3-headed undead monster [Archive] - Wizards Community

3-headed undead monster [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
R.M.G.C.L.F.
06-24-05, 08:52 PM Gloomdahn
Large Undead
HD:3d12+11(30hp)
Initiative:+2
Speed:40ft
AC:17(+6natural,+2dex,-1size,)
BAB/Grapple:+1/+10
Attacks: Slam+6 melee, Claw+6 melee or 3 eye rays+4 ranged touch (slam and claw are treated as two of the same attacks for the purpose of attack and damage bonuses)
Damage: Slam 1d12+5, Claw 1d10+5
Face/Reach:5ft by 5ft/10ft
Special Attacks: Eye Rays, Frightful Presence, Improved grab
Special Qualities: DR5/silver, Turn Resistance+1, SR9, Cold Resistance 10, Sonic Resistance 5, Monstrous Vitality, Light Vulnerability, Darkvision 90ft, Low Light Vision
Saves: Fort+1,Ref+3,Will+4
Abilities:Str21,Dex15,Con-,Int2,Wis12,Cha14
Skills: Spot+4, Listen+4, Climb+6
Feats: Weapon Focus(Ray), Toughness
_______________________
Organization: Solitary
Environment: Any
CR:5?
Alignment: Always Neutral
Treasure: None
Advancement:4-6hd(Large),7-12hd(Huge), 13-18hd(Gargantuan), 19-21hd(Collosal)

The Gloomdahn is a horrific towering monster. The creature has an irregular leather-colored body criss-crossed by scars, exposed veins, and wounds. A careful examination will reveal that three distinct body patterns within it. The overall shape is a disproportionate copy of a humanoid body, but for the three heads upon it, with glowing sparking eyes and toothless blood-drooling mouthes.

A Gloomdahn is a lumbering undead created from three people by a powerful spell. Its most distinguishing characteristic is its three human-sized (for human they were) heads and the magical power it emits through its eyes.

Gloomdahns can be taught tricks like an animal companion in draconic tongue (up to 7 tricks), but do not speak unless commanding a hypnotized creature beyond occasional howling, moaning, and roaring.

Combat:

Eye Rays(su): A gloomdahn can fire an eyebeam from each head once per round. It can make use of all three heads as a standard action. Each head fires one eye ray as a ranged touch attack, the effect of which depends upon the color of that head's eyes. Each head of a gloomdahn retains the eye color of the person it was created from, and each must have a different eye color from the other two.
Green: 2 acid damage and Hypnotized as per spell hypnotism only HD of creatures hypnotized is equal to hit dice of the gloomdahn, creature automatically understands the gloomdahn
Brown: Caustic Ray (1d8+1 acid damage)
Blue: 2 cold damage and stunned for one round
Gray: 2 temporary strength damage (negative energy attack)
Red: 1d12 fire damage
Yellow: Confused for 2 rounds
Pink(for albinos): 1d20 subdual damage
Mixed Pair (usually shouldn't happen unless the humanoid is an anthropomorphic husky dog): 1d6 cold damage and 1d4 sonic damage
Other: Blinded for 1 round and 1d4 electric damage

Frightful Presence(ex): Range 90ft, save dc:14(+2 racial bonus), creatures of 3hd or less are shaken, creatures of 1hd or less are frightened.

Light Vulnerability(ex): A gloomdahn suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls, AC, and Reflex saves and a -3 penalty to spot and search checks in a radius of bright light (such as a daylight spell). Even normal-level illumination causes them a -1 penalty to attack rolls (dazzled, not dazed but dazzled). Gloomdahns fear and avoid light as it causes them the closest thing they can experience to pain. Sudden exposure to a bright light or dazzle effect (such as a flare spell) prevents the use of one randomly selected head's eye beams for one round.

Monstrous Vitality(ex): A gloomdahns dense construction and high negative energy concentration make it capable of sustaining greater structural damage than normally possible. It gains a number of extra hit points equal to its wisdom bonus, plus 5 bonus hit points for each size class above medium.

Forging of Feldrak
Necromancy(Evil)
Level: Wiz/Sorc6
Components:V,S,F
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range:15ft
Target: Three humanoids
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell binds the death energy and bodies of three humanoids together, warping them into an undead monster known as a Gloomdahn. Each of these humanoids must have a different eye color and be medium sized or larger, but the requirements end there. Each creature must be brought together in a house and be scared until at least shaken at one point, and then each must be slain with the same magical weapon (+1 or greater, only the killing blow need be delivered by the magic weapon) all of which must occur on the same night. If any part should fail to occur by sunrise, the process must be restarted with new subjects.

