Post/Author/DateTime	Post
cog_n_taz 12-29-06, 10:49 PM	First of all, yes, I did take the title from a harry potter spinoff. No, I do not like the series. note: raptorial's prehistoric beasts and how to use them (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=11060684#post11060684), thank you! also on the "all hail" list: Secrets Untold's Sort of special beasts and what you're supposed to do with them (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=765199), a much needed version of this thread that does splatbooks. Azer_of_faerun's thread (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=765343) for draconomicon stuff(good advice on advancing them and how they act, notably) Okay, this is an attempt to give DMs(and occasionally players) help on how to use monsters in the 3.0MM(plus some stuff in the SRD, maybe). They will be written in alphabetical order, for ease of view. Enjoy! Also, this is nothing but suggestions, and should not be taken as the only ways. Feedback, however, would be appreciated, as well as letting me know in the event that it works(since that is, ofcourse, why I'm writing this colossal waste of your time in the first place). Note: no, I will not use the 3.5 MM as I don't have it. The SRD stuff is limited to a maybe because it is, by and large, fluffless. Psionic/epic monsters are beyond my experience, and so will be left alone. Feel free to write those up on a seperate thread though. formatting: there will be the name, followed by OOC(out of combat) and IC( in combat). By posting or submitting any text, images, designs, video, sound, code, data, lists, or other materials or information (such User-submitted content, collectively, "User Content") to or through a Site, including without limitation on any User profile page, you hereby irrevocably grant to Wizards, its affiliates and sublicensees, a worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, non-exclusive, and fully sub-licensable license, to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display such User Content (in whole or in part) in any media and to incorporate the User Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed. The foregoing grants shall include the right to exploit any proprietary rights in such User Content, including but not limited to rights under copyright, trademark, service mark or patent laws under any relevant jurisdiction. Call me paranoid, but I'm removing all my stuff from here and moving it to this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3175560#post3175560) forum. I don't care if this was meant to be free anyway, or if they don't intend to steal this book (or anyone else's work, for that matter) - they changed the rules behind everyone's backs and the wording means that they can literally copy/paste anything off these boards as they fit before selling it as their own stuff. Whatever the effects on me, I'm too disgusted with the new rules to keep this here, sorry. To all of you who helped with this book (harlequin, grizzled gryphon, slagger the chuul and lurkalot come to mind immediately), if you have a problem with me moving the thread, please tell me, and I will remove any and all of your additions.
cog_n_taz 12-30-06, 02:01 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 12-30-06, 08:39 AM	Removed.
Atolm 12-30-06, 10:21 AM	Cool thread mate I love Achaierai! In general, they are among my favorite monsters in D&D :D I like the Mount option idea :) very cool
cog_n_taz 12-30-06, 10:25 AM	finally some feedback, and positive too! Thank you atolm, this is the kind of thing that keeps me going. Also, I'm honored to have praise from someone like you. BTW, keep up the good work on hell sharks:). P.S.: :bravo: updating with a new monster soon, BTW. And I'm honestly shocked that there's someone else out there who uses the giant evil ostriches of doom:P.
cog_n_taz 12-30-06, 10:36 AM	Removed.
BowenSilverclaw1986 12-30-06, 10:52 AM	Loving this thread. Keep up the good work. Greetings, Bowen Silverclaw
cog_n_taz 12-30-06, 10:54 AM	one word: Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!:D Eh, I suppose writing the ankheg now won't kill me. Not quite, anyway. Y'all may have noticed that I keep the IC/OOC stuff to one long paragraph each. This is for two reasons: ease of reading and my own sanity, sorry if it bothers you.
Watchdog_of_Hades 12-30-06, 10:55 AM	Geh heh heh. I've never thought of the grapple plus water usage. I probably won't use it unless one of my players really gets on my nerves, though. The size bonuses to grapple are... wow. I like this thread.
cog_n_taz 12-30-06, 11:03 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 12-30-06, 11:05 AM	Hades, you too? Well, I have you guys to blame for putting a stupid grin on my face for the next 24 hours, like so::D . some of the tactics here are overly evil, and I have to warn against overusing them, or it won't be fair to the players. Keep them in mind however, as counters to overly optimized characters that are all too common these days, or just when you need a good tactic to even out the odds.
dawnbringer 12-30-06, 11:10 AM	can someone sticky this thread?
cog_n_taz 12-30-06, 11:17 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 12-30-06, 11:34 AM	need to go to bed now, see ya all tommorow when I bring the writeup of our next beasty: the arrowhawk!
cog_n_taz 12-30-06, 10:10 PM	Removed.
Secrets Untold 12-30-06, 10:14 PM	I usually hate these threads because either: A) They get lost in the piles of other threads because no-one replies to them OR B) The information stinks But, Cog, you get praise (and a chicken :chicken:) for starting a great thread. Also, another use for an animated object, have a mage animate a chair and ride around in it. It's funny to imagine someone riding on a flying chair while shooting lighting from their fingers.
cog_n_taz 12-30-06, 10:21 PM	thank you! I edited the AO bit in with your name, hope you don't mind..
Secrets Untold 12-30-06, 10:57 PM	I don't mind. Next is Assassin Vine, but you skipped Archon, unless you're doing it by Lantern, Hound, and Trumpet, instead of how the MM organized it.
cog_n_taz 12-30-06, 11:03 PM	3.0 MM, so I'll do it as a lump under celestials.
Secrets Untold 12-30-06, 11:14 PM	Ah... (Wow. That's the longest post I've ever written)
cog_n_taz 12-30-06, 11:39 PM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 12-30-06, 11:49 PM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 12-31-06, 12:22 AM	(hmm.. thus far I have feedback from six, and all of that is heavy support, I must be doing something right... I won't be posting much today as I'm busy, but I reckon I can get azers done)
cog_n_taz 12-31-06, 05:21 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 12-31-06, 08:37 AM	Removed.
Secrets Untold 12-31-06, 11:27 AM	But this quintuple post is all full of killl-your-PCs flavored goodness. (You want fries with that?) Actually, use feed a lot if you want a kind of act-quickly-or-your-screwed-forever situation. Because feed takes a long time (1 minute?), the players have ten rounds to kill the bargest before their friend is toast...forever. Now, 10 rounds is easy for a normal barghest, but for a greater, you have to be very effective to kill him quickly enough.
cog_n_taz 12-31-06, 11:43 AM	I missed that bit, but the risk of them not making it in time is (for me) still too big.
cog_n_taz 12-31-06, 11:52 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 12-31-06, 12:22 PM	Removed.
Watchdog_of_Hades 12-31-06, 01:17 PM	I'm not sure that you can Power Attack the auto-hit attacks, since you need to reduce the attack roll. But on the other hand, you win the thread because you came up with a thematically appropriate yet not broken gaze attack for the basilisk.
cog_n_taz 12-31-06, 07:08 PM	thanks. The thing is, the basilisk isn't overpowered as it's so hideously easy to kill, it's just very badly built.
cog_n_taz 12-31-06, 09:02 PM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 01-01-07, 05:00 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 01-01-07, 06:02 AM	say, is anyone actually reading this stuff anymore?
dawnbringer 01-01-07, 06:05 AM	oh yes, we're reading it. It's very useful. I still want it stickied.
cog_n_taz 01-01-07, 08:10 AM	Thanks, I was just unsure as I didn't get any replies in a while, just checking:).
cog_n_taz 01-01-07, 08:50 AM	Removed.
Atolm 01-01-07, 09:07 AM	Man this thread is really kicking some ***** :) Your doing a great job on these Cog! I got a question, do you ever use Gambados? And is there Gambados in 3rd edition, because I hadn't seen them in the MM3.5ed.
cog_n_taz 01-01-07, 09:11 AM	perhaps in some supplement, but not in core. I saw them in the AD&D(which I never played, by the way) fiend folio way back when, and fought one in the shadowdale adventure, but that's about it. A conversion may be in order, but I can't be bothered to do it, and have no idea as to how to use it. However, a hopping skull-headed mermaid is good for an occasional joke. And thanks for the complements. Honestly, a few paragraphs at a time, it's not that hard to do. P.S. that was a secret of the trade, so I'm afraid you'll have to go now...:incog: :shifty: :fight!: :duel: :b:
DIESCUMDIE 01-01-07, 10:06 AM	Great thread. Perhaps should be in regdars repository
cog_n_taz 01-01-07, 10:37 AM	I dunno much about that place, I just regard it as "a place for people who are less mortal than me to put whatever they feel like" with a very firm keep out sign to amateur posters like me. By the way, thanks for the supportive name:P. EDIT: I just looked at the rules for regdar's, seems easy enough, but I'll wait until it's completed *harhar*. However, I was wondering if maybe my writing style isn't serious/scholarly enough and all that, you guys think that would be a problem on regdar's?
nightmaredragon 01-01-07, 01:28 PM	Good Job. I'm looking forward to your entry on the grick. WHAT IS ITS POINT? :confused:
dawnbringer 01-01-07, 01:59 PM	Do you have any other monster manuals?
Secrets Untold 01-01-07, 03:03 PM	If I may, I'd be willing to do some monsters from splatbooks for you. I have the MM3, LoM, Dracominicon, and Stormwrack I could do. Just thought I could contribute to (read: Absorb some glory from) this wonderful thread. Great job on everything so far, Cog. Nightmaredragon, a grick exists because the writers got very, very, very drunk.:P
Lurkalot 01-01-07, 03:26 PM	This is a really good thread. It's making me think of using monsters that I long ago dismissed and never bothered with. Please keep it up. Lots of good ideas here. -L.
cog_n_taz 01-01-07, 07:09 PM	Secrets Untold: I'd be honored if you'd help, thank you. dawn: sorry, I'm poor, maybe some eberron monsters at some point. Lurkalot: considering your name, that's a huge compliment, thanks:). Gricks, in a nutshell, exist as underground low CR encounters, guard dogs, and hunters, as well as farmer joe scenarios. They are also good for freaking your PCs out with their first aberration.
cog_n_taz 01-01-07, 09:15 PM	Removed.
Secrets Untold 01-01-07, 11:02 PM	I always thought that Bodaks were from the Abyss (and therefore extraplanar) because they were so horrid in life that they couldn't even become a when their soul was ferried to the Abyss, so they were condemned into the wretched bodak form. And if that's not how the MM puts it, it's how I do.
cog_n_taz 01-02-07, 12:21 AM	Fair enough, but it says basically that they were killed by stuff that ought to be in the abyss, not the other way around.
Hammerhead 01-02-07, 12:27 AM	by saying the behir breath has atrocious damage do you mean really high or really low?
cog_n_taz 01-02-07, 12:39 AM	very high. Also, I will edit this in now but: eligible for metabreath feats="COWER, MORTALS!(TM)":devil: :evillaugh
Morrowner 01-02-07, 12:55 AM	7d6 does kind of blow unless you sling big metamagic guns. If you have ruled full Power attack on the claws you are one sick Player Killer, Cog. Eagerly awaiting the Chaos Beast entry.
cog_n_taz 01-02-07, 01:29 AM	Now now, I am actually being very generous with my players, haven't killed one to date and I've been a DM for a while. I simply offer options to make monsters tougher, and full power attack IS allowed, it is not against the rules in any way.
Hammerhead 01-02-07, 01:54 AM	The area of the breath is kind of small though
cog_n_taz 01-02-07, 02:18 AM	it's not small, it's a line, but the CR has to be kept at 8 somehow:P .
Raptorial 01-02-07, 02:25 AM	I can't really help with this unless it's prehistoric animals. I'm a paleobuff and could be of some assistance in such an event.
dawnbringer 01-02-07, 05:51 AM	cog, have you used every monster in the monster manual?
cog_n_taz 01-02-07, 05:58 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 01-02-07, 06:00 AM	cog, have you used every monster in the monster manual? ...no, largely making these ideas up as I go along, actually:embarrass . Please test them out and let me know if they work or not, as I'm not too sure... By the way raptorial, thanks for the offer, I'll leave the dinosaurs section to you, with appropriate credit.
Raptorial 01-02-07, 08:00 AM	...no, largely making these ideas up as I go along, actually:embarrass . Please test them out and let me know if they work or not, as I'm not too sure... By the way raptorial, thanks for the offer, I'll leave the dinosaurs section to you, with appropriate credit. So we're not going in any order? If that's the case I'll start soon. By the way, would it be alright if I also used dinos from the books besides the MMs? I have a great writeup for archelons fro Stormwrack.
cog_n_taz 01-02-07, 08:03 AM	Yes please, would you like a link from the first post to your thread? I will definitely throw in credit(no, not cash:P) at the very least. As for order, I will be doing the monsters in alphabetical order on this thread, that is the only order, and you needn't go by it in your thread, thank you!
Raptorial 01-02-07, 08:07 AM	I'll put up the thread very soon.
cog_n_taz 01-02-07, 10:17 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 01-02-07, 10:48 AM	for our next monster, the carrion crawler, allow me to send you to this (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=364928)excellent post by HomebrewedMonster, which is in no way written by me, I simply linked it for quality. So, you'll all be getting a dose of centaur tommorow(my time, anyway).
