Request a Homebrew: Thread 2!

[unseenmage]

C1003

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C1003a: Mirror Golem/Elemental
Having chewed on this for a while, I can't say I can comfortably write up a mirror quasielemental or mirror golem without making a really frustrating monster or totally ignoring the normal traits of elementals and golems. I'm going to tackle (b) instead.

Would you mind sharing what some of your base creature ideas were for if I choose to tackle these myself? As in, which Golem/Elemental most fits the bill with as few changes as possible?
If not that's cool too. Just curious about your thought process.

C1003c: Elder Mirror Brains
I don't have a damn clue.

Pretty much exactly what I said to myself when I had the idea. I think I'll just crib the Elder Brain, flavor it as a flying Outsider disco ball, and give it a line of text detailing that it can command up to a certain number of HD worth of Mirror Duplicate creatures (MotP under Plane of Mirrors). Perhaps the ability to command Simulacrum and Ice Assassins too.

That commanding Mirror Duplicates ability would need a Will save for PC Mirror Duplicates as one of my players chose to step into his duplicate's shoes when his copy slew his character. Now he's playing a mirror Duplicate (which is proving to be lots of fun). I just don't want him getting auto commanded, that wold be not-fun.

Spoiler

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H1003c.1: Half-Nerra
"The plans my ancestors have enacted are millions of years old. I am only a pawn to the nerra, and you are only a nuisance."

"Half-nerra" is an inherited template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature with an Intelligence score of 4 or higher of any neutral alignment (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

A half-nerra uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to outsider. Do not recalculate the creature’s Hit Dice, base attack bonus, or saves. Size is unchanged. Half-nerra are normally native outsiders.

Speed: A half-nerra gains no differences in its speeds.

Armor Class: Natural armor improves by +1 (this stacks with any natural armor bonus the base creature has).

Special Attacks: A half-nerra retains all the special attacks of the base creature and also gains the following special abilities.

Mirror Jump (Su): Half-nerra can move through mirrored and reflective surfaces at will. This functions identically to the Mirror Jump ability possessed by all nerra (Fiend Folio, p.127).

Shard Spray (Su): Three times per day, a half-nerra can release a spray of mirrorlike shards from its hands that flay flesh and cause massive lacerations. The spray is a 30-foot cone, and it deals 1d6 damage per level of the half-nerra. In addition, a wound resulting from the half-nerra's shard spray attack bleeds for an additional 1 point of damage per 2 HD of the half-nerra (round up) each round. The bleeding persists until stopped by a successful heal check (DC 10) or the application of any cure or healing spell (heal, healing circle, or the like).

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): A half-nerra with an Intelligence or Wisdom score of 8 or higher has two or more spell-like abilities, depending on its Hit Dice, as indicated on the table below. The abilities are cumulative unless listed multiple times, and the save DC is Charisma-based.

{table]HD|Abilities
1-2|Mirror Image 1/day, Disguise Self 1/day
3-4|Mirror Image 3/day, Disguise Self 3/day
5-6|False Vision 3/day
7-8|Disguise Self at-will
9-10|Mirror Image at-will
11-12|Mislead 3/day
13-14 |False Vision at-will
[/table]

Special Qualities: A half-nerra has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities:

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Immunity to disease.
• Resistance to fire 10, cold 10, and electricity 10.
• Sonic vulnerability
• A half-nerra's natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
• Spell resistance equal to creature’s HD + 14.
• Reflective Spell Resistance (Sp): As the nerra ability of the same name.
• Exotic Weapon Proficiency with any shard weapon as a bonus feat.

Abilities
Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +2, Dex +4, Con +2, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +4.

Skills
A half-nerra gains skill points as an outsider and has skill points equal to (8 + Int modifier) × (HD +3). Do not include Hit Dice from class levels in this calculation—the half-nerra gains outsider skill points only for its racial Hit Dice, and gains the normal amount of skill points for its class levels. Treat skills from the base creature’s list as class skills, and other skills as cross-class.

Challenge Rating
HD 5 or less, as base creature +1; HD 6 to 10, as base creature +2; HD 11 or more, as base creature +3.

Alignment
Always neutral (any).

Level Adjustment
Same as base creature +2.

Spoiler: Notes

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LA +4 is terrible for the stuff that the half-celestial and half-fiend templates give you, so when I copypasted their formatting and balance levels, I also knocked down the LA on this guy. I suggest doing the same for any other half-whatevers you find or write. Half-nerra also don't get any SLAs after level 13 (which is when enemies start having true seeing), so the LA gets bumped down another notch. If enemies aren't optimized, this is probably worth +3, but only in the long run.

The half-nerra has decent travel and anti-divination abilities, and contributes in straight fights by acting as a magitank. The SR is 10% higher than level-appropriate (which would be ECL + 10 or HD + 12) and the spell reflectivity means casters never ever want to use SoDs on these guys. However, the mirror image at-will means melee is also going to have a problem with them, so the nerra are kind of trading flat stats (BAB, saves, HP) for giving controllers the middle finger. True Seeing really shuts them down really hard, and the classic no-SR spells (solid fog and black tentacles) kill them too. Clever nerras that aren't on their home plane should carry some mirrors around and throw them before the fight starts.

H1003c.2: Jaanis
"Light reflects off him like a polished shield. It's the strangest thing."

Jaanis characters possess the following racial traits:

• Attributes: +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma.
• Medium Outsider (Native)
• An jaanis' base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision: Jaanis can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
• Racial Feats: A jaanis gains exotic weapon proficiency with one shard weapon of its choice.
• Disguise Self (Sp): Once per day, a jaanis can use disguise self (as the spell) with a caster level equal to its hit dice.
• Resistances: Fire 5, cold 5, and electricity 5.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Nerra. Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Auran, Aquan, Celestial, Ignan, Infernal, Terran,
• Favored Class: Rogue.
• Level adjustment: +1.

These can be made into lesser planetouched if aasimar can.

These are both fantastic! Thank you!
The name for the race though, I seem to remember that name, jannis, from somewhere else... But I havn't slept and could be mistaken.

Thanks again for your help, and please let me say, I really appreciate the attention to detail and dedication you show your creations. Makes them a joy to read through. Honestly.

[Just to Browse]

C 1003a

Spoiler: What the problems were

Show

My thoughts were to write up some mirror-like combat qualities. I got the following:

• Reflect rays
  
  • Golems don't care, they're immune to spells
  • Elementals have too many immunities already.
• Reflect spells
  
  • Golems don't care, they're immune to spells
  • Elementals have too many immunities already.
• High-speed teleportation through mirrors
  
  • Golems are closet trolls, giving them teleportation makes them overpowered
  • Teleporting elementals... weird. And basic mobility lacks of classic by-size scaling that all elementals/pseudoelementals have.
• Host of small immunities (gaze, illusion)
  
  • Golems are immune to basically all of these things anyways.
  • Elementals have too many immunities already.

Golems are puzzle monsters: They're immune to all but 3 spells, so you either figure out that spell, or kite them, or they beat you to a pulp. Giving them mirror-like qualities makes them unkite-able (NONONO) or just has too much overlap to actually mean anything.

Elementals are one-trick ponies. They all fight pretty much identically (run into fight, spam special ability, die), and their competitiveness comes from a long list of annoying elemental immunities, so the players have to work around it. Adding more immunities means writing a really annoying monster. Teleporting elementals was the most feasible idea I could think of, but elementals come with only 1 special ability and mirror teleportation would make them ineffective everywhere but a Plane of Mirrors (or an Ikea ) and doesn't give with all the other elementals (whose special abilities are attacks).

Now one could write a "golem" that doesn't play like a golem, or an "elemental" that doesn't play like an elemental. In that case, I would recommend mirrorwalking assassins. A good base for this would be the clay golem, because it's got moderate HP and it already has haste. If you remove the DR, cut the HP in half, and knock the damage down to something moderate (I'm guessing 1d10 + 4 would be good). Then you can give them teleportation as an attack action and make the haste effect permanent. If you want, you could switch Cursed Wound for a bleed effect.

The end result would be CR 7-ish golems that teleport around the battlefield and punch you to death while you try to stab them. The fight would focus around destroying the mirrors the golems use to teleport (perhaps 1d3 mirrors per golem, allow players to notice them with a spot check and destroy them with an attack). A group of 4 should challenge the party pretty well.

C 1003b
I'm not all attached to the name Jaanis. I just noticed that all of the mirror names (nerra, kalareem, sillit, varoot) used double letters somewhere in the middle, so I did a similar thing. There might be some homebrew name on the board that wormed its way into my head, but ctrl-f didn't yield me anything.

