Codename: Swampgas, Like Frostburn, but with Swamps

[RTGoodman]

You know, sitting around listening to a lecture about women in the early American whaling industry (or rather, trying not to listen to said lecture), I had that same idea. Even if it's not printed, the e-book option is really popular for 3rd-party stuff. I know I've got several 3rd-party supplements published by people that only do it that way. Print is much cooler though.

As I've said before, I'm not so good at the whole coming up with concepts part, but if I get an idea I can usually do the actual homebrewing. If I think of anything, I'll certainly write it up, but in the meantime I can just make stuff if people suggest a broad idea (you know, "big plant that's psionic" or "tentacled aberration that hides in mud" or something).

I've been trying to come up with some pop culture descriptions of swamps to get some inspiration from, but haven't found too much yet.

One thing I think would cool is some sort of Voodoo class (though Logman, I suppose your Clouder debuff guy could work), but I don't want to offend anyone or anything like that.

[Icewalker]

Well, I've got a simple enough idea which I'm offering up to another to stat:

Dire Goliath Frog.

Goliath Frogs are the largest known species of frog. Here is an impressive picture. These things will eat rats whole...imagine a dire one.



Yeah, that's about the size of a baby deer.

[Sir Shadow]

hrm... here's some stuff I'm working on

--spells

--trying to come up with a base class, probably involving some sort of canoe

--a plant-controlling PrC

--a humanoid insect race

[Sxoa]

rtg0922: Go for the voodoo thing. That's a great idea.

Icewalker: They found some prehistoric frogs with teeth and armor plating the size of bowling balls. I think CNN had something online. If I can find the article I'll post it.

[Icewalker]

They found some prehistoric frogs with teeth and armor plating the size of bowling balls. I think CNN had something online. If I can find the article I'll post it.

Now that sounds worth homebrewing...awesome.

[Sxoa]

Beelzebufo, or Devil Toad

[Icewalker]

Interesting...

Doesn't seem too different from the Goliath Frog, but I like the name Beelzebufo. One could give it psionic powers...like thrall...all glory to the hypnotoad...

[Szilard]

Swamp Giant (Yah, I finally finished it, still need help on the Full attack though)
Large Giant
Hit Dice: 12d8+60 (104 HD)
Initiative:+0
Speed:40 ft (8 squares)
Armor class:20 (-1 size, +11 natural armor), touch 9, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple:+9/+21
Attack:Slam +16 melee (1d6+8), club +16 melee (1d8+8), rocks +8 ranged (2d6+4)
Full attack:...
Space/Reach:10ft/10ft
Special Attacks:Rock throwing
Special Qualitys:-
Saves:Fort +20, Ref +8, Will +8
Abilities:Str 26, Dex 11, Con 20, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 11
Skills:Listen +4, Spot +4, Surival +4, Swim +11
Feats:Great Fortitude, Improved Natural Armor (x2), Steady Stomach, Swampy Stomach
Enviornment:Temperate Marshes
Organization:Solitary, gang (2-5)
Challange Rating:8
Treasure:Standard
Alignment:Usually Chaotic Neutral
Advancement:By character class
Level Adjustment:-
This giant, twice as tall as a human, is a green monsrosity with dark dreadlocks and ears sticking out the side of its head.
Swamp giants are wild and ruthless scavangers of the swamp.
Skin color ranges from pale to dark green with hair that is usually brown. They dress in rags and carry a bag on a belt.
Swamp giants are ten feet tall and weigh over half a ton. Swamp giants can live about two centurys.
A swamp giant's bag contains 1d6-1 throwing rocks, 2d4 mundane items, and the giant's personal wealth. Everything in the bag is wet and sometimes slimy.
Combat
A swamp giant usually starts combat bythrowing rocks from a distance and hitting its opponents with its slam and club attacks untill the opponent is dead.
Rock Throwing(Ex):The range increment is 120 feet for a swamp giants thrown rocks.

[Sxoa]

Interesting...

Doesn't seem too different from the Goliath Frog, but I like the name Beelzebufo. One could give it psionic powers...like thrall...all glory to the hypnotoad...

LOL

Yeah its only a little bigger than the Goliath Frog, but it has armor plating and teeth which is already similar to many dire animals.

[Icewalker]

Range increment 120 ft. on the rocks? That's wrong. Needs to be quite a bit lower. Longbow is 100 ft...so this should be like 30 probably at most. The Glot, an efficient skipping sphere from Frostburn, has a range increment of 20 ft.

[RTGoodman]

Interesting...

Doesn't seem too different from the Goliath Frog, but I like the name Beelzebufo. One could give it psionic powers...like thrall...all glory to the hypnotoad...

You know, now that I think about it, a Hypnotoad would be a pretty great idea. I mean, it can be a malevolent magical beast (psionic) with some thrall, charm, and suggestion type abilities. I may stat it up at some point tomorrow if I get a chance (I've gotta get to sleep soon, and I've got class for about 4 hours in the morning, or else I'd do it now). Maybe stat out the goliath frog or beelzebufo as a lesser non-psionic version, or maybe as just a cool frog critter (with armor and fangs!).


