Dromite, Acid Caste [Archive] - Wizards Community

Dromite, Acid Caste [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
JoAT
04-18-04, 04:20 AM XPH has introduced a handful of new races - some of them are really quite cool. However, the dromite race has me hooked - I'm already designing their arch enemies, and I'd like some help in getting them just right. Now, first off, if you don't know dromites, here's the basic overview:
Origionally posted by JoAT, on the Psionics boards
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/xph_gallery/80489.jpg
average dromite warrior
Dromites are a small, personable (+2 Cha) race of insect-like androgynous people. They divide themselves into castes that identify with energy type: Voice(sonic: Artists), Glimmer (electricity: Hyper, almost workaholics...), Fire (fire: quick to anger, quick to forgive), and Ice (cold: Analytical minds). They reproduce through the virtue of elected officals, electing a Grand Queen and Elected Consort to create that year's supply of eggs (and thus baby Dromites), and being the only members of their race with gender characteristics (assumeing them once elected).

In addition, though they live in a sexless society, Dromites do have an equivalent to love and marriage: Life bonding. Dromites form (life-long?) attachements with others of their race, pulling them into a life-bond (which normally, it seems, has more than two people in it), and the life-bond often continues far after the origonal memebers die, drawing new members as the old ones pass away...

Cool stuff, eh? Now, keeping in line with the energy type theme of the dromite castes, I've been working on the acid caste dromite, a being not truly off this race, but rather one which encompasses the roles of the bogey-man, the succubus and the drow (after a fashion), in relation to the dromites:

Dromite, Acid Caste
Small Monstrous Humaniod
Hit Dice: 2d8
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20, Burrow 0, but special
Armor Class: 17 (+1 size, +3 Natural, +3 Light Resin armor), touch 11, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/-2
Attack: Claw +3 or Spit +3
Damage: Claw 1d4-1, Spit 1d4 plus 1 next round or special.
Full Attack: 2 Claws +3 or Spit +3
Space/Reach: 5/5
Special Attacks: Pheramones, Secrete
Special Qualities: Acid Resistance 10, Alertnate Form, Darkvision 60 ft, Scent, Scentless, Slippery
Saves: Ref +3, Fort +0, Will +3
Abilities: Str 9, Con 11, Dex: l0, Int 10, Wis: 9, Cha: 12
Skills: Diplomacy +2(+3)*, Bluff +3(+4), Disguise +5
Feats: Dromite Hunter
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary, Coven (2-4), Colony (10-50)
Challenge Rating:???
Treasure: Standard + special
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Advancement: By class
Level Adjustment: ???

Just topping a halfling in height, this small humaniod is a disurbing amalgamation of man and insect, it's body peppered with sleek chitinous plates and a short pair of antannee protruding from it's for-head. A small stream of viscous brownish drool trickles from the side of it's mouthm and, most disturbing of all, it stares at you with evil, muderous cat-slitted eyes.

Beings of unknown origion, acid caste dromites seem to exist for no other purpose than to seduce and feed upon true dromites, existing as parasites on their society. In many ways, these bogey-men of the dromites seem to be a sort of living dark mirror on those they share their name with, being self-centered where the dromite is civic minded, yet slavishly dedicated to their race, where their prey is highly creative and individualistic.

Physically, they resemble their dromite prey, being slightly taller and slightly heftier than a halfling, though, rather than having compound eyes, they have the eyes of a cat. Additionally, unlike a true dromite, an acid caste dromite, in it's native form, is not androgenous, but rather are either male or female - and, when in their true form, most of the acid caste love to show that distinction off.

As a general rule, acid caste dromites live almost entirely within dromite cities - most are disguised as normal citizens, useing their abilites to stay out of site whilst they hunt their prey. Often, a small colony is set up within the city, the dwelling of each memmber connecting to the others via the renenforced tunnels created by their burrowing ability.

