Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Banatine 08-22-07, 08:14 AM	*IMPORTANT NOTE* I did not create any of this template (Except for the accompanying picture). All I have done is a little re-organising, polishing, and the picture. The creator of the whole thing was necropolitan (http://forums.gleemax.com/member.php?u=450733), and all praise should go to him. :clap: P.S. If you are reading this, necropolitan, I hope the changes I have made don't offend you. :) HEARTLESS CREATURE http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m52/Banatine/Darkside-HeartlessFighterFinalColou.jpg Click, click, click, The young girl’s heels struck the cobblestones in a steady rhythm, her spirits upbeat as she passed the last of the town guards, smiling at the plate-mail clad man lighting the streetlamps to fend off the impending sunset. All things were as they should be. Then from a side alley, there was a rustle, and a grunt. Suddenly a grimy leather-clad hand tangled in her hair, and another stifled her cries with a vise-like clamp over the softness of her lips, she had not even time to scream as she was yanked into the alleyway, eye to eye with a pair of dirty brigands. A million fates rushed through the girl's mind, rape, slavery, murder; each more horrible then the last as the thugs grinned at her salaciously. She whimpered around the hand, tears of abject terror streaming down her face; she was going to die. Suddenly, a deep and hellish voice split the silence with a single word; “INNOCENT!” The two thugs twisted to the end of the alleyway, and the girl felt the hands holding her tremble, daring a glance. She spied a hulking, fiendish figure, crouched in the corner of the alley, outlined by the harsh lines of plate armor and the viciously graceful curves of bone horns and spikes; two burning fiery orange eyes glowed with a devilish luminescence from behind the shadows of it's helm. “Innocent! Devoid of sin or prejudice, pure!” The demonic figure snarled, the voice like razors on a slateboard, ”She was like me… she WILL NOT be like me!” These final words heralded a rush, a vicious charge, the men let her loose, attempting to flee onto to be struck down by the powerful, misshapen fist of the monster as well as he dire and mighty blade. The fight was short and bloody, the two would-be criminals lay mangled and gutted in the dredges of the alley, and the creature turned to her. She gasped and froze in terror as the hellish arm reached out and caressed her cheek gently. She trembled, strangely reassured by the monster’s touch. “Go home, child” it rasped, turning away from her, it’s black plate mail melding with the darkness rapidly, she called out in earnest. “Who are you?” she asked in a sob-choked whisper, the monster turned it’s armored head. “Vengeance” it rasped, with a pause, before becoming one with the darkness. A Heartless is a Creature who has either willingly or forcibly had their heart replaced by that of a Major demon by the Cult of Demogorgon in a fiendish and horrid ritual, and has developed a series of augmented demonic traits and temperament. Heartless are a fairly black and white lot, with those whom willingly embrace the evil, and those whom were forced into the change. They can be the darkest of villains or the most stalwart of heroes, but all suffer the inescapable taint of the festering hell that beats within their breast. SAMPLE HEARTLESS This powerful humanoid is encased in a suit of full plate armour, and has one massive clawed arm, which is clutching a sword that is almost the same size as it's weilder. Here is an example of a Heartless using a 5th-level human fighter as the base creature. Heartless 5th-level Human Fighter Medium Outsider (Augmented Humanoid) (Native, Evil) Hit Dice: 2d8+6 plus 5D10+15 (56 hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 30 ft. in full plate armour (4 squares); base speed 40 ft. Armour Class: 24 (+1 Dex, +4 natural, +9 +1 full plate armour), touch 11, flat-footed 23. Base attack/Grapple: +7/+16 Attack: +1 Large Graveblade +17 melee (3d8+11/19-20) or claw +12 melee (1d6+5) Full Attack: +1 Large Graveblade +17/+12 (3d8+11/19-20) or claw +12 melee (1d6+5) Space/Reach: 5ft./5ft. Special Attacks: Executioner's Fist, Cruel