Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lyinginbedmon 03-20-07, 03:02 PM	The basis of this story is that I'm building a future version of my campaign world using the D&D 3.5 rules (Which is why this isn't under d20 Future), and with the Far Realm positioned as the space between universes (Essentially a universal nursery, the place where the universes expand into). The Tsochari (Singular Tsochar) are stated in their background text from Lords of Madness as being from a far distant homeworld, but not the Far Realm. This gives me the opportunity to insert them as alien invaders. However, because a hostless Tsochar is pretty darn useless, especially for technological advancement, I need a standard host bred for them in order for them to manipulate objects and venture forth into space after new races to enslave and new magics to consume. My initial thought for this host bred creature was to use the Steel Predator of Fiend Folio with an added modification of the d20 Future Extraterrestrial template, which in my mind would produce something uncannily similar to the Xenomorph (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenomorph_%28Alien%29). I personally prefer the idea of using another Aberration creature though, so perhaps the Corrupted Creature (Book of Vile Darkness) or Half-Illithid (Also Fiend Folio) template would work. Anyways, I'm here looking for some aid. Ideally this thing needs to be a footsoldier so it shouldn't be too powerful, but good enough for a CR 4 Tsochar to ride around in. It should almost certainly be immune or resistant to the Con damage of being host to a Tsochar, otherwise it wouldn't be much of a footsoldier :P
Lyinginbedmon 03-20-07, 05:40 PM	Okay, factoring the CR of the standard Tsochar in, a total CR of 6 requires another CR 4 creature to serve as the host. As the Steel Predator is CR 13 with 12 HD, we can assume that it would need to be between 3-4 HD to qualify as CR 4. Since I don't intend to make it a complete carbon copy, we can assume 4 HD. Medium sized, this creature will be more typical of a Tsochar host (Though they can normally be at least Small size). To make it a good host, it needs a low Int but a good Con (To allow herd breeding and to allow it the leverage to both survive and repair the Con damage from an Inhabiting Tsochar). We need at least a Con of 10 before we start losing HP to the Con damage, add in Faster Healing of Complete Warrior to repair the damage faster, with Steadfast Determination of Player's Handbook II to reduce the chances of failing the Fort save to cut the damage in half, thereby eliminating it entirely for the large part (A 3 damage with a failed save, for example, will in sum yield 1 damage overall). Aberrations get bad Fort saves, making a base of +1 for our 4 HD friend here. That means that, assuming a 14 Con, for a total of +3, he'd need a 12 or more to cut the damage in half. Can we assume a Great Fortitude bonus feat? That'd cut it down to a 50%/50% chance. Since he doesn't have the bonii to make a normal 1 a success, we can count out Steadfast Determination, leaving us either with 1 feat & a bonus feat or no feats remaining. I think that Great Fortitude should be the normal feat, keeping Faster Healing as a bonus feat makes more sense to me (Especially since he normally wouldn't qualify for it, having only a +1 Fort instead of +5). Assuming that the Tsochar stealthy philosophy holds true for their hosts, he'll be spending his 14+7I skill points on things like Listen, Move Silently, and Spot. Survival is also a possibility, as are Hide and Jump. Generally the predator skill selection. So, assuming that this thing wasn't bred especially for host status, it is obviously a stealthy predator in an environment where it'll incur or receive a good deal of Con damage. Stealth typically begets a dark environment, so it obviously gets Darkvision, but that seems a little lackluster, Blindsight or Blindsense (Likely the latter) are more suiting for it. Add in some poisonous fangs and a racial skill bonus to Hide and Move Silently and we have one slick stalking jungle killer. Given that Aberrations still need to sleep, it's a fair assumption that the first Tsochari jumped them while they slept. Whilst this isn't a major point, I prefer my creatures to make sense :P
Singer_of_the_Song 03-20-07, 05:52 PM	Invasion of the Body Snatchers/Yeerks from Animorphs: I like it.
Return of the Flumph 03-20-07, 05:57 PM	I would rule that since the Tsochari constitution drain is caused by organ damage and blood drain, creatures with fast healing or regeneration should be immune to it. Thus, an ideal host would be a Medium creature with either regeneration or fast healing. Trolls are too big...lycanthropes wouldn't be very good hosts, considering all the shapeshifting... Maybe you should apply the half-troll template to something.
Lyinginbedmon 03-20-07, 06:56 PM	The Con drain comes from replacing the host, inhabiting causes damage which can be healed, hence my efforts ;) Looking at what they use to keep these things in line (Since wounding your ride horribly with the pain effect is horrendously suicidal), I'd rule a collar of Dominate Monster 1/day at CL 1 should do the trick, and if we add in that it needs telepathy to activate we can shove it down to 2,520 GP, perfect for the ECL 4 Tsochar. Given the duration of the effect, they can keep them in line all day, every day, until someone figures out they're hosts and casts a dispel... The save DC, being entirely unaffected by Caster level, is Will 23. With a base Will of +4, that means they need a 19-20 to successfully resist, or 17-20 against their nature. So, that means that 90% of the time they'll be under the Tsochar's complete control instead of it forcing it to do things, or 80% against it's nature.
Lyinginbedmon 03-21-07, 04:39 PM	Okay, here's my first draft for the footsoldier host: the Juon (I chose the name because of the general ambience, it's connection as the number 1 in at least 1 language (;)) and lastly, because it's a portmanteau of Ju On, Japanese for The Curse, or more popularly, The Grudge) Juon Medium Aberration Hit Dice: 4d8+8 (26 HP) Initiative: +4 (+4 Dex) Speed: 40 ft., Climb 30 ft. Armor Class: 20 (+4 Dex, +6 Nat), touch 14, flat-footed 16 Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+6 Attack: Bite +9 melee (1d6+3 [20/x2] plus poison) Full Attack: Bite +9 melee (1d6+3 [20/x2] plus poison), 2 Claws +7 melee (1d4+1 [20/x2]), and Tail +7 melee (1d6+1 [20/x2]) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with tail) Special Attacks: Poison Special Qualities: Aberration traits, Spawn Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +4 Abilities: Str 16, Dex 19, Con 14, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 14 Skills: Climb +11*, Hide +10*, Jump +4, Listen +1, Move Silently +10*, Spot +1 Feats: Faster Healingb, Great Fortitude, Multiattack Environment: Any Organization: Solitary, Cluster (3-8), or Pack (10-20) Challenge Rating: 4 Alignment: Chaotic Evil Advancement: 5-12 HD (Large), 13-20 HD (Huge, Matriarch) The strange darkly coloured creature resembles a taughtly muscled tiger, it's sleek and serpentine body and slightly skeletal build giving the simple impression that it is completely alien. Displaying uncanny omniscience, it stares directly at your hiding place in the dark water... Juon (Both plural and singular) serve as the economy class of host for the Tsochar Emirate. Originally they were jungle predators on the Tsochar homeworld, who hunted the various aberrations that the Tsochari fed upon. Eventually, a Tsochar inhabited a Juon matriarch and took over an entire pack, where other Tsochar took over the remaining members. Through the use of the Juon, the Tsochar were finally able to advance as a people, developing technology and magical prowess, allowing them to spread into space. They remain to this day as the primary hosts and foundation of Tsochar society, due largely to their resistance to the parasitism of the Tsochari inhabitation. A Tsochar without a Juon host is normally considered a weakling. The most powerful Tsochari inhabit matriarchs. In the wild, a Juon pack is lead as a matriarchy, with a single matriarch at its head, who coordinates the actions and behaviour of the entire pack. Lone Juon are dangerous and animalistic creatures, but they are capable of extremely basic intellectual actions, including simple tactics and the use of technology involving easy-to-understand controls. Juon normally breed through a Matriarch, who spawn new Juon with the aid of genetic information from a select few members of a pack, who usually gain much authority over their peers from being so chosen. When a matriarch is not present, it is possible for two ordinary Juon to breed together not unlike felines. The Tsochari use this fact to breed useable traits into the species. A female that reproduces in such a manner typically challenges a matriarch for leadership and if successful becomes the new matriarch. As such, packs in the wild will tyrannically allow breeding through the matriarch only. Juon do not speak, emitting sounds not unlike a cross between a cobra and an ill-tempered panther, though they understand Tsochar. Some Juon are specially bred to survive in the harsh vacuum of space, they are treated as having the Space Creature (http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/msrd/FutureXenobiology.rtf) template (And therefore are CR 5) Combat Poison: Injury, Fort DC 14. Initial and secondary damage 1d4 Int. A Juon delivers its poison via its bite attack. Spawn: A Juon matriarch can produce a brood of 1d10 juvenile Juon, which reach maturity in 1d4+2 hours. They may do this only once per day, and typically will hold back producing a brood until they can ensure that the area is devoid of predators. However, Tsochari inhabiting matriarchs will often force them to produce a brood to use as hosts and breeding for others. Skills: Juon receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks. Due to their dark colouration, they receive an additional +2 bonus to Hide checks in areas of shadowy illumination. They also receive a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.
Lyinginbedmon 03-22-07, 08:08 AM	Okay, I've done the math, and because at worst a Juon will take 1 point of Con damage in any given day, 1 in 4,893,930,429 Juon will die as a result of being inhabited over the course of 15 days. This is the absolute worst case scenario, they tend to stabilise around 13-14 after about a week, though the odds of them managing to cut the damage in half (And thus avoid any at all) gets degenerately worse as their Con drops lower and lower. It also assumes a normal Juon, the higher HD versions are likely to have better odds at saving and therefore even less will die. If we can crop out another 1 point healed, they become completely immune to the damage and are therefore the perfect hosts.
Return of the Flumph 03-22-07, 01:54 PM	These things have opposable thumbs, right?
Lyinginbedmon 03-22-07, 04:23 PM	It's worth noting now that opposable thumbs are really only a major thing when your world has lots of sharp corners, but yes they do have thumbs :P