Secrets Untold 01-02-07, 11:36 AM	Raptorial, the MMIII and Stormwrack are MY domain. But, as I'm too lazy to do anything about it, go ahead. :P First up from the MM3: Ambush Drake OoC: Ambush drakes have a pack mentality, so they should work great in groups. But these CR 5 buggers seem made taliored for pairs or solitary encounters. They have a nasty poison, but if you get to the level where you can have up to 10 drakes, even the mage with 8 con could probably make the save against it. Their telepathic link is great for avoiding sneak attacks as well. Have them lie in wait for someone, they're AMBUSH drakes for a reason! IC: Drakes have a +16 bonus to hide and 7 intelligence, meaning they're smart enough to wait in ambush, then strike at the squishies first. Their scent abiity also lets them track foes so they can't escape. A sleep breath weapon and a Dex draining poison also mean that they can slow down a foe who won't die quickly, and dart in and out with their 40 ft. speed. They can fly, but it's really not worth it, they work better on land. Consider giving them 3-4 levels of rogue to up it to a CR 7, and it gets SNEAK ATTACKS!. One last note, their -effective- sneak attack immunity when their are more of them, their -actual- immunity to sleep and paralysis, and their 55% chance to block spells that allow resistance, means that rogues and mages are perfect targets for these guys. That sound good Cog?
cog_n_taz 01-02-07, 07:11 PM	good, but please do it on a seperate thread. Thanks.
cog_n_taz 01-02-07, 08:38 PM	Removed.
Secrets Untold 01-02-07, 09:43 PM	Nice centaur peice, I never used them because...well...I don't know. But now I think you've helped me with a randome encounter, thanks Cog! About my previous post, if you check post 44, I asked about this thread (ie. posting my stuff in it (for more splatbook refrences)), and I guess I misinterpreted your reply.
cog_n_taz 01-02-07, 10:06 PM	Thanks, I wasn't too happy with my work on centaurs, but if it goes down well, I must've done something right. And yes, you did misinterpret it, the system is as follows: you start your own thread, we both link to all the others (atleast, I will) with appropriate credit. P.S. I think elves/dryads/centaurs/faeries etc. should be played as very calm, harmonious, woodsy and BURNED ON A STICK. But that's just me *smiles*
cog_n_taz 01-02-07, 10:35 PM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 01-02-07, 11:19 PM	Removed.
Azar_of_Faerun 01-03-07, 12:36 AM	I humbly request the following three creatures to be done in detail :) Rust Dragon (Draconomicon) Magma Drake (Draconomicon) Mountain Landwyrm (Draconomicon)
cog_n_taz 01-03-07, 12:48 AM	Thanks, and there's no need to be humble. Unfortunately, I'm very far from having the book, but you could ask SU for help (dunno if he has the book though.)
Azar_of_Faerun 01-03-07, 12:51 AM	Edit: Already received the PM :)
cog_n_taz 01-03-07, 01:10 AM	Yes, but I much rather keep my email to my self, please stick to PMs. If you were considering sending me the stats for those monsters, sorry, no in any case. As a creative writer, I appreciate copyright and such, and would rather stay away from such issues.
cog_n_taz 01-03-07, 01:25 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 01-03-07, 01:26 AM	Edit: Already received the PM :) Sorry, I didn't get this. Did you get a PM with information on those monsters, or did you send me a PM? If the latter is the case, try again, I didn't get it.
Azar_of_Faerun 01-03-07, 01:34 AM	Yep, the PM had info on the monsters. I do own Draconomicon, but i'm not currently with my books, so they fulfilled the request. Now if only someone here did a "OOC/IC" section on them...;)
cog_n_taz 01-03-07, 01:38 AM	I wasn't suggesting you don't have the DN, but saying that I don't and want nothing to do with any copyright mess, you should get help from someone who owns the DN, I only do the 3.0 MM, sorry if it seems lazy, but I'm not willing to get into a lawsuit or buy a book over this:P.
Azar_of_Faerun 01-03-07, 01:42 AM	I would like very much to write them up if that's okay with you guys.:cool:
cog_n_taz 01-03-07, 01:44 AM	Oh, sorry, you're saying that you would like to write them? Sorry, didn't see that bit, you're more than welcome to do that, or the entire draconomicon if you like, and I will link to it from the OP with your name, thanks.
cog_n_taz 01-03-07, 02:12 AM	Removed.
Azar_of_Faerun 01-03-07, 02:37 AM	Rust Dragons OOC: These guys hail from the plane of Acheron - one of constant warfare, and comprised mostly of giant suspended metal cubes. You are most likely to encounter them chewing on the environment for sustenance, or, due to their lawful neutral/evil nature, in the occasional employ of a warring band (if the payment is significant enough, usually of a precious metal) For those who aren't plane-hopping, expect to see one of these dragons deep below ground, near precious veins of metal, and harassing miners constantly(perhaps even enslaving them to mine the food themselves) IC: Due to their metal resistance, rusting bite and rusting scales (of which the oldest variety have) in addition to the already superb natural armor they possess, Rust Dragons feel superior against most metal encased adventurers, and rightfully so. With these defenses, they often target non-metallic targets first that pose the most threat, such as Druids, Sorcerers and Wizards. Fighters, Clerics and Paladins are often targeted next. A particularly crafty Rust will barr certain entrances to their lair with wall of iron and fill congested areas with acid fog to deter attackers. With their burrow speed, they're able to circumvent normal barriers in their domain, while sizing up the PCs from afar. Repel metal and stone round out their abilities, keeping away potentially dangerous metal-clad enemies. Finally, Rust Dragons try their best to neutralize opponents they know to be chaotic, due to their susceptibility to chaos-aligned weapons.
angryman 01-03-07, 02:52 AM	A quick note on Chaos Beasts. I used one who was hidden under a bridge to ambush a sorcerer PC. His nickname became 'mage in a bucket'. Haha...
cog_n_taz 01-03-07, 03:13 AM	Angryman, low wis on a sorceror just means more fireballs, I fail to see the problem:P. Thank'ee, azar. A good job, but on a seperate thread, please.
Azar_of_Faerun 01-03-07, 03:20 AM	Shouldn't we consolidate our monster detailing efforts? :confused:
cog_n_taz 01-03-07, 03:24 AM	For the sake of ease of reading, I rather they were seperate, I will, however, link to your thread from the first post (with your name, ofcourse)
angryman 01-03-07, 03:44 AM	Angryman, low wis on a sorceror just means more fireballs, I fail to see the problem:P. Thank'ee, azar. A good job, but on a seperate thread, please. It was the unstable shape that got him, not the WIS drain.
cog_n_taz 01-03-07, 03:45 AM	Sorcerors are unstable, deal with it:P.
cog_n_taz 01-03-07, 08:34 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 01-03-07, 08:50 AM	say, has anyone here tried the stuff I wrote yet?
Secrets Untold 01-03-07, 04:56 PM	I haven't, but I'm waiting for a friend of mine to let me know when he can host a game, so I'm prepared to DM now.
Hammerhead 01-03-07, 05:03 PM	How would one use a Zodar (ff)? Just curious as its kind of a weird monster. I think it should be a Plot Device rather than a monster you would fight, like maybe it would be about to say something important so the players have to make a pilgrimage to it.
primemover003 01-03-07, 06:18 PM	Cog, just a quick note on two of the monsters you had ??? aboot... the Belker is an evil outsider because it comes from Gehenna and is ideal to stalk victims through the volcanic regions passing itself off as vented gasses and steam or hiding in them. Bodaks are mortals who've died in the Abyss and are raised as undead by the plane itself. That's why they're Extraplanar. Many have some minor semblance of memories of their past lives and seek out friends and relatives.
cog_n_taz 01-03-07, 07:08 PM	okay, thanks. Hammerhead, as always, I'm sorry but I don't even know what a zodar is, much less own the book.
cog_n_taz 01-03-07, 07:58 PM	Bodak entry is fixed. Chuul entry added (thanks slagger!)
cog_n_taz 01-03-07, 08:17 PM	Removed.
Hammerhead 01-03-07, 08:27 PM	okay, thanks. Hammerhead, as always, I'm sorry but I don't even know what a zodar is, much less own the book. do you only have mm1? I think you should get the others if you like monsters this much
Hammerhead 01-03-07, 08:29 PM	I would say petrification isn't as bad as save or die since if you die you need an expensive component to get resurrected and you lose a level. If you are de-petrified you are fine as long as you make the DC 15 fort save
cog_n_taz 01-03-07, 08:29 PM	yeah, but my budget has other Ideas, I'm 14, so I just ahd to spend half a year's savings each to get complete arcane/warrior. EDIT: yeah, not as bad, but oh so wrong on a CR3.
cog_n_taz 01-03-07, 10:04 PM	By the way, which entry do you guys think was the best so far? I don't mean your favorite monster, but which one you think was covered best (of mine, otherwise the chuul entry tops all)? hey, reply#100, neat!
cog_n_taz 01-04-07, 01:07 AM	Just letting you guys know that there will most likely not be more than one other monster today, at most.
cog_n_taz 01-04-07, 08:36 PM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 01-05-07, 04:47 AM	Removed.
Return of the Flumph 01-05-07, 08:30 AM	Just because we aren't commenting doesn't mean we aren't reading. I've been checking it, and I doubt I'm alone. By the way, aren't coatls chaotic good?
cog_n_taz 01-05-07, 08:45 AM	Just because we aren't commenting doesn't mean we aren't reading. I've been checking it, and I doubt I'm alone. Thanks,but no feedback for this long, to the extent that I ahve to go looking for the thread, is a tad discouraging. Dunno, maybe I'm just weird. By the way, aren't coatls chaotic good? Always lawful good, fraid not.
dawnbringer 01-05-07, 09:02 AM	I still want this stickied! Why can't the mods bloody do that.
cog_n_taz 01-05-07, 09:09 AM	Now now, no swearing:). The fact is, stickies were stopped for ease of reading. What I did instead is posted it on the useful threads thread for the monsters' lair(right at the top of the first page). Still, cat is busy running around shutting down bad threads and moderating the boards in general (lots of bad stuff going around, especially recently,and cat's doing a good job keeping it down, I might add) and as such, either didn't notice or is still too busy to get around to viewing it in detail. Still, if I can help the commmunity at large(as well as recieve criticism so I can better my works), that's good enough for me. My only demand is the occasional comment(of any kind) as I run out of steam fairly quickly.
cog_n_taz 01-06-07, 12:13 AM	Removed.
Hammerhead 01-06-07, 12:43 AM	bump!
Hammerhead 01-06-07, 01:40 AM	BTW polymorphs maxes out at 15HD so a coutal couldn't turn into a solar.
cog_n_taz 01-06-07, 01:53 AM	BTW polymorphs maxes out at 15HD so a coutal couldn't turn into a solar. thanks, I was just tossing that around as a general image, though. Also, thanks for the bump but that was unnecessary, the forces of lawful good did that half an hour before you:P.
jakelslang21 01-06-07, 01:59 AM	Hey Cog, your doing great. Im downloading and printing some of these myself. Keep it up :bravo:
cog_n_taz 01-06-07, 02:19 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 01-06-07, 02:19 AM	Incidentally jakel, which ones are you using?
jakelslang21 01-06-07, 02:27 AM	Most of your first ones. They have the most flavor
cog_n_taz 01-06-07, 02:33 AM	do you mean the monsters themselves are better, or the entries? If the entries are less good, how could I improve them? What's the difference?
jakelslang21 01-06-07, 02:41 AM	well see the first had better entries. More like they had some basic strategies that were quite effective and the Athach monk theorys was real nice. Thats what i liked about the first. But some of the recent ones also had some of that stuff, just not as much. I hope that helps and i really did not want to be the bearter of bad news :weep:
cog_n_taz 01-06-07, 02:44 AM	Naw, thanks for letting me know. In all honesty, I think that the athach monk is, in hindsight, quite a bad idea, but whatever floats your boat(so long as you know that my boat is better than yours:P). Well, tell me from where on it went downhill, and I will fix it up.
jakelslang21 01-06-07, 02:48 AM	Maybe in the middle of post 2 it went downhill. It got worse but the Hound Archon in my opinion had all the stuff like what it should do and what not to do. But it did not really give a strategy, or a good one for that matter. Its my opinion, you might totally think im wrong but thats just what i think and a few friends of mine agreed on to.
cog_n_taz 01-06-07, 02:55 AM	post 2? Okay, I'm going to indulge myself and assume you meant page 2. As for the hound archons, they are intelligent, but not very tactically minded in combat, so that would be (atleast in my mind) how they would fight if you want to mirror their personality. Also, they are one of those monsters with high stats and abilities etc., but no actual space for strategy. Sorry if that came off as negative, but you have no idea how grateful I am to you for providing serious feedback, it may not look as nice, but it's what helps the most, I'll get to work right away.:)
jakelslang21 01-06-07, 02:58 AM	glad i could be of help :D
cog_n_taz 01-06-07, 03:12 AM	So far, I've fixed/added to beholders, blink dogs and bodaks (just more strategies), skipping bugbears as they seem to be done well enough to my eyes, what do you think? EDIT: skipping bullettes and centaurs too, as they already have complicated entries on strategy.
cog_n_taz 01-06-07, 10:29 AM	skipped a few that I consider well enough done, and fixed all the rest, thanks jakel!
jakelslang21 01-06-07, 10:39 AM	no problem! :D
cog_n_taz 01-06-07, 10:48 AM	wheeee! Me happy!:D Anyways, new entries will come later, I'm busy at the arena.
cog_n_taz 01-07-07, 01:04 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 01-07-07, 02:59 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 01-07-07, 07:43 AM	(woot! Seems like azar is willing to eventually do atleast a few MM1 dragons, thanks!)
cog_n_taz 01-07-07, 08:21 AM	Removed.
jakelslang21 01-07-07, 12:12 PM	wow..... this was... GREAT!! This is probably my favourite of them all. You gave them quite decent opinions wich i think will work well. Keep em like this and you have my support! :D
LivingShadow 01-07-07, 12:52 PM	How about wraiths and shadows? I might be able to do them.
cog_n_taz 01-07-07, 07:03 PM	sure! Anything you can help with, let me know:). Bu I think they can wait until we get there. And thanks jakel, I'm still traumatized by eladrins, so it's good to hear that.
cog_n_taz 01-08-07, 02:19 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 01-08-07, 05:34 AM	Removed.