Divide. Special Qualities: Madness, Distorted Anatomy, Dominant Arm, Fast Healing 4, Horrific Subjugation, Powerful Build, Vicarious Memories Saves: Fort +11, Ref +6, Will +6 Abilities: Str 20, Dex 14, Son 16, Int 13, Wis 2, Cha 14. Skills: Climb +15, Intimidate +18, Jump +15, Knowledge (arcana) +5, Listen +7, Ride +7, Spot +7, Survival +7, swim -2 Feats: Weapon Focus (Graveblade), Power Attack, Cleave, Intimidating Strike, Powerful Charge, Weapon Specialisation (graveblade) Environment: Temperate plains Organisation: Solitary Challenge Rating: 8 Alignment: Often chaotic evil Advancement: By character class Level Adjustment: +2 This heartless is based on a 5th-level human fighter with the following ability scores: Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 10. Combat Heartless fighters often use large two-handed (often exotic) weapons. Aggressive and tempramental, they're usually itching for a battle. They often lead other evil warriors, but fight as individuals. Madness (Ex): The ritual and expereince of becoming a Heartless leaves the host metnally shattered and throughougly insane; commonly creating a new personality and persona from the ruins of their old self. This allows them to use their Charisma bonus as the modfier for will saves and Wisdom-related abilites. Distorted Anatomy (Ex): Heartless creatures are treated as Non-Humanoid for determining what armor can be worn, and creating new armor (Mundane cost is multiplied x2, and +2000 GP for magical items). However they are allowed to take monsterous feats, and are treated as one size category larger for the purposes of meeting monstrous feat prerequisites. Horrific Subjugation (Ex): A Heartless gets a +6 Innate Bonus to Intimidate checks and the DC of any spells or effects with the Fear descriptor; and due to their abberent anatomy can take monsterous feats related to Frightful Presence. Dominant Arm (Ex): Gains a 1d6 Slam OR Claw Attack that is treated as Evil and Magic for bypassing damage reduction, but cannot employ magical Gloves or Bracelets that come in pairs, or wear rings on said hand due to it’s disproportionably large and demonic anatomy, such as Gloves of Dexterity or Bracers of Armor. Powerful Build (Ex): Heartless creatures have a uniquely powerful musculature and oppressive build. This, coupled with it's dominant arm give it inhuman strength and endurance: Whenever a Heartless is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the heartless is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A heartless is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature's special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A Heartless can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject's size category. Executioner’s Fist (Ex): A Heartless creature can use a full-round action to reel back and unload a single natural attack. This massive lunging blow threatens a single square within 10’ of the heartless and deals extra damage equal to twice his strength bonus on a successful hit. In addition, the target must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 Character's HD + Strength modifier) or be knocked prone, and stunned for 1d4 rounds. Furthermore the character may use this attack to deliver Touch attacks and Spells. Using this attack provokes attacks of opportunity, and the character suffers a -2 penalty to AC for 1 round. Cruel Divide (Ex): When a Heartless makes a charge against an opponent while weilding a weapon that is Large or larger, as soon as he is 10 feet away from his target, he may (instead of making a normal attack at the end of the charge) choose to make a DC 18 Jump check. If this check succeeds, the Heartless leaps towards his foe and brings his weapon down in a devestating overarm slash. This attack deals an additional 2d4 points of rending damage and allows the attacker to initiate a bull rush or overrun attempt as a free action. Using this ability provokes attacks of opportunity, and the character suffers a -4 penalty to AC for 1 round (In addition to the normal -2 penalty to AC for charging). Vicarious Memories (Ex): Taking part of its demonic benefactor’s essence, the Heartless retains some of the creature’s experiences in it’s own memory; this manifests as