Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Wyrd Bearer 03-05-06, 11:00 PM	First off, this is a custom monster for a campaign. As such, there is plenty of flavour text that won't fit in most campaigns. I've made notes as to what the "standard" D&D equivalents are (usually in parentheses) to make things easier for others. Also, in my games, the Conjuration (healing) subschool doesn't exist. Every spell that was once in the Conjuration (healing) subschool has been made into Necromacy spells with the (healing) subschool. Deal with it. Also, I've modified the living construct creature subtype to better fit my ideals. It takes into account the changes I've made with healing spells but also halves damage taken from inflict spells and similar negative energy effects. Sources I've used or referenced in this monster are the Core books, BoVD and BoED (both in passing, BoVD more important for liquid pain though unnecessary), the Spell Compendium, the XPH and the Eberron Campaign Setting (for artificers, living construct rules and iron defenders). I've also referenced orogs from Faerun; love em, hate em, I used them. And without further ado, here's the monster. ================ Dura Gro-bul, The Forsaken Companion (Advanced Agony Golem) Large Construct (Living Construct) HD: 18d10+72 (178 hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares) AC: 27 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +12 natural, +5 chain), Touch 10, Flatfooted 26 BAB/Grapple: +13/+26 Attack: Devourer +20 melee (2d6+18 damage)* or slam +20 melee (2d8+13 damage) Full Attack: Devourer +20/+15/+10 melee (2d6+18 damage)* and 2 slams +10 melee (2d8+9) Space/reach: 10 ft./10 ft. Special Attack: Agony arcana, artificer infusions, berserk, sneak attack +3d6 Special Qualities: Artificer knowledge, artisan bonus, damage reduction 10/adamantine and magic, darkvision 120 ft., evasion, immunity to magic, item creation, liquid pain reservoir, living construct traits, low-light vision, madness, metamagic spell trigger, moderate fortification, orog traits, retain essence, trapfinding, uncanny dodge Saves: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +11 Abilities: Str 26, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 16, Wis 5*, Cha 20* Skills: Bluff +19, Climb +10, Concentration +17, Disable Divice +19, Hide +11, Knowledge(local) +5, Knowledge(arcana) +8, Knowledge(architecture and engineering) +5, Knowledge(planes) +5, Listen +1, Move Silently +14, Open Lock +17, Profession(cook) -1, Search +17, Sense Motive -1, Slight of Hand +3, Spellcraft +14, Spot +2, Tumble +15, Use Magic Device +26, Use Rope +5 Feats: Scribe Scroll (B), Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Skill Focus (bluff), Brew Potion(B), Craft Wonderous Item(B), Craft Homonculus(B), Extraordinary Artisan, Legendary Artisan(B), Craft Magic Arms and Armour (B) Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave Environment: Any (usually his laboratory) Organization: Solitary, plus 2-3 special iron defenders CR: 19 Treasure: Double Standard (Minus his equipment and possessions) Alignment: Chaotic evil (if restored to right state of mind he becomes Lawful Neutral) Advancement: By class LA: - (no, you can't play him) Dura Gro-bul, the Forsaken Companion is the mad architect and inventor imprisoned beneath the mountain fortress called the Citadel of Eternity. Situated south of the Blasted Wastes and the twisted Crystal Fields, deep in the of Realm of Shades (take an unfortunate planet on the material plane and collide it with the Plane of Shadows, the result is a planet whose south pole is permanently merged with the Plane of Shadows), the Citadel of Eternity is the true resting place of the vampire lord, Stragos Lugosi and master of Dura Gro-bul. Once a simple and cowardly inventer who fell in with a band of unruly adventurers, Dura hailed from Green Mountain, the terraformed homeland of the Yomato (orcs). A shrimp for his race (he was only 6 feet tall), he was mocked by the other Greater Yomato as he grew up. Not fitting in with a society that focused on the aesthetic and political intruige (think Heian era Japan depicted in the Tale of Genji), Dura took to wandering. He travelled to the city of Iandu, a thriving metropolis and vibrant necropolis, he studied mechanical devices and constucts. After being kidnapped by a black annis who needed him and several others to clean her den and prepare her wedding ceremony to a young noble she kidnapped previously, he escaped with the other prisoners and formed a band of adventurers that had many novel and frightening adventures. Poor Dura's heart nearly burst from all the situations he was placed in. Often he broke down in combat, muttering about his team-mates and saying "They're all trying to kill me!" Finally, Dura's misguided adventures ended in a climatic battle against Lord Stragos. The entire band of misfits had been manipulated into serving the vampire lord in his quest to take over Iandu (a city in which vampirism is equivalent to rape and thus a BIG no no). Angred at being duped, the group foolishly decided to confront their insidious "benefactor" in his own tower. The vampire lord of course nearly slaughtered them all with hardly an expenditure of effort. Dura himself fell beneath the relentless blows of a ravening horde of fledgling vampires. Lord Stragos, laughing malevolently, took Dura's corpse and fled the city. Confused by their foe's sudden departure and their own good fortune at still being able to beathe, the remaining adventurers proceeded to do what they did best; loot the tower and run away. [From this point on, the players would not know this] Stragos took Dura back to the Citadel of Eternity and using corrupt magic and infernal devices, and cloned the unfortunate Yomato's body hundreds of times. These clones were magically infused with the barest semblance of sentience nad most importantly, the ability to feel pain. Stragos had these clones thrown into pain extractors to produce gallons and gallons of agony. From the leftover parts that were not consumed by the leeches in the extractors and from the parts harvested from other clones, Stragos' minions set about creating a monstrosity. Sewn and stitched into what appeared to be a ravaged flesh golem, the bodies became what will hence be known as the first agony golem. Standing 12 feet tall and wieghing over 800 lbs, this misshappen construct was filled with blood from the clones and flooded with liquid pain. Finally, Dura's own spirit was wrenched back from the afterlife and imprisoned within the awful frame to animate the creature. Maddened from his forced return and drowning in his own liquid pain, Dura's fragile grip on his sanity finally slipped. When the ensuing month long rampage ceased, Stragos beguiled Dura into believing that it was the fault of his former companions that left Dura in such a state. Weak from his mental state and agonized by his continued existence, Dura believed his tormentor. Now a prisoner within a monstrous body and locked beneath a mountain, Dura spends endless days creating artificial monstrosities of a demented and horrific pattern. Often, his own bouts of violence result in much of his work being destroyed but occaisionally he succeeds at creating a device that even he cannot break. Often milling with multiple useless limbs, buzzing with mechanical mouths full of organic teeth, held together with pulsating humps of flesh bound with metal plates, Dura's creations are beings of pure madness. Stragos periodically descends to Dura's laboratory to relieve him of his creations, often during the times when Dura is trapped immobile in his imperfect body. What Dura's vampiric master plans with these devices are unknown, but they cannot be for good. Dura speaks Common, Ryukyu (orc), Rot Tongue (Lanuage specific to undead), Modern Elvish (as opposed to ancient elvish, the two are to each other as ancient and modern Egyptian are to each other) and Drakesh (the language of the drakes, aka, lizardmen). COMBAT Dura prefers to charge into combat, using his Furious Assualt ability combined with the power attack feat (already calculated into stat block) to get a maximum number of high damage attacks on his foes. It is fortunate that his Initiative is low, else his ability to sneak attack on top of his Furious Assualt would devestate foes caught flat-footed. If damaged, he uses his hostile empathic transfer ability to share the pain or he'll use his artificer infusions to repair himself if he is conserving doses of agony. Dura will fight to the death, as he relishes combat now but it is also due to a deep, buried longing for the release of death. Agony Arcana (Su): Like regular agony golems, Dura can use the liquid agony stored within his body to activate several special abilities. Each ability drains at least 1 dose of liquid pain per usage. If the ability duplicates a spell or power of a higher level than Dura could theoretically cast and has effects based on caster levels, calculate the effect for a CL 7, even if this would take the duration, damage, etc. below the normal minimum. All Agony Arcana abilities have no school and are supernatural abilities. Furious Assualt: When Dura charges, he can make a full attack in the same round. Dura can activate this ability with an instant thought, quickly enough to gain the benefit as he charges. This ability is a swift action, and it counts toward the normal limit of one quickened spell/power/infusion per round. Dura cannot manifest this power when it isn’t his turn. For every additional dose of liquid pain Dura spends, each of Dura's attacks after a charge in the current round gains a circumstance bonus on damage equal to the number of additional doses spent. This ability is otherwise identical to the power psionic lion's charge on page 125 of the XPH or found in the SRD. Wrack: As the spell found on page 243 in the Spell Compendium; costs 9 doses of liquid pain. CL 7th Wracking Touch: As the spell found on page 243 in the Spell Compendium; costs 3 doses of liquid pain. CL 7th. Hostile Empathic Transfer: As the psionic power found in the SRD or in the XPH on page 99. Costs 5 doses to use and may be augmented as the power for an equivalent amount of doses in place of power points. Artificer infusions, artificer knowledge, artificer infusions, artisan bonus, disable trap, item creation, metamagic spell trigger, retain essence: As 6th level artificer. Sneak Attack 3d6, Uncanny Dodge, Trapfinding, Evasion: As a 5th level rogue. Berserk (Ex): When Dura enters combat, there is a cumulative 1% chance each round that the liquid agony flooding his system causes his depraved and tormented mind to snap and go berserk. Dura goes on a rampage, attacking the nearest living creature or smashing some object smaller than itself if no creature is within reach, then moving on to spread more destruction. Each round, Dura makes a Will save to calm down, which is set at DC of 19. It takes Dura 1 minute of inactivity to reset the berserk chance to 0%. Immunity to Magic (Ex): A flesh golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below. Any spell that soothes a troubled mind, such as calm emotions, slows Dura as the slow spell for 1d4 rounds and ends a rampage if he is berserking with no saving throw (this does not reset his berserk chance). Any spell that soothes or removes pain, such as ease pain (BoED), heals Dura 1d12 Hp and drains 1d6 doses of liquid pain from his reservoir, with no saving throw. Any spell that causes pain, such as symbol of pain or angry ache (BoVD), breaks any slow effect on Dura and restores 1 dose of liquid pain/spell level that targets Dura.Note: Dura cannot target himself with the abilities listed under his Agony Arcana that deal with inflicting pain to restore the current capacity of his Liquid Pain Reservoir Liquid Pain Reservoir: Built high up in Dura's back is the reservoir of liquid pain that fuels his Agony Arcana special ability. This tank holds up to 100 doses of liquid pain and the access hatch is armoured against attacks. If Dura is incapacitated an unable to defend himself or the access hatch (as in, the combat is over, stop trying to incorporate called shots into D&D), clever character can attempt to break it and cause the liquid agony to drain out. It has a hardness of 10, 50 hp, and a break DC of 25. Dura suffers half of the damage dealt in these attempts. The access hatch is a viable target for sunder attempts during combat. If Dura's reservoir ever completely empties, Dura becomes immobile and is unable to use his Agony Arcana abilities. He is still conscious during this time period and is almost sane enough to hold a proper conversation. Living Construct Traits (Ex): Immune to Poison, Sleep, Paralysis, Disease, Nausea, Fatigue, Exhaustion, Sickening, and Energy Drain. Does not Eat, Sleep, or Breath. Does not naturally heal. At 0 hp, is Disabled (as usual). From –1 to –9 hp, is Inert (i.e., Unconscious, but stable) Necromancy (healing) spells and spells that employ positive energy for healing only heal 1/2 hp. The inflict line