Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The Vorpal Tribble 06-05-07, 06:51 PM	Combrunner Small Magical Beast (psionic) Hit Dice: 3d10+9 (25 hp) Initiative: +4 Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 30 ft., burrow 5 ft. Armor Class: 21 (+4 dex, +6 natural, +1 size), flat-footed 17, touch 15 Base Attack Bonus/Grapple: +3/+0 Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d4+1 plus bristletoxin) Full attack: Bite +8 melee (1d4+1 plus bristletoxin) Special Attacks: Bristletoxin, psi-like abilities Special Qualities: Darkvision 90 ft., doubleminded, naturally psionic, scent, tremorsense 20 ft. Saves: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +4 Abilities: Str 12, Dex 19, Con 17, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 13 Skills: Balance +7, Bluff +4, Concentration +6, Climb +9, Escape Artist +10, Hide +11, Jump +7, Move Silently +10, Spot +5 Feats: Psionic Charge, Speed of Thought, Weapon Finesse(B) Environment: Underground Organization: Solitary, Pair, Family (3-18), or Skein (19-40) Challenge Rating: 4 Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral Treasure: Standard Advancement: 4-5 HD (small), 6-10 HD (medium) Level Adjustment: +3 Appearing at first as a mass of long, bristly brown fur, the combrunner is a vaguely arachnid-like creature, but possesses only six thick, springy legs, ending in many clawed toes. These appendages are double jointed along the entire length so as it can run upside down as well as rightside up, and little in its physiology differentiates between the two. Many bright black eyes peer out from upon its stomach and back. A combrunner gains its name from the complex, three-dimensional mazes it burrows ands carves beneath the surface. These mazes can extend for acres, going up and down, side to side, and at fantastic angles that may or may not connect with the others. The most convoluted series of connected passages leads to the Combrunner's larder and home, where it stores its meals for aging, and where its offspring grow. Males are the only ones to craft the tunnels, attracting mates by showing they can supply the most confusing and trickiest constructions, showing they can both protect young and trap prey. Families often share tunnels, adding on continuously, though sections are reserved for whoever can best guard it. Combrunner’s weigh around 75 lbs., stand about 3 feet tall, and have a 5-foot leg span. They speak undercommon and their own native language. Combat Nothing interests a combrunner more than giving chase to creatures lost within its tunnels, or leading others to become hopelessly lost inside. Once they corner their prey they leap forward biting, back off, feint, and generally confuse their opponents. When dead the combrunner will drag off its prey to its lair. Bristletoxin (Ex): A combrunner when it bites also brushes up against its opponent for a brief moment. The stiff hairs deliver a prick of minor poison that, unless a successful DC 14 Fortitude save is made, causes rashes that itch intensely for an hour. Each round they must succeed on a DC 14 will save or spend a standard action to scratch. Targets affected take a –1 penalty on initiative checks and a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saves, and skill checks. Save DC's are Consitution-based. Doubleminded (Ex): A combrunner's mind and thought processes are bewildering to say the least. This is simply explained by the fact it has two minds, as if under the influence of the Schism power. This also grants them a +4 bonus to Will saves. Naturally Psionic: Combrunners gain 1 bonus power point. Psi-like Abilities: At will/Catfall, Know Direction and Location, Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions; 3/day Id Insinuation (DC 13). Manifester level 5th. Save DC's are Charisma-based. Skills: A combrunner gains a +6 racial bonus to spot checks and +6 bonus to concentration checks to become psionically focused. As well, combrunner’s have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb skill checks, even if rushed or threatened.
Xaxor 06-05-07, 07:04 PM	You forgot the size modifier on armor class. And how would it advance from small size directly to large? Kind of a blah monster if you ask me. No offense.
kyeudo 06-05-07, 07:29 PM	Interesting, but I don't like animals that are smarter than me. I'd prefer a more instincual beast, with an int of 2 or 3 at the most. BTW, why does a burrowing creature posses catfall?