Your flattery is appreciated.

C 1003c
Unless the players are going to fight it, I recommend just playing the monster by ear and having it send the duplicate periodic requests. Beforehand, the duplicate could be following orders because it had nothing better to do, so throughout the campaign it would be like having that nagging sensation in the back of your head that you need to clean your room, but instead of cleaning your room it's killing all your friends and taking over the world. Mind control tends to be messy, and I encourage you to avoid it.

[unseenmage]

C1003

C 1003a

Spoiler: What the problems were

Show

My thoughts were to write up some mirror-like combat qualities. I got the following:

• Reflect rays
  
  • Golems don't care, they're immune to spells
  • Elementals have too many immunities already.
• Reflect spells
  
  • Golems don't care, they're immune to spells
  • Elementals have too many immunities already.
• High-speed teleportation through mirrors
  
  • Golems are closet trolls, giving them teleportation makes them overpowered
  • Teleporting elementals... weird. And basic mobility lacks of classic by-size scaling that all elementals/pseudoelementals have.
• Host of small immunities (gaze, illusion)
  
  • Golems are immune to basically all of these things anyways.
  • Elementals have too many immunities already.

Golems are puzzle monsters: They're immune to all but 3 spells, so you either figure out that spell, or kite them, or they beat you to a pulp. Giving them mirror-like qualities makes them unkite-able (NONONO) or just has too much overlap to actually mean anything.

Elementals are one-trick ponies. They all fight pretty much identically (run into fight, spam special ability, die), and their competitiveness comes from a long list of annoying elemental immunities, so the players have to work around it. Adding more immunities means writing a really annoying monster. Teleporting elementals was the most feasible idea I could think of, but elementals come with only 1 special ability and mirror teleportation would make them ineffective everywhere but a Plane of Mirrors (or an Ikea ) and doesn't give with all the other elementals (whose special abilities are attacks).

Good analysis. Thanks for it, saves me from retreading ground you've already explored. (Not that you didn't examine elements I would have missed, because you totally did. I strongly suspect would have missed a lot of those points in fact.)

All the mirror teleportation reminds me that the Nerra can hop through any reflective surface IIRC. Which in turn makes me wonder how many rounds it takes for a pool of disturbed water to return to it's still reflective state?
The crunchy answer is likely related to it's size category. The simple answer would likely be that rippling water and still water should be equally reflective, mechanically, for simplicity's sake.

Now one could write a "golem" that doesn't play like a golem, or an "elemental" that doesn't play like an elemental. In that case, I would recommend mirrorwalking assassins. A good base for this would be the clay golem, because it's got moderate HP and it already has haste. If you remove the DR, cut the HP in half, and knock the damage down to something moderate (I'm guessing 1d10 + 4 would be good). Then you can give them teleportation as an attack action and make the haste effect permanent. If you want, you could switch Cursed Wound for a bleed effect.

The end result would be CR 7-ish golems that teleport around the battlefield and punch you to death while you try to stab them. The fight would focus around destroying the mirrors the golems use to teleport (perhaps 1d3 mirrors per golem, allow players to notice them with a spot check and destroy them with an attack). A group of 4 should challenge the party pretty well.

I had a vague thought last night as I fell asleep about this. Thought about having the Mirror Elemental maybe fission off copies (mirror image, probably definitely illusions) of itself during combat. Maybe when it takes certain kinds of damage? I'd say just when it's hit with a critical but Elementals are immune to criticals so I'm not sure how to word that and retain its elementalness.

For the Golem I remembered there is a Stained Glass Golem somewhere. Dragon maybe? I'll look about. I'm pretty sure it has some glass-ey abilities I can crib off of. If not that then I will definitely be using your suggestions for the Clay Golem modifications.
Maybe both. The Nerra come in three flavors, having their golems come in two wouldn't be too much of a stretch.

C 1003b
I'm not all attached to the name Jaanis. I just noticed that all of the mirror names (nerra, kalareem, sillit, varoot) used double letters somewhere in the middle, so I did a similar thing. There might be some homebrew name on the board that wormed its way into my head, but ctrl-f didn't yield me anything.

Your flattery is appreciated.

I think I'll call 'em Jaajnis. Sounds wierder coming off the tongue and retains your original vocals somewhat.
Oh and I remembered where I'd seen the word before, MM/SRD under Janni. Not exactly the same but similar enough, especially aloud.

And hey, less flattery. More just simple compliment and honest appraisal of my appreciation.

C 1003c
Unless the players are going to fight it, I recommend just playing the monster by ear and having it send the duplicate periodic requests. Beforehand, the duplicate could be following orders because it had nothing better to do, so throughout the campaign it would be like having that nagging sensation in the back of your head that you need to clean your room, but instead of cleaning your room it's killing all your friends and taking over the world. Mind control tends to be messy, and I encourage you to avoid it.

Emphasis mine.

That seems a good idea. Thanks.

I'm not too concerned with the perils of mind control with the player involved. He would delight in the subtext and plot involved in his becoming/being a villain.

[Just to Browse]

C 1003a
Interesting thought. I hadn't really considered what would happen to rippling stuff. Also, a nerra with feather fall and the ability to shoot mirrors at things would make a great D&D version of portal.

C 1003b
Are you thinking of having these fight alongside nerra? If so, it might not be a good idea to have them spawn illusory copies--each nerra is dropping 2-6 images on its own, and so many misses could make for a long slog (or if the party has true seeing, then it's not even tough).

The only glass-like golem I know of is the glass golem from Pathfinder. It deals a bleed effect and has and dazzles creatures around it (hadn't thought of that...). But having multiple flavors of golem is a great idea, there aren't enough denizens of the Planes of Mirrors.

C 1003b

Sounds like you're pretty much set, then. Good luck!

[unseenmage]

C1003

C 1003a
Interesting thought. I hadn't really considered what would happen to rippling stuff. Also, a nerra with feather fall and the ability to shoot mirrors at things would make a great D&D version of portal.

That... is an awesome visual. Now I'm thinking a Nerra NPC/BBEG with a 'Mirror Staff' with some spells that either make, move, or conjure mirrors/polished/reflective surfaces everywhere in it.

Or better a 'Rod of Mirrors'. Easier to flavor it as a Portal gun.

C 1003b
Are you thinking of having these fight alongside nerra? If so, it might not be a good idea to have them spawn illusory copies--each nerra is dropping 2-6 images on its own, and so many misses could make for a long slog (or if the party has true seeing, then it's not even tough).

Perhaps the ability for it to make a Simulacrum of itself once per day but only if it doesn't already have one? The Simulacrum is farther limited by having to perform the same task as the original. Either via Aid Another or actually mimicking the actions of the original (eg attack the same target, clear the same hallway, etc).

The only glass-like golem I know of is the glass golem from Pathfinder. It deals a bleed effect and has and dazzles creatures around it (hadn't thought of that...). But having multiple flavors of golem is a great idea, there aren't enough denizens of the Planes of Mirrors.

Cool. Would you want to take another crack at them? I admit to envying your attention to detail and familiarity with the rules. (I'm currently struggling with 3.0 to 3.5 conversions and adding that to templates in the Advanced Bestiary. Blech.)

[TrueJordan]

R 1012
So I'm trying to make a druid character, but instead of serving nature regularly like most druids, I'm trying to make one that serves the Dark Side of nature, the entropy and death oriented, and apathetic side. In essence I want the same druid powers (or at least wild shape) but a whole different list of spells.
Preferably powered by the blood of those weaker than him ('Survival of the fittest')
Problem is, I don't really know the game well enough to think of any spells that'd fit. All I can think of are the rusting/rotting spells, but those aren't nearly varied enough for my liking.
So, any ideas?
Also it'd be cool to replace his abilities completely, but I guess I can work on that on my own; shouldn't be too difficult.

EDIT: I feel like a prestige class might work... Hm.

[The Cats]

R 1004

This is R1012, not R1004

[Just to Browse]

H 1006
Mounted Crusader (Crusader Variant)
"She is my ally on the battlefield, and my friend on the road."

Gain
Skills
Add handle animal and survival to the mounted crusader's class skills.

Mounted Combat
At level 1, a mounted crusader gains Mounted Combat as a bonus feat even if she does not meet the prerequisites.

In addition, when the crusader is mounted, she may use her mount's Dexterity modifier or her Dexterity modifier (whichever is higher) for the purposes of calculating Reflex saves and Initiative.

Dedicated Mount (Ex)
A level 1 mounted crusader gains the services of a mount. Any creature of the animal type that the crusader can ride (DM discretion, I don't recommend allowing great apes or octupi) is available as a mount, and it's CR must be equal to or less than the crusader's HD - 1 (minimum 1). The crusader can speak with her mount (and only her mount) as if under the effects of speak with animals.

