Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Xeviat-DM 01-01-05, 05:22 AM	I know I'm getting ahead of myself in world rules creation, as I haven't yet completed my classes (still have to work some kinks out of my Sorcerer and Channeler classes and need to tweek my Monk some more) or magic system, but monsters are one of the more fun aspects of a DM's personal world. If you're interested in the work in progress, my setting (along with my classes and short story) is linked in my signature. There are 3 very important groups of creatures/monsters that need to be designed/redesigned/tweeked in order to give my world it's proper feel. Firstly, the metallic dragons need to undergo a number of alterations. In my setting, metallic dragons are feathered and do not have wings. They are called "Serpents" and are more like the serpentine Chinese dragons than the reptilian dragons of the current Monster Manual. As a group, the "serpents" need to loose their wing slam attacks, which might be balanced by a more favorable flight manuverability (though that is countered by the fact that their flight will now be supernatural). Brass serpents are fire, copper serpents are earth, bronze dragons are air, and gold dragons are positive. Gold dragons thusly need to have the energy of their breath weapon changed to light, and have their innate spells altered to light or undead countering. Otherwise they don't really need to be changed. Secondly, the chromatic dragons are now known as "Wyrms". They are recieving no general changes, but my friends/setting artists will probably come up with their own design for my setting's dragons (so as not to copy Lockwood's beautiful designs). Red wyrms are fire, white wyrms are water, blue wyrms are air, and green wyrms are earth. Black wyrms are negative, so their breath weapon needs to be changed to negative energy and they need to get more undead related spells. The Drakes also need to be designed for my setting. Drakes are more monstrous dragons (average intelligence of 6 at adulthood), the results of cross breeding between serpents and wyrms. There are four varieties of drakes, based on their breath weapon. They have wings and hind legs, but no fore limbs. Wyverns are a form of Drake, the results of cross breeding between drake varieties. I generally have their stats already, but they are being created because true dragons (the serpents and wyrms) are suposed to be rare in my setting but I still want my players to battle dragons frequently enough. Giants require some tweeking. I desire to have the frost, fire, stone, and cloud giants to all have the same HD and Level Adjustments and CR. This is because there was a time (known as the War of the Wyrm) in my setting where Giants were the dominant civilization in the world, during a war between the giants and dragons, and it will be a time that I may make a campaign for (with the players making giant characters). Because of the changes in my magic system, creature HD are all included some what in determining a character's caster level, Giant spellcasters shouldn't be out of the question. In fact, Giants are known for having potent elemental magic tied to their element, so they will need some kind of bonus (perhaps simply a caster level bonus or a saving throw bonus on spells of their element). Storm Giants will still remain the top dogs. Lastly of the big guns of my setting are the Elemental spirits. These are the Salamander, the Gnome, the Undine, and the Sylph. I want to stat them similarly to the salamander, xorn, tojanida, and arrowhawk in that there will be three stages. These are elemental spirits of their element, and I am unsure if they should be outsiders or fey (I am leaning toward fey since they don't come from an outer plane, they come from my world's spirit plane). The most powerful of these spirits are the "geni" of my setting, and will have the ability to grant wishes. I'm not sure how to get started on them, I'll probably start by having my friends/artists do some concept scetches. Additionally, I need to make generic nature spirit stats and spirit creature stats. I know there are great ones in OA and Frostburn, but I'd like to be able to post these all on my future website and those books aren't OGL (I guess since it's free I can reference them without siting the material, just point DMs and players using my sight to those books for reference). For those who read my setting page, please let me know if you can think of anything else I should probably design or alter for my setting. What do you think? Any advice on how to go about creating creatures from scratch (my elemental spirits) or rebalancing creatures (my giants)? Do you think my half-serpents should have feathered wings or be wingless but still be able to fly?
