Homebrew DesignRoll up your sleeves and get working: there's lots of homebrewin' to be done! Post your custom creation for critiques or review those of your peers.
Announcement: Voting for MitP II is now over, this made it in, thank you all who supported it. Critiques still very much welcome. Art for use in the book would be even more welcome.
Giraffe-a-pump
Large Magical Beast (Water) 4d10+12 HD (34 hp) Speed 50 ft. (10 squares) Init: +1 (+1 Dex) AC 13; touch 10; flat-footed 12
(-1 Size, +1 Dex, +3 Natural) BAB +4; Grp +11 Attack Hoof +6 (1d6+3) melee OR Mouth Jet +4 ranged touch (1d8) Full-Attack 2 Hooves +6/+6 melee and Horns +1 melee (1d4+1)* OR 2 Hooves +6/+6 melee and Mouth Jet +4 Ranged Touch (1d8) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks Mouth Jet Special Qualities Low-light Vision, NO Dark Vision, Mouth Jet, Unthirsting, Low sleep requirements. Saves Fort +7 Ref +5 Will +3 Abilities Str 17, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 17 Skills Diplomacy +10, Hide -2, Listen +5, Sense Motive +9, Spot +6 Feats Alertness, Negotiator Environment Temperate or Arid Surface Organization Solitary or Herd (6-24) Challenge Rating 4 Treasure Standard Alignment Always Lawful Good or Neutral Good Advancement by Class Favored Class Ranger Level Adjustment +0
*The horns are only usable against creatures that stand at least 10' tall or who are raised by flight or levitation to have some part of their body at least at that height.
Giraffe-a-pumps, also known as Living Fonts, Walking Oases, and Desert Rains, look like normal giraffes, although they generally do not travel alone (keeping either with a herd of their own kind or occasionally traveling with a mixed species group) and mate monogamously. They travel around providing extra water to good and neutral communities that need it. Although perfectly capable of grazing for their food, they enjoy salads, especially those that broccoli features prominently in as well as steamed carrots. Grateful communities will often provide these foods in return for the giraffe-a-pumps services. Although they require no payment for watering food crops, filling public cisterns or providing water for domesticated animals, they are often hired as living decorative fountains. Some groups have learned to vary the direction and intensity of their mouth jets in closely choreographed patterns, often as accompaniment to local favorite dancing songs. Some larger cities have individual giraffe-a-pumps paid to live in strategically located parks or buildings so as to be able to respond to fires. In times of severe drought, if they can spare the time from sustaining the local intelligent creatures, giraffe-a-pumps may try to quench the thirst of local wildlife. Giraffe-a-pumps have an especial affinity for children, placing emphasis on the importance of instilling good values early in life. For this reason they often will give youngsters rides as they make their local rounds, showing by example the importance of caring for others. Giraffe-a-pumps generally worship good-aligned gods with the Sun, Animal, Plant, and/or Water domains. It is rumored that powerful sorcerers among giraffe-a-pumps usually develop the ability to transmute their mouth jet to acid for short periods of time, but this is unconfirmed.
Giraffe-a-pumps are generally not directly aggressive. This is not out of any timidity or pacifism but rather is a function of playing to their strengths. With the vital resource they can provide a giraffe-a-pump herd is rarely without allies and they are generally more valuible to whatever causes they champion by continuing to provide the services they do rather than via direct confrontation. This is not to say that they are unable fighters when the need comes. They know that many would try to alter their routes in there own favor (or to deny water to enemies), or even to capture them for their sole use. While such moves are likely to bring retaliation from other sentient species the giraffe-a-pumps do not wish to become mere pawns in power struggles. For this reason Giraffe-a-pump herds are generally lead by the individual with the greatest skill in interacting with other races. There will usually be 2 sub-leaders, one in charge of scouting and route selection between water deliverly points and the other a lead-from-the-front type war-leader. Sometimes any of these three may be combined, the most common instances being scout-warcheif rangers and occasionally leader-warcheif aristocrats.
Giraffe-a-pumps speak Common.
Combat
If it won't keep them from where they need to get to Giraffe-a-pumps will run rather than fight. When it does come to a fight Giraffe-a-pumps will generally use tactics similar to mounted archers, advancing and retreating as necessary to try to keep the enemy off balance. This is especially effective against slower enemies or those that rely heavily on armor (natural or manufactured) since their mouth jets are touch attacks. They often will take cover behind spreading trees, reach out their necks above or next to the cover in order to fire. When an enemy has an advantage at range or needs to be taken out quickly they do not hesitate to close and engage with hoof and horn. In the few instances where they have engaged in battles that could be anticipated days in advance they have been known to pre-soak strategically important patches of ground to turn them muddy and thus channel the attackers. Interestingly enough they are also partial to setting fires as a weapon since they know that they can protect themselves from such better than almost any opponent, and can keep it from spreading too far after the battle (provided they win of course).