LivingShadow 01-08-07, 03:19 PM	I'll get to work on it. Just be sure to give credit to those who helped you if you sell this.
Hammerhead 01-08-07, 09:05 PM	Just so you know the reason they can be any good alignment is because they are angels. In the 3.5 MM the celestials are divided into 4 races: archon: LG eladrin: CG guardinal: NG angel: any good
cog_n_taz 01-09-07, 07:58 AM	I know from the SRD, thanks. And thank you for the advice LS, but I did say that the first half(with all the help, thanks guys!) will stay free, and the second half (PDF form) will be done solo by me. Considering the shoddy quality of the work, I was considering putting it at $0.5 or so, what do you guys think?
LivingShadow 01-09-07, 03:25 PM	You could always raise the price if need be. When would you want me to post my bit?
cog_n_taz 01-09-07, 05:37 PM	I think you should post it now, as it will be in the PDF otherwise. Okay, due to some very helpful advice from jayceMD, here's the new deal: all of it will be in the PDF(though the first half will still be available otherwise, and I'll give credit where it's due), along with a sort of first three rounds strategy which the MM does for some monsters, I reckon this should put it up at $1. I'm rather busy today as I was yesterday, but I will write my quota of 2 monsters at some point, sorry bout the delay. Oh, and stuff like mind flayers and beholders( non-OGL) won't be in there.
LivingShadow 01-09-07, 05:51 PM	Sounds good. Shadows OOC:Shadows are the lowest CR creatures that create spawn. They work best in shadowy areas where their appearance helps to conceal them. A clever DM could even have one pretend to be a PCs shadow. A PC may not even notice them if played correctly. Shadows also work well as a necromancer's minions, preferably as assassins, scouts, or spys. IC:Shadows can easily outrun low level PCs and work well using hit-and-run tactics. They have turn resistance making it harder for the cleric to be helpful in a battle with them. However they have a rather low AC making them easy prey for attacks and spells that require attack rolls (if they can bypass the incopreality). The strength damage it deals can make it harder to hit and also causes major problems at low levels where casters are one of the few ways to damage it. Also when one manages to take out a PC it doubles the difficulty of the battle by creating spawn. When using a shadow have it target spellcasters first as they will fall most quickly to its strength damage. After the spellcasters are done turn to the melee PC that has been damaging it the most or the PC wielding a Ghost touch weapon. Wraiths OOC:Wraiths are typically found most often in underground crypts which the sun never reaches as that minimizes the chances that it will be effected by sunlight. They are also another good choice for a necromancer's minions for the same reasons as the shadows and also because of their lethality. IC:These undead are very deadly. They can speak and can be used to freak the players out before attacking. IE:"Turn Baack, Turn Baaaaack." However it is essential that they attack at night or underground because of their weakness of sunlight. There is no way to run away short of teleporting as wraiths have a speed double that of the standard human. Any animals are useless against them due to the unnatural aura. Wraiths do con DRAIN when they hit making it very hard to recover from an encounter with one. Also when a wraith kills a PC their threat doubles due to create spawn. The dread wraith is just plain bad news and to me looks too strong for CR11 with AC and skill bonuses in the 20s. A rather nasty tactic is to have wraiths hide in the walls of a corridor and suddenly jump out (or reach out of the floor), drain lots of Con, and then run away. Most PCs wouldn't be able to chase them and if you repeat this tactic they will die rather fast. How did I do?
cog_n_taz 01-10-07, 04:14 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 01-10-07, 09:44 AM	Removed.
LivingShadow 01-10-07, 04:47 PM	Apparently I did okay with my two.
jakelslang21 01-10-07, 04:52 PM	Solar.... greatest... hands down.... Good job Cog, That put trumpet archons at my second favourite of your fantasic beasts
cog_n_taz 01-10-07, 10:16 PM	wheee! Half an hour`s work, two and a half A4 pages...thanks!
cog_n_taz 01-11-07, 11:08 PM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 01-12-07, 12:38 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 01-12-07, 04:49 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 01-13-07, 02:20 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 01-13-07, 04:33 AM	Removed.
Lurkalot 01-13-07, 06:47 PM	Cog_n_taz: I love your style of writing. "20d6 ballet bomb" and sneaky references like magic missiling the darkness in the darkmantle entry. I fully think you should sell the full version of this. I doubt you'll reach the audience you deserve, but this material is useful and entertaining. Great stuff!
cog_n_taz 01-13-07, 07:36 PM	Good to hear, thank you. Basically, I try not to make anyone fall asleep. It's really good to have some supporters for the eventual sale, since the PMs so far, barring on that was helpful, are all of the "flak cannon of wrath" variety. I just got up, and since I'm far from sentient at the moment, the next entry will probably be in a few hours. By the way, just curious, which monster strategy was the nastiest so far? I don't mean best written, but most likely to cause a TPK. P.S. I will probably make the book rather lower on the levity scale to match what most expect. Also, I don't really expect any sales on it at all, seeing as it's my first book. In all honesty, I'd be surprised to see anyone buying it, considering how anti most DMs are towards 3rd party stuff.
jakelslang21 01-13-07, 07:54 PM	I think the dretch was the best. A great mob boss battle for low level players. And as they get stronger they fight swarms of them more frequently as normal foes.
cog_n_taz 01-13-07, 08:13 PM	the dretch? Hmm, that's a bit of a surprise. The thing is, at the sort of EL that you get more than two of em, fireball has already been invented... Personally, I'm caught between test tube bodaks(I don't count behirs, that's just nasty:P) and the silenced, invisible vrocks.
jakelslang21 01-13-07, 08:57 PM	the stinking cloud tactic thats all. The dretches could do that to kill time till the babau commander comes in to fight the pcs then the dretches flee.
cog_n_taz 01-13-07, 08:58 PM	The thing is, it only nauseates now, so scare would be better to buy time, but yeah. Also, I happen to have some very nasty rules for flames inside a stinking cloud.
cog_n_taz 01-14-07, 12:28 AM	Removed.
HarlequinHelsing 01-14-07, 01:52 AM	Cog, this is wonderful. Keep up the good work.
cog_n_taz 01-14-07, 07:35 AM	Removed.
Johnny_Angel 01-14-07, 08:19 AM	I have to admit... I'm a bit tired, and when I glanced at the topic, I thought it said "Fantastic Breasts and How To Use Them." Anyway, now that I have realized what the thread is about, I'm just going to say that Goatfolk from Monster Manual III are melee machines when used in groups. They get bonuses from being near each other. Team a group of them with a spell caster, and you have a pretty sweet mid-level PC Killing machine in the works.
cog_n_taz 01-14-07, 08:32 AM	Okay, I have to smite you for the misinterpretation now *ballet bomb*. Now that that's finished, onto goatfolk. Seeing as they're not in the core MM, that's a job for secrets untold, keep an eye on his thread and you're gold.
Johnny_Angel 01-14-07, 08:38 AM	Okay, I have to smite you for the misinterpretation now *ballet bomb*. Now that that's finished, onto goatfolk. Seeing as they're not in the core MM, that's a job for secrets untold, keep an eye on his thread and you're gold. Thanks for setting me on the right path, Cog. I should have read all of the first page before posting, but I failed to do so.
cog_n_taz 01-14-07, 08:39 AM	No problem:)
cog_n_taz 01-14-07, 05:30 PM	no updates for the following 30-ish hours, sorry guys.
Azar_of_Faerun 01-14-07, 06:25 PM	http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y46/AzarKing/Aliens_idhitit.jpg
cog_n_taz 01-14-07, 09:47 PM	Azar, please don`t spam. In fact, please edit that pic out.
cog_n_taz 01-17-07, 08:13 AM	Okay, just giving a warning in advance: starting in five days, I'll be away for about 3~4 weeks. All is not lost though, I'll just put it all on a word file and repost it when I'm back (and who knows.. I may have the time for updates in the mean time.)
Johnny_Angel 01-17-07, 09:33 AM	Cog, in your opinion, what would you say the top 5 most underused/overlooked monsters in MMI are?
LivingShadow 01-17-07, 02:51 PM	I know my vote goes to the yeth hound and lolocath(sp?) as least used.
cog_n_taz 01-17-07, 08:38 PM	gimme some time and I'll tell you, but yeth hounds and locathahs are definitely high up there.
cog_n_taz 01-21-07, 09:00 AM	Just finished word-filing the lot. I may be able to pose more while I'm away, but in all honesty, don't count on it. I won't be able to post more, save the top 5 underused monsters(in my experience only) 1: ethereal filcher 2: yeth hound 3: ethereal marauder 4: grey render 5: yrthak
Grizzled Gryphon 02-04-07, 12:03 PM	this thread hasn't died, has it? I hope not...
cog_n_taz 02-05-07, 10:16 AM	Okay, just giving a warning in advance: starting in five days, I'll be away for about 3~4 weeks. All is not lost though, I'll just put it all on a word file and repost it when I'm back (and who knows.. I may have the time for updates in the mean time.) Yes and no, really. Prolly back up for real in about 2~2.5 weeks, sorry.
Illithid_Tentacles 02-05-07, 06:20 PM	I misread the thread title as "Fantastic breasts and how to use them..." Okay, that's all I had to add. Carry on.
Rake 02-06-07, 12:57 PM	Hey cog, you've got a good thing going, here. I've just recently inhereted some free time, and read through all six pages of this. Really thoughtful stuff. Also, if I may: that retriever/vrock combo is really sick. My players would beat me with the hardback manuals if I did that.
cog_n_taz 02-15-07, 09:50 AM	IT, that has been posted before, stop it, stop it now *smite*. Rake, thanks for the compliment, that happened to me too, I just left the gritty bits. They used all three core rulebooks, plus complete arcane for good measure. to the rest of you, I'll be back in a week-ish.
cog_n_taz 02-20-07, 09:02 PM	Okay everyone, I'm finally back. I should be getting back to my regularly scheduled 2 entries-a-day-if-I-feel-like-it, but I'm rather tired at the moment, so I won't have any quite yet. When I have them up though, they will be at top notch quality(think solars), consider it compensation.
Grizzled Gryphon 02-20-07, 09:17 PM	All hail the return of Cog the Magnificent, He who is Well Informed in the Ways and Hows of Monsterous Destruction of the Pitiful and Lowly PC's.
cog_n_taz 02-20-07, 09:49 PM	Um...thanks. All the same though, I'm a bit worried about you guys getting the wrong idea here. You aren't supposed to grab all the tricks and do your best to put together a TPK, that's not the point. My intention was that you guys would take a few of the ideas I wrote down and use them to make the encounters challenging and interesting, but not actually, well... consistently lethal. Oh well, whatever works:). Anyways, I just got back home from a 1-month trip, so it's about time I fell unconcious, bye.
Grizzled Gryphon 02-20-07, 10:01 PM	Well, that was, for the most part, a joke. I like what you have done here, as it adds some dimensions to what some o these creatures can do. I don't always see all the potential that these critters can get to, and a lot of your ideas have given me some insight to this. Keep up the great work, and thanks for all you have done so far. It is very well thought out, and well done, too.
cog_n_taz 02-20-07, 10:35 PM	Thanks, I'm glad I'm not just taken as a TPK engine:). Anyways, I'll start working on the next two entries now.
cog_n_taz 02-21-07, 12:13 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 02-22-07, 08:11 AM	Removed.
Nara 02-22-07, 09:56 PM	Thank you for all your help. It was also cool of you to be the only one who replyed to my thread. I loves you! :bow:
cog_n_taz 02-22-07, 11:00 PM	you're welcome, glad I could help:).
HarlequinHelsing 02-23-07, 07:03 PM	Great entry for the nalfeshnee, cog. I think you just totally reversed my opinion about them. I had no desire to throw them at parties before (maybe it was the visual effect for the smite ability, I dunno, it was probably the godawful artwork) but now they definitely seem worthwhile. I especially like the strategy, I had an idea of the PCs having to climb some huge set of spiral stairs in the open to get to the demon. Very well done.
cog_n_taz 02-23-07, 07:30 PM	Glad you liked it, have fun.
Lurkalot 02-25-07, 04:56 PM	Um...thanks. All the same though, I'm a bit worried about you guys getting the wrong idea here. You aren't supposed to grab all the tricks and do your best to put together a TPK, that's not the point. My intention was that you guys would take a few of the ideas I wrote down and use them to make the encounters challenging and interesting, but not actually, well... consistently lethal. Oh well, whatever works:). Anyways, I just got back home from a 1-month trip, so it's about time I fell unconcious, bye. I don't see it as a way to get TPK's. I see it as a way to bring more realism into the setting. The sort of detailed suggestions you are providing are the sort of things that these creatures would do whether by learning, logic or instinct. That makes a game more realistic and that's what I like in my game. Not "you enter a 10' x 10' room, an orc is guarding a chest." ;) Great work, Cog. If I may make one suggestion on the issue of Glabrezus and temptation, you rightly point out the difficulties it has in tricking players, etc, but your response is to try and find ways to overcome this. Instead, I would suggest following it to its logical conclusion and realising that trickery isn't going to work for the big doggy crab one. The way that people with strict morals have always fallen throughout history is through making concessions for the "ends justify the means approach." Start small and bigger crimes will surely follow. One example, just to illustrate what I mean would be as follows: The players are waging a small war against some enemy force. They need to chase one villain to stop him assembling the Rod of Ancient Plot Device or whatever, but they also need to stop the approaching orc clan from ravaging the village. Enter the demon, who presents himself as either having common cause (the villain once bound him and he wants revenge by foiling his plans), or he will offer to help in exchange for some minor service / gift that is wrong, but balanced against the deaths of the villagers is only little. It's a choice that 8/10 paladins will fail every time. Then you can change the scale. Maybe the orc clan got reinfocements and isn't wiped out but merely held off. Now the demon wants a little more in return for continued service. Or perhaps a visiting dignitary or high-ranking member of the party's religion shows up and the demon wants more in return for aid. Keep the players busy with one hand and weave a mesh of dependency about them. Before they know it, they'll find that neither of their choices are good ones, and the only way out is yet another underhand path. Just my thoughts, but that s how it seems to work in real life so I think it's a good approach for the game too. :) Anyway, great thread and thanks for keeping it going so long.
cog_n_taz 02-27-07, 08:16 AM	thanks, vunderful advice:). I'm back from another trip, but I'm also barely awake, and will be busy tommorow, so it may be about 19~20 hours before your next entry or more, sorry!
