Tzardok's Miscellaneous Homebrew Repository

[Tzardok]

Hey. I'm still around. My project goes, but it goes slowly, and so I've decided to make this for a change. It's inspired by Pale, a web serial I'm currently reading.

Nettlewisp Glamour
“Nettlewisp, nettlewisp, nettlewisp.
I’ve tried being nice, I’ve tried being fair.
I’ve tried being even and I’ve tried being clear.
If that spying practitioner from outside Kennet keeps giving us the evil eye, staring at us with
Ill intent and promised omens, repay them three times over in stings and pain.
And if it’s Just, if the karmic way is clear, and if the glamour heaped in my hand is enough?
Nail their friggin’ eyelids to their skull.”
– Lucy of Kennet

Nettlewisp Glamour is a trick of the fey, used to punish enemies for doing the unwanted. As it is purely reactive, it allows its makers to claim that they aren't the ones to open hostilities. The glamour sometimes finds it way through bargains and boons into mortal hands.
Nettlewisp Glamour appears to be dark silvery powder, like a moonlit night in dust form, and is usually transported in small embroidered bags. As a Full-Round Action, you can strew the dust over an item, a location or a creature (including yourself) while describing to it a condition and a punishment (you don't need to speak loudly, but clearly). Conditions can be for example that the target is scryed on, scrutinized with magic, attacked, opened, etc., as long as the condition is some kind of active action. When this is done, the glamour transforms into a thorny flower of ethereal beauty and appearance, seemingly growing from the target. Whenever a creature (besides yourself or the target) attempts to do the condition to the target, the Nettle explodes, sending out its thorns unerringly into that creature and inflicts the punishment. Possible punishments are Damage (the thorns deal 5d6 damage which resist natural healing), Needle in the Eye (the thorns deal 2d6 damage and blind the offender), Cut Tendons (3d6 damage and halved movement rates), Crippled hands (2d6 damage, -4 to skills utilizing hands, 40% spell failure chance for spells with somatic components), Pierced Throat (3d6 damage and mute). The damage is magic piercing damage, the effects are instantaneous and require healing magic to be restored. The user may invent other punishments of similiar power. The offender may make a Will save (DC 18); if successful the damage is halved and the effects fade after 1 minute.
After the Nettle explodes, it transforms back into its powder form and can be reused if collected.

Spoiler: What they don't tell you:

Show

Nettlewisp Glamour has some quirks that makes it potentially hazardous to use. The fey that make it don't generally tell these to mortals, and so especially those who became confident in its usage are often caught off guard.
For one, Nettlewisp Glamour can't be "dismissed" by its user. It must either be discharged or disarmed, like a magical trap (if disarmed, it also transforms back into dust). This feeds directly into the second quirk: the Nettle grows in pressure and aggressivity the longer it is active. For every 8 hours that the Nettle is armed, it deals +1d6 damage more and the save DC grows by +1 (max. +15d6, +15 to DC). After 24 hours of this, the Nettle won't recognize the user anymore and can be triggered by him as well as anyone. From that point on the protected target counts as entangled, as the flower has spread farther over it. After a total of three days the flower has completely covered the target and pins it. With every day the Nettle also grows more sensitive for its condition, triggering at the smallest provocation.

Strong illusion (shadow); CL 13th; Craft Wondrous Item, Shadow Conjuration, Curse, Contingency, the creator must be an immortal fey, can only be created on the Plane of Faerie; 9,000 gp.

***

I've also got a few things to say.

First, after reading the 3.5 conversion of Dark Sun and the items it has to offer for refilling power points, I've finally came up with a price for mind rape oil. 10 gp seems balanced against the options there.

Second, a bit of house rules and terminology.

• I've decided to assign the Shadow subtype to any outsider native to the Plane of Shadow (and maybe some other creatures like shadow elementals; haven't decided yet). The subtype grants Darkvision 120 ft. and the ability to see in magical darkness.
• Likewise, any outsider native to the Astral and the Ethereal are assigned the Astral and Ether subtypes respectively. These subtypes don't cary any rules effects (unless someone comes up with something interesting), but are options for Favoured Enemy and Bane weapons. Together with the Shadow subtype this should reduce the number of outsiders that can't be addressed effectively.
• When an evil outsider becomes good, it's called "risen". When a good outsider becomes evil, it's called "fallen". When a lawful outsider becomes chaotic, it's also called "fallen", and when a chaotic outsider becomes lawful, it's again called "fallen". Does this annoy you as much as it annoys me? Well, I have decided that I'll call it "codified" when a chaotic outsider goes to Law, and "unbound" for when a lawful outsider deserts to Chaos. Unless anybody else has a better idea?
• The different types of outsider subgroups (like cuprilach, aurumach, cornugon, balor or throne archon) shall be known as "caste-species".

Third, regarding Meta's last post: Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't think I'll use it. That's because in distant memory, when I was new on this forum, afroakuma invented in his first Planar Questions Thread some rilmani society for me which involved some high ranked rilmani taking on "aspects" or "view points" of the other alignments. And even though it'll likely never happen, I still carry the hope that I'll 'brew these rilmani leaders one day. So, sorry.

[Metastachydium]

Nettlewisp Glamour

When this is done, the glamour transforms into a thorny flower of ethereal beauty and appearance, seemingly growing from the target.

A FLOWER!

Whenever a creature (besides yourself or the target) attempts to do the condition to the target, the Nettle explodes,

…
So, the flower explodes. I'm sad. (Also, nettles don't have thorns; they have very special hairs soaked in formic acid.)

Otherwise it's nice, albeit it runs into a common magic item problem: it has an abysmal save DC for its price (and that's before that will of its own kicks in (and its owner, in the face)).

[*]When an evil outsider becomes good, it's called "risen". When a good outsider becomes evil, it's called "fallen". When a lawful outsider becomes chaotic, it's also called "fallen", and when a chaotic outsider becomes lawful, it's again called "fallen". Does this annoy you as much as it annoys me? Well, I have decided that I'll call it "codified" when a chaotic outsider goes to Law, and "unbound" for when a lawful outsider deserts to Chaos. Unless anybody else has a better idea?

I like these.

Third, regarding Meta's last post: Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't think I'll use it. That's because in distant memory, when I was new on this forum, afroakuma invented in his first Planar Questions Thread some rilmani society for me which involved some high ranked rilmani taking on "aspects" or "view points" of the other alignments. And even though it'll likely never happen, I still carry the hope that I'll 'brew these rilmani leaders one day. So, sorry.

NOOOO! (But hey, at least I still get to feel clever about the idea.)

[Tzardok]

Just means I've got to raise the DC, right? Maybe 18 is better for a start.

[Metastachydium]

Just means I've got to raise the DC, right? Maybe 18 is better for a start.

What I wish was doen more often in 1st party sources is consider what level the item becomes affordable at (as per WBL) and put the DC in the ballpark of a spell that becomes available thereabouts. So, yes, in this case, I'd say a DC of 17+ (at 9th level, 9000 is a sum one can throw at an item without crippling oneself; that's where 5th level spells with a minimum base stat of 15, for a minimum DC of 17 come online), erring on the side of generosity for an 18 or so is the way to go.

[Tzardok]

I just noticed that I forgot to include the upper limit for the Nettlewisp's growth.

...but nobody has complained about the infinite growth yet, so maybe it's alright?

[Metastachydium]

I just noticed that I forgot to include the upper limit for the Nettlewisp's growth.

...but nobody has complained about the infinite growth yet, so maybe it's alright?

In my defense, I had plant anatomy/taxonomy minutia to complain about. Things infinite are usually not a good idea, and you should probably reconsider that one bit.

[Tzardok]

Then I'll add it back in. It was +15d6, +15 to DC.

[Metastachydium]

Then I'll add it back in. It was +15d6, +15 to DC.

That's reasonable potent, yeah, without breaking anything.

[Tzardok]

This was the result of some inane comment in the Planar Questions Thread that blew up and I couldn't just leave alone. Enjoy.

The Demiplane of Chocolate
One of the many demiplanes that imitate the Elemental Planes, the Demiplane of Chocolate is mostly made up of gooey half-liquid chocolate, with more solid chunks floating around and large empty spaces filled with air and cocoa dust. The chocolate is made up mostly of different flavours of dark and milk chocolate, but also white chocolate and different mixtures with other matter exist exist, especially close to natural portals. Despite its mostly molten state the matter making up the plane is mostly cool and can easily be reshaped into solid forms. The native chocolate elementals are artistic by nature and enjoy making large figurines, monuments and even cities from the base chocolate.

The demiplane has a few natural portals to other planes, especially to the Elemental Plane of Wood and to the Blooming Reaches, the border between Elemental Wood and Elemental Air. From the Blooming Reaches honey flows into the chocolate, while bits of nut, berry and other fruit enter the plane from Wood.

The Demiplane of Chocolate has been at war since a conjunction between it and the Plane of Faerie 300 years ago. Emmissaries of the Seelie and the Unseelie court battle each other over the opportunity to exploit the demiplane's ressources, while the natives unsuccessfully try to evict both sides.
The servants of the Unseelie are small, elf-like fey who ceaselessly mine the chocolate and shape it into statuettes depicting their master, an ancient sidhe with the appearance of a white-bearded old man, dressed richly in red and white furs. As part of a secret plan to manipulate the destinies of the mortals, he often gifts those statuettes to mortal children.
The emissaries of the Seelie on the other hand take the appearance of talking animals. Their leader is humanoid hare who commands his workers to fashion colourful eggs from the chocolate. During spring, he hides those eggs on the Material as anchors for an ancient fertility ritual that helps ensure the Seelie's supremacy.

Finite size. The plane is larger than many Material worlds, but Chocolate is still just a finite demiplane instead of a fundamental building block of the multiverse. Those who tried to reach the plane's borders reported an indestructible barrier resembling the inside of a cocoa fruit's shell.

Normal Gravity.

Normal Time.

Magically Morphic. The matter of the plane easily yields to certain types of transmutation magic. Fabricate doesn't require a craft check to make something from the surrounding chocolate and can change it from solid to liquid and back with ease. Spells like transmute rock to mud, transmute mud to rock or transmute stone to sand can affect the chocolate and change it, as fitting, between liquid, solid or cocoa dust. These changes are instantaneous.

Mildly Neutral Aligned.

Magic: Transmutations that target inanimate objects or areas are automatically extended and widened. Conjuration (Creation) spells that conjure anything besides chocolate are impeded.

Chocolate Elemental

Spoiler: Small

Show

Chocolate Elemental, Small
Small Elemental (Extraplanar)
HD 2d8+4 (13 hp)
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares); swim 50 ft.
Init: +0
AC 17; touch 11; flat-footed 17 (+6 natural, +1 size)
BAB +1; Grp +3
Attack Slam +4 melee (1d6+2)
Full Attack Slam +4 melee (1d6+2)
Space 5 ft. Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Sickeningly sweet (DC 12), spell-like abilities
Special Qualities Darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, gooey goodness
Saves Fort +4 Ref +0 Will +0
Abilities Str 14, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills Balance +8, Listen +2, Spot +3
Feats Improved Grapple^B, Improved Toughness^MMIII
Environment Demiplane of Chocolate
Organization Solitary
Challenge Rating 2
Treasure None
Alignment Usually neutral
Advancement 3 HD (Small)

Spoiler: Medium

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Chocolate Elemental, Medium
Medium Elemental (Extraplanar)
HD 4d8+16 (34 hp)
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares); swim 50 ft.
Init: +1
AC 18; touch 11; flat-footed 17 (+7 natural, +1 Dex)
BAB +3; Grp +10
Attack Slam +6 melee (1d8+4)
Full Attack Slam +6 melee (1d8+4)
Space 5 ft. Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Sickeningly sweet (DC 15), spell-like abilities
Special Qualities Darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, gooey goodness
Saves Fort +7 Ref +2 Will +1
Abilities Str 16, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills Balance +9, Listen +3, Spot +4
Feats Improved Grapple^B, Improved Toughness^MMIII, Power Attack
Environment Demiplane of Chocolate
Organization Solitary
Challenge Rating 4
Treasure None
Alignment Usually neutral
Advancement 5-7 HD (Medium)

Spoiler: Large

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Chocolate Elemental, Large
Large Elemental (Extraplanar)
HD 8d8+40 (76 hp)
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares); swim 50 ft.
Init: +2
AC 19; touch 11; flat-footed 17 (+8 natural, +2 Dex, -1 size)
BAB +6; Grp +19
Attack Slam +10 melee (2d8+5)
Full Attack 2 slams +10 melee (2d8+5)
Space 10 ft. Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks Sickeningly sweet (DC 18), spell-like abilities
Special Qualities Darkvision 60 ft., DR 5/-, elemental traits, gooey goodness
Saves Fort +10 Ref +4 Will +2
Abilities Str 20, Dex 14, Con 19, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills Balance +10, Listen +5, Spot +6
Feats Dodge, Improved Grapple^B, Improved Toughness^MMIII, Power Attack
Environment Demiplane of Chocolate
Organization Solitary
Challenge Rating 6
Treasure None
Alignment Usually neutral
Advancement 9-15 HD (Large)

Spoiler: Huge

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Chocolate Elemental, Huge
Huge Elemental (Extraplanar)
HD 16d8+96 (168 hp)
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares); swim 50 ft.
Init: +4
AC 21; touch 12; flat-footed 17 (+9 natural, +4 Dex, -2 size)
BAB +12; Grp +31
Attack Slam +17 melee (2d10+7)
Full Attack 2 slams +17 melee (2d10+7)
Space 15 ft. Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks Sickeningly sweet(DC 23), spell-like abilities
Special Qualities Darkvision 60 ft., DR 5/-, elemental traits, gooey goodness
Saves Fort +15 Ref +9 Will +5
Abilities Str 24, Dex 18, Con 21, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills Balance +12, Listen +9, Spot +10
Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Grapple^B, Improved Toughness^MMIII, Mobility, Power Attack, Spring Attack
Environment Demiplane of Chocolate
Organization Solitary
Challenge Rating 8
Treasure None
Alignment Usually neutral
Advancement 17-20 HD (Huge)

Spoiler: Greater

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Chocolate Elemental, Greater
Huge Elemental (Extraplanar)
HD 21d8+126 (220 hp)
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares); swim 50 ft.
Init: +5
AC 23; touch 13; flat-footed 18 (+10 natural, +5 Dex, -2 size)
BAB +15; Grp +35
Attack Slam +21 melee (2d10+8)
Full Attack 2 slams +21 melee (2d10+8)
Space 15 ft. Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks Sickeningly sweet (DC 27), spell-like abilities
Special Qualities Darkvision 60 ft., DR 10/-, elemental traits, gooey goodness
Saves Fort +17 Ref +12 Will +7
Abilities Str 26, Dex 20, Con 21, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills Balance +13, Listen +12, Spot +12
Feats Ability Focus (Sickeningly Sweet), Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Elusive Target^CWar, Improved Grapple^B, Improved Toughness^MMIII, Mobility, Power Attack, Spring Attack
Environment Demiplane of Chocolate
Organization Solitary
Challenge Rating 10
Treasure None
Alignment Usually neutral
Advancement 22-23 HD (Huge)

Spoiler: Elder

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Chocolate Elemental, Elder
Huge Elemental (Extraplanar)
HD 24d8+144 (252 hp)
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares); swim 50 ft.
Init: +6
AC 25; touch 14; flat-footed 19 (+11 natural, +6 Dex, -2 size)
BAB +18; Grp +39
Attack Slam +25 melee (2d10+9)
Full Attack 2 slams +25 melee (2d10+9)
Space 15 ft. Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks Sickeningly sweet (DC 29), spell-like abilities
Special Qualities Darkvision 60 ft., DR 10/-, elemental traits, gooey goodness
Saves Fort +19 Ref +14 Will +8
Abilities Str 28, Dex 22, Con 21, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills Balance +14, Listen +27, Spot +17
Feats Ability Focus (Sickeningly Sweet), Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Elusive Target^CWar, Improved Grapple^B, Improved Toughness^MMIII, Mobility, Power Attack, Spring Attack
Environment Demiplane of Chocolate
Organization Solitary
Challenge Rating 12
Treasure None
Alignment Usually neutral
Advancement 25-48 HD (Huge)

A chocolate elemental resembles a big slug made of molten chocolate, but is also able to solidify, making them look like large chunks of chocolate in a relatively badger-like form. Rarely summoned because of being relatively unknown, chocolate elementals tend to live pretty peaceful lifes and prefer building over fighting.
A chocolate elemental speaks Common and a weird language that somewhat resembles the elemental languages called Cocoan.

Gooey goodness (Ex) Chocolate elementals take half damage from desiccation and electricity. A chocolate elemental can switch with a move action between its normal liquid state and a solid state. In its solid state its Str rises by +4 and its Dex lowers by -2. It also exchanges its swim movement for a burrow movement at the same speed.
A liquid chocolate elemental is vulnerable to cold and is forced into its solid form if it takes more than 10 cold damage. A solid chocolate elemental is vlnerable to fire and is forced into its liquid form if it takes more than 10 fire damage. A chocolate elemental that transitioned forciably this way can't voluntarily change its state for 1 minute.

Sickeningly Sweet (Ex) Whenever a chocolate elemental hits any living creature that eats with a slam attack or wins a grapple check against such a creature, that creature must make a Fort save. If the creature fails, it is sickened for 1 minute. If it fails the save by 4 or more, it is nauseated instead. A creature that succeeds on its save is for 24 hours immune to this ability from this elemental.

Spell-like Abilities At will – fabricate, grease (creates liquid chocolate; only available in liquid state), hail of stones (creates hard and sharp cocoa shards; only available in solid state). CL equal HD, DC is based on Cha.

Skills Chocolate elementals have a +8 racial bonus to Balance checks as their bodies cling to surfaces.

