Do-it-yourself Monsters [Archive] - Wizards Community

Do-it-yourself Monsters [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
R.M.G.C.L.F.
03-09-04, 08:44 PM These creatures follow 3.0 rules

POLIMUN
Polimun are a variety of engineered monsters, usually created to guard dungeons or attack cities. They come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors, and abilities.

Type: Polimun are aberrations

Size: Polimun range from large to gargantuan size

HD: All Polimun have at least 4 hit dice.

Speed: Bipedal polimun of large size have a land speed 40ft, huge 60ft, gargantuan 80ft. Those with the aquatic or water subtype also have a swim speed. Any with the air subtype have an equal fly speed with average manuverability. Any with the earth subtype have a burrow speed equal to 1/2 their land speed.

Armor Class: All polimun have a natural armor bonus of at least +5, increased by 2 for each size class above large.

Attacks: Polimun have at least 3 attacks, generally 1 primary attack and a secondary double attack (like a bite and two claw attacks).

Damage: Use the following values for attack damage based on attack type and size.

Attack: Claw or rake/Bite/Slam/Tentacle/Tail or sting
Size
Large:1d6/1d8/1d8/1d6/1d6
Huge:1d12/2d6/2d6/1d10/1d8
Garg:2d6/2d8/2d8/2d6/1d12

Special Attacks and Special Qualities: All polimun have the improved grab special attack, SR5, PR5, DR1/-, light sensitivity, darkvision 60ft, and low-light vision. Polimun can have any variety of special attacks listed below for the point value. (Polimum start with points equal to their hit dice, for each 3 bonus points increase CR by 1)

Aquatic Subtype: The creature has the aquatic subtype and suffocates out of water.
Point value: 0

Amphibious: The creature can breath in and out of water
Point Value: 1

Elemental Subtype: The creature has the earth, water, or air subtype.
Point value: 1

Energy Subtype: The creature has the cold or fire subtype. If it has the cold subtype, it gets a cold aura attack that causes all its natural attacks to deal 1 extra point of cold damage, and causes all creatures striking it unarmed or with natural attacks to take 1 cold damage. If the fire subtype, it has a heat aura dealing the same except it does fire damage. Creatures with the fire subtype can get a breath weapon of fire for 1 point less than normal, and creatures with the cold subtype can do the same for cold.
Point Value: 1

Swallow Whole(ex): A grabbed creature 2 size categories or less can be swallowed with a successful grapple check. A swallowed creature takes 2d6+1 crushing damage and 6 acid damage each round. Add the strength modifier to the crushing damage, and increase the die size to 2d8 for a huge creature and 2d12 for a gargantuan creature. Increase the acid damage by 2 for each size above large. The creature can cut its way out by dealing peircing or slashing damage to the wall with a light slashing or peircing weapon, the wall has hit points equal to 3 plus the creature's hit dice plus the creature's constitution modifier. Once a swallowed creature cuts its way out, a muscular action closes the hole.
Point value: 2

Breath Weapon(su): The creature can fire a breath weapon once every 1d4 rounds. If a line the breath weapon is 60ft long and 5ft wide, if a cone it is 30ft wide. The breath weapon deals a number of d4's equal to one half the creature's hit dice (rounded down) if it is a lien, or a number of d6's equal to 1/3rd the creature's hit dice (rounded down) if it is a cone. The breath weapon allows a reflex save for half (dc:creature's constitution mod+1/2 creature's hit dice.) The breath weapon can be sonic, acid, fire, electric, or cold.
Point Value: 2

Gaze Attack(su): Range of 30ft, variety of possible effects.
Death: Killed as if by slay living, 10hd limit.
Petrification: Turned to stone
Subdigation: Dominated as if by dominate person (monster cannot control more than twice its hit dice worth of total hd and class levels in dominated people or person with total hd and class levels exceeding its own).
Immobilization: As hold monster
Point Value: 10

Flight(natural ability): The creature has a supernatural fly speed of 90ft(good).
Point Value: 1

Weapon(natural ability) The creature has an extra natural attack
Point Value: 1

Energy Resistance(ex): The creature has one energy resistance
Point Value: Energy resistance divided by 10 (minimum 1)

Fast Healing(ex): The creature can heal wounds quickly
Point Value: 1pt for fast healing 2 or less, 2pts for 3-5, 3 pts for 6-10.

Regeneration(ex): The creature has a regeneration ability, bypassed by force and at least 2 energies and 1 weapon type or 3 energies. The weapon type in the former case must also bypass its damage reduction, if it has any.

Damage Reduction(Su): The creature has damage reduction, bypassed by a certain substance or by a magical weapon of +1 bonus.
Point Value: 1pt per 5 points of DR, maximum DR20

Natural Armor(natural abilty): The creature has tougher natural armor
Point Value: 1 per 2 points of armor increase

Protective Aura(su): The creature has a deflection bonus to its AC equal to its charisma modifier.
Point Value: 1

Sentient: The creature has intelligence of 3 Point Value: 1

Sapient: Must have sentient, the creature gains intelligence of 7 and a class level (it gains no points for class levels)
Point Value: 2

Cunning: Must have Sapient, the creature gains intelligence of 13 and gains another class level.
Point Value: 3

Super-Intelligent: Must have cunning, the creature gains intelligence of 17 and another class level.
Point Value: 2

Hyper-intelligent: Must have super-intelligent, the creature gains intelligence of 21, two psionic attack modes at will, two psionic defense modes at will, 1 pionic attack and defense mode each usable once per day, lesser domination twice per day, read thoughts 8/day, and telekinesis at will.
Point value:5

Animate Dead(sp): Twice per day, caster level 5.
Point value: 1

Dominate Person(sp): 3 per day, caster level 7.
Point value: 2

Polymorph Other(sp): Once per day, caster level 6
Point value: 1

Blindsight 120ft(natural ability): negated by silence and when deaf.
Point value: 1

Tremorsense 90ft (natural ability)
Point value: 1

Abilities:Str17,Con15,Dex13,Int2,Wis13,C ha12
The creature has the standard increases for size, and gains +2 charisma for each size increase.

Skills: Polimuns recieve 15 starting skill points and 2 for each hit die beyond the fourth.

Challenge Rating: 4 plus 1 per 2 extra hit dice, plus 1 per size class increase

Advancement: 5-24hd(large), 8-26hd(huge), 12-32hd(gargantuan)

Sample Polimun

Polimun No. 1B
Large Aberration(Aquatic)
HD:4d8+8 (26hp)
Initiative:+1
Speed: 40ft, Swim 40ft
AC:+14(-1size,+1dex,+4natural)
Attacks: 4 tentacles+6 melee
Damage: Tentacle 1d6+3
Face/Reach:10ft by 5ft/5ft
Special Attacks: Improved Grab
Special Qualities: Fire Resistance 10, Fast healing 1, amphibious, DR1/-, SR5, PR5,
Saves:Fort+3,Ref+2,Will+5
Abilities:Str16,Dex13,Con15,Int2,Wis13,C ha12
Skills: Spot+9, Listen+9, Climb+4
Feats: Alertness, weapon focus(tentacle)
__________________________
Climate/Terrain: Aquatic or underground
Organization: Solitary
CR:4
Alignment: Always Neutral
Treasure: None

Experiment number 1B is the first to survive. In the past weeks it has not caught fire, decapitated itself, melted, mutated into a pile of dung, or exploded, and shows no signs of doing so in the forseeable future.
Being water-borne it demonstrates an amazing resistance to fire, and rapid healing capabilities. The supporting fins and cartiligionous spinal structure allow it to lash out with all four tentacles on land without need of support. Its head houses three deep faintly glowing eyes, and it shows evidence of darkvision. The creature also possesses minor magical and psionic resistances, however it exhibits a significant amount of aversion to bright lights.

Combat: 1B's simply head straight into battle, lunging away with their tentacles at whatever seems to be likely prey. Once they grab a weak creature they will dive off into the water (or when battling aquatic creatures onto the land) to finish it off and isolate it from its companions. They flee when they fall to 1/4th their hp.

Creating a Polimun:
The secret methods used in creating Polimun are largely unknown , although general consensus holds that part of the process involves carving out the body as a statue and transmuting it into a meat body with flesh-to-stone.

What do you think of them? Does the point buy system seem balanced? Also feel free to post created polimun and ideas for new abilities.
Incenjucar
03-09-04, 09:17 PM ...No first level spell, no matter how costly, should be able to create a 4HD creature.

This is, more or less, a permanent Astral Construct effect.
R.M.G.C.L.F.
03-09-04, 09:33 PM Did you read the entire thing? You first have to go through a complex animation ritual involving heal, raise dead, and valuable raw materials. If you think the ritual is overpowered then say so.

Also what do you think of the balance level of the point-buy system and the CRs?
R.M.G.C.L.F.
03-11-04, 06:47 AM Bump
Incenjucar
03-11-04, 06:51 AM Dude, at no point should Biff the level 1 mage be able to be the centerpiece of a powerful ritual, unless he's getting his heart removed.

Besides, a ritual doesn't neccissarily need individual spells cast.
R.M.G.C.L.F.
03-28-04, 02:52 AM :bump:
Since I don't feel like working out a good ritual, I'll just leave it as a mystery.

Any comments on the balance level of the point-buy system.
R.M.G.C.L.F.
03-28-04, 09:45 PM Polimun No. 2B
Large Aberration (Air)
HD:5d8+10(32hp)
Initiative:+5
Speed:40ft, Fly 40ft(average)
AC:17(+7natural,-1size,+1dex)
Attacks: 2 Claws+5 melee, Bite+3 melee
Damage: Claw 1d6+3, Bite 1d8+1
Face/Reach:5ft by 5ft/10ft
Special Attacks: Breath Weapon, Improved Grab
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft, Light Sensitivity, Low-light vision, DR1/-, PR5, SR5, Electricity Resistance 10
Saves:Fort+3,Ref+2,Will+5
Abilities:Str17,Con15,Dex13,Int2,Wis13,C ha12
Skills:
Feats: Multiattack, Improved Initiative
________________
Environment: Mountain or Forest
Organization: Any
CR:4
Alignment: Always Neutral
Treasure: None
Advancement: None

2B resembles a large reptilian therapod standing upright with large claws on its suprisingly human-like arms. It has glowing eyes, a line of crackling spines down its back, and it's coloration is light blue with streaks of yellow.

Combat: 2B tries to take out smaller opponents or groups of enemies from a distance with its breath weapon before moving into melee range.