The mount is different from normal animals of its kind: Its maximum HP is equal to half the crusader's maximum HP, and it's intelligence is 6 + 1 per point of the Crusader's intelligence modifier (the animal keeps its type despite having invalid intelligence). Further benefits are conferred based on the difference between the crusader's HD - 1 and the mount's CR as follows:

• 1 Bonus HD per point of difference (mounts gain feats and skill points, but not attribute increases, from these hit dice)
• +1 Str per 2 points of difference (round up)
• +1 Dex per 2 points of difference (round down)

The mount acts on the same initiative as the mounted crusader, and she may command her mount as a swift action. Upon the death, loss, or release of a mount, a mounted crusader can find a replacement by spending a week bonding with another suitable creature and making a Handle Animal check (DC 10 + hit dice of the creature, you cannot take 10 on this).

Evasion and Improved Evasion (Ex)
At level 3, a mounted crusader gains Evasion so long as she is unarmored or mounted. At level 13, this becomes Improved Evasion. The crusader shares the benefits of these features with her mount so long as she is mounted.

Speak with Animals (Ex)
A level 6 mounted crusader can now speak with any creature with the animal type as if under the effects of speak with animals. At level 18, she can use this ability to speak with animals or magical beasts, regardless of intelligence score and language.

Hard Ride
At level 10, a mounted crusader can take 10 on handle animal and ride checks, even while in a situation that would not normally allow her to take 10 (including the Handle Animal check in Dedicated Mount).

Lose
Furious Counterstrike, Steely Resolve, Zealous Surge, Smite, Die Hard, Mettle.

Remove intimidate from the mounted crusader's skill list.

Spoiler: Notes and Analysis

Show

This is a bit of a power-up to the crusader, especially at the higher levels, because the random selection of powers is a huge pain in the ass. I didn't grant an animal companion or special mount in case you wanted to be a nature paladin and multiclass for 5 animal companions or whatever.

The class gets some much-needed utility, which I especially did because of the handle animal / ride skill tax you're going to be paying for a mount. Everything but Indomitable Soul is replaced, to encourage you to keep stacking Charisma. You can either pick up a bunch of boosts and play an ubercharger or let your mount carry you around while you throw down full-round action strikes.

[afroakuma]

C 1012

R 1012
So I'm trying to make a druid character, but instead of serving nature regularly like most druids, I'm trying to make one that serves the Dark Side of nature

Bit like the Children of Winter, but not quite?

I'll get on this one.

[Skevvix]

R 1013 "Epic" Chameleon

What I'm looking for is just a 5 level extension of the Chameleon PrC. What I was tentatively thinking was they get 9s, the ability boost goes up to +8, the bonus on skills/saves goes to +6, get a third focus and maybe another floating feat(or would this be to much? Maybe a regular bonus feat?).

[Zaydos]

C 1013

R 1013 "Epic" Chameleon

What I'm looking for is just a 5 level extension of the Chameleon PrC. What I was tentatively thinking was they get 9s, the ability boost goes up to +8, the bonus on skills/saves goes to +6, get a third focus and maybe another floating feat(or would this be to much? Maybe a regular bonus feat?).

Is it supposed to be level 16-20 or is it supposed to actually be Epic level?

[Skevvix]

C 1013



Is it supposed to be level 16-20 or is it supposed to actually be Epic level?

Only avail at character level 21, but being levels 11-15 of the chameleon class.

My factotum11/Chameleon9 wants a progression into epic.

[Zaydos]

H 1013
Not sure about the balance but here's my attempt. Made a new feat for a prerequisite partially to balance out giving a 2nd floating feat and the capability of double nines.

Epic Chameleon:

Prerequisites:
Race: Human or Doppleganger (or Changeling)
Skills: Bluff 24 ranks, Disguise 24 ranks, Sense Motive 12 ranks, Spellcraft 12 ranks.
Feats: Able Learner, Epic Jack of All Trades (see below)
Special: Ability Boon +8, Aptitude Focus 3/day (+4)

Class Features and Traits

HD: d8.
Class Skills:Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill points per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

{table=head]Lv|Special|5|6|7|8|9
1|Aptitude Focus 3/day (+6)|4|1|0|-|-
2|Bonus Epic Feat|4|2|1|-|-
3|Ability Focus +8, Aptitude Focus 4/day (+6)|4|3|2|0|-
4|Instant Refocus|4|4|3|1|-
5|Triple Focus, Aptitude Focus 5/day (+6)|4|4|4|2|1[/table]

Aptitude Focus: At 1st level the bonuses from your Aptitude Foci increases by +2 to +6. At 3rd and 5th level you gain an extra use of this ability each day.

You continue to gain additional 5th level and higher spells through your Aptitude Foci as you gain levels in Epic Chameleon.

Bonus Epic Feat: At 2nd level, you gain an bonus feat. You must meet the prerequisites for this feat. At the start of each day, you can choose to change your bonus feat to any other feat for which you meet the prerequisites.

Ability Focus: The bonus granted to an ability score from your Ability Focus ability increases to +8.

Instant Refocus (Ex): At 4th level you gain the ability to change your Aptitude Focus in only 1 full round action.

Triple Focus: At 5th level you gain the ability to adopt 3 Aptitude Foci at a single time, in the same amount of time it previously took for you to adopt 1. You can still only adopt as many focuses each day as indicated by your Aptitude Focus ability.

Epic Feat
Epic Jack of All Trades
You are capable of applying your skill to any or all tasks.
Benefits: You may make any skill check untrained and gain a +3 bonus to all skill checks.

[Skevvix]

H 1013
Not sure about the balance but here's my attempt. Made a new feat for a prerequisite partially to balance out giving a 2nd floating feat and the capability of double nines.

Epic Chameleon:

--snip--

Excellent sir/ma'am, thank you very much! I'm gonna print this out and see if it flies with the DM!

[togapika]

R 1014

A prestige class for a sorcerer appropriate for a gestalt PATHFINDER game (Sorc/Rogue 1 currently) base on using your voice to do magic stuff.

Preferably both in combat and out of combat stuff to do.
I used that Ear-Piercing Scream spell and loved it, hence the request.

[Just to Browse]

I have failed to post about C 1007 4 separate times, I think the internet gods hate me. Here's one more try.

C 1007
If you're still interested, I can take this on. I have a few questions:

• Do you want it to be 15 hit dice? I can make a weaker storm giant if you'd like, or I can do a straight conversion like out of Races of War.
• Do you want it to be a race, or a monster class (like a 15-level "Storm Giant" class, which just partitions the abilities at appropriate levels)?
• Do you want me to use the standard storm giant, or would you rather have extra features to make it more PC-worthy?

C 1008
This is a big request and outside the scope of the Request a Homebrew thread. I suggest fishing for help in a separate thread. I'm willing to write a small portion of this (like replacing their broken summon/command class feature, or doing a necessary class features outline), and if you write a rough draft on the forums then I can drop by and critique it.


H 1009: Favored of Lolth
This is also outside the scope of the Request a homebrew thread, but I'm inspired enough by the concept that I went ahead and wrote something. It's a class of priestesses appointed by Lolth who get dark spider magic, spider companions, and use dexterity for everything. The Tier 3+ of gishes, off the duskblade template.

HD: d10
BAB: 3/4
Good Saves: Reflex and Fortitude
Skill points: 6 + Intelligence modifier
Skills: Appraise, Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Escape Artist, Forgery, Handle Animal, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (religion), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, Tumble, Use Rope

{table]Level|Special
1|Speak language (drow sign language), weapon finesse
2|Poison resistance, sneak attack +1d6
3|Blessing of the spider queen
4|Walk with spiders
5|Enforcer
6|Sneak attack +2d6
7|Demonweb grace
8|Poison use, swift assault
9|
10|Sneak attack +3d6
11|Spider queen’s touch
12|Poison immunity
13|
14|Sneak attack +4d6
15|
16|Body of the swarm
17|
18|Sneak attack +5d6
19|
20|Queen of her kind[/table]

Class Features
The following are class features of the Favored of Lolth.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Favored of Lolth are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as light and medium armor, shields (except heavy shields), and whips.

Spells: You cast divine spells, which are drawn from the Favored of Lolth spell list. You can cast any spell you know without preparing it ahead of time.

To learn or cast a spell, you must have a Dexterity score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against your spell is 10 + the spell level + your Dex modifier. You can only cast a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. When you cast a spell, you fuse the verbal and somatic components into your use of drow sign language and thus need not utter any sound during the process.

