[D&D 3.5] The Emerald Legion-Mass Producing Ikea Tarrasques

[Fax Celestis]

Originally Posted by Greg

1) You know how you can make auto-resetting spellcasting traps? You do that with the spell "create food". It makes infinite amounts of (bland) food. Named after Tippy, who put them forward first (here at least).

To spice up the food, make a prestidigitation trap?

[Baron Corm]

Originally Posted by Greg

2) Give them weapons? A psionic caster can manifest powers through them.

There must be some sort of psionic golem which is immune to most psionics. The point being that while the Emerald Legion has all of these immunities in one place, if they're going to conquer the world, they're going to encounter all of these immunities separately. They must have some form of dealing with everything.

[Greg]

Originally Posted by Fax Celestis

To spice up the food, make a prestidigitation trap?

You could do that, but it provides no mechanical benefit - I assume that's all that matters to the ilithids.

[JeminiZero]

Originally Posted by Altima

Famous last words...

Well, they're not my last words, so I'm not too concerned.

Originally Posted by Altima

Also, does the illithiid void mind control scheme work across planes?

The original text doesn't actually say whether or not the link works across planes. But it does give an example of a mindflayer planeshifting his voidmind minion, so it would probably be a reasonable intepretation to say yes.

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

What defence do you have against a Pyroclastic Dragon's annihilation breath?

A really good Fort save? I'm open to suggestions, what can protect against annihilation breath?

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

Against a Solar's or Pit Fiend's infinite and probably supernatural (feats changed via Wish) Holy Words?

Checking the SRD entry, since when did Solar's have infinite holy words? Anyway, Holy Word is a sonic effect so I'm hoping the items of silence will hedge it out as follows:

Solar: Holy Word! Holy Word! Holy Word!
Troll 1: Eh, I think the Solar is shouting something.
Troll 2: What! Did you say something? I can't hear while this item of silence is on!

Beyond that, Were-Dire-Bat template advances their HD to 16 so the solars will need a caster level of 26 to kill them. I could apply a larger Were-animal which would boost their HD to something like 30 (and their SR to 40, see below), but that would quickly push their CR into epic territory.

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

Against a Beholder's supernatural disintegration ray?

It does HP damage doesn't it. As long as it doesn't specifically overcome their regen, they should be safe.

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

Against an Overseer's supernatural Temporal Stasis?

Hope for the Overseer Psion to bail them out. Failing which, AFAIK Trolls don't have any listed maximum age, and Gheden provides slowed aging.

I would note that most of the above *can* also be solved by Null-Psi-Field berserk. But the Solars can't be defeated in that contingency, since the trolls need their epic weapons.

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

Against any creature with extraordinary brain-eating attack?

This is where the rules start to get a bit iffy. Voidmind template replaces their brains with psionic slime. And I'm not talking about passive slime, this slime apprantly can discharge itself as a spray of acid, replenish itself after said discharge, and can form itself into tentacle with extended reach, improved grab and constrict.

What happens when you try and extract something like that? Your guess is as good as mine.

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

Against Corporeal Instability?

Again the rules don't cover this. Gheden dead nerves would arguably stop the effect of searing pain, so they won't attack blindly. But they still take massive attack penalties, so the fight may drag on fir a bit. It will be a pain, but it won't kill them.

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

Against a Marut's or Solar's Earthquake SLA?

It still has SR 26 (SR 40 with template stacking to epic territory). It won't stop all the Earthquakes, and many of them will spend a significant amount of time being unable to move. But the damage doesn't overcome their regen, and as long as they don't die, they can try and win by attrition. Remember, while the Solar is throwing out an Earthquake, he's not doing anything else. So in a 1 on 1 cage fight, a earthquake spamming solar will fail SR once in a while, get smacked by troll, and eventually lose.

Apologies, but I'll look at the rest of the comments tommorrow, I need to sleep now.

[JeminiZero]

Originally Posted by Khatoblepas

Idea for gaining Construct traits without losing anything:

Their cohort is a Warforged, with a single flaw.

F) Endurance
1) Troll Blooded

Give them each immunity to fire and acid, and 5 levels in that class which gives them immunity to nonlethal damage.

It may not surprise you to learn that, I had a gestalt submission like that.

Problem is that the entire setup relies on Skin of Protean which becomes vulnerable to Dispel/Disjunction, not to mention vulnerability to hotter-than-normal-fire attacks. In which case, you might as well stick with the enchanted gear that gives you the immunities you lack (mainly Death effects). Captured One construct traits surprisingly do not include the ability to go without food or air. Also:

Originally Posted by Khatoblepas

Metamorphic Transfer. Skin of the Protean for Metamorphosis. Changed them into a Raggamoffyn.

Reading the Raggamoffyn entry again, I realize that the Captured One template requires the Raggomoffyn to control the host via Dominate. I'm not sure if the Voidmind can deliberately lower their immunity to mind-affecting to allow Raggamoffyn control (they are immune mainly because thay have no brain, so I don't see tem spontaneously regrowing a brain to become controllable.).

Originally Posted by flyingpoo22

There must be some sort of psionic golem which is immune to most psionics. The point being that while the Emerald Legion has all of these immunities in one place, if they're going to conquer the world, they're going to encounter all of these immunities separately. They must have some form of dealing with everything.

Very few foes are immune to all forms of physical damage. Most can be hit by the appropriate kind of weapon. As Giants, Trolls have martial weapon proficiency, so its simply a matter of giving them the right weapon with the right enchantments.

Originally Posted by Fax Celestis

To spice up the food, make a prestidigitation trap?

Good point, I will include that in the Mind Flayer Cabal's instruction manual for World domination.

[Khatoblepas]

Okay, to stop items from being Disjoined:

Cohort yourself a Fiend of Possession. Very versatile, can be put in nonmagical weapons, though +1 swords are immune to Shatter. Just carry a lot of them on you.

Permanent Silence Item + Item Familiar (UA) + 7 HD = Magical item that's immune to Disjunction (Disjunction doesn't disjoin creatures, and intelligent items are Constructs). Make it a slotless item, and embed it deep inside the giant's skull.

Add on some more stuff to it with your dark craft and MIC's rules for adding stuff to items (for "free", of course) and you have a truly scary monster.

Painfully mute, though.

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Very few foes are immune to all forms of physical damage.

You mean, apart from swarms, right? Besides, one doesn't need to be immune to physical damage. An elder air elemental with thick-skinned feat 5 times has DR 20/- and immunity to criticals. Add to it a starmantle cloak and it effectively has DR 40/- because damage gets halved. Add to it Blade of Ragnarok feats (hey, it has more than 20 HD) and not only it now has base DR 30/- (effectively 60/- ) but it also won't die until you deal to it twice its normal HP in damage. In addition to that, it flies with great speed, has a good grapple check and very good AC. To make things more interesting we also add spellwarped template.

So here's the scenario: 1 spellwarped elder air elemental with a starmantle cloak (CR 13) vs 100 or so of the emerald trolls. Elemental swoops down and grapples a troll. Carries it away (light load) and ignores any psionics cast through the voidmind of CL 13 due to SR 35. It goes to a lake and drowns the troll. Go back and repeat.
What can the trolls do?
1) The elemental has humongous damage reduction (TM). It practically ignores physical damage of less than ubercharger level.
2) The elemental flies and has more reach than the trolls. So the trolls can never attack it except through extra reach weapons.
3) The elemental has an AC of 30+ without any items. The trolls probably only hit on a 20
4) The elemental will only die at -252 HP, meaning the trolls have to get at least 504 points of damage past the DR.
5) The elemental has a grapple check 18 points higher than a half-dragon troll. It must roll a 1 and the troll a 20 to lose a grapple check (1/400 chance). So against 100 trolls, it effectively auto-grapples.

[Oslecamo]

The voidmind burns some feats into extra power resistance penetration, mindrape the air elemental and now are even stronger.

[Belial_the_Leveler]

IMHO you missed the point. If a CR 13 creature with a single magical item has a good chance of killing an army that costs about 100 times as much to create and arm (from the items I'm seeing used anyway) so that the army's masters have to personally intervene to even have a chance at overcoming it, what would a more powerful enemy do?