Breath Weapon(su): Line of electricity, 2d4 damage, reflex save dc:14 for half.
RoastSlinky
03-29-04, 03:08 AM Looks good... I'm going to use something like this when creating my Chaos Summoning spells, if you don't mind?
R.M.G.C.L.F.
03-29-04, 06:25 AM Not at all. :)
R.M.G.C.L.F.
08-16-04, 09:41 PM bump
Bones
08-17-04, 12:18 AM I like the idea, and the point buy system seems to work, haven't had time to test. A couple of points, fire and cold are both considered elemental subtypes, positive and negative are energy subtypes.
Also, if you add permanancy to the list of spells, or polymorph any object, or similar leveled magic, it should answer Incenjucar's complaint.
just don't create an experiment 626 named Stitch
R.M.G.C.L.F.
12-27-04, 12:13 AM Bump
I could really use some play-test and general balance comments on the point buy, since the whole thing hinges on it.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
R.M.G.C.L.F. 03-09-04, 08:44 PM	These creatures follow 3.0 rules POLIMUN Polimun are a variety of engineered monsters, usually created to guard dungeons or attack cities. They come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors, and abilities. Type: Polimun are aberrations Size: Polimun range from large to gargantuan size HD: All Polimun have at least 4 hit dice. Speed: Bipedal polimun of large size have a land speed 40ft, huge 60ft, gargantuan 80ft. Those with the aquatic or water subtype also have a swim speed. Any with the air subtype have an equal fly speed with average manuverability. Any with the earth subtype have a burrow speed equal to 1/2 their land speed. Armor Class: All polimun have a natural armor bonus of at least +5, increased by 2 for each size class above large. Attacks: Polimun have at least 3 attacks, generally 1 primary attack and a secondary double attack (like a bite and two claw attacks). Damage: Use the following values for attack damage based on attack type and size. Attack: Claw or rake/Bite/Slam/Tentacle/Tail or sting Size Large:1d6/1d8/1d8/1d6/1d6 Huge:1d12/2d6/2d6/1d10/1d8 Garg:2d6/2d8/2d8/2d6/1d12 Special Attacks and Special Qualities: All polimun have the improved grab special attack, SR5, PR5, DR1/-, light sensitivity, darkvision 60ft, and low-light vision. Polimun can have any variety of special attacks listed below for the point value. (Polimum start with points equal to their hit dice, for each 3 bonus points increase CR by 1) Aquatic Subtype: The creature has the aquatic subtype and suffocates out of water. Point value: 0 Amphibious: The creature can breath in and out of water Point Value: 1 Elemental Subtype: The creature has the earth, water, or air subtype. Point value: 1 Energy Subtype: The creature has the cold or fire subtype. If it has the cold subtype, it gets a cold aura attack that causes all its natural attacks to deal 1 extra point of cold damage, and causes all creatures striking it unarmed or with natural attacks to take 1 cold damage. If the fire subtype, it has a heat aura dealing the same except it does fire damage. Creatures with the fire subtype can get a breath weapon of fire for 1 point less than normal, and creatures with the cold subtype can do the same for cold. Point Value: 1 Swallow Whole(ex): A grabbed creature 2 size categories or less can be swallowed with a successful grapple check. A swallowed creature takes 2d6+1 crushing damage and 6 acid damage each round. Add the strength modifier to the crushing damage, and increase the die size to 2d8 for a huge creature and 2d12 for a gargantuan creature. Increase the acid damage by 2 for each size above large. The creature can cut its way out by dealing peircing or slashing damage to the wall with a light slashing or peircing weapon, the wall has hit points equal to 3 plus the creature's hit dice plus the creature's constitution modifier. Once a swallowed creature cuts its way out, a muscular action closes the hole. Point value: 2 Breath Weapon(su): The creature can fire a breath weapon once every 1d4 rounds. If a line the breath weapon is 60ft long and 5ft wide, if a cone it is 30ft wide. The breath weapon deals a number of d4's equal to one half the creature's hit dice (rounded down) if it is a lien, or a number of d6's equal to 1/3rd the creature's hit dice (rounded down) if it is a cone. The breath weapon allows a reflex save for half (dc:creature's constitution mod+1/2 creature's hit dice.) The breath weapon can be sonic, acid, fire, electric, or cold. Point Value: 2 Gaze Attack(su): Range of 30ft, variety of possible effects. Death: Killed as if by slay living, 10hd limit. Petrification: Turned to stone Subdigation: Dominated as if by dominate person (monster cannot control more than twice its hit dice worth of total hd and class levels in dominated people or person with total hd and class levels exceeding its own). Immobilization: As hold monster Point Value: 10 Flight(natural ability): The creature has a supernatural fly speed of 90ft(good). Point Value: 1 Weapon(natural ability) The creature has an extra natural attack Point Value: 1 Energy Resistance(ex): The creature has one energy resistance Point Value: Energy resistance divided by 10 (minimum 1) Fast Healing(ex): The creature can heal wounds quickly Point Value: 1pt for fast healing 2 or less, 2pts for 3-5, 3 pts for 6-10. Regeneration(ex): The creature has a regeneration ability, bypassed by force and at least 2 energies and 1 weapon type or 3 energies. The weapon type in the former case must also bypass its damage reduction, if it has any. Damage Reduction(Su): The creature has damage reduction, bypassed by a certain substance or by a magical weapon of +1 bonus. Point Value: 1pt per 5 points of DR, maximum DR20 Natural Armor(natural abilty): The creature has tougher natural armor Point Value: 1 per 2 points of armor increase Protective Aura(su): The creature has a deflection bonus to its AC equal to its charisma modifier. Point Value: 1 Sentient: The creature has intelligence of 3 Point Value: 1 Sapient: Must have sentient, the creature gains intelligence of 7 and a class level (it gains no points for class levels) Point Value: 2 Cunning: Must have Sapient, the creature gains intelligence of 13 and gains another class level. Point Value: 3 Super-Intelligent: Must have cunning, the creature gains intelligence of 17 and another class level. Point Value: 2 Hyper-intelligent: Must have super-intelligent, the creature gains intelligence of 21, two psionic attack modes at will, two psionic defense modes at will, 1 pionic attack and defense mode each usable once per day, lesser domination twice per day, read thoughts 8/day, and telekinesis at will. Point value:5 Animate Dead(sp): Twice per day, caster level 5. Point value: 1 Dominate Person(sp): 3 per day, caster level 7. Point value: 2 Polymorph Other(sp): Once per day, caster level 6 Point value: 1 Blindsight 120ft(natural ability): negated by silence and when deaf. Point value: 1 Tremorsense 90ft (natural ability) Point value: 1 Abilities:Str17,Con15,Dex13,Int2,Wis13,C ha12 The creature has the standard increases for size, and gains +2 charisma for each size increase. Skills: Polimuns recieve 15 starting skill points and 2 for each hit die beyond the fourth. Challenge Rating: 4 plus 1 per 2 extra hit dice, plus 1 per size class increase Advancement: 5-24hd(large), 8-26hd(huge), 12-32hd(gargantuan) Sample Polimun Polimun No. 1B Large Aberration(Aquatic) HD:4d8+8 (26hp) Initiative:+1 Speed: 40ft, Swim 40ft AC:+14(-1size,+1dex,+4natural) Attacks: 4 tentacles+6 melee Damage: Tentacle 1d6+3 Face/Reach:10ft by 5ft/5ft Special Attacks: Improved Grab Special Qualities: Fire Resistance 10, Fast healing 1, amphibious, DR1/-, SR5, PR5, Saves:Fort+3,Ref+2,Will+5 Abilities:Str16,Dex13,Con15,Int2,Wis13,C ha12 Skills: Spot+9, Listen+9, Climb+4 Feats: Alertness, weapon focus(tentacle) __________________________ Climate/Terrain: Aquatic or underground Organization: Solitary CR:4 Alignment: Always Neutral Treasure: None Experiment number 1B is the first to survive. In the past weeks it has not caught fire, decapitated itself, melted, mutated into a pile of dung, or exploded, and shows no signs of doing so in the forseeable future. Being water-borne it demonstrates an amazing resistance to fire, and rapid healing capabilities. The supporting fins and cartiligionous spinal structure allow it to lash out with all four tentacles on land without need of support. Its head houses three deep faintly glowing eyes, and it shows evidence of darkvision. The creature also possesses minor magical and psionic resistances, however it exhibits a significant amount of aversion to bright lights. Combat: 1B's simply head straight into battle, lunging away with their tentacles at whatever seems to be likely prey. Once they grab a weak creature they will dive off into the water (or when battling aquatic creatures onto the land) to finish it off and isolate it from its companions. They flee when they fall to 1/4th their hp. Creating a Polimun: The secret methods used in creating Polimun are largely unknown , although general consensus holds that part of the process involves carving out the body as a statue and transmuting it into a meat body with flesh-to-stone. What do you think of them? Does the point buy system seem balanced? Also feel free to post created polimun and ideas for new abilities.
Incenjucar 03-09-04, 09:17 PM	...No first level spell, no matter how costly, should be able to create a 4HD creature. This is, more or less, a permanent Astral Construct effect.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 03-09-04, 09:33 PM	Did you read the entire thing? You first have to go through a complex animation ritual involving heal, raise dead, and valuable raw materials. If you think the ritual is overpowered then say so. Also what do you think of the balance level of the point-buy system and the CRs?
R.M.G.C.L.F. 03-11-04, 06:47 AM	Bump
Incenjucar 03-11-04, 06:51 AM	Dude, at no point should Biff the level 1 mage be able to be the centerpiece of a powerful ritual, unless he's getting his heart removed. Besides, a ritual doesn't neccissarily need individual spells cast.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 03-28-04, 02:52 AM	:bump: Since I don't feel like working out a good ritual, I'll just leave it as a mystery. Any comments on the balance level of the point-buy system.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 03-28-04, 09:45 PM	Polimun No. 2B Large Aberration (Air) HD:5d8+10(32hp) Initiative:+5 Speed:40ft, Fly 40ft(average) AC:17(+7natural,-1size,+1dex) Attacks: 2 Claws+5 melee, Bite+3 melee Damage: Claw 1d6+3, Bite 1d8+1 Face/Reach:5ft by 5ft/10ft Special Attacks: Breath Weapon, Improved Grab Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft, Light Sensitivity, Low-light vision, DR1/-, PR5, SR5, Electricity Resistance 10 Saves:Fort+3,Ref+2,Will+5 Abilities:Str17,Con15,Dex13,Int2,Wis13,C ha12 Skills: Feats: Multiattack, Improved Initiative ________________ Environment: Mountain or Forest Organization: Any CR:4 Alignment: Always Neutral Treasure: None Advancement: None 2B resembles a large reptilian therapod standing upright with large claws on its suprisingly human-like arms. It has glowing eyes, a line of crackling spines down its back, and it's coloration is light blue with streaks of yellow. Combat: 2B tries to take out smaller opponents or groups of enemies from a distance with its breath weapon before moving into melee range. Breath Weapon(su): Line of electricity, 2d4 damage, reflex save dc:14 for half.
RoastSlinky 03-29-04, 03:08 AM	Looks good... I'm going to use something like this when creating my Chaos Summoning spells, if you don't mind?
R.M.G.C.L.F. 03-29-04, 06:25 AM	Not at all. :)
R.M.G.C.L.F. 08-16-04, 09:41 PM	bump
Bones 08-17-04, 12:18 AM	I like the idea, and the point buy system seems to work, haven't had time to test. A couple of points, fire and cold are both considered elemental subtypes, positive and negative are energy subtypes. Also, if you add permanancy to the list of spells, or polymorph any object, or similar leveled magic, it should answer Incenjucar's complaint. just don't create an experiment 626 named Stitch
R.M.G.C.L.F. 12-27-04, 12:13 AM	Bump I could really use some play-test and general balance comments on the point buy, since the whole thing hinges on it.