First Creature: Zaarok (PEACH) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTimePost
Gruulingkid3

04-22-06, 11:18 PM
This is my first made creature and I don't think it would beat any records as best first-made creature, but tell me what you think.


Zaarok
Large Demon
Hit Dice- 10d12+115 (175 HP)
Initiative- +4
Speed- 20ft/ 40ft fly
AC- 21
Base Attack/Grapple- +10/+15
Attacks- Claw 1d12+6
Full Attck- 2 Claws 2d12+9 Breath Weapon 4d12+12
Special Attacks- Flame Body 1d20 touch
Special Qualities- Flame Resistance
Abilities- Str- 29 Dex- 21 Con- 31 Int- 17 Wis- 18 Cha- 12
Save- Fort +3 Ref- +11 Will +10
Skills- Intimidate Flaming Teleport
Feats- Weapon Focus (Claws) Weapon Focus (Blade)
Enviroment- Mountains, usually near Volcanoes anywhere where a malevolent force is sensed
Challenge Rating- 7
Alignment- Chaotic Evil
Orginization- Solitary, Pairs, Sometimes in groups of 3-12

A large winged creature that exudes heat off its body. Its claws are covered with dried gore from its previous victims and it seems rather intent on adding your flesh and blood to its collection

A Zaarok is created when a person that is evil dies a fiery death in the state of intense anger. A Zaarok is usually prone to fighting, but if it encounters a character it senses to be evil, it will attempt to communicate.

Flame Resistance- Since it was created by Flame, it has an innate ability to reduce the damge any fire would cause by its Con. level.
Flame Body- Since it is made by Flame, its body exudes a powerful heat that damages anyone who touches it and can be hot enough to melt metals and rocks.
Flaming Teleport- A Zaarok can use this to create a burst of flame to dazzle the enemy while it teleports to safety if it finds itself in a bad situation or to deliver a crippling blow.

Just let me know what's wrong with it and how to make it better.
R.M.G.C.L.F.

04-23-06, 12:11 AM
Alright, let's begin.

For the attacks, you have neglected to list the "to hit" bonus, which is the strength bonus plus the base attack bonus, modified by size penalty or bonus.
When a creature has multiple attacks of the same type, such as "2 claws", this means that it gets to use the same attack twice with the same bonus. Damage is not normally combined as one attack.
The natural attack deals the base damage plus an amount equal to the strength bonus.
Breath weapons are not normal attacks in that they consist of an area effect (line or cone) rather than a traditional attack roll.

Thus, the attacks should read:
Attack- Claw+19 melee (1d12+9)
Full Attack- 2 Claws (1d12+9)

Now, the special attacks and special qualities. To begin with, in the stat block you list only the names of the attacks, not what they do, and you list all the special attacks. Flame teleport is a special attack, not a skill.

The creature type needs to be changed. "Demon" is not a real subtype. It should be "Large Outsider (Chaos, Evil, Extraplanar)".

I strongly suggest you give it the Fire subtype and take out fire resistance. The effect of this is that it will have total immunity to fire damage, but take more damage from cold. You should list "Fire subtype" in the special qualities, and at it in the creature type right after "Extraplanar".


Creatures don't just have a fly speed. Fly has a certain degree of manuverability, ranging from clumsy, to poor, to average, to good, to perfect. I would make it
Speed: 20ft, Fly 40ft(average).

Why is it's land speed only 20ft? The average speed for a large biped is 40ft or 50ft.


You don't seem to have a concept of how creature statistics are calculated. Let me help you work this out.

First, grapple. Grapple is the creature's strength bonus (in this case +9), plus its base attack bonus, plus a bonus or penalty for size (large creatures get a +4 bonus to grapple).

Feats. Monsters get one feat and one extra feat for every 3 HD they have. This creature therefor should have 4 feats, not two.

Skills and saves: creatures receive skills and saving throws based on their creature type. Check the monster manual entry in the glossary for the creature type to see which. In this case, the monster is an outsider. Outsiders recieve skill points equal to (8+the monster's intelligence bonus) times (3+the monster's hit dice). The creature can't have more skill points in a given skill than 3+it's total hit dice. Then you just spend skill points buying skills as you would for a character, add the key ability mod, and list them accordingly.

For saving throws, it's an outsider, so it has all good saves. The base save bonus is equal to the one half creature's hit dice plus two, so that's a +7 base save for all the saves. Then you add or subtract the appropriate ability modifier. +10 to fortitude for the con bonus, +5 to reflex for its dexterity bonus, and +4 to will saves for its wisdom bonus.


Now, you've completely missed the Face/Reach, Treasure, and Advancement. As an upright large creature, it would have face/reach of 5ft by 5ft/10ft. At a guess I'd give it treasure: standard and advancement: 11-14HD(large), 15-16HD(Huge).

With the special attacks and qualities, you need to list what type they are. Are they spell-like (usually based on a spell as the name implies), supernatural (magical powers), or extrordinary (non-magical). If they are spell-like, you should list how many times per day they can be used.

You also have to list what they do in game terms, and precisely, in game mechanics. Normally special attacks allow a saving throw to negate them or reduce their effects. The saving throw for supernatural abilities is usually 10+the creature's charisma bonus+1/2 the creature's hit dice.

I have listed out the special attacks as such.

Flame Teleport(su): as a standard action, a Zaarok can vanish in a flash of bright fire. Creatures within 30ft of it must make a fortitude save dc:16 or be dazzled for 1 minute. (You may want to make this ability usable only once per day, as otherwise it could get annoying.)

Breath Weapon(su): a zaarok's breath weapon is a 30ft line of fire. It deals 4d6 damage, reflex save dc:25 for half damage. A zaarok cannot use its breath weapon again for 1d4 rounds. (Breath weapons, unlike most supernatural attacks, use a con-based DC)

Heat(ex): a zaarok's body gives off intense heat. Creatures and objects striking it with natural weapons or unarmed take 2d6 fire damage and must make a reflex save dc:25 (con-based) or catch fire for two rounds. (I took a few liberties with this, hope you don't mind).

In addition to that, all outsiders have Darkvision 60ft, which is listed in the special qualities.


Armor Class: Armor class isn't just a number you pull out of thin air. Generally a creature should have armor class equal to 13 plus it's challenge rating. Armor class here would be a +5 dexterity bonus (listed as "+5 dex"), -1size (large creatures are easier to hit), and then whatever natural armor bonus you chose to give it (represents how tough it's hide is, generally you can mess around with this until you arrive at the number that fits best).

Alignment: Creature's aren't just "chaotic evil". There are three categories of alignment: Always, usually, and often. Always means that these creatures are almost without exception the alignment listed. Usually means that a vast majority of creatures are the alignment. Often means about half of creatures are the specified alignment. As a demon, it would be "Always Chaotic Evil".

You need to list the creature's language. Given it's nature, I would say it speaks abyssal and ignan.

Now, there are some issues with the flavor and concept of your creature. You say it is somebody who died from flames. This kind of thing usually is associated with undead. A creature's status in the outer planes as a spirit is more determined by their personal attributes than by the manner of their death. I'd just get rid of it.

This creature also seems far too powerful. It has massive strength and consitution scores for its size, incredible dexterity, and a rather unexplained degree of intelligence and wisdom. If it is indeed the spirit of a human-type, its mental ability scores would be average.

You say if it senses a creature is evil, it will talk. How and why? This has no ability to detect if a creature is evil listed, and in any case demons are hostile creatures, and hate lawful creatures as much as they do good ones. I'd give it full ranks in sense motive, and detect evil as a spell-like ability, at will.

In fact, this creature seems to generally lack some magic powers of demonic quality. How about giving it the power to summon evil fire elementals, and a few dark powers?

The Recommended Summoning power:

Summon Unholy Flames(sp): once per day, a zaarok can attempt to summon a large fiendish fire elemental with a 50% chance of success, two medium fiendish fire elementals with a 75% chance of success, or another zaarok with a 25% chance of success. The summoned creature cannot use any summon abilities of its own for one hour, and vanishes after a minute.

Some spell-like abilities that would fit it rather well:

Spell-like abilities(sp): once per day fire shield(fire), deeper darkness, magic circle against good. Caster level 10th, DC charisma-based.

And a few generally appropriate special qualities

Protection from Good and Law(sp): protection from good and protection from law, constantly active, can be renewed as a free action if broken.

Demonic claws(su): a zaarok's natural weapons are treated as unholy and chaotic for overcoming regeneration and damage reduction.

Damage Reduction 5/holy(su): a zaarok takes 5 less damage from weapons and physical attacks. Holy weapons deal full damage to it.