And there are a lot more creatures of high enough CR to simply snatch the trolls and drown them one by one. Any dragon could probably do it. Most high-CR outsiders too. And just about anyone with Shapechange.

The problem with making the Emerald Army is manyfold:

1) You can't make them truly unkillable, not without infinite loops. There always is at least one chink to their unkillability armor. And a wizard can probably find it-it usually involves shapechange and pyroclastic dragons. You have to settle with making them as resilient as possible.
2) Cost is a problem. As is, without including any items, the process costs about 40.000 gp per troll. A Gated 20+ CR monster costs 10.000 gp for a brief task and about 20.000 gp for a long task. Which is the most cost-effective?
3) Time is a problem. Breeding a new creature then having it grow to adulthood takes years. Again, not cost-effective in the end.

[Khatoblepas]

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

So here's the scenario: 1 spellwarped elder air elemental with a starmantle cloak (CR 13) vs 100 or so of the emerald trolls. Elemental swoops down and grapples a troll. Carries it away (light load) and ignores any psionics cast through the voidmind of CL 13 due to SR 35. It goes to a lake and drowns the troll. Go back and repeat.
What can the trolls do?

Get a 1/day item of shatter (built into the intelligent Item Familiar)

Mind Flayer uses Dominate on a troll.
- Psionic Freedom of Movement.
- Dispel Psionics on the Cloak
- Shatter the now-nonmagical cloak.
- Spam a suitable SR: No spell until it dies. (I wonder if Elder Brains can be one of the three mind flayers to control a Voidmind?)

Who cares if you lose one or two trolls? They'll just swim back to shore anyway.

Also, isn't Blade of Ragnarok 4th Edition stuff? I don't think we should be mixing stuff from 4th edition or conversions. The mechanics don't mix that well.

2) Cost is a problem. As is, without including any items, the process costs about 40.000 gp per troll. A Gated 20+ CR monster costs 10.000 gp for a brief task and about 20.000 gp for a long task. Which is the most cost-effective?

A troll is for life, not just for Christmas. Oh, and as for time? We can just Spell up a demiplane to work on, have it run with fast time traits, throwing the finished trolls on a Plane Shift trap when they're made. We run it with the resulting Constructs (1 in 20, maximum) and lock it up somewhere safe. We then have an NI amount of trolls.

Of course, I agree with you that creating an invincible army is silly, but hey, they're relatively cheap (and free, due to the sheer amount of "people" we're sacrificing for crafting gold and XP) and the people running it are Mind Flayers. They're supposed to win and create an empire... before getting destroyed and needing to go back in time again.

[Oslecamo]

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

IMHO you missed the point. If a CR 13 creature with a single magical item has a good chance of killing an army that costs about 100 times as much to create and arm (from the items I'm seeing used anyway) so that the army's masters have to personally intervene to even have a chance at overcoming it, what would a more powerful enemy do?

First, I would like to point out claiming that a monster with epic feats to be nonepic is pretty questionable on itself. The air elemental is at least CR 21 as soon as you start slapping epic feats on it.

And this assuming of course the air elemental is some tactical genious wich knows the troll's only weakness.

Also, the air elemental is still that much easier to defeat than the trolls from a third parties point of view. There's a lot of things out there who can easily defeat said air elemental, but there are few who can actually hurt the emerald trolls, since anything whitout 9th level spells will be very hard pressed to defeat it.

[JeminiZero]

Originally Posted by Khatoblepas

Okay, to stop items from being Disjoined:

Cohort yourself a Fiend of Possession. Very versatile, can be put in nonmagical weapons, though +1 swords are immune to Shatter. Just carry a lot of them on you.

Where can Fiend of Possession be found?

Originally Posted by Khatoblepas

Permanent Silence Item + Item Familiar (UA) + 7 HD = Magical item that's immune to Disjunction (Disjunction doesn't disjoin creatures, and intelligent items are Constructs). Make it a slotless item, and embed it deep inside the giant's skull.

During my research, it seems that, Intelligent Magic Items still count as magic items and can be disjoined (go to page 57).

Originally Posted by Khatoblepas

We can just Spell up a demiplane to work on, have it run with fast time traits

Thats actualy a rather good suggestion. I will add it to the next revision.

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

You mean, apart from swarms, right?

I did say very few. Not none.

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

So here's the scenario: 1 spellwarped elder air elemental with a starmantle cloak (CR 13) vs 100 or so of the emerald trolls. Elemental swoops down and grapples a troll.

I'd like to see the numbers on this. The present version of the legion has a Str score that compares favorably with a Tarrasque. 31 base War Troll Str + 4 Gheden + 4 Voidmind + 8 Half-Clay-Golem = 47. And thats not including the +7 from shifting to Dire-Were-Bat hybrid form, and the +4 from Half-Clay-Golem rage. All in all, without outside help, it can achieve a Str of 58, add on 15 BAB and +4 for large size and it has a grapple score of ~43.

Now with outside help, the Psion overseer could manifest augmented/extended Expansion on the troll pushing it 2 size categories up to Gargantuan, and adding +4 to Str and further buff Str +4 with animal affinity. This would push Grapple to ~55. At this point, the Gargantuan Emerald Legionnaire Troll-zilla can go toe to toe with a Tarrasque (his Mindflayer Psion can finish the tarrasque off with Psionic Wish).

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

Carries it away (light load) and ignores any psionics cast through the voidmind of CL 13 due to SR 35.

Come on now. You're obviously not seriously considering all the options at the trolls/mind flayer's disposal. Psionics does have powers that ignore SR like crystal shard.

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

It goes to a lake and drowns the troll. Go back and repeat.

Or, you know, the Psion Master could manifest any of the powers that negate the need for air on the Troll itself, such as the long lasting adapt body, so that it can fight the elemental underwater (or underlava, or in deep space for that matter).

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

1) The elemental has humongous damage reduction (TM). It practically ignores physical damage of less than ubercharger level.

Can a formless Air elemental wear a cloak at all? (this is an actual question, I haven't seen anything that would deny it, but it does seem rather iffy)

Actually enemies using any of the Mountain Hammers can ignore all DR/hardness. Also if the enemy is as strong enough, he could punch through all that DR.

Without outside help, Emerald Legionnaires have a base Str of 58, which equates to a Str bonus of 24. If they use an 2-hander +1 and maximum power attack (from BAB of 15), they deal bonus 24x1.5 + 30 PA = 66 bonus damage. There is base weapon damage/enchantment on top of that, so they CAN hammer through all that ludicrous DR, albeit not by much. Still, it is sufficient for them to win by attrition.

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

2) The elemental flies and has more reach than the trolls. So the trolls can never attack it except through extra reach weapons.

The trolls have always been able to fly, although not as fast as the elemental. Reach doesn't matter when the trolls are executing a flying charge.

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

3) The elemental has an AC of 30+ without any items. The trolls probably only hit on a 20

The trolls have a Str bonus to hit of 24, not including weapon enhancement and BAB (which was all used in power attack). If AC is only 30+, they certainly won't need a 20 to hit.

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

4) The elemental will only die at -252 HP, meaning the trolls have to get at least 504 points of damage past the DR

5) The elemental has a grapple check 18 points higher than a half-dragon troll. It must roll a 1 and the troll a 20 to lose a grapple check (1/400 chance). So against 100 trolls, it effectively auto-grapples.

Yes, but its NOT a half-dragon troll. I think I should have demonstrated conclusively by now that the trolls won't be consistently grappled by the Air-elemental. And all it takes is ONE troll that charges every round with max power attack to bring the elemental down.

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

IMHO you missed the point. If a CR 13 creature with a single magical item has a good chance of killing an army that costs about 100 times

Any creature designed to exploit the particular weakness of another creature can prove extremely effective. By that same token, a single CR 19 Emerald Legionnaire can defeat a CR 50 Devastation Beetle by attrition. In fact ONE troll can wipe out a Devestation Beetle swarm (swarm being their numbers, not their creature type).

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

And there are a lot more creatures of high enough CR to simply snatch the trolls and drown them one by one. Any dragon could probably do it. Most high-CR outsiders too. And just about anyone with Shapechange.

With Shape Changes 25 HD limit, most (non-templated) creatures that are powerful enough to contend with the Legions high strength are inaccessible.

If Drowning is really a serious issue, I could switch to the Were-Dire-Shark template so they can breath water, but as mentioned before, that would put their CR in epic levels, and I don't want to go there just yet.

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

1) You can't make them truly unkillable, not without infinite loops. There always is at least one chink to their unkillability armor.

Perhaps it is, perhas its not. But only those who dare to dream the ridiculous can achieve the impossible. Or something like that.

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

And a wizard can probably find it-it usually involves shapechange and pyroclastic dragons. You have to settle with making them as resilient as possible.

The 25 HD limit of Shapechange means that, at best, it can be used to assume an mature adult Pyroclastic Dragon. The save DC for their breath is 28.

Without outside help, an Emerald Legionaire in hybrid form with rage active has a Fort save in the vicinity of 13 War Troll + 7 Dire Bat + 2 Voidmind Con bonus + 2 Half-Clay-Golem Con bonus + 2 Rage Con bonus = 26. It will make its save on a 2 and fail on a 1. With a few choice pieces of gear and Steadfast Determination, it won't fail at all.

Or it could expand, grapple the Dragon (it does have improved grab), activate Null-Psi-Field, strip off shapechange, and crush the de-magicked wizard/druid/outsider to dust, so long as the other guy doesn't have Regen/DR the Legionnaire can't overcome.

Originally Posted by Belial_the_Leveler

2) Cost is a problem. As is, without including any items, the process costs about 40.000 gp per troll. A Gated 20+ CR monster costs 10.000 gp for a brief task and about 20.000 gp for a long task. Which is the most cost-effective?

Where did you get 40k per troll? Outside of advanced equipment and setup costs, the cost per troll is ~12k+ with pain extractor and ~24k without, and most of that goes into the half-clay-golem graft.

24k+ for something that can halt a swarm of devestation beetles is rather cost effective IMHO.

[Collin152]

Having just watched Wizard of Oz, I can't picture this legion as anything but monstrous Flying Monkeys... Which, I just realized, are just Monkeys with the Winged template...

That makes three desires of mine, now: Oz campaign, High-Power campaign with this cabal of Mind Flayers and their Troll slaves as the principle antagonist, and draw these funny flying-monkey-troll crimes against nature.

[Aether]

For feats for the Emerald Legionnaires...

Combat Reflexes? The base War Trolls have a Dex of like 16. It might be even better with the templates piled on top of it. Take advantage of their Large size, and 15-foot reach head-tentacle, to make attacks of opportunity.

Regarding Attacks of Op: Pg 138 of the PHB says "Moving out of more than one square threatened by the same opponent in the same round doesn't count as more than one opportunity for that opponent." But somebody moving and then casting a spell, or making a ranged attack, would provoke more AoOs, heh heh he.
But Robilar's Gambit says they provoke AoOs each time they swing!
Robilar's Gambit, Player's Handbook 2 page 82. BAB +12, Combat Reflexes; can be Fighter Bonus Feat.
"At the start of your action, you can adopt a fighting stance that exposes you to harm but allows you to take advantage of your opponents' exposed defenses as they reach in to attack you. Anyone who strikes at you gains a +4 bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls against you. In return, they provoke attacks of opportunity from you each time they swing. Resolve your attack of opportunity afer your foe's attack."
Not quite serious about this, but: does this mean you can retaliate against archers if you have ranged weaponry? It says "anyone who strikes you." Though it does say "provoke AoP each time they swing" which implies melee. Hmmm... On the other hand, this might mean that any ranged attackers or spells requiring to-hit rolls gain +4 to hit and damage against you, as well as your melee opponents.

With Emerald Legionnaires guided by Mind Flayers, you'll be using squad or army tactics. And you'll probably want some of your War Trolls with reach weapons shish-kebabing the guys in front. So you may want to consider giving each of your guys a couple secondary weapons. Like a spear or lane, and a ranged weapon of some sort.

PHB 2 also has "Mad Foam Rager." This feat lets you delay the effects of a "attack, spell or ability until the end of your next turn." Once per each rage attempt. Dunno if Clay Golem's go berserk and if they do if they qualify but... I was more thinking about the look on a player's or spellcaster's faces as they realize that whatever desperation-move they just pulled out of their butts--which they spent SO much time ensuring it would go through all your defenses!!--didn't work. Highly situational; mainly mentioned "for the lulz."

Monkey Grip... Oh god, monkey grip... Wield Huge weapons instead of Large ones. For a measly -2 to hit.


Maybe Flyby Attack. Look into Tactical Feats and the Tome of Battle stuff too...

Can the head-tentacle make an attack and then retract? If so, it could make trip attempts for it's attacks...
...
Does the head-tentacle get its own AoOs? Or is it just another possible way of attacking in a AoO for the Troll?

[JeminiZero]

ARGH! It seems that I made a mistake, War Trolls are considered Monstrous Humanoids, not giants. Which normally wouldn't be a problem since most things that Giants qualify for, Monstrous Humanoids do as well. Most things of course except for Lycanthropy.

Back to the drawing board. I suppose I should just give up on trying to keep their CR below 20 and throw on Winged Half-Troll and Were-Dire-Shark.

In the meanwhile, anyone know any medium sized or larger, Flying or Aquatic animals, with 2 HD or less?

Originally Posted by Collin152

That makes three desires of mine, now: Oz campaign, High-Power campaign with this cabal of Mind Flayers and their Troll slaves as the principle antagonist, and draw these funny flying-monkey-troll crimes against nature.

It doesn't have to be a high power campaign. You could have a campaign where the mind-flayers are still experimenting with the production procedure, so the PCs fight through a series of increasingly powerful trolls. They must stop the mind flayers before they perfect their legion.

Originally Posted by Aether

Combat Reflexes
Robilar's Gambit

That might be useful.

Originally Posted by Aether

PHB 2 also has "Mad Foam Rager."

As you say, Half-Clay-Golem berserk is not Rage or Frenzy, and hence does not qualify for this.

Originally Posted by Aether

Monkey Grip... Oh god, monkey grip... Wield Huge weapons instead of Large ones. For a measly -2 to hit.

Monkey Grip is not nearly as good as it seems, as being able to wield Huge weapons does not grant extra reach.

Originally Posted by Aether

Maybe Flyby Attack. Look into Tactical Feats and the Tome of Battle stuff too...

I should re-include Flyby attack.

Originally Posted by Aether

Can the head-tentacle make an attack and then retract? If so, it could make trip attempts for it's attacks...

Being able to retract does not grant trip by RAW. If you want to make trip attempts with your attacks, the standard method is knockdown.

Originally Posted by Aether

Does the head-tentacle get its own AoOs? Or is it just another possible way of attacking in a AoO for the Troll?

I don't think the head tentacle gets its own AoOs.

[zakk2to2]

have you considered making psionic versions of the magic items? this would stop dysjunction I think though how psionics and magic interact im not really sure on this point.

[The Glyphstone]

By default RAW, there's the little rule called Psionics-Magic Transparency, which means psionics and magic are identical for any effect that would be dependent on them being one or the other (Spell Resistance, Dispel/Disjunction, etc.).

The 'Psionics Are Different' is a variant, and one I've never actually seen in play.

[Aether]

What I meant was...


The Tentacle was chosen as the Graft because it can retract into the head, which protects it from sundering. But if the tentacle is out and about and attacking and stuff, then it can be targeted for sunders. (If it is indeed a eligible target for sundering.)

So, I asked if the Tentacle can make an attack, and then retract back... so it can't be hit by a sunder attempt.


Also, I went back to take a look at Voidmind template. It turns out it gives Combat Reflexes, Alertness, and Great Fortitude as bonus feats.

It also has Improved Grab and a +4 Racial Bonus on Grapple checks. It can act independtly "so the Voidmind may make its other attacks normally while it Constricts." Crazy.

I figured that the tentacle can make trip attempts, or disarm attempts, because losing 1d6 damage is better than making a trip/grapple/disarm attempt with a weapon that could deal 2d8+lotsastrength damage.

Hmmm.. I wonder... Moving out of the square 15-feet away provokes an Attack of Oportunity from the tentacle because of its extra reach. But when the poor sap has to move again, it moves out of the square 10 feet away from the Troll itself... that could provoke an Attack of Opportunity from the Troll, since he's now within the reach of his weapon.



Anyway. I mentioned Monkey Grip not because of Huge Reach Weapons, but of Huge Weapons doing more damage. And you only take -2 to hit, which with the massive strength is piddly. The thread Abusing the Greatcleaver also mentioned Strongarm bracelets; objects that let you use bigger-sized weapons... They cost 6000 gold. Has some interesting discussion there.

Winged Template is a good way to get Perfect Fly maneuverability for +1 CR. +4dex, +2wisdom... Voidmind gives +2 Dex as well. That pushes a War Trolls dex to, what, 22? Voila, you pass the Perfect maneuverability requirement of 19!


According to Savage Species' description of the Lycanthrope... A monstroud humanoid, half-dragon, or whatever would have to be a natural lycanthrope, rather than an infected one. So if you had a human who has half-dragon, if he got bit by a werewolf he wouldn't become one. But if his human parent was a werewolf, than he would be a werewolf. Who is also Half-Dragon.

But whenever he shifted into the were-form, he would just be a werewolf. No half-dragon, ooze, whatever stuff. Like Polymorph self, according to the book.


Basically, unless your guys are going to have some Humanoid-type ancestroy, they won't be able to be Lycanthropes. Look for another way to defend against polymorph...

And what happened to Multi-Headed and Lernean?

[JeminiZero]

Originally Posted by Aether

Also, I went back to take a look at Voidmind template. It turns out it gives Combat Reflexes, Alertness, and Great Fortitude as bonus feats.

Yeah... someday, after tweaking all the constituent templates and breeding processes, I should sit down and write out the stat block for a legionnaire and see how many free feats it has.

Originally Posted by Aether

I figured that the tentacle can make trip attempts, or disarm attempts, because losing 1d6 damage is better than making a trip/grapple/disarm attempt with a weapon that could deal 2d8+lotsastrength damage.

In this case, the rules provide a specific instruction of what it can do. It does not say that it can do stuff other than what is stated (unlike say Geomancer Spell Versatility where it says it can do such and such as a merely a few examples of what spell versatility can accomplish). So by strict RAW, you can't trip/disarm etc with the tentacle, or at least not seperately from the main weapon.

Originally Posted by Aether

Winged Template is a good way to get Perfect Fly maneuverability for +1 CR. +4dex, +2wisdom... Voidmind gives +2 Dex as well. That pushes a War Trolls dex to, what, 22? Voila, you pass the Perfect maneuverability requirement of 19!

That would depend on which stage you put the winged template in. Since it can only be inherited, it must be included at the very earliest moments of the breeding process, before Voidmind ritual, after which additional gains in Dex do not improve maneuverability.

Originally Posted by Aether

But whenever he shifted into the were-form, he would just be a werewolf. No half-dragon, ooze, whatever stuff. Like Polymorph self, according to the book.

Actually, Savage Species is 3.0 material. Polymorph has since been updated and superseded in 3.5.

Originally Posted by Aether

And what happened to Multi-Headed and Lernean?

It was abandoned since it did not provide any additional protection the legion didn't already have.

[JeminiZero]

Emerald Legionnaire (Air Racial Variant)
Half-Clay-Golem Were-Dire-Bat Gheden Air Racial Variant Half-Troll War Trolls

Giant Form
Size/Type: Large Giant (Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 12d8+120 plus 4d8+12 plus 64 (16 HD, average 268 HP)
Initiative: +3
Speed: base speed 40 ft. (May decrease if wearing Medium or Heavy Armor)
Armor Class: 19 (-1 size, +7 natural armor, +3 Dex), touch 12, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+40 (+44 with Tentacle)
Attack: claw +39 melee (1d8+21)
Full Attack: 2 claws +39 melee (1d8+21) and Tentacle +39 melee (1d8+31) and bite +34 melee (1d6+10); Can wield Martial Weapons if needed
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. (tentacle up to 15 ft.)
Special Attacks: Dazing blow, Rend 2d8+31 (Claws), Cone of Slime, Constrict 1d8+31 (Tentacle), Improved Grab (Tentacle), Sentient Tentacle, Berserk, Cursed Wound
Special Qualities: Alternate form, Haste, DR 10/adamantine & bludgeoning, DR 5/magic, Darkvision 90 ft, Low-light Vision, Blind Sense, Scent, Keen Scent, Regeneration 9, Fast Healing 5, Dead Nerves, Immunities, Magic Immunity, Spell Resistance 26, Immune to Piercing and Slashing Weapons, Mind Flayer Host, Bat Empathy
Saves: Fort +28, Ref +15, Will +30 (With Steadfast Determination)
Abilities: Str 52, Dex 16, Con 42, Int 1, Wis 16, Cha 1
Skills: (19 skill points unassigned)
Feats: 5 feats of choice from 12 Giant HD, which should include Steadfast Determination, Bind Vestige and Improved Bind Vestige. Plus the following bonus feats from templates: Iron Will, Alertness, Stealthy, Endurance, Diehard, and Toughness, Combat Reflexes, and Great Fortitude
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or gang (3-9)
Challenge Rating: 21
Alignment: Usually lawful evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: -


Combat
Emerald Legionnaires typically use their Improved Bind vestige feat to bind Haagenti, to grant them immunity to form changing attacks. When fighting, they normally Shift to Were-Dire-Bat Hybrid Form. This gives them an additional +6 Str, +12 Dex and +6 Con. Furthermore, they Rage to gain another +4 Str and +4 Con. The stat changes boosts their Saves, and their attack and damage, and are not reflected above. Legionnaires prefer to fight on the ground in hybrid form, but if facing flying opponents, they can shift to Dire-Bat form.


Immunities
Regeneration (Ex): Unlike with their lesser cousins, acid (not fire) deals normal damage to a war troll. If a war troll loses a limb or a body part, the lost portion regrows in 2d4 minutes. The creatures can reattach the secered member instantly by holding it to the stump.

Breathless (Ex): Members of air races do not breathe, so they have immunity to drowning, suffocation, and attacks that require inhalation (such as some types of poison).

Dead Nerves (Ex): A gheden has a weak sense of touch and is incapable of feeling pain. It is unaffected by nonlethal damage, stunning and death from massive damage. This lack of sensation also imposes a -8 penalty on any skill check that involves fine motor control or a sense of touch, such as Open Lock or Sleight of Hand checks, but grants a +4 bonus on Concentration checks provoked by damage.

Fortification (Ex): When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on the Gheden, there is a 50% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated, and damage is instead rolled normally. If a Gheden wears magic armor with any form of the fortification quality, use the better percentage value.

Immunities (Ex): A gheden is immune to fear and confusion effects and energy drain attacks. A voidmind creature has immunity to acid and mind-affecting spells and abilities (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). It is also immune to ability damage, ability drain and energy drain.

Spell Resistance (Ex): Voidmind creatures gain spell reistance equal to 10 + Hit Dice (26 for an Emerald Legionnaire without advancement).

Immunity to Magic (Ex): A clay golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.

A move earth spell drives the golem back 120 feet and deals 3d12 points of damage to it.

A disintegrate spell slows the golem (as the slow spell) for 1d6 rounds and deals 1d12 points of damage.

An earthquake spell cast directly at a clay golem stops it from moving on its next turn and deals 5d10 points of damage. The golem gets no saving throw against any of these effects.

Any magical attack against a clay golem that deals acid damage heals 1 point of damage for every 3 points of damage it would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the golem to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. For example, a clay golem hit by the breath weapon of a black dragon heals 7 points of damage if the attack would have dealt 22 points of damage. A clay golem gets no saving throw against magical attacks that deal acid damage.

