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Large Construct (extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 13d10+30 (101 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 25 (+16 natural, -1 size), touch 9, flat-footed 25
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+25
Attack: Slam +16 melee (2d8+8 )
Full Attack: 2 slams Slam +16 melee (2d8+8 )
Space/Reach: 10 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, resin hurl, sticky situation, stuck fast
Special Qualities: Construct traits, damage reduction 10/cold iron, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 5, immunity to mortal magic, tree stride
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +9
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 11, Con -, Int 4, Wis 20, Cha 10
Skills: Diplomacy +6, Listen +12, Spot +12
Feats: Alertness, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Track
Environment: Plane of Faerie or temperate forest
Organization: Solitary or Muddle (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral good
Advancement: 14-20 HD (Large), 21-41 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -
An amberward appears as a great, vaguely man-like creature made of some glassy orangish sustance that drips with moisture. The figure is somewhat lumpy and misshapen, with vein-like lines flowing through it. Deep within is a beautifully polished skeleton of dark colored wood upon which beautiful carvings and florid runes have been etched in sylvan. The 'skull' is but a smooth wooden ball where the scribings cover every available inch. Its back has a large hump formed of dozens of spheres. Within each is the blurred form of some creature, from animal to humanoid.
The liquid running through an amberward is known as Red Dew, a special substance of fey lands that helps animate them gives them their intelligence.
Amberwards are sentient creatures brought to life as guardians of the Seelie courts and boundary lands between that of mortals and immortals. Their creator, a fey princess by the name of Salpa first constructed the Amberwards from a massive darkwood tree that her father had had planeted for her at her birth. It had grown old, far older than any would naturally, for she had used both magic and her knowledge of growing things to extends its life. Knowing it would soon die despite her efforts she began to collect its sap and turn it to a thick syrup. Once she had enough she withdrew her magic and watched as it toppled. She wept as it fell and all the nearby trees seemed to weep as well as a strange red dew began to bead up their branches and drip down their sides. She shaped the wood and made it hard as iron before dipping it into the pools of syupy resin she had saved. Drawing upon the forces of nature she soaked the sap in the life energy of the forest as the dew began to rain down upon her.
To her amazement what arose and hardened bowed to her and spoke its thanks. For her love of the tree had soaked into the land and imprinted within it an echo of her soul. She affectionately named each one and used most to guard and patrol her lands. This was their choice for she allowed them their own life if such they wished. Some as well were sent to settle disputes between human and fey on other planes of existence. Here others discovered the secret to their making and though rare, new amberwards came to be.
Amberwards are nearly 15 feet tall and weigh around 2,000 pounds. They speak Sylvan.
Combat
Amberwards will often stand before those who seek to trespess into guarded lands, warning them and speaking with them in simple terms. If they still seek to enter an amberward will attempt to grab them up and take them back to where they came from. If they are attacked however they revert to fists, grabbing and crushing, and if forced, trapping the being within themselves to die. If overpowered they meld into the nearest tree to hide or transport themselves to warn those they guard.
Immunity to Mortal Magic (Ex): An amberward is immune to any spell or spell-like ability cast by anything other than elementals, fey, or outsiders that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.
An antiplant shell, evergreen, and repel wood spell affects an amberward as if it were itself a plant.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an amberward must hit a Huge or smaller foe with two slam attacks. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Amberwards are extremely sticky if they wish to be and thus recieve a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks, which is already included in the statistics above.
Resin Hurl (Ex): An amberward may sacrifice 5 hit points to liquify and spew a glob of its own substance as a ranged touch attack. This acts as a thrown tanglefoot bag except that it does not grow brittle and crumble but remains hardened indefinetely.
Sticky Situation (Ex): An amberward may engulf a helpless or pinned medium or smaller creature as a full-round action that does not trigger an attack of opportunity. The viscous inner resin hardens around the victim and is transfered to the back of the amberward. The victim immediately begins to suffocate. A successful opposed strength check allows the victim to free themselves. An amberward can hold 2 medium, 4 small, 16 tiny, or 32 dimunitive creature. Swarms of fine creatures do not damage an amberward, but are instead absorbed en masse, the swarm taking 2d6 damage per round. An amberward may eject a captured creature at will.
Stuck Fast (Ex):
A slashing or piercing weapon that deals damage to an amberward becomes stuck within its substance unless the wielder succeeds on a DC 24 reflex save. The weapon may be retrieved with a successful disarm check. An amberward can spend a standard action to cover over a single weapon per round and hide it within its body. The amberward may eject or wield the weapon at will. The save DC is strength-based.
Tree Stride (Su): An amberward may use Tree Stride once per day, being absorbed and flowing through the host tree's very veins.
I like it. Especially the improved grapple, resin hurl, and the sticky situation. You've outdone yourself again, VT ;D
__________________
If you have made an avatar for me, do not worry. I have them saved. Your work was not wasted. The reason I am not showing them right now may be because I feel they should be shown off at a better point in time.&&&&Orange Zergling doll by Sneak.
__________________ Praise me not for my born strengths, but for what I make of them.
Scorn me not for my born faults, but for my failure to overcome them.
So, if a mortal cast a fire spell against an amberward, would it do nothing or heal it? Why do fire spells heal it, anyway? It goes against the usual plant tactics, so I need to tell the players something when they research it.
What does the "that allows spell resistance" blurb mean? Does it mean it has infinite SR against mortal magic unless said magic bypasses SR completely?
Could a mortal affect one using antiplant spells?
Why don't bludgeoning weapons get stuck in the sap?
So, if a mortal cast a fire spell against an amberward, would it do nothing or heal it?
Heal. Fairly standard for constructs: they're immune to most spells, as the spells normally go, but some spells have different effects on them.
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Why do fire spells heal it, anyway? It goes against the usual plant tactics, so I need to tell the players something when they research it.
It's not a plant except for certain purposes. I'm guessing fire heals because it softens and melts the resin which runs back into place, sealing wounds?
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What does the "that allows spell resistance" blurb mean? Does it mean it has infinite SR against mortal magic unless said magic bypasses SR completely?
Umm, I'm not sure of what you mean. Yes, it effectively has infinite spell resistance. And yes, anything that bypasses spell resistance will, err, bypass spell resistance. Even infinite spell resistance.
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Could a mortal affect one using antiplant spells?
Yes. I think. Repel wood certainly works, as it doesn't allow SR anyway. VT might have meant that only fey, constructs and outsiders can use antiplant shell, but again, normal usage for constructs is to say 'they're immune to spells, and these specific spells do the following'. A bit weird, but that's what the core rules do.
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Why don't bludgeoning weapons get stuck in the sap?
Umm. Because they don't sink in? That's my guess. If you want a more detailed explanation, you could say that the sap is semi-solid, and that it behaves like... oh what's the word... those substances that act as solids under strong force but viscous liquids otherwise. So a mace blow will strike and crack the resin, but slashing or piercing weapons will cut into it, and get stuck.
Edit: You know, on the immune to spells thing, I'm not now so sure. See, first I figured, the reason the core rules say it like that is that no SR-allowing spells have their normal effects; most do nothing, and a few have special effects, like lightning bolt on a flesh golem. That would mean VT's 'antiplant shell works normally' is unusual.
But then I noticed that iron golems were vulnerable to rusting grasp which worked normally. Then I noticed that rusting grasp doesn't allow SR. So now I'm not so sure.
So what about things like morningstars, items that deal both?
They deal piercing damage, therefore get stuck. There'd only be a problem if it said '...but bludgeoning weapons don't get stuck', as if being bludgeoning was some protection. It doesn't; bludgeoning is no protection, and piercing is a liability.
Y'know, between the DR 10, fast healing 5, stickiness, and magic immunity, this thing sounds pretty hard to actually take down (although it is kinda short on HP).
__________________ Praise me not for my born strengths, but for what I make of them.
Scorn me not for my born faults, but for my failure to overcome them.
Acid conjurations are your friend. And some way of keeping it still.
Going on the fluff, though, it's not actually that likely to kill you, unless you make it. Basically you want to keep it close and take it down, before it a) grapples you and hauls you out of the area, or b) gets away to warn its masters. (Of course, if it can't escape, that's when it's likely to turn deadly...)
Since they're born from mourning, you could switch matters up so certain necromancies- say, finger of death- heal them instead.
Just a random thought.
Well, they're not exactly born from mourning, it was just that the fey had such a control over her woods that it was affected by her emotions. Basically the 'soul essence' she put in was just XP.
Well, they're not exactly born from mourning, it was just that the fey had such a control over her woods that it was affected by her emotions. Basically the 'soul essence' she put in was just XP.
Sorry if my explanation killed the feel there ;)
Nah, they're still rather awesome.
Like I said, random thought.
Did you know that the word 'salpa' is an old Finnish word for 'lock'? Or, more spesifically, the part of the lock that stops the door from moving, and also even a bar that stops a door from opening. As such, Amberwards of Salpa are kind of a salpa themselves.
If you want to give them some new special ability, perhaps Resin Hurl could double as an Arcane Lock ability?
EDIT:
I just remembered an old African (I think) legend about a monkey that drunk from a well other people had made, and always cheated its way past the guardians. They wanted to catch him, so they made a tar-man, the monkey hit it, and got stuck. Maybe Amberwards should get a free attack of opportunity they can only use to initiate a grapple?
Did you know that the word 'salpa' is an old Finnish word for 'lock'? Or, more spesifically, the part of the lock that stops the door from moving, and also even a bar that stops a door from opening. As such, Amberwards of Salpa are kind of a salpa themselves.
Huh, nope, didn't know that. Interesting that ;)
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I just remembered an old African (I think) legend about a monkey that drunk from a well other people had made, and always cheated its way past the guardians. They wanted to catch him, so they made a tar-man, the monkey hit it, and got stuck. Maybe Amberwards should get a free attack of opportunity they can only use to initiate a grapple?
*guffaws*
Cool story, does sound alot like the Amberward. Anyways, it basically gets a sort of free disarm attack each time its hit, and if it hits with both fists it does automatically begin a grapple.
Could add a bit saying that if anyone tries to grapple an Amberward they can be sucked in.
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