Grizzled Gryphon 02-27-07, 09:10 PM	Curse those pesky real life responsibilities!! Why do they always have to get in the way? Sheesh, they act like they are so important!!
cog_n_taz 02-27-07, 09:30 PM	They've been dutifully terminated, no worries. I'll write up the marilith entry once I have stuff to fill in the OOC bit.
cog_n_taz 02-28-07, 10:03 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 03-02-07, 04:02 AM	I'm back, and working on the balor entry right now:).
cog_n_taz 03-02-07, 04:04 AM	Or not, it'll have to wait, sorry. Would you guys prefer it 3.0 or 3.5?
Grizzled Gryphon 03-02-07, 09:37 PM	3.5 gets my vote!!
HarlequinHelsing 03-02-07, 10:18 PM	I'd prefer 3.5, please.
Thomar_of_Uointer 03-03-07, 01:00 AM	3.5, mostly for DR fixes.
cog_n_taz 03-03-07, 01:10 AM	Just checking, as the roles are quite different from 3.0 to 3.5. Unfortunately, you may need to wait even longer, as I have a birthday party to attend.
cog_n_taz 03-06-07, 08:51 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 03-06-07, 08:54 AM	That was 1.5 times longer than the solar entry, BTW:D.
cog_n_taz 03-07-07, 04:38 AM	Removed.
Thomar_of_Uointer 03-07-07, 12:08 PM	material: there are two uses for this. The first is to lower damage by shattering holy symbols and weapons (no holy symbol=rather useless cleric), as well as spellbooks of unusual materials. The second, rather less common one is that by 7th level, stoneskin, barkskin and the like become common, and destrachans can therefore shatter the skin. Now, it may not be instant death, but personally I'd make it duplicate the effect of a flaying spell(complete arcane), possibly happening all at once. Geez. I just use the +2/-2 rule (net -4 penalty to the saving throw), or just have it deal damage as Flesh. Besides, Material specifically caps at 30 pounds, so most PCs won't be harmed by it.
qwerty1 03-07-07, 12:45 PM	Might I suggest an Index so people can just link to the Monster in Question? This Post is becomming large and unsearchable even with google. Just my :twocents:
cog_n_taz 03-07-07, 05:08 PM	right-o, that'll be my next job,than.
cog_n_taz 03-07-07, 05:53 PM	Done:)
Grizzled Gryphon 03-07-07, 09:08 PM	One question I have on the Destrachan. Is it smart enough to target holy symbols, or ranged weapons? I see this more as a way for the critter to get at the soft, yummy stuff under armor, and the like. Or to move stuff out of its den that it doesn't want there, like rocks or other junk.
cog_n_taz 03-07-07, 09:52 PM	Int 12, as well as wis 18 to figure out what it's for, would be more than enough, I think.
Grizzled Gryphon 03-07-07, 10:01 PM	Int 12, as well as wis 18 to figure out what it's for, would be more than enough, I think. Oh, I should have looked at the stats in the MM. :P Well, I was thinking they were much less intelligent. However, considering they are smarter than the average human, elf, dwarf, etc., I guess they CAN target pretty much anything they want. With an intelligence that high, couldn't they be influenced with Diplomancy, and the like? I know this is a horrible example, but I played a DnD video game (Baldurs Gate, I think) where the Drow had Destrachan working with them. At least, I think they were Destrachan. What are your thoughts about this idea? By 'idea', I mean possibly hiring them, or the like.
cog_n_taz 03-07-07, 10:28 PM	This is covered to some extent in the OOC entry. Also, I don't seem to remember drow or destrachans from BG. Then again, I've been trying very hard to forget it. Like I said, you could bluff/intimidate/diplominate them into working for you, but they can't speak, are neutral evil, look like something hideously evil, etc. So in most cases, it simply isn't worth it as a character.
Grizzled Gryphon 03-08-07, 09:00 PM	Diplominate. That word is awesome. I am so going to use that from now on. On a related note, I think it is rather ironic that a creature that is basically a master of sound, and smarter than your average human, can't talk. This brings me much mirth. If someone told me about this thing, with its mastery of all things sonic, I would have expected it to have some bard like abilities. Instead, I find out it can't even talk.
cog_n_taz 03-09-07, 02:48 AM	On a similar note, I had a necromancy based sorcerec once. Referred to him as a "diplomancer", I.E. someone who raises your diploma from the dead:P. Feel free to rule against the ridicolous lack of speech, BTW. It doesn't have bard abilities, but since tongues has touch range, you could have someone cast it on a destrachan, so that it can either speak all languages or... not speak in every language you could possibly imagine. Rule as you want, really, and a destrachan bard would be cool. BTW, I seem to remember dest's as a 3rd ed monster. Baldur's gate was abandoned in a ditch by me (not quite), due to the crap plot followed by the "I am your father, luke" ending.
Grizzled Gryphon 03-09-07, 07:54 PM	I don't think it was Baldurs Gate, after all. I think it was a game where in you fought a Bulette for the first 'boss'. Can't remeber the name, though.
cog_n_taz 03-13-07, 12:05 AM	Just in case anyone thought the thread was dead, it's not, and you will all get your next sulforous entry some time soon.
cog_n_taz 03-13-07, 10:07 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 03-16-07, 09:31 PM	Don't expect the imp entry too soon. I'll probably be busy being horribly ill for the next few days:(.
jakelslang21 03-16-07, 09:45 PM	Nice job Cog (As always :D ) for making another great entry in your Fantastic Beasts and how to use em'. So umm yeah thats pretty much it.
cog_n_taz 03-16-07, 11:50 PM	Thanks, glad you liked it. Good to see that GG isn't the only one reading this stuff.
Grizzled Gryphon 03-17-07, 09:32 PM	I was starting to wonder... Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well, though. Hope you get better soon.
cog_n_taz 03-18-07, 02:12 AM	*cough* *hack* *splat* *vomit* *die* Ahem, anyway, you can expect the imp entry in a few hours:P. By the way, is there anyone actually subscribed to this thread?
Lurkalot 03-18-07, 03:57 AM	Thanks, glad you liked it. Good to see that GG isn't the only one reading this stuff. There are lots of us reading, Cog. We just don't want to spread out the thread with endless posts of praise and gratitude, which I'm sure you don't want. ;) Seriously, I've done quite a bit of stuff as PDFs on my own website and because I can track the number of downloads I've been stunned how many people are out there grabbing my work. I posted a link to some of my fiction on the Dumpshock shadowrun boards. Eight or nine replies over the course of three weeks. I check my downloads and find I've passed the hundred mark for people downloading it. And dumpshock has a much smaller population than the WotC boards. My Eberron NPCs were posted over a year ago and I still get a few of them downloaded every week. So yes, people ought to post feedback more often (it's all great so far, seen Lemure in a whole new light and can't wait for Imps, btw), but be assured that there will be a lot of people out there enjoying / using your work who never will. Now hurry up and find a cleric to cast Cure Disease and give us some more. ;) :P (Seriously - hope you're feeling better). -Khadim. EDIT: By the way, is there anyone actually subscribed to this thread? Yup!
cog_n_taz 03-18-07, 04:25 AM	Thanks as always for the long and detailed reply LA. It's not particularly that I'm looking for more praise, though I don't think it's the spamfest you make it out to be. Rather, I want response of any sort: partly to show that people are still reading, and partly for...well, opinion on the entries, which bits to fix, etc. As well as which entries are the best, so that I know what style to use:).
cog_n_taz 03-18-07, 04:26 AM	Yup! ...woot!
cog_n_taz 03-18-07, 06:18 AM	Removed.
Grizzled Gryphon 03-18-07, 09:17 AM	*cough* *hack* *splat* *vomit* *die* Ahem, anyway, you can expect the imp entry in a few hours:P. By the way, is there anyone actually subscribed to this thread? Of course.
cog_n_taz 03-18-07, 09:20 AM	wootx2!:D Ahh...the joys of nearly spamming my own thread...:P
Thomar_of_Uointer 03-18-07, 04:50 PM	On commune as a spell-like ability: Why not twist the rules? They're devils, right? "Hey, boss, would you flay me if I told you there were twenty-five infantry, thirteen lancers, and fifty calvary located in the Vale of Shards and they'll be setting out tomorrow at sunrise?" "I'd say no, you'd better hump your tail back to base and tell the corporal to move his camp five miles downriver, over and out."
cog_n_taz 03-18-07, 11:05 PM	That's a lot better, thanks.
cog_n_taz 03-22-07, 08:24 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 03-23-07, 10:25 PM	updated the index. Won't be updating the entries for a while though, going to be busy for some time.
Grizzled Gryphon 03-23-07, 10:54 PM	The new entries are pretty nice, cog. However, I am still stuck on the Destrachan Bard idea... I might just have to cook one up and throw it at the party I am DMing for...
cog_n_taz 03-23-07, 11:25 PM	Good idea, they'll be in for a surprise. How about singing in sign language? destrachan: *wave* *flap* *fwoosh* furniture: *clang* party: what was that? bard: ...I think it's the look of music.
HarlequinHelsing 03-23-07, 11:30 PM	Stopping in to say I'm still alive, somewhat well, and reading this thread religiously. Great work on the imp entry, I've always preferred them over quasits.
cog_n_taz 03-23-07, 11:33 PM	thanks. Also, I have just discovered that imp. invis with poison allows for cheese quite similar to the quasit version, off to edit now:D.
cog_n_taz 03-24-07, 07:46 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 03-24-07, 08:58 PM	...wow, just had the worst earthquake in several years here in japan. Luckily, me and everyone I know are alright.
HarlequinHelsing 03-25-07, 12:15 AM	Woah. That's kinda scary, it's been like 6 or 7 years since Seattle got hit. Does that mean we're next? :hides: Good to hear you're alright, cog.
cog_n_taz 03-25-07, 02:12 AM	magnitude 7.1, apparently. So far there's a few hundred injured (mostly mild), property damage, and one dead. Meanwhile, the house shook a little and one glass wobbled a bit:D.
HarlequinHelsing 03-29-07, 09:46 PM	:bump: to keep the thread alive.
cog_n_taz 03-29-07, 11:48 PM	Thanks. I am here, but like I said, I can't post often.
cog_n_taz 04-15-07, 06:44 PM	I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! That's right, your players are doomed:D. I'm kinda tired though, so don't expect anything for a bit.
Grizzled Gryphon 04-15-07, 11:55 PM	Hooray!!! Welcome back!! Glad to see you. By the way, I used your info for the Imp, and very nearly TPK'ed the party. All they have done from that point is RAVE about that fight. So, thanks again.
cog_n_taz 04-16-07, 12:48 AM	Glad they liked it:). Did you use the invis trick or not?
Grizzled Gryphon 04-16-07, 08:19 PM	The invis trick? Do you mean go invis, sting them, and then run away? Then yes, I did. The 'combat' actually took several times of them rolling init, as the Imp would sting and full retreat. Then, a few minutes later, sting, and full retreat. They were in a dungeon that the Imp not only new like the back of its claw, but also had tiny tunnels just its size up close to the ceiling (usually 20 ft up). By the way, they hate Imps now. REALLY hate imps. And Kenku's and Psion's, too, but that is another (two) stories altogether. Oh, and Clerics of Heironius. Again, though, another story. Did I mention they aren't very fond of Dwarves, either?
cog_n_taz 04-16-07, 08:43 PM	Yes, that's what I meant. Glad you didn't get hardcovered for it, to be honest. Just wondering though... what have you done to your players?
Grizzled Gryphon 04-17-07, 07:48 PM	Oh, you mean all the other stuff they hate now? Well, that is a long story, and I don't want to tie up your thread with it. It is mostly other players, though, not me. Ex-players, to be exact.
cog_n_taz 04-19-07, 09:13 AM	Much as I hate to say it, I'm ill ad busy...again. Don't expect anything for a while.
Grizzled Gryphon 04-19-07, 08:43 PM	OK, you need to get healthy and bored. That is all there is too it.
cog_n_taz 04-29-07, 06:35 AM	Alright, I'm finally well again, and writing the next entry as I speak, stay tuned!
cog_n_taz 04-29-07, 09:47 AM	Removed.
HarlequinHelsing 04-29-07, 12:27 PM	:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: Excellent entry as usual, cog.
cog_n_taz 04-29-07, 06:22 PM	It was a pleasure to wirte, it's one of few monsters where the unspoken roles fit the abilities well, as well as one that can be improved vastly in combat with but a few changes (admittedly, the econd part is less than rare).
Grizzled Gryphon 04-29-07, 09:26 PM	Sweetness. A hellcat with levels of rogue. All it needs, then, is light cast on it. Wouldn't that freak out the party; you can see that there is a light source, but you can't see where it is coming from. You can, however, tell that it is coming right at you...
cog_n_taz 04-29-07, 09:45 PM	Well yes, but glowing in any case might as well negate the invis:P. Daylight, IMO, is better, and cast on something the PCs have. In general though, by that elvel, they've already done that bit of the work for you. Anyway, glad you liked it.
Grizzled Gryphon 04-29-07, 10:13 PM	Hmm, how would the glowing negate the invis? As they are only invis in light, and they are the source of said light, they would be invis all the time. Well, as long as the light spell lasted, anyway. Another option, of course, is one of those nifty dancing lanterns from the Item Compendium. It is almost like that was made for the Hellcat...
cog_n_taz 04-29-07, 10:54 PM	Dunno what that is, but if you can tell where it is from the glow, well...
Grizzled Gryphon 04-30-07, 06:32 PM	The dancing lantern is basically a hands free lantern that has a magical light source. It can float around you and reponds to your mental directions. So, it can move about, or just stay in the same spot in relation to you (over your right shoulder, above your head, ten feet ahead of you, you get the idea).
cog_n_taz 04-30-07, 07:23 PM	nice!
cog_n_taz 05-13-07, 04:52 AM	As much as I hate to bring bad news, expect my posting to be somewhat diminished for a week or so, I'm converting all of (warcraft)goblin and gnomish engineering widgets into D&D rules under one book for my dad's birthday present. After that though, my original computer should be back, so you can expect a whole lot more from me. 'till then!:)
nox 05-13-07, 11:24 AM	Just "noticed" this thread and wanted to say: Some really good ideas for monster-usage I never even thought about. Keep up the good work!
cog_n_taz 05-14-07, 03:39 AM	Glad you like it, thanks:).
cog_n_taz 06-04-07, 01:00 AM	Whew, it's good to be back!:) First of all, I'd like to apologize to everyone who has been tolerating and reading this book-to-be, life caught up with me and I didn't really have time for anything for a few months, but it's no excuse for abandoning all this. The good news is that I will be considerably less busy from now on, and writing a lot to make up for the time lost. Once again, thank you for your patience, all of you:) .
cog_n_taz 06-04-07, 02:44 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 06-04-07, 06:53 AM	Removed.
fiendish_platypus 06-04-07, 07:50 AM	Wow, you got some really good stuff here, Cog, nice work, I might use some of these myself. EDIT: Second thread I've ever subscribed to, again, nice work.
cog_n_taz 06-04-07, 09:02 AM	Thanks, I'm kinda hoping you will, since the whole thing is just a big wad of text if it's not used. Thanks for subscribing, by the way. Mind if I ask what the other thread is? (so I can smite it:P)
fiendish_platypus 06-04-07, 04:07 PM	It's called the Weekly Monster Thread, I plan on posting some of my stuff there, maybe.
fiendish_platypus 06-04-07, 04:25 PM	EDIT: Nevermind
cog_n_taz 06-04-07, 08:17 PM	haven't looked at it, but it looks like quite a good thread, shame you messed up on your second choice:P . Anyways, gelugons coming soon, stay tuned!
cog_n_taz 06-04-07, 09:28 PM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 06-05-07, 08:02 AM	The cornugon/pit fiend entries will be somewhat delayed, seeing as the entries will, in the finest tradition of high CR entries, be mind-bogglingly huge.
jakelslang21 06-05-07, 04:28 PM	Good job on the Gelugon, Cog. This would be really useful for a friend of mine who is running a mid-level campaign involving the Nine Hells and the like. Good luck on the Pit Fiend and Cornugon.
HarlequinHelsing 06-05-07, 05:52 PM	Hey, it's back! Great new entries, Cog, can't wait for the Cornugon and Pit Fiend.
cog_n_taz 06-06-07, 10:33 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 06-06-07, 10:34 AM	Whew, that was a lot of typing...XD
fiendish_platypus 06-06-07, 04:08 PM	Whew, that was a lot of typing...XD And a lot of reading, but I wouldn't know, I'm to busy right now to read it, anyway looks great, can't wait to read it!
cog_n_taz 06-06-07, 05:59 PM	...yay!:D
cog_n_taz 06-07-07, 04:26 AM	Starting on the pit fiend entry now, I'll be taking a break in half an hour or so for homework, and dinner at some point too, but will otherwise work on it until it's ready, which will some time tonight. On second thought, may the force be with me, I'll need it if I'm gonna swing that.
cog_n_taz 06-07-07, 07:29 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 06-07-07, 07:32 AM	Two things: I now do descriptions for various monsters and spells on request by PM, and a note about devils: It does not say anywhere in the 3.5 SRD that summoned devils cannot summon more, yes, you heard me right.:D
Lurkalot 06-07-07, 04:16 PM	Cog_n_taz: This is really good stuff. And not only useful information, but funny style, too. I particularly liked: A: CdG them and get hardbacked. :D You were planning to do all of this as a compiled volume at some point, weren't you? Is that still on the cards? At any rate, I really appreciate this hugely useful thread. By the way, did I miss the Erynyes or have you not got to it yet? -K.
cog_n_taz 06-07-07, 05:58 PM	Yeah, always has been my plan, though for the sake of my own sanity, I will leave animals and vermin for another book. The erinyes and succubus seriously offend me, so I skipped em both. To be honest, I'm surprised you didn't notice before.
Lurkalot 06-07-07, 07:07 PM	Yeah, always has been my plan, though for the sake of my own sanity, I will leave animals and vermin for another book. Very wise. I'll look forward to the compiled version. I forsee a lot of downloads in your future. On the off-chance you don't have your own hosting, feel free to PM me and I can do that for free. Wouldn't mind if you just wanted to just direct link from another site, either. I genuinely think this is a really useful and inspirational thread and I'm amazed that you're still going. The erinyes and succubus seriously offend me, so I skipped em both. To be honest, I'm surprised you didn't notice before. I noticed ages ago and figured it might be something like that, just hadn't mentioned it before. I reckon I can manage those myself though. :) Cheers, -K.
cog_n_taz 06-09-07, 01:08 AM	gonna be busy today, so no entries.
Gideon_Gideonson 06-10-07, 01:38 AM	This is absolutely amazing, Cog. Sheer brilliance! Now I wish I had thought of it. :D Anyway, keep up the good work!
cog_n_taz 06-10-07, 02:46 AM	Wha...gideon? Wait, how did you kno...Oh, right, I have a big mouth. Anyway, thanks, not only did you make my day, but that coming from you made my year, seriously. Lurk, thanks a lot for the offer, but I will likely put this up on a site that sells lots of these obscure 3rd party books (such as drivethruRPG or RPGnow). If you would like to link to or advertise it, though, than you have my gratitude. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS: First of all, there will be one entry tommorow at most, quite possibly none. Secondly, dire animals and dinosaurs will be included in the animals book, after this one. Last but not least, dragons will be left for the second half (I.E. the bit you pay or hack for:P), due to demand as well as the vast amount of work it would take to do a decent entry for all the MM dragons. Next up, devourers, my favorite undead!
cog_n_taz 06-10-07, 05:04 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 06-10-07, 06:30 AM	Gonna start writing the digester entry now, expect it to be smaller than the devourer entry, as it's less complicated both in and out of combat.
cog_n_taz 06-10-07, 07:21 AM	Removed.
HarlequinHelsing 06-10-07, 12:50 PM	Good entry for the devourer, cog. Just some thoughts on how to make it better (the monster, not the entry), and some other thoughts as well: -Why would a monster with True Seeing have Blind-Fight as a feat? :confused: This could easily be replaced with Improved Toughness to get the HP up to 90. Still not spectacular, but better than before. -Combat Casting. Ew. Even without a Con score there's no reason this thing shouldn't make its' Concentration checks every time. (Same goes for PCs, but that's another story). Maybe replace this with Ability Focus (Trap Essence) or something like that. -Let's talk about HD for a minute. As with many other monsters where CR>HD or CR=Damn near HD, the devourer makes me cry in that respect. But there's a light at the end of the tunnel, and that light is advancement rules. Undead like the devourer add +1 CR per 4 Hit Die added. And the devourer can be advanced up to 24 HD (Large), or as much as 36 if you want to go Huge. So a Large Advanced Devourer could have 24 HD at CR 14, or a Huge with 36 HD for CR 19. Not bad, eh? -From the look of the SLAs and such, the devourer's place is not on the front lines (despite WotC's best attempts to make it seem as such). Seems to me like this one should be a more subtle villian with sudden, violent, put-on-a-dry-pair-of-britches outbursts every once in awhile. The SLAs also suggest that this is the kind of monster that could be introduced early on in a campaign. Example: Zombies, wights, and other less-dangerous undead begin turning up in the town the PCs currently reside in. Then, unexpectedly, their devourer master shows up and kidnaps [Insert name of authority figure here] while his goons take hostages. The PCs narrowly escape with their lives. Much later, when they're strong enough to fight the devourer, they first have to track it down to its palace on the Astral Plane. But it can't be just another fight, can it? Nope - Surprise! The captured essence isn't that of the authority figure, but rather of [Insert name of PC loved one]! -The Incarnum idea is pure brilliance. I might have to use a devourer incarnate as my next BBEG. Good entry for the digester as well. Never been a huge fan of the monster myself, I blame the name and the picture. And finally, I know it's a bit early for this, but would you mind if I wrote the entries for hags? Fun monsters, the cause of several TPKs for parties I've DMed. And scary if you're not prepared.
Lurkalot 06-10-07, 04:50 PM	Lurk, thanks a lot for the offer, but I will likely put this up on a site that sells lots of these obscure 3rd party books (such as drivethruRPG or RPGnow). If you would like to link to or advertise it, though, than you have my gratitude. I don't advertise, but I'll probably buy a copy from Drivethru when it's up. You should keep a few things back so that those who buy get a little something extra for their money.
cog_n_taz 06-10-07, 06:06 PM	As I said, lurk, I'll be keeping everything from the letter K on, plus dragons. Dire animals and dinos go in another book. Harlequin, thanks for the massive amount of help. For some reason, I just couldn't picture the devourer as anything but a hunter, mind if I edit that stuff in? Also, I was pretty disgusted by the feat selection it was given too, but figured there was no need to change it with the new spell selection. Oh, and as for not using the digester, I don't blame you. Nevermind the name, that picture is terrible. Finally, I'd be more than happy if you would write the hag entry, but I rather it waited until we got there, for the sake of neatness. Perhaps you could write and PM it to me so I can post it as soon as I get there?
cog_n_taz 06-11-07, 06:22 AM	Gonna start writing up the doppleganger entry now, though it maynot be ready before my bedtime. Expect a big OOC section and some lame piddly little IC section (come on, the thing's got nothing special)
cog_n_taz 06-11-07, 06:49 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 06-11-07, 07:13 AM	doppleganger trivia: dopplegangers originally hail from german mythology. dragon turtle (next entry) trivia: their breath weapon used to do 20d6 damage, no kidding.
HarlequinHelsing 06-11-07, 06:00 PM	Harlequin, thanks for the massive amount of help. For some reason, I just couldn't picture the devourer as anything but a hunter, mind if I edit that stuff in? Also, I was pretty disgusted by the feat selection it was given too, but figured there was no need to change it with the new spell selection. Finally, I'd be more than happy if you would write the hag entry, but I rather it waited until we got there, for the sake of neatness. Perhaps you could write and PM it to me so I can post it as soon as I get there? Yeah, no problem, edit away. Glad I could help. My original impression of them was like yours, just a hunter (this is actually my default impression for Undead, so I may have lost some credibility there). But I never really looked at any of their SLAs or such until you wrote the entry on them. Thanks for opening my eyes to a new Undead BBEG! As for the Hag entry, great. I'll PM you when I'm done with it.
cog_n_taz 06-11-07, 06:54 PM	I still don't see why you're thanking me for your work, but you're welcome all the same. My initial look at devourers consisted of their description followed by stat block, so it was something like "yeah, devourers, awesome!...eh?"
cog_n_taz 06-12-07, 05:00 AM	Writing dragon turtles up as we speak, this is another monster to make the PCs tremble in their slippers if used correctly..
cog_n_taz 06-12-07, 05:11 AM	Okay, fixed the index first, now I'm starting.
cog_n_taz 06-12-07, 05:38 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 06-12-07, 07:49 AM	I'm gonna have to leave the dragonne as the sole entry for tommorow, and the dragon turtle as today's, sorry.
fiendish_platypus 06-12-07, 03:58 PM	dragon turtle (next entry) trivia: their breath weapon used to do 20d6 damage, no kidding. For you non-believers, going old-school. In combat, when neither its bite nor its capsizing attack is enough to defeat an enemy, a dragon turtle will use its breath weapon. The turtle can belch forth a cloud of scalding steam that will cover an area 60 feet long, 40 feet wide, and 40 feet high. This attack causes 20-120 points of damage (20d6), and characters or creatures making a saving throw vs. breath weapon take half damage. Like true dragons, dragon turtles can use this breath weapon three times a day. EDIT: That was from 2nd edition, not 3rd, I've never played 3rd...