The Gloomdahn is under the caster's total control for the first 1d6 nights. Each night the caster can teach it a trick by offering three chicken hearts ripped from the live animals (hearts of ducks, turkeys, or similar fowl will suffice). After this period of time is over, the Gloomdahn has an NPC attitude of friendly towards the caster unless particularly abused or mistreated. It can henceforth be taught tricks as an animal with a diplomacy check in lue of a handle animal check.
R.M.G.C.L.F.
02-19-06, 01:42 PM :bump:
savant_warlord13
02-19-06, 07:11 PM In the spell, why do the humanoids need to be living?
R.M.G.C.L.F.
02-19-06, 09:39 PM fixed
R.M.G.C.L.F.
01-17-07, 09:59 PM CR feedback please
Armoracia Rusticana
01-19-07, 03:24 PM IMHO just bad monster. If pitted against a party of ECL say 3, it owns them. Literally. Twice.

If it happen to meet a party of ECL 6, it's dead in one round.

It has very few hp, yet a lot of protections. I mean, DR. SR. Turn resistance over the top. Frightful Presense - something must be encountered on very high CR! Some energy resistanse - almost forgot ot mention.

Yet it's frightful presense's HD range suggests that enemies it gonna encounter have 3 HD or less.

Probably nice idea, but high-CR features meet with low HD and some other troubles. I fail to set CR for this one... Perhaps you should power thing up. Give it another 10 HD and set CR to 8-10... increase SR and elemental resistance a bit. Playtest it then...

That's all I can suggest, sorry.
R.M.G.C.L.F.
01-19-07, 03:30 PM Well, the three-hd thing is kind of essential do to the creation process.

Do you know how I could lower the defensive abilities to an appropriate level? Maybe tune down the frighful presence dc, reduce or remove the SR, and scroll down the SR until its more fitting for a lower challenge rating? I kinda start with an idea, and then try to find a CR appropriate to it.
Armoracia Rusticana
01-19-07, 04:05 PM Also, it's eye rays idea - even less-than-a-lesser beholder should have higher CR.

3 heads =/= 3 HD, you know.

Also, just a thought, how about swapping Monstrous Vitality for Unholy Toughness - something WoTC have published? Essentially, it adds Cha bonus multiplied by HD in hps. Or something like that.
R.M.G.C.L.F.
01-19-07, 07:03 PM Well, the thing with Unholy Toughness is that it would have even less hit points, which doesn't help the situation.

As for beholder, what does that have to do with the price of tea in china? Eye ray attacks are always different. You might as well say that Drow are too weak compared to Baators because they both have the special attack "spell-like abilitities".
Armoracia Rusticana
01-20-07, 03:32 PM If you add some HDs, that will make difference.
R.M.G.C.L.F.
01-21-07, 12:32 AM Okay...how much? What difference? What CR would I even be aiming for? I appreciate the effort, but just telling me that adding hit dice will in fact change something is not very helpful.
Armoracia Rusticana
01-21-07, 11:27 AM Things are, the creature has many defensive abilities available only at higher (10+) CR. So if you forfeit these abilities, that will be fine for balance, bun not that fun. If you boost thingy into CR 12, no one will be surprised with SR, DR, Frightfull presense, energy resistance... That is my point. Add 15 HD and compare to some undead from splatbooks. 18 can be even divided by three... But in that case eye rays must be somewhat stronger.

Cutting it off defenses seems easier for me. Than it seems like CR 3 monster, I think.
R.M.G.C.L.F.
01-21-07, 01:06 PM SR, DR, and Frightful presence can still work at lower levels, as long as there decreased to an appropriate proportion.
Armoracia Rusticana
01-21-07, 02:49 PM Guess why there no monsters of CR 3 or lower with SR, DR, TR, elemental resistance and frightful presence. All the stuff together. Not one of I know about... Anyway, that is off-topic. I think that it is good time for me to stop.
R.M.G.C.L.F.
01-21-07, 05:17 PM The Lemure has both SR and DR, and it's in the CR1-CR3 range. Frightful presence is possessed by nearly all dragons, including the CR1 and CR2 ones.
Armoracia Rusticana
01-21-07, 06:40 PM Have you read ALL THE STUFF TOGETHER in the post above? Not a single monster have it all. But that matters not, because I can't explain what I mean. And as I can't, the discussion is damned useless. We are both wasting our precious time. I've got tired of this and therefor quit that particular thread.
R.M.G.C.L.F.
01-21-07, 07:53 PM Alright then. Sorry for being so difficult. I don't see how it gets worse when you add in turn resistance (there aren't many undead below CR4 in the MM) or frightful presence.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
R.M.G.C.L.F. 06-24-05, 08:52 PM	Gloomdahn Large Undead HD:3d12+11(30hp) Initiative:+2 Speed:40ft AC:17(+6natural,+2dex,-1size,) BAB/Grapple:+1/+10 Attacks: Slam+6 melee, Claw+6 melee or 3 eye rays+4 ranged touch (slam and claw are treated as two of the same attacks for the purpose of attack and damage bonuses) Damage: Slam 1d12+5, Claw 1d10+5 Face/Reach:5ft by 5ft/10ft Special Attacks: Eye Rays, Frightful Presence, Improved grab Special Qualities: DR5/silver, Turn Resistance+1, SR9, Cold Resistance 10, Sonic Resistance 5, Monstrous Vitality, Light Vulnerability, Darkvision 90ft, Low Light Vision Saves: Fort+1,Ref+3,Will+4 Abilities:Str21,Dex15,Con-,Int2,Wis12,Cha14 Skills: Spot+4, Listen+4, Climb+6 Feats: Weapon Focus(Ray), Toughness _______________________ Organization: Solitary Environment: Any CR:5? Alignment: Always Neutral Treasure: None Advancement:4-6hd(Large),7-12hd(Huge), 13-18hd(Gargantuan), 19-21hd(Collosal) The Gloomdahn is a horrific towering monster. The creature has an irregular leather-colored body criss-crossed by scars, exposed veins, and wounds. A careful examination will reveal that three distinct body patterns within it. The overall shape is a disproportionate copy of a humanoid body, but for the three heads upon it, with glowing sparking eyes and toothless blood-drooling mouthes. A Gloomdahn is a lumbering undead created from three people by a powerful spell. Its most distinguishing characteristic is its three human-sized (for human they were) heads and the magical power it emits through its eyes. Gloomdahns can be taught tricks like an animal companion in draconic tongue (up to 7 tricks), but do not speak unless commanding a hypnotized creature beyond occasional howling, moaning, and roaring. Combat: Eye Rays(su): A gloomdahn can fire an eyebeam from each head once per round. It can make use of all three heads as a standard action. Each head fires one eye ray as a ranged touch attack, the effect of which depends upon the color of that head's eyes. Each head of a gloomdahn retains the eye color of the person it was created from, and each must have a different eye color from the other two. Green: 2 acid damage and Hypnotized as per spell hypnotism only HD of creatures hypnotized is equal to hit dice of the gloomdahn, creature automatically understands the gloomdahn Brown: Caustic Ray (1d8+1 acid damage) Blue: 2 cold damage and stunned for one round Gray: 2 temporary strength damage (negative energy attack) Red: 1d12 fire damage Yellow: Confused for 2 rounds Pink(for albinos): 1d20 subdual damage Mixed Pair (usually shouldn't happen unless the humanoid is an anthropomorphic husky dog): 1d6 cold damage and 1d4 sonic damage Other: Blinded for 1 round and 1d4 electric damage Frightful Presence(ex): Range 90ft, save dc:14(+2 racial bonus), creatures of 3hd or less are shaken, creatures of 1hd or less are frightened. Light Vulnerability(ex): A gloomdahn suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls, AC, and Reflex saves and a -3 penalty to spot and search checks in a radius of bright light (such as a daylight spell). Even normal-level illumination causes them a -1 penalty to attack rolls (dazzled, not dazed but dazzled). Gloomdahns fear and avoid light as it causes them the closest thing they can experience to pain. Sudden exposure to a bright light or dazzle effect (such as a flare spell) prevents the use of one randomly selected head's eye beams for one round. Monstrous Vitality(ex): A gloomdahns dense construction and high negative energy concentration make it capable of sustaining greater structural damage than normally possible. It gains a number of extra hit points equal to its wisdom bonus, plus 5 bonus hit points for each size class above medium. Forging of Feldrak Necromancy(Evil) Level: Wiz/Sorc6 Components:V,S,F Casting Time: 1 hour Range:15ft Target: Three humanoids Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: No This spell binds the death energy and bodies of three humanoids together, warping them into an undead monster known as a Gloomdahn. Each of these humanoids must have a different eye color and be medium sized or larger, but the requirements end there. Each creature must be brought together in a house and be scared until at least shaken at one point, and then each must be slain with the same magical weapon (+1 or greater, only the killing blow need be delivered by the magic weapon) all of which must occur on the same night. If any part should fail to occur by sunrise, the process must be restarted with new subjects. The Gloomdahn is under the caster's total control for the first 1d6 nights. Each night the caster can teach it a trick by offering three chicken hearts ripped from the live animals (hearts of ducks, turkeys, or similar fowl will suffice). After this period of time is over, the Gloomdahn has an NPC attitude of friendly towards the caster unless particularly abused or mistreated. It can henceforth be taught tricks as an animal with a diplomacy check in lue of a handle animal check.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 02-19-06, 01:42 PM	:bump:
savant_warlord13 02-19-06, 07:11 PM	In the spell, why do the humanoids need to be living?
R.M.G.C.L.F. 02-19-06, 09:39 PM	fixed
R.M.G.C.L.F. 01-17-07, 09:59 PM	CR feedback please
Armoracia Rusticana 01-19-07, 03:24 PM	IMHO just bad monster. If pitted against a party of ECL say 3, it owns them. Literally. Twice. If it happen to meet a party of ECL 6, it's dead in one round. It has very few hp, yet a lot of protections. I mean, DR. SR. Turn resistance over the top. Frightful Presense - something must be encountered on very high CR! Some energy resistanse - almost forgot ot mention. Yet it's frightful presense's HD range suggests that enemies it gonna encounter have 3 HD or less. Probably nice idea, but high-CR features meet with low HD and some other troubles. I fail to set CR for this one... Perhaps you should power thing up. Give it another 10 HD and set CR to 8-10... increase SR and elemental resistance a bit. Playtest it then... That's all I can suggest, sorry.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 01-19-07, 03:30 PM	Well, the three-hd thing is kind of essential do to the creation process. Do you know how I could lower the defensive abilities to an appropriate level? Maybe tune down the frighful presence dc, reduce or remove the SR, and scroll down the SR until its more fitting for a lower challenge rating? I kinda start with an idea, and then try to find a CR appropriate to it.
Armoracia Rusticana 01-19-07, 04:05 PM	Also, it's eye rays idea - even less-than-a-lesser beholder should have higher CR. 3 heads =/= 3 HD, you know. Also, just a thought, how about swapping Monstrous Vitality for Unholy Toughness - something WoTC have published? Essentially, it adds Cha bonus multiplied by HD in hps. Or something like that.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 01-19-07, 07:03 PM	Well, the thing with Unholy Toughness is that it would have even less hit points, which doesn't help the situation. As for beholder, what does that have to do with the price of tea in china? Eye ray attacks are always different. You might as well say that Drow are too weak compared to Baators because they both have the special attack "spell-like abilitities".
Armoracia Rusticana 01-20-07, 03:32 PM	If you add some HDs, that will make difference.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 01-21-07, 12:32 AM	Okay...how much? What difference? What CR would I even be aiming for? I appreciate the effort, but just telling me that adding hit dice will in fact change something is not very helpful.
Armoracia Rusticana 01-21-07, 11:27 AM	Things are, the creature has many defensive abilities available only at higher (10+) CR. So if you forfeit these abilities, that will be fine for balance, bun not that fun. If you boost thingy into CR 12, no one will be surprised with SR, DR, Frightfull presense, energy resistance... That is my point. Add 15 HD and compare to some undead from splatbooks. 18 can be even divided by three... But in that case eye rays must be somewhat stronger. Cutting it off defenses seems easier for me. Than it seems like CR 3 monster, I think.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 01-21-07, 01:06 PM	SR, DR, and Frightful presence can still work at lower levels, as long as there decreased to an appropriate proportion.
Armoracia Rusticana 01-21-07, 02:49 PM	Guess why there no monsters of CR 3 or lower with SR, DR, TR, elemental resistance and frightful presence. All the stuff together. Not one of I know about... Anyway, that is off-topic. I think that it is good time for me to stop.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 01-21-07, 05:17 PM	The Lemure has both SR and DR, and it's in the CR1-CR3 range. Frightful presence is possessed by nearly all dragons, including the CR1 and CR2 ones.
Armoracia Rusticana 01-21-07, 06:40 PM	Have you read ALL THE STUFF TOGETHER in the post above? Not a single monster have it all. But that matters not, because I can't explain what I mean. And as I can't, the discussion is damned useless. We are both wasting our precious time. I've got tired of this and therefor quit that particular thread.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 01-21-07, 07:53 PM	Alright then. Sorry for being so difficult. I don't see how it gets worse when you add in turn resistance (there aren't many undead below CR4 in the MM) or frightful presence.