Your base daily allotment is identical to that of the duskblade (see PHB II, p.19). In addition, you receive bonus spells per day if you have a high Dexterity score (see Table 1-1: Ability Modifier and Bonus Spells in the PHB, p.8).

Spells Known: You begin play knowing 2 0-level and 2 1st-level spells, chosen from the Favored of Lolth spell list. You also know one additional 0-level spells for each point of Intelligence bonus.

Each time you gain a new class level, you learn one additional spell of the highest level you can cast, chosen from the Favored of Lolth list. Instead of choosing a single spell to learn, you may choose 2 spells 1 level lower.

Upon reaching 5th level, and at every subsequent odd-numbered level, you can choose to learn a new spell in place of one you already know. In effect, you lose access to the old spell in exchange for gaining the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged.

You need not prepare spells in advance. You can cast any spell you know at any time, assuming you have not yet used up your spells per day for that spell level.

Speak Language: If you do not already know drow sign language, you learn it.

Weapon Finesse: At level 1, you gain Weapon Finesse as bonus feat.

Sneak Attack: This functions as the rogue class feature, but sneak attack damage begins at 1d6 at level 2, and advances 1d6 every 4 levels.

Poison Resistance: At level 2, you gain a +4 bonus on saves against the effects of poisons. This includes the poison spell and its variants.

Blessings of the Spider Queen (Su): When you are not in situation where taking 10 is normally impossible (e.g. not stressed or in combat), you may dedicate a spell you can cast to Lolth as a 1-round action, which consumes a spell slot that the spell would be cast from. You can only use this ability on spells with a casting time of 1 full-round action or less, and may not use it if you do not have the spell slots to cast the spell. While you have a spell dedicated to Lolth, you may use an immediate action at any time to cast the spell without provoking attacks of opportunity.

In addition, once per week you may use contact other plane as a spell-like ability, but only to speak with Lolth. You suffer no chance of intelligence or charisma loss.

Walk with Spiders: You may speak with vermin as if under the effects of speak with animals (but only affecting vermin) and you may use Handle Animal on vermin as if they were animals. In addition, Lolth grants you the service of a spider companion in the form of a small monstrous spider. As you gain levels in Favored of Lolth, your companion increases in power as shown on the table below. Upon death, loss, or release of your companion, Lolth provides you with a new one within 24 hours.

You may also select from alternative lists of companions. Should you select an animal companion from one of these alternative lists, the creature gains abilities as if your Favored of Lolth level were lower than it actually is. Subtract the value indicated in the entry on the table to determine the spider companion’s powers. (If this adjustment would reduce your effective level to 0 or lower, you can’t have that creature as a companion.)

Enforcer (Ex): You are respected by Lolth if you survive to 5th level, and members of the drow community will recognize your power. You are equal in prestige to the normal Lolth clergy (expect to trials from Her) and gain a +6 bonus on any Charisma check (including skill checks) involving other drow.

In addition, when you cast a spell or use a spell-like ability that forces a save, and the target’s save bonus is less than your Dexterity plus the spell’s level, the target immediately fails its save. When you use a similar ability that allows for spell resistance, the target’s Spell Resistance is less than your 10 + your hit dice, you are treated as automatically succeeding on the caster level check.

Demonweb Grace (Ex): At level 7, You can walk on vertical surfaces and ceilings as if under the effects of spider climb at all times, and you can see in darkness of any kind (even magical darkness).

Poison Use (Ex): Starting at 8th level, you never risk accidentally poisoning yourself when applying poison to a weapon.

Swift Assault (Ex): Also at 8th level, you can make a full attack as a standard action.

Spider Queen’s Touch (Sp): At level 11, as a standard action, you can make a touch attack against a target and force them to make a will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your Favored of Lolth level + your Dexterity modifier) or permanently take the form of a cursed spider as if under the effects of polymorph any object. The transformation process is very painful, leaving them sickened for a day afterwards. If they have fewer than 6 hit dice, they become a monstrous spider of their size. If they have 6 hit dice or more, they become a drider without sorcerer spellcasting.

In addition, you may plane shift anywhere in the Abyss as a standard action. If you use this ability to travel to the Demonweb Pits, you do not arrive off from your destination.

You may use either of these abilities once per day, with a caster level equal to your hit dice.

Poison Immunity (Ex): Constant exposure to poison has many your body strong. You are immune to the effects of poison, and cannot take strength damage, drain, or burn unless it is self-inflicted.

Body of the Swarm (Su): As a standard action, you may change into a spider swarm (as if under the effect of a polymorph spell), which bestows upon you the following changes:

• Your size becomes dimunitive, and your type becomes vermin (swarm).
• Your speed in all modes is reduced by 10 feet.
• Your space becomes 10 feet (your reach is still 0 feet).
• Your strength becomes 1, and you gain an attack that deals 1d6 damage plus poison (see below).
• You gain the Distraction ability of swarms, with a DC of 10 + 1/2 your hit dice + your Dexterity modifier.
• You gain an injury poison, dealing only initial strength damage of 1d6 + 1 per 3 hit dice (no secondary damage).
• You become immune to weapon damage and gain tremorsense out to half your darkvision range.

Queen of Her Kind: You are a god in your own right. Your powers are no longer derived from devotion to Lolth, but devotion to your own strength. You gain divine rank 0.


The Favored of Lolth’s Spider Companion
Your spider companion is superior to a normal spider creature of its kind, and grants powers to you as described below.

{table]Class Level|Natural Armor Adj.|Str/Dex Adj.|Bonus Tricks|Special
1|+0|+0|1|Bonus hit dice, link
2|+1|+0|1|Share spells
3|+2|+1|2|Uncanny dodge
4-6|+2|+1|2|Evasion
7-9|+4|+2|3|Share saving throws
10-12|+6|+3|4|Spell resistance
13-15|+8|+4|5|Improved uncanny dodge
16-18|+10|+5|6|Improved evasion
19-20|+12|+6|7|Stealth Mastery
[/table]

Spider Companion Basics
Use the base statistics for a creature of the companion’s kind, but make the following changes.

Spoiler

Show

Class Level
Your Favored of Lolth level. The Favored of Lolth levels stack with levels of any other classes that are entitled to spider or animal companions for the purpose of determining the companion’s abilities and alternative lists available to the character. Any features that advance the your animal companion can instead advance their spider companion.

Natural Armor Adj.
The number noted here is an improvement to the spider companion’s existing natural armor bonus.

Str/Dex Adj.
Add this value to the spider companion’s Strength and Dexterity scores.

Bonus Tricks
The value given in this column is the total number of "bonus" tricks that the creature knows in addition to any that you might choose to teach it (see the Handle Animal skill). These bonus tricks don’t require any training time or Handle Animal checks, and they don’t count against the normal limit of tricks known by the animal. You select these bonus tricks, and once selected, they can’t be changed.

Bonus Hit Dice
The spider companion gains 1 bonus hit die per your effective Favored of Lolth levle. Remember that these improve the companion’s BAB, base saves, and grant them feats and skills. These hit dice do not grant additional attribute increases.

Link
You can handle your spider companion as a free action, or push it as a move action, even if you do not have any ranks in the Handle Animal skill. You gain a +4 circumstance bonus on all handle animal checks made regarding vermin.

Share Spells
At your option, you may have any spell (or spell-like ability) you cast upon yourself also affect your spider companion. The spider companion must be within 5 feet of you at the time of casting to receive the benefit. If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the spider companion if the companion moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect it again, even if it returns to you before the duration expires.

Additionally, you may cast a spell with a target of "You" on your spider companion (as a touch range spell) instead of on yourself. You and her animal companion can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the your type (vermin).

Uncanny dodge
The spider companion retains its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if it is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, it still loses its Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

The spider companion grants you the benefits of uncanny dodge as well as long as the two of you are within 5 feet of each other.

Evasion
If a spider companion is subject to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw.

The spider companion grants you the benefits of evasion as well as long as the two of you are within 5 feet of each other

Share Saving Throws
For each of its saving throws, the spider companion uses its own base save bonus or yours, whichever is higher. The companion applies its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any other bonuses on saves that you might have.

Spell Resistance
A spider companion’s spell resistance equals yours or its hit dice + 10, whoever is higher.

Improved Uncanny Dodge
The spider companion cannot be flanked unless it’s by a creature with sneak attack and at least 4 more hit dice than the companion.

The spider companion grants you the benefits of improved uncanny dodge as well as long as the two of you are within 5 feet of each other.

Improved Evasion
If the spider companion is subject to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, the companion takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage if the saving throw fails.

The spider companion grants you the benefits of improved evasion as well as long as the two of you are within 5 feet of each other.