HarlequinHelsing 06-12-07, 05:56 PM	defenses: immunity to fire, sleep and paralysis. Well, that rules out the obvious cast-and-CdG moves, but isn't all that great. Fire immunity may seem good at first glance, but take a moment to think about this: who in the abyss is going to cast a fire spell underwater? ...alright, you got me, an idiot might. Also, a Wizard with Steam Magic from Stormwrack. Immunity to fire leads to some interesting fight scenarios if you exploit it, though; why not have your DT live on an oceanic ridge, or amid some geysers shooting out superheated water? Good entry for this one.
cog_n_taz 06-13-07, 04:58 AM	I have no idea what steam magic is, since I don't have SW, sorry. On the other hand though, geysers work well. Oh, and thanks, but the IC bit, atleast, was no work whatsoever. Seriously, look at that thing!
cog_n_taz 06-13-07, 07:19 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 06-14-07, 02:11 AM	Writing driders up right now. Good news for all you elf buffs, I guess.:D
cog_n_taz 06-14-07, 03:21 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 06-15-07, 07:39 AM	Gonna be busy over the next few days, so you can expect little to no updates h ere.
LostMage 06-17-07, 10:06 PM	Hey, cog n taz! I've only read the first few entries, and I'd like to say, top notch! *grumbles* I wish I could use it on my PCs...I only meet some of them, like, twice a year.
cog_n_taz 06-21-07, 10:40 AM	It's topknot, actually, but thanks:P . Anyway, Y'all can expect me back here in a day or two, had a few things going on in my life that needed urgent sorting out.
Morrowner 06-22-07, 12:55 PM	With Ability Focus that "useless" Dragonne roar can be DC 25 by CR 10. Thats an easy will save to pass? Bull. Its hell on melee characters and -6 to Dexterity and Strength is nothing for an archer to laugh at. I used it and the loss of strength caused 2 characters to become encumbered and it was a big reason for the encounter leading to the near deaths of over half the party. With the Drider levels in Cleric and heavy armor is the way to go. They still suck in combat unless they are buffed to the gills, so the Driders are usually better off by casting offensive Cleric spells. Anyhow, really good job, just had to disagree with the Roar thing.
cog_n_taz 06-23-07, 08:15 AM	Thanks morrowner. The drider cleric would be quite flavorful and tough, although I agree that they should stay out of the way. I'd agree with you on the roar thing, except... well, look up dragonnes under the SRD, roar just isn't what it used to be at all. Anyway, gonna write up giant eagles now.
cog_n_taz 06-23-07, 08:17 AM	Writing up giant eagles now, and trying not to look at the wad of elementals right ahead...
cog_n_taz 06-23-07, 10:45 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 06-28-07, 04:34 AM	Writing up air elementals, sorry bout the delay, life's a mess right now...
cog_n_taz 06-28-07, 06:09 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 07-05-07, 10:26 PM	Removed.
HarlequinHelsing 07-06-07, 01:12 PM	Nice! Glad to know I'm not the only one out there who likes elementals. And apparently for good reason, too. Sorry I haven't got the hag entry in yet, life's been moving pretty fast. And just when I thought I caught up, I have to leave again. Fortunately I'm leaving to the end of nowhere, so I should have plenty of time to write the entry up. Should have it in by a week from tomorrow.
cog_n_taz 07-06-07, 06:44 PM	hey, don't worry, I know how it is. My life has been more of a mess than any of oyu want to imagine, and life-threatning at a few points, so I couldn't really keep up here. I am, however, back now. And yes, I am the biggest elemental fan on the face of the earth, though I try not to overuse them. Doesn't make the entries any easier to write, though, given the size of em:P .
cog_n_taz 07-13-07, 06:09 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 07-14-07, 06:29 AM	By the way, a bit of trivia about fire elementals: they weigh exactly as much as air elementals, despite the fact that, being a chemical reaction, they should weigh nothing at all. Come to that, they're not really an element, but let's not go there.
LivingShadow 07-14-07, 08:13 AM	Building on that trivia. The reason they are considered elementals is due to the ancient greeks. According to them all things were made with a combonation of earth, wind, fire, and water. IE: bush: Earth-grows from it. Wind-blows through it Water-is needed to sustain it Fire-it burns
cog_n_taz 07-14-07, 08:32 AM	Yup, I knew that, but thanks all the same. I was just sayin' that being a chemical reaction, it's even less of an element than, say, air.
cog_n_taz 07-15-07, 02:46 AM	Gonna write up the water elemental entry now, prepare for some rule-bending trivia later on!
cog_n_taz 07-15-07, 04:07 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 07-15-07, 06:48 AM	As for the rule-bending trivia I promised... remember the vast amount of hit dice that elementals get? Well... if your hd and class levels total 21+, you get epic feats, right? (well, unless you're a dragon, things get weird there) So... a suitably big elemental+one class level (monk if you can justify it, fighter if not)= EPIC. In light of that, munchkin away!:D
LivingShadow 07-15-07, 07:18 AM	You should post that on the Char-op boards.
cog_n_taz 07-15-07, 07:58 AM	Nah, it's not that amazing... plus, I'm sure they figured it out already, and they have better: venerable cheesewrought kobold. Thanks all the same though.
HarlequinHelsing 07-15-07, 10:38 PM	Wow. Water elemental entry. Definitely one of the best you've written. I really really like the necromental/tainted lake idea. I can totally picture (and already have; see below) the final fight of that quest being completely and utterly Dragonlance-esque epic. Here's what I almost immediately thought of happening: The lake that the necromental chooses to infect is a holy shrine of a clan of river merfolk. They are the first exterminated the the necromental, but the guardian of the shrine was left behind: A Celestial dire shark. It's bound to the shrine, its duty to protect the place from intruders. So in the final, epic, gut-wrenching, players-weeping-blood battle of the campaign, the necromental does two things: it kills the shrine guardian, and it calls a dying curse down upon the lake. As it dies, the water in the lake turns to blood and forms a gigantic vortex centered on the shrine. The blood then turns to locusts, which enter the shrine and ravage it. The shrine's gleaming walls turn black, its spires crumble, et cetera. No water ever returns to the lake. And there's one final twist: The shrine guardian has failed its duty, so now it is doomed to patrol the crater of the lake (which it cannot leave) as a ghost brute (Libris Mortis). And I just spent my creativity reserves for the week on that. You can figure out how the PCs must set the ghost's soul to rest. But yeah. Like I said, great article. Elves are next, aren't they? Fun.
cog_n_taz 07-16-07, 12:14 AM	Actually, I don't really do player races, there's millions of sources for that, all infinitely better than anything I can write. Oh, and...awesome story, nice one! I have got to do that now. I wasn't aware of any big surge in quality, but thanks all the same, it's not as if I went into mych detail over the necromental idea. Oh, by the way, I have used the third idea that I mentioned there and tied it in with the earth elemental one I wrote, it worked quite well. Also, how does the IC bit compare to the average entry?
HarlequinHelsing 07-16-07, 01:09 AM	IC was great. Adding feat-replacement suggestions was a fantastic idea, since apparently WotC seem to think that monsters need to be really really aware. And not good at anything they do. There has to be some kind of use for drench, but I can't figure it out right now. Maybe there isn't. Strategy is brutal, I love it. Thanks for not doing elves, by the way. They're becoming quite the spotlight hogs. That means... :rofl: the Filcher's next!! I have tried so damn hard to like this monster, but once I saw the Temporal Filcher do everything it does, only better, I just couldn't. Can't wait to see the entry though, if you changed my mind about digesters you can sure as hell do the same for this one!
cog_n_taz 07-16-07, 02:29 AM	Ah, glod you liked it. Underwater fights are generally easy, seeing as you only have to deal with half the party. Fighting types just sink, and clerics are a bit too heavy to be their usual, overpowered selves. Also, they may well actually drown while being vortexed. Oh, and the filcher, well... I'll do what I can, even though I never even heard of the temp. filcher. honestly, my first thought upon seeing it was "you expect me to take that seriously?", but like I said, I'll do my best. Who knows, I may actually do the job competently, stranger things have happened. however, don't expect the entry today, Japan just had a ridicolously bad earthquake, and though I'm fine, it's pretty much right where I live, so I'm a tad shaken at the moment.
cog_n_taz 07-16-07, 10:31 AM	Okay... guys, do not expect the next entry any time soon, if ever. I live 50 km from the kariwa reactor, which is the largest in the world output-wise. Part of it caught fire this morning (my time), and now I found out that though the fire was put out, water containing radioactive waste leaked out to the sea. Since the power station denied both the fire and the leak until the last moment, well... god knows what else leaked, suffice to say that this looks like Very Bad News. Anyway, I'll probably be fine, but if I suddenly vanish, well... don't be surprised, is all.
LivingShadow 07-16-07, 12:56 PM	Surrounding your self in a cadmium shield would prevent radiation. Joking aside best of luck in avoiding that stuff.
HarlequinHelsing 07-16-07, 03:20 PM	Damn. Hope you're alright, cog. BBC news said the amount leaked wasn't gonna pose any huge problems. Thank god it wasn't another Chernobyl. What is it about nuclear reactors, catastrophes, and noone telling anyone else about them until it's too late? Seriously, you'd think that people running nuclear machinery would be smart enough to realize that what they are working with is very very dangerous. Are you gonna have to be evacuated? Again, hope everything's gonna be alright.
LivingShadow 07-16-07, 04:50 PM	I made a few additions to my post on Shadows and Wraiths. What is it about nuclear reactors, catastrophes, and noone telling anyone else about them until it's too late? Seriously, you'd think that people running nuclear machinery would be smart enough to realize that what they are working with is very very dangerous. The reason they don't tell people is because most people would freakout, run around in circles, loot stores, break other various laws, and/or make complete fools out of themselves. If you don't believe me look at what happened after the radio broadcast of "War of the Worlds."
HarlequinHelsing 07-16-07, 05:02 PM	Good call...
cog_n_taz 07-16-07, 06:45 PM	Possibly because they don't want to ruin their reputation. As ridicolous as it sounds, I mean it. Oh, and by the by, some Japanese news channels still insist that there's no danger of a leak... y'know, it would be funny, if it wasn't sad. Anyway, I'm back, and it seems like I'll mostly be fine. Also, LS, I'm taking a shedload of anti-radiation pills, so that's covered.
HarlequinHelsing 07-17-07, 01:17 AM	Alright, I've got the hag entries finished, cog. Sent the Annis to you, but can't send the rest until you clean out your inbox. :P PM me when you're ready for the other three (I have an entry for coveys, too). And good luck with your anti-radiation pills, man.
cog_n_taz 07-17-07, 06:22 AM	Ah, thanks, it's cleared now. FYI, I like the annis entry. A lot. Definitely better than anything I could possibly write. (then again, maybe that's not much of a compliment...) Anyway, I'll write up the filcher entry tommorow (my time). Even without being a bundle of nerves, it'll take some serious thinking to justify that thing's existence:P .
HarlequinHelsing 07-17-07, 01:30 PM	So true. The other entries are on their way, hope you like them.
cog_n_taz 07-17-07, 08:54 PM	Ah yes, I read and love em, you should definitely be the one writing this book, not me.:tiphat: Anyway, I'll post it at the appropriate time... for now, I will work on the filcher entry, if somewhat slowly, expect it some time within the next 14 hours. Also, the reactor apparently has over 50 faults around it, and a huge one right under it, which is growing, bring on the nuclear apocalypse! ...but ofcourse, I shouldn't worry. They said there's no danger, after all:rolleyes: .
HarlequinHelsing 07-17-07, 11:03 PM	Ah yes, I read and love em, you should definitely be the one writing this book, not me.:tiphat: Anyway, I'll post it at the appropriate time... for now, I will work on the filcher entry, if somewhat slowly, expect it some time within the next 14 hours. Great. Glad you like them. See, the difference between you and me is, you actually have the patience to find the good in all creatures, great and small, where as my standard MM overview is somewhat like '*looks at art* well that one's retarded! *page tear*' Which is why you are so much better suited for, and so much better at, this job. Plus look how long it took me to write four entries! Also, the reactor apparently has over 50 faults around it, and a huge one right under it, which is growing, bring on the nuclear apocalypse! ...but ofcourse, I shouldn't worry. They said there's no danger, after all:rolleyes: . :rofl: :rofl: 'Wait...they have over 50 nuclear reactors in Japan, and the whole place shakes like Jell-O? What the :censored: were they :censored:ing thinking?!' -My brother, on the Japan nuclear reactors.
cog_n_taz 07-18-07, 12:21 AM	hey, just because you don't ramble doesn't mean yours isn't better. Anyway, that entry may have to wait. If you have any patience, read on for the explanation... The reactor is surrounded by more than 50 faults at the current count, 33 of which are under the plant itself, and one that crosses the whole thing and grows with every shock. We're talking a serious fissure here. Second, the water that leaked is apparently from some tub filled with used reactor rods. The water moves around the rods to keep them cool, and is intensely radioactive. They saw that it leaked 2 hours after the quake, and didn't tell anyone until 12 hours after. They still haven't cleaned the water up, and it's leaking at a rate of one drop every three seconds. Third, the reactor has atleast 70 problems including various leaks that I know of, and no one is trusting them any more, not even the ministry of industry. It probably won't blow, but there's no way of knowing. Fourth, there's signs that radiation may have been leaking even before the quake, and we just didn't realize until now. Fifth, the government, as of about 10 hours after the quake, ordered to have the plant shut down until further notice. Sixth, the barrels that tipped over contained minor waste, like contaminated lead suits. Atleast 100 out of 22000 (they searched 11000 so far) were found on their sides and open. Seventh, the faults are getting worse, and the big fissure is growing with every aftershock, so things may get worse. Eighth, I have no idea what they are still hiding, except that it's probably a whole lot of things, so the situation is probably even worse than I think. Ninth, the pool with those rods is slowly emptying from the leak, and when it empties, the rods will start to heat up fast, and when that happens... well, I don't think I need to tell you what then, and I rather not if I can help it. The good news? The wind tends not to blow from there in our direction, so it amy not get to us. So, how did my parents react to this? They ordered me and my sister to, in a few hours from now, start packing clothes and anything of sentimental value, in the event that we have to leave. If there's a minor leak, we will be going south for a few weeks to a few months, depending on the half-life of the stuff concerned. If it's major, we will leave to Israel and live with my grandparents until further notice. I'm really sorry about this mess, and in the event that I do have to leave (and survive), I will work on those updates the moment I get to a computer, but for now, I'm not really in the position to write, sorry.
HarlequinHelsing 07-18-07, 01:38 AM	Christ Almighty. Dude, don't be sorry for this, it's not your fault. Nobody asked for this. Only the power company could've prevented it. I really hope you and your sister are gonna be fine. Best of luck to both of you. Stay safe. I hope to see you around the boards again sometime, but I completely understand that you won't be posting for possibly a long time. And for the record, I never said my entries were better than yours. Yours are top-notch work, cog, better than some of the fluff in the latest WotC books and much more enjoyable to read. The quality of your work is one of the big reasons I took so long to write up the hag entries. I revised them about 5 times apiece because I didn't think they were good enough.
LivingShadow 07-18-07, 06:42 AM	Sounds like a Japanese version of Three Mile Island. The help at the reactor was unprepared and untrained, thus making it the company's fault that something wasn't done.
cog_n_taz 07-18-07, 09:39 AM	Never heard of three mile island, but yeah, definitely the company's fault here, I'm afraid.
jakelslang21 07-18-07, 09:42 AM	Hehe I was talking about 3 mile island with my teacher yesterday... I hope everything gets better over there, Cog.
cog_n_taz 07-18-07, 10:11 AM	hey, I'm just overreacting (no pun intended), after all, the plant said there's nothing wrong, so everything must be okay, right? ...right? Timmy, is this thing on? Why am I glowing? Oh well...:P
LivingShadow 07-18-07, 10:15 AM	It was a partial melt-down on an island near Harrisburg, PA. I think. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_mile_island Either way there should be no need to get worked up as radiation isn't really that uncommon. IE: the sun emmits it. I doubt you would need to worry.
cog_n_taz 07-18-07, 10:21 AM	Ah, a shining example of nuclear competence, and yet, Japan is still worse. Look, in one case, they carried nuclear waste around in stainless steel buckets, and used said buckets to hold doors open. So yeah, I think Japan still wins this one, sadly.
cog_n_taz 07-18-07, 10:24 AM	Either way there should be no need to get worked up as radiation isn't really that uncommon. IE: the sun emmits it. I doubt you would need to worry. Yes, but nuclear reactors don't have their own personal ozone layer. Trust me, a leak is serious, it's really no joke, and the planet has ways to block out radiation from the sun. Everything falls apart, though, when you expect it to block out human stupidity. Ah well, better get back on topic, I suppose, before someone locks this thread.
LivingShadow 07-18-07, 10:33 AM	Ah well, better get back on topic, I suppose, before someone locks this thread. Agreed, there is not really much I can comment on besides your excelent work. Oh and for your information the temporal filtcher is in XPH.
cog_n_taz 07-18-07, 10:36 AM	...You used a manual quote, didn't ya? You got my name wrong, not that I mind.:P Also, thanks, I'll take a look at it. Meanwhile, I noticed something about your wraith/shadow entries...you forgot the most vicious incorporeal undead tactic of all...drain through the floor.:evillaugh
LivingShadow 07-18-07, 04:45 PM	...You used a manual quote, didn't ya? You got my name wrong, not that I mind. Also, thanks, I'll take a look at it. Meanwhile, I noticed something about your wraith/shadow entries...you forgot the most vicious incorporeal undead tactic of all...drain through the floor. As a matter of fact I did. (on both accounts) I'll add that tactic.
cog_n_taz 07-26-07, 03:28 AM	O-kay... I'm still here and perfectly fine, just had my life temporarily fall apart, entirely unrelated to the quake, but it didn't exactly put me in the mood for writing, all the saem. Anyway, I'm back now, and quite sure I'm not leaving. You can expect the filcher entry today, or possibly tommorow (both my time, GMT+9).
cog_n_taz 07-26-07, 06:07 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 07-26-07, 06:09 AM	'tis done! I've made something out of nothing!:D ...With any luck, it's actually, y'know, worth reading, but I doubt it:P . Still, I managed to create a combat monster out of something with only one bite attack (for d4 damage). And it's mostly from looking at the picture:D .
HarlequinHelsing 07-26-07, 12:47 PM	Dude. Fantastic entry for the filcher. It's amazing, seriously, better than half the splatbooks I have. Great work. Hope you're doing alright. Oh, and by the way, props for your work over on the TO boards. The Twin Spell trick was genius without being game-breaking, I pity my next DM.
cog_n_taz 07-26-07, 07:44 PM	Thanks on both accounts, didn't know you read those boards. Actually, the repeat spell thing...it doesn't work as well as I thought it would, and the rest is the work of billthemaniac and a few others, not mine. As for the filcher..glad you liked it. There's one glaring flaw though: the OOC bit, especially in some parts, directly contradicts the flavor that WotC gave them, which could be a pretty big problem. In light of that, I'm going to have to assume the only splatbook you own is complete psionic. Then again, half a copy of complete psionic is almost better than the whole book...
cog_n_taz 07-27-07, 12:17 AM	Okay, I have some geology and science tests today, so I may be too busy to write an entry. If I have the time though, I will write up the entry for the ethereal marauder, which will turn out IC, as far as I can see, as a harrier/stalker, rather than a filcher-style "Bam, stab, your character sheets, please." So yeah, yet another boring old "Yeah, it's a bit like a planar hunter, and, um, here's how you blow stuff up with it." Mind you, this may change when I start writing, that's when I get half my ideas, to be honest, while posting. Oh, and another filcher trick with all them ghost touch rapiers. Pick up combat reflexes. This allows 4 AoOs, and, if I'm not mistaken, you can make one with each weapon. Stand in the floor, and follow the party from below, so that they can't see/get to you.Plus, again, if I'm not mistaken, improved/greater multiweapon fighting says nothing of whether it has to be part of a full attack or not. So, stand below the party, and as soon as they move, the dungeon/room gets some new and rather...striking wallpaper. In other news, check out the neatly spoiler blocked new quote in my sig, it's good, trust me.
cog_n_taz 07-27-07, 05:55 AM	Okay guys, bit of an announcement here. I'm going to go visit some friends of mine tommorow (my time), so I won't be around. The day after that, I may have time for one entry, but probably not, and the day after that, I will be gone for the day volunteering in the areas hit by the quake. After that, though, I should be back to business as usual, sorry about the delay.
HarlequinHelsing 07-27-07, 01:38 PM	Hmm, it's been awhile since I looked at the Marauder... Ah. My sanity. It's like reading CPsi again. Why does Wizards think it's a good idea to have monsters with more CR than HD? It makes me sad inside. Although a big 6 HD Marauder would make for a pretty cool mount. Especially for a ghost-hunting Paladin.
cog_n_taz 07-27-07, 06:12 PM	Ah yes, a great idea, except that it begs the question "hello? Are you bleedin' insane?"
HarlequinHelsing 07-27-07, 09:49 PM	...It just occurred to me that someone mounted on a Marauder would not go ethereal as the Marauder did. So yes, I am bleedin' insane.
cog_n_taz 07-27-07, 10:47 PM	Actually, I was just commenting on how the thing looks, I hadn't thought of that aspect at all. Still, it would be seriously funny if that happened. "And now for my big trick..." (thud)
HarlequinHelsing 07-30-07, 12:07 AM	It'd also make for a pretty good trick to amuse the commoners. 'And now, because this thing is too damn ugly to deserve to live, I'm going to wish it out of existence!' *Poof* Crowd: 'Ooh, Aah.' 'Damn, I'm good.' :P
cog_n_taz 07-30-07, 12:27 AM	Yes. Yes, you could do that. By the way, I have today free, but I will be gone tommorow instead. I'm still busy with tests and stuff for one of my campaigns, though, so I may not have time for an entry, sorry.
LivingShadow 07-30-07, 07:23 AM	Acctually, that could be a tactic. It could "poof" and then reapear behind the opponent while he's distracted with you. If you both have rogue levels then he's probibly dead.
cog_n_taz 07-31-07, 06:12 AM	hm, interesting idea. I'd write an entry now, but unfortunately, it'll have to wait, I'm very busy today, not to mention completely exhausted.
cog_n_taz 08-02-07, 02:34 AM	Right, entry coming up today. In case any of you are wondering, this (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=13276359#post13276359) is one of the things I was busy with.
cog_n_taz 08-02-07, 08:29 AM	Ugh...sorry guys, no entry today, maybe tommorow. I kept breaking my head over what to write, finally started, and realized that my teeth were chattering, and my typing arm was twitching. So...I think I need a little sleep, sorry.
HarlequinHelsing 08-02-07, 10:37 PM	Dude...that's not good. Get some sleep, hope you feel better.
cog_n_taz 08-04-07, 10:26 PM	Sorry I didn't post yesterday, my connection was fried, and there were several power cuts, due to a storm. No, not the usual heavy-rain-and-occasional-distant-thunder kind of storm, I mean a full-blown "Throw the third switch, Igor" style thunderstorm. Anyway, it's gone now, so I'll try to have the marauder entry up today.
cog_n_taz 08-05-07, 08:23 AM	Removed.
cog_n_taz 08-05-07, 08:25 AM	Sorry I'm late, I was busy hitting one of my groups with the most terrifying (if not particularly deadly) water encounter they've ever seen. In case you guys are wondering, it was 5 dire, horrid lampreys, I'll post the stats if there's any demand. Ofcourse, if I really wanted to scare em, I would have sent a dragon turtle at them, but they seem to be curiously attached to their characters...
LivingShadow 08-05-07, 01:24 PM	Great job. I don't think I could have done that well with one of those. However you forgot their possibility as a mount/trained attacker.
cog_n_taz 08-05-07, 08:59 PM	Ah, right, thanks. Damn, I keep forgetting these things, must be my age...:P Anyway, I'll edit it in when...well, when I'm a little more awake, thanks for the warning.:)
cog_n_taz 08-05-07, 11:35 PM	I'm a bit too drained from various events to write anything new today, but I will try to edit the mount thing in, and update the index.
cog_n_taz 08-06-07, 06:42 AM	'Tis done, I edited in the appropriate strategies at the end of the OOC section, and updated the index.:)
Draginja 08-06-07, 11:03 PM	The ethereal filcher... How I loath them. My DM once put us up against one of them. It kept taking our weapons. During combat. However, that same DM was once a player, and did one of the strangest things with an ethereal marauder I have ever seen. During combat, he was a Fighter/Samurai, and he dove headfirst into it's mouth just before it used ethereal jaunt. This allowed him to kill the creature from the inside out, as well as infiltrate the impregnable fortress I had created. I hate my brother sometimes...
cog_n_taz 08-06-07, 11:56 PM	hm, interesting... mind if I add that sleight of hand trick? I had no idea you could do that in a fight... I suppose it would go with disarming. Oh, and...jump into a marauder's mouth? Kill it from inside? Get into a fortress? What did I miss?
Draginja 08-07-07, 12:10 AM	The marauder kept jaunting away from all of the fighter's attacks, so he got angry and decided to imitate K from Men in Black. He let the marauder eat him, then when it jaunted again, he used his sword to cut his way out. This killed the creature, since it was already injured. (May not be legal, but damn if it wasn't cool.) On the ethereal plane, he walked through the fortress walls and used a cubic gate to return to the material plane. I really hated him at times...
cog_n_taz 08-07-07, 01:42 AM	Actually, as a DM, I'd be happy to have creative players like him. Using the jaunt to his advantage? Excellent idea. Pity marauders don't get swallow whole, but that's what rule 0 is for, innit?
Draginja 08-07-07, 01:54 AM	Oh, I didn't hate the fact that he was creative. It's just that he always found some way or another to outsmart me. The worst was when he gave the filcher a crossbow that could shoot bolts of disentegration. My ninja was able to take it, but a failsafe activated when I killed the filcher, causing it to disentegrate. Grrr.
cog_n_taz 08-07-07, 02:46 AM	Bolts of disintegration? And it disintegrates when you get to it? Okay, that's not creative, that's vicious. Me, I'm creatively vicious, so that's okay.:P Oh, and I may have inadvertantly created the Xill IC entry. Six ghost touch lances, paladin of tyranny/cavalier, and an ethereal marauder mount, bwahahah...(cough)
Draginja 08-07-07, 02:52 AM	Six lances? Where have I heard that before? Hmmm...
cog_n_taz 08-07-07, 03:01 AM	No idea, I've never heard of it, or if I did, I've forgotten all about it in my old age.
cog_n_taz 08-08-07, 09:20 AM	Guys, I'm going to be intensely busy for the next few days~a week, sorry. I may be able to get an entry out, but in all likelyhood, it won't happen, sorry.
Aubri 08-10-07, 03:14 PM	Vrock stunning screech: this is OK with a solo vrock, but spells disaster in a dance group. As the save is very hard to make, one vrock can screech for each round of the dancing, leaving the PCs with nothing to do but tear their hair out as the full force of a 20d6 demonic ballet bomb flies toward them. Another method for a stealth attack is to have three invisible vrocks in a silence capsule, so the dance can't be seen or heard(the spells are most likely achieved by a scroll or two). When the dance ends, the PCs won't even know what happened barring that they took massive damage. After this is done, keep dancing. The survivor will die before even figuring out what happened. Heya, I know this is like... many months after the fact, but I just started reading the thread. I have a couple complaints about the Vrock tactics. Rules Lawyer Powers, Activate! First, the screech won't help during Dance of Ruin -- as a supernatural ability, Screech requires a standard action, while Dance requires 3 full-round actions (a 3-round casting time, basically, except that as a (Su), damage never provokes concentration checks). Likewise, as the dance explicitly requires wild dancing and chanting, Silence should Ruin the Dance. (See what I did there?) All in all, while it doesn't explicitly say so, anything that prevents them from keeping their hands joined, dancing, or chanting should spoil the attack. So yeah, you could probably bull rush one out of the circle -- Red Rover, Red Rover... Spores works just fine, though, since it's a free action. I don't know whether I'd let them take 5-foot steps -- it wouldn't be overpowering, but it kinda goes against the concept IMO. On that note, it would be hilarious to hit a group of dancing vrocks with Otto's Irresistable Dance. "You wanna dance? Let's dance to MY tune!"
nightmaredragon 08-10-07, 04:07 PM	Nice work, I'm wacthing and learning (I'll be really impressed when you find a use for the grick)
Aubri 08-10-07, 04:25 PM	summon demon: less impressive than on nalfeshnees. However, if you get your hands on extend SLA, you can get a two hour summon, get a nalf an hour before the fight, and it can smite/vrock as you like for the fight itself. A summoned creature can't summon other creatures itself. Otherwise you could summon, say, a dretch, which summons another, which summons another...
HarlequinHelsing 08-11-07, 03:00 AM	Well Cog, I'm impressed. You took a complete page-filler monster and turned it into a worthwhile opponent. Congratulations, I do believe my party will face off against a pack of Marauders sometime soon. Can't wait to see more of your work, especially for the ettercap, it's one of my favorites. I used one in a campaign awhile ago as a BBEG, gave him rogue levels and set him loose in a town with a jar full of spiders. Several tens of deaths later, the PCs were called in to investigate and were, ah, surprised to encounter an ettercap rogue and a horde of spiders backing him up.
cog_n_taz 08-13-07, 01:11 AM	Ooh, thanks, I'll fix that when I can. however, I will be very, very busy for the next two weeks (completely unexpected, believe you me), so my posting and editing here will be limited to non-existant, sorry.
cog_n_taz 08-13-07, 01:15 AM	A summoned creature can't summon other creatures itself. Otherwise you could summon, say, a dretch, which summons another, which summons another... Note the fine print, you simply can't summon another for an hour, but if they hang around for two hours... harlequin, as always, you're a genius where plot is concerned, nice job. Nightmaredragon, even if the grick really is simply the result of large amounts of alcohol, finding a use for it is easy, though none of them would be particularly unique. In other news, I just found something out from a game today: tendriculi/tendriculoses are amazing. really amazing. In fact, the party only survived because the drunken master hit it over the head. With a dead shambling mound.
HarlequinHelsing 08-13-07, 02:16 AM	harlequin, as always, you're a genius where plot is concerned, nice job. Aw, thanks man. The tendriculos? Really? That's one I would never have thought of using. Cool to know there's a plant besides the Night Twist out there worth throwing at some PCs, thanks for opening my eyes to that one.
cog_n_taz 08-13-07, 02:44 AM	Well, I admit I haven't given much advice on plants since I've only covered assassin vines so far, but basically all plants (in the MM, atleast) are pretty good.
Aubri 08-13-07, 11:20 AM	Note the fine print, you simply can't summon another for an hour, but if they hang around for two hours... Aaaaah. Nice.
cog_n_taz 08-13-07, 11:45 AM	Yup, but I'm not sure that there is an extend SLA feat, in which case sudden extend (or possibly a metamagic rod, not sure here) will have to do.
Aubri 08-13-07, 01:43 PM	Yup, but I'm not sure that there is an extend SLA feat, in which case sudden extend (or possibly a metamagic rod, not sure here) will have to do. AFAIK, (and I should, as I play a warlock) the (Metamagic) SLA feats are the only way to adjust SLAs. That may be the exact reason Extend SLA doesn't exist.
cog_n_taz 08-13-07, 07:02 PM	Nope, the sudden series definitely works.
Aubri 08-13-07, 10:23 PM	Well, if you say so. It says "any spell you can cast", so I can kind of see where that comes from -- who says, by the way?
moosekickedmysisterstoof 08-13-07, 10:42 PM	Hmmm...I look forward to your next entry. :D - John
cog_n_taz 08-13-07, 10:55 PM	Well, if you say so. It says "any spell you can cast", so I can kind of see where that comes from -- who says, by the way? Complete arcane, in reference to what kind of metamagic can be used on warlock invocations. Also, thanks John, but I suspect the next entry won't be along for a while..
Aubri 08-14-07, 12:40 PM	Complete arcane, in reference to what kind of metamagic can be used on warlock invocations. Also, thanks John, but I suspect the next entry won't be along for a while.. Thanks, I must have missed that part. I shall reread.
Aubri 08-29-07, 01:32 PM	Ethereal jaunt: though it may seem like an OOC thing, this is mean in early game combat. Tell me, have you considered the implications of a filcher finessing four ghost touch rapiers, with sneak attack, while ethereal? I didn't think so. I haven't tried it yet, but I believe the results would be best summarized as "your character sheets, please". It's Wet Blanket time again! (Which isn't to say I think you're not doing an awesome job on these! The water elemental ideas are going down in my notebook.) Here with commentary, our guest speaker, Morbo. "Ghost Touch does not work that way!" Thank you, Morbo. Ghost Touch weapons merely strike incorporeal creatures; they don't actually cross into the Ethereal plane. They can strike a ghost, for example, when it's manifesting (and thus acting as an incorporeal creature), but not when the ghost is not manifest (and thus fully Ethereal). Likewise a ghost can use a ghost touch weapon to strike corporeal creatures while manifested, but not while ethereal.
HarlequinHelsing 08-29-07, 04:29 PM	Hmm...I believe Aubri has a point there. However I'm also pretty sure that there's some weapon enhancement in Libris Mortis that allows attacks from the Ethereal Plane, but I could be very wrong about that.
Aubri 08-30-07, 10:11 AM	Hmm...I believe Aubri has a point there. However I'm also pretty sure that there's some weapon enhancement in Libris Mortis that allows attacks from the Ethereal Plane, but I could be very wrong about that. I don't know anything about that, though I know there's a Transdimensional Spell metamagic that allows spells from Prime to strike opponents on coexistant planes. It only SAYS that you can shoot from Material into Shadow, Ethereal, and extradimensional spaces, but I'd allow it to work from any of those to any of the others.
HarlequinHelsing 08-31-07, 04:10 PM	Oh. That's what I was thinking of, Transdimensional Spell. My bad. Cog, what're you up to? Haven't seen an entry in some time. Everything alright?
LivingShadow 08-31-07, 04:38 PM	He's been around I guess he just hasn't gotten around to posting.
cog_n_taz 09-02-07, 06:49 PM	First, Aubri, thanks for clearing that up, I'll fix it. Second, to harlequin and shadow, I've been too busy to do anything around here lately, but I'm back now. I've...had a bit of trouble lately, and It'll take me some time to come back from it, but I'll try and have the ettercap entry done within the next 24 hours.
cog_n_taz 09-03-07, 07:28 AM	Removed.
Aubri 09-04-07, 10:49 AM	Welcome back! :D
HarlequinHelsing 09-04-07, 12:55 PM	Mmm...Me likey. A lot. Completely forgot about the Websense trick, that's genius. Excellent work, cog, and welcome back.
cog_n_taz 09-05-07, 09:30 AM	Thanks guys!:) ..Actually, things are, if anything, getting worse for a brief time, but atleast I'm back in the whole writing business. My parents are dragging me off on a trip, though, and I've got various things throughout september (the Jewish New Year comes to mind), so I won't be here until the 11th (GMT+9), and even after that, updates will be sparse, sorry.
HarlequinHelsing 09-05-07, 06:55 PM	Hey cog, I just thought of something for your ettin entry, take it as you will. If you look closely (like I didn't until last night), ettins take a DC 15 Intelligence check to communicate with, and they like talking to themselves. Ettins could be a spiced-up 'One Of Us Lies And One Of Us Tells The Truth' encounter, and possibly the most frustrating thing ever. Especially with their low Int and from such the opportunity to misinterpret like everything the PCs say. I dunno, just thought it was a cool idea I'd throw out there.
Aubri 09-06-07, 10:50 AM	Hey cog, I just thought of something for your ettin entry, take it as you will. If you look closely (like I didn't until last night), ettins take a DC 15 Intelligence check to communicate with, and they like talking to themselves. Ettins could be a spiced-up 'One Of Us Lies And One Of Us Tells The Truth' encounter, and possibly the most frustrating thing ever. Especially with their low Int and from such the opportunity to misinterpret like everything the PCs say. I dunno, just thought it was a cool idea I'd throw out there. "Yes. --crap, wait, was *I* supposed to tell the truth this time?"
cog_n_taz 09-11-07, 09:51 PM	By posting or submitting any text, images, designs, video, sound, code, data, lists, or other materials or information (such User-submitted content, collectively, "User Content") to or through a Site, including without limitation on any User profile page, you hereby irrevocably grant to Wizards, its affiliates and sublicensees, a worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, non-exclusive, and fully sub-licensable license, to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display such User Content (in whole or in part) in any media and to incorporate the User Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed. The foregoing grants shall include the right to exploit any proprietary rights in such User Content, including but not limited to rights under copyright, trademark, service mark or patent laws under any relevant jurisdiction. Call me paranoid, but I'm removing all my stuff from here and moving it to this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3175560#post3175560) forum. I don't care if this was meant to be free anyway, or if they don't intend to steal this book (or anyone else's work, for that matter) - they changed the rules behind everyone's backs and the wording means that they can literally copy/paste anything off these boards as they fit before selling it as their own stuff. Whatever the effects on me, I'm too disgusted with the new rules to keep this here, sorry. To all of you who helped with this book (harlequin, grizzled gryphon, slagger the chuul and lurkalot come to mind immediately), if you have a problem with me moving the thread, please tell me, and I will remove any and all of your additions.
HarlequinHelsing 09-12-07, 12:32 AM	The terms of use kinda scared the hell out of me as well, cog. I'm a little concerned about...hell, everything. I don't really wanna post any of my trap ideas over at the Clever Traps thread, and I sure as hell don't want to post my rules rewrites that I was planning on unveiling. Especially for you, since you're planning on turning this into a book. Heroes_Backpack of Commoner Campaign fame as well. I respect your decision to move to GitP, and I'll probably follow you over there to feed my entry-goodness addiction. I would voice my opinions about the apparent business plan of Wizards (Steal from the community, sell back to the community), the cancellation of Dungeon and Dragon Magazines, and how A PrC in Complete Scoundrel was blatantly based off Wall's project on the Classes Boards, hell, it was even under ONE OF THE PROJECT'S SUGGESTED NAMES, AND I'M SURE THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, but it's probably against the "Terms of Use." Wouldn't want this nonsense showing up in 4e or anything of that nature. I might remove my suggestions from my posts, but please use my hag entries when you get there if you still want to. See you at the Playground. HH
cog_n_taz 09-12-07, 02:00 AM	Ofcourse, if you don't mind, I'll gladly use all of your input. After all, you've given me more help than anyone else out there. And... they actually already stole something that long ago? (sigh) Sick, but not entirely unexpected, I suppose. Would you mind linking to the original that Wall wrote? Incidentally, I'll probably be moving my two PrCs, my shammy class, and all the bits and pieces of my campaign setting to the GitP forums. It's a pain, but I don't want any of it stolen (WotC would probably lose sales if they used any of my badly-made classes, but that's besides the point).
LivingShadow 09-12-07, 04:07 PM	You can post my stuff just give me credit for it. As for the Terms of use thing. I doubt it would hold up in court considering you never sign it and it is extremely hard to find.
cog_n_taz 09-12-07, 06:16 PM	You can post my stuff just give me credit for it. Always have, always will, and thanks. As for the Terms of use thing. I doubt it would hold up in court considering you never sign it and it is extremely hard to find. I did sign it when I got my account - they reserved the right to change it at any time, remember? And how hard it is to find doesn't matter..'sides, being careful never killed that many people:P .
HarlequinHelsing 09-12-07, 06:32 PM	And... they actually already stole something that long ago? (sigh) Sick, but not entirely unexpected, I suppose. Would you mind linking to the original that Wall wrote? I'd be glad to. The closest we ever got to finishing it can be found here (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=804717), but the original's here (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=741784). I can't help but feel like interest died after CS came out and the community viewed it as 'a ripoff of that one PrC.' And LivingShadow, I'm afraid it would hold up in court. Terms of Use basically say, 'this is how it's gonna work and if you don't like it, don't post here,' and if you want to make an account you are required to click the 'I have read and accept the Terms of this site.' That's the virtual equivalent of signing on the dotted line. Besides, like cog said, 'being careful never killed that many people.'
cog_n_taz 09-12-07, 10:43 PM	huh, the master of masks? The only one I actually used? Ouch. Also, am I the only one who finds it ironic that the original is far better than the CS ripoff?
HarlequinHelsing 09-12-07, 11:30 PM	Actually I find it ironic that the version featured in CS is more closely based on my vision is what the class would be like, and Wall and company's ideas were much better. :doh: