Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ariath Ska'Vhor 03-10-07, 03:31 AM	Andalite http://home.no.net/amorphs/andalitt/elfangor.gif Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, andalite prince Large Aberration (Extraplanar) HD: 3d8+6 (20 hp) Initiative: +4 Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares) Armor Class: 14 (+1 Dex, -1 size, +4 natural) touch 10, flat-footed 13 Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+9 Attack: Tail-blade +4 melee (1d8+4/19-20) Full Attack: Tail-blade +4 melee (1d8+4/19-20) Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. (10 feet with tail-blade) Special Attacks: Quick-lash Special Qualities: All-around vision, darkvision 60 ft., morphing technology, knowledgible, telepathy 100 ft., weak arms Saves: Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +5 (+7 charm) Abilities: Str 16, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 10 Skills: Concentration +8, Jump +5, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +10, Knowledge (nature) +10, Knowledge (the planes) +10, Listen +2, Search +8, Sense Motive +4, Spot +8, Use Psionic(or Magic) Device +12 Feats: Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes Environment: Temperate plains or forests Organization: Solitary, pair, squad (3-10) or herd (11-100 plus 100-200 noncombatants and younglings) Challenge Rating: 6 Treature: Standard Alignment: Usually Lawful nuetral Advancement: 4-7(large) Level Adjustment: +6 This large, yet lithe and beautiful creature appears to be a thin-looking centaur. Instead of a horses body it appears to have a skinnier body of that of a deer and all over his body is a thin layer of blue and tan fur. Despite it's thin appearance, it looks strong and strong of will, although it's arms appear much frailer than the rest of it's body. But two of it's most refining features is it's large muscular tail tipped with a curved and deadly blade and it's head, with pointed ears, no mouth, a flat nose with two extra nostrils and eyestalks adorned with two brillient green eyes. His voice then rings in your mind... Andalites are a gentle and intelligent race of creatures from a distant place that very few know and is refered to by the andalites merely as "The Andalite homeworld". They are also an industrious, highly advanced and knowledgible race of beings known for many types of great technology but the most advanced of all is thier morphing technology. Andalites stand at about 8 feet and weigh 450 pounds. Andalites speak thier own language, though many are equiped with a small universal translator in thier brain. Andalites, like all other aberrations require food, but the method they use is to grind grass beneath thier hooves and absorb nutrients through them. COMBAT Often, andalites rely on thier morphing ability and advanced technology in combat. When unable to do either, they rely on thier fearsome tail-blade. Many andalites though, who realise they cannot take a challenge will run from thier foe until they come across better weaponry or more andalites. All-Around Vision (Ex): Theswiveling eye-stalks on an andalites head allow it to look in any direction, bestowing a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Search checks. Opponents gain no flanking bonuses when attacking an andalite. Morphing technology (Su): Andalites possess great intellect and advanced technology, the most advanced and recent invention is morphing technology. This is usually bestowed only to those in service to the andalite homeworld but can bestow it to andalites of greater ability (such as adventurers). This ability functions as the polymorph spell with a few exceptions; the new form retains the same HD and hp of the andalite (although higher or lower constitution modifiers may increase or decrease this), the andalite must aquire the creatures DNA with a touch to aquire it's form (a full round action) and the andalites HD and class levels equal to the caster level. The duration is unlimited, but there is a restriction to this that most andalites find it shameful and a curse to have happen to them; if the andalite stays within it's new form for more than two hours it stays in that form for the rest of it's life and nothing short of transmutation magic, Wish or Miracle may bring it back to it's original form and they are refered to as a nothlit. In the assumed form, the andalite aquires all the creatures instincts, though they may repress them with as much difficulty or ease as need be (DM should figure out these, from simple instinct like that of a halfling ro extreme, like the hivemind of an ant or bee). Morphing requires two full minutes and provokes an attack of opportunity each round. Due to the law of Seerow's Kindness, no andalite may bestow this power on any non-andalite or come under great punishment under the Andalite homeworld. To bestow this technology on an andalite (or another creature) the andalite must possess a morphing cube (the technology that may bestow morphing ability). Knowledible (Ex): Due to an andalites intense focus on the development of the mind, Andalites recieve a couple benefits. Andalites use thier Intelligence modifier for Concentration and Use Psionic(or magic) Device checks. Secondly, andalites may make untrained knowledge checks with a DC of 15 or lower, instead of the normal 10. Telepathy (Su): Andalites have no mouthes, and cannot converse verbally unless using an assumed form. Andalites have telepathy out to 100 ft. and can communicate with any creature that it shares a language with, although many andalites have universal translators embedded in thier brains. They retain this ability, even while morphed. Weak Arms (Ex): Andalites, due to thier focus on thier legs, tail and mind lack physical strength in thier arms. Any attacks or strength checks made exclusively with thier arms treat the andalites strength score as 8 lower than it actually is. This cannot bring it below 1. Also, the humanoid portion of an andalite's body is considered medium size for the purpouses of wielding weapons and other purpouses that rely on the use of the upper body of a humanoid. Quick-lash (Ex): Andalites are highly reflexive, and quick with thier tails. An andalite with an increased base attack bonus may make extra attacks with thier tail as though it were a hand-held weapon. Feats: Due to its centaur-like body, an andalite qualifies for feats as if it had the Mounted Combat feat. Andalites As Characters Andalite characters possess the following racial traits. - +6 Str, Dex +2, Con +4, Int +8, Wis +4 - Aberration (Extraplanar): Andalites are aberrations with the extraplanar subtype. They retain thier subtype (but not thier type) while morphing. - Large size. - Andalite base land speed is 50 feet. - Darkvision out to 60 feet. - Racial Hit-Dice: Andalites begin with 3 levels of aberration, this gives them skill points equal to 6x(2+Int modifier), two feats, a base attack bonus of +2, base fortitude save of +1, base reflex save of +1 and a base will save of +3. It's class skills are Concentration, Jump, Knowledge (all), Listen, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, Use Magic Device and Use Psionic Device. - Feats: Andalites qualify for feats as though they had the Mounted Combat feat. - +4 natural armor bonus - Natural attack: Tail-blade. The andalite's tail blade deals 1d8+1-1/2 str modifier and has a critical range of 19-20. - +2 to will saving throws against charm effects. - All-around vision. - Morphing technology (see above). - Knowledgible. - Weak Arms. - Quick-lash. - Automatic Languages: Andalite (though some have universal translators). Bonus Languages (any they've heard before, except secret languages such as druidic). - Favored class: Psion (telepath or egoist) - Level Adjustment: +6 -- Gotta big feeling the level adjustment's not high enough, this is just about as high I wanna make it though. I'll make it higher if it needs to be, but I think any higher will cripple it as a character of any type.
Singer_of_the_Song 03-10-07, 03:49 AM	Ok dude, this is just awesome. The Andalite Chronicles were the favorite book of a 4th-grade version of me. You should mention something about eating with their feet, if I remember the books correctly...
Ariath Ska'Vhor 03-10-07, 03:54 AM	Ok dude, this is just awesome. The Andalite Chronicles were the favorite book of a 4th-grade version of me. You should mention something about eating with their feet, if I remember the books correctly... Yes, that's right. Maybe I should.
DebiHuman 03-10-07, 09:24 AM	BTW Wikipedia has an awesome entry on these creatures. You might want to take a look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andalite. Here's a good explanation of the morphing device from Wikpedia (useful for those like me who are not familiar with the series): An Escafil device is the technical term for the Andalite "morphing cube", a light blue cubic object that, when touched, gives the user the permanent ability to acquire DNA from live animals and transform ("morph") into them. An individual can gain a limitless numbers of samples of DNA. There is a 2-hour time-limit for staying in morphed form, and if a person stays morphed longer than that, they are forever trapped in that form. The Andalite term for one trapped in morph is a nothlit. The escafil device can only be used once by each being. Once a being becomes a nothlit, they cannot regain the ability to morph. Any injury sustained while either in morph or in natural form will be instantly cured by morphing to another form (if morphing back to original form, the term used is "demorphing"). The DNA of the animal whose form sustained the injury is, of course, unaffected, effectively replenishing that animal/form. For example, if injured while in morph, one can demorph and be healthy, and remorph back to the animal form without any injury; likewise you can acquire the DNA of an injured animal and turn into a healthy animal. The average morphing experience To begin the process of morphing, one with the morphing abilities must meditatively visualize an animal whose DNA they have previously acquired. Morphing is a visually disturbing but ultimately painless process that takes about two minutes to complete, but can be sped up through practice and experience. It also produces fatigue in the morpher, but this, too, can be lessened with practice. The process of morphing is very erratic; there is no definitive order of transformation, meaning any part of the body could be the first to transform and any combination of the remaining body parts could follow. Only certain beings are blessed with the innate ability to control the process. Such a being is known in the Andalite world as an Estreen. Estreens are able to control the morphing process in a way that makes it look beautiful rather than disgusting, and are better able to endure the strain of repeated morphing over a short amount of time BTW it is "their" not "thier"
FreAkOuTRG 03-10-07, 05:33 PM	Looks pretty cool. As for the favored class, outside of telepathy, I don't think andalites have shown any advanced mental powers. How about artificer (with flavor denoting the magic items to be based on technology)? edit: Are you doing yeerks or hork... hork... those thingies covered in blades? I need to read animorphs again sometime.
Wall 03-10-07, 08:48 PM	edit: Are you doing yeerks or hork... hork... those thingies covered in blades? I need to read animorphs again sometime. Hjork Bajir, I believe? As for Favored Class, I have to agree on Psion not being particularly appropriate. I don't know, I just always saw them as the Ranger type. (...despite, y'know, having read Animorphs before ever playing DnD.)
General_Ridley 03-10-07, 11:01 PM	Excellent write-up. I'd like to see yeerks, Hork-Bajir, and possibly even the Ellimist. really good stuff here. Like, really really good stuff.
Tectorman 03-10-07, 11:25 PM	This, like the big fancy house that the Griffin family lived in briefly, is just Frickin' SWEET!! I have to reread some of my books in the series to get a better feel for what to include, but I think you've got it close right there. Question: Why Aberration?
Callista 03-10-07, 11:38 PM	Should this be in the D20 Modern board? Andalites would fit in much better on one of those games. The Ellimist is obviously a deity, and one of a pretty high rank at that. Ditto Crayak. Split domains between NG/NE... dualist theology... uninvolved gods. Stat out Yeerks as Parasites. Taxxon = Awakened Large Monstrous Centipede. There are various types of fiends who have natural blades--those could give you a clue on Hork-Bajir. "Aberration" is the closest thing that D&D comes to "alien"--extraplanar creatures, strange form, strange powers. So Andalite > Alien > Aberration. Andalite favored class? I'm thinking "Druid". Concern for nature, lives outdoors, vegetarian, natural Wildshape? I mean... what else could they possibly be? Remember that if it weren't for the Yeerks, they'd be peacefully minding their own business, on their own planet, rather than playing Interstellar Policeman. Make "Estreen" a feat, or a feat tree. What's the LA for an Andalite without morph technology? There has to be some limit to the Andalite's morphing power, though... what's to stop an Andalite character from acquiring something ridiculously powerful? All he needs is good Stealth, and wham, he can get the Tarrasque. The Escafil Device should be ridiculously expensive, and hard to get... Unlimited Polymorph is a scary thought--could break your party!!
lordofthe_wog 03-10-07, 11:45 PM	maybe in the morphing process, since it is so "scary", if you will, you should include something like this "All creatures that see a morphing take place must make a DC 25 (just an example) Will save or be shaken for _____ rounds."
asurademon 03-11-07, 01:28 AM	I agree Andalites would fit much better in D20 Modern, that is unless their abilities were changed to be magical in nature. For example their shapechanging ability could be granted to them from a powerfull magical item which grants anyone that properly uses it the shapeshifting ability as a spell-like ability. Other Andalite technology should be modified to be magic based if you're going to use them in a D&D setting. I think they'd fit in best either in Planescape, or maybe Eberron (though I don't know enough about Eberon to be certain).