@Sxoa: I like the idea of a voodoo-based class (or maybe PrC?), but I don't really know what all that would entail. I'll look into it and figure something out.

@TheLogman: I just took some time to look over your Bog-Born template, and I've got a suggestion. The whole type/subtype thing, the way you have it, is just weird. I'd suggest just saying "The base creature's type changes to Plant, and it gains the Augmented subtype." I don't think that screws anything up. Or else, maybe just make up a separate subtype that has the traits you want but allows the creature to keep it's original type.

[Icewalker]

I'm working on the Concocter now and basically am writing a system for creating your own disease, as that is what they do. I'm figuring out what the craft DC for it is, and cannot decide how to increase/decrease it due to Incubation. Would a low incubation time be preferable? A high one? Can the Concocter not choose it, and it is determined based on damage?

Also, I need a better name than Special Features for the extra little things that a disease can do, such as oozing pustules that will spread the disease, and the like. Usually these will be necessary, as there wouldn't be many other methods of spreading.

[Caracol]

Ok guys, good job to everybody, this is going to be neat.
If we want to make the project look like the enviromental books, and eventually publish it, we need to follow the enviromental book's content to make the project complete.
So, what's to do next (in my opinion)

1- Make more enviromental descriptions, add perils, traps, dungeon features, supernatural effects related to swamps

2- Make swamp variants of the base races, and add some more: rtg0922 orc variants are good, we need to make variants for the other races.

3- Add more feats, for fighting, casting and adapting to the enviroment.

4- Make more PrC, with wide specialization, good for all the base classes out there, and some variation of the core classes.

5- Gear: weapons, armor, special and magical equipments.

6- New lists of swamp-flavoured spells.

7- Monsters!!!

8- Make swamp adventure site, magical or supernatural places, with adventure hooks.

My suggestions:

1 - We need a lot of work here. Swamps should be full of perils and unusual game mechanics. The new enviromental effects and diseases posted are good, let's just work in that direction. We need to characterize dungeons and traps in swamp, and of course, the whole setting: example, how cities works or how are built, how crops are cultivated... this stuff. A lot of adventure's hooks can spurt from here.

2 - As I said, rtg0922's variants, are good, we need to make swamp variants of all the races, or make a swamp template to apply to the race.

3- The Swamp feats posted are good, I suggest that from now on we should post a feat related to the monster/class/equipment we make, if possible.

4- PrCs need to be good for all the classes or races: caster type are ok, just don't forgets fighters and specialistis.

5-About the gear, follow the suggestion for the feats: add some more to the stuff you make. If you make a weapon user monster, why don't you make a new armor or weapon? If you make a PrC, what's the swamp-flavoured tools he can use?

6 - About the spells, how about swamp version of the old one? Think about and entangle swamp version, for example. Also, we need spells good to contrast the monsters or the enviromental effects.

7 - The monster we already made are good, now let's try to widen the spectrum, making undeads, outsiders, constructs.... I know that aberrations, feys and oozes are the most fittest, but don't forget the other types.
Also, the "psionic" factor seems to be appreciated, so why don't make it a recurring theme of the swamp monsters? It would be a good characterization (all hail hypnotoad). I'm not good in psionics, but you guys seems good at it.

8- Just be creative here. If you have in mind or have already made a setting or a particular dungeon or a supernatural site, rework it thinking of swamps.
How about a psionic site? Some enviromental setting with a mind?

I think that the best method, for now, is to make a small work division: one of us can think of the PrC, the other would make some gear....
Here's the stuff I will probably make:

enviroment: dungeon and traps features for swamps.
gear: a bunch of weapon and armor, plus some adventuring non-magical tool.
feats: fighting feats for swamp warriors.
PrC: one with warrior orientation.
setting: I'm thinking about a big giant hole in the ground with magical energy coming from it. Plus, the hole is alive.

here we go. just say what you think and give suggestion. Also, call dibs on the stuff you will be working on from now.

[TheLogman]

Wewt!!! School is closed today, everyone get ready for some serious homebrewing today.

[Szilard]

I think I have two more monsters in me, one of which I could probably make a whole adventure site out of. We could also make randome villans, I know there were some in cityscape.

[Szilard]

The forum ate my post: I have two more monsters to make and possibly a adventure site around one of them.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

The forum didn't eat your post I can see it.

I'm doing a fighter class based on lizards, using a specialized weapon. Because weapon-based fighters are awesome.

[Sanzh]

Quick question. Is there already some sort of swamp elf?
Because I'm pretty sure most of the environment books had elf sub-races, so there needs to be one for this.

[Icewalker]

Excellent list Caracol. I was going to make the first part of it over the weekend, but in more detail. I think I still will.

I'm going to list it off down to almost the individual stuff, then add (by colorcoding) whether we already have it, have some/in progress, or still need it. Then people can just refer to the list and grab something, or add to one which is partially/acceptably completed.

I'd like to put that up as post 121: the first post on page 5, for easy access by people.

[TheLogman]

Hermit

Hit Die
d8.

Requirements

To qualify to become a Hermit, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Spells:
Ability to cast Speak with Plants and Plant Growth

Skills:
Knowledge (Nature): 8 Ranks
Knowledge (Geography): 4 Ranks
Survival: 8 Ranks

Special:
Wild Empathy Class Feature

Class Skills
The Hermit's class skills are: Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex)

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier

{table] Level | Base Attack Bonus | Reflex Save | Fortitude Save | Will Save | Special | Spellcasting
1 | +0 | +0 | +2 | +2 | Hermit Lands 1 Mile, Chosen Area | -
2 | +1 | +0 | +3 | +3 | Comfort in Familiar, Hermit Lands 2 Miles | +1 Spellcasting Level
3 | +2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Theme-Shape, Hermit Lands 3 Miles | +1 Spellcasting Level
4 | +3 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Hermit Lands 4 Miles, Friends of the Forest | +1 Spellcasting Level
5 | +3 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Thou Shalt Not Pass, Hermit Lands 5 Miles | +1 Spellcasting Level
6 | +4 | +2 | +5 | +5 | Theme-Shape 2/Day, Stay the Path, Hermit Lands 6 Miles | +1 Spellcasting Level
7 | +5 | +2 | +5 | +5 | Hermit Lands 7 Miles, Obscure Residence |+1 Spellcasting Level
8 | +6 | +2 | +6 | +6 | Land-Master, Hermit Lands 8 Miles | +1 Spellcasting Level
9 | +6 | +3 | +6 | +6 | Theme-Shape 3/Day, Hermit Lands 9 Miles | +1 Spellcasting Level
10 | +7 | +3 | +7 | +7 | Hermit Lands 10 Miles, Lord of his Lands |+1 Spellcasting Level [/table]

Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the Hermit prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Hermits gain proficiencies with any Natural Attacks their Theme-shapes have.

Hermit Lands: When a Hermit become a Hermit, they retreat to the furthest corners of the world, far from Civilization, far from other species. As soon as they start this prestige class, the Hermit chooses an area of land that is at least 15 Miles away from any area in which 5 or more intelligent species have permanent residence. This becomes the Hermit's "Hermit Lands". As a Hermit advances in the Hermit class, their lands become larger. A Hermit's abilities only function when they are within their Hermit Lands.

Chosen Area: Depending on where they have chosen to take up hermitage, the Hermit may have different types of abilities, and a different style of living. A Hermit must chose to live in a location that is devoid of human life. Typical hermits live in one of the following areas:
-On a coast
-In a swamp
-On a mountain
-In the desert
-In the woods
-In the freezing cold

Comfort in the Familiar: At second level, the Hermit has grown use to and comfortable in his Hermit Lands. The Hermit gains a +5 bonus to Survival, Hide, Search, and Spot checks when in his Hermit Lands

Theme-Shape: The Hermit grows close to the animals that live in his lands, and learns how to become like them. At 3th level, a Hermit gains the ability to turn themself into any Small or Medium Animal, Plant, or Vermin and back again once per day. Their options for new forms include all creatures with the Animal, Plant, or Vermin types that would be commonly found in the Hermit's Lands, or in areas similar to the Hermit's Lands (Dm gets the final word). This ability functions like the alternate form special ability, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per Hermit level, or until they changes back. Changing form (to Theme-Form or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. Each time you use Theme-shape, you regain lost hit points as if you had rested for a night.

Any gear worn or carried by the Hermit melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When the Hermit reverts to their true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on their body that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the Hermit's feet.

The form chosen must be that of an Animal, Plant, or Vermin the Hermit is familiar with.

A Hermit loses their ability to speak while in animal form because they are limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained Animal, Plant, or Vermin can make, but they can communicate normally with other Animals, Plants, or Vermin of the same general grouping as their new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)

A Hermit can use this ability more times per day at levels 6 and 9. Large Creature at 7th level.

The new form’s Hit Dice can’t exceed the character’s Hermit level.

Friends of the Forest: At 4th level, the Hermit has developed a bond with the Animals, Plant Creatures, and Vermin of their lands. The Hermit may make Wild Empathy checks with Animals, Plant Creatures, and Vermin, that reside in their lands, and the Hermit levels stack with previous classes that granted Wild Empathy.

Thou Shalt Not Pass: At 5th level, the Hermit has learned how to protect his property and lands to a certain extent. Firstly, anyone approaching the Hermit's Lands without knowing they belong to him must make a DC 10+Hermit level against a Suggestion spell to avoid the area. People who know the Hermit lives in the area get a +5 bonus to the ability.

Stay the Path: The Hermit truly understands his lands by now. He can ignore slowed movement due to weather or difficult terrain while in his Lands. In addition, he can ignore obscured vision due to inclement weather while in his Lands.

Obscure Residence: The Hermit has learned to make the most of his environment, and so has developed means to obscure his residence. Firstly, any Divination spell focused on the Hermit's residence (Not his Lands, just his house/cave/hole), or made with the intent or possibility of finding the Hermit's residence, must make Caster Level check against DC 10+Hermit Level. If the Caster fails, he just finds nothing, or something else he was looking for, but does find the residence of the Hermit. A Caster Level check made inside the Hermit's Lands takes a -5 penalty to Divining the Hermit's Residence. In addition to this, the Hermit's house requires a Search or Spot check of DC 20 to find non-magically.

Land-master: The Hermit now knows almost everything there is to know about his lands. The Hermit's bonuses from Comfort in Familiar increase to +10 (In Spot, Search, Survival, and Hide checks).

Lord of his Lands: The Hermit has established his domain, and reaps a number of abilities.

-Firstly, no creature of permanent residence inside his Lands will attack the Hermit inside his Lands without provocation.

-Secondly, the Hermit can speak with all creatures of the Animal, Plant or Vermin type without assistance as long as they have taken permanent residence in his Lands.

-Thirdly, the Hermit gains an Extraordinary knowledge of whenever any intelligent creature enters his Lands.

-Fourthly, ANY spell of the Divination descriptor cast by someone other than the Hermit within his lands must succeed a caster level check of DC 20+Hermit's Wisdom Modifier or not find anything.

[Collin152]

Aah, swamps! The neglected enviroment.
I feel like contributing, but I got nothing at the moment but goodwill and support.
Nice job, guys!

[Szilard]

You accidentally said a druid could use the theme shape ability more than once a day at levels 6 and 9.

My internet was slow so it looked like the forum ate my post and it was chaotic as I was trying to post it for an hour.

[Icewalker]

Woo! Finished my Concocter PrC. It feels like a terrible PC class, as it actually has no combat abilities: everything it does centers around disease alchemy...

Lowered it to 3 levels.

[hr]

Concocter

Concocter’s have the following game statistics:
Abilities:
Alignment: Any non-Good.
Hit dice: d6

Prerequisites:
Craft (Alchemy) 10 ranks.
Knowledge (Disease) 10 ranks.
Heal 6 ranks
Has to have contracted at least 4 dangerous diseases over the course of their life.

Class Skills: Balance, Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (Disease), Knowledge (Nature), Knowledge (local), Profession, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Survival.

{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells

1st|

+0

|

+2

|

+0

|

+2

|Exposure, Distill Sample, Enhance Disease|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

2nd|

+1

|

+3

|

+0

|

+3

|Concoct Disease, Replicate Disease, Recognize Disease|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

3rd|

+1

|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|Rapid Distillation|+1 level of existing spellcasting class[/table]

Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Concocters gain no weapon or armor proficiencies.

Exposure: Due to his exposure and repeated experimenting with diseases, the Concocter gains an exposure bonus to Fortitude Saves, Knowledge (Disease), and Craft (Alchemy) checks for the purpose of creating or enhancing a disease equal to twice his level.

Distill Sample: All Concocter’s understand the process of distilling a sample of a disease. The process is relatively simple, requiring only a DC 10 Heal check, and one full day with the proper tools (a box set of concocter’s tools is sufficient). However the Concocter also needs a source to distill the disease from. This is generally some portion of a victim, at least 1 pound of flesh, which is less than 1 day dead. If the portion used is taken from a victim more than 1 day dead, the Concocter can still attempt to distill a sample, but the DC increases by 5 per day above 1 dead, up to a maximum of 5 days after which no sample can be distilled. If carefully preserved, the maximum age of portion the Concocter can use, as well as the increment for the DC increase, are doubled, becoming a 10 day limit and a 2 days / +5 DC respectively.

Enhance Disease: This ability allows the Concocter to enhance a sample of a disease beyond its normal potency. The Concocter makes a Craft (Alchemy) check, and depending on the score the following results are possible.
Under 15: the sample is ruined, and no longer harmful.
16-20: No improvement, but the sample remains intact. This counts as tampering with the disease.
21-30: +2 to the save DC, and increase the damage by one die step (see chart in concoct disease. If already d10, make it 1d10+1d3, then 1d10 + 1d4, etc)
31-40: +5 to the save DC, and increase the damage by two dice steps (see chart in concoct disease. If already d10, make it 1d10+1d3, then 1d10 + 1d4, etc).
41-50: +8 to the save DC, and increase the damage by three dice steps.
51+: +10 to the save DC, increase the damage by four dice steps.

A disease that has been tampered with (one already enhanced or one originally concocted by the Concoct Disease ability) cannot be enhanced.

Recognize Disease: A Concocter, through his extensive research, can immediately identify the disease a victim is suffering from, alive or dead less than 10 days. Given a sample of a disease, with a DC 10 Craft: Alchemy check and one minute, the Concocter can recognize the disease.

Concoct Disease: This ability is the cornerstone of the Concocter’s life, gained at 2nd level. It is the ability to create horrific diseases using various alchemical substances. Concocter’s create unique diseases, making a craft check to create samples.

This process is relatively simple. First, the concoctor decides what they are trying to make. They decide a base DC, Infection, Incubation, Damage, and special features. First, you determine the knowledge (Disease) DC to figure out how to create the disease. This is determined using the following methods.

DC: The base DC of the Knowledge (Disease) check is equal to the save DC of the disease. After doing this, add modifiers based on the other categories as follows.

Infection: Add the modifier based on the chosen infection type.
Contact: +6
Inhaled: +4
Injury: +2
Ingested: +1

Incubation:

Damage: The damage is slightly harder to determine. If it deals damage to only one ability score, add as follows:
1d10: +10
1d8: +8
1d6: +6
1d4: +4
1d3: +3

If damage is dealt to multiple ability scores, add each one as above, then add the total number of types to the DC. For example, if a disease did 1d3 con and 1d4 str damage, it would be +3 from the con damage, +4 from the str damage, and +2 because there are multiple damage types: 2 of them.

Special Features: Add special features and their requisite cost at the end as you wish. Some special features have specific requirements

Spoiler

Show

Coughing: +3
Requirements: The disease deals constitution damage.
This feature makes it so that the victims of the disease are racked by fits of coughing. This sprays the disease into the air, and any who are very close to the cougher has a 50% chance of having to save against contracting the disease, if the method of infection is applicable. (For example: If the nearby person doesn’t have any open wounds, and the disease is spread by injury, they cannot contract it.) Every round the victim must make a DC 10 fortitude save or have a fit of coughing. This does not interfere with actions.

Ooze pustules: +5
Requirements: The disease does at least 1d4 ability damage to an ability score other than wisdom or intelligence.
This feature causes victims of the disease to get disgusting pustules all over their body, which ooze liquid. Any victim who has been suffering damage from the disease for longer than 1 day begins to grow pustules. These leave residue on the victims clothing, items, and anything touched by them. This residue, if it comes into contact with another in a way applicable with the method of infection, the person touching it has to save against contracting the disease.

Spasms: +5
Requirements: The disease does at least 1d4 ability damage to dexterity, strength, or intelligence, DC of at least 15.
This feature causes victims of the disease to be wracked with terrible spasms for extended periods of time. Every day that a victim fails their save against disease damage, every round that the victim attempts to perform strenuous action (as defined by Disabled. This means any standard action, or anything else the DM deems as strenuous, including some free actions such as casting a quickened spell) they are instead be wracked with spasms and unable to act unless they succeed on a Fortitude save DC equal to that of the disease -5.

Hardy Disease: +5
Requirements: The disease has a total craft DC of at least 30.
This feature makes it so that the disease requires three saves in a row to be resisted by the victims immune system, instead of two.

Exuding Infection: +7
Requirement: None.
This makes it so that the victim can transfer the disease merely by coming into contact with another. This functions the same as oozing pustules, except that it is not visible to the eye.

Infecting Odor: +4
Requirement: Infection by inhalation, Exuding Infection taken as a special feature.
This feature makes it so that the disease spreads out through the air around the victim. In a 5 ft. radius centered on the victim, lingering for one round after the victim leaves the space, any others breathing in the space must save against contracting the disease.

Lingering Infection: +3
Requirement: The disease has a total craft DC of at least 25.
This feature makes it so that the victim still has traces of the disease on their body after recovering. This makes it so that any other method of disease transfer granted on a special feature remains in effect for 1d3 weeks after the victim is no longer suffering from the disease. These lingering effects cannot affect the carrier of the Lingering Infection.

Add together all of the increases to DC and add them to your base DC, which is equal to the save DC of the disease. This final result is the DC of the Knowledge (Disease) check required to understand how to make the disease, as well as the DC of the Craft (Alchemy) check required to create it.

It takes 1 day per point of craft DC to craft a sample of the disease, which is a small vial containing enough disease to infect one person. The materials for the disease cost 25 gp per point of the DC. If the Craft check is failed by 5 or more, the materials and wealth are lost.

Replicate Disease: Given a sample of the disease, one day of time, 10 gp of materials, and a DC 15 Craft (Alchemy) check the Concocter can create a second sample of any non-magical disease.

Given a sample of the disease, two days of time, 50 gp of materials, and a DC 20 Craft (Alchemy) check, a Concocter can create a second sample of any magical disease, other than concocted ones.

Given a sample of a concocted disease, one week of time, 100 gp of materials, and a Craft (Alchemy) check with a DC equal to 10 less than the original Craft DC of the concocted disease, a Concocter can create a second sample of any concocted disease.

Rapid Distillation: At third level, the Concocter can distill diseases from a portion with ease, requiring only a DC 20 Heal check and one full round. The sample must be fresh, as defined in the Distill Sample ability.


Special disease materials
These materials can be used while concocting or enhancing a disease. The DC of the Craft (Alchemy) check increases by the given amount when added.

Marshmind Extract: +2
This substance is obtained from the half-liquid brain of the Marshmind, found deep within it's marsh body. When added to a disease it makes it so that the disease also deals 1d3 intelligence damage.

Demon Essence: +2
This substance is made from the essence of materials taken from the Abyss. It makes a disease far more dangerous and potent. The save DC of the disease increases by 4.

[hr]
It could always use more Special Features, which needs to be renamed, by the way. Also, I'm not sure about where they get stuff, it feels a little off-balanced but I'm not sure where to put each ability.

Could bump the level up to 5 and spread out the abilities...

I set up their class skills for use with interacting with people also, basically set up for them to be able to talk into a city, slip a disease onto somebody, then keep track of how it is progressing.

Also not sure about prices on the special materials. Also, don't have enough of them, so feel free to contribute to those.

[hr]
New alchemy item: Disease Catalyst (flask).

You can throw a flask of disease catalyst as a ranged weapon. Treat this attack as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 10 feet. A direct hit subjects the target to the Disease Catalyst. If the target has any diseases, then the catalyst forces an immediate saves vs. the disease damage for each. If the target currently has any diseases in the incubation stage they must make the first save immediately, and from that point the disease continues as if the incubation stage had expired. If the target succeeds on the save, it does not count towards the two consecutive saves required to recover from the disease.

Cost: 10 gp.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 15
Weight: 1 lb.

[hr]
New tools: Concocter's Kit

This box is somewhat large, but still certainly portable, usually about 1 ft x 1/2 ft x 1/2 ft. It contains the vials, knives, tools, and herbs needed for a concocter to create, enhance, and distill diseases, as well as functioning as a masterwork tool (+2) to Craft (Alchemy) checks regarding disease. This includes creating Disease Catalyst.

Cost: 50 gp.
Weight: 2 lb.

[Sxoa]

I like the Concocter. Agreed on limited usage as a PC class (except in some strange campaigns). To give it more utility as that you could give it sneak attack damage (like cancer mages have) or give it spellcasting increases to previously possessed levels.

How many skill points does it get per level?
I would also give them disguise.

Another possible name for Special Features might be Disease Side Effects.

It might be a good idea to make it harder to add extra types of damage, maybe add double or squared the number of extra damage types to DC?

Other Side Effects or Diseases Extras or whatever:
Blindness
Persistance (like Mummy Rot) though that would need a HUGE addition to the DC.
Permanent Damage (part ability drain)
Resistance to Cure Disease and like spells and effects
Ability to penetrate normal immunity to disease

[Goats_o_Mjolnir]

O man, my Swamp Gigger is Eerily similiar to the Hermit PrC Logman, but you def did it better, nice job

things I will focus on

--gear

--spells

--adventure sites

[TheLogman]

Awesome, and thanks Goats.

The next thing I will be doing is applying the Bog-Born template to at least another creature, doing some spells, mostly having to do with stink and methane, and finally, I will be working on the Clouder Base Class. Expect to see the Bog-Born Orc and maybe Rat or something tomorrow, and the spells and Clouder sometime next week. Also, I have been updating the first post with the stuff so far, if I miss anything, be sure to tell me, I may have missed you by accident.

[Szilard]

During dinner, I thought of making a Yoda creature, which could make another plot hook in itself. I am still working on a plant creature right now, so I might make it later.

[RTGoodman]

Someone earlier mentioned doing environmental variants for the other races (besides the orc and half-orc I already did), and I think that's a good idea. One thing to think about is how to make the variants different enough to warrant the variant. Otherwise, we might as well just do a fluff description of how the race survives in the swamp while still maintaining standard traits.

So, anyone have any ideas of what sorts of changes we should try? With the Orcs, I tried to make them less destructive and evil, leaning probably closer to neutrality than chaos or evil. I was thinking for Orcs that we sort of go along with Magic: The Gathering's Elves from the Lorwyn block - their more primal, and their extremely racist and perfectionist, probably to the point of being considered evil (or close to it). I think that could work, but I don't want to just do it without seeing if others like it.

I'm sort of at a loss for Dwarves - I'd almost just say that there aren't really any Dwarves in the swamp, but that seems like a cop-out. Gnomes seem easier to do (especially if the variant is closer to the Forest Gnome), and with Halflings we could follow the 4E idea of boatmen and their river-based society. Humans I guess are fine as they are, just with a little fluff about their life in the swamp (along with some interesting items to show their ingenuity).


The Voodoo Practitioner PrC (temporary name) is underway, but I'm still trying to come up with some other abilities. I've also started on a psionic telepathy/mind-control toad creature (but I need a name other than Hypnotoad, since that's probably copyrighted), but haven't finished writing it up yet.

Here's a question - if something has psi-like abilities, how do you determine what the effective caster level for them should be? I've seen most have that their Manifester Level is 1/2 their HD, but what if that ML isn't high enough to normally manifest the power? For instance, a creature has an effective manifester level of 5 (1/2 of 10 HD), but has psionic dominate as a PsLA (a 4th level power, so it normally needs a 7th level manifester). Is that okay?

[Caracol]

Nice job to everybody. All the PrC are really good so far.
I know I said I was making gears and such, but another monster concept came into my mind and I really need to make it. Just this one. After that, I will make the stuff I promised. I swear !!

Rot Slug

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Fine Vermin
Hit Dice: 1d8 -4 (1 hp)
Initiative: -4
Speed: 1/2 ft.
Armor Class: 14 (-4 Dex, +8 size), touch 14, flat-footed 14
BaB/Grapple: +0/-20
Attack: Bite +4 melee plus poison
Full Attack: Bite +4 melee plus poison
Space/ Reach: 0ft./0ft.
Special Attacks: Parasitism, Poison
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft. Vermin Traits
Saves: Fort -2, Ref -4, Will +0
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 3, Con 3, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 3
Skills*: Hide + 12
Feats: -
Enviroment: Any Swamp.
Organization: Solitary or swarm (4-50)
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Treasure: None.
Allignment: Always Neutral.
Advancement: 2-5 HD (Fine)
Level Adjustment: -

A little creature moves slowly. It's just a small, harmless slug. Maybe.

Rot slugs are probably one of the most dangerous encounter an adventurer can make. Not because they are magical, good in combat or such, but because if they caught you in sleep, your pretty much doomed. Rot slugs were studied for the first time by a wizard, an expert in swamp creatures. He picked up one of these slugs and bringed it to his laboratory. That night, the slug disappeared, but the wizard did not care much about it. In the following days, he became more aggressive, pale, and easy-angered. Soon, he stopped to eat or sleep, trying desperatily to concentrate on his study and becoming mad about his state. He eventually murdered one of his friends in an anger raptus. Was arrested and processed. The day of his execution, the guards that went to pick him up found him dead. After a while, he just raised up an began chasing for the guards. He killed two of them before he was stopped forever. After his death, his belly bursted open wide and an hundred of slugs went out of his body.
COMBAT
Rot Slugs don't combat. They just chase for every sleeping living being that is near them. After that, they bite him with their modified radula and poison him, just to be sure he stays asleep when they enter his body.
Paratisism (Ex): A Rot Slug that bites an unaware creature and enter his body becomes an internal parasite of the creature. The creature must succeed a Fortitude save with a CD of 18 or becomes a Rotten Infected in 1d4 hours. The effects of this are described in the Rotten Infected Template.
Poison (Ex): A Rot Slug's poison is conveyed with a bite of the slug. The character must succeed a Fortitude save with a CD of 18 or fall asleep in 1d4 turns. If a character is already asleep, his sleep state becomes deep and can't be awaken for 1d4 hours. Anything that damages the character gives him the possibilty to make a Con check with a CD of 18 to notice the effect and awake.
Skills: Although Rot Slug are mindless, they have a racial use of the Hide skill. Also, they can't be heard when moving as if they take 20 to their Move Sliently check.

Seems harmless, uh? Well, take a look at this:

Rotten Infected (Template)

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Rotten Infected is the first stadium of the life cicle of the parasite Rot Slugs. The Slug feeds and reproduces inside the host body. The subustances made by the growing slugs changes the body and the behaviour of the host, leading him to violent actions and to a slow death. The Rot Slug are not perceived by the host, and he eventually sto feel any kind of pain until he dies.
A creature that succeeds the first saving throw avoids infection: the slug dies and his rejected by the creature's body after a while.
If the creature does not succeed, is infected and must make a Fort Save every day with a DC of 20. If he fails these Fort saves, the effects happen as follows:
1 Failed: The creature is infected and gains the Rotten Infected Template.
3 Failed: The creature becomes Chaotic. If it's already Chaotic, skip to the following effect.
5 Failed: The creature ceases sleep and has to force himself to eat. It suffers of the penality of these conditions.
7 Failed: The creature becoms Evil. If it's alreasy Evil, it attacks the first creature it sees.
10 Failed: The creature dies and gains the Rotten Revenant Template (described below).
Succeding in a Fort save does not heal the creature, only slows the infection. Recognize the infection is possible with and Heal check with a DC of 20. Removing the slug is the only way to eliminate the infection and needs an Heal Check with a CD of 20 +2 for every 2 saves the creature has failed. Removing a Slug causes 2 permanent damage to Con.

CREATING A ROTTEN INFECTED:
This template can be applied to every living creature. Its stats change as follows:
Type: The base creature gains the Augmented Subtype.
Special Qualities: The base creature becomes immune to poison and gains a +4 bonus against mind influencing effects.
Saves: The base creature gains a +4 to Will.
Abilities: The base creature gains a bonus of +2 to Str and Dex, and a penality of -2 to Con and Wis and -4 to Int and Cha. The scores are reduced to a minimun of 1.
Challenge Rating: Equal to the base creature.
Allignment: Varies (see above)
Level Adjustment: +0

The other stats remain the same as the base creature ones.

Example of a Rotten Infected Creature

Argus, Rotten Infected Dog

Argus is a dog infected by the Rot Slug. He already failed 10 Fort saves, but he's aggressive and ferocious in the small time he has before death.

Small Animal (Augmented)
Initiative: +4
Hit Dice: 1d8 +1 (5 hp)
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (+4 Dex, +1 size, +1 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 14
BaB/Grapple: +0/+4
Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d4+2/x2)
Full Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d4+2/x2)
Space/ Reach: 5ft./5ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Low light vision, Immunity to poison, +4 against mind influencing effects
Saves: Fort +3, Ref -6, Will +5
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 19, Con 13, Int 1, Wis 10, Cha 2
Skills*: Jump +8, Listen +4, Spot +4, Survival +0*
Feats: Alertness, Track
Enviroment: Any Swamp.
Organization: Solitary or pack (5-12)
Challenge Rating: 1/3
Treasure: None.
Allignment: Chaotic Evil
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

Skills:
Dogs have a +4 racial bonus on Jump checks. *Dogs have a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.

Rotten Revenant (Template)

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Rotten Revenant is the last stadium of the life cicle of the parasite Rot Slugs. The creature is eventually died, but the substance made by the slugs are capable of bringing him back to life. The Rotten Revenants kill and feed from everything they can, feeding the growing slugs inside them to let them reproduce. When it dies, his abdomen opens liberating the slugs inside.

CREATING A ROTTEN REVENANT:
This template can be applied to every Rotten Infected creature. Its stats changes as follows:
Type: The base creature gains the Undead type.
Hit Dice: Equal to the base creature. Its HD are d12s.
Armor Class: A Rotten Revenant gains a +6 natural armor bonus to his AC.
Attack: A Rotten Revenant gains a bite and a slam attack appropriate to his size. He keeps the attacks of the base creature too.
Special Attacks: A Rotten Revenant bite can convey the sleep poison of the Rot Slugs (see above) with a DC of 18 + 1/4 his HD. Plus, he gains the Belly Burst attack.
Belly Burst: If Rotten Revenant is reduced to 0 or less hp, is abdomen opens wide liberating 10d10 Rot Slugs in the following turn.
Special Qualities: Same as the base creature, plus the undead type ones. He loses all the class feature abilities, if any.
Saves: The Rotten Revenant gains a bonus of +4 to Fort and Will.
Abilities: The base creature gains a bonus of +4 to Str and Dex, and a penality of -4 Cha. The scores are reduced to a minimun of 1. He also has no Int and Con scores.
Skills and Feats: None.
Organization: Solitary or pack (2-10)
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +3.
Allignment: Chaotic Evil
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

Example of a Rotten Revenat Creature

Seyliss, Rotten Revenat Troglodyte

Seyliss was an incautious Troglodyte 9th level barbarian, and now is just a slug-carring undead.

Medium Undead (Reptilian)
Initiative: +3
Hit Dice: 11d12 (71 hp)
Speed: 30 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 25 (+3 Dex, +12 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 22
BaB/Grapple: +10/+17
Attack: Bite +17 melee (1d6+7/x2) plus poison, or claw +17 (1d4 +7/x2) melee, or waraxe +21 melee (1d12 +11/x3)
Full Attack: Bite +17 melee (1d6+7/x2) plus poison, or claw +17 (1d4 +7/x2) melee, or waraxe +21 melee (1d12 +11/x3)
Space/ Reach: 5ft./5ft.
Special Attacks: Belly Burst, Poison (CD 21), Stench
Special Qualities: Darkvision 90 ft, Undead traits
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +9
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 16, Con -, Int -, Wis 14, Cha 5
Skills: -
Feats: -
Enviroment: Any Swamp.
Organization: Solitary or pack (5-12)
Challenge Rating: 14
Treasure: Standard
Allignment: Chaotic Evil
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

Stench (Ex):
When a troglodyte is angry or frightened, it secretes an oily, musk-like chemical that nearly every form of animal life finds offensive. All living creatures (except troglodytes) within 30 feet of a troglodyte must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or be sickened for 10 rounds. Creatures that successfully save cannot be affected by the same troglodyte’s stench for 24 hours. A delay poison or neutralize poison spell removes the effect from the sickened creature. Creatures with immunity to poison are unaffected, and creatures resistant to poison receive their normal bonus on their saving throws.

[Icewalker]

Disgusting. They shouldn't suffer the problems of not eating after save 5, or they may starve to death before the disease finishes them...thats a minimum 5 days after all.