Chocolate Mephit
Small Outsider
Hit Dice: 3d8+6 (19 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 30 ft, Fly 40 ft (average)
Amor Class: 16 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +4 natural), touch 12, Flat footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+0
Attack: Claw + 5 melee (1d3+1)
Full Attack: 2 Claw + 5 melee (1d3+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, spell-like abilities, summon mephit
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/magic, Darkvision 60 ft, Fast Healing 2, resistence 10 to electricity and cold, vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +3
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 15
Skills: Bluff +8, Diplomacy +4, Disguise +2 (+4 when acting in character), Escape Artist +7, Hide +11 Intimidate +4, Listen +6, Move Silently +7, Spot +6, Use Rope +1 (+3 with bindings),
Feats: Improved Initiative, Toughness
Environment: Demiplane of Chocolate
Organisation: Solitary, gang (2-4 mephits of mixed variations) or mob (5-12 mephits of mixed variations)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Small); 7-9 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: +3

Chocolate mephits are disgustingly sweet in their demeanor. They tend to mother and fuss over other beings, will never lose their smile and treat everything as if it was adorable.
Chocolate Mephits speak Common and Cocoan.

Breath weapon (Su): 10 ft. cone of cocoa dust; nauseated for 1d4 rounds; fortitude, DC 13. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +1 racial bonus.
Fast Healing (Ex): Only when in contact with chocolate.
Spell-like abilities: 1/hour – Cure Light Wounds, CL 3. 1/day – Good Hope, CL 6.

In the mephit code, sending a chocolate mephit is the worst offense possible for a fiend, for it implies that the recipient is a sweet, soft, fluffy cuddle-bunny that couldn't scare a babe.

Unseelie Stooge
Small Fey
Hit Dice: 1d6 (3 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft
Amor Class: 15 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +2 leather armor), touch 13, Flat footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-5
Attack: Dagger + 2 melee (1d3-1)
Full Attack: Dagger +2 melee (1d3-1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilties, unseelie's infamy
Special Qualities: Cold iron vulnerability, DR 5/cold iron, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, winter's mantle
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +4, Will +0
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 12
Skills: Appraise +4, Bluff +9, Craft (Sculpting) +11, Hide +10, Intimidate +9, Move Silently +6, Profession (Mining) +4, Survival +4
Feats: Skill Focus (Craft (Sculpting)), Weapon Finesse^B
Environment: Plane of Faerie
Organisation: Group (2-6 plus one 2nd-level enforcers), gang (20-50 plus 4-10 2nd-level enforcers plus 1-2 6th-level leader) or taskforce (100-400 plus 20-80 2nd-level enforcers plus 5-15 6th-level leaders plus 2-3 10th-level taskmasters)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: by class level (favoured class: rogue)
Level Adjustment: +2

The stooges of the unseelie court on the Demiplane of Chocolate resemble gnomes or small elves. Despite seeming friendly and open, these fey are small-minded, spiteful and conniving. They work together and obey their duties, but take glee in harming and inconveniencing others.
Stooges speak Sylvan and may know some smattering of Cocoan. Stooges with class levels will also know at least Common and Elf.

Cold Iron Vulnerability (Ex): Even touching cold iron hurts unseelie fey, dealing 1 damage per round of touch. Cold iron weapons deal +1d6 extra damage to them.
Spell-like Abilities: 1/day – Dancing Lights, Fairy Fire, Invisibility (self only), Levitate, Prestidigitation, Silent Image (DC 12), Speak with Animal (only reindeer and other animals of cold plains and woods). CL 1.
Unseelie's Infamy (Su): An unseelie stooge imposes a morale penalty equal to its Cha bonus (min. -0) to saves on any creature within 5 ft (except other unseelie court associated beings).
Winter's Mantle (Su): Winter holds a jealous grip on those it owns, shielding them from everything that would freeze their bodies or manipulate their emotions. Unseelie stooges are immune to paralysis (except through Dex damage) as well as charms, fear effects and other effects that would manipulate their emotions (e.g. deep despair).
Skills: Unseelie stooges receive a racial bonus of +4 to Bluff, Craft (Sculpting) and Intimidate.

Seelie Lackey
Small Fey
Hit Dice: 1d6+1 (4 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft, Fly 40 ft. (Poor)*
Amor Class: 14 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +2 leather armor), touch 12, Flat footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-5
Attack: Kick +2 melee (1d3-1)
Full Attack: Kick +2 melee (1d3-1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, vernal touch
Special Qualities: Cold iron vulnerability, DR 5/cold iron, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, seelie's glory
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 12
Skills: Craft (Sculpting) +11, Diplomacy +9, Hide +9, Listen +4/+8*, Move Silently +5, Profession (Mining) +4, Spot +4/+8, Survival +4
Feats: Fleet of Foot^{CW, B}*, Skill Focus (Craft (Sculpting)), Weapon Finesse^B
Environment: Plane of Faerie
Organisation: Group (2-6 plus one 2nd-level enforcers), gang (20-50 plus 4-10 2nd-level enforcers plus 1-2 6th-level leader) or taskforce (100-400 plus 20-80 2nd-level enforcers plus 5-15 6th-level leaders plus 2-3 10th-level taskmasters)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral
Advancement: by class level (favoured class: scout)
Level Adjustment: +2

The lackeys of the seelie court on the Demiplane of Chocolate resemble humanoid hares and chickens. Generally skittish and suspicious of strangers, they work well together and can be quite gregarious amongst their own.
Lackeys speak Sylvan and may know a smattering of Cocoan. Lackeys with class levels will also know other languages, at least Common and Elf.

*Lackeys can be either hare or chicken based. Chicken shaped lackeys have a flying movement and a racial bonus of +4 to spot. Hare shaped lackeys have Fleet of Foot as a bonus feat and a racial bonus of +4 to Listen.

Cold Iron Vulnerability (Ex): Even touching cold iron hurts seelie fey, dealing 1 damage per round of touch. Cold iron weapons deal +1d6 extra damage to them.
Seelie's Glory (Su): Seelie lackeys gain a morale bonus equal to their Cha. bonus to their saves (min. +0).
Spell-like Abilities: 1/day – Alter Self, Command (DC 12), Prestidigitation, Sanctuary (DC 12), Silent Image (DC 12). CL 1.
Vernal Touch (Su): Spring and growth flow through a seelie lackey's being. At will, as a Standard Action, the lackey can touch a living creature and cure the following conditions: dazed, sickened, fatigued, nauseated and exhausted. If this touch is used on an undead (as a touch attack), the undead must make a Fortitude save (DC 11) or run away as if panicked for 1d4 + 1 round. DC is based on Cha.
Skills: Seelie lackeys receive a racial bonus of +4 to Craft (Sculpting) and Diplomacy.

***

Also, two other house rules that I forgot in the last post:

• Healing is a subschool of Necromancy.
• The Native subtype's name often causes confusion, as not all Native Outsiders are native to the Material, nor does the type change depending on wether the creature is on its home plane. Therefore I decided to rename it. As the main point of the subtype is that the Outsider has a flesh-and-blood body seperate from its soul/essence, I first thought calling them Incarnate Outsiders, but that would have caused too much confusion with Incarnates and Incarnum. So I decided that I will call them Visceral Outsiders from now on (I confess that Pale did inspire me to this word choice, as magical beings there exist on a scale from visceral (corporeal and physical) to spiritual (incorporeal and abstract)).

I'm pretty sure there is another change I wanted to make, but I can't remember it for the life of me. Well, whatever. I will collect these house rules in the Index post at the latest when the next bigger homebrew project lands. Until then, have a good day and lots of chocolate.

[Tzardok]

New Creature: Just For Pun 3

This pun needed to be made.

Plumage
Small magical beast
Hit Dice: 2d10 + 2 (13 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), Fly 40 ft. (Clumsy)
Armor Class: 14 (+1 size, +2 dex, +1 natural), touch 13, flat footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/-3
Attack: Slam +5 melee (1d4-1)
Full Attack: Two slams +5 melee (1d4-1) and peck +0 melee (1d3-1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, abundance, partial plant traits
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +2
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +8, Spot +9
Feats: Run, Weapon Finesse (B)
Environment: Temperate woods
Organisation: Solitary, nest (3-10) or bouquet (30-60)
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: 3-6 (medium)
Level Adjustment: +1

A strange crossbreed said to be the result of experimentation by a sorcerer with a taste for gamebirds, the plumage resembles from afar a large pheasant or small paradise bird with beautiful, richly purple feathers. On closer inspection, one find that the bird is instead covered in tasty ripe plums. Plumages are skittish, for they tend to be harrassed by many fruit eaters and hunted by most except the most consumate carnivors.
Allegedly there exists a lesser cousin of the plumage called a peafowl. These ones are Tiny and can use their Abundance ability only once per day, but gain a racial bonus of +4 to Hide in environments with many plants, as the pods covering their bodies help them blend in.

Abundance (Su): Up to three times per day, a plumage can shed some of its plums as a gift for other beings. It usually only does so if trained to do so or it feels safe with the recipient. Using this ability is a Full-Round Action and produces 2d4 plums that work like the berries produced by the spell goodberries cast at the 5th caster level.
Partial Plant Traits (Ex): As liminary beings between plant and animal, plumages enjoy some of the traits of the plant type. Plumagess are not subject to critical hits and immune to paralysis, polymorph, sleep effects and stunning, but not against poison and mind-affecting effects. Abilities that only affect plant creatures can affect a plumage, but the bird receives a +4 to saves against the effect.
Skills: Plumages receive a racial bonus of +4 to Listen and Spot.