The Vorpal Tribble 06-05-07, 08:44 PM	You forgot the size modifier on armor class. And how would it advance from small size directly to large? Whoops, typo. Adjusted. Kind of a blah monster if you ask me. No offense. Well, I do so many 'off the wall creatures' I'm told that a more normal weirdo I thought might be in order. And I rather think it has to be more interesting than a Crysmal or Folugub, maybe the Grey Glutton as well. Interesting, but I don't like animals that are smarter than me. I'd prefer a more instincual beast, with an int of 2 or 3 at the most. Good, because its not an animal. And it is actually a very sophisticated creature. It is a genius at spatial thinking. There is a race in one of my favorite books who probably has intelligence in the 30's. These guys make the smartest human look like a coma patient. But they have since time imemorable been doing nothing but digging holes in their planet. You find out later that they are doing this to alter their orbit around the sun to straighten out a gradual eccentricity that would eventually doom the thing. However, when they meet humans they play 'civilization' for a few years, building cities, spacecraft, make all sorts of things that humans haven't even invented yet. They then tire of the game and go back to digging. They like digging. So you can be a super ginormous genius... and still not have much of a culture or an urge to better yourself. These guys like making mind-blowingly sophisticated mazes. BTW, why does a burrowing creature posses catfall? Underground there are many caverns, and as said their tunnels are three-dimensional. It's easier to fall down a shaft than climb down it, etc.
The Vorpal Tribble 06-05-07, 08:53 PM	To continue on, these fellows may seem 'uninteresting', but think of it. They can get psionically focused anytime they wish because they have dual minds. You have a bunch of caves. You try to chase this thing and it just zips around at a crazy angle you cannot follow and it appears behind you. *SNAP* It might lead you down this greased slope that begins large, but as it continues down it becomes a shaft that you fall down. It can squeeze through the hole at the bottom with its escape artist. You go *splat*. You could have sooo much fun with these guys. People always complaining about how short encounters are. What about guys like these that can keep them going for hours, pricking and teasing and wearing out the players until they are hopelessly lost, injured, and half out of spells.
DragonLich 06-05-07, 09:00 PM	I could see minotaurs using these as trained pets if they were more nuetral but they look pretty sweet. I agree with the int and it makes sense that they be smart. How big are the wholes that they dig? They could be very useful to take to the plane of earth to dig and tunnel or the underdark and be used by psionic mindflayers...which might explain how they became psionic in the first place. Kudos!
kyeudo 06-05-07, 09:19 PM	I still say that the things don't need to be incredibly intelligent to have a natural genius at spacial planning and trapbuilding. There are birds out there that weave complex basket nests from grass on pure instinct. There are those with more skill and experience, but even the youngest can make the thing recognizable. Their size makes for a bit of a problem. Most charecters are medium. This thing would leave behind small size tunnels, forcing any PCs that enter them to squeeze. Why the doubleminded?
InkBlot 06-05-07, 09:40 PM	I think these creatures are terribly fascinating, and utterly fantastic. They sound like something out of The Dark Crystal. Just one thing. You forgot to give them racial power points so they can become psionicaly focused.
Fafnir 06-06-07, 07:50 AM	I think these creatures are terribly fascinating, and utterly fantastic. They sound like something out of The Dark Crystal. Just one thing. You forgot to give them racial power points so they can become psionicaly focused. Isn't the [Psionic] subtype enough for that? And I rather think it has to be more interesting than a Crysmal or Folugub, maybe the Grey Glutton as well. I like Crysmals... Foluglubs, however, suck worse than empty Cognizance Crystals.
