natural Parry

5th|

+5

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Bonus Feat, Natural Power +5, Seeping Fangs, Greater Power
[/Table]
Class Skills: (2 + Int. Mod.) The Natural Warriors's class skills are Intimidate, Hide, Jump, Move Silently.

Class Features
Proficiencies: An Natural Warrior is proficient with its own natural weapons.

Natural Body: The Warrior retains all racial bonuses, traits, and abilities and gains no special traits.

The Warrior's size does not change.

Finally, an Warrior gains a bonus to it’s armor class in the form of a natural armor bonus equal to its half it's Strength or Constitution modifier (whichever the creature doesn't have or whichever is higher).

For example, Rumel has a natural armor bonus equal to his Con mod, so when he gains this ability he has half of his strength mod added to his natural armor. It stacks.

Natural Power Your natural weapons are almost magical from there imense power. You get a +1 bonus to all natural weapons for each level in this class (this stacks with any enhancement bonus such as an Iron Golem's ability to enhance itself)

Sharp Fangs Your weapons sharpen to a horrible tip. All natural weapons deal 1 point of constitution as if affected by the wounding property (bludgeoning weapons become sharp and can choose to do piercing damage for this effect)

Natural Magic your hands are as strong as any magical blade. You can imbue your natural weapons with magical properties which stack with the Natural Power ability. In the case of constantly renewing weapons, they weapons that never go away have the enhancement but any newly grown weapons only have the natural power ability.

For example, Rumel is a level five hydra with 6 heads but has 3 cut off so now he has 9 heads, but only six have the enhancement bonus, yet all have the natural power bonus. Each head must be enchanted separately though.

Natural Parry you are a master of blocking with your natural weapons. You may attempt to block a number attacks equal to the amount of natural weapons you have. Used your attack rolls to oppose your opponents

Greater Natural Parry same as Natural Parry except you may make two parry attempts per natural weapon each turn and when you successfully parry an attack you may make one attack of oppertunity against the person who attacked you. (or multipule if you possess such an ability but only one per successful parry)

Seeping Fangs your natural attacks deal a horrible poison to the victim. The DC is 10+1/2 hd+Con mod. It can be...

• 1d6 points of acid damage per 5/HD.
• Paralysis for 1d2 rounds plus 1 per 5/HD
• Blindness for 2d2 rounds plus 1 every 4/HD
• Ability Score damage equal to 1/4 your HD of your choice.

These are usable once per 10/HD+1 and every fourth round you gain one more use with the max staded above.

Bonus Feat at fifth level you gain one bonus feat

Lesser Power at 2nd and 4th level you gain one of the following abilities.

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Natural Size: you are treated as one size category larger for all trip, grapple and bull-rush attempts (this stacks with all other size altering effects)

Spell Resistance: you gain spell resistance equal to 11+1/2HD+Con mod or add +5 to existing SR

Damage Resistance: you gain DR=1/2HD/material or add +5 to other sources of DR

Large Weapons: deal damage as if one size category larger

Flight: gain wings allowing for good manueverability at 150% your base land speed

Improved Poison: the DC to resist your poison increases by 1 per 6/HD

Improved Weapons: choose one material per 4/HD and your weapons are considered to be that material for overcoming DR or trade one material for ghost touched ability

Alignment Strike: pick one of the four alignments every 5/HD and your natural attack is considered to be that alignment for overcoming DR

Growing Power: any weapons you grow have the same enhancements as your primary natural weapons

Greater Power you gain an amazing capstone ability...

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Powerful Reduction: All DR becomes DR/-

Emense Hunger: if you make a succesful bite attack you can attempt to swallow someone whole as the srd ability

Blink: you can use teleport as a SU ability once a day/HD

Breath Weapon: you gain a breath weapon of fire, ice, acid or electricity and gain a metabreath feat every 8/HD,it does 1d6 damage/HD. usable after a 1d4+1 cooldown period.

Thoughts?

[Zeb The Troll]

Troll Patrol: This thread is at its limit, was more than six weeks old, and has a successor thread linked above, so it's getting closed.

EDIT: The thread is being re-opened for editing purposes only. Please do not make any new posts after this one. If you want or need to comment on the works contained in this thread, please do so in the follow on thread linked above.