Stealth Mastery
As a standard action, the spider companion can make itself and you invisible as per invisibility. This is a spell-like ability with a caster level of 20, and ignores the effects of invisibility-piercing spells such as see invisibility and true seeing for the first round they would detect you.

Alternative Animal Companions
These need filling. Fiendish monsters and the variety of spiders in different books belong here.

Spoiler

Show

2nd Level or Higher (Level – 1)
Small Monstrous Spider

3rd Level or Higher (Level – 2)
Medium Monstrous Spider
Spider Swarm

4th Level or Higher (Level – 3)
Large Monstrous Spider

7th Level or Higher (Level – 6)
Aranea
Huge Monstrous Spider

10th Level or Higher (Level – 9)
Drider (cannot cast spells as a sorcerer)
Gargantuan Monstrous Spider
Phase Spider

13th Level or Higher (Level – 12)
Colossal Monstrous Spider

16th Level or Higher (Level – 15)

Favored of Lolth Spell List

Spoiler

Show

0th: Bane, Bless, Dancing Lights, Detect Poison, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Know Direction, Magic Weapon¹, Mount², Obscuring Mist, Resistance, Touch of Fatigue, Mage Hand, Message
1st: Augury, Cat’s Grace, Command, Crushing Despair, Darkness, Disguise Self, Expeditious Retreat, Grease, Identify, Fog Cloud, Invisibility, Lesser Restoration, Magic Aura, Pass Without Trace, Protection from Good, Ray of Enfeeblement, Remove Disease, See Invisibility, Shield, Spider Climb, Silent Image, Undetectable Alignment, Ventriloquism
2nd: Alter Self, Blindness/Deafness, Blur, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Deeper Darkness, Detect Thoughts, Dispel Magic, Greater Magic Weapon¹, Invisibility Sphere, Keen Edge¹, Levitate, Locate Object, Meld Into Stone, Neutralize Poison, Obscure Object, Mirror Image, Minor Image, Misdirection, Phantom Steed², Poison³, Remove Curse, Seeming, Summon Swarm, Web
3rd: Arcane Sight, Bestow Curse, Blink, Charm Monster, Death Ward, Detect Scrying, Dimension Door, Discern Lies, Greater Command, Greater Dispel Magic, Displacement, Divination, Freedom of Movement, Gaseous Form, Giant Vermin, Haste, Illusory Wall, Improved Invisibility, Insect Plague⁴, Nondetection, Major Image, Mass Cat’s Grace, Mind Fog, Minor Creation, Passwall, Phantasmal Killer, Prying Eyes, Remove Curse, Shadow Walk, Shrink Item, Slay Living, Slow, Stinking Cloud, Stone Shape, Suggestion, Transmute Mud to Rock⁵, True Seeing, Veil, Waves of Fatigue
4th: Break Enchantment, Cloudkill, Enervation, False Vision, Find the Path, Greater Arcane Sight, Greater Prying Eyes, Hallucinatory Terrain, Major Creation, Mass Charm Monster, Mass Invisibility, Mislead, Persistent Image, Move Earth, Phase Door, Scrying, Solid Fog, Wall of Stone, Waves of Exhaustion, Wind Walk
5th: Acid Fog, Analyze Dweomer, Circle of Death, Dominate Monster, Energy Drain, Flesh to Stone⁶, Greater Scrying, Mass Suggestion, Mirage Arcana, Programmed Image, Project Image, Sequester, Wall of Force

1: Duration is instead 24 hours.
2: Takes the shape of a spider of appropriate size.
3: Deals Str damage instead of Con damage.
4: Summons spiders instead
5: You also can cast Transmute Rock to Mud.
6: You can also case Stone to Flesh

[TrueJordan]

C 1012



Bit like the Children of Winter, but not quite?

I'll get on this one.

I don't know what that is, but sounds like something that can fit stylistically. It doesn't have to be cold-oriented, but whichever's easier.

Either way, I really appreciate it; thanks.

[Tetraplex]

R.1015

I would like a base class hybrid of the Soulknife and Warlock, able to focus either on range (Based on Soulbow/Blastlock) or Melee (Soulknife/Glaive or Clawlock), using the shape invocations or versions of them to modify the class' weapon.
Basing it on the Multiclass Archetypes from Pathfinder (Examples here) may be a good start since the idea came from them, but no need to convert the classes to PF or anything.

[CaDzilla]

I have failed to post about C 1007 4 separate times, I think the internet gods hate me. Here's one more try.



H 1009: Favored of Lolth
This is also outside the scope of the Request a homebrew thread, but I'm inspired enough by the concept that I went ahead and wrote something. It's a class of priestesses appointed by Lolth who get dark spider magic, spider companions, and use dexterity for everything. The Tier 3+ of gishes, off the duskblade template.

HD: d10
BAB: 3/4
Good Saves: Reflex and Fortitude
Skill points: 6 + Intelligence modifier
Skills: Appraise, Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Escape Artist, Forgery, Handle Animal, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (religion), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, Tumble, Use Rope

{table]Level|Special
1|Speak language (drow sign language), weapon finesse
2|Poison resistance, sneak attack +1d6
3|Blessing of the spider queen
4|Walk with spiders
5|Enforcer
6|Sneak attack +2d6
7|Demonweb grace
8|Poison use, swift assault
9|
10|Sneak attack +3d6
11|Spider queen’s touch
12|Poison immunity
13|
14|Sneak attack +4d6
15|
16|Body of the swarm
17|
18|Sneak attack +5d6
19|
20|Queen of her kind[/table]

Class Features
The following are class features of the Favored of Lolth.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Favored of Lolth are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as light and medium armor, shields (except heavy shields), and whips.

Spells: You cast divine spells, which are drawn from the Favored of Lolth spell list. You can cast any spell you know without preparing it ahead of time.

To learn or cast a spell, you must have a Dexterity score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against your spell is 10 + the spell level + your Dex modifier. You can only cast a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. When you cast a spell, you fuse the verbal and somatic components into your use of drow sign language and thus need not utter any sound during the process.

Your base daily allotment is identical to that of the duskblade (see PHB II, p.19). In addition, you receive bonus spells per day if you have a high Dexterity score (see Table 1-1: Ability Modifier and Bonus Spells in the PHB, p.8).

Spells Known: You begin play knowing 2 0-level and 2 1st-level spells, chosen from the Favored of Lolth spell list. You also know one additional 0-level spells for each point of Intelligence bonus.

Each time you gain a new class level, you learn one additional spell of the highest level you can cast, chosen from the Favored of Lolth list. Instead of choosing a single spell to learn, you may choose 2 spells 1 level lower.

Upon reaching 5th level, and at every subsequent odd-numbered level, you can choose to learn a new spell in place of one you already know. In effect, you lose access to the old spell in exchange for gaining the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged.

You need not prepare spells in advance. You can cast any spell you know at any time, assuming you have not yet used up your spells per day for that spell level.

Speak Language: If you do not already know drow sign language, you learn it.

Weapon Finesse: At level 1, you gain Weapon Finesse as bonus feat.

Sneak Attack: This functions as the rogue class feature, but sneak attack damage begins at 1d6 at level 2, and advances 1d6 every 4 levels.

Poison Resistance: At level 2, you gain a +4 bonus on saves against the effects of poisons. This includes the poison spell and its variants.

Blessings of the Spider Queen (Su): When you are not in situation where taking 10 is normally impossible (e.g. not stressed or in combat), you may dedicate a spell you can cast to Lolth as a 1-round action, which consumes a spell slot that the spell would be cast from. You can only use this ability on spells with a casting time of 1 full-round action or less, and may not use it if you do not have the spell slots to cast the spell. While you have a spell dedicated to Lolth, you may use an immediate action at any time to cast the spell without provoking attacks of opportunity.

In addition, once per week you may use contact other plane as a spell-like ability, but only to speak with Lolth. You suffer no chance of intelligence or charisma loss.

Walk with Spiders: You may speak with vermin as if under the effects of speak with animals (but only affecting vermin) and you may use Handle Animal on vermin as if they were animals. In addition, Lolth grants you the service of a spider companion in the form of a small monstrous spider. As you gain levels in Favored of Lolth, your companion increases in power as shown on the table below. Upon death, loss, or release of your companion, Lolth provides you with a new one within 24 hours.

You may also select from alternative lists of companions. Should you select an animal companion from one of these alternative lists, the creature gains abilities as if your Favored of Lolth level were lower than it actually is. Subtract the value indicated in the entry on the table to determine the spider companion’s powers. (If this adjustment would reduce your effective level to 0 or lower, you can’t have that creature as a companion.)