a slightly altered set of personal mannerisms, voice changes and previously non-existent personality traits. A Heartless automatically gains proficiency with one weapon of the player’s choice that it wasn’t before, and Gains an additional Class Skill. Posessions: +1 full plate armour, +1 Large graveblade. Heartless as Characters Although "Heartless" is not an inherited template, it cannot be added to a creature after character creation (unless your DM permits it). The "Heartless" template can only be applied to Humanoids with an Intelligence score of at least 10. Heartless characters possess the following racial traits. Ability Adjustments: As base race, plus: +4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -6 Wisdom, +4 Charisma. Heartless are powerful, resilient and swift; but the process of creating them has ravaged their minds and bodies, leaving them more then a little psychotic and horrific to look upon; but they present a hellishly domineering presence in any battlefield. Type: The creatures type changes to Outsider (augmented hunamoid) (Native, Evil) Size: Same as base creature. A Heartless creature's base land speed is 10 feet more than that of the base creature. Racial Hit Dice: A Heartless creature begins play with 2 levels of outsider, which provide 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +3, Ref +3, and Will +3. Racial Skills: A Heartless creature's outsider Hit Dice give it skill points equal to 5 X (8 + Int modifier). It's class skills are Climb, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), Listen, Ride, Spot, Survival, and Swim. Racial Feats: A Heartless character's outsider levels give it one feat. +4 natural armour bonus (or base creature's natural armour bonus if it is higher). Natural Weapons: Slam or Claw (1d6). Heartless traits: Darkvision 60 feet, low-light vision, +4 racial bonus on saves against death effects. Special Attacks: Executioner's Fist, Cruel Divide. Special Qualities: Madness, Distorted Anatomy, Dominant Arm, Fast Healing 4 Horrific Subjugation, Powerful Build, Vicarious Memories. Favoured Class: Fighter. Level Adjustment: +2. NEW EQUIPMENT Two-handed Melee Weapons Name Cost Dmg(S) Dmg(M) Critical Range Increment Weight Type Graveblade 100 gp 1d10 2d8 X3 - 15 lb. Slashing Graveblade: A favorite amongst the Cult of Demogorgon and it’s associated sub-sects, this vicious weapon was designed specifically to be used by Heartless soldiers, but it was so well-received that smaller human-sized versions began to be produced for priests and templars. A Graveblade is a large two-handed Greatsword with a single-edged triangular blade that tapers in a knife-like fashion with an overlong haft; brutal in combat it’s also oddly graceful, and the gentle curve along the blade allows for precise force to be applied, but the reduced weight of medium-sized blades seems to limit their damage potential. A character who is proficient with a Graveblade, and spends at least 3 points in power attack, may use it as a 10’ reach weapon for 1 round. NEW FEATS ROOK SPLITTER [HEARTLESS] You can use your hellish anatomy to deliver devastating overhand blows. Such strikes from you can rend armor and cleave lesser men clean in half Prerequisites: Heartless, Strength 19, Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Leap Attack, Jump: 11 ranks, BAB +8 Benefits: During the last 10’ of a Charge, you can make a DC 18 jump check to perform a single overhand blow with a two-handed weapon; if this attack hits you automatically threaten a Critical Hit, and get a +4 Bonus on the Critical Confirmation roll. Furthermore, your Strength bonus to damage is doubled for that blow, and you gain a +3 bonus on your melee damage rolls for every -1 penalty you take on your melee rolls if you use the Power Attack feat with this attack (this is not increased because you are using a two-handed weapon). This attack does not provoke an Attack of Opportunity, but does lower your AC by -4 until your next Initiative. You may Use Rook Splitter a number of times a Day equal to your Strength Modifier. If you use Rook Splitter in conjunction with Cruel Divide, the bonuses and penalties stack. Special: A fighter may select Rook Splitter as one of his fighter bonus feats. DREAD CRESCENT [GENERAL] Your reckless surge into battle lets you whirl through hordes of opponents like a scythe reaping grain, leaving bodies in your path like so many fallen stalks. Prerequisites: BAB +6, Powerful Charge, Weapon Focus (Any two-handed melee weapon) Benefits: As long as you are wielding any two-handed weapon which which you have the Weapon Focus feat, at the end of your charge as well as your normal attack against your target, you may also attack any creature(s) that are standing either side of him, assuming you can reach them. You may also gain an additional +2 bonus to your melee attack rolls when you charge, but if you do you also take an additional -2 penalty to AC for 1 round. TANK SOLDIER [TACTICAL] You’ve fought more battles and slain more foes wrapped in steel from head to toe then you can readily count, and your fighting style benefits from heavy armour and even heavier weapons. Prerequisites: BAB +6, Power Attack, Powerful Charge, Weapon Focus (Any Two-Handed Weapon), Heavy Armour Proficiency Benefits:The Tank Soldier feat enables the use of three tactical maneuvers. Skin of Steel: Whenever you fight defensively while wearing Heavy Armour, you gain damage reduction 2/-. Furthermore, any time you take the Total Defense action, you gain damage reduction 4/-. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier, or until you cease to fight defensively. Juggernaut Rush: When you execute a charge action while wearing Heavy armour and wielding a two-handed weapon with which you have the Weapon Focus feat, you gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage for every 5’ you travel before reaching your opponent, in addition to the normal +2 bonus to melee attack rolls from charging. In addition, the opponent struck must make a Fortitude Save with a DC equal to the damage dealt by the attack, or be pushed back 5 feet. Heavy Divide: To use this ability you must take at least a -5 penalty to your attack rolls using the Power Attack feat. If you successfully hit your opponent at least twice, they must make a Fortitude Save, with a DC equal to the second (modified) attack roll, or be knocked prone and stunned for 1d4 rounds. Special: A fighter may select Tank Soldier as one of his fighter bonus feats. HELL CLUTCH [HEARTLESS] Using your inhuman anatomy and demonic strength, you grab, strangle, and fling opponents like rag dolls. Prerequisites: Heartless, Strength 17, Improved Trip, Improved Natural Attack, BAB +6 Benefits: Any time you make a successful trip attempt, you may instead grab the opponent and throw them into any square within half your total movement radius. The initial grab deals your normal natural weapon damage, and any obstacle the foe encounters during flight deals 1d6 damage for every 5’ they traveled before striking it. Furthermore, they are knocked prone upon landing. Special: A fighter may select Hell Clutch as one of his fighter bonus feats. DEMONIC APOTHEOSIS [HEARTLESS] By feeding your inner demons through battle, your body’s augmentations grow more powerful and thus, even more horrific. Prerequisite: Strength 19, Con 17, Improved Natural Attack, BAB +12 Benefit: Both of your arms are now hideous mutations demonic in origin. You can no longer wear rings, gloves, or gauntlets. You gain a secondary natural slam or claw attack with your new arm. In addition, your natural weapons are considered one size category larger. Finally, your natural armor bonus increases by +4 and you gain an additional +4 Strength bonus. HATRED [HEARTLESS] Your damned soul links you to the source of it’s torment, allowing you to inflict your own damnation on those whom deserve it. Prerequisites: Heartless, Intelligence 13, Weapon Focus (Graveblade), Weapon Specialization (Graveblade), Improved Critical (Graveblade), BAB +8, Benefits: Any Graveblade you wield deals 2d6 Negative Energy damage on a hit; this extra damage does not heal undead struck with the weapon. Furthermore on a Critical Hit an opponent suffers 1 negative level. multiple critical hits inlict stacking negative levels. These negative levels last for 10 minutes, and so do not last long enought to result in permenant level loss. This is a Supernatural Ability. MALICE [HEARTLESS] Your link to your hellbound spirit