Escef 01-01-05, 12:17 PM	I think your elemental spirits should be, get this, elementals. Barring that, I'd place them as outsider, as they are from another plane and so purely composed of one element. For a spirit world/material world set-up, anything from the spirit world would be effectively extraplanar, so I'd go with outsider or elemental. Fey should be reserved for material creatures that have strong spiritual ties, or strong ties to nature. As for your giants, I'm not sure. I use a generic 8 HD giant in my campaign (never been fond of the idea that there can be that many species of giant). What you might want to do is create a generic giant and apply many of the giant abilities from the various monster entries in the MM as a sort of template. Or even give them abilities based off of the Genasi from the Forgotten Realms.
Airsucker 01-01-05, 12:45 PM	If you check out the main D&D site, go to the archives and there's a regular series for DMs and lately he's been discussing how to build a themed campaign, complete with themed monsters. You should check that out. It's called Behind the Screen.
Xeviat-DM 01-02-05, 01:47 AM	If you check out the main D&D site, go to the archives and there's a regular series for DMs and lately he's been discussing how to build a themed campaign, complete with themed monsters. You should check that out. It's called Behind the Screen. I've been reading it and it seems a little too focused upon their example and less on the process itself. Escef, the elemental type is reserved for creatures composed entirely of that element. They are beings created and summoned by magic, and they are spiritual manifestations of elements themselves. But they aren't overtly powerful for their size (it takes a very large elemental to pose a threat to a high level adventurer). I wouldn't mind making them outsiders though, but they have to be different from true elementals because my Salamander, Undine, Sylph, and Gnome can breed semi-true with humanoids.
Mithral Icesilver 01-02-05, 02:29 PM	They should probably be outsiders, like the standard Genies (djinni, eefreti, dao, marids, and janni). Especially if they breed semi-true with humanoids (might I suggest the half-elemental templates in the MotP?)
Callahan 01-02-05, 03:05 PM	are you going to make these monsters from scratch or are you just going to make cosmetic changes to existing monsters?
Xeviat-DM 01-04-05, 05:42 PM	are you going to make these monsters from scratch or are you just going to make cosmetic changes to existing monsters? The Dragons and Giants need some minor statistical tweeks. Serpents don't have wings, so they can't have wing attacks, so to make up for the lost attacks, they'll have a better flight manuverability, better speed, and supernatural flight. Giants need to be constricted to all be the same HD and LA, so I believe the frost giant needs to loose a HD and the cloud giant needs some changes. For my elementals, I can see the arguement to make them outsiders, but I might be able to make them fey as well. Their halfblood offspring are only going to be +1 LA, similar to the Gensai. Of the races that can create halfbloods in my campaign, 4 are Giants (Producing half-giants), 10 are dragons (Producing half-dragons), fey in general (producing fey-touched), the elementals (producing elemental-touched), Angels (producing half-angels), and Devils (producing half-devils). Here's the clencher then. Fey are always bound to a particular feature of the natural world, and typically dwell on the Spirit Plane. Fairies are a type of fey who are natives of the Material Plane (like driads, nymphs, and sprites). Because of this description, I am more prone to making them outsiders, unless I make them an exception like the fairies. But I'd rather not bind them to anything specific, unless some caster binds them to something. I do need to remake my elementals from the ground up. I'd like to have them at 3 ranks. Mephits are CR 3, so I can skip that. How about 6, 12, and 18 as target CRs? I'd like them all to have the same base HD since they're so in common. I'll get some consept scetches done before I go further.
x-Wraith-x 01-04-05, 06:43 PM	Looks very cool. The elementals do seem slightly more like outsiders than fey, but it's a really close one. Are you using 3.5 or 3.0? BTW, if you want I'm happy making statistics for just about any kind of monster.
Xeviat-DM 01-04-05, 11:33 PM	Looks very cool. The elementals do seem slightly more like outsiders than fey, but it's a really close one. Are you using 3.5 or 3.0? BTW, if you want I'm happy making statistics for just about any kind of monster. I'd appreciate the help. I'm using 3.5 whole heartedly, though I have my own changes (wound/vitality, alternate death and dying rules, new and altered feats, a different armor/weapon proficiency system, and a magic system that I still haven't been able to devote enough time to finishing). Once I get those concept scetches done, I would really like the help with stats. Perhaps you could help me with equalizing the Giants?
Callahan 01-04-05, 11:45 PM	If I may suggest, the giants: take a basic giant, such as the Hill Giants and add an elemental type (fire resistance and cold vulnerability for fire based giants), then arm them with elemental specific weapons and equipment: Flail and scalemail for fire giants, warhammer and platemail for earth, spear and chain for air, leather and trident for water (or something like that). That should do as a great encounter creature and leaves room to add levels to match the element (barbarian for fire, fighter for earth, etc.). If you want you can boost the challenge rating and add spell like abilities to match as well. - how high a CR should the spirits fall in to. I wouldn't mind doing Gnomes, nothing better then the reflected sounds of under ground spirits.
Xeviat-DM 01-05-05, 06:43 PM	Callahan, I'd like the Giants to be different enough from each other to make them like PC races; I would like to run a campaign set during the time of the Giants in my world some day. For spirit challenge ratings, I was throwing stuff out earlier. 6, 12, and 18 sounds good for the lesser, intermediate, and greater power categories.
x-Wraith-x 01-05-05, 09:14 PM	I'd appreciate the help. I'm using 3.5 whole heartedly, though I have my own changes (wound/vitality, alternate death and dying rules, new and altered feats, a different armor/weapon proficiency system, and a magic system that I still haven't been able to devote enough time to finishing). Once I get those concept scetches done, I would really like the help with stats. Perhaps you could help me with equalizing the Giants? Sure. I do have a few questions bout giants. Do you want them to be really different from each other, or just a little more than they are now? What CR would you want, how many HD? Are innate spellcasting abilities a possibility for giants? If you do want me to toy with the giants, should I do it now, or wait till you finish making stuff? BTW, if you want unique monsters for the world that need to be made from scratch, I wantses to makeses themses! Mine, my own, my elephant sealses! :D
Callahan 01-05-05, 10:56 PM	Lesser Gnome Small Fey(Earth) Hit Dice: 4d6+11 (25) Initiative: +2 Speed: 20 ft. (6 squares) Armor Class: 17 (+2 dex, +4 natural, +1 size) Base Attack/Grapple: +3/0 Attack: +4 2 Slams (1d4+1), or +6 Magic Stone (1d6+2) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/Adamantite, Tremorsense, Stonewalk, Earthborn Saves: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +4 Abilities: Str 12, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 11 Skills: Climb 5, Craft 3, Hide 6, Move Silently 6, Sense Motive 5, Spot 5 Feats: Point Blank Shot, Toughness Environment: Underground Challenge Rating: 5 Alignment: Usually Lawful Neutral Gnomes appear as small humanoids with large heads, big blank black eyes and no hair. Their skin is pale and smooth. The gnomes dwell deep underground and feed on various minerals. They keep to themselves and can at times be overly protective of their caves. Stonewalk(Su): Gnomes can pass freely through stone and can move while in it at it’s regular speed. Earthborn(Su): While covered in earth or while using Stonewalk the gnome gains the bennifit of fast healing (2hp). Spell Like Abilities(Sp): At will- Magic Stone. 3/day- Soften Earth and Stone, Stone Shape. 1/day- Spike Stones(DC 14). Caster level 8. The save DC is Charisma based.
Elric Of Melnibone 01-06-05, 08:26 AM	I thought about this a long time ago ... 2nd ed.... and the thing I came up with was that I had a limited number of miniatures and as the group became more and more powerful my miniatures became less and less useful so I invented 10 HD orcs and that did the trick. Now we have third ed in which every monster is just a template waiting for you to plug in the appropriate number of character levels (its still easier to just give them more HD). It occurs to me that when you theme your monsters you limit the variety of things in your campaign world...which is very clean cut, but can be unnecessarily restrictive. The changes that you make would better serve you if you say these are "New monsters", rather than say "instead of fire giants we have elemental giants". It is a matter of symantics. This way if later on you want to run hall of the fire giant king on your players you still have the freedom to do so with out traveling to a different plane. I prefer to make different monsters because unscrupulus players like to meta-game monsters they have seen in the monster books.