Enforcer (Ex): You are respected by Lolth if you survive to 5th level, and members of the drow community will recognize your power. You are equal in prestige to the normal Lolth clergy (expect to trials from Her) and gain a +6 bonus on any Charisma check (including skill checks) involving other drow.

In addition, when you cast a spell or use a spell-like ability that forces a save, and the target’s save bonus is less than your Dexterity plus the spell’s level, the target immediately fails its save. When you use a similar ability that allows for spell resistance, the target’s Spell Resistance is less than your 10 + your hit dice, you are treated as automatically succeeding on the caster level check.

Demonweb Grace (Ex): At level 7, You can walk on vertical surfaces and ceilings as if under the effects of spider climb at all times, and you can see in darkness of any kind (even magical darkness).

Poison Use (Ex): Starting at 8th level, you never risk accidentally poisoning yourself when applying poison to a weapon.

Swift Assault (Ex): Also at 8th level, you can make a full attack as a standard action.

Spider Queen’s Touch (Sp): At level 11, as a standard action, you can make a touch attack against a target and force them to make a will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your Favored of Lolth level + your Dexterity modifier) or permanently take the form of a cursed spider as if under the effects of polymorph any object. The transformation process is very painful, leaving them sickened for a day afterwards. If they have fewer than 6 hit dice, they become a monstrous spider of their size. If they have 6 hit dice or more, they become a drider without sorcerer spellcasting.

In addition, you may plane shift anywhere in the Abyss as a standard action. If you use this ability to travel to the Demonweb Pits, you do not arrive off from your destination.

You may use either of these abilities once per day, with a caster level equal to your hit dice.

Poison Immunity (Ex): Constant exposure to poison has many your body strong. You are immune to the effects of poison, and cannot take strength damage, drain, or burn unless it is self-inflicted.

Body of the Swarm (Su): As a standard action, you may change into a spider swarm (as if under the effect of a polymorph spell), which bestows upon you the following changes:

• Your size becomes dimunitive, and your type becomes vermin (swarm).
• Your speed in all modes is reduced by 10 feet.
• Your space becomes 10 feet (your reach is still 0 feet).
• Your strength becomes 1, and you gain an attack that deals 1d6 damage plus poison (see below).
• You gain the Distraction ability of swarms, with a DC of 10 + 1/2 your hit dice + your Dexterity modifier.
• You gain an injury poison, dealing only initial strength damage of 1d6 + 1 per 3 hit dice (no secondary damage).
• You become immune to weapon damage and gain tremorsense out to half your darkvision range.

Queen of Her Kind: You are a god in your own right. Your powers are no longer derived from devotion to Lolth, but devotion to your own strength. You gain divine rank 0.


The Favored of Lolth’s Spider Companion
Your spider companion is superior to a normal spider creature of its kind, and grants powers to you as described below.

{table]Class Level|Natural Armor Adj.|Str/Dex Adj.|Bonus Tricks|Special
1|+0|+0|1|Bonus hit dice, link
2|+1|+0|1|Share spells
3|+2|+1|2|Uncanny dodge
4-6|+2|+1|2|Evasion
7-9|+4|+2|3|Share saving throws
10-12|+6|+3|4|Spell resistance
13-15|+8|+4|5|Improved uncanny dodge
16-18|+10|+5|6|Improved evasion
19-20|+12|+6|7|Stealth Mastery
[/table]

Spider Companion Basics
Use the base statistics for a creature of the companion’s kind, but make the following changes.

Spoiler

Show

Class Level
Your Favored of Lolth level. The Favored of Lolth levels stack with levels of any other classes that are entitled to spider or animal companions for the purpose of determining the companion’s abilities and alternative lists available to the character. Any features that advance the your animal companion can instead advance their spider companion.

Natural Armor Adj.
The number noted here is an improvement to the spider companion’s existing natural armor bonus.

Str/Dex Adj.
Add this value to the spider companion’s Strength and Dexterity scores.

Bonus Tricks
The value given in this column is the total number of "bonus" tricks that the creature knows in addition to any that you might choose to teach it (see the Handle Animal skill). These bonus tricks don’t require any training time or Handle Animal checks, and they don’t count against the normal limit of tricks known by the animal. You select these bonus tricks, and once selected, they can’t be changed.

Bonus Hit Dice
The spider companion gains 1 bonus hit die per your effective Favored of Lolth levle. Remember that these improve the companion’s BAB, base saves, and grant them feats and skills. These hit dice do not grant additional attribute increases.

Link
You can handle your spider companion as a free action, or push it as a move action, even if you do not have any ranks in the Handle Animal skill. You gain a +4 circumstance bonus on all handle animal checks made regarding vermin.

Share Spells
At your option, you may have any spell (or spell-like ability) you cast upon yourself also affect your spider companion. The spider companion must be within 5 feet of you at the time of casting to receive the benefit. If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the spider companion if the companion moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect it again, even if it returns to you before the duration expires.

Additionally, you may cast a spell with a target of "You" on your spider companion (as a touch range spell) instead of on yourself. You and her animal companion can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the your type (vermin).

Uncanny dodge
The spider companion retains its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if it is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, it still loses its Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

The spider companion grants you the benefits of uncanny dodge as well as long as the two of you are within 5 feet of each other.

Evasion
If a spider companion is subject to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw.

The spider companion grants you the benefits of evasion as well as long as the two of you are within 5 feet of each other

Share Saving Throws
For each of its saving throws, the spider companion uses its own base save bonus or yours, whichever is higher. The companion applies its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any other bonuses on saves that you might have.

Spell Resistance
A spider companion’s spell resistance equals yours or its hit dice + 10, whoever is higher.

Improved Uncanny Dodge
The spider companion cannot be flanked unless it’s by a creature with sneak attack and at least 4 more hit dice than the companion.

The spider companion grants you the benefits of improved uncanny dodge as well as long as the two of you are within 5 feet of each other.

Improved Evasion
If the spider companion is subject to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, the companion takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage if the saving throw fails.

The spider companion grants you the benefits of improved evasion as well as long as the two of you are within 5 feet of each other.

Stealth Mastery
As a standard action, the spider companion can make itself and you invisible as per invisibility. This is a spell-like ability with a caster level of 20, and ignores the effects of invisibility-piercing spells such as see invisibility and true seeing for the first round they would detect you.

Alternative Animal Companions
These need filling. Fiendish monsters and the variety of spiders in different books belong here.

Spoiler

Show

2nd Level or Higher (Level – 1)
Small Monstrous Spider

3rd Level or Higher (Level – 2)
Medium Monstrous Spider
Spider Swarm

4th Level or Higher (Level – 3)
Large Monstrous Spider

7th Level or Higher (Level – 6)
Aranea
Huge Monstrous Spider

10th Level or Higher (Level – 9)
Drider (cannot cast spells as a sorcerer)
Gargantuan Monstrous Spider
Phase Spider

13th Level or Higher (Level – 12)
Colossal Monstrous Spider

16th Level or Higher (Level – 15)

Favored of Lolth Spell List

Spoiler

Show

0th: Bane, Bless, Dancing Lights, Detect Poison, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Know Direction, Magic Weapon¹, Mount², Obscuring Mist, Resistance, Touch of Fatigue, Mage Hand, Message
1st: Augury, Cat’s Grace, Command, Crushing Despair, Darkness, Disguise Self, Expeditious Retreat, Grease, Identify, Fog Cloud, Invisibility, Lesser Restoration, Magic Aura, Pass Without Trace, Protection from Good, Ray of Enfeeblement, Remove Disease, See Invisibility, Shield, Spider Climb, Silent Image, Undetectable Alignment, Ventriloquism
2nd: Alter Self, Blindness/Deafness, Blur, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Deeper Darkness, Detect Thoughts, Dispel Magic, Greater Magic Weapon¹, Invisibility Sphere, Keen Edge¹, Levitate, Locate Object, Meld Into Stone, Neutralize Poison, Obscure Object, Mirror Image, Minor Image, Misdirection, Phantom Steed², Poison³, Remove Curse, Seeming, Summon Swarm, Web
3rd: Arcane Sight, Bestow Curse, Blink, Charm Monster, Death Ward, Detect Scrying, Dimension Door, Discern Lies, Greater Command, Greater Dispel Magic, Displacement, Divination, Freedom of Movement, Gaseous Form, Giant Vermin, Haste, Illusory Wall, Improved Invisibility, Insect Plague⁴, Nondetection, Major Image, Mass Cat’s Grace, Mind Fog, Minor Creation, Passwall, Phantasmal Killer, Prying Eyes, Remove Curse, Shadow Walk, Shrink Item, Slay Living, Slow, Stinking Cloud, Stone Shape, Suggestion, Transmute Mud to Rock⁵, True Seeing, Veil, Waves of Fatigue
4th: Break Enchantment, Cloudkill, Enervation, False Vision, Find the Path, Greater Arcane Sight, Greater Prying Eyes, Hallucinatory Terrain, Major Creation, Mass Charm Monster, Mass Invisibility, Mislead, Persistent Image, Move Earth, Phase Door, Scrying, Solid Fog, Wall of Stone, Waves of Exhaustion, Wind Walk
5th: Acid Fog, Analyze Dweomer, Circle of Death, Dominate Monster, Energy Drain, Flesh to Stone⁶, Greater Scrying, Mass Suggestion, Mirage Arcana, Programmed Image, Project Image, Sequester, Wall of Force

1: Duration is instead 24 hours.
2: Takes the shape of a spider of appropriate size.
3: Deals Str damage instead of Con damage.
4: Summons spiders instead
5: You also can cast Transmute Rock to Mud.
6: You can also case Stone to Flesh

C1009: Should have specified that both of my requests were prestige classes. 1009 also shouldn't be exclusive to Drow. 1010 should be entry friendly to both rogues and barbarians.