Immunity to Slashing and Piercing (Ex): Slashing and piercing weapons, whether normal or magical, deal no damage to a half-clay-golem.


Attacks
Dazing Blow (Ex): The force of a war troll's blow can be overwhelming. If a war troll hits with a weapon or claw attack, the opponent must make a Fortitude save vs DC 16 + Con Modifier (32 without shifting or rage) or be dazed for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Air Racial Variant (Ex): +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against creatures of the earth subtype, including extraplanar creatures from the Elemental Plane of Earth.

Rend (Ex): If a half-troll hits with both claw attacks, it latches onto the opponent's body and tears the flesh. This attack automatically deals 2x the damage dice of a Claw attack + 1-1/2 Strength modifier (2d8+31 without shifting or rage).

Cone of Slime (Su): Once per day as a standard action, a voidmind creature can expel the psionically charged slime in its head in a 30 ft cone. the attack deals 1d6 points of acid damage per Hit Die of the voidmind creature (maximum 20d6). A successful Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 voidmind creature's racial Hit Dice + voidmind creature's Con modifier) halves the damage (DC 43 without shifting or rage). In addition, any creature that takes damage from the spray takes a -2 penalty on its Will saves and is stunned for 1d4+1 rounds (Fortitude save negates the stun, save DC same as above). The psionic slime replenishes itself automatically in 24 hours. The save DCs are Constitution-based.

Constrict (Ex): A voidmind creature gains the ability to constrict its victim with a successful grapple check. When it constricts, one of its tentacles deals damage based on the creature's size (see the table below), plus its strength bonus x1-1/2.

Size	Constrict Damage
Tiny	1d3
Small	1d4
Medium	1d6
Large	1d8
Huge	2d6

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a voidmind creature must hit a creature of its size category or smaller with its tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. A voidmind creature has a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks made with its tentacle. If the creature wins the graaple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Sentient Tentacle (Ex): A voidmind creature's tentacle attacks of its own accord. The creature can direct it to attack certain targets, but the psionic nature of the tentacle enables it to flex and move in combat without hindering the creature's other combat abilities. A voidmind grimlock that has successfully grappled a creature with its tentacle can attack another creature at no penalty, as long as that creature is within a distance equal to the tentacle's reach.

Berserk (Ex): A clay halfgolem that takes damage in combat flies into a berserk rage the following round, attacking wildly until either it or its opponent is dead. It gains +4 Strength, +4 Constitution, and -2 AC. A clay half-golem cannot end its berserk state voluntarily. If the clay half-golem is a barbarian, the bonuses and the penalty are cumulative with the barbarian rage class feature. (Not included in the stat block above)

Cursed Wound (Ex): The damage a clay golem deals doesn't heal naturally and resists healing spells. A character attempting to cast a conjuration (healing) spell on a creature damaged by a clay golem must succeed on a DC 26 caster level check, or the spell has no effect on the injured character.

Haste (Su): After it has engaged in at least 1 round of combat on a given day, a clay half-golem can use haste upon itself once during that day as a free action. The effect lasts 3 rounds and is otherwise the same as the spell.


Racial Skills and Saves
Saves: A Gheden creature gains a +2 racial bonus on saves against fear, poison, disease, paralysis and spells from the necromancy school. Half Clay Golems gain +2 Racial bonus to Fortitude saves (included in the Stat Block above).

Air Racial Variant creatures suffer a −2 penalty on all saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities with the earth subtype or used by creatures of the earth subtype, including extraplanar creatures from the Elemental Plane of Earth.

Skills: Ghedens have a +4 racial bonus on Intimidate checks. Voidmind creatures have a +4 racial bons on Bluff, Escape Artist, and Intimidate checks. Otherwise same as base creature.

Lycanthropic Empathy (Ex): In any form, lycanthropes can communicate and empathize with normal or dire animals of their animal form. This gives them a +4 racial bonus on checks when influencing the animal's attitude and allows the communication of simple concepts and (if the animal is friendly) commands, such as "friend," "foe," "flee," and "attack."


Senses
Detect Mindless Undead (Sp): At will, a gheden can detect any form of mindless undead. This ability works like the detect undead spell (caster level equals gheden's total HD), but it only detects mindless undead.

Scent (Ex): A lycanthrope has the scent ability in any form.

Blindsense (Ex): A dire bat uses echolocation to pinpoint creatures within 40 feet. Opponents still have total concealment against the bat unless it can actually see them.


Miscellaneous
Alternate Form (Su): An Emerald Legionnaire can assume a bipedal dire bat hybrid form, or the form of a dire bat.

Call of Undeath (Ex): There is a 3% chance per Hit Die that upon a Gheden's death, it will rise as a Zombie.

Detection (Ex): Gheden registers as undead creatures for the purposes of spells and effects that detect undead (such as detect undead). A Gheden counts as half its HD for the purposes of aura strength.

Necrotic Life (Ex): Even on a failed save, a Gheden suffers only half damage from spells and effects that deal hit point damage due to negative energy, such as inflict spells, and with a successful save, a Gheden suffers no damage.

Slow Aging (Ex): Upon reaching maturity, a Gheden ages at one-forth of the base creature's normal rate.

Turn Kind (Ex): A Gheden cleric gains a +2 bonus on checks made to turn, rebuke, command or bolster zombies.

Vulnerability to Holy Water (Ex): Holy water scalds the flesh of a Gheden, dealing 1d4 points of damage per direct hit with a flask.

Vulnerability to Turning (Ex): Any turning attempt targeting the Gheden that would turn or rebuke an undead of the Gheden's HD imposes a -4 penalty on the half-undead's attacks, saves, skill checks, and ability checks. This effect lasts for 10 rounds or until the creature that turned or rebuked the Gheden attacks the Gheden. A turn attempt that would destroy or command an undead of equivalent Hit Dice instead stuns a Gheden for 2d4 rounds.

Mind Flayer Host (Su): Three mind flayer's form a bond with any voidmind creature they create. A different mind flayer cannot bond itself to a voidmind creature after creation. The creature's masters are instantly aware if the creature takes any damage, wanders out of range of their control, or is the target of any magic.

Also as a result of this bond, the masters can, as a standard action, see and hear through the eyes and ears of their bonded voidmind creature to a range of 5 miles. Maintaining this link requires a mindflayer to concentrate, but the mind flayer remains aware of its surroundings and can move normally.

Finally, any one of the three masters can take control of the voidmind creature, at will, as the dominate monster spell (no save). While controlling the voidmind in this fashion, a mind flayer can manifest its own innate psionic abilities through the voidmind creature, as though the creature were manifesting the ability itself. Any of the mind flayer's psionic powers used in this fashion can target or affect creatures within range, line of sight, and line of effect of the voidmind creature. So for example, a mind flayer can use plane shift to send the voidmind to another plane, or it could send itself to another plane. Like-wise, the mind flayer could use suggestion on a target it sees through the voidmind creature's eyes.


Animal/Hybrid Form Only
Damage Reduction (Ex): A natural lycanthrope in animal or hybrid form has damage reduction 10/silver.

Curse of Lycanthropy (Su): Any humanoid or giant hit by a natural lycanthrope�fs bite attack in animal or hybrid form must succeed on a DC 15 Fortutude save or contract lycanthropy. If the victim�'s size is not within one size category of the lycanthrope the victim cannot contract lycanthropy from that lycanthrope. Afflicted lycanthropes cannot pass on the curse of lycanthropy.

Calculations:

Spoiler

Stats
Str 30 +4 Gheden +6 Half Troll +4 Voidmind +8 Half Clay Golem = 52
Dex 16 -2 Gheden +2 Half Troll +2 Voidmind -2 Half Clay Golem = 16
Con 28 +6 Half Troll +4 Voidmind +4 Half Clay Golem = 42
Int 8 -2 Gheden -2 Half Troll +2 Voidmind -6 Half Clay Golem = 1
Wis 14 +2 Were-Dire-Bat = 16
Cha 10 -4 Gheden -2 Half Troll -2 Voidmind -6 Half Clay Golem = 1

Note that because Voidmind and Half-Clay Golem are applied ontop of everything else, their Con bonus to HP applies to both War Troll and Were-Dire-Bat HD. Whereas the Half Troll Con bonus to HP is applied early on and so only applies to War-Troll.

Base Saves
Fort: 4 Base War Troll + 4 Were-Dire-Bat = 8
Will: 8 Base War Troll + 4 Were-Dire-Bat = 12
Ref: 8 Base War Troll + 4 Were-Dire-Bat = 12

Feats
Dire Bat: Alertness, Stealthy
Feats: A lycanthrope receives Iron Will as a bonus feat.
Feats: Ghedens gain Endurance, Diehard, and Toughness as bonus feats.
Feats: A voidmind creature gains Alertness, Combat Reflexes, and Great Fortitude, if the base creature meets the prerequisites and doesn't already have these feats.

Old Alternate Version:

Emerald Legionnaire (Were Shark Variant)

Spoiler

Half-Clay-Golem Voidmind Were-Dire-Bat/Were-Dire-Shark Gheden Half-Troll War-Troll

Giant Form
Size/Type: Large Giant (Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 12d8+120 plus 4d8+12 plus 18d8+66 plus 136 (34 HD, average 487 HP)
Initiative: +3
Speed: base speed 40 ft. (May decrease if wearing Medium or Heavy Armor)
Armor Class: 19 (-1 size, +7 natural armor, +3 Dex), touch 12, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +28/+53 (+57 with Tentacle)
Attack: claw +52 melee (1d8+21)
Full Attack: 2 claws +52 melee (1d8+21) and Tentacle +52 melee (1d8+31) and bite +48 melee (1d8+10) (after WF:Bite and Improved Natural Attack); Can wield Martial Weapons if needed
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. (tentacle up to 15 ft.)
Special Attacks: Dazing blow, Rend 2d8+31 (Claws), Cone of Slime, Constrict 1d8+31 (Tentacle), Improved Grab (Tentacle and Bite), Swallow Whole (Bite), Sentient Tentacle, Berserk, Cursed Wound
Special Qualities: Alternate form, Haste, DR 10/adamantine & bludgeoning, DR 5/magic, Darkvision 90 ft, Low-light Vision, Blind Sense, Scent, Keen Scent, Regeneration 9, Fast Healing 5, Dead Nerves, Immunities, Magic Immunity, Spell Resistance 44, Immune to Piercing and Slashing Weapons, Mind Flayer Host, Bat Empathy, Shark Empathy
Saves: Fort +39, Ref +26, Will +41 (With Steadfast Determination)
Abilities: Str 52, Dex 16, Con 42, Int 1, Wis 18, Cha 1
Skills: (37 skill points unassigned)
Feats: 5 feats of choice from 12 Giant HD, which should include Steadfast Determination, Bind Vestige and Improved Bind Vestige. Plus the following bonus feats from templates: Iron Will, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Toughness (4), Weapon Focus (bite), Alertness, Stealthy, Endurance, Diehard, and Toughness, Combat Reflexes, and Great Fortitude
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or gang (3-9)
Challenge Rating: 26
Alignment: Usually lawful evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: -


Combat
Emerald Legionnaires typically use their Improved Bind vestige feat to bind Haagenti, to grant them immunity to form changing attacks. When fighting, they normally Shift to Were-Dire-Shark Hybrid Form. This increases their Size Category to Huge, and gives them another +12 Str, +4 Dex and +6 Con. Furthermore, they Rage to gain another +4 Str and +4 Con. The stat changes boosts their Saves (especially their Fort Save), and their attack and damage. Legionnaires prefer to fight on the ground in hybrid form, but if facing flying or aquatic opponents, they can shift to Dire-Bat or Dire Shark forms respectively.


Immunities
Regeneration (Ex): Unlike with their lesser cousins, acid (not fire) deals normal damage to a war troll. If a war troll loses a limb or a body part, the lost portion regrows in 2d4 minutes. The creatures can reattach the secered member instantly by holding it to the stump.

Dead Nerves (Ex): A gheden has a weak sense of touch and is incapable of feeling pain. It is unaffected by nonlethal damage, stunning and death from massive damage. This lack of sensation also imposes a -8 penalty on any skill check that involves fine motor control or a sense of touch, such as Open Lock or Sleight of Hand checks, but grants a +4 bonus on Concentration checks provoked by damage.

Fortification (Ex): When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on the Gheden, there is a 50% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated, and damage is instead rolled normally. If a Gheden wears magic armor with any form of the fortification quality, use the better percentage value.

Immunities (Ex): A gheden is immune to fear and confusion effects and energy drain attacks. A voidmind creature has immunity to acid and mind-affecting spells and abilities (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). It is also immune to ability damage, ability drain and energy drain.

Spell Resistance (Ex): Voidmind creatures gain spell reistance equal to 10 + Hit Dice (44 for an Emerald Legionnaire without advancement).

Immunity to Magic (Ex): A clay golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.

A move earth spell drives the golem back 120 feet and deals 3d12 points of damage to it.

A disintegrate spell slows the golem (as the slow spell) for 1d6 rounds and deals 1d12 points of damage.

An earthquake spell cast directly at a clay golem stops it from moving on its next turn and deals 5d10 points of damage. The golem gets no saving throw against any of these effects.

Any magical attack against a clay golem that deals acid damage heals 1 point of damage for every 3 points of damage it would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the golem to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. For example, a clay golem hit by the breath weapon of a black dragon heals 7 points of damage if the attack would have dealt 22 points of damage. A clay golem gets no saving throw against magical attacks that deal acid damage.

Immunity to Slashing and Piercing (Ex): Slashing and piercing weapons, whether normal or magical, deal no damage to a clay half-golem.


Attacks
Dazing Blow (Ex): The force of a war troll's blow can be overwhelming. If a war troll hits with a weapon or claw attack, the opponent must make a Fortitude save vs DC 16 + Con Modifier (32 without shifting or rage) or be dazed for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Rend (Ex): If a half-troll hits with both claw attacks, it latches onto the opponent's body and tears the flesh. This attack automatically deals 2x the damage dice of a Claw attack + 1-1/2 Strength modifier (2d8+31 without shifting or rage).

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a dire shark must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can try to swallow the foe in the following round.

Swallow Whole (Ex): A dire shark can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of up to one size smaller by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 2d6+6 points of bludgeoning damage plus 1d8+4 points of acid damage per round from the shark�fs digestive juices. A swallowed creature can cut its way out using a light slashing or piercing weapon by dealing 25 points of damage to the shark's digestive tract (AC 13). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out.

A Huge dire shark�fs gullet can hold 2 Large, 8 Medium or Small, 32 Tiny, 128 Diminutive, or 512 Fine or smaller opponents.

Cone of Slime (Su): Once per day as a standard action, a voidmind creature can expel the psionically charged slime in its head in a 30 ft cone. the attack deals 1d6 points of acid damage per Hit Die of the voidmind creature (maximum 20d6). A successful Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 voidmind creature's racial Hit Dice + voidmind creature's Con modifier) halves the damage (DC 43 without shifting or rage). In addition, any creature that takes damage from the spray takes a -2 penalty on its Will saves and is stunned for 1d4+1 rounds (Fortitude save negates the stun, save DC same as above). The psionic slime replenishes itself automatically in 24 hours. The save DCs are Constitution-based.

Constrict (Ex): A voidmind creature gains the ability to constrict its victim with a successful grapple check. When it constricts, one of its tentacles deals damage based on the creature's size (see the table below), plus its strength bonus x1-1/2.

Size	Constrict Damage
Tiny	1d3
Small	1d4
Medium	1d6
Large	1d8
Huge	2d6

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a voidmind creature must hit a creature of its size category or smaller with its tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. A voidmind creature has a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks made with its tentacle. If the creature wins the graaple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Sentient Tentacle (Ex): A voidmind creature's tentacle attacks of its own accord. The creature can direct it to attack certain targets, but the psionic nature of the tentacle enables it to flex and move in combat without hindering the creature's other combat abilities. A voidmind grimlock that has successfully grappled a creature with its tentacle can attack another creature at no penalty, as long as that creature is within a distance equal to the tentacle's reach.

Berserk (Ex): A clay halfgolem that takes damage in combat flies into a berserk rage the following round, attacking wildly until either it or its opponent is dead. It gains +4 Strength, +4 Constitution, and -2 AC. A clay half-golem cannot end its berserk state voluntarily. If the clay half-golem is a barbarian, the bonuses and the penalty are cumulative with the barbarian rage class feature. (Not included in the stat block above)

Cursed Wound (Ex): The damage a clay golem deals doesn't heal naturally and resists healing spells. A character attempting to cast a conjuration (healing) spell on a creature damaged by a clay golem must succeed on a DC 26 caster level check, or the spell has no effect on the injured character.

Haste (Su): After it has engaged in at least 1 round of combat on a given day, a clay half-golem can use haste upon itself once during that day as a free action. The effect lasts 3 rounds and is otherwise the same as the spell.


Racial Skills and Saves
Saves: A Gheden creature gains a +2 racial bonus on saves against fear, poison, disease, paralysis and spells from the necromancy school. Half Clay Golems gain +2 Racial bonus to Fortitude saves (included in the Stat Block above).

Skills: Ghedens have a +4 racial bonus on Intimidate checks. Voidmind creatures have a +4 racial bons on Bluff, Escape Artist, and Intimidate checks. Otherwise same as base creature.

Lycanthropic Empathy (Ex): In any form, lycanthropes can communicate and empathize with normal or dire animals of their animal form. This gives them a +4 racial bonus on checks when influencing the animal's attitude and allows the communication of simple concepts and (if the animal is friendly) commands, such as "friend," "foe," "flee," and "attack."


Senses
Detect Mindless Undead (Sp): At will, a gheden can detect any form of mindless undead. This ability works like the detect undead spell (caster level equals gheden's total HD), but it only detects mindless undead.

Scent (Ex): A lycanthrope has the scent ability in any form.

Blindsense (Ex): A dire bat uses echolocation to pinpoint creatures within 40 feet. Opponents still have total concealment against the bat unless it can actually see them.

Keen Scent (Ex): A dire shark can notice creatures by scent in a 180-foot radius and can detect blood in the water at a range of up to 1 mile.


Miscellaneous
Alternate Form (Su): An Emerald Legionnaire can assume a bipedal dire bat hybrid form, a bipedal dire shark hybrid form, the form of a dire bat, or the form of a dire shark.

Call of Undeath (Ex): There is a 3% chance per Hit Die that upon a Gheden's death, it will rise as a Zombie.

Detection (Ex): Gheden registers as undead creatures for the purposes of spells and effects that detect undead (such as detect undead). A Gheden counts as half its HD for the purposes of aura strength.

Necrotic Life (Ex): Even on a failed save, a Gheden suffers only half damage from spells and effects that deal hit point damage due to negative energy, such as inflict spells, and with a successful save, a Gheden suffers no damage.

Slow Aging (Ex): Upon reaching maturity, a Gheden ages at one-forth of the base creature's normal rate.

Turn Kind (Ex): A Gheden cleric gains a +2 bonus on checks made to turn, rebuke, command or bolster zombies.

Vulnerability to Holy Water (Ex): Holy water scalds the flesh of a Gheden, dealing 1d4 points of damage per direct hit with a flask.

Vulnerability to Turning (Ex): Any turning attempt targeting the Gheden that would turn or rebuke an undead of the Gheden's HD imposes a -4 penalty on the half-undead's attacks, saves, skill checks, and ability checks. This effect lasts for 10 rounds or until the creature that turned or rebuked the Gheden attacks the Gheden. A turn attempt that would destroy or command an undead of equivalent Hit Dice instead stuns a Gheden for 2d4 rounds.

Mind Flayer Host (Su): Three mind flayer's form a bond with any voidmind creature they create. A different mind flayer cannot bond itself to a voidmind creature after creation. The creature's masters are instantly aware if the creature takes any damage, wanders out of range of their control, or is the target of any magic.

Also as a result of this bond, the masters can, as a standard action, see and hear through the eyes and ears of their bonded voidmind creature to a range of 5 miles. Maintaining this link requires a mindflayer to concentrate, but the mind flayer remains aware of its surroundings and can move normally.

Finally, any one of the three masters can take control of the voidmind creature, at will, as the dominate monster spell (no save). While controlling the voidmind in this fashion, a mind flayer can manifest its own innate psionic abilities through the voidmind creature, as though the creature were manifesting the ability itself. Any of the mind flayer's psionic powers used in this fashion can target or affect creatures within range, line of sight, and line of effect of the voidmind creature. So for example, a mind flayer can use plane shift to send the voidmind to another plane, or it could send itself to another plane. Like-wise, the mind flayer could use suggestion on a target it sees through the voidmind creature's eyes.


Animal/Hybrid Form Only
Damage Reduction (Ex): A natural lycanthrope in animal or hybrid form has damage reduction 10/silver.

Curse of Lycanthropy (Su): Any humanoid or giant hit by a natural lycanthrope�fs bite attack in animal or hybrid form must succeed on a DC 15 Fortutude save or contract lycanthropy. If the victim�'s size is not within one size category of the lycanthrope the victim cannot contract lycanthropy from that lycanthrope. Afflicted lycanthropes cannot pass on the curse of lycanthropy.


Wow, thats a lot. I think its ready to go up against the Damn Crab.

Calculations:

Spoiler

Stats
Str 30 +4 Gheden +6 Half Troll +4 Voidmind +8 Half Clay Golem = 52
Dex 16 -2 Gheden +2 Half Troll +2 Voidmind -2 Half Clay Golem = 16
Con 28 +6 Half Troll +4 Voidmind +4 Half Clay Golem = 42
Int 8 -2 Gheden -2 Half Troll +2 Voidmind -6 Half Clay Golem = 1
Wis 14 +2 Were-Dire-Bat +2 Were-Dire-Shark = 18
Cha 10 -4 Gheden -2 Half Troll -2 Voidmind -6 Half Clay Golem = 1

Note that because Voidmind and Half-Clay Golem are applied ontop of everything else, their Con bonus to HP applies to both War Troll and Were-Dire-Bat/Shark HD. Whereas the Half Troll Con bonus to HP is applied early on and so only applies to War-Troll.

Base Saves
Fort: 4 Base War Troll + 4 Were-Dire-Bat + 11 Were-Dire-Shark = 19
Will: 8 Base War Troll + 4 Were-Dire-Bat + 11 Were-Dire-Shark = 23
Ref: 8 Base War Troll + 4 Were-Dire-Bat + 11 Were-Dire-Shark = 23

Feats
Dire Shark: Improved Natural Attack (bite), Toughness (4), Weapon Focus (bite)
Dire Bat: Alertness, Stealthy
Feats: A lycanthrope receives Iron Will as a bonus feat.
Feats: Ghedens gain Endurance, Diehard, and Toughness as bonus feats.
Feats: A voidmind creature gains Alertness, Combat Reflexes, and Great Fortitude, if the base creature meets the prerequisites and doesn't already have these feats.

[Starbuck_II]

Unname spell from Tome of Magic works. All the Spellcaster has to do is get rid of the SR aspect.
Wouldn't Innate Spell Feat work (assuming you were Epic and could afford spell slot increase that high?)

[Khatoblepas]

Would clever use of Illusions (by a master of illusions, naturally) and a Gate trap keyed to the Positive Energy Plane defeat these guys real easy like?

I mean, just cover it up, the blind, blundering fools wander in. (Int 1, you see), and POOF. plane shifted to the +EP. No save, no SR. Put these traps EVERYWHERE, and cover them right up. The Mind Flayers are smart, but they're not THAT smart.

And sit back, and watch the lightshow. These guys may be invincible in single or mass combat, but they're no match for ingenuity. Substitute Positive Energy Plane for any other plane where they will die. Paraelemental Plane of Vacuum? No air. They suffocate. Far Realm? Things from Beyond your Imagination take care of it.

It's an awesome idea for a campaign, though. Invincible Enemy ravaging the land. Only YOU can stop them! Illusions are these guy's weakness.

[Collin152]

Originally Posted by Khatoblepas

Would clever use of Illusions (by a master of illusions, naturally) and a Gate trap keyed to the Positive Energy Plane defeat these guys real easy like?

I mean, just cover it up, the blind, blundering fools wander in. (Int 1, you see), and POOF. plane shifted to the +EP. No save, no SR. Put these traps EVERYWHERE, and cover them right up. The Mind Flayers are smart, but they're not THAT smart.

And sit back, and watch the lightshow. These guys may be invincible in single or mass combat, but they're no match for ingenuity. Substitute Positive Energy Plane for any other plane where they will die. Paraelemental Plane of Vacuum? No air. They suffocate. Far Realm? Things from Beyond your Imagination take care of it.

It's an awesome idea for a campaign, though. Invincible Enemy ravaging the land. Only YOU can stop them! Illusions are these guy's weakness.

Well, Will saves are based off of Wisdom, not Intelligence.
Gate spells don't last that long, and are 9th level spells.
And Mind Flayers have Plane Shift at Will, add to the fact that we have at least one with Psion levels, and it's simple enough to retreive the buggers.

[Aether]

Base Attack caps out at 20. The Legionnaire should have 4 iterative attacks for some of its weapons...

I reccomend taking some of the Multi-Attack feat trees to get extra claw and bite attacks.


How many attacks can the tentacle get? Does it benefit from a full BAB: not needing "multiattack/imp/greater/perfect multiattack" feats to get iterative attacks?

[JeminiZero]

Originally Posted by Starbuck_II

Unname spell from Tome of Magic works. All the Spellcaster has to do is get rid of the SR aspect.

Unname requires the target to have an Int of 3 or higher. It would work on the Mindflayers, but not the near-mindless Legionnaire.

Originally Posted by Starbuck_II

Wouldn't Innate Spell Feat work (assuming you were Epic and could afford spell slot increase that high?)

There are 2 innate spell feats, both of which convert the spell to an SLA, which still has to get by magic immunity.

Originally Posted by Khatoblepas

Would clever use of Illusions (by a master of illusions, naturally) and a Gate trap keyed to the Positive Energy Plane defeat these guys real easy like?

That depends on the feat selection. If they all have steadfast determination, their Fort save as is, is so high they won't even fail on a 1 vs the DC 20. So they can exist indefinitely, making their saves every round, and build up ludicrous amounts of temp HP.

Originally Posted by Khatoblepas

I mean, just cover it up, the blind, blundering fools wander in. (Int 1, you see), and POOF. plane shifted to the +EP. No save, no SR. Put these traps EVERYWHERE, and cover them right up. The Mind Flayers are smart, but they're not THAT smart.

The mind-flayers aren't just smart, they can manifest things that can see through illusions like Psionic True Seeing. They put this on the leader of a squad, and then monitor the surrounding through his senses. Detecting and dispelling the illusion should then be easy.

Even if they are shifted, the mind-flayers can just pull them out with any of their plane shifting powers (like astral traveller and astral caravan.)

Originally Posted by Khatoblepas

Paraelemental Plane of Vacuum? No air. They suffocate.

Possibly, but they can also hold their breath for a really really long time (2 rounds per point of constitution, and their modified Con score is 48, so thats 96 rounds for 9.6 minutes.) During which the Mind Flayers can either port them out, or throw on adapt body to keep them going.

Originally Posted by Khatoblepas

Far Realm? Things from Beyond your Imagination take care of it.

Unlikely. The Far Realms usually try to kill you by mind affecting or ability damage/drain and the Legion is immune to both. As it stands, a single Legionnaire without outside help is powerful enough to grapple/constrict a Damn Crab to death, provided the Crab is dumb enough to start and sustain the grapple in the first place (because the Legions AB is not high enough to consistently hit the Crab's AC).

Originally Posted by Khatoblepas

It's an awesome idea for a campaign, though. Invincible Enemy ravaging the land. Only YOU can stop them! Illusions are these guy's weakness.

Yeah. But they have other campaign uses though.

1. Perhaps the Mind-Flayers are still experimenting with the production protocol. The PCs must find and stop them before they perfect the Legion. Along the way, they fight increasingly advanced and powerful legionnaires. Best used a side plot to a larger, more overreaching campaign.

2. Or play the other side of the Emerald Legion Setup quest. The world is falling to something (see number 3), and the Mind-Flayers promise they can help reverse the tide. But they want the PCs to help them gather the requisite materials (capture trolls, find schematics for the Half-Clay-Golem graft etc). The Campaign ends with the PCs leading the first completed batch against a BBEG with an equally terrifying army.

3. Normally, the other planes hold creatures far beyond the material plane. The Emerald Legion is loyal, powerful and can be mass-produced, marking a fundamental shift in the balance of power. It is now possible for denizens of the material plane (provided they have the support of mind-flayers) to challenge other planes as they see fit. Is there a celestial/infernal war? Mortals are now mighty enough to intervene. Is an elder evil awakening and unleashing a relentless tide of undead? The Legion can step in and stop them dead in their tracks. The possibilities are endless.

Originally Posted by Aether

Base Attack caps out at 20. The Legionnaire should have 4 iterative attacks for some of its weapons...

That depends on the source of BAB. It caps at 20 for class levels, but not for racial HD. So a Tarrasque has a BAB equal to its HD. Natural Weapons do not get iterative attacks.

Originally Posted by Aether

How many attacks can the tentacle get? Does it benefit from a full BAB: not needing "multiattack/imp/greater/perfect multiattack" feats to get iterative attacks?

Multiattack doesn't give you more attacks, it reduces the penalty for existing secondary attacks. And since the only secondary attack this has is the Bite, its not as worthwhile.

[Khatoblepas]

Originally Posted by JeminiZero

*snip*

Touché. I can only really find one thing that can destroy them now (with a quick look) The Umbral Blot. It has a save DC higher than your saves, and affects constructs, since it's a Disintegration effect. Likewise, an Entropomancer can find a Sphere of Annihiliation and use it against them, since it allows NO SAVE. Of course, you gotta be careful of Rod of Cancellations, but then, a high enough level party can just spam Disjunction until the rods die.

Hmm, apart from that, I can't think of anything nonepic level that would actually affect them.

[Flickerdart]

Why does the Gate trap matter? The beauty of these guys is that they can be mass-produced. So, you lost a few. Your foe will run out of spell slots before they deplete your force. Eh, I suppose the controlling flayers could get them back if they really wanted to, but they don't have to.

[JeminiZero]

Originally Posted by Khatoblepas

Touché. I can only really find one thing that can destroy them now (with a quick look) The Umbral Blot. It has a save DC higher than your saves, and affects constructs, since it's a Disintegration effect.

There *is* a solution to that but it involves copious amounts of Gouda, Cheddar and Mozarella. There is no limit to the number of Lycan templates you can stack on the suckers (which can be done at virtually no additional cost to the process), so you can add Were-Dire-Bear, Were-Dire-Boar, Were-Dire-Hawk, Were-Giant-Squid etc etc until their HD/HP/BAB/saves are however high you want. I merely limited myself to the bare essentials of Were-Dire-Bat and Were-Dire-Shark.

Originally Posted by Khatoblepas

Likewise, an Entropomancer can find a Sphere of Annihiliation and use it against them, since it allows NO SAVE. Of course, you gotta be careful of Rod of Cancellations, but then, a high enough level party can just spam Disjunction until the rods die.

Noted.

[nyarlathotep]

Don't ravages bypass the immunity to ability damage in which case their low intelligence and charisma would be a problem.

[Chronos]

Since someone else already bumped this thread, I don't feel guilty about pointing out that a magic adamantine morningstar coated with Trollbane would do real damage to these guys. That bypasses all of their damage reductions, and morningstars count as both piercing and bludgeoning, so they can both deal damage through the clay grafts and apply Trollbane.

The simplest method to protect against Trollbane is probably to find some way to give them poison immunity, since it's considered a poison.