Card Shark (3.5 Monster/Familiar) Judge as you will.

[MoleMage]

This bizarre construct appears a shark, constructed entirely of floating playing cards. Some clever gamblers who have discovered their existence may use them to cheat at games of chance, or the unsuspecting adventurer may find what he thinks to be a Deck of Illusions. When the illusions summon themselves right off the cards and the cards themselves start biting, he realizes he just got more than he bargained for. Whoever first created these creatures is unknown, but the technique is simple enough that a wizard who has encountered one and studied it with Detect Magic can figure out how to make one with only one weeks study, costing no materials, and taking only 3 hours a day.


Card Shark
Tiny Construct
HD: ½ d10+3 (5 HP)
Initiative:+1
Speed: 20 ft., Swim 20 ft.
Armor Class: 13 (+2 Size, +1 Dex), Touch 13, Flat Footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +0, -9
Attack: Bite +0 melee 1d3-2
Full Attack: Bite +0 melee 1d3-2
Space/Reach: 2½ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: N/A
Special Qualities: swim through air, low light vision, darkvision 60ft, construct traits, deck form, trick shuffle, activate component cards
Saves: +0 Fort, +1 Ref, +1 Will
Ability Scores: Str 6, Dex 12, Con -, Int 5, Wis 13, Cha 10
Skills: Swim +8, Bluff +2
Feats: Toughness
Environment: Any, typically urban, magical
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: ½ (mundane cards), variable (magical cards, see activate component cards)
Treasure: none (unless constructed from valuable cards, see below)
Alignment: Usually Chaotic
Advancement: ½-5 HD (Tiny)
Level Adjustment: -

Card sharks speak no languages, but all can understand one language, chosen when they are created. It must be a language their creator can speak.

Swim Through Air (Su)
A card shark can treat the air as if it were water for the purposes of movement. This is a supernatural ability and does not function in an anti-magic field or similar effects. This does not allow the shark to qualify for flight based feats or effects.

Deck Form (Ex)
As a full-round action which provokes attacks of opportunity, the card shark can combine all of its component cards into a single deck of playing cards. In this form they are indistinguishable from any other deck of cards, save through magic. These cards at this point function exactly as the base cards it was fashioned from, with the exception that they are entitled to saving throws even when unattended, and they have the same HP as the card shark. If the cards in this form are separated by more than one mile, the shark begins to take one damage per hour per mile of distance between the two farthest cards. Unattended cards can be called back to the shark form, but only move at a maximum rate of 120 ft. per round to reach the shark. The shark must undergo a full round action until all cards are present to regain its shark form; unlike assuming the deck form, this provokes no attacks of opportunity.

Trick Shuffle (Su/Ex, see text)
When a card shark in Deck Form is shuffled, it may as a free action during the shuffle decide to rearrange itself into any order it pleases. This is both supernatural and extraordinary in nature, and as such it will work in an anti-magic field or similar effect, but not perfectly. In such conditions, the shark has only a 50% chance of accomplishing the order it desires. A dedicated observer can notice this with a Spot check opposed by the card shark's Bluff check. If the shark can use the supernatural component of this ability, it also gains a +10 racial bonus to this Bluff check.

Activate Component Cards (Su)
Card sharks constructed from decks of magical cards can activate any card they are composed of as normal for the card in question. They always count as meeting the requirements for these cards, and are always considered to be holding them. Should the magical cards count only as a deck, with the need to shuffle for effect, the card shark may activate any card within it at its whim. If any cards are magical in the card shark, all cards are counted as magical as long as it lives, and it gains at least a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls, as if it were using a +1 magical weapon. Consumed cards retain their magical quality and do no damage to the shark, but cannot be used again unless replaced.

Hardness
A card shark has hardness according to the base cards it is fashioned from. Typical cards are fashioned from thin strips of wood, and have a hardness of five. More expensive cards may be lacquered or fashioned from rarer woods or other materials, and therefor have a higher hardness. Cheaper cards made from parchment or paper are also common, having no hardness, but are not typically used to create a card shark.

Base Cards
A card shark is fashioned from a deck of 30 or more cards, depending on the original purpose of the deck. When damaged in combat, a card shark loses some of these cards according to hit points lost. To regain its health, it must be supplied with cards of the same material. If the cards replaced are different from the cards lost, the makeup of its deck form is likewise changed.

Skills
A creature with a swim speed can move through water at its indicated speed without making Swim checks. It gains a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform a special action or avoid a hazard. The creature always can choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered when swimming. Such a creature can use the run action while swimming, provided that it swims in a straight line.

Notes: A card shark may be taken as an Improved Familiar at level 3.

Construction: A card shark can be made from any deck of cards with 30 or more cards.The creature’s master may assemble the body or hire someone else to do the job. Creating the body requires a DC 12 (Sleight of Hand) check. A card shark with more than 1/2 Hit Die can be created, but the first whole Hit Die (a 1HD shark) costs 2500g instead of 1500, and each additional Hit Die adds +1,500 gp to the price.

Craft Construct, at least two transmutation spells of 2nd level or higher or has studied an encountered card shark with detect magic, caster must be at least 5th level; Price 1,500 gp plus the cost of the cards; Cost 750 gp + 30 XP plus the cost of the cards.

[MoleMage]

Been in my head for a couple weeks now, finally decided to stat it. Also thinking of doing an Origami Dragon, but that's a homebrew for another day.

I have some difficulty with challenge rating, and wasn't sure what hit dice to give it. Any advice is welcome, but explain why, please, it's how I learn.

[DracoDei]

HD looks fine, but the hp should be 2 in that case. 1/2 CR for the original is probably actually too HIGH... it does 1 point of damage, so your average commoner can kill it with a quarter staff.

[MoleMage]

Originally Posted by DracoDei

HD looks fine, but the hp should be 2 in that case. 1/2 CR for the original is probably actually too HIGH... it does 1 point of damage, so your average commoner can kill it with a quarter staff.

Oh yeah, I forgot it was half and not a whole HD. Oops.

[DracoDei]

Oops! Hardness makes it CR 1/2 again maybe...or even 1, although that might be a stretch. I knew I should have read better before commenting...

[D Knight]

dude this is sweet but is there anyway to improve on it? mainly is there a way like making cards from metal to improve HD and/or Hardness.

[MoleMage]

Originally Posted by D Knight

dude this is sweet but is there anyway to improve on it? mainly is there a way like making cards from metal to improve HD and/or Hardness.

If you craft the cards from metal, the shark would take the hardness from the cards. Advancement goes up to 5HD, but if you want to advance it farther, go ahead. I just didn't want to increase the size. Updated the part on hardness to allow for materials besides wood, cloth, and paper.

[Sereg]

Originally Posted by MoleMage

Also thinking of doing an Origami Dragon, but that's a homebrew for another day.

Wow! Talk about a coincidence. That was something that I was thinking about just last night. Based on the Munchkin card? Now that I finally own ToM, I was thinking that the systems it introduced needed new dragons and I thought that Origami Dragons would be perfect for truenaming (yes, I know, truenaming suck, but there are fixes out there). I kind of like dragons with unusual characteristics. Of course, if you're going in a different direction, that's up to you.

Anyway, on topic, your cad shark is certainly an interesting creature.

[Balford]

If only a deck with 22 cards could be used to make it. (Deck of many things)

[Sereg]

Originally Posted by Balford

If only a deck with 22 cards could be used to make it. (Deck of many things)

That. Would be. AWESOME! (Ok, obviously you can't do that as cheating with a deck of many things must not be allowed, but can you imagine fighting a living deck of many things. Which randomly displayed a card every round and which could choose wh was affected by it. This must happen somehow.)

[arguskos]

Originally Posted by Balford

If only a deck with 22 cards could be used to make it. (Deck of many things)

Just make 8 new cards. Also, wow, I totally didn't catch that white text, I just knew.

[Zexion]

Full Attack 1d3-2 will always do one damage, never 0. Dice rolls cannot ever go beneath 1.

[MoleMage]

Originally Posted by Sereg

Wow! Talk about a coincidence. That was something that I was thinking about just last night. Based on the Munchkin card? Now that I finally own ToM, I was thinking that the systems it introduced needed new dragons and I thought that Origami Dragons would be perfect for truenaming (yes, I know, truenaming suck, but there are fixes out there). I kind of like dragons with unusual characteristics. Of course, if you're going in a different direction, that's up to you.

Anyway, on topic, your cad shark is certainly an interesting creature.

Going in a totally different direction. Mine would be a simple construct, not very powerful, maybe have really minor energy abilities related to the dragon color it matches. My friend recently made my an actual origami dragon, that's what inspired it. Never seen the Munchkin card.

[MoleMage]

Originally Posted by Balford

If only a deck with 22 cards could be used to make it. (Deck of many things)

Deck of Illusions is in though. 34 cards in those. It can summon any illusion from the list as it wishes.

Full Attack 1d3-2 will always do one damage, never 0. Dice rolls cannot ever go beneath 1.

I never suggested it could do 0. Did someone else edit and I missed it? The 1d3 is still in play instead of saying it does 1 damage, because it can gain outside strength modifiers, which would reduce or remove its penalty to damage.

[Debihuman]

Just going over some things:

Creatures with any Intelligence get feats. It should have one feat.

The bite attack is missing its melee attack. It should be +0 [Base attack bonus (+0) + Strength modifier (-2) + size modifier (+2)].

Attack: Bite +0 melee (1d3-2)
Full Attack: Bite +0 melee (1d3-2)

It has 4 skill points to start. It can have a maximum of 3 ranks in any skill. I'd recommend giving it Bluff +3 and Swim +9. You should have a skills note that reads:

Skills: A creature with a swim speed can move through water at its indicated speed without making Swim checks. It gains a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform a special action or avoid a hazard. The creature always can choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered when swimming. Such a creature can use the run action while swimming, provided that it swims in a straight line.

Since it requires a detect magic spell to create, that information should be listed in the Construction lines. Also, I'd also require animate object as the basis of this construct (its a 5th level spell) so CL is minimum of level would increase to 5. It's not a big change but I think it makes a lot of sense.

For example:

Construction: A card shark can be made from any deck of cards with 30 or more cards.The creature’s master may assemble the body or hire someone else to do the job. Creating the body requires a DC 12 (Sleight of Hand) check. A card shark with more than 1/2 Hit Die can be created, but each additional Hit Die adds +1,500 gp to the cost to create.

Craft Construct, detect magic, animate objects, caster must be at least 5th level; Price 1,500 gp plus the cost of the cards; Cost 750 gp + 30 XP plus the cost of the cards.

Just my 2 cents.

Debby

[Eldan]

Sweet.
I'd suggest giving it a disguise bonus to appear as a normal deck of cards. (Or the other way round, a spot check to see that it's not a normal deck while it's laying still. Similar to a gargoyle, perhaps.)

[Sereg]

Originally Posted by MoleMage

Going in a totally different direction. Mine would be a simple construct, not very powerful, maybe have really minor energy abilities related to the dragon color it matches. My friend recently made my an actual origami dragon, that's what inspired it. Never seen the Munchkin card.

Alright then.

Eldan has a good point by the way.

[MoleMage]

Originally Posted by Debihuman

Just going over some things:

Creatures with any Intelligence get feats. It should have one feat.

The bite attack is missing its melee attack. It should be +0 [Base attack bonus (+0) + Strength modifier (-2) + size modifier (+2)].

Attack: Bite +0 melee (1d3-2)
Full Attack: Bite +0 melee (1d3-2)

It has 4 skill points to start. It can have a maximum of 3 ranks in any skill. I'd recommend giving it Bluff +3 and Swim +9. You should have a skills note that reads:

Skills: A creature with a swim speed can move through water at its indicated speed without making Swim checks. It gains a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform a special action or avoid a hazard. The creature always can choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered when swimming. Such a creature can use the run action while swimming, provided that it swims in a straight line.

Since it requires a detect magic spell to create, that information should be listed in the Construction lines. Also, I'd also require animate object as the basis of this construct (its a 5th level spell) so CL is minimum of level would increase to 5. It's not a big change but I think it makes a lot of sense.

For example:

Construction: A card shark can be made from any deck of cards with 30 or more cards.The creature’s master may assemble the body or hire someone else to do the job. Creating the body requires a DC 12 (Sleight of Hand) check. A card shark with more than 1/2 Hit Die can be created, but each additional Hit Die adds +1,500 gp to the cost to create.

Craft Construct, detect magic, animate objects, caster must be at least 5th level; Price 1,500 gp plus the cost of the cards; Cost 750 gp + 30 XP plus the cost of the cards.

Just my 2 cents.

Debby

I will update this to include the missing info, but keep in mind that requiring a 5th level spell requires caster level 9th (if wizard) or 10th (if anything else). Detect magic in this case is not necessary as part of the crafting, but it can be used to figure out how it was made. I don't want it to be something you have to cast 5th level spells to create, but I can see where that's probably the only spell which makes sense. EDIT: requirements to self-invent are now two transmutation spells 2nd level or higher, alternately, someone who has studied it with detect magic understands the basic processes.

Skill points are accurate, it has 2 of its four points in swim, and two in bluff. The swim check includes the racial bonus, and the strength modifier (which the skill ranks simply cancel out).

Any ideas for a feat? I glanced through the SRD and nothing jumped out at me. EDIT: Giving it toughness for now (surprisingly does not require a constitution score).

Sweet.
I'd suggest giving it a disguise bonus to appear as a normal deck of cards. (Or the other way round, a spot check to see that it's not a normal deck while it's laying still. Similar to a gargoyle, perhaps.)

Noted, changed the description on deck form. EDIT: Unlike the gargoyle, a living thing, the card shark is actually an object in its deck form. I don't know that a disguise check is necessary, or that a spot check would indicate those cards might start floating around as a shark.

EDIT EDIT: However, I will add a spot check to notice that the cards aren't behaving as cards should. This is under the trick shuffle ability now. Maybe an appropriate Knowledge or Intelligence check to realize what could do that?

[Debihuman]

Looks good. I've been distracted lately some my editing skills have been a little lax. Sorry about the errors I inflicted

It looks great.

Debby