[7th son of sons]

R: 1016

A.) In an upcoming campaign, a friend of mine wished to play as a Snake Tailed Lamia Character. We are starting this new campaign at lvl 1, so I was hoping someone could help me out and design a Savage Progression style Class for the player to play as a Lamia. Her requests are: Bonus Against Trip, Something to represent a Lamia's savage nature, Access to most SLA's, and Large Size.

B.) In addition, another of my player, a first timer, was interested in playing a class similar to the League of Legends character Twisted Fate, and while I realize there is most likely a way to multi-class to get his skills and abilities, I don't want to confuse the new player with a lot of multiclassing. Can someone design a single class, whether base or prestige, that would grant a character these abilities?

C.) And lastly, I am designing a Druid Villain in the campaign, and would like them to have more of a insectial or hive-mind flavour. Can Anyone design a druid PRC based around Insect control or Bees of some nature?

[Just to Browse]

My distractions are settling down, so I can devote the time necessary to make stuff again. Response-worthy stuff:

C 1003
I thought I posted a sample monster, but the same Wi-Fi that killed my post last time killed this one, and I never bothered to check. I've also realized the monster was kind of crap, so I'll do this with your input. Pick one of the three (and feel free to suggest/add things, I'm just throwing out concepts), I'll make it, and you can put the other two in the queue if you like them.

• Tag-team mirror monsters that act on the same initiative, mirror each other's actions, and share HP/status conditions.
• Crazy mirror-replicators with mirror cloning shenanigans. Can make copies and go totally out of control, but all the copies die if you kill the original.
• Light-abusing bruiser. Strong against attackers with dazzle/blind aura, strong against mages with unconventional immunities. It can hit really hard if it focuses 1 target for multiple turns, but gets taunted and distracted easily.

C 1009
I probably should have asked. Questions:

• What level of entry?
• Should it have lots of drow flavor, despite allowing non-drow?
• (If it doesn't have drow flavor) would you be OK with me removing the DSL part entirely, and making a signer of some kind?
• Gish class or no?
• Any type of spell focus?

R 1012
In case afro doesn't get to this, I can wait to provide a backup. I'm thinking of a druid ACF (that way you can do it from level 1) that restricts spell list, and in exchange replaces all the nature-y abilities with stronger ones that involve killing things. That cool by you?

C 1015
Base classes are outside the scope of the Request-a-Homebrew thread, but I'm willing to write the first 5-10 levels of the class for you. Here are questions and things for you to respond to:

• Forcing players to spend invocations on weapon shapes instead of cool invocations is bad design, so I'd rather write a list of weapons they can use (6-100: blast, bow, thrown weapon, sky lightning, glaive, claw, sword, whip/chain)
• Do you want this to advance powers and/or invocations?
• Do you have a preferred style of combat for characters of this class? (negating attacks, assassinations, switching between weapons in combat, etc)
• Certain class features you want to see included?
• Any prestige classes you want to take this into?

Feel free to answer as many of these as you'd like, I will take creative liberties otherwise.

[unseenmage]

C 1003

...

C 1003
I thought I posted a sample monster, but the same Wi-Fi that killed my post last time killed this one, and I never bothered to check. I've also realized the monster was kind of crap, so I'll do this with your input. Pick one of the three (and feel free to suggest/add things, I'm just throwing out concepts), I'll make it, and you can put the other two in the queue if you like them.

• Tag-team mirror monsters that act on the same initiative, mirror each other's actions, and share HP/status conditions.
• Crazy mirror-replicators with mirror cloning shenanigans. Can make copies and go totally out of control, but all the copies die if you kill the original.
• Light-abusing bruiser. Strong against attackers with dazzle/blind aura, strong against mages with unconventional immunities. It can hit really hard if it focuses 1 target for multiple turns, but gets taunted and distracted easily.

...

I like all three. And I think i like them all about equally. Though the Light-abusing bruiser seems the most straightforward. So i guess that puts him at the top.

The mirror-replicators sound awesome. Perhaps each generation is half the strength of the last? Would keep Mirror Mephit-like shenanigans down some maybe.

The tag-team monster sounds tough to run, but I'd love to see what you could come up with. Something as simple as it just always having a flanking buddy?

[gurgleflep]

R: 1006

A.) In an upcoming campaign, a friend of mine wished to play as a Snake Tailed Lamia Character. We are starting this new campaign at lvl 1, so I was hoping someone could help me out and design a Savage Progression style Class for the player to play as a Lamia. Her requests are: Bonus Against Trip, Something to represent a Lamia's savage nature, Access to most SLA's, and Large Size.

B.) In addition, another of my player, a first timer, was interested in playing a class similar to the League of Legends character Twisted Fate, and while I realize there is most likely a way to multi-class to get his skills and abilities, I don't want to confuse the new player with a lot of multiclassing. Can someone design a single class, whether base or prestige, that would grant a character these abilities?

C.) And lastly, I am designing a Druid Villain in the campaign, and would like them to have more of a insectial or hive-mind flavour. Can Anyone design a druid PRC based around Insect control or Bees of some nature?

This is R1016, I believe. The numbers have been pretty scrambled lately.

[DrunkenMists]

H 1006
Mounted Crusader (Crusader Variant)
"She is my ally on the battlefield, and my friend on the road."

Gain
Skills
Add handle animal and survival to the mounted crusader's class skills.

Mounted Combat
At level 1, a mounted crusader gains Mounted Combat as a bonus feat even if she does not meet the prerequisites.

In addition, when the crusader is mounted, she may use her mount's Dexterity modifier or her Dexterity modifier (whichever is higher) for the purposes of calculating Reflex saves and Initiative.

Dedicated Mount (Ex)
A level 1 mounted crusader gains the services of a mount. Any creature of the animal type that the crusader can ride (DM discretion, I don't recommend allowing great apes or octupi) is available as a mount, and it's CR must be equal to or less than the crusader's HD - 1 (minimum 1). The crusader can speak with her mount (and only her mount) as if under the effects of speak with animals.

The mount is different from normal animals of its kind: Its maximum HP is equal to half the crusader's maximum HP, and it's intelligence is 6 + 1 per point of the Crusader's intelligence modifier (the animal keeps its type despite having invalid intelligence). Further benefits are conferred based on the difference between the crusader's HD - 1 and the mount's CR as follows:

• 1 Bonus HD per point of difference (mounts gain feats and skill points, but not attribute increases, from these hit dice)
• +1 Str per 2 points of difference (round up)
• +1 Dex per 2 points of difference (round down)

The mount acts on the same initiative as the mounted crusader, and she may command her mount as a swift action. Upon the death, loss, or release of a mount, a mounted crusader can find a replacement by spending a week bonding with another suitable creature and making a Handle Animal check (DC 10 + hit dice of the creature, you cannot take 10 on this).

Evasion and Improved Evasion (Ex)
At level 3, a mounted crusader gains Evasion so long as she is unarmored or mounted. At level 13, this becomes Improved Evasion. The crusader shares the benefits of these features with her mount so long as she is mounted.

Speak with Animals (Ex)
A level 6 mounted crusader can now speak with any creature with the animal type as if under the effects of speak with animals. At level 18, she can use this ability to speak with animals or magical beasts, regardless of intelligence score and language.

Hard Ride
At level 10, a mounted crusader can take 10 on handle animal and ride checks, even while in a situation that would not normally allow her to take 10 (including the Handle Animal check in Dedicated Mount).

Lose
Furious Counterstrike, Steely Resolve, Zealous Surge, Smite, Die Hard, Mettle.

Remove intimidate from the mounted crusader's skill list.

Spoiler: Notes and Analysis

Show

This is a bit of a power-up to the crusader, especially at the higher levels, because the random selection of powers is a huge pain in the ass. I didn't grant an animal companion or special mount in case you wanted to be a nature paladin and multiclass for 5 animal companions or whatever.

The class gets some much-needed utility, which I especially did because of the handle animal / ride skill tax you're going to be paying for a mount. Everything but Indomitable Soul is replaced, to encourage you to keep stacking Charisma. You can either pick up a bunch of boosts and play an ubercharger or let your mount carry you around while you throw down full-round action strikes.

R1006

Sorry for the Slow Reply on this one Just to Browse.

Thank you so much; I think you've way more than exceeded what I was in-visioning when I put in the request, especially since you made it a pretty unique looking class feature compared to printed material.

I'm already smiling at the concept of playing this in a Game.

[CaDzilla]

C1009
It should be slightly Drow flavored in aspects like spell resistance and spell like abilities. It should probably give the player some sort of spider familar, but that should be the extent of Drow references. As I said before, it should have dexterity based casting. The class should therefore focus on acrobatics and movement. It should also be a primary caster

[TrueJordan]

@Just to Browse,
Yeah, I'm more than happy with this. Thanks man!

[Just to Browse]

C 1003
I'll do the light-abusing bruiser, and then make the other ones after R 1016 is resolved.

The mirror-replicators would be the toughest from a design standpoint, because they have to be possible to kill without being obvious, and need to be dangerous without overwhelming the party. The duo-monster could be a real pain to run without a good environment set-up, so I think I might write it in a sample encounter of some kind.

C 1006
Your idea was really great, so I may have changed more class features than necessary because I got excited. I'm really glad you like it.

C 1009
Prestige classes can only feed primary caster characters through "+1 level of spellcasting class" synergy, and PrC's shouldn't rewrite a base class's casting stat, so I really don't know where to take that.

C 1012
Don't think you're off the hook yet, my friend! I have more questions:

• Which books can/should I use? The spell list of a death aspect druid is a lot more dependent on sourcebooks than most other classes. Of particular importance are Complete Divine, Spell Compendium, and maybe Sandstorm. The fewer sourcebooks are allowed, the more power gets funneled into the rest of the druid class features.
• Druid casting allows them to be good with attack spells and battlefield control (BFC). Restricting the spell list to "I kill you" spells means they lose a lot of BFC options, which is a big deal. I can do one of the following to deal with this:
  
  1. Write in some class features that allow the druid to use BFC options.
  2. Keep BFC spells, but add footnotes for reflavoring purposes.
  3. Buff up the attack spell options in lieu of the lost flexibility.
  4. Let it go, and accept the lower-power druid.
• A lot of the druid's utility (reincarnation, animal messenger, basically all their divination) doesn't fit the "I kill you" theme. I can keep these utility spells, or I can write in a few more class features. Your choice.
• I kind of want to give the druid spontaneous casting (like a beguiler, but without the spell's known delay). If you don't like that, tell me now!
• Spell Themes. Comment which you believe to be inappropriate:
  
  • Poison/Disease
  • Things involving ferocity (e.g. snake's swiftness, animal buffs)
  • Rust/Rot spells
  • Stronger, angry summons
  • Insects/Swarms?
  • Elemental attack magic
  • Anything that reduces healing
  • Anti-buff spells (see invisibility, dispel magic)

[Just to Browse]

After making an awkward double-ish post, I decided to use this space for H 1003. As usual, not attached to the name and fluff.

H 1003: Kanzzadit
"Grarghl."

Image reproduced from Wizards of the Coast under the fair use clause as per U.S. Code, Title 17, Chapter 1, § 107

Large outsider
Hit Dice: 12d8 + 12 + 12 (78 HP)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+3 dexterity, +5 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+16
Attack: 2 claws +16 (2d6 + 4)
Full Attack: 2 Claws +16/+16/+11/+6 (2d6 + 4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10ft.
Special Attacks: Brilliance, Entropic Disturbance, Shattering Claws
Special Qualities: Distraction, DR 5/-, Reflective Surface
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +9
Abilities Str 16, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 7
Skills: Jump +18, Listen +16, Move Silently +18, Spellcraft +14, Spot +16, Tumble +18
Feats: Great Fortitude, Improved Toughness, Weapon Focus (Claws), Combat Reflexes
Environment: Plane of Mirrors
Organization: Solitary, duo (2), squad (1-4, with 1-10 kalareem, 1-10 varoot), platoon (1-8, with 1-4 sillits)
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: how do i math
Level Adjustment: -

Death for a nerra isn't always the end. Some of the wisest sillits, interested in expanding the influence of their kind, have invented a ritual that combines pieces of dead nerra and grants them new quasi-life. The result is both horrifying and impressive. Kanzzadit's are strong, but the multiple residual nerra consciousnesses make them mentally slow and nearly impossible to control.

Combat
A single kanzzadit is a learning experience. Once players have mastered the tactics for kanzzadits, future encounters should be pretty easy unless you mix it up. Try and introductory combat or two featuring only kanzzadit(s), and then have them show up with other nerra in tow.

Brilliance (Ex): A kanzzadit gives off harsh lights when threatened. As a free action, they can radiate an aura that causes all creatures within 60 feet to be dazzled. Creatures within 5 feet of a kanzzadit are instead blinded. Neither of these effects allow saves, but the effects end immediately after leaving the area of effect. This can be countered by [Darkness] effects as though it were a level 6 spell.

Creatures that don't use sight (or close their eyes) and creatures native to the plane of mirrors are immune to these effects.

Entropic Disturbance (Su): At the end of a kanzzadit's turn, it can cancel any of the following effects within the given ranges (even those on itself, if it would not otherwise be able to):
{table]Effect|Range
Charm, Transmutation|Personal
Illusion (except Shadow)|60 ft.
Blind, Frightened, Dazed, Nauseated, Panicked, Staggered, Stunned|Touch[/table]

Shattering Claws (Ex): Each attack a kanzzadit makes against a foe deals +1d6 damage for each time a kanzzadit has successfully damaged that foe. The bonus damage cannot exceed +6d6 (1/2 the kanzzadit's hit dice) and is reset when the target regains up to 6 HP at once or is subject to an effect that would heal at least 1 point of ability damage. It can also be reset with a DC 15 heal check.

Example: Tordek is fighting two wounded kanzzadits. The first makes a full attack and hits twice, dealing 2d6 + 4 and then 2d6 + 4 + 1d6 bonus damage. The second charges and hits with its one attack, dealing 2d6 + 4 + 2d6 bonus damage. Tordek activates a belt of healing, curing himself of 10 HP, and finishes off one of the beasts. The last kanzzadit standing hits him again with one attack, but only deals 2d6 + 4 damage.

Distraction (Ex): Kanzzadits are primarily instinctive creatures, and their battlefield tactics reflect this. A kanzzadit can choose its target when it rolls initiative, but it at the start of each round it chooses to attack the last creature that dealt it damage or forced it to make a saving throw. Kanzzadits that don't get distracted in a fight choose to repeatedly attack the same target for maximum damage from Shattered Claws.

Reflective Surface (Ex): Certain effects reflect off kanzzadits. They are immune to fire, electricity, and light damage, and whenever they would take damage of this type they instead deal that 1 damage to all adjacent creatures per die of damage dealt (so an Azer's touch would deal no damage, but a 10d6 fireball would deal 10 damage). In addition, kanzzadits are immune to gaze effects and rays, and reflect those effects back on their sources.

[CaDzilla]

C1009
If that's the case, then just give the class bonuses based on dexterity like saving throws against the character's spells and ignoring verbal components.

[unseenmage]

C 1003

C 1003
I'll do the light-abusing bruiser, and then make the other ones after R 1016 is resolved.

The mirror-replicators would be the toughest from a design standpoint, because they have to be possible to kill without being obvious, and need to be dangerous without overwhelming the party. The duo-monster could be a real pain to run without a good environment set-up, so I think I might write it in a sample encounter of some kind.

My very first thought on reading this? "Wow, that sounds fantastic."
Which, of course, it does.

Perhaps the copies of the Mirror Replicators are less well formed or even hazy somehow. They could look like reflections with an appropriately DC-ed check to recognize them as less real. Perhaps even make the creature a blend of Mirror and Shadow and have the replications be Shadow duplicates. The Illusion school of magic might provide some of the necessary crunch if the problem is approached this way.

The duo-monster has me stumped though. I eagerly await your solution.