The Vorpal Tribble 06-06-07, 08:24 AM	IHow big are the wholes that they dig? They could be very useful to take to the plane of earth to dig and tunnel or the underdark and be used by psionic mindflayers...which might explain how they became psionic in the first place. They dig holes as big as they want. Burrow-speed wise, probably only as big as themselves. And yeah, I'd think you could slap on the extraplanar subtype and make them earth plane diggers. Their size makes for a bit of a problem. Most charecters are medium. This thing would leave behind small size tunnels, forcing any PCs that enter them to squeeze. Only when using their burrow speed straight on. They could easily spend and extra round and make it twice as big. However, as they have a space of 5 feet I believe the hole is the same size for medium as small. Why the doubleminded? So they can be moving at full speed each round while still manifesting powers. Being able to know direction or manifest on your prey on the run is quite useful. Can also spot and listen while it speeds through this and that hole. Isn't the [Psionic] subtype enough for that? You would think, but the rules have to make it difficult for us and I keep forgetting about it :pbbbtt:
InkBlot 06-06-07, 10:01 AM	I'm surprised I didn't think of it before but, this is where dungeons come from. All those horribly complex mazes which have no justification for existing, that are filled with monsters who couldn't realy survive there naturally, and traps that no sane person would place inside - this is the work of a combrunner. I can totally see trapping monsters as part of their mazes becoming a fad among certain combrunners. The players wouldn't think anything of the stereotypical dungeon they wandered into, but occasionally you'd call for spot checks to "see, out of the corner of your eye, a fuzzy little thing with many legs and bright eyes darting about in the darkness." If the PCs discover the hidden entrance to the combrunner's personal corner of the maze, where he does his everyday living, then they may be in for a surprise. I can also see some combrunners developing levels in psion (shaper) in order to enhance their mazes with fabricate, and to be able to make psionic traps. A particularly powerful combrunner nomad may extend his maze in more than three dimensions, with divert teleport. Come to think of it, the shaper could do that too with genesis, but not until later. I could also imagine an eccentric combrunner wizard, who encodes his spells in the shape of his maze. To prepare them, he must spend an hour running through the appropriate tunnels. Any player chasing him while he's trying to prepare his spells could make a spellcraft check to realize, for instance, that the little guy is trying to prepare a black tentacles spell. Naturally this combrunner would be seen as mad by his peers, and his mazes would never attract any mates (and they aren't designed to).
Fafnir 06-06-07, 10:28 AM	[...] That's... sheer awesome. Directly from the Plane of Elemental Genius. I open my jar of :cookie: for you, man.
The Vorpal Tribble 06-06-07, 01:00 PM	And someone sees my vision with me! :dancin: Lift your hands, brutha!
Fafnir 06-06-07, 01:10 PM	Well, I already liked the critter a lot, but never understood it's full implications until InkBlot pointed them out. You can have the rest of the jar.:D :cookie::cookie::cookie::cookie:
The_Ditto 06-06-07, 01:30 PM	I could see minotaurs using these as trained pets I think your dyslexia kicked in again ... should read: "I could see these guys using minotaurs as trained pets" :P :dancin:
zavin87 06-06-07, 01:59 PM	yet another fascinating creature vorpal tribble. Kudos to you
Xaxor 06-06-07, 02:07 PM	Well then, I retract my "blah" comment. Guess I think inside the box too much.
Cypher_of_the_Eye 06-07-07, 04:15 AM	utterly loving these guys:pint: though, i have to say they sound more like Abberrations than beasts(magical or otherwise):coolcthul totaly friggen awsome!
RadicalTaoist 06-07-07, 10:08 PM	I could see minotaurs using these as trained pets I think your dyslexia kicked in again ... should read: "I could see these guys using minotaurs as trained pets" :P :dancin: Curse you for stealing my witty responses! Exactly what I was thinking.
turalisj 06-08-07, 07:31 PM	Well, I already liked the critter a lot, but never understood it's full implications until InkBlot pointed them out. You can have the rest of the jar.:D :cookie::cookie::cookie::cookie: *snatches jar* Awesome creature Tribble. Are there going to be more versions of them (like one's that weave crystal tunnels)
Tyroki 06-08-07, 08:29 PM	I am officially showing this to my DM o.o Absolutely brilliant!
Fafnir 07-27-07, 12:19 PM	Bada-bump. I just noticed you forgot to include the effect of augmentations for psi-like abilities, VT.
nova head 07-27-07, 02:51 PM	(Gets put into my next game)
nightmaredragon 08-17-07, 09:20 PM	Have a :cookie: for this wonderful creature. I love the implications...