Coolest Monster Abilities? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Coolest Monster Abilities? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
UndeadPenguin
04-04-07, 01:25 AM I'm working on a campaign currently and running a bit short on cool unique monsters. So i was wondering what some of your guy's coolest creations or monster abilites are, or if a player character what are some of coolest and toughest things or abilities you've encountered.
geekmasterflash
04-04-07, 01:40 AM A Treeant with the Vampire template. It lived in the Underdark, and looked like the Shrine to a blood god, unfortunately for my players HE was the Blood God that the goblins were worshiping.

Killed about half the party, unfortunately. Mostly because of the surprise factor involved.
Prime32
04-04-07, 02:55 PM What about this?

Esille, Terror vampire half-succubus nymph sorcerer 1
Medium Undead (Evil, Augmented Fey)
Hit Dice: 7d12 (46 hp)
Initiative: +14
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 30 ft. (average), swim 20 ft.
Armour Class: 44 (+10 Dex, +8 natural, +15 deflection), touch 35, flat-footed 33
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+3
Attack: Claw +13 melee (1d6+1)
Full Attack: Claw+13 melee (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Blinding beauty, blood drain, create spawn, eyebite, smite good, spells, spell-like abilities, stunning glance, wisdom damage
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/cold iron and good, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 5, gaseous form, immunity to poison, low-light vision, resistance to acid, cold, fire and electricity 10, spell resistance 13, turn resistance, undead traits, unearthly grace, vampiric suppression, wild empathy
Saves: Fort +17, Ref +22, Will +20
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 30, Con –, Int 22, Wis 22, Cha 40
Skills: Bluff +35, Concentration +10, Disguise +25, Diplomacy +18, Escape Artist +20, Handle Animal +18, Heal +14, Hide +28, Intimidate +35, Listen +26, Move Silently +28, Ride +13, Search +24, Sense Motive +24, Spellcraft +16, Spot +26, Swim +10
Feats: Alertness(B), Combat Casting, Dodge, Improved Initiative(B), Lightning Reflexes(B), Persuasive(B), Weapon Finesse
Environment: Temperate forests
Organisation: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: +21

Blinding Beauty (Su): This ability affects all humanoids within 30 feet of a nymph. Those who look directly at a nymph must succeed on a DC 28 Fortitude save or be blinded permanently as though by the blindness spell. A nymph can suppress or resume this ability as a free action. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Blood Drain (Ex): A vampire can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the vampire gains 5 temporary hit points.

Create Spawn (Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by a vampire’s energy drain rises as a vampire spawn 1d4 days after burial. If the vampire instead drains the victim’s Constitution to 0 or lower, the victim returns as a spawn if it had 4 or less HD and as a terror vampire if it had 5 or more HD. In either case, the new vampire or spawn is under the command of the vampire that created it and remains enslaved until its master’s destruction. At any given time a vampire may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice its own Hit Dice; any spawn it creates that would exceed this limit are created as free-willed vampires or vampire spawn. A vampire that is enslaved may create and enslave spawn of its own, so a master vampire can control a number of lesser vampires in this fashion. A vampire may voluntarily free an enslaved spawn in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a vampire or vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again.

Eyebite (Su): A terror vampire can cripple an opponent’s mind just by looking into his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the terror vampire must use a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone the terror vampire targets must succeed on a DC 28 Will save or immediately be affected as if by the spell eyebite (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet.

Fast Healing (Ex): A vampire heals 5 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, it automatically assumes gaseous form and attempts to escape. It must reach its coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed. (It can travel up to nine miles in 2 hours.) Any additional damage dealt to a vampire forced into gaseous form has no effect. Once at rest in its coffin, a vampire is helpless. It regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no longer helpless and resumes healing at the rate of 5 hit points per round.

Gaseous Form (Su): As a standard action, a vampire can assume gaseous form at will as the spell (caster level 5th), but it can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.

Smite Good (Su): Once per day this creature can make a normal attack and deal +6 damage against a good foe.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 3/day—cause fear, dancing lights, detect thoughts, disguise self, ghost sound, silent image, 1/day—dimension door, suggestion. Caster level 7th.

Spells: This nymph casts arcane spells as an 8th-level sorcerer.
Arcane Reabsorbtion: In place of a familiar, whenever a targeted spell this creature casts fails to penetrate a creature’s spell resistance or is countered by another spellcaster, she can attempt to reabsorb the arcane energy she just spent as an immediate action. The spell can have no efect at all in order to use this ability. By making a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + [spell level x3]), she regains the spell slot as if it was never used.

Stunning Glance (Su): As a standard action, a wrathful nymph can stun a creature within 30 feet with a look. The target creature must succeed on a DC 28 Fortitude save or be stunned for 2d4 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Turn resistance (Ex): A terror vampire has +4 turn resistance

Unearthly Grace (Su): A nymph adds her Charisma modifier as a bonus on all her saving throws, and as a deflection bonus to her Armor Class. (The statistics block already reflects these bonuses).

Vampiric Repression (Su): This terror vampire can repress all of its vampiric traits and abilities and appear to be a normal mortal for 3 minutes a day. During this time, the vampire is unaffected by its normal vampiric weaknesses but also loses the benefits of its special attacks and qualities.

Wild Empathy (Ex): This power works like the druid’s wild empathy class feature, except that a nymph has a +6 racial bonus on the check.

Wisdom Damage (Su): Living creatures hit by a terror vampire’s slam attack take 1d4 points of Wisdom damage. For each point of Wisdom damage dealt, the terror vampire gains 5 temporary hit points. A terror vampire can use its Wisdom damage ability once per round.

Skills: Terror vampires have a +8 racial bonus on Bluff, Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive and Spot checks. A nymph has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. She can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. She can use the run action while swimming, provided she swims in a straight line.
Ebonyte
04-04-07, 03:30 PM That vampire nymph etc etc was pretty cool. A little tweaky, but then, I tend to PLAY tweaky things.

You can do so many things with an Aboleth. I had an undead campaign that had only one human character, who was the onyl one whon could interact with a society they were trying to escape who had declared a crusade against them and their kind. When an Aboleth slimed her with mucus, the low-level party had to stay underground, making their way to a spring where they had to deal with merr to find a cure. It turned out pretty well, considering it was all off the cuff.

Another time, I had a Vampire Aboleth. Spawn Skum, mental domination, mist form in a murky, misty cave, home soil is the cave's location, and immunity to moving water, being amphibious in the first place. The possibilities were pretty cool, and it made for a COMPLETELY unsympathetic vampire.

Personally, I play a...

Male Gilette (OGL half-mermaid) OGL Expert 1/Vampire Spawn 1. My career path will encompass leveling up as a Necromancer/Warlock after finishing Vampire Spawn MC.

No damage from running water, and a good backstory. Plus we house ruled that Vampires can make Vampires or Vampire Spawn, and Vampire Spawn can make other Spawn or Ghouls, using the same rule set as the Vampire. Rather Hellsing or Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.

Other ideas have been the Fiendish Nymph or Dryad, with Hellgroves (Fiendish Treants, populated by fiendish critters).
Violet Typhoon
04-04-07, 11:04 PM One nifty combo of abilities I created for an original monster of mine was the combination of natural invisibility and frightful presence. That makes it so the PCs have to choose between not being able to see it or casting see invisibility and really wishing they couldn't see it after all.

The ability of a really big creature to create, expel, or summon swarms or mobs (from DMG2) of smaller creatures is also always cool. The same monster as above also had the ability to vomit up a mob of gibberling-like critters to help it in battle. Suffice to say that thing was a bastard to fight against.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
UndeadPenguin 04-04-07, 01:25 AM	I'm working on a campaign currently and running a bit short on cool unique monsters. So i was wondering what some of your guy's coolest creations or monster abilites are, or if a player character what are some of coolest and toughest things or abilities you've encountered.
geekmasterflash 04-04-07, 01:40 AM	A Treeant with the Vampire template. It lived in the Underdark, and looked like the Shrine to a blood god, unfortunately for my players HE was the Blood God that the goblins were worshiping. Killed about half the party, unfortunately. Mostly because of the surprise factor involved.
Prime32 04-04-07, 02:55 PM	What about this? Esille, Terror vampire half-succubus nymph sorcerer 1 Medium Undead (Evil, Augmented Fey) Hit Dice: 7d12 (46 hp) Initiative: +14 Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 30 ft. (average), swim 20 ft. Armour Class: 44 (+10 Dex, +8 natural, +15 deflection), touch 35, flat-footed 33 Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+3 Attack: Claw +13 melee (1d6+1) Full Attack: Claw+13 melee (1d6+1) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Blinding beauty, blood drain, create spawn, eyebite, smite good, spells, spell-like abilities, stunning glance, wisdom damage Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/cold iron and good, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 5, gaseous form, immunity to poison, low-light vision, resistance to acid, cold, fire and electricity 10, spell resistance 13, turn resistance, undead traits, unearthly grace, vampiric suppression, wild empathy Saves: Fort +17, Ref +22, Will +20 Abilities: Str 13, Dex 30, Con –, Int 22, Wis 22, Cha 40 Skills: Bluff +35, Concentration +10, Disguise +25, Diplomacy +18, Escape Artist +20, Handle Animal +18, Heal +14, Hide +28, Intimidate +35, Listen +26, Move Silently +28, Ride +13, Search +24, Sense Motive +24, Spellcraft +16, Spot +26, Swim +10 Feats: Alertness(B), Combat Casting, Dodge, Improved Initiative(B), Lightning Reflexes(B), Persuasive(B), Weapon Finesse Environment: Temperate forests Organisation: Solitary Challenge Rating: 13 Treasure: Standard Alignment: Always chaotic evil Advancement: 7-12 HD (Medium) Level Adjustment: +21 Blinding Beauty (Su): This ability affects all humanoids within 30 feet of a nymph. Those who look directly at a nymph must succeed on a DC 28 Fortitude save or be blinded permanently as though by the blindness spell. A nymph can suppress or resume this ability as a free action. The save DC is Charisma-based. Blood Drain (Ex): A vampire can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the vampire gains 5 temporary hit points. Create Spawn (Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by a vampire’s energy drain rises as a vampire spawn 1d4 days after burial. If the vampire instead drains the victim’s Constitution to 0 or lower, the victim returns as a spawn if it had 4 or less HD and as a terror vampire if it had 5 or more HD. In either case, the new vampire or spawn is under the command of the vampire that created it and remains enslaved until its master’s destruction. At any given time a vampire may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice its own Hit Dice; any spawn it creates that would exceed this limit are created as free-willed vampires or vampire spawn. A vampire that is enslaved may create and enslave spawn of its own, so a master vampire can control a number of lesser vampires in this fashion. A vampire may voluntarily free an enslaved spawn in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a vampire or vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again. Eyebite (Su): A terror vampire can cripple an opponent’s mind just by looking into his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the terror vampire must use a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone the terror vampire targets must succeed on a DC 28 Will save or immediately be affected as if by the spell eyebite (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet. Fast Healing (Ex): A vampire heals 5 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, it automatically assumes gaseous form and attempts to escape. It must reach its coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed. (It can travel up to nine miles in 2 hours.) Any additional damage dealt to a vampire forced into gaseous form has no effect. Once at rest in its coffin, a vampire is helpless. It regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no longer helpless and resumes healing at the rate of 5 hit points per round. Gaseous Form (Su): As a standard action, a vampire can assume gaseous form at will as the spell (caster level 5th), but it can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability. Smite Good (Su): Once per day this creature can make a normal attack and deal +6 damage against a good foe. Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 3/day—cause fear, dancing lights, detect thoughts, disguise self, ghost sound, silent image, 1/day—dimension door, suggestion. Caster level 7th. Spells: This nymph casts arcane spells as an 8th-level sorcerer. Arcane Reabsorbtion: In place of a familiar, whenever a targeted spell this creature casts fails to penetrate a creature’s spell resistance or is countered by another spellcaster, she can attempt to reabsorb the arcane energy she just spent as an immediate action. The spell can have no efect at all in order to use this ability. By making a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + [spell level x3]), she regains the spell slot as if it was never used. Stunning Glance (Su): As a standard action, a wrathful nymph can stun a creature within 30 feet with a look. The target creature must succeed on a DC 28 Fortitude save or be stunned for 2d4 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based. Turn resistance (Ex): A terror vampire has +4 turn resistance Unearthly Grace (Su): A nymph adds her Charisma modifier as a bonus on all her saving throws, and as a deflection bonus to her Armor Class. (The statistics block already reflects these bonuses). Vampiric Repression (Su): This terror vampire can repress all of its vampiric traits and abilities and appear to be a normal mortal for 3 minutes a day. During this time, the vampire is unaffected by its normal vampiric weaknesses but also loses the benefits of its special attacks and qualities. Wild Empathy (Ex): This power works like the druid’s wild empathy class feature, except that a nymph has a +6 racial bonus on the check. Wisdom Damage (Su): Living creatures hit by a terror vampire’s slam attack take 1d4 points of Wisdom damage. For each point of Wisdom damage dealt, the terror vampire gains 5 temporary hit points. A terror vampire can use its Wisdom damage ability once per round. Skills: Terror vampires have a +8 racial bonus on Bluff, Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive and Spot checks. A nymph has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. She can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. She can use the run action while swimming, provided she swims in a straight line.
Ebonyte 04-04-07, 03:30 PM	That vampire nymph etc etc was pretty cool. A little tweaky, but then, I tend to PLAY tweaky things. You can do so many things with an Aboleth. I had an undead campaign that had only one human character, who was the onyl one whon could interact with a society they were trying to escape who had declared a crusade against them and their kind. When an Aboleth slimed her with mucus, the low-level party had to stay underground, making their way to a spring where they had to deal with merr to find a cure. It turned out pretty well, considering it was all off the cuff. Another time, I had a Vampire Aboleth. Spawn Skum, mental domination, mist form in a murky, misty cave, home soil is the cave's location, and immunity to moving water, being amphibious in the first place. The possibilities were pretty cool, and it made for a COMPLETELY unsympathetic vampire. Personally, I play a... Male Gilette (OGL half-mermaid) OGL Expert 1/Vampire Spawn 1. My career path will encompass leveling up as a Necromancer/Warlock after finishing Vampire Spawn MC. No damage from running water, and a good backstory. Plus we house ruled that Vampires can make Vampires or Vampire Spawn, and Vampire Spawn can make other Spawn or Ghouls, using the same rule set as the Vampire. Rather Hellsing or Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. Other ideas have been the Fiendish Nymph or Dryad, with Hellgroves (Fiendish Treants, populated by fiendish critters).
Violet Typhoon 04-04-07, 11:04 PM	One nifty combo of abilities I created for an original monster of mine was the combination of natural invisibility and frightful presence. That makes it so the PCs have to choose between not being able to see it or casting see invisibility and really wishing they couldn't see it after all. The ability of a really big creature to create, expel, or summon swarms or mobs (from DMG2) of smaller creatures is also always cool. The same monster as above also had the ability to vomit up a mob of gibberling-like critters to help it in battle. Suffice to say that thing was a bastard to fight against.