Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Aleolus 09-30-07, 02:31 AM	OK, here are some guys I've had in my head for a different system for a while, and am converting over to D&D. The Guardians Medium Outsiders (Fire, Water, Earth or Air) HD: 30d8 (145hp) BAB/Grapple: +22/+29 (+30 for Fire) Ability Scores: Str 25, Dex 25, Con 25, Int 25, Wis 25, Cha 25 Saving throws: As normal for Fire, Water, Earth and Air Elementals Special Qualities: Regeneration 10; Control Element; Mutable Form; Elemental Absorbtion; Variable Caster level; Immunity to energy drain, ability drain, ability damage, and mind-affecting effects; DR 10/epic; Spell Resistance 32; Fire Resistance 5; Immortal Alignment of True Neutral All possess a Divine Rank of 0 Regardless of HD, The Guardians possess an Effective Caster Level of 20, except as noted below These creatures were created when the Material Plane was, and were tasked with guarding and protecting the material plane. One was born from each of the four elements; Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth, and bears complete control over their element. They each appear as adult humans, wearing robes bearing the motif of their element. The only factor that distinguishes them from each other is their eyes and hair, each of which closely resembles their element of creation. Fire has eyes of solid red, and naturally spiky orange hair; Water has solid blue eyes, and blue wavy hair; Earth has solid brown eyes and brown, flat hair; and wind has solid gray eyes and flowing gray hair. They all possess the following special abilities Control Element: Each of the Guardians can control the element that they were created out of at will, regardless of hindrance. They can emulate any spell that has that elemental descriptor as an extraordinary ability, and can make a Spellcraft check (DC 20+spell's level) to emulate a spell that does not use that energy type, substituting it in. For instance, Water could make a DC 23 Spellcraft check to emulate a Fireball, utilizing water damage. Elemental Absorbtion: Whenever one of the guardians would take damage from their elemental source, they are instead healed for an amount of health equal to the normal damage of the spell. Regeneration: Only the element that opposes theirs deals lethal damage to a Guardian. This means that Fire only takes lethal damage from Ice attacks, Earth from Sonic, Water from Fire, and Wind from Acid. Outsider Traits. Each of the Guardians is an Outsider, native to the elemental plane that matches their element. Meaning, Fire is an Outsider native to the Elemental Plane of Fire, Water to the Elemental Plane of Water, and so forth. Mutable Form: Because their bodies are not physical, in the typical sense of the word, each of them may choose to alter one ability score whenever they reform their body, so long as the final score is within 2 points of the original score, either higher or lower. Each one has one ability they can change, which varies between them. Fire can alter his Strength, Wind his Dexterity, Earth his Constitution, and Water his Charisma. Variable Caster Level: When one of the Guardians is in a natural location or situation that closely matches or opposes their element, their caster level changes accordingly. While on the material plane, in a location that promotes their element, their effective Caster Level increases by 50%. While on the elemental plane that matches their element, it doubles. They also have circumstances they avoid whenever possible, not because they harm them, but because they weaken them. When in a location on the material plane that hinders or opposes their element, their effective caster level is reduced by half. While on the elemental plane that opposes their element, their effective caster level is 5. For instance, if Fire were in the middle of a forest fire, or a desert, his effective caster level would be 30, instead of 20, but if at sea, or in the rain, it drops to 10. While on the elemental plane of Fire, his effective caster level is 40, while on the plane of Water, it would be 5.
Aleolus 10-01-07, 01:42 PM	What, no comments?
Aleolus 10-08-07, 02:53 PM	Cmon, guys, I'm wanting to get opinions, please!
locustechpriest 10-10-07, 10:34 PM	Please consider using one of the many standard stat blocks, it would make things a bit easier for me to compare to precident. Control Element: Each of the Guardians can control the element that they were created out of at will, regardless of hindrance. They can emulate any spell that has that elemental descriptor as a supernatural ability, and can create any other effect with that element that they want. The last clause there is concerning. I would suggest sticking with spell mimicing effects, as those are quantifiable and predictable. Open-ended abilities just invite abuse... Elemental Absorbtion: Whenever one of the guardians would take damage from their elemental source, they are instead healed for an amount of health equal to the normal damage of the spell. Regeneration: Only the element that opposes theirs deals lethal damage to a Guardian. This means that Fire only takes lethal damage from Ice attacks, Earth from Sonic, Water from Fire, and Wind from Acid. Outsider Traits. Each of the Guardians is an Outsider, native to the elemental plane that matches their element. Meaning, Fire is an Outsider native to the Elemental Plane of Fire, Water to the Elemental Plane of Water, and so forth. Interesting abilities. I suppose they are reasonable and make sense. Naturally, they would have their respective elements as subtypes. You didn't say it directly, but I can tell you meant to. ;) Variable Caster Level: When one of the Guardians is in a natural location or situation that closely matches or opposes their element, their caster level changes accordingly. While on the material plane, in a location that promotes their element, their effective Caster Level increases by 50%. While on the elemental plane that matches their element, it doubles. They also have circumstances they avoid whenever possible, not because they harm them, but because they weaken them. When in a location on the material plane that hinders or opposes their element, their effective caster level is reduced by half. While on the elemental plane that opposes their element, their effective caster level is 5. For instance, if Fire were in the middle of a forest fire, or a desert, his effective caster level would be 30, instead of 20, but if at sea, or in the rain, it drops to 10. While on the elemental plane of Fire, his effective caster level is 40, while on the plane of Water, it would be 5. This is odd. I really haven't seen anything like this before, but I've only been around since the very end of 3.0, I guess. I would do something like free empower or maximizing (home plane) and automatic suppression (as the planar effect, I hope you won't have them venturing into opposed elemental planes). I really don't see anything of elemental origins surviving for long in such hostile conditions. Caster level doesn't seem do a whole lot since most spell effects are capped at 20 levels. Of course there are casterlevel checks, but that's just my take. Mutable Form: Because their bodies are not physical, in the typical sense of the word, each of them may choose to alter one ability score whenever they reform their body, so long as the final score is within 2 points of the original score, either higher or lower. Each one has one ability they can change, which varies between them. Fire can alter his Strength, Wind his Dexterity, Earth his Constitution, and Water his Charisma. So they essentially always have 27 on their specific stat and 25 on all others. I don't see much reason not to have the greatest possible stat, and that is form a roleplaying point of view as well as practical player pov... >basic concept I take it these guys are, as their names might suggest, the guardians of elemental fonts of energy, keeping the balance across the material. You simply said they are to guard the material, but it seems out of character for elemental entities to be concerned with such a broad task. ;) I don't remember where, but I think there were some articles on the old Wizards site concerning a plot hook where several key elemental fonts had been siezed by opposing forces. Balance was bent toward fire casusing the spread of horrid deserts. Lets see if I can dig up a link... nope, can't find it. :(
Aleolus 10-17-07, 02:32 AM	OK, modified their Control element, so it only applies to spells, but is still Supernatural, so won't be affected by AMF and the like. As for the stat block, I intentionally did not include their Skills or Feats section, because it varies between all four of them. About the only thing that's consistent between them all is that they each maxed out their Concentration, Knowledge (The Planes), one other Knowledge skill, and Spellcraft. Other than that, they vary about as much as any humans could. However, I did add in the Saves and so forth to try to make it easier.
locustechpriest 10-17-07, 07:31 PM	but is still Supernatural, so won't be affected by AMF and the like. Um, actually, only extraordinary abilities are unaffected by an AMF, being as they are he only "scientific" or non-magical ones. Supernatural abilities are magical and go away in an antimagic field but are not subject to spell resistance, counterspells, or to being dispelled by dispel magic. Honestly, since the creature is simply emulating spells, shouldn't this be a spell-like ability? It doesn't make too much sense to me that a normal scorching ray can be dispelled or resisted, yet one cast by a Fire Guardian (or other with type modification) can't.
Aleolus 10-18-07, 02:12 PM	But they are not using magic, they're simply manipulating extentions of themselves.
locustechpriest 10-18-07, 05:50 PM	Good point. With that in mind, I guess you should make it (Ex), though I struggle with that concept... oh well, limitation of my mind.
Aleolus 10-22-07, 01:26 AM	OK, switched it to an Ex ability, and fleshed out their entry a bit more. Any other opinions, from anyone else?