Combat: Those of the acid caste prefer to avoid combat whenever possible - though, if need be, they can become formidable opponents, given time. Most prefer to let their pheramones do the work for them, however - slowly seduceing a dromite, enforceing a gender code upon them, then either mating with, or devouring their victim. When pressed, they try to hide or use traps to buy enough time to fully equip themselves with resin armor and claws, and allow their, normally heavily controlled, drool reflex to cover them in sticky, caustic fluid. They also prefer to control the terrain, often establishing a tunnel network that grants them the advantage.

Burrow (EX): An acid caste dromite is capable of secreteing a powerful acid in thier drool, which they slather onto their hands, giving them the bility to tunnel through even the toughest stone. However, it takes time for the stone to be softened, and so they can only travel at the rate of about 1 foot per minute - an acid caste dromite always leaves a stable tunnel behind them (the resin-creating chemicals in their secretions bond with the compacted dirt or stone, forming oddly organic tunnel walls)

Pheramones (Ex): Acid caste dromites normally utilize thier pheramones to charm and beguile true dromites - because of this, whenever they interact with dromites, those dromites must make a fortitude save against DC 10 (10 + Con modifier), or else act as if they were under the effects of a Charm Person spell, with the exception that it last so long as they are within 30 feet of the acid caste, and that it affects dromites (and dromites alone).

Additionally, if an acid caste dromite stays around a true dromite affected by their pheramones for a period of at least one month, the acid caste can slowly force that dromite to assume a gender of the acid caste's choice (usually the opposite of the acid caste's) by creating chemical imbalances within the dromite's system.

If pressed, an acid caste may attempt to disrupt the systems of those around it - expelling a great amount of the pheramones in an attempt to preserve its life. Everyone within 30 feet of the acid caste must make a fortitude save against DC 10 (10 + Con mod), or become sickened. Beings with scent save atr -2, and dromites at -4. Beings with no sense of smell are immune to this effect. This ability involves expelling such a great amount of pheramones that it can only be used 1/hour

Scentless (Ex): An acid caste dromite has not scent of it's own - unless it carries something that gives off a powerful scent with it, it cannot be sensed in this manner.

Secrete (Ex): An acid caste dromite can, as a free action, begin secreteing the a vicscous mixture of the two chemicals it is able to spit, drooling constintly and slathering it all over theri body. To gain the effect of this ability, they must spend a full round doing nothing more than rubbing this drool over their body.

Once complete, this secretion negates their Slippery ability.

Any creature that successfully stikes an acid caste with a melee weapon while it's secretion ability is in effect must make a DC 14 reflex save, or it's weapon is yanked out of it's grasp - a creauter with natural weapons that succesfully strikes an acid caste dromite takes 1d4 points of acid damage per turn, and is automaticly grappled, due to the sticky fluid coating it's body.

Slippery (Ex) An acid caste dromite is naturaly slick and slippery, to the point where theri own abilites do not work on each other. Webs, magical or otherwise, don't affect those of the acid caste - their own Spit ability is like wise useless, as are tanglefoot bags, and other similar effects. Further-more, they can usually wriggle free from most other forms of confinement.

Spit (Ex) As a standard action, an acid caste dromite can choose to spit a small ball of brownish liquid at an opponent, chooseing to either deal 1d4 points of acid damage, followed by a single point the next round, or else a gob of sticky goo. Both require a ranged touch attack to hit - those targeted by the goo also have the opportunity to make a reflex save (DC 20 ) to remain uneffected. The acid caste dromite may chose to blind a person, cover theri mouth, effectively gaging them, to stick their foot to the floor or to glue their hand to a weapon with the goo - to remove it, the affected person must spend a full round and make a DC 10 strength check - if targeted by mulitple gobs of goo, the DC increases by 2 for each gob. It also increases by 2 for each round it is left to harden.

An acid caste dromite can only use this ability once every 1d4 rounds.

Alternate Form (Su): As a full round action, an acid caste dromite can assume the form of a true dromite. When in this form, it looses access to it's Spit attack, it's Scentless special quality, it's Secrete special attack and it's Slippery quality. It retains access to it's pheramone ability.

Resin Equipment

Acid caste dromites can use thier spittle and saliva to many ends already, often coating theri bodies in it before battle, using it to allow them to dig through solid rock and hinder attackers. However, as their spittle hardens, it forms into resin, a substance with strength and natural felxability rivaling that of well-crafted steel. Because of this, many acid caste dromites spend time purposefully drooling over themselves, making creating resin equipment, which they can wear as easily as if it were nothing, and greatly enhance their own abilites.
Resin equipment generally has the same hardness as its steel counter-parts.
An acid caste dromite with the craft (resin) skill can use resin to create most simple objects in approximately 1/5th the normal time.
Resin equipment must be maintained by additional aplications of resin - otherwise, it slowly decays, falling apart completely after 2 weeks.

Resin Armor Resin armor is one of the most common applications of resin - most of the acid caste maintain a suit of resin armor in theri abodes, just in case of emergancies. Resin armor is not like normal armor - when worn, it occupies the armor body slot, but, rather than provied an armor bonus, they enhance the dromit'es already existing naturual armor. Because of this, a dromite spellcaster wearing resin armor of it's own make has no chance of arcane spell failure, though it must be proficent in the armor it's useing to avoid increased armor penalties. Likewise, the armor hinders the acid caste's movement very little - light armor imposes a -1 armor penality, medium a -3 and heavy a -5. It imposes no movement penalty whatsoever.

Resin armor takes 1 hour of unintterupted crafting (and spitting) to produce per point of AC - any interuptions mean that the resin hardens at the value it had accumulated at the point of the interuption. Armor categories are as follows:

Light: +1-3 AC
Medium: +4-6 AC
Heavy: +7-9 - resin armor cannot grant an AC bonus higher than +9.

An additional hour of work can add armor spikes onto resin armor.

Resin Claws The next most often produced resin item is resin claws. These take approximatly 1 hour to construct, and are a series of plates, hooks and claws which an acid caste dromite can adhere to their own hand allowing them to function as if they had a natrual claw attack dealing 1d4 points of damage. For all intents and purposes, these claws are natural weapons, able to be enhanced as such and granting the acid caste dromite a +2/+2 claw full attack.
JoAT
04-19-04, 05:57 AM I really dislike to do this, but I'd like to finish off the psychotic little bug-men, and find out if there's anything I've done wrong here (and get an LA and CR estimate), sooooo....:bump:
NightScreamer20
04-19-04, 10:31 AM I would love to help but I don't seem to recognize what the XPH is. If you tell me I'd gladly be able to help, these guys look interesting.
ieattrollsforbreakfast
04-19-04, 10:36 AM XPH stands for eXpanded Psionics Handbook.
EPH is not cool enough apparently ;)
JoAT
04-20-04, 02:59 AM Originally posted by ieattrollsforbreakfast
XPH stands for eXpanded Psionics Handbook.
EPH is not cool enough apparently ;)

But of course! After all, X has always been the coolest kid in alphabet school... Right up there with Y and Z. Though, technically, I think the full acronym is supposed to be XPsiHB, but I'm to lazy to type that out...

*sigh* He was such a kind boy - he killed hardly any strangers. I guess we should have realized that that :bump: was a cry for help...
JoAT
04-21-04, 03:01 PM Perhaps it is the time of day? The fact that I am required at work when the boards are the busiest? The fact that the XPsiHB is so new? That the sign of aquaris is in ascendence and thus the work of a geminii is impeded? Or perhaps it is only because I have not :bump: ed the thread enough....?