of spells and other similar spells that employ negative energy to deal damage only deal 1/2 damage. Can be ‘healed’ by a Craft check that takes 8 hours. Dura is repaired the check –15 hp. It is possible to ‘Take 10’, but not ‘Take 20’. The following Craft skills can be used: armorsmithing, blacksmithing, gemcutting, & sculpting. This check cannot be done untrained Madness (Ex): Dura uses his Charisma modifier on Will saves instead of his Wisdom modifier, and has immunity to confusion and insanity effects. Dura cannot be restored to sanity by any means short of a miracle or wish spell. *The madness of Dura provides a +6 bonus to his Charisma score and a –6 penalty to his Wisdom scores. If Dura is ever restored to sanity, he gains 6 points of Wisdom and loses 6 points of Charisma. Moderate Fortification (Ex): Not a true golem, Dura nevertheless is quite resistance to sneak attacks and critical hits. He enjoys a 75% chance to negate the extra damage from sneak attacks and criticals hits. Orog Traits (Ex): Believe it or not, Dura was once a regular Greater Yomato (orog), and as such, he retains the racial bonus to Craft (weaponsmithing and armoursmithing), the racial fire and cold resistance 5 and counts as having orc blood. Other traits have been taken into account already or have otherwise been eradicated by the circumstance of his new form. Possessions: A +5 mithril chain shirt, Devourer, and several special iron defenders. All other equipment has been either destroyed by his hand or scattered throughout the laboratory. The iron defenders are normal homunculi that are advanced beyond their normal maximum HD to a total of 16 HD and have a breath weapon usuable every 1d4+1 rounds that duplicates a burning hands spell cast by a 8th level caster. Dura, while mostly a construct, still has blood circulating through his twisted veins and as such, part of himself is invested in these special iron defenders. He suffers the normal penalties and damage for each if they are destroyed, as per the normal homunculi rules. Devourer is a +5 vampiric* great sword that is intelligent. He has an Intelligence and Charisma of 19 and Wisdom of 10. It can speak (Common, Rot Tongue, Ancient Elvish, Drakesh and Ryukyu) and communicate telepathically. It can read any language and use read magic at will. It has 120 ft darkvision, blindsense and hearing. It has 10 ranks in Bluff, Listen and Spot and can use daze monster 3/day. It also also use fear 3/day and arcane eye 1/day. It also has the purpose to keep Dura under control and as functional as possible and to this end can use the spell sending at will, usually to communicate with Stragos should anything go wrong or to report a successful creation of Dura's. Ego 31. Devourer was once a Shaharzad (human) vampire named Al-Faheed and was a slave to Stragos. A trusted liutenant, Al-Faheed was killed and then bound to Dura's old sword and renamed Devourer. Resentful of Stragos, Devourer is still bound to serve his undead master, even in his new form. Originally sized for a medium creature, Devourer is a familiar and comforting weapon for Dura, so he does not take the penalty for wielding an inappropraitely sized weapon (basically, Devourer is a large longsword for Dura and a medium greatsword to anyone else). *New special weapon enhancement Vampiric: As a standard action, the wielder make command the weapon to become sheathed in a red glow. The next melee attack with this weapon that hits a living creature deals an extra 3d6 points of damage to the target and heals to wielder an amount of damage equal to half the damage dealt through this ability (do not include the base damage of the weapon). Points of healing that would exceed the wielder's maximum are gained as temporary Hp that lasts for an hour. You can’t gain more than the subject’s current hit points +10, which is enough to kill the subject. This ability can be activated 3 times per day. Faint necromancy; CL 5th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, vampiric touch; Price +3 bonus.
Wyrd Bearer 03-06-06, 07:38 PM	Edited for clarification and amendments to the rules regarding this character/monster. And yes, to all those who are curious, he does indeed have actual ranks in Profession(cook); he has 2 ranks to be precise, its just that his current state of mind imposes a -3 penalty on all his Wisdom based checks.