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The RPG Bestiary - Dangerous foes and legendary monsters for D&D 4th Edition
SkyCaptain on
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UtsanomikoBros before DoesRollin' in the thlayRegistered Userregular
edited June 2009
Man this really is a poorly-titled thread; I was looking all over for the [D&D 4e] Monster Creation Thread. :P
This is my revised Elite Controller version Catoblepas, as inspired by Pliny the Elder more than Saint Anthony. It's my first Elite (DDI's Monster Creator doesn't do group roles), so it'll surely need more tweaking. I was mainly going for a 'save or petrify/pass out' monster in between the levels of Basilisk and Cockatrice, but as a major encounter feature that could alter the fight substantially with a surprise elimination of a PC from the rest of the encounter.
Catoblepas
Level 8 Elite Controller
Large Natural Beast XP 700
Initiative +4 Senses Perception +11
HP 172; Bloodied 86
AC 22; Fortitude 22, Reflex 17, Will 19
Saving Throws: +2
Speed 4
Action Point: 1
Gore (standard; at-will) The catoblepas shifts its massive weight and shoves a gnarled horn into the nearest threat.
+12 vs AC; 1d10 + 5 damage and the target is pushed 1 square.
Stamp (standard; at-will) The massive beast kicks and stomps relentlessly.
+12 vs AC; 1d8 + 5 damage and the target is knocked prone.
Trample (move, at-will) The catoblepas takes flight and plows through its assailant.
The catoblepas can move through one Medium or smaller creature’s space and make a stamp attack as a minor action against that creature. The catoblepas must end its move in an unoccupied space.
Hideous Gaze (standard; encounter) * Gaze With a great strain the creature raises its massive head; those who face it faint dead away at the sheer ugliness.
Ranged 10; +12 vs Will; the target is knocked unconscious until the end of the encounter. Miss: the target is dazed until the end of the encounter.
Lash Out In Pain (immediate reaction, when first bloodied; encounter) Now frantic, the beast bucks and stamps with wild aggression.
+12 vs AC; 2d10 + 5 damage and the target is pushed 2 squares
Alignment: Unaligned Languages: none
Str 20 (+9) Dex 10 (+4) Wis 14 (+6)
Con 14 (+6) Int 2 (0) Cha 8 (+3)
DC 20 Nature:
The foul Catoblepas is a strange and rare animal, a resident of untamed savannas and wetlands. Generally it is an inactive and non-aggressive beast, but can be provoked to great violence. It is said it can kill with only a single stare.
DC 25 Nature:
The sheer size and weight of the Catoblepas' head prevents the beast, except in rare shows of effort, from raising it high enough to meet anyone's gaze. This is fortunate, as the Catoblepas is so ugly that anyone who stares straight into its face will lose consciousness from the shock, and the civilized world would be doomed were they not so uncommon and sluggish.
I don't know about you, but I don't find it very fun to be told "Oh, you're out cold. Go play DS for the next hour or so." I'd rework that unconsciousness power. How about making it 5,6 recharge, but you can use a standard action to wake an ally?
YesNoMu on
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UtsanomikoBros before DoesRollin' in the thlayRegistered Userregular
edited June 2009
It ends at the end of the encounter, whereas Petrify can potentially last for much longer play time. The other creatures I mentioned have theirs as at-wills, as well.
Although those also have a first failed save and second failed save function, giving the PC one more round to try to break free. I originally gave it a first save/second save when I was still deciding what statuses it could inflict, so I might add that mechanic back on again. I'm not sure I want it doing more than one Gaze per encounter, but I'll consider a recharge as an alternative.
Hideous Gaze - Ranged 10; +12 vs Will; Target suffers 1d6+5 psychic damage and is dazed (save ends). If the target fails their first save, they become unconscious (save ends, -4 to save).
SkyCaptain on
The RPG Bestiary - Dangerous foes and legendary monsters for D&D 4th Edition
Are you looking for criticism, SkyCaptain? The Storm Ray looks good, but that move action attack is going to royally piss off defenders besides fighters, since their stickyness will be entirely negated. That may, of course, be your intent, but I thought I'd put that out there.
Are you looking for criticism, SkyCaptain? The Storm Ray looks good, but that move action attack is going to royally piss off defenders besides fighters, since their stickyness will be entirely negated. That may, of course, be your intent, but I thought I'd put that out there.
Eh, stickyness isn't all that it's cracked up to be and there are ways around it. I need to change it to a standard action however, because I realized the storm ray could do that twice. On second thought though... it is an elite and supposed to be like two standards. So two move/attacks would make up for that somewhat.
Also keep in mind, that I'll be creating ways for characters to have limited flight very early on in the Heaven's Gate campaign setting.
SkyCaptain on
The RPG Bestiary - Dangerous foes and legendary monsters for D&D 4th Edition
There is no such thing as clumsy land speed. Either it walks around REALLY slowly (speed 1), or it can't walk around at all (remove the land speed). I'd also suggest removing the "earth" subtype, and perhaps make it an acid creature with the rough shape of a shark. It should be immune to acid damage, and its abilities involving moving in acid should allow for movement in water as well. I mean, really, how often are the PC's just going to be swimming or boating along in a sea of acid?
Dragging leap should grab characters, and I would suggest some sort of thrash attack useable against grabbed creatures (or perhaps it can repeat the 3d10+8 damage on grabbed creatures).
delroland on
EVE: Online - the most fun you will ever have not playing a game.
"Go up, thou bald head." -2 Kings 2:23
There is no such thing as clumsy land speed. Either it walks around REALLY slowly (speed 1), or it can't walk around at all (remove the land speed).
The flesheater shark has a clumsy land speed, but the others don't have a landspeed at all. I figured it would be a good idea to give an aquatic creature that leaps out over the land a way to move in-case it somehow becomes beached.
I'd also suggest removing the "earth" subtype, and perhaps make it an acid creature with the rough shape of a shark. It should be immune to acid damage...
As far as I can tell there is no acid subtype for monsters, though it is supposed to be an acid elemental that just happens to look like a shark. I thought about making it immune to acid damage, but there are several monsters that you would think would be immune to a certain energy type that merely have a high resistance to it.
...and its abilities involving moving in acid should allow for movement in water as well. I mean, really, how often are the PC's just going to be swimming or boating along in a sea of acid?
I find the idea of a shark made of acid exploding out of the caustic sea, grabbing a PC, and diving back in with the PC in tow to be incredibly awesome. I know it makes the monster very situational, but water is for normal sharks. Besides, villains could have vats of acid in their lairs that contain trained acid sharks.
Dragging leap should grab characters, and I would suggest some sort of thrash attack useable against grabbed creatures (or perhaps it can repeat the 3d10+8 damage on grabbed creatures).
The Dragging Leap power is the part of the monster that I'm primarily thinking about. Really the power is an excuse to blindside a PC and knock him into a cauldron of acid. I could just have a trap that does the same thing, but having a shark made of acid do it is so much more awesome.
It ends at the end of the encounter, whereas Petrify can potentially last for much longer play time. The other creatures I mentioned have theirs as at-wills, as well.
Although those also have a first failed save and second failed save function, giving the PC one more round to try to break free. I originally gave it a first save/second save when I was still deciding what statuses it could inflict, so I might add that mechanic back on again. I'm not sure I want it doing more than one Gaze per encounter, but I'll consider a recharge as an alternative.
Petrification is usually against fort and will, is rare in heroic tier and mechanically is 3 saving throws. Effectively it's the equivalent of a save or die effect. What's worse is it also targets will, making it very likely to succeed against certain characters.
So it's really not fairly equivalent to petrification, it's significantly more powerful.
The flesheater shark has a clumsy land speed, but the others don't have a landspeed at all. I figured it would be a good idea to give an aquatic creature that leaps out over the land a way to move in-case it somehow becomes beached.
Clumsy doesn't describe general movements, it describes flying specifically. Speed 1 is sufficient, because a landspeed with "clumsy" doesn't mean anything mechanically. It can't fly on land.
It ends at the end of the encounter, whereas Petrify can potentially last for much longer play time. The other creatures I mentioned have theirs as at-wills, as well.
Although those also have a first failed save and second failed save function, giving the PC one more round to try to break free. I originally gave it a first save/second save when I was still deciding what statuses it could inflict, so I might add that mechanic back on again. I'm not sure I want it doing more than one Gaze per encounter, but I'll consider a recharge as an alternative.
Petrification is usually against fort and will, is rare in heroic tier and mechanically is 3 saving throws. Effectively it's the equivalent of a save or die effect. What's worse is it also targets will, making it very likely to succeed against certain characters.
So it's really not fairly equivalent to petrification, it's significantly more powerful.
Yeah, I decided on ditching the miss result and at least changing the hit into multiple save attempts. But I hadn't felt the need to do so once this thread dropped out of sight.
Do any monster abilities currently use the Reliable feature, or do they just stick with recharge?
Do any monster abilities currently use the Reliable feature, or do they just stick with recharge?
I haven't seen any, but I don't see why they couldn't use it. It would make solo and elite monsters a little more interesting. Give them a moderately powerful ability with an on miss effect that shakes players up a little and makes them worry about the full effects of hte power.
SkyCaptain on
The RPG Bestiary - Dangerous foes and legendary monsters for D&D 4th Edition
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AegeriTiny wee bacteriumsPlateau of LengRegistered Userregular
Hey, guys, when a spammer posts in a thread, those of you with report buttons need to use them. I can't be everywhere at once, and that ended up hanging out here for a day and a half before I hit it.
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This is my revised Elite Controller version Catoblepas, as inspired by Pliny the Elder more than Saint Anthony. It's my first Elite (DDI's Monster Creator doesn't do group roles), so it'll surely need more tweaking. I was mainly going for a 'save or petrify/pass out' monster in between the levels of Basilisk and Cockatrice, but as a major encounter feature that could alter the fight substantially with a surprise elimination of a PC from the rest of the encounter.
Catoblepas
Level 8 Elite Controller
Large Natural Beast XP 700
Initiative +4 Senses Perception +11
HP 172; Bloodied 86
AC 22; Fortitude 22, Reflex 17, Will 19
Saving Throws: +2
Speed 4
Action Point: 1
Gore (standard; at-will)
The catoblepas shifts its massive weight and shoves a gnarled horn into the nearest threat.
+12 vs AC; 1d10 + 5 damage and the target is pushed 1 square.
Stamp (standard; at-will)
The massive beast kicks and stomps relentlessly.
+12 vs AC; 1d8 + 5 damage and the target is knocked prone.
Trample (move, at-will)
The catoblepas takes flight and plows through its assailant.
The catoblepas can move through one Medium or smaller creature’s space and make a stamp attack as a minor action against that creature. The catoblepas must end its move in an unoccupied space.
Hideous Gaze (standard; encounter) * Gaze
With a great strain the creature raises its massive head; those who face it faint dead away at the sheer ugliness.
Ranged 10; +12 vs Will; the target is knocked unconscious until the end of the encounter. Miss: the target is dazed until the end of the encounter.
Lash Out In Pain (immediate reaction, when first bloodied; encounter)
Now frantic, the beast bucks and stamps with wild aggression.
+12 vs AC; 2d10 + 5 damage and the target is pushed 2 squares
Alignment: Unaligned Languages: none
Str 20 (+9) Dex 10 (+4) Wis 14 (+6)
Con 14 (+6) Int 2 (0) Cha 8 (+3)
DC 20 Nature:
The foul Catoblepas is a strange and rare animal, a resident of untamed savannas and wetlands. Generally it is an inactive and non-aggressive beast, but can be provoked to great violence. It is said it can kill with only a single stare.
DC 25 Nature:
The sheer size and weight of the Catoblepas' head prevents the beast, except in rare shows of effort, from raising it high enough to meet anyone's gaze. This is fortunate, as the Catoblepas is so ugly that anyone who stares straight into its face will lose consciousness from the shock, and the civilized world would be doomed were they not so uncommon and sluggish.
Although those also have a first failed save and second failed save function, giving the PC one more round to try to break free. I originally gave it a first save/second save when I was still deciding what statuses it could inflict, so I might add that mechanic back on again. I'm not sure I want it doing more than one Gaze per encounter, but I'll consider a recharge as an alternative.
Hideous Gaze - Ranged 10; +12 vs Will; Target suffers 1d6+5 psychic damage and is dazed (save ends). If the target fails their first save, they become unconscious (save ends, -4 to save).
Also keep in mind, that I'll be creating ways for characters to have limited flight very early on in the Heaven's Gate campaign setting.
Not the final draft, BTW.
Dragging leap should grab characters, and I would suggest some sort of thrash attack useable against grabbed creatures (or perhaps it can repeat the 3d10+8 damage on grabbed creatures).
"Go up, thou bald head." -2 Kings 2:23
This one's a conversion of a creature from an old 3.5E Dragon article.
The flesheater shark has a clumsy land speed, but the others don't have a landspeed at all. I figured it would be a good idea to give an aquatic creature that leaps out over the land a way to move in-case it somehow becomes beached.
As far as I can tell there is no acid subtype for monsters, though it is supposed to be an acid elemental that just happens to look like a shark. I thought about making it immune to acid damage, but there are several monsters that you would think would be immune to a certain energy type that merely have a high resistance to it.
I find the idea of a shark made of acid exploding out of the caustic sea, grabbing a PC, and diving back in with the PC in tow to be incredibly awesome. I know it makes the monster very situational, but water is for normal sharks. Besides, villains could have vats of acid in their lairs that contain trained acid sharks.
The Dragging Leap power is the part of the monster that I'm primarily thinking about. Really the power is an excuse to blindside a PC and knock him into a cauldron of acid. I could just have a trap that does the same thing, but having a shark made of acid do it is so much more awesome.
"Go up, thou bald head." -2 Kings 2:23
Petrification is usually against fort and will, is rare in heroic tier and mechanically is 3 saving throws. Effectively it's the equivalent of a save or die effect. What's worse is it also targets will, making it very likely to succeed against certain characters.
So it's really not fairly equivalent to petrification, it's significantly more powerful.
Clumsy doesn't describe general movements, it describes flying specifically. Speed 1 is sufficient, because a landspeed with "clumsy" doesn't mean anything mechanically. It can't fly on land.
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Yeah, I decided on ditching the miss result and at least changing the hit into multiple save attempts. But I hadn't felt the need to do so once this thread dropped out of sight.
Do any monster abilities currently use the Reliable feature, or do they just stick with recharge?
The equivalent for monsters is an ability to recharge a missed attack. Effectively this is the same mechanic.
http://rpg-bestiary.wikidot.com/monster:frostwolf-elementalist
http://rpg-bestiary.wikidot.com/monster:frostwolf-stalker
http://rpg-bestiary.wikidot.com/monster:frostwolf-marauder
http://rpg-bestiary.wikidot.com/monster:stone-giant-earthshaker