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[D&D 4e] Monster Builder Creations / RPG Bestiary

SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
edited August 2010 in Critical Failures
New Site!

http://rpg-bestiary.wikidot.com

If anyone else is interested in creating monsters for the wiki and adding to the Bestiary, just create an account at wikidot.com and apply for membership to the Bestiary. Thanks!

The RPG Bestiary - Dangerous foes and legendary monsters for D&D 4th Edition
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    UtsanomikoUtsanomiko Bros before Does Rollin' in the thlayRegistered User regular
    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

    0048katovlepas.jpg

    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.

    Utsanomiko on
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    YesNoMuYesNoMu Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    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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    UtsanomikoUtsanomiko Bros before Does Rollin' in the thlayRegistered User regular
    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.

    Utsanomiko on
    hmm.gif
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    SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
    edited June 2009
    How about this?

    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
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    SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
    edited August 2009
    Just thought I would bump this back up to the top of the page since the Monster Builder is out now.

    SkyCaptain on
    The RPG Bestiary - Dangerous foes and legendary monsters for D&D 4th Edition
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    YesNoMuYesNoMu Registered User regular
    edited August 2009
    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.

    YesNoMu on
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    SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
    edited August 2009
    YesNoMu wrote: »
    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
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    SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
    edited August 2009
    -- edited to remove dead links

    SkyCaptain on
    The RPG Bestiary - Dangerous foes and legendary monsters for D&D 4th Edition
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    streeverstreever Registered User regular
    edited August 2009
    skycaptain give it a mordenkrad

    streever on
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    SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
    edited August 2009
    A what?

    SkyCaptain on
    The RPG Bestiary - Dangerous foes and legendary monsters for D&D 4th Edition
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    SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
    edited August 2009
    -- edited to remove dead links

    SkyCaptain on
    The RPG Bestiary - Dangerous foes and legendary monsters for D&D 4th Edition
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    Hexmage-PAHexmage-PA Registered User regular
    edited August 2009
    acidsharkimage.jpg

    LeapingAcidShark.jpg

    Not the final draft, BTW.

    Hexmage-PA on
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    delrolanddelroland Registered User regular
    edited August 2009
    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
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    Hexmage-PAHexmage-PA Registered User regular
    edited August 2009
    Oh, those crafty illithids...

    brainstealerdragon-1.jpg

    brainstealerdragon.jpg

    This one's a conversion of a creature from an old 3.5E Dragon article.

    Hexmage-PA on
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    Hexmage-PAHexmage-PA Registered User regular
    edited August 2009
    delroland wrote: »
    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.
    delroland wrote: »
    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.
    delroland wrote: »
    ...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.
    delroland wrote: »
    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.

    Hexmage-PA on
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    delrolanddelroland Registered User regular
    edited August 2009
    If they can swim in acid, they need to be immune to acid damage.

    delroland on
    EVE: Online - the most fun you will ever have not playing a game.
    "Go up, thou bald head." -2 Kings 2:23
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    SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
    edited August 2009
    Erm, spam? That's a weird spam...

    SkyCaptain on
    The RPG Bestiary - Dangerous foes and legendary monsters for D&D 4th Edition
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    AegeriAegeri Tiny wee bacteriums Plateau of LengRegistered User regular
    edited August 2009
    Utsanomiko wrote: »
    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.
    Hexmage PA wrote:
    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.

    Aegeri on
    The Roleplayer's Guild: My blog for roleplaying games, advice and adventuring.
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    interrobanginterrobang kawaii as  hellRegistered User regular
    edited August 2009
    As a quick FYI, the link to the Ecology of the Slivers PDF up there is a dead link when I click it.

    interrobang on
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    SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
    edited July 2011
    -- removing dead links

    SkyCaptain on
    The RPG Bestiary - Dangerous foes and legendary monsters for D&D 4th Edition
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    SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
    edited August 2009
    The link in the original post is updated now.

    SkyCaptain on
    The RPG Bestiary - Dangerous foes and legendary monsters for D&D 4th Edition
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    UtsanomikoUtsanomiko Bros before Does Rollin' in the thlayRegistered User regular
    edited August 2009
    Aegeri wrote: »
    Utsanomiko wrote: »
    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?

    Utsanomiko on
    hmm.gif
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    SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
    edited August 2009
    Utsanomiko wrote: »
    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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    AegeriAegeri Tiny wee bacteriums Plateau of LengRegistered User regular
    edited August 2009
    Utsanomiko wrote: »
    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.

    Aegeri on
    The Roleplayer's Guild: My blog for roleplaying games, advice and adventuring.
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    ThanatosThanatos Registered User regular
    edited August 2009
    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.

    Thanatos on
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    SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
    edited August 2009
    That option doesn't exist when you're jailed otherwise I would have reported it sooner. =)

    SkyCaptain on
    The RPG Bestiary - Dangerous foes and legendary monsters for D&D 4th Edition
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    SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
    edited July 2011
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