Mouth Jet (Sn)
A Giraffe-a-pump can pour forth pure, fresh water from its mouth. When active this can be precisely controlled to be as slow as a trickle convenient for a gnome child to drink from at one extreme to a jet that can rapidly re-fill an empty cistern or provide irrigation (60-foot-long 6-inch-wide stream at 30 gallons per round) at the other end of the spectrum. At the high end of this spectrum the jet can be used as a weapon that deals 1d8 damage on a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 30 feet and a maximium range of 60 feet. A Giraffe-a-pump does not need to make any strength checks to avoid being knocked over by the back-pressure of its mouth jet.
Unthirsting (Sn)
Due to its ability to internally generate water a Giraffe-a-pump never needs to drink. It also takes no damage on a successful save and only half damage on a failed save against Horrid Wilting and other dehydration spells and effects. It is still perfectly capable of drinking potions, or lapping up a bowl of mead along-side its companions.
Low sleep requirements (Ex)
A Giraffe-a-pump only needs to sleep 2 hours per night. Giraffe-a-pump wizards (who are very rare) still must have 8 hours of restful calm before preparing any spells.
Plot Hooks
- Evil desert nomads have captured a giraffe-a-pump, thus freeing their most skilled raiding party from having to stop to take on water during hit-and-run raids and allowing them to use horses (instead of camels) more freely. The adventurers are hired to rescue it.
- A town is suffering a terrible draught. They hire the party to escort a willing girraffe-a-pump herd through the dangerous mountains that form the quickest path for the herd to come to the rescue.
- A clutch of wyrmling red dragons goes after a herd of giraffe-a-pumps after the giraffe-a-pumps put out one too many of the forest fires the dragons started for their own amusement.
Nice idea, and plot hooks, but it just seems a little funky. Could make for adventures, but not a major addition to a world.
I dunno bout the name, little funky.
Gonna abstain for now
__________________ Quote of the [insert timeframe here]: (Week? Perhaps! Year? Also maybe.)
"Those who have learned to walk on the threshold of the unknown worlds...may then with the fair white wings of Imagination hope to soar further into the unexplored amidst which we live."
-Augusta Ada Lovelace
First of all, if this was a joke, I am amused. I especially admire the creativity and thoroughness (though the name is the best part IMO and it's so fun to say!).
If it is not a joke (at least on some level), it is still quite amusing, blah blah kudos blah...
Should the latter be the case, I have a few points.
Full-Attack 2 Hooves +6/+6 melee and Horns +1 melee (1d4+1)* OR Mouth Jet +4 Ranged Touch
This should read either
Full Attack: 2 Hooves +6 melee (1d6 +3) and Horns +1 melee (1d6 +1) or 2 Hooves +6 melee (1d6 +3) and Mouth Jet +0 ranged touch (1d8)
Or
Full Attack: 2 Hooves +6 melee (1d6 +3) and Horns +1 melee (1d6 +1) or Mouth Jet +4 ranged touch (1d8) and Horns +1 melee (1d6 +1)
I believe Magical Beasts have Special Qualities: Darkvision 60' and Low-Light Vision, but there is nothing wrong with Giraffe-a-Pumps (that's even fun just to type!) lacking those qualities.
At a glance it looks like you gave them 2 extra skill points.
Mouth Pump is cool. You could add some extra or double damage against fire elementals or fire-based creatures (not just the fire subtype). I know fire elementals are not made of fire, but all that water has got to do something.
Thank you both for you comments. I was initially delaying responding to Icewalker's because I thought it might look like playing for pity votes... but I don't think I have much choice but to respond now.
First off, I would like to publicly state that I am over the age of 20 and do NOT live with either of my parents (nor both of them!)... the reason this is important is that this entry, while serious, was also a mother's day present. This creature is based on something from stories my maternal grandfather told my mother when she was a little girl. I expanded on (and unknowingly modified slightly) the concept. It is intended to be a bit fanciful but perfectly usable, even as a player character (although lacking opposable thumbs is always a bit problematic). Because it is a tribute to my grandfather I am afraid the name is not negotiable Icewalker, although I could add some nicknames if people care to suggest any. And yes, I have the rights to this concept because my grandfather is dead, my mom is certainly the owner of this concept, and I certainly have her permission (she loved the write-up when I printed it out for her including the minor changes).
I have changed the damage stuff as Rem suggested and will double-check the skill-points...
I thought that if something went along with a type (like the vision qualities Rem mentioned) that it wasn't necessary to explicitly list it?
Yeah double checked the skills and it looks fine... although there WAS a sign error in my notes, but I did the math right that followed on in such a way as to correct it, so it works out I think.
Diplomacy +10(+3 CHA +5 ranks +2 Negotiator Feat)
Hide +1 (+1 Dex +1 Rank -1 Size)
Listen +5(+2 Wis, +1 rank +2 Alertness Feat)
Sense Motive +9 (+2 Wis +5 Ranks +2 Negotiator Feat)
Spot +6 (+2 Wis, +2 ranks +2 Alertness Feat)
Very cool. Would be fascinating to play as one. Though I do think, given the references to their employment in teams and traveling in heards, that there should be some aspect of their abilties that reflects that.
I'll vote yes. Though I am a sucker for these things.
Don't recall any standard skills for creatures that show teamwork... and they already have diplomacy for what that is worth...so how do you mean?
"Some groups have learned to vary the direction and intensity of their mouth jets in closely corrographed patterns, often as accompaniment to local favorite dancing songs."
Water-Dancing
For every participating Girrafe-a-pump within visual distance beyond two, all Girrafe-a-pumps gain a +2 inherent bonus to untrained perform checks involving their mouth jet ability.
Ah, I see. I would say that being a minority (even if a large minority perhaps), and since they advance by classes I would say that those would have levels of expert, or, rarely, bard and ranks in Perform[Water Jet Dancing], just like any other professional dancers.
I suggest you make it into description. With a really detailed description, and maybe some history, I think these would fit perfectly fine. Just without a very large amount of explanation they would seem a little weird.
__________________ Quote of the [insert timeframe here]: (Week? Perhaps! Year? Also maybe.)
"Those who have learned to walk on the threshold of the unknown worlds...may then with the fair white wings of Imagination hope to soar further into the unexplored amidst which we live."
-Augusta Ada Lovelace
My mother's memory of the stories is a bit spotty, and I have already expanded the background far beyond what she could remember (and in a slightly different direction... the originals just carried water around to spew forth (still clean) rather than generating it.). So there is nothing more I can just transcribe. It would have to be made up as original work... which I am willing to do. What areas do you think need to be covered specifically? Are you saying origins (which god created them and why?)? A deeper look at their society and interaction with other races? What?
This is... interesting. I'm going to abstain, but my biggest objection is the name. It just seems a bit... frivolous. If it had a better name I think I'd probably vote yes.
Yeah double checked the skills and it looks fine... although there WAS a sign error in my notes, but I did the math right that followed on in such a way as to correct it, so it works out I think.
Diplomacy +10(+3 CHA +5 ranks +2 Negotiator Feat) Hide +1 (+1 Dex +1 Rank -1 Size)
Listen +5(+2 Wis, +1 rank +2 Alertness Feat)
Sense Motive +9 (+2 Wis +5 Ranks +2 Negotiator Feat)
Spot +6 (+2 Wis, +2 ranks +2 Alertness Feat)
Shouldn't that be -4 for Size?
__________________ It is a joyful thing indeed to hold intimate converse with a man after one’s own heart, chatting without reserve about things of interest or the fleeting topics of the world; but such, alas, are few and far between.
– Yoshida Kenko (1283-1350), Tsurezure-Gusa (1340)
So it's basically an awakened giraffe with a Decanter of Endless Water stuck in the back of it's throat. I love it! This thing is definitely going to be a necromancer. Mitp: Yes
__________________
If you haven't, you should give League of Legends a try.
__________________ It is a joyful thing indeed to hold intimate converse with a man after one’s own heart, chatting without reserve about things of interest or the fleeting topics of the world; but such, alas, are few and far between.
– Yoshida Kenko (1283-1350), Tsurezure-Gusa (1340)
Thank you for the name suggestions. I have used them as nicknames in the fluff. As I said before I am not allowed to change the main name. I have added combat tactics and will try to come up with more fluff as time and inspiration allow.
The name's been growing on me. And the background and setup is well made.
I'll Mitp vote: Yes.
__________________ Quote of the [insert timeframe here]: (Week? Perhaps! Year? Also maybe.)
"Those who have learned to walk on the threshold of the unknown worlds...may then with the fair white wings of Imagination hope to soar further into the unexplored amidst which we live."
-Augusta Ada Lovelace
(Kairos avatar by Elrond)
Last edited by Icewalker : 08-02-2007 at 01:47 AM.
Does it count even if I don't really participate in the MITP?
Yes. I believe that anyone on the forums can vote on the MitP entries, even if they did not contribute. I wish that this fact had been made more clear.
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