There you go.
Gruulingkid3

04-23-06, 12:59 AM
Zaarok
Large Outsider (Evil Extraplanar Fire)
Hit Dice- 10d12+115 (175 HP)
Initiative- +4
Speed- 45ft/40ft fly (Average)
Face/Reach 5ft/10ft
AC- 20 (+5 Dex. -1 size penalty, +6 Tough Hide)
Base Attack/Grapple- +10/+23
Attacks- Claw+19 melee (1d12+9)
Full Attck- 2 Claws (1d12+9)
Special Attacks- Heat(ex) Breath Weapon(su)
Special Qualities- 1/day Fire Shield Darkvision 60ft Protection from Good
Abilities- Str- 20 Dex- 21 Con- 25 Int- 12 Wis- 12 Cha- 9
Save- Fort +10 Ref- +5 Will +4
Skills- Summon Unholy Flame(sp) Smite Holy 5/day Flame Teleport 2/day(su)Detect Evil (at will) Detect Good(at will)
Feats- Weapon Focus (Claws) Weapon Focus (Blade) Armor Proficiency (Heavy Armor) Weapon Focus (two-bladed sword)
Enviroment- Mountains, usually near Volcanoes, or anywhere where a malevolent force is sensed
Challenge Rating- 7
Treasure- Standard
Advancement- 13
Alignment- Always Chaotic Evil
Orginization- Solitary, Pairs, Sometimes in groups of 3-12

A large winged creature that exudes heat off its body. Its claws are covered with dried gore from its previous victims and it seems rather intent on adding your flesh and blood to its collection. Languages known: Abyssal and Ignan


I think I got it now.
R.M.G.C.L.F.

04-23-06, 01:20 AM
Getting there. ^^;

Once again, in "special attacks" and "special Qualities", you only list the name of the things, not what they do. So you'd list "Summon creature", "protection from good", etc.

Skills are only the things that you find in the "Skills" list in the monster manual. The stuff you list as skills like detect evil and summoning are considered special attacks and special qualities.

I should have mentioned that detect evil is a spell like ability. List it with the others, but say that it's at will.

You forgot the (Evil) subtype.

Languages are listed after the description, and do not have their own stat block.

It's a lot of work getting a coherent, balanced, and usable monster, but it's usually worth it in the end, and you'll get better with time. I'm too tired to give further advice right now, but go over the things I told you already, and check the information on making monsters in the monster manual.
Bongitybongbong

04-23-06, 09:55 AM
also outsiders use d8's so it'd be 10d8+100 (145). For future reference, the extra hitpoints are made by multiplying number of hit dice by the con modifier.
savant_warlord13

04-23-06, 12:37 PM
Don't listen to everything R.M.G.C.L.F. says, as he still uses 3.0. A large creature always has a face of 10 ft. 'Demon' is not a type, nor is it even a subtype. Its type would be outsider, giving it 8-sided hit dice.

You know what, here is you monster. I am putting in my changes in green, stuff you have to do in red, and recomendations in blue

Zaarok
Large Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar, Fire, Tanar'ri)
Hit Dice- 10d8+70 (105)
Initiative- +5
Speed- 45ft, fly 40ft (Average)
Face/Reach 10ft/10ft
AC- 20 (+5 Dex. -1 size penalty, +6 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple- +10/+19
Attacks- Claw +16 melee (1d12+5)
Full Attack- 2 Claws +16 melee (1d12+5)
Special Attacks- Heat, Breath Weapon, Spell Like Abilities, Smite Good
Special Qualities- Darkvision 60 ft, outsider traits, Tanar'ri traits
Abilities- Str 20 Dex 21 Con 25 Int 12 Wis 12 Cha 9
Saves- Fort +14, Ref +12, Will +8
Skills- Look at the skills section of the Player's Handbook or the SRD
Feats- Weapon Focus (Claw), Combat Reflexes Your other feats were useless, as they relied on equipment not presented in the stat block. Also, Weapon Focus (blade) is not a feat. Select other feats
Enviroment- Mountains
Challenge Rating- 7
Treasure- Standard
Advancement- 11-16 HD (large), 17-20 HD (huge)
Alignment- Always Chaotic Evil
Organization- Solitary, Pair, or inferno (3-12)

A large winged creature that exudes heat off its body. Its claws are covered with dried gore from its previous victims and it seems rather intent on adding your flesh and blood to its collection.

You need alot more information here. Languages known: Abyssal and Ignan

Spell-Like Abilities:
At will- Detect Evil, Detect Good
1/day- Fire shield
Also put in other Spell Like Abilities

Explain Smite Good, Breath Weapon, Heat, and other special attacks and qualities here