Xeviat-DM 01-06-05, 08:45 PM	Lesser Gnome Small Fey(Earth) Hit Dice: 4d6+2 Initiative: +2 Speed: 20 ft. (6 squares) Armor Class: 17 (+2 dex, +4 natural, +1 size) Base Attack/Grapple: +3/0 Attack: +4 2 Slams (1d4+1), or +6 Magic Stone (1d6+2) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/Adamantite, Tremorsense, Stonewalk, Earthborn Saves: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +4 Abilities: Str 12, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 11 Skills: Feats: Environment: Underground Challenge Rating: 5 Alignment: Usually Lawful Neutral Gnomes appear as small humanoids with large heads, big blank black eyes and no hair. Their skin is pale and smooth. The gnomes dwell deep underground and feed on various minerals. They keep to themselves and can at times be overly protective of their caves. Stonewalk(Su): Gnomes can pass freely through stone and can move while in it at it’s regular speed. Earthborn(Su): While covered in earth or while using Stonewalk the gnome heals each round as though it has had a full day of rest. Spell Like Abilities(Sp): At will- Magic Stone. 3/day- Soften Earth and Stone, Stone Shape. 1/day- Spike Stones(DC 14). Caster level 8. The save DC is Charisma based. ok, how's it looking? I still need to add skills and feats ofcourse. I like it, I really do. Not sure if Earthborn is too much, perhaps give them fast healing just like mephits. Wraith, have you read my works already? My world is Earth in the far future after several cataclysms, so it's very plausable that new creatures could have evolved. Heck, Halflings are a new creature that has already evolved. For Giants, I'd like them to be as powerful as the Fire/Frost/Stone are now (I believe one is higher than the others). No innate spellcasting ability for them, but because of my chakra system they will all have decent caster levels with their own element. Fire giants should be stronger than the others, Frost/Cloud giants should be more dextrous (I do use a slightly modified ability score system, it's listed in my world's thread, so Cloud are more agile), and Stone giants should be hardier. Other differences would be nice, I'd like them to be as varied as the PC races are (though perhaps they can afford more differences since they have so many racial HD). I'm still brainstorming. Hopefully I'll be able to upload some scetches of my elementals soon. Thanks everyone for the interest and help.
x-Wraith-x 01-06-05, 09:43 PM	Wraith, have you read my works already? My world is Earth in the far future after several cataclysms, so it's very plausable that new creatures could have evolved. Heck, Halflings are a new creature that has already evolved. For Giants, I'd like them to be as powerful as the Fire/Frost/Stone are now (I believe one is higher than the others). No innate spellcasting ability for them, but because of my chakra system they will all have decent caster levels with their own element. Fire giants should be stronger than the others, Frost/Cloud giants should be more dextrous (I do use a slightly modified ability score system, it's listed in my world's thread, so Cloud are more agile), and Stone giants should be hardier. Other differences would be nice, I'd like them to be as varied as the PC races are (though perhaps they can afford more differences since they have so many racial HD). I'm still brainstorming. Hopefully I'll be able to upload some scetches of my elementals soon. Thanks everyone for the interest and help. Yes I've read it. Looks very interesting. The Agility/Dexterity split is odd, but seems fine to me. Anyways, do you want me to start working on the giants now, or do you want me to wait until you're done working out the world?
Callahan 01-06-05, 09:53 PM	ok updated. I'll get to work on the higher versions.
Xeviat-DM 01-07-05, 02:26 AM	Yes I've read it. Looks very interesting. The Agility/Dexterity split is odd, but seems fine to me. Anyways, do you want me to start working on the giants now, or do you want me to wait until you're done working out the world? Wow. Go ahead and get started on them now. Changes to an existing thing are easier to do than making something from scratch, so if I need to change it I'll just change them a little. The world is pretty much done, recent history just needs to be further developed and I need to finish the magic alterations. For those who wish to seriously work with me, email me (XeviatJAG@gmail.com). I intend on starting up a website to showcase my setting, and my friends will be providing art for it. You'll get credit, and I could use more designers/writers to help flesh out the world (read my short story if you have the time, I wouldn't mind making my world into a multiple author world as long as everyone's willing to stick to my basic foundation). PS: Be sure to attempt to keep to my Racial and Cultural Traits (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=291935) system (that's a link) for the giants. It's not that important, but some designation will be helpful.
Xeviat-DM 01-09-05, 11:18 PM	I also need to consider what I'll do with the Mephits and other elemental creatures. Should my new elemental spirits take the place of mephits at low levels?
Callahan 01-11-05, 06:34 PM	Greater Gnome Greater Gnome Large Fey Hit Dice: 16d6 +112 (168hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 40 ft. Armor Class: 30 (–1 size, Dex +1, +20 natural) Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+23 Full Attack: 2 slams +19 (1d8+12) Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. Special Attacks: Spell Like Abilities, Earth Song, Stonewalk, Earthborn Special Qualities: damage reduction 10/adamantine, Tremor Sense 100ft. Saves: Fort +12, Ref +10, Will +12 Abilities: Str 35, Dex 12, Con 25, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 17 Skills: 80 Feats: Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Sunder, Improved Bull Rush, Awesome Blow Environment: Under Ground Organization: Solitary or troupe(1-2 plus 2-4 lesser gnomes) Challenge Rating: 12 Treasure: Alignment: Always Lawful Neutral Stonewalk(Su): Gnomes can pass freely through stone and can move while in it at it’s regular speed. Earthborn(Su): While covered in earth or while using Stonewalk the gnome gains the bennifit of fast healing (8hp). Spell Like Abilities(Sp): At will- Soften Earth and Stone, Stone Shape. 3/day- Spike Stones(DC17), Wall of Stone. 1/day Earthquake(DC20). Caster level 19. The save DC is Charisma based. Earthsong(Su): The Gnome’s voice has great reverberating effects when used underground. The Gnome can concentrate his voice to produce several effects: Sonic Lance: The concentrated sonic energy can be made in to a ray up to 60 feet long. This attack deals 12d6 points of sonic damage, reflect save DC 17 for half damage. Earth Blast: The voice of a gnome can create violent disruptions in stone surfaces. By focusing this effect the gnome causes a stone surface to violently explode causing 6d6 points of piercing damage to anyone within 15 ft of the blast. Reflex save DC 17 for half damage. The gnome can use the Earthsong ability once every 3 round.
x-Wraith-x 01-12-05, 12:11 PM	I've got an idea for the giants. How about I make the giants a lot more unique by changing them a good amount. My idea is to turn Fire into Ember Giants, Frost into Tide Giants (no cold-subtype), Stone become Granite Giants, and Cloud Giants remain Cloud Giants. My idea is to remove rock throwing and some Racial Hit Dice, but give them several unique abilities each. Of course before I do that I need your approval. P.S. Creatures do get Chakra points right?
Xeviat-DM 02-13-05, 09:37 PM	I've got an idea for the giants. How about I make the giants a lot more unique by changing them a good amount. My idea is to turn Fire into Ember Giants, Frost into Tide Giants (no cold-subtype), Stone become Granite Giants, and Cloud Giants remain Cloud Giants. My idea is to remove rock throwing and some Racial Hit Dice, but give them several unique abilities each. Of course before I do that I need your approval. P.S. Creatures do get Chakra points right? Yes, creatures do get chakra points. As to the alteration of the giants, this is something I have been able to consider lately, since I have finally completed my chakra system. As of right now, electricity is air's energy, acid is earth's energy, cold is water's energy, and fire is fire's energy. There is an alternate take on things, where cold is air/water and acid is earth/water, but I am unsure if I want to separate things like that; it may make things much more difficult for me to balance. If you have any ideas, let me know. Email me or post here.