[Metastachydium]

[MATERIALIZES.]

This pun needed to be made.

SO YES!

Plumage

Also, awwww.
Small magical beast

Special Qualities: Darkvision 80 ft.

First time I see that range for it. Intentional?

Saves: Fort +10, Ref +2, Will +5

Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +2.

B]Level Adjustment:[/B] +1

And it's playable!

Allegedly there exists a lesser cousin of the plumage called a peafowl.

Heh.

Abundance (Su): Up to three times per day, a plumage can shed some of its plums as a gift for other beings. It usually only does so if trained to do so or it feels safe with the recipient. Using this ability is a Full-Round Action and produces 2d4 plums that work like the berries produced by the spell goodberries cast at the 5th caster level.

Very wholesome! Very nice!

Partial Plant Traits (Ex): As liminary beings between plant and animal, plumages enjoy some of the traits of the plant type. Plumagess are not subject to critical hits and immune to paralysis, polymorph, sleep effects and stunning, but not against poison and mind-affecting effects. Abilities that only affect plant creatures can affect a plumage, but the bird receives a +4 to saves against the effect.

A birdy that's a planty! Need I say more? This makes me happy.

[Tzardok]

First time I see that range for it. Intentional?

Just a typo.

Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +2.

And that was a copypaste error.

A birdy that's a planty! Need I say more? This makes me happy.

I thought so. Weird, that all puns I've came up with until now are plant based.
What's your opinion on the inhabitants of Chocolate?

[Metastachydium]

I thought so. Weird, that all puns I've came up with until now are plant based.

Look, I'm not gonna complain!

What's your opinion on the inhabitants of Chocolate?

They're W-I-L-D, but you gave 'em justice. I've been meaning to skim through their numbers, but I've got stuff to sort out first.

[Metastachydium]

And, as promised (and then some!):

The demiplane has a few natural portals to other planes, especially to the Elemental Plane of Wood and to the Blooming Reaches, the border between Elemental Wood and Elemental Air.

NEAT. (Is the Blooming Reaches actually a thing, with flowers and bees and all that?? Please tell me it is!)

Chocolate Elemental

[SPOILER=Small]Chocolate Elemental, Small

Attack Slam +4 melee (1d6+2)
Full Attack Slam +4 melee (1d6+2)

Special Attacks Sickingly sweet

[SPOILER=Medium]Chocolate Elemental, Medium
Medium Elemental (Extraplanar)

Attack Slam +6 melee (1d8+3)
Full Attack Slam +6 melee (1d8+3)

Special Attacks Sickingly sweet

Single natural attacks without the customary 1.5×STR added? Poor chocolate things.

[QUOTE][SPOILER=Elder]Chocolate Elemental, Elder
Huge Elemental (Extraplanar)

Special Attacks Sickingly sweet (DC 27)

DC 29 (feat).

A chocolate elemental resembles a big slug

Damn. Slugs are scary!

Gooey goodness (Ex) Chocolate elementals take half damage from desiccation and electricity. A chocolate elemental can switch with a move action between its normal liquid state and a solid state. In its solid state its Str rises by +4 and its Dex lowers by -2. It also exchanges its swim movement for a burrow movement at the same speed.
A liquid chocolate elemental is vulnerable to cold and is forced into its solid form if it takes more than 10 cold damage. A solid chocolate elemental is vlnerable to fire and is forced into its liquid form if it takes more than 10 fire damage. A chocolate elemental that transitioned forciably this way can't voluntarily change its state for 1 minute.

Nice.

Sickingly Sweet (Ex)

For this and all previous instances (statblock lines for SAs and feats, mostly): sickeningly would be the commonly used English word form.

Chocolate Mephit
Small Outsider

In the mephit code, sending a chocolate mephit is the worst offense possible for a fiend, for it implies that the recipient is a sweet, soft, fluffy cuddle-bunny that couldn't scare a babe.

On the flip side, they probably taste good when eaten out of frustration and anger. (Also, quite ironic given how strong these are with the nauseating breath and the decent SLAs).

Unseelie Stooge
Small Fey

Attack: Dagger + 2 melee (1d3-1)
Full Attack: Dagger +2 melee (1d3-1)

+3 to hit (size).

Saves: Fort +0, Ref +4, Will +0

Will +2 (Fey).

Challenge Rating: 1?

1/2 to 1, yes.

Level Adjustment: ?

I'd allow them at +0, honestly. They have enough setbacks and vulnerabilities.

Unseelie's Infamy (Su): An unseelie stooge imposes a morale penalty equal to its Cha bonus (min. -0) to any creature within 5 ft (except other unseelie court associated beings).

To what, exactly?

Seelie Lackey
Small Fey

[B]

Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1

Will +3 (Fey).

Challenge Rating: 1?

Sure, why not.

Level Adjustment: ?

I could see a +2. Vernal Touch is really good.

The lackeys of the seelie court on the Demiplane of Chocolate resemble humanoid hares and chickens.

Birdy flavour's appreciated!

***

Also, two other house rules that I forgot in the last post:

[LIST][*]Healing is a subschool of Necromancy.

Meh. There are about 2 Necromancy spells in the whole game: Deathwatch and Speak with Dead. I'll die on that hill.

The Native subtype's name often causes confusion, as not all Native Outsiders are native to the Material, nor does the type change depending on wether the creature is on its home plane. Therefore I decided to rename it. As the main point of the subtype is that the Outsider has a flesh-and-blood body seperate from its soul/essence, I first thought calling them Incarnate Outsiders, but that would have caused too much confusion with Incarnates and Incarnum. So I decided that I will call them Visceral Outsiders from now on (I confess that Pale did inspire me to this word choice, as magical beings there exist on a scale from visceral (corporeal and physical) to spiritual (incorporeal and abstract)).

An odd pick, but I like that word.

[Tzardok]

NEAT. (Is the Blooming Reaches actually a thing, with flowers and bees and all that?? Please tell me it is!)

Back when planewalker.com was still a thing, there was an article that was an expanded write-up of Wood with paraelemental and quasielemental planes and all. and this refers to it. Sadly it is one of the pages that is missing on the webarchive, so I can only go by memory. IIRC the paraelemental planes in the article were Pollen (Air and Wood), Coal (Fire and Wood), Kelp (Water and Wood), and Soil (Earth and Wood). I do not remember the positive quasielemental plane (maybe Bloom or Growth?), and the negative quasielemental plane had originally been described as Thorns before a commentor mentioned that negative is not about making an "evil", but a decayed version, and suggested Rot. (Thorn would still make a good Dread version of Wood.)

Anyway, in my version of the cosmology Wood doesn't get it's own paraelemental planes, as it is itself the mixture of elements, the Innermost Plane, where the "base" Inner Planes intermix to actually bring life into being (yes, yes, elementals are also alive, but they aren't life as we know it) (Edit: That's also why I offered for the wood mephit to count as having all four elemental subtypes). I still like the concepts of the article, and so I re-interprete those as border regions (like for example the Glowing Dunes between Magma and Radiance).
I imagine Wood as a giant tree that has its roots in the Mother Soil, the border of the plane to Earth, and stretches out to Air, with the branches getting lighter and thinner the more we enter the Blooming Reaches, where leaves, blossoms of all kind and free spaces full of pollen replace the solid wood for the most part. And yes, I'd assume that adapted "invasive" species that would feel at home live here, as do native creatures.
Don't ask me about the other border regions; I came up with the name Mother Soil just now and don't have names yet for them and only the most basic memories of what they were like in the article.

Single natural attacks without the customary 1.5×STR added? Poor chocolate things.

DC 29 (feat).

For this and all previous instances (statblock lines for SAs and feats, mostly): sickeningly would be the commonly used English word form.

+3 to hit (size).

Will +2 (Fey).

Will +3 (Fey).

All fixed.

To what, exactly?

To saves. Fixed.

[Debihuman]

Back when planewalker.com was still a thing, there was an article that was an expanded write-up of Wood with paraelemental and quasielemetal planes and all. and this refers to it. Sadly it is one of the pages that is missing on the webarchive, so I can only go by memory. IIRC the paraelemental planes in the article were Pollen (Air and Wood), Coal (Fire and Wood), Kelp (Water and Wood), and Soil (Earth and Wood). I do not remember the positive quasielemental plane (maybe Bloom or Growth?), and the negative quasielemental plane had originally been described as Thorns before a commentor mentioned that negative is not about making an "evil", but a decayed version, and suggested Rot. (Thorn would still make a good Dread version of Wood.)

You mean this:

https://planewalker.com/041130/eleme...ane-wood_.html

[Tzardok]

Thank you! I couldn't find it, so I assumed it hadn't been archived.

[Metastachydium]

You mean this:

https://planewalker.com/041130/eleme...ane-wood_.html

Thank you! I couldn't find it, so I assumed it hadn't been archived.

I'm not a fan of Coral in there, to be frank. It's the PLANTY plane extension of a PLANTY plane! Use PLANTIES, damnit!

[Debihuman]

I'm not a fan of Coral in there, to be frank. It's the PLANTY plane extension of a PLANTY plane! Use PLANTIES, damnit!

I agree. Kelp made a lot more sense; coral is an animal.

[Metastachydium]

I agree. Kelp made a lot more sense; coral is an animal.

Exactly! Besides Kelp, I could see a case for Mangrove (roots and roots!) as well.

[Tzardok]

Hmm... roots into Earth and Water, branches into Air and Fire? A "slanted" tree, so to speak? What about Positive and Negative then?

[Metastachydium]

Hmm... roots into Earth and Water, branches into Air and Fire? A "slanted" tree, so to speak? What about Positive and Negative then?

Negative would be Detritus, I'd say. A damp, dark place where everything organic slowly breaks down into smaller and smaller particles until nothing's left. Positive… Well, perhaps we could call it the Thicket. An increasingly impassable, tangled, weedy, nigh-tumorous mass of fresh growth expanding towards an eerie, white radiance that somehow manages to seep and creep into every single crevice, even the smallest, of the great spread, keeping it all alive and ever growing.

[Tzardok]

To celebrate the recent publishing of the newest Zamonia novel, Die Insel der 1.000 Leuchttürme (or more specifically, me becoming aware of it ), I present:

Excerpts from the Encyclopedia of Marvels, Life Forms and other Phenomena of Zamonia and its Environs by Prof. Dr. Abdul Nightingale: Constructs of Zamonia

I suddenly noticed that these spoil quite a lot of Rumo andThe Alchemaster's Apprentice. On the other hand, the booklings already spoiled The City of Dreaming Books, so whatever.

Leydenculus
At this point, I would like to make a small case for the use of Leydenculi: In my opinion, they are the most suitable tool for testing the effect of chemicals and drugs in model experiments, if one does not want to resort to living test subjects. [...]
Personally, I find it barbaric to torture frogs and torment mice if one can rely on this method.
– Excerpt from the lab journal of Dr. Oztafan Hummingbird

Diminuitive Construct
Hit Dice: ½d10+3 (5 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares)
Amor Class: 14 (+4 Size), touch 14, Flat footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-15
Attack: Slam melee +1 (1d2-3)
Full Attack: Slam melee +1 (1d2-3)
Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, lesser construct traits
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +0, Will -1
Abilities: Str 5, Dex 10, Con -, Int 1, Wis 8, Cha 5
Skills: Listen +3
Feats: Toughness
Environment: Any
Organisation: Solitary or laboratory (2-30)
Challenge Rating: 1/8
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: +0

The Leydenculus is a creation of alchemy and serves as an artificial test subject for all kinds of experiments. Resembling a small humanoid made of black peat, the Leydenculus is usually kept in a small bottle filled with a nourishing liquid and only taken out for more invasive tests. Chemicals can usually be tested simply by adding them to the liquid. A Leydenculus' physical reactions are modelled to be as close to those of a living humanoid as possible, including capability to feel pain. Leydenculi tend to be dull and childlike in personality and are rarely angered. Only the worst abuse of many Leydenculi at once can drive them into fighting back against their owner. A well-made and well cared-for Leydenculus can survive for up to a year, but most of their kind only live a month.
Leydenculi don't speak or understand any language, but they can express simple emotions through crying, babbling or singing. They also tend to understand tone and emotion in spoken language.

Lesser construct traits: Despite being constructs (and not even living constructs) Leydenculi suffer many effects that constructs are usually immune to. Leydenculi lack a constitution score, yet they can be affected by poisons, chemicals, diseases and generally everything that a living being would need to make a Fortitude save to. Chemicals and potions with mind-affecting effects also overcome the Leydenculus' immunity. Leydenculi can suffer ability damage (but not ability drain or life drain), but regenerate it quickly (2 points per ability per 8 hours) if given access to their nourishing liquid. It has an effective Con score of 10 for purposes of taking Con damage (and dying, if the virtual Con score falls to 0).

Creating a Leydenculus
The most important ingredient of making a Leydenculus is peat from graveyards in bogs, but in a pinch normal peat mixed with grave dirt will work too. Animating the Leydenculus requires a small electric spark, like from a 0th level spell or any kind of alchemical battery.
Ruleswise, making a Leydenculus works like making a non-magical item with a market price of 300 gp. The DC for the Craft (Alchemy) roll is 20. No magic nor any special feats are necessary on the maker's part.
Making the Leydenculus also produces a vial of nourishing liquid (enough to feed the Leydenculus for a week). The nourishing liquid has a market value of 5 sp per vial and a Craft (Alchemy) DC of 10.

Inspired by Rumo and his Miraculous Adventures.

Pain candle
„This candle experiences the pain of its burning very intensely and spends its existence in agony. Imagine your tail was on fire for your whole life. That is the kind of agony I'm talking about.“
„A-and if you put it out, Master?“
„Then it would obviously stop suffering. But what do I need a candle for that doesn't burn, and what do I need a pain candle for that doesn't properly moan in pain?“
– Dialogue between Alchemaster Ghoolion and his apprentice

A pain candle is an animate candle created for cruelty's sake. These alchemical items resemble normal candles, but they have a face made out of molten wax and are able to move (even if as slow as snails). After igniting the wick, the poor creature begins softly moaning and crying and slowly crawling around, unable to sit still. They also shine twice as bright. Evil characters find the flickering shine and the moans of pain stimulating, and will receive a circumstance bonus of +3 to Craft, Knowledge and Profession skill checks done within 10 ft. around a pain candle. Non-evil characters on the other hand find them disturbing and must make a Will save (DC 12) when entering this area or be shaken until they leave this radius. Succeeding on this save means the character doesn't need to make saves for other pain candles for 24 hours. A pain candle burns for 24 hours before it dies in relief
Makers of pain candles should be warned. In rare cases, when many pain candles have been used over long period of time, they may rebell againnst their abusers. A pain candle can move up to 5 ft. as a Full-Round Action. It can also make as a Full-Round Action a touch attack (melee +1, 1d2 fire plus ignition), setting things like books, clothing or alchemical substances on fire.

Creating a pain candle
The making of a pain candle requires melting a Leydenculus and snail slime into candle fat. The wick is created from nerves of small cold blooded animals like blind worm or frog.
A pain candle is an alchemical item with a market price of 400 gp and a Craft (Alchemy) DC of 25.

Inspired by The Alchemaster's Apprentice.

Cooked ghost
Let my magic brew revive
that which used to be alive.
Let my bubbling cauldron seethe
till the creature starts to breathe.
Brought to life it then shall be
by the power of alchemy.
– Common alchemical incantation

Medium Construct (Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 2d10+20 (31 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: Flying 30 ft. (Perfect)
Amor Class: 13 (+2 Dex, +1 deflection), touch 13, Flat footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-
Attack: -
Full Attack: -
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Gift false life, scare
Special Qualities: Construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., incorporeal, low-light vision, otherworldly
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +0
Abilities: Str -, Dex 14, Con -, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 13
Skills: Hide +7, Sense Motive +5
Feats: Ability Focus (Scare)
Environment: Any
Organisation: Solitary or waft (3-12)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 3-4 HD (medium), 5-6 HD (large)
Level Adjustment: +4

Cooked ghosts are a result of alchemy studying the most ephemeral of substances. A cooked ghost is usually created as a prank by students of alchemy or, as the process is very impressive, by masters to recruit apprentices.
A cooked ghost resembles a big floating sheet of cloth, but woven from dimly glowing ethereal light. Cooked ghosts tend to float aimlessly through a world they can't influence, but sometimes they feel a connection to a kind-hearted being or an ancient building and start spending time with the target of their affection. Cruel and vile people, on the other hand, are avoided by cooked ghosts if they can.
Cooked ghosts don't seem to speak any language, but sometimes people get the impression that the ghost understands them, no matter what communication is used.

Combat
Cooked ghosts flee battle or sometimes don't even defend themselves. Only rarely do they use their abilities to fight back, and always in the defense of someone or something they connected to.
Gift False Life (Su): This ability is used least often by cooked ghosts. Even experts on the matter often don't know that they even have it, and it may be the case that not all cooked ghosts possess it.
A cooked ghost can permanently animate a dead object with a touch, similiar to the spell animate object. There are two restrictions to this: first, the object can't be more than one size larger than the ghost. Second, the object must have been made from something that used to be alive at some point. The object animated this way has the Int score it had while alive and acts according to the instincts it had. The ghost can give it a single directive it will try to accomplish. If the animated object didn't have any instincts (like one made of common wood), it will have no drive beyond achieving that goal.
Using this ability destroys the cooked ghost.
Otherworldly (Ex): Cooked ghosts can only be created on the Material Plane. Despite this, cooked ghosts count as extraplanar for any magical purposes. If a cooked ghost becomes the target of a dismissal, banishment or similiar effect, they disperse, effectively destroying them.
Scare (Ex): Should a cooked ghost feel the need to defend itself or others, it usually uses this ability. As a Standard Action, the ghost lets the image of an eerie face appear on its surface, which seems to press itself against the „cloth“ of the ghost. Opponents witnessing this sudden scare must make a Will save (DC 14) or cower for 1d4+1 round. Those who succeed are only shaken for 2 rounds. The save is based on Cha.

How to cook a ghost
A cooked ghost is made by boiling certain alchemical substances together with corpse gas and animal fat in a cauldron. The whole process takes 1 minute of work (plus a day of preperation), a Craft (Alchemy) check against DC 17 and material worth 100 gp.

Inspired by The Alchemaster's Apprentice.

Copper Killer
„We are the - tick - Copper Killers. These - tock - men created us. Created - tick - us to kill. Let's not - tock - disappoint them. Kill them! - tick - Kill them well!“
– The first words of General Ticktock

Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 14d10+20 (97 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 35 ft. (7 squares)
Amor Class: 21 (+2 Dex, +9 +1 full plate), touch 12, Flat footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+13
Attack: +1 halberd melee +15 (1d10+6/3x) or +1 heavy repeating crossbow ranged +13 (1d10+1/19-20)
Full Attack: +1 halberd melee +15/+10 (1d10+6/3x) or +1 heavy repeating crossbow ranged +13/+8 (1d10+1/19-20)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Construct traits, damage reduction 10/adamantine, darkvision 60 ft., inbuilt armor, inbuilt weaponry, low-light vision, resistence to acid, electricity and fire 15, SR 10 + HD
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +5
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 14, Con -, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 9
Skills: Craft (Armorsmith) or Craft (Weaponsmith) or Profession (Siege engineer) +18, Listen +18, Spot +18
Feats: Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (Halberd), Weapon Specialization (Halberd)
Environment: Any
Organisation: Platoon (5-20), battalion (20-50) or regiment (50-200)
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: No coins, no goods, standard items
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: 15-20 HD (medium), 21-42 HD (large); or by character class (Favoured Class: Fighter)
Level Adjustment: -

For a long time, the Copper Killers were the greatest disaster plaguing Zamonia. This army of merciless fight machines had only one purpose: kill as much and as cruelly as possible.
After the legendary battle in the Nurnwood, four groups of expert craftsmen stumbled, independent of each other and at the same time, over the battlefield: a group of surgeons, a group of alchemists, a group of weaponsmiths and engineers, and a group of clocksmiths. First driven by the attempt to save as many dying soldiers as possible, then more and more by their own ambition, these four groups combined their arts to fashion the wounded into beings half-living, half-machine, using the discarded and broken weapons and armor as raw material to replace missing bodyparts and organs. Then their creations turned on them, killing most of them, before beginning their marauding. It was only when they sieged the Linnorm Fortress and the defenders called an earthquake on them, that half the army was destroyed. The remaining Copper Killers retreated into the Underdark and weren't seen since then.
No two Copper Killers look the same. All of them are humanoid, and most of them are completely clad into armor decorated with copper. In some cases, one can even discern the original race of the Copper Killer's organic parts. Practically all warlike races that were known at that time are represented amongst them, but for their function or internal ranking these are irrelevant. Some Copper Killers have inbuilt weaponry, others wield their armaments. Nearly any kind of weapon is represented.
The Copper Killers speak Common and all languages of common humanoid races.

Combat
In combat, the Copper Killers work well together. They are absolutely merciless and fearless, and will continue to fight until everyone on one side is dead or they receive the command to retreat. Copper Killers obey all commands at once and without hesitation.
Inbuilt Armor (Ex): A Copper Killer's armor is part of its body. It doesn't impose a movement penalty or a maximum dexterity bonus.
Inbuilt Weaponry (Ex): Many Copper Killers (but not all) have a melee weapon built into their body. A Copper Killer can't be disarmed of such a weapon. All damage dealt to the weapon as part of a sundering attempt is also dealt to the Killer. Reparing the Killer also restores the weapon, even if it was completely broken.
Feats and Equipment: Copper Killers qualify for feats like fighters of their level. Copper Killers are proficient with any melee weapon, all crossbows, and any shield. It is suggested to customize a Copper Killer's equipment, giving it either a two-handed weapon, a one-handed weapon and a shield, or two one-handed weapons. Change the Killer's feats appropriately.
Practically all Copper Killers wield a repeating crossbow as a ranged weapon. All equipment used by Copper Killers has at least a +1 enchantment.

Inspired by Rumo and his Miraculous Adventures.

General Ticktock
„You want - tick - battle? You want - tock - war? Then come to - tick - me! I am General Ticktock! - tock - I am war!“
– General Ticktock

Huge Construct
Hit Dice: 24d10+40 (172 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 35 ft. (7 squares)
Amor Class: 31 (-2 size, +7 Dex, +16 +5 inbuilt armor), touch 15, Flat footed 24
Base Attack/Grapple: +18/+35
Attack: +4 keen dwarven waraxe melee +31 (3d8+15/19-20, 3x); or claw melee + 25 (1d8+9); or +4 returning flying sawblade ranged +23 (2d8+13/x3)
Full Attack: +4 keen dwarven waraxe melee +27/+22/+17/+12 (3d8+15/19-20, 3x) and +4 keen bastard sword melee +28/+23/+18/+13 (3d8+16/17-20); or two claws melee + 25 (1d8+9); or two +4 returning flying sawblades ranged +23 (2d8+13/x3)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Death throes, fortress mode, walking arsenal
Special Qualities: Construct traits, damage reduction 20/adamantine, darkvision 60 ft., inbuilt armor, low-light vision, resistence to acid, electricity and fire 30, SR 10 + HD
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +15, Will +12
Abilities: Str 28, Dex 25, Con -, Int 19, Wis 18, Cha 21
Skills: Appraise +31 (+33 regarding torture instruments), Bluff +32, Intimidate +34, Knowledge (one appropriate to military leaders in the setting, like History or Warcraft) +32, Profession (Torturer) +31, Sense Motive +31
Feats: Awesome Blow, Cleave, Combat Brute^CW, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Far Shot, Greater Cleave, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Melee Weapon Mastery (Slashing)^PHB2, Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting, Penetrating Shot^PHB2, Point-Blank Shot, Precision Shot, Resounding Blow^BoED, Sense Weakness^Dra, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (bastard sword), Weapon Specialization (bastard sword)
Environment: Any
Organisation: Unique
Challenge Rating: 18
Treasure: No coins, no goods, double items
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Advancement: without limit; increase size when it seems fitting
Level Adjustment: -

When the Copper Killers had been finished, they seemed frozen. Zoltep Zahn, leader of the alchemists, declared that it was because they were soldiers and required a commander. So the creators of the Copper Killers collected all the body parts, weapons, siege engine parts and armor pieces they hadn‘t used up and built a copper giant from them. And then Zoltep Zahn inserted in a secret ceremony an alchemical “heart” into it to grant it a mind and will. The giant awoke, named himself General Ticktock, and the rest is, as they say, history.
General Ticktock is the drive behind the Copper Killers. All of them obey any of his commands faithfully, and most of his commands serve the purpose of slaughter. Ticktock enjoys nothing more than fighting and shedding blood, and he doesn’t really care wether his opponents can fight back or not. Since the flight of the Copper Killers into the Underdark, he has found another thing he enjoys: improving and upgrading himself, growing larger and larger, deadlier and deadlier. Who knows where this may lead him.
In appearance, the general resembles a giant in a completely copper armor, designed to be as terrifying as possible, with sharp teeth and claws and electrically glowing eyes. General Ticktock speaks with a metallic voice into which the mechanic ticking of a clockwork mixes, like a hiccup.
General Ticktock speaks all languages in the Player’s Handbook except for those associated with planar beings.

Death Throes (Ex): The ticking in General Ticktock's voice is a hint to the last perfidity his creators gave him. If the general is killed without completely destroying his body, the clockwork in him winds down and ignites a bomb. Two rounds after Ticktock is killed, he explodes and deals 20d6 damage (half fire, half bludgeoning and piercing) to any creature within 50 ft (DC 31, Reflex halves). The DC is based on Str.
Furthermore, the other Copper Killers only exist for Ticktock's sake. When General Ticktock dies, all surviving Copper Killers automatically de-animate.
Fortress Mode (Ex): General Ticktock's youngest upgrade is the fortress mode. As a Full-Round Action, Ticktock's mechanic shifts overlapping plates into different positions, increasing Ticktock's size and apparent mass in exchange for lesser mobility. In this state, Ticktock enjoys the benefits similar to those granted by righteous might, except for the following differences: he doesn't gain additional DR, his speed drops to 10 ft., he receives the benefits of stability. The general stays in this form until he spends a Full-Round Action to pull himself together.
Additionally, Ticktock gains a vulnerability in this form: A creature that is no larger than Large may try to enter his body through the openings forming in his exterior. This provokes attacks of opportunity from Ticktock. Any creature inside Ticktock's body takes 5d6 damage from internal blades and mechanisms per round (on the general's turn, DC 22, Reflex halves).
Movement in Ticktock will be abstracted. To move to any desired location (a part that hasn't been searched yet, the exit, an already found mechanism), a creature must make a Climb or Tumble check against a DC of 15 (attempting this check is a Move Action). As a Standard Action, the creature may Search its current location for a noteworthy mechanism (for example the flamethrower's fuel reserves, the acid stores, the launching mechanism for the saw blades). Finding it requires a Search skill check against DC 20. Sabotaging such a mechanism in a way that Ticktock won't notice requires a Disable Device check against DC 25 (taking 2d4 rounds). A mechanism can also be broken by brute force, requiring a Strength check against DC 23 (requiring a Full-Round Action).
Alternatively, the creature may attack with a light or one-handed weapon. Attacking the general mechanical interiority works like attacking Ticktock while he's flat-footed, and deals normal damage. Attacking a special mechanism may destroy it and hamper Ticktock's abilities. Special mechanisms have typically a hardness of 8 and 30 hp.
Ticktock's “heart” can be found this way too, but it is especially well hidden (Search DC 30). The heart is kept in a fixture and can be removed from it using a Disable Device check (DC 27), a Strength check (DC 25) or damage to the fixture (hardness 10, 35 hp). The heart itself has hardness 20, 60 hp and a Strength DC of 30 to be broken. Removing the heart from its fixture and leaving the body with it renders Ticktock both confused and staggered. Destroying it, wether inside the body or out of it, instantly kills the general.
Inbuilt Armor (Ex): General Ticktock's armor is his skin. It doesn't impose a movement penalty or a maximum dexterity bonus.
Walking Arsenal (Ex): In addition to whatever weapons General Ticktock wields (currently a dwarven waraxe and a bastard sword) a large variety of weapons is built into his body. Amongst those are:

• a flamethrower (breath weapon: cone 10 ft., 16d4 half fire, half acid, Reflex DC 31 halves. DC based on Str). The internal mechanic reloads the flamethrower after use within 1 minute. Ticktock stores enough fuel to reload the flamethrower twice.
• Two enchanted flying saw-blades (gargantuan chakrams) that are launched from within his shoulders
• stores for poisons, diseases in liquid form and similar substances. The General may apply such a substance to any of his blades (both wielded and inbuilt) with a move action. He has enough room for 30 doses of substances.
• Harpoon claws. The general can make a ranged claw attack (no range increments, max range 30 ft.). If he hits, the target must make a Reflex save (DC = dealt damage) or be hooked. The General can then pull the target as a Free Action as closely as possible and in a straight line to himself. This works like a Bull Rush. Independent of the success of the Bull Rush, the claw tears itself free and deals another 1d8+5 damage.

Feats: General Ticktock receives bonus feats like a fighter with a level equal to his HD. He also qualifies for feats like a fighter of that level.

Inspired by Rumo and his Miraculous Adventures.

Notes: A few ponderings. I was thinking about making the pain candle a full-fledged creature, with stats and all, but in the end I decided that those would have been awkward and not worth the effort. Things as slow as literal snails don't make good combatants.
I was thinking about making the Copper Killers and General Ticktock either martial initiators or giving them fighter bonus feats. As you can see I decided for reserving bonus feats for the general (a last minute decision), but no initiating for either. They didn't show enough "finesse" in the book to fit initiators IMO, and especially Ticktock relies more on his inbuilt weapons than on sophisticated fighting technique. Incidentally, in the book he had even more inbuilt weaponry, but I ran out of ideas how to interestingly design them. I'm just glad that I managed to involve all that he actively demonstrated during the final battle. What I am iffy about is fortress mode, both wether it is too complicated and has enough benefits to actually use it. I just liked the puzzle-boss qualities he has.

[Metastachydium]

Leydenculus

Diminuitive Construct

Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, lesser construct traits

Abilities: Str 5, Dex 10, Con -, Int 1, Wis 8, Cha 5

Level Adjustment: +0

Extremely bad at everything, but DIMINUTIVE with some Construct traits and LA +0? You truly are Evil!

Creating a Leydenculus
The most important ingredient of making a Leydenculus is peat from graveyards in bogs, but in a pinch normal peat mixed with grave dirt will work too. Animating the Leydenculus requires a small electric spark, like from a 0th level spell or any kind of alchemical battery.
Ruleswise, making a Leydenculus works like making a non-magical item with a market price of 30 gp.

DM: Your character died.
PLAYER: No worries, I do have the 30 gp to replace it.

Making the Leydenculus also produces a vial of nourishing liquid (enough to feed the Leydenculus for a week). The nourishing liquid has a market value of 50 sp per vial and a Craft (Alchemy) DC of 10.

…
Isn't that really just 5 gp?

Pain candle

A pain candle is an animate candle created for cruelty's sake. These alchemical items resemble normal candles, but they have a face made out of molten wax and are able to move (even if as slow as snails). After igniting the wick, the poor creature begins softly moaning and crying and slowly crawling around, unable to sit still. They also shine twice as bright. Evil characters find the flickering shine and the moans of pain stimulating, and will receive a circumstance bonus of +3 to Craft, Knowledge and Profession skill checks done within 10 ft. around a pain candle.

Circumstance bonuses are the best!

A few ponderings. I was thinking about making the pain candle a full-fledged creature, with stats and all, but in the end I decided that those would have been awkward and not worth the effort. Things as slow as literal snails don't make good combatants.

Combat isn't everything.

Cooked ghost

Level Adjustment: +1

Okay, so we have an intelligent, incorporeal creature with full Construct traits, an at-will save-but-still-suffer debuff (cowering is also a neat condition to inflict!) and a low HD count, with the downside being that a DM can easily gotcha 'em dead with a normally nonlethal spell. That's… Not LA +1 material. That's either LA Much Higher or non-playable in my book.

A cooked ghost is made by boiling certain alchemical substances together with corpse gas and animal fat in a cauldron. The whole process takes 1 minute of work (plus a day of preperation), a Craft (Alchemy) check against DC 17 and material worth 15 gp.

That it's also nigh-infinitely spammable as a minion as long as one is Good-ish and can Diplomacy them into being friendlies is also a possible issue.

General Ticktock

Still a better person than General TikTok!

Initiative: +2

+7.

Amor Class: 31 (-2 size, +7 Dex, +16 +5 inbuilt armor), touch 15, Flat footed 24

+11 base armour bonus? Can it be, I don't know, be looted from ts dead body (assuming the thing doesn't just explode)?

Attack: +4 keen dwarven waraxe melee +31 (3d8+15/19-20, 3x);

Why not just two-hand it for single attacks?

+4 returning flying sawblade ranged +23 (2d8+13/x3)

+27 to hit.

Full Attack: +4 keen dwarven waraxe melee +27/+22/+17/+12 (3d8+15/19-20, 3x) and +4 keen bastard sword melee +27/+22/+17/+12 (3d8+15/17-20);

+28/+23/+18/+13 (3d8+16 &c.) for the sword (Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization). Also, no OTWF?

or two +4 returning flying sawblades ranged +23 (2d8+13/x3)

+27 to hit.

Feats: Awesome Blow, Cleave, Combat Brute^CW, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Far Shot, Greater Cleave, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Melee Weapon Mastery (Slashing)^PHB2, Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting, Penetrating Shot^PHB2, Point-Blank Shot, Precision Shot

Precise Shot.

Advancement: without limit; increase size when it seems fitting

I mean, it only has two size categories to gain. I'd quantify.

Death Throes (Ex): The ticking in General Ticktock's voice is a hint to the last perfidity his creators gave him. If the general is killed without completely destroying his body, the clockwork in him winds down and ignites a bomb. Two rounds after Ticktock is killed, he explodes and deals 20d6 damage (half fire, half physical)

What's physical damage?

Fortress Mode (Ex): General Ticktock's youngest upgrade is the fortress mode. As a Full-Round Action, Ticktock's mechanic shifts overlapping plates into different positions, increasing Ticktock's size and apparent mass in exchange for lesser mobility. In this state, Ticktock enjoys the benefits similar to those granted by righteous might, except for the following differences: he doesn't gain additional DR, his speed drops to 10 ft., he receives the benefits of stability. The general stays in this form until he spends a Full-Round Action to pull himself together.
Additionally, Ticktock gains a vulnerability in this form: A creature that is no larger than Large may try to enter his body through the openings forming in his exterior. This provokes attacks of opportunity from Ticktock. Any creature inside Ticktock's body takes 5d6 damage from internal blades and mechanics per round (on the general's turn, DC 22, Reflex halves). To move around in Ticktock, a creature must make Climb or Tumble checks against a DC of 15. To find anything of note, like his flamethrower's fuel reserves, requires a Search check against DC 20. Sabotaging such a mechanic requires a Disable Device check against DC 25 (or brute force).
Ticktock's “heart” can be found this way too, but it is especially well hidden (Search DC 30). Finding and removing the heart from the body renders Ticktock both confused and staggered. Destroying it, wether inside the body or out of it, instantly kills the general.

I was thinking about making the Copper Killers and General Ticktock either martial initiators or giving them fighter bonus feats. As you can see I decided for reserving bonus feats for the general (a last minute decision), but no initiating for either. They didn't show enough "finesse" in the book to fit initiators IMO, and especially Ticktock relies more on his inbuilt weapons than on sophisticated fighting technique. Incidentally, in the book he had even more inbuilt weaponry, but I ran out of ideas how to interestingly design them. I'm just glad that I managed to involve all that he actively demonstrated during the final battle. What I am iffy about is fortress mode, both wether it is too complicated and has enough benefits to actually use it. I just liked the puzzle-boss qualities he has.