Ah well. Dear acid-spitting horrors of the bug-man world, perhaps we shall try this one more time before giving up on you as being far too bland and uninteresting...
ieattrollsforbreakfast
04-21-04, 03:12 PM I'd love to give a proper comment...give me 5-12 days (when my XPH should come) and I'll try and remeber to come back...after all, the art of these critters makes them look interesting!
Sarig the Genie
04-21-04, 03:20 PM I really hope I can get my hands on that book withing a few weeks (:
JoAT
04-21-04, 09:44 PM Note to self - bump this thread again in about a week... :D

But, in the mean-time, does anyone see any pointless mechanical details? Ideas that I've used that just go overboard? Things that need to be clairified, or are used improperly? Though that most glorious of things, the latest release may not sit in your hands at the momment, I have designed the little critters without use of any new mechanisims detailed there-in - currently, though they cannot be judged from a flavor POV, they can be judged from a mechanical POV... So, what say ye?

Personally, I'm thinking that CR should be 2, and LA should be 0 (netting in a gross ECL of 2) - they have diverse abilities, and those abilites are useful, but most of them aren't exactly threatening to any group with warriors of any kind, and they don't do too much for the adventuring acid caste character, either, aside from the resin equpiment.
Lord Schpungus
04-22-04, 01:22 AM They seem pretty strong for a LA 0... Every ability has a great use. Slippery seems almost too strong, if all adhesives never work on them. Pheromones should be DC 11 (10 + 1/2 HD + Con) but otherwise is really cool. I think maybe some limit should be put on how often you can use the sicken ability... Maybe you can't use any pheromones at all for 1 hour after you try to sicken... Dumping your whole supply of pheromones at once should make it unavailable for a little while, at least.

They at least need some LA as written... Every ability is quite useful, actually. Even the burrow, though slow, has its use. And the resin armor, wow. Anyone with 9 hours to spend can have totally awesome armor with no limit to Dex bonus? How long does this resin armor last? And Scentless is totally great. Not always in use but invaluable when you need it.

Really awesome job, though. I like the flavor, and the crunch, for the most part.
JoAT
04-22-04, 02:56 AM Hrmm... I've been attempting to keep the abilities useful, but low-powered, for the most part. I really wanted something that would most likely have to run away from a band of adventurers, well, given about 2-3 level characters, anyways. Then again, everything they do is fairly versitile - and I agree, there should be a limit on the ability to sicken things with their pheramones... I like about once an hour, that should be about right.

The DCs though, I'm trying to keep low - if I asign an LA to them, I figured that having fairly low save DCs against their main abilites would prove to be a good limiting factor - they'd be fairly useful earlier on, but later in levels, most things begin being able to make the saves, and the abilites besides Burrow and the ability to create Resin equipment. (I do have a feeling, however, that spell-casters of the acid caste would rock. I can already picture them adding false limbs of resin onto theri armor, crystal shard shooters, attaching resin jaws to theri face in order to grant themselves a bite attack...) Still, the more I look at it, the more you seem right - the abilites are all fairly versitile, and should all be quite usefull over the course of an adventurers career... How about La +2? +3 if the DCs would scale? Or should I be looking higher?

Edit: There, Limitation given to the sicken ability. Also, Resin armor lasts as long as other resin equpiment - the acid caste dromite just needs to secrete a little bit of sticky stuff on the various plates, and slap them on thier hide. So long as it's properly maintained, a good set of resin armor will last a life-time.
Lord Schpungus
04-22-04, 05:37 PM Just to clarify, the save DC should be 10 + 1/2 racial hit dice + Con. That's the way most save DCs work, and it still doesn't scale, since they advance by class. Just for accuracy's sake.
JoAT
04-22-04, 11:52 PM True. However, most races that are presented with the thought that they will likely become characters (like those in the XPsiHB) have save DCs that scale with hit dice, without the racial modifier. And, since I really don't belive in makeing something that has abilites that become useless at higher levels, at the cost of a higher LA, I'd rather either give them a low DC, and the Lower LA, or the scaleable DC and the higher LA. Besides, in this case, it doesn't matter too much to add in racial hit dice values - they only have two of them, and unlike most races which have abilites that require a saving throw, they don't advance by hit dice, but rather, class levels.
JoAT
05-05-04, 09:35 PM Well, it's been somewhat more than a week... And I've seen (errrr... as a side note, in one post, as a basicly very minor thing) some interest in the subject, so...:bump:

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JoAT 04-18-04, 04:20 AM	XPH has introduced a handful of new races - some of them are really quite cool. However, the dromite race has me hooked - I'm already designing their arch enemies, and I'd like some help in getting them just right. Now, first off, if you don't know dromites, here's the basic overview: Origionally posted by JoAT, on the Psionics boards http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/xph_gallery/80489.jpg average dromite warrior Dromites are a small, personable (+2 Cha) race of insect-like androgynous people. They divide themselves into castes that identify with energy type: Voice(sonic: Artists), Glimmer (electricity: Hyper, almost workaholics...), Fire (fire: quick to anger, quick to forgive), and Ice (cold: Analytical minds). They reproduce through the virtue of elected officals, electing a Grand Queen and Elected Consort to create that year's supply of eggs (and thus baby Dromites), and being the only members of their race with gender characteristics (assumeing them once elected). In addition, though they live in a sexless society, Dromites do have an equivalent to love and marriage: Life bonding. Dromites form (life-long?) attachements with others of their race, pulling them into a life-bond (which normally, it seems, has more than two people in it), and the life-bond often continues far after the origonal memebers die, drawing new members as the old ones pass away... Cool stuff, eh? Now, keeping in line with the energy type theme of the dromite castes, I've been working on the acid caste dromite, a being not truly off this race, but rather one which encompasses the roles of the bogey-man, the succubus and the drow (after a fashion), in relation to the dromites: Dromite, Acid Caste Small Monstrous Humaniod Hit Dice: 2d8 Initiative: +0 Speed: 20, Burrow 0, but special Armor Class: 17 (+1 size, +3 Natural, +3 Light Resin armor), touch 11, flat-footed 17 Base Attack/Grapple: +2/-2 Attack: Claw +3 or Spit +3 Damage: Claw 1d4-1, Spit 1d4 plus 1 next round or special. Full Attack: 2 Claws +3 or Spit +3 Space/Reach: 5/5 Special Attacks: Pheramones, Secrete Special Qualities: Acid Resistance 10, Alertnate Form, Darkvision 60 ft, Scent, Scentless, Slippery Saves: Ref +3, Fort +0, Will +3 Abilities: Str 9, Con 11, Dex: l0, Int 10, Wis: 9, Cha: 12 Skills: Diplomacy +2(+3)*, Bluff +3(+4), Disguise +5 Feats: Dromite Hunter Environment: Underground Organization: Solitary, Coven (2-4), Colony (10-50) Challenge Rating:??? Treasure: Standard + special Alignment: Neutral Evil Advancement: By class Level Adjustment: ??? Just topping a halfling in height, this small humaniod is a disurbing amalgamation of man and insect, it's body peppered with sleek chitinous plates and a short pair of antannee protruding from it's for-head. A small stream of viscous brownish drool trickles from the side of it's mouthm and, most disturbing of all, it stares at you with evil, muderous cat-slitted eyes. Beings of unknown origion, acid caste dromites seem to exist for no other purpose than to seduce and feed upon true dromites, existing as parasites on their society. In many ways, these bogey-men of the dromites seem to be a sort of living dark mirror on those they share their name with, being self-centered where the dromite is civic minded, yet slavishly dedicated to their race, where their prey is highly creative and individualistic. Physically, they resemble their dromite prey, being slightly taller and slightly heftier than a halfling, though, rather than having compound eyes, they have the eyes of a cat. Additionally, unlike a true dromite, an acid caste dromite, in it's native form, is not androgenous, but rather are either male or female - and, when in their true form, most of the acid caste love to show that distinction off. As a general rule, acid caste dromites live almost entirely within dromite cities - most are disguised as normal citizens, useing their abilites to stay out of site whilst they hunt their prey. Often, a small colony is set up within the city, the dwelling of each memmber connecting to the others via the renenforced tunnels created by their burrowing ability. Combat: Those of the acid caste prefer to avoid combat whenever possible - though, if need be, they can become formidable opponents, given time. Most prefer to let their pheramones do the work for them, however - slowly seduceing a dromite, enforceing a gender code upon them, then either mating with, or devouring their victim. When pressed, they try to hide or use traps to buy enough time to fully equip themselves with resin armor and claws, and allow their, normally heavily controlled, drool reflex to cover them in sticky, caustic fluid. They also prefer to control the terrain, often establishing a tunnel network that grants them the advantage. Burrow (EX): An acid caste dromite is capable of secreteing a powerful acid in thier drool, which they slather onto their hands, giving them the bility to tunnel through even the toughest stone. However, it takes time for the stone to be softened, and so they can only travel at the rate of about 1 foot per minute - an acid caste dromite always leaves a stable tunnel behind them (the resin-creating chemicals in their secretions bond with the compacted dirt or stone, forming oddly organic tunnel walls) Pheramones (Ex): Acid caste dromites normally utilize thier pheramones to charm and beguile true dromites - because of this, whenever they interact with dromites, those dromites must make a fortitude save against DC 10 (10 + Con modifier), or else act as if they were under the effects of a Charm Person spell, with the exception that it last so long as they are within 30 feet of the acid caste, and that it affects dromites (and dromites alone). Additionally, if an acid caste dromite stays around a true dromite affected by their pheramones for a period of at least one month, the acid caste can slowly force that dromite to assume a gender of the acid caste's choice (usually the opposite of the acid caste's) by creating chemical imbalances within the dromite's system. If pressed, an acid caste may attempt to disrupt the systems of those around it - expelling a great amount of the pheramones in an attempt to preserve its life. Everyone within 30 feet of the acid caste must make a fortitude save against DC 10 (10 + Con mod), or become sickened. Beings with scent save atr -2, and dromites at -4. Beings with no sense of smell are immune to this effect. This ability involves expelling such a great amount of pheramones that it can only be used 1/hour Scentless (Ex): An acid caste dromite has not scent of it's own - unless it carries something that gives off a powerful scent with it, it cannot be sensed in this manner. Secrete (Ex): An acid caste dromite can, as a free action, begin secreteing the a vicscous mixture of the two chemicals it is able to spit, drooling constintly and slathering it all over theri body. To gain the effect of this ability, they must spend a full round doing nothing more than rubbing this drool over their body. Once complete, this secretion negates their Slippery ability. Any creature that successfully stikes an acid caste with a melee weapon while it's secretion ability is in effect must make a DC 14 reflex save, or it's weapon is yanked out of it's grasp - a creauter with natural weapons that succesfully strikes an acid caste dromite takes 1d4 points of acid damage per turn, and is automaticly grappled, due to the sticky fluid coating it's body. Slippery (Ex) An acid caste dromite is naturaly slick and slippery, to the point where theri own abilites do not work on each other. Webs, magical or otherwise, don't affect those of the acid caste - their own Spit ability is like wise useless, as are tanglefoot bags, and other similar effects. Further-more, they can usually wriggle free from most other forms of confinement. Spit (Ex) As a standard action, an acid caste dromite can choose to spit a small ball of brownish liquid at an opponent, chooseing to either deal 1d4 points of acid damage, followed by a single point the next round, or else a gob of sticky goo. Both require a ranged touch attack to hit - those targeted by the goo also have the opportunity to make a reflex save (DC 20 ) to remain uneffected. The acid caste dromite may chose to blind a person, cover theri mouth, effectively gaging them, to stick their foot to the floor or to glue their hand to a weapon with the goo - to remove it, the affected person must spend a full round and make a DC 10 strength check - if targeted by mulitple gobs of goo, the DC increases by 2 for each gob. It also increases by 2 for each round it is left to harden. An acid caste dromite can only use this ability once every 1d4 rounds. Alternate Form (Su): As a full round action, an acid caste dromite can assume the form of a true dromite. When in this form, it looses access to it's Spit attack, it's Scentless special quality, it's Secrete special attack and it's Slippery quality. It retains access to it's pheramone ability. Resin Equipment Acid caste dromites can use thier spittle and saliva to many ends already, often coating theri bodies in it before battle, using it to allow them to dig through solid rock and hinder attackers. However, as their spittle hardens, it forms into resin, a substance with strength and natural felxability rivaling that of well-crafted steel. Because of this, many acid caste dromites spend time purposefully drooling over themselves, making creating resin equipment, which they can wear as easily as if it were nothing, and greatly enhance their own abilites. Resin equipment generally has the same hardness as its steel counter-parts. An acid caste dromite with the craft (resin) skill can use resin to create most simple objects in approximately 1/5th the normal time. Resin equipment must be maintained by additional aplications of resin - otherwise, it slowly decays, falling apart completely after 2 weeks. Resin Armor Resin armor is one of the most common applications of resin - most of the acid caste maintain a suit of resin armor in theri abodes, just in case of emergancies. Resin armor is not like normal armor - when worn, it occupies the armor body slot, but, rather than provied an armor bonus, they enhance the dromit'es already existing naturual armor. Because of this, a dromite spellcaster wearing resin armor of it's own make has no chance of arcane spell failure, though it must be proficent in the armor it's useing to avoid increased armor penalties. Likewise, the armor hinders the acid caste's movement very little - light armor imposes a -1 armor penality, medium a -3 and heavy a -5. It imposes no movement penalty whatsoever. Resin armor takes 1 hour of unintterupted crafting (and spitting) to produce per point of AC - any interuptions mean that the resin hardens at the value it had accumulated at the point of the interuption. Armor categories are as follows: Light: +1-3 AC Medium: +4-6 AC Heavy: +7-9 - resin armor cannot grant an AC bonus higher than +9. An additional hour of work can add armor spikes onto resin armor. Resin Claws The next most often produced resin item is resin claws. These take approximatly 1 hour to construct, and are a series of plates, hooks and claws which an acid caste dromite can adhere to their own hand allowing them to function as if they had a natrual claw attack dealing 1d4 points of damage. For all intents and purposes, these claws are natural weapons, able to be enhanced as such and granting the acid caste dromite a +2/+2 claw full attack.
JoAT 04-19-04, 05:57 AM	I really dislike to do this, but I'd like to finish off the psychotic little bug-men, and find out if there's anything I've done wrong here (and get an LA and CR estimate), sooooo....:bump:
NightScreamer20 04-19-04, 10:31 AM	I would love to help but I don't seem to recognize what the XPH is. If you tell me I'd gladly be able to help, these guys look interesting.
ieattrollsforbreakfast 04-19-04, 10:36 AM	XPH stands for eXpanded Psionics Handbook. EPH is not cool enough apparently ;)
JoAT 04-20-04, 02:59 AM	Originally posted by ieattrollsforbreakfast XPH stands for eXpanded Psionics Handbook. EPH is not cool enough apparently ;) But of course! After all, X has always been the coolest kid in alphabet school... Right up there with Y and Z. Though, technically, I think the full acronym is supposed to be XPsiHB, but I'm to lazy to type that out... sigh He was such a kind boy - he killed hardly any strangers. I guess we should have realized that that :bump: was a cry for help...
JoAT 04-21-04, 03:01 PM	Perhaps it is the time of day? The fact that I am required at work when the boards are the busiest? The fact that the XPsiHB is so new? That the sign of aquaris is in ascendence and thus the work of a geminii is impeded? Or perhaps it is only because I have not :bump: ed the thread enough....? Ah well. Dear acid-spitting horrors of the bug-man world, perhaps we shall try this one more time before giving up on you as being far too bland and uninteresting...
ieattrollsforbreakfast 04-21-04, 03:12 PM	I'd love to give a proper comment...give me 5-12 days (when my XPH should come) and I'll try and remeber to come back...after all, the art of these critters makes them look interesting!
Sarig the Genie 04-21-04, 03:20 PM	I really hope I can get my hands on that book withing a few weeks (:
JoAT 04-21-04, 09:44 PM	Note to self - bump this thread again in about a week... :D But, in the mean-time, does anyone see any pointless mechanical details? Ideas that I've used that just go overboard? Things that need to be clairified, or are used improperly? Though that most glorious of things, the latest release may not sit in your hands at the momment, I have designed the little critters without use of any new mechanisims detailed there-in - currently, though they cannot be judged from a flavor POV, they can be judged from a mechanical POV... So, what say ye? Personally, I'm thinking that CR should be 2, and LA should be 0 (netting in a gross ECL of 2) - they have diverse abilities, and those abilites are useful, but most of them aren't exactly threatening to any group with warriors of any kind, and they don't do too much for the adventuring acid caste character, either, aside from the resin equpiment.
Lord Schpungus 04-22-04, 01:22 AM	They seem pretty strong for a LA 0... Every ability has a great use. Slippery seems almost too strong, if all adhesives never work on them. Pheromones should be DC 11 (10 + 1/2 HD + Con) but otherwise is really cool. I think maybe some limit should be put on how often you can use the sicken ability... Maybe you can't use any pheromones at all for 1 hour after you try to sicken... Dumping your whole supply of pheromones at once should make it unavailable for a little while, at least. They at least need some LA as written... Every ability is quite useful, actually. Even the burrow, though slow, has its use. And the resin armor, wow. Anyone with 9 hours to spend can have totally awesome armor with no limit to Dex bonus? How long does this resin armor last? And Scentless is totally great. Not always in use but invaluable when you need it. Really awesome job, though. I like the flavor, and the crunch, for the most part.
JoAT 04-22-04, 02:56 AM	Hrmm... I've been attempting to keep the abilities useful, but low-powered, for the most part. I really wanted something that would most likely have to run away from a band of adventurers, well, given about 2-3 level characters, anyways. Then again, everything they do is fairly versitile - and I agree, there should be a limit on the ability to sicken things with their pheramones... I like about once an hour, that should be about right. The DCs though, I'm trying to keep low - if I asign an LA to them, I figured that having fairly low save DCs against their main abilites would prove to be a good limiting factor - they'd be fairly useful earlier on, but later in levels, most things begin being able to make the saves, and the abilites besides Burrow and the ability to create Resin equipment. (I do have a feeling, however, that spell-casters of the acid caste would rock. I can already picture them adding false limbs of resin onto theri armor, crystal shard shooters, attaching resin jaws to theri face in order to grant themselves a bite attack...) Still, the more I look at it, the more you seem right - the abilites are all fairly versitile, and should all be quite usefull over the course of an adventurers career... How about La +2? +3 if the DCs would scale? Or should I be looking higher? Edit: There, Limitation given to the sicken ability. Also, Resin armor lasts as long as other resin equpiment - the acid caste dromite just needs to secrete a little bit of sticky stuff on the various plates, and slap them on thier hide. So long as it's properly maintained, a good set of resin armor will last a life-time.
Lord Schpungus 04-22-04, 05:37 PM	Just to clarify, the save DC should be 10 + 1/2 racial hit dice + Con. That's the way most save DCs work, and it still doesn't scale, since they advance by class. Just for accuracy's sake.
JoAT 04-22-04, 11:52 PM	True. However, most races that are presented with the thought that they will likely become characters (like those in the XPsiHB) have save DCs that scale with hit dice, without the racial modifier. And, since I really don't belive in makeing something that has abilites that become useless at higher levels, at the cost of a higher LA, I'd rather either give them a low DC, and the Lower LA, or the scaleable DC and the higher LA. Besides, in this case, it doesn't matter too much to add in racial hit dice values - they only have two of them, and unlike most races which have abilites that require a saving throw, they don't advance by hit dice, but rather, class levels.
JoAT 05-05-04, 09:35 PM	Well, it's been somewhat more than a week... And I've seen (errrr... as a side note, in one post, as a basicly very minor thing) some interest in the subject, so...:bump: