Post/Author/DateTime	Post
BladefellMaster 07-24-06, 10:34 AM	Deep within the Demonweb Pits lies a portal to the Astral Plane that Lolth's minions use for a garbage disposal. Many of the bodies thrown away are from Lolth's own minions, they may have failed her in someway or even lost a challange to a powerful demon. Abyssal ghouls stalk this area, both in the Abyss and the Astral Plane, devouring both the corpses dumped here and those who find the refuse pile and attempt to scavenge in it. The convergence of Astral and Abyssal energies has combined with the latent magic of the corpses themselves, and the items still upon them, to spontaneously give rise to a new form of undead creature. These creatures are my girlfriend's creation and I claim no credit for them. All I did was edit them for her as she has never run a game dispite the fact that she has been playing D&D since she was old enough to understand the concept of the game. Most of the flavor text was taken from the desriptions she gave me, I'm just better at fitting it together in a logical order that makes for good formatting. She is not registered to post things here and wanted me to post it and show her what you other guys thought of it. Personally, I think it's the best thing she's come up with yet. Of course some of her ideas are so bad I won't even think about posting them! Vultanthra Large Undead (Extraplanar, Evil) Hit Dice: 15D12 (97hp) Initiative: +5 Speed: 40ft, climb 30ft Armor Class: 25 (-1 size, +1 DEX, +15 natural), touch 10, flatfooted 24 Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+18 Attack: Slam +13 melee (1D6+7 dmg plus energy drain) Full Attack: Slam +13 melee (1D6+7 dmg plus energy drain) and Bite +8 melee (1D10+3 dmg plus energy drain, spell drain, and necrotic venom) Space/Reach: 10ft/10ft Special Attacks: Create Spawn, Energy Drain, Necrotic Venom, Rake 2D4+10dmg, Spell Drain, Spell-Like Abilities Special Qualities: Change Shape, darkvision 60ft, immune to acid, Planeshift, resist cold 15, resist electricity 5 & fire 5, SR 23, turn resist +2, undead traits, Webcrawling Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +12 Abilities: STR 24, DEX 13, CON--, INT 16, WIS 16, CHR 19 Skills: Bluff +8, Climb +14, Concentration +12, Craft(Alchemy) +12, Craft(Trapmaking) +10, Heal +15, Hide +5, Jump +10, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Knowledge(planar) +10, Listen +13, Move Silently +8, Search +13, Sense Motive +10, Spellcraft +15, Spot +15 Feats: Combat Casting, Graft Flesh, Imp. Initiative, Magical Aptitude, Skill Focus (Heal), Spell Focus (Necromancy), Spell Drain (B) Enviroment: Any land or underground (the Abyss or the Astral Plane) Organization: Solitary, pair, or troupe( 1-2 plus 3-6 vulwights and 3-6 driders, ettercap, or monsterous spiders) Challenge Rating: 12 Treasure: 1/4 coins; 1/2 goods; double items Alignment: Always evil(any) Advancement: 16-25 HD (large); 26-45 HD (huge) Level Adjustment:-- The creature standing before you is obviously undead, it's half-mummified flesh is shriveled and dry with strips of torn flesh hanging from it's ribs. It is a large humaniod with overly long arms, wickedly clawed hands, four spider's legs growing form it's sides and a horrid biting maw splitting it's already desicated ribcage. It has no mouth on it's face and it's eye socketes gleam with unholy energy. Two pair of insectile, faceted eyes, set above the foul mouth in it's ribs, stare out from it's gaunt chest. It watches you with uncanny intelligence in all six of it's eyes. Knowing it for a monstrosiy best destroyed, your allies charge towards it, still it does nothing but watch, somewhat reluctantly, you join the assualt. In one quick move, when you're all too close to it to avoid it, the horrid creature spits a faintly shimmering web from it's foul mouth. You're stuck fast and you're not the only one! As you and your friends struggle to escape it begins to feed, draining the juice from the mage's still quivering corpse. It approaches you last, speaking in a horrible voice, "I think we'll save you, you look like you could survive the transformation." These bizarre undead are created through a convergance of Abyssal, Astral, and necromantic magicks that occures in the Demonweb Pits at a permanent portal to the Astral Plane where Lolth's minions dispose of the corpses of defeated enemies or other minions who have failed Lolth is some way. Vultanthra do not necissarily serve Lolth, although some do, many are just interested in their own necromantic studies into their 'birthing'. Only recently, with the last century, has Lolth become aware of their existance and she has begun making a bid for rulership over them, many Vultanthra willingly answer the call as they see some kind of meaningfulness in the form of Lolth and her minions as applied to their own studies. Few Vultanthra openly oppose Lolth and many share the drow's obcession with spider-like monsters as a manifestion of the Spider Queen. Most Vultanthra use their graft flesh ability to create their own minions and even carve out their own fiefdoms, either in the Abyss, the Astral Plane on the Prime Material Planes. They are often found in the company of Driders, Ettercaps, Phase Spiders, or other spider-like monsters who, in turn, are often grafted with undead parts to enhance their combat capabilities. Vultanthra seem to hate Abyssal ghouls, as they often devour the corpses which give rise to their kind. Create Spawn(Su): Living creatures slain by a vultanthra's energy drain become vulwights in 1D4 rounds. Spawn are under the command of the vultanthra who created them until it's destruction, or until it releases them. Energy Drain(Su): Living creature hit by a vultanthra's claws or bite gain a negative level. The DC for the Fort save to remove this negative level is 21. The save DC is Charisma-based. Necrotic Venom(Su): With each successful bite attack the vultanthra deliveres it's foul, necrotic venom which errodes the victim's mental and physical endurances. Injury-bite, the initial damage is 1D4 CON and 1 WIS, the secondary damage is 2D4 CON and 1D4 WIS, Fort DC 21 negates. Because the venom is enhanced with necromancy the save DC is Charisma-based and spells such as Delay Poison, Neutralize Poison, and Heal require a DC 21 caster level check to effect the foul poison. Rake(Ex): Attack bonus +8 melee, damage 2D4+10. When not using them to climb,or when grappling, a vultanthra uses it's spider-like middle limbs to rake as a natural secondary attack. Spell Drain(Su): When a vultanthra bestows a negative level on a spellcaster with it's bite attack, and that creature loses a prepared spell, it gains the ability to cast that spell once (as if it had prepared it). Treat the spell's effects as if it had been cast by the spellcaster who originally prepared it ( including casterlevel, save DC, and so forth). The vultanthra need not have the requisite ability score or level necissary to cast the spell. The drained spell stay in it's memory for up to 1 hour , and it may store a number of stolen spells equal to it's Charisma modifier, any further spells drained are lost. Spell-Like Abilities(Su): At will- Chill Touch (DC 16), Dancing Lights, Deeper Darkness, Faerie Fire, Levitation, Ray of Enfeeblement (DC 16), Spider Hand; x3 day- Animate Dead, Fear (DC 19), Ghoul Touch (DC 17), Telekinesis (DC 19), Touch of Idiocy (DC 16), Vampiric Touch (DC 18); x1 day- Create Undead, Eyebite (DC 21), Feeblemind (DC 19), Night's Caress (DC 20), Snare Astral Traveler (DC 20); x1 week- Alert Bebilith (always recieves +2 profane bonus on this caster level check), Imprison Soul (DC 22). Caster Level 15th. The save DCs are Charisma-based and necromancy spells include a +1 bonus from it's Spell Focus (Necromancy) feat. Web(Ex): A vultanthra can throw a web up to three times per day. This attack is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 30ft with a range increment of 10ft. This attack is effective against targets of to huge size. The web anchors the target in place, allowing no movement. An entangled creature can escape with a DC 22 Escape Artist check or burst the web with a DC 22 Strength check. The check DCs are Charisma-based and include a +1 racial bonus. The web has 12hp and a hardness of 1. There is a 75% chance that the webbing will not burn if any sort of fire is applied to it (check each round). Change Shape(Su): At will, a vultanthra can assume the form of a drider, drow, ettercap, large bebilith, or a medium- to huge-sized monsterous spider. Each time it assumes one of these forms it always assumes the same appearence and traits, much like a lycanthropy would. In drow form it can only bite a pinned or helpless foe, and the bite only deals a single point of damage but still injects poison, and spits webs from it's mouth. In all other forms it retains it's necrotic venom instead of the creature's own poison. There is no limit to the number of times it can change form or how long it remains in each form. Plane Shift(Sp): A vultanthra can plane shift itself and up to four willing, or unconscious, creature to any plane it desires. This ability functions like the spell of the same name except that the vultanthra must have used it's energy drain attack within the last 24 hour to use it. Webcrawling(Ex): Vultanthras are immune to entanglement by all known form of web, inculding those created by spell and even deific magic, and can climb even the stickiest, or slipperiest, webbing at it's full normal speed. Skills: A vultanthra receives a +4 racial bonus on Climb, Search, and Spot checks, and a +2 racial bonus on Listen, Move Silently, and Sense Motive checks. Vultanthra Items and Grafts In addition to being able to create normal alchemical items and many undead grafts, the vultanthra have developed the following items. Abyssal Ghoul Tongue Graft: This long, cartilaginous tongue trails off into smokey incorporeality at it's tip. The grafted creature can use it's abyssal tongue to drain a victim's Wisdom, on a successful grapple chack it drains 1D6 points of Wisdom. Each round the grapple is maintained it drains an additional 1D6 point of Wisdom. A creature reduced to 0 Wisdom by the grafted creature is rendered unconscious until at least one point of Wisdom is restored. Graft Flesh, touch of idiocy; Price 75,000 gp. Undead Spider-Limbs: Typically a pair or two pair of spider's legs from a monsterous spider one size larger than the grafted creature are grafted into the creatures ribcage. These limbs grant the creature a climb speed of 2/3 it's base speed if it does not already have a climb speed and allows the grafted creature to make a rake attack if not using these extra limbs to climb. Rake attacks are a natural secondary attack and deals 1D4 dmg from a medium creature, 2D4 from a large or 2D6 from a huge creature, plus 1 1/2x the grafted creature Strength modifier. Graft Flesh, creator must be a vultanthra or vulgrafted creature; Price 25,000 gp for a pair of medium-sized, +10,000 gp for each additional pair or size category above medium. Chitin Plating:By grafting plates of insect chitin to a recipient the vultanthra are able to create stronger, better armor minions of their own. Chitin plating typically comes from monsterous spiders and so is normally covered in bristly hairs. Those receiving chitin plates gain immunity to poison, a +2 inherent bonus to Constitution, and a natural armor bonus between +2 and +5. Graft Flesh, creator must be a vultanthra or vulgrafted creature; Price 60,000 gp for +2 natural armor for a medium-sized creature, +15,000 gp for each additional +1 of armor or size category above medium.
Talisman 07-24-06, 01:01 PM	Looks interesting...gruesome description and good flavor text. However, until you detail these special abilities: Necrotic Venom, Spell Drain, Spell-Like Abilities Change Shape, Planeshift, Webcrawling I can't really comment more than that.
BladefellMaster 07-24-06, 01:38 PM	I'm working on it. George was giving me trouble so I didn't get it done before I went to my job interview. I'm working on it now. Hope you like them.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 07-24-06, 06:27 PM	Well, my ability to judge is limited, since I'm not familiar with all the spells, but I think the SLAs might benefit from some pruning. The touch attacks for example aren't much good when the creature can get a lot more accomplished by just attacking or using a stronger power. I think there are too many combat-related SLAs, the creature simply won't get the time to make use of more than a few in an encounter, especially with that spell drain attack. Enveration seems like overkill with so many energy drain attacks each round. On the whole, this creature seems much more demonic than it does undead, and the circumstances of creation are rather nebulous. Maybe give it Tana'ari traits, and/or the Evil and Chaotic subtypes? The spell resistance is a little low for the CR, but passable with energy resistances and acid immunity. The turn resistance is barely token. On the whole this critter seems rather offense-heavy. I'm not a big fan of Lloth and the spider-demon crew, and this creature seems to share their general flavor. However, the planeshift requiring an energy drain usage is a twist I particularly enjoy. Considering that energy drain kills always result in a wight unless stated otherwise, you might want a special type of spawn (doesn't make sense for a chaotic evil monster to make lawful evil spawn). Perhaps they get transformed into fiendish spider zombies, or skeletons/zombies, make up your own type of Vultanthra-spawn or use one of my spidery undead (like the webspawn or skullders).
BladefellMaster 07-24-06, 06:50 PM	you know something, you're the second person to say that they might be better off as outsiders than undead. I think they need to stay undead, but you've got some good points about their spell-like abilities. Some of their SLAs were only included so they create undead grafts though. I'll edit them soon and see what I can do about it. Maybe I'll reduce their caster level and trim down their SLAs a little. Creating spawn was something I hadn't really thought of for them, I'll run these ideas by her later. Also I'll post some their graft they can create. I've only got one graft done right now... an abyssal ghoul's tongue!
BladefellMaster 07-25-06, 01:16 AM	Considering that energy drain kills always result in a wight unless stated otherwise, you might want a special type of spawn (doesn't make sense for a chaotic evil monster to make lawful evil spawn). how about these... Vulwight Medium Undead Hit Dice: 5D12 (32hp) Initiative: +6 Speed: 30ft, climb 20ft Armor Class: 18 (+2 DEX, +6 natural), touch 12, flatfooted 16 Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+4 Attack: Slam + 4 melee (1D4+2 dmg plus energy drain) Full Attack: Slam +4 melee (1D4+2 dmg plus energy drain) Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft Special Attacks: Create Spawn,Energy Drain, Rake 1D4+3 dmg, Spell-Like Abilities Special Qualities: Change Shape, darkvision 60ft, resist cold 10, resist elecricity 5 & fire 5, undead traits. Saves: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +5 Abilities: STR 15, DEX 14, CON --, INT 11, WIS 12, CHR 15 Skills: Climb +8, Hide +13, Listen +6, Move Silently +15, Search +4, Spot +6 Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative Enviroment: Any (the Abyss and the Astral Plane) Organization: solitary, pair, gang (3-5 plus 1-2 vultanthra), or pack (6-11 plus 1-2 vultanthra) Challenge Rating: 4 Treasue: None Alignment: Always evil (any) Advancement: 6-10 HD (medium) Level Adjustment: -- Vulwights are essentially identicle to normal wights except for the four spider-like limb growing from their ribcages. These additional limbs obvious grew violently from their bodies, tearing the flesh as they sprouted. Change Shape(Su): Twice per day, for upto one hour at a time, a vulwight can assume the form of a medium monsterous spider or an ettercap. Each time the vulwight assumes on of these forms it always assume the same form with the same characteristics and traits, much like a lycanthrope would. Create Spawn(Su): Any living humaniod slain by a vulwight's energy drain attack becomes a wight in 1D4 rounds. Spawn are under the control of the vulwight that spawned them and remain enslaved until it's destruction. Energy Drain(Su): Living creatures hit by a vulwight's slam attack gains on negative level. The DC is 14 for the Fort save to remove a negative level. The save DC is Charisma-based. For each such negative level bestowed, the vulwight gains 5 temporary hit points. Rake(Ex): Attack bonus +2 melee, 1D4+3 damage. When not using them to climb. or while graplling, a vulwight uses it's spider-like middle limbs to rake foes as a natural secondary attack. Spell-Like Abilities(Su): x3 day- Deeper Darkness; x1 day- Damning Darkness, Dancing Lights, Faerie Fire, Levitation. Caster level 5th. Skills: Vulwights receive a +6 racial bonus on Climb and Move Silently checks. I'll also post at least one of the grafted creatures often found in the companyof Vultanthra. Probably an ettercap.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 07-25-06, 09:09 AM	Specify that it's creature's slain by the vulwight's energy drain and whether or not they are under it's control and you are go.
Talisman 07-25-06, 04:45 PM	Necrotic Venom(Su): With each successful bite attack the vultanthra deliveres it's foul, necrotic venom which errodes the victim's mental and physical endurances. Injury-bite, the initial damage is 1D4 CON and 1 WIS, the secondarydamage is 2D4 CON and 1D4 WIS, Fort DC 21 negates. Because the venom is enhanced with necromancy the save DC is Charisma-based and spells such as Delay Poison, Neutralize Poison, and Heal require a DC 21 caster level check to effect the foul poison. Eeeevil!! :D Spell Drain(Su): When a vultanthra bestows a negative level on a spellcaster with it's bite attack, and that creature loses a prepared spell, it gains the ability to cast that spell once (as if it had prepared it). Treat the spell's effects as if it had been cast by the spellcaster who originally prepared it ( including casterlevel, save DC, and so forth). The vultanthra need not have the requisite ability score or level necissary to cast the spell. The drained spell stay in it's memory for up to 1 hour , and it may store a number of stolen spells equal to it's Charisma modifier, any further spells drained are lost. What if the victim is a spontaneous caster, such as a bard or sorcerer? What if the spell is one the vultanthra cannot cast, such as holy smite? Otherwise, cool. Spell-Like Abilities(Su): At will- Chill Tocuh (DC 16), Dancing Lights, Deeper Darkness, Faerie Fire, Levitation, Mage Hand, Ray of Enfeeblement (DC 16), Spectral Hand, Spider Hand; x3 day- Animate Dead, Damning Darkness, Fear (DC 19), Ghoul Touch (DC 17), Telekinesis (DC 19), Touch of Idiocy (DC 16), Vampiric Touch (DC 18); x1 day- Create Undead, Eyebite (DC 21), Feeblemind (DC 19), Magic Jar (DC 20), Night's Caress (DC 20), Snare Astral Traveler (DC 20); x1 week- Alert Bebilith (always recieves +2 profane bonus on this caster level check), Imprison Soul (DC 22). Caster Level 15th. The save DCs are Charisma-based and necromancy spells include a +1 bonus from it's Spell Focus (Necromancy) feat. I agree with R.M.G.C.L.F. that these are a bit much. I recommend dropping the underlined SLAs...although they're useful, they're a bit much, and some are virtual duplicates (i.e., deeper darkness and damning darkness). Many, many touch spells, which aren't as useful as one might think, unless you give it Quicken Spell-Like Ability with a couple. Otherwise, it wastes a combat round casting and (hopefully) gets off a single touch. Not too great for a boss monster. Web(Ex): A vultanthra can throw a web up to three times per day. This attack is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 30ft with a range increment of 10ft. This attack is effective against targets of to huge size. The web anchors the target in place, allowing no movement. An entangled creature can escape with a DC 22 Escape Artist check or burst the web with a DC 22 Strength check. The check DCs are Charisma-based and include a +1 racial bonus. The web has 12hp and a hardness of 1. There is a 75% chance that the webbing will not burn if any sort of fire is applied to it (check each round). Wouldn't it be simpler to just say this is identical to a web spell? Plane Shift(Sp): A vultanthra can plane shift itself and up to four willing, or unconscious, creature to any plane it desires. This ability functions like the spell of the same name except that the vultanthra must have used it's energy drain attack within the last 24 hour to use it. Used its energy drain how? On anyone? On the potential victim? I don't quite get this. Webcrawling(Ex): Vultanthras are immune to entanglement by all known form of web, inculding those created by spell and even deific magic, and can climb even the stickiest, or slipperiest, webbing at it's full normal speed. I would object to this...but how often is this going to come up, really? "Look out, Thor's casting a web spell!" :P Looks good. The vulwight looks good to, but I'd say CR 4. Compare to the normal wight (http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/v35/MonstersT-Z.rtf) at CR 3.
BladefellMaster 07-26-06, 12:18 PM	Necrotic Venom(Su): With each successful bite attack the vultanthra deliveres it's foul, necrotic venom which errodes the victim's mental and physical endurances. Injury-bite, the initial damage is 1D4 CON and 1 WIS, the secondarydamage is 2D4 CON and 1D4 WIS, Fort DC 21 negates. Because the venom is enhanced with necromancy the save DC is Charisma-based and spells such as Delay Poison, Neutralize Poison, and Heal require a DC 21 caster level check to effect the foul poison. Eeeevil!! :D Thanks, I thought this was one of the better poisons I'd ever seen too! Whens she's good she's good, but when she's bad she's really, really, really BAD! Spell Drain(Su): When a vultanthra bestows a negative level on a spellcaster with it's bite attack, and that creature loses a prepared spell, it gains the ability to cast that spell once (as if it had prepared it). Treat the spell's effects as if it had been cast by the spellcaster who originally prepared it ( including casterlevel, save DC, and so forth). The vultanthra need not have the requisite ability score or level necissary to cast the spell. The drained spell stay in it's memory for up to 1 hour , and it may store a number of stolen spells equal to it's Charisma modifier, any further spells drained are lost. What if the victim is a spontaneous caster, such as a bard or sorcerer? What if the spell is one the vultanthra cannot cast, such as holy smite? Otherwise, cool. Unfortunately the Spall Drain feat in the Libris Mortis only allows the undead with the feat to drain prepared spells. Kinda sucks... but I can see why they did it that way. If the spontaneous caster loses a spell slot and not a prepared spell who's to say what spell that the creature drained? Spell-Like Abilities(Su): At will- Chill Touch (DC 16), Dancing Lights, Deeper Darkness, Faerie Fire, Levitation, Ray of Enfeeblement (DC 16), Spider Hand; x3 day- Animate Dead, Fear (DC 19), Ghoul Touch (DC 17), Telekinesis (DC 19), Touch of Idiocy (DC 16), Vampiric Touch (DC 18); x1 day- Create Undead, Eyebite (DC 21), Feeblemind (DC 19), Night's Caress (DC 20), Snare Astral Traveler (DC 20); x1 week- Alert Bebilith (always recieves +2 profane bonus on this caster level check), Imprison Soul (DC 22). Caster Level 15th. The save DCs are Charisma-based and necromancy spells include a +1 bonus from it's Spell Focus (Necromancy) feat. I agree with R.M.G.C.L.F. that these are a bit much. I recommend dropping the underlined SLAs...although they're useful, they're a bit much, and some are virtual duplicates (i.e., deeper darkness and damning darkness). Many, many touch spells, which aren't as useful as one might think, unless you give it Quicken Spell-Like Ability with a couple. Otherwise, it wastes a combat round casting and (hopefully) gets off a single touch. Not too great for a boss monster. I've dropped Magic Jar and Damning Darkness, but the dancing lights, faerie fire, (deeper) darkness, and levitaion spells are meant to reflect their drow/drider heritage. Many of their touch spells are really only included so they can use them for torture or creating undead grafts, in combat vultanthra prefer to use their necrotic venom and rake attack. Web(Ex): A vultanthra can throw a web up to three times per day. This attack is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 30ft with a range increment of 10ft. This attack is effective against targets of to huge size. The web anchors the target in place, allowing no movement. An entangled creature can escape with a DC 22 Escape Artist check or burst the web with a DC 22 Strength check. The check DCs are Charisma-based and include a +1 racial bonus. The web has 12hp and a hardness of 1. There is a 75% chance that the webbing will not burn if any sort of fire is applied to it (check each round). Wouldn't it be simpler to just say this is identical to a web spell? It's not identicle to the web spell. It's actually based off the bebilth ability which produces stronger web. Plane Shift(Sp): A vultanthra can plane shift itself and up to four willing, or unconscious, creature to any plane it desires. This ability functions like the spell of the same name except that the vultanthra must have used it's energy drain attack within the last 24 hour to use it. Used its energy drain how? On anyone? On the potential victim? I don't quite get this. A vultanthra who has not drained a living creatures life force for more than 24 hours cannot use it's plane shift ability until it does so. They use a potion of the victim's life force to power this ability. Do you think I need to add an undead diet dependancy for life force on here? And include a lina in the entry something like.... A vultanthra who has not drained a living creatures life force for more than 24 hours is weakened and cannot use it's plane shift ability until it does so. Webcrawling(Ex): Vultanthras are immune to entanglement by all known form of web, including those created by spell and even deific magic, and can climb even the stickiest, or slipperiest, webbing at it's full normal speed. I would object to this...but how often is this going to come up, really? "Look out, Thor's casting a web spell!" :P Hmmmm... This ability was actually meant specificly to prevent ridiculous incidences like a Demi-Goddess Drow Priestess of Lolth from entangling a vultanthra in a web spell. But as it is worded even Lolth herself couldn't entangle one in her web, but then again she'd probably just smite the damn thing and be done with it. :gah: Thanks for your comments Talisman. I'm going to update the original post now!
BladefellMaster 07-26-06, 03:25 PM	Vulgrafted Ettercap Medium Aberration Hit Dice: 5D8+10 (32hp) Initiative: +3 Speed: 30ft, climb 30ft Armor Class: 16 (+3 DEX, +3 natural), touch 13, flatfooted 13 Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+5 Attack: Bite +5 melee (1D8+2 dmg plus poison) Full Attack: Bite +5 melee (1D8+2 dmg plus poison) and 2 Claws +3 melee (1D4+1 dmg) Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft Special Attacks: Rake 1D4+3 dmg, Poison, Web, Wisdom Drain Special Qualities: Lowlight vision, immune to poison, resistant to critical hits 25% Grafts: Abyssal Ghoul Tongue, Chitin Plating(+2), Skeletal Hands(2), Undead Flesh, Undead Spider-Limbs Saves: Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +6 Abilities: STR 14, DEX 17, CON 15, INT 6, WIS 15, CHR 8 Skills: Climb +10, Craft(Trapmaking) +4, Hide +9, Listen +4, Spot +8 Feats: Great Fortitude, Multiattack Enviroment: Warm Forests Organization: solitary, pair, or troupe (1-2 plus 1-2 vulwights and 2-4 medium monsterous spiders) Challenge Rating: 4 Treasure: Standard Alignment: Usually neutral evil Advancement: 6-7 HD (medium); 8-15 HD(large) Level Adjustment: +4 Vulgrafted ettercaps are normal ettercaps that have been augmented by a vultanthra for the purpose of creating a stronger minion. Current projects to augment their minions include an attampt to create a drider-ettercap, paying fiends to graft stinging tails or other fiendish grafts onto their ettercap or monsterous spider minions, and the attempt to create a new form of mummy-like spider or ettercap undead. Many elite vulgrafted ettercaps take levels of adept, cleric, or sorceror; adept is the most common as ettercaps tend to have low INT and CHR. Rake(Ex): Attack bonus +2 melee, 1D4+3 damage. When not using them to climb. or while graplling, a vulgrafted ettercap uses it's undead spider-limbs to rake foes as a natural secondary attack. Poison(Ex): Injury-bite, Fortitude DC 16, initial damage is 1D6 Dexterity, secondary damage is 2D6 Dexterity. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus. Web(Ex): same as a nomal ettercap except the check DCs are increasd by +1, due to the vulgrafted ettercap's higher constitution score. Wisdom Drain(Su): The vulgrafted ettercap can use it's grafted abyssal tongue to drain a victim's Wisdom, on a successful grapple chack it drains 1D6 points of Wisdom. Each round the grapple is maintained it drains an additional 1D6 point of Wisdom. A creature reduced to 0 Wisdom by a vulgrafted ettercap is rendered unconscious until at least one point of Wisdom is restored. sorry I didn't finish detailing it's web attack. Icopied the entire log speil out the MM twice and both times a was booted from the posts during the middle of it. I didn't want to do it again!
Talisman 07-27-06, 11:21 AM	Vulgrafted ettercap looks good...but what are the Skeletal Hands(2) and Undead Flesh? I don't see them listed under the vultanthra's grafts. I like the abyssal ghoul tongue graft, but if it's only useful while grappling...I dunno. My experience with grappling is that it's either (1) pointless, or (2) massively overpowering, especially with a Large or bigger monster built to grapple. Moderate-level monsters generally don't have the resources to make it worthwhile, while grapple-masters will quite simply own the party. I suggest changing it into an alternate attack that can be used instead of a bite, dealing only Wisdom damage. Unfortunately the Spall Drain feat in the Libris Mortis only allows the undead with the feat to drain prepared spells. Kinda sucks... but I can see why they did it that way. If the spontaneous caster loses a spell slot and not a prepared spell who's to say what spell that the creature drained? It could be determined randomly from among the caster's available spells of that level. Still, this is a minor point. Looks good!
BladefellMaster 07-28-06, 01:36 PM	Vulgrafted ettercap looks good...but what are the Skeletal Hands(2) and Undead Flesh? I don't see them listed under the vultanthra's grafts. Skeletal hands and undead flesh are standard undead grafts found in the libris mortis. The skeletal hands are just boney claws that give them actual hands instead of half-hand claws and raises their claw damage from 1D3 to 1D4, while the undead flesh gives them a 25% chance to ignore critical hits. These bilities are already included in the statisics above.