It's a tad on the complicated side, yes. My main issues are that it's not entirely clear how moving inside the thing works (one just rolls Climb/Tumble until a Search check succeeds?) and that I'm not sure what the mechanical difference between removing and destroying the heart is (if both are just Disable Device; if the latter takes attack/damage, the figures for break DC, AC, hp, hardness and the like are missing).

[Tzardok]

Extremely bad at everything, but DIMINUTIVE with some Construct traits and LA +0? You truly are Evil!

Okay, so we have an intelligent, incorporeal creature with full Construct traits, an at-will save-but-still-suffer debuff (cowering is also a neat condition to inflict!) and a low HD count, with the downside being that a DM can easily gotcha 'em dead with a normally nonlethal spell. That's… Not LA +1 material. That's either LA Much Higher or non-playable in my book.

First people applaud me for making everything playable, now they are upset that I made everything playable. I'll just remove those LAs.

…
Isn't that really just 5 gp?

I was absolutely sure that it goes 100 sp = 1 gp. Fixed.

+7.

Fixed.

+11 base armour bonus? Can it be, I don't know, be looted from ts dead body (assuming the thing doesn't just explode)?

Explodes and pierces you with flying shards.

Why not just two-hand it for single attacks?

I assume he's got both hands full.

+27 to hit.

Fixed.

+28/+23/+18/+13 (3d8+16 &c.) for the sword (Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization). Also, no OTWF?

I thought Melee Weapon Mastery overwrites those. Isn't the description of the feat that you can apply your weapon focus and specialization to all weapons off the chosen category? Also, I forgot about that feat and didn't find it during my search. Let's see... I'll replace Combat Brute.

What's physical damage?

Changed to Bludgeoning and Piercing.

I mean, it only has two size categories to gain. I'd quantify.

It's a tad on the complicated side, yes. My main issues are that it's not entirely clear how moving inside the thing works (one just rolls Climb/Tumble until a Search check succeeds?) and that I'm not sure what the mechanical difference between removing and destroying the heart is (if both are just Disable Device; if the latter takes attack/damage, the figures for break DC, AC, hp, hardness and the like are missing).

Yeah. Those are good points. I will need to go over those parts. But not now. Maybe on the weekend.

[Metastachydium]

First people applaud me for making everything playable, now they are upset that I made everything playable. I'll just remove those LAs.

Actually, the Leydenculus was kind of fine: it has some all-but-unique pluses, but also the kinds of always-on weaknesses to, for lack of a better word, balance them. The point is, it's plenty weird (which is good and very 3.5) and not an obvious pick, but rewarding to use for wild things. "Hm. -10 to INT, but natively Diminutive with a wild type, hm" is a dilemma, but of the cool kind.

Explodes and pierces you with flying shards.

NOOOOO!

I thought Melee Weapon Mastery overwrites those. Isn't the description of the feat that you can apply your weapon focus and specialization to all weapons off the chosen category?

Huh. That's not in the benefit line, but yeah, it's there, so… I'd let them stack, but I guess that's fair.

Also, I forgot about that feat and didn't find it during my search.

It's one of those stupid combat feats that I like more than I probably should. One day I'll put it on a Diopsid Tempest and be invincible… One day!

[Tzardok]

Actually, the Leydenculus was kind of fine: it has some all-but-unique pluses, but also the kinds of always-on weaknesses to, for lack of a better word, balance them. The point is, it's plenty weird (which is good and very 3.5) and not an obvious pick, but rewarding to use for wild things. "Hm. -10 to INT, but natively Diminutive with a wild type, hm" is a dilemma, but of the cool kind.

Then it shall be returned, for I am merciful creator and take pity on my creations

[Tzardok]

I wrote two new versions of the fortress mode; they mostly differ in how moving around and searching works (one more abstract, one more "simulationist"), with differences in the other details steming from that. Thoughts on which I should use, or wether they need further rewriting?

The differences start with the third paragraph.

Option 1:
General Ticktock's youngest upgrade is the fortress mode. As a Full-Round Action, Ticktock's mechanic shifts overlapping plates into different positions, increasing Ticktock's size and apparent mass in exchange for lesser mobility. In this state, Ticktock enjoys the benefits similar to those granted by righteous might, except for the following differences: he doesn't gain additional DR, his speed drops to 10 ft., he receives the benefits of stability. The general stays in this form until he spends a Full-Round Action to pull himself together.
Additionally, Ticktock gains a vulnerability in this form: A creature that is no larger than Large may try to enter his body through the openings forming in his exterior. This provokes attacks of opportunity from Ticktock. Any creature inside Ticktock's body takes 5d6 damage from internal blades and mechanics per round (on the general's turn, DC 22, Reflex halves).
Movement in Ticktock will be abstracted. To move to any desired location (a part that hasn't been searched yet, the exit, an already found mechanic), a creature must make a Climb or Tumble check against a DC of 15 (attempting this check is a Move Action). As a Standard Action, the creature may Search its current location for a noteworthy mechanic (for example the flamethrower's fuel reserves, the acid stores, the launching mechanic for the saw blades). Finding it requires a Search skill check against DC 20. Sabotaging such a mechanic in a way that Ticktock won't notice requires a Disable Device check against DC 25 (taking 2d4 rounds). A mechanic can also be broken by brute force, requiring a Strength check against DC 23 (requiring a Full-Round Action).
Alternatively, the creature may attack with a light or one-handed weapon. Attacking the general mechanic works like attacking Ticktock while he's flat-footed, and deals normal damage. Attacking a special mechanic may destroy it and hamper Ticktock's abilities. Special mechanics have typically a hardness of 8 and 30 hp.
Ticktock's “heart” can be found this way too, but it is especially well hidden (Search DC 30). The heart is kept in a fixture and can be removed from it using a Disable Device check (DC 27), a Strength check (DC 25) or damage to the fixture (hardness 10, 35 hp). The heart itself has hardness 20, 60 hp and a Strength DC of 30 to be broken. Removing the heart from its fixture and leaving the body with it renders Ticktock both confused and staggered. Destroying it, wether inside the body or out of it, instantly kills the general.

Option 2:
General Ticktock's youngest upgrade is the fortress mode. As a Full-Round Action, Ticktock's mechanic shifts overlapping plates into different positions, increasing Ticktock's size and apparent mass in exchange for lesser mobility. In this state, Ticktock enjoys the benefits similar to those granted by righteous might, except for the following differences: he doesn't gain additional DR, his speed drops to 10 ft., he receives the benefits of stability. The general stays in this form until he spends a Full-Round Action to pull himself together.
Additionally, Ticktock gains a vulnerability in this form: A creature that is no larger than Large may try to enter his body through the openings forming in his exterior. This provokes attacks of opportunity from Ticktock. Any creature inside Ticktock's body takes 5d6 damage from internal blades and mechanics per round (on the general's turn, DC 22, Reflex halves).
As a Move Action, the creature may make Climb or Tumble checks against a DC of 15 to move 5 ft in Ticktock. As a Standard Action, the creature may search its current location for a special mechanic (for example the flamethrower's fuel reserves, the acid stores, the launching mechanic for the saw blades, the fixture of Ticktock's heart) within Ticktock. These mechanics can then be sabotaged in a way that Ticktock won't notice (using a Disable Device Check, requiring 2d4 rounds) or broken with brute force (using a Strength check as a Full-Round Action). Most mechanics have a Search DC of 20, a Disable Device DC of 25, and a breaking DC of 23.
Alternatively, the creature may attack with a light or one-handed weapon. Attacking the general mechanic works like attacking Ticktock while he's flat-footed, and deals normal damage. Attacking a special mechanic may destroy it and hamper Ticktock's abilities. Special mechanics have typically a hardness of 8 and 30 hp.
The fixture of Ticktock's “heart” is especially well hidden (Search DC 30). Removing the heart from it requires sabotaging or breaking the fixture, which has a Disable Device DC of 27, a breaking DC of 25 and hardness 10, 35 hp. The heart itself has hardness 20, 60 hp and a breaking DC of 30. Removing the heart from its fixture and leaving the body with it renders Ticktock both confused and staggered. Destroying it, wether inside the body or out of it, instantly kills the general.

[Metastachydium]

I wrote two new versions of the fortress mode; they mostly differ in how moving around and searching works (one more abstract, one more "simulationist"), with differences in the other details steming from that. Thoughts on which I should use, or wether they need further rewriting?

I like these! Unless you want to actually map the interiors of a monster (which is a funny idea but maybe not worth the hassle), I'd probably go with Otion 1, though. Oh, and make sure you substitute something like mechanism for mechanic whenever it comes up, unless the good general contains many a manual laborer working with machines.

[Tzardok]

I like these! Unless you want to actually map the interiors of a monster (which is a funny idea but maybe not worth the hassle), I'd probably go with Otion 1, though. Oh, and make sure you substitute something like mechanism for mechanic whenever it comes up, unless the good general contains many a manual laborer working with machines.

And another False Friend. German for mechanism is Mechanik. German for mechanic is Mechaniker (or mechanisch, as an adjective).

Yeah, I'll do that. But afterwards I must go; my copy of Die Insel der Tausend Leuchttürme arrived today in the mail, and I'll be... distracted.