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Question: What 3.5 monster would become the most powerful with the introduction of modern tech/weapons?
Scenario: I'm running a pathfinder modern dungeon (AKA our world) where the 3.5 D&D world gets suddenly tossed into our world. I'm trying to brain storm ideas for the main villan who has essentially conquered our world in all the madness that ensued by combining modern tech with magic/dragons/dungeons. What monster would be in the best position to take power if it got thrown into our modern world full of ipods, internet, nukes, etc.?
I'm sure i could easily make something up, but I like the idea of taking an original monster from one of the MMs that we are very familiar with and make it scare with tech.
Is there a monster that perhaps can absorb/incorporate/graft items to itself really quickly/easily/cheaply? Something like that who grafts tech to itself could be a good way to go.
Sounds like something Goblinoids would do, as they have the smarts and the size to make effective use of modern tech. That being said, there is a precedent for Kobolds. . .
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Originally Posted by Calanon
Raven_Cry's comments often have the effects of a +5 Tome of Understanding
A warforged, especially a warforged artificer, comes to mind first. Infusing various items - including own body parts - and turning them into modern technology? That could be handy.
And then there is anything intelligent and incorporeal, like a ghost or unbodied. Being able to fully use while completely immune to powerful weapons would be highly attractive.
And then, there is the Neutronium Golem, which wouldn't care one bit about modern levels of technology.
If Tucker's Kobolds ever got their hands on modern technology, the results would be truly horrific.
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Doth walk in fear and dread,
And having once turned round walks on,
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Doth close behind him tread. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner -- Samuel Coleridge Taylor
Really the victor will be the first person to effectively use mindrape on scientists. A dragon has a high enough intelligence and the abilities to stealthy infiltrate the modern world without much disturbance. Use of mindrape to learn everything that scientists know and then merge magic and science. Also use of mindrape can cause them to rule the political world quite quickly as well. Information is key in this situation and thus the creature that can amass the most information the fastest wins.
Mindflayers also might be an interesting mastermind villain but I am always biased towards them.
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Dragons are also incredibly arrogant. They practically define the term.
Infiltrating modern human civilisation might be 'smart', but it would also be incredibly humiliating from their perspective.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Calanon
Raven_Cry's comments often have the effects of a +5 Tome of Understanding
It'd be spellweavers or etherguants by my reckoning. Simply due to the action economy destruction of the former and the spellcasting of the latter. They could very easily use modern technology to compliment it. For instance each spellweaver has 12 mage hands going per turn to act as 6 crewmen on a battleship or bomber.
I'd go with Drow, actually. They have the drive and ability, magic-wise, to conquer and command extremely large masses of slaves at once. The Drow have practically mastered breaking to wills of 'lesser' races (who are often stronger, too). Drow also have a mindset for improvements in technology and exploiting whatever they happen to get their hands on.
Also, the bonus dexterity doesn't hurt if they start using guns.
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I'd go with Drow, actually. They have the drive and ability, magic-wise, to conquer and command extremely large masses of slaves at once. The Drow have practically mastered breaking to wills of 'lesser' races (who are often stronger, too). Drow also have a mindset for improvements in technology and exploiting whatever they happen to get their hands on.
Also, the bonus dexterity doesn't hurt if they start using guns.
Hobgoblins have Dex and CON.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Calanon
Raven_Cry's comments often have the effects of a +5 Tome of Understanding
It depends on partially on how you stat out the modern weapons, I think. The more powerful they are, the more it favors lessor, more numerous creatures. If a goblin or kobold can grab an AK-47 and inflict dozens or hundreds of damage per round (which it should be able to), it's going to equalize the playing field a bit.
My vote is for a goblin warlord with hordes of soldier/minions. You should also make him ex-military, but he lost his mind and traded to the other side. The final confrontation can take place in a small stuffy room where one half of the room has dark, bluish lighting and other is hot and red-tinted.
I would say Warforged, Dragons, or both. Or maybe. Just maybe. A Warforged Dragon.
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Characters:
Something with a very high int, as over 18 is better than the best minds humanity has ever produced. This would let them create new, even more powerful tech, while having full casting/manifesting.
Make up your own, created in a genetic and magic combined experiment ran by say... mindflayers, looking for the perfect servant. O course, the PC's get to the lab, but too late. Their first into is all the dead mindflayers, and some stored information about the experiments. Then things start going wrong. Someone cripples the world governments, or mind controls them, and takes control of the world that way, and they need to find him. And even if they do, he is still amazingly powerful.
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Last edited by Archmage1 : 11-13-2012 at 09:44 AM.
It depends on partially on how you stat out the modern weapons, I think. The more powerful they are, the more it favors lessor, more numerous creatures. If a goblin or kobold can grab an AK-47 and inflict dozens or hundreds of damage per round (which it should be able to), it's going to equalize the playing field a bit.
Historically, firearms were considered "democratic" weapons, since they roughly equalized individual combatants, and were comparatively easy and cheap to use (as opposed to bows, which were expensive and needed years of state-sponsored training to use effectively). The gun doesn't care if it's Rambo or Little Timmy pulling the trigger, it's going to kill what it's pointed at. So numbers begin to matter a lot more than individual strength or agility (ability to take large numbers of hits will probably matter though, so regenerating creatures will see an advantage). Also, popular resistance, pirates, and terrorist movements will have an easier time, since they don't need as many resources or training to field armies.
Entities which can supply and field large numbers of weapon-using units will receive a large boost from firearms. The quickly-reproducing intelligent species will find themselves at an advantage, as suddenly their numbers mean so much more.
I think any intelligent, organized creature with Regeneration will have extreme resilience on a modern battlefield. Got hit? duck into cover, have your friend take over your post, and be completely 100% combat ready in two minutes, free of charge. Killed? Yeah, just a few more minutes. This could allow regenerating creatures to hold the line indefinitely, barring extensive fire/acid damage. Incendiary/Acidic weapons will be an expensive necessity to combat such an enemy... if you can even afford enough of these bullets. And heaven help you if they find cheap fire/acid resist...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Emperor Tippy
By level 20 though, you aren't capturing a wizard. A character lives to level 20 by being the most ruthless, lucky, capable, and paranoid bastard around. A wizard is throwing around a 30+ Int score and has, entirely in character, planned contingencies for his contingencies. He may well be running around with flat out total immunity to harm, he does not walk outside without an entire bevy of defensive magics around him and enough magic items to buy himself a nation.
Last edited by Slipperychicken : 11-13-2012 at 12:35 PM.
Imps with nuclear bombs, who have both the initiative and skill to use them. They destroy everything.
What, is he going to drag a nuke around with his 24.75lb carry capacity?
That brings up a good point. Nuclear weapons/WMDs will be very attractive for extraplanars with infinite domains. So what if the other side retaliates and nukes a bunch of your land? They'll run out of land before you. This is guaranteed because you have INFINITE LAND. SO WHO CARES? NUKE IT ALL MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
EDIT: I also realized; nuke-delivery will be cheaper. Plane Shift/Greater Teleport means you don't have to spend money on aircraft or rockets. Just Shift in, Shift out, Boom (the entire process can probably all be accomplished in a single round with readied actions).
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Emperor Tippy
By level 20 though, you aren't capturing a wizard. A character lives to level 20 by being the most ruthless, lucky, capable, and paranoid bastard around. A wizard is throwing around a 30+ Int score and has, entirely in character, planned contingencies for his contingencies. He may well be running around with flat out total immunity to harm, he does not walk outside without an entire bevy of defensive magics around him and enough magic items to buy himself a nation.
Last edited by Slipperychicken : 11-13-2012 at 01:00 PM.
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