is steady and nightmarish, allowing you to inflict wounds of unbridled cruelty on your foes. Prerequisites: Heartless, Hatred, Greater Weapon Focus (Graveblade), Greater Weapon Specialization (Graveblade) Improved Critical (Graveblade), BAB +12 Benefits: Any Graveblade you wield is treated as if it were a Greater Wounding weapon, dealing 2 points of constitution damage per hit. This is a supernatural ability. Special: This ability replaces the 2d6 Negative Energy damage from Hatred, unless at the beginning of the day, the character chooses to suppress this feat for 24 hours. He then regains the 2d6 negative energy damage until this time is allotted. WITCH HUNT [HEARTLESS] You’ve learned to combine your natural attacks and your mighty blade to literally impale foes foolish enough to stand against you and your allies as one. Prerequisites: Heartless, Improved Trip, BAB +6 Benefits: When you make a successful trip attempt against a target that is denied their Dexterity bonus to AC, you deal double damage with your follow-up attack; If you score a critical hit, the weapon’s critical multiplier is considered one step higher for the attack. Normal: A character who strikes a tripped opponent rolls damage as per a standard attack. Special: A fighter may select Witch Hunt as one of his fighter bonus feats. Acid Test for LA +2 Class: Fighter ECL: 5 Versus: Human Fighter 5 Vs. Heartless Fighter 1 Abilities: Elite Array Human Str:16 Dex: 12 Con: 14 Int: 13 Wis: 10 Cha: 8 Heartless Str: 20 Dex: 14 Con: 16 Int: 13 Wis: 8 Cha: 4 ECL 5: Fighter 5 Human HP: 5d10+10 = 35 Human AB: 5 (BAB) +3 (Str) +1 (Weapon Focus) = 9 Human Full Attack: 9 (Greatsword) Human FA Damage: 2d6+4 (Str) +2 (Weapon Specialization) = 12 Human AC: 10+8 (Platemail) +1 (Dex) = 19 Human Saves: Fort (7), Ref (3) Will (1) Feats: 5 (Including Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization) ECL 5: 2 RHD, 2 LA, 1 Fighter Heartless HP: 2d8+1d10+9 = 27 Heartless AB: 3 (BAB) +5 (Str) +1 (Weapon Focus) = 9 Heartless Full Attack; 9 (Large Greatsword) Heartless FA Damage: 3d6 (Large Greatsword) +7 (Str) = 16 Heartless AC: 10+8 (Platemail) +1 (Dex) +4 (NA) = 23 Heartless Saves: Fort (9) Ref (7) Will (4) Feats: 2 (Including Weapon Focus) The AB is identical, with the Heartless leading slightly in average damage, as he should be for having strength 4 points higher and a weapon that does an extra 1d6 over the human’s. The Heartless also leads in AC by 4 points; of course the human leads by a solid 8 HP just rolling average, even with it’s lower con modifier, and it gets 5 feats to the Heartless’ meager 2, which would make them fully capable of nullifying the AC advantage with some well-chosen feats. The Fast Healing also makes up for the Heartless’ lower HP as they’ll get back some every round. The Saves are the biggest rift next to AC, but are typical of Racial HD; the Heartless again makes up for it’s lower average HP and lack of buffing feats by sheer resilience against attack. All in All it comes down to the nitty gritty variables; The Heartless’ Evil Subtype makes then perpetually vulnerable to Evil-Affecting spells, such as Smite Evil, Holy Smite, Bless and so forth, which would be an incredible negative to a Heartless whom is part of a party. Moreover using any of the Special Abilities effectively cancels out the AC bonus from it’s NA – plus there’s the detrimental effects of not being able to wear gloves or Bracelets that are paired; which pretty much excludes him from a wide variety of Stat- and AC – buffing magical items, and one Ring slot; for Min/Max players and magic item collectors this is a BIG pain, because some of the essential fighter items go out the window. In light of this the Human becomes a lot more then just extra feats and HP; and proves the template preaches to a specific play style.
Banatine 08-31-07, 05:46 PM	:bump:
pigknight 09-28-07, 11:29 PM	Isn't that a picture of the Black Knight in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance?
BruceLeeroy 09-29-07, 12:26 AM	The class itself seems balanced, but some of those feats are overpowered. Rook splitter, for instance, is insane. Automatically threatening a crit is powerful enough, giving bonus damage to PA that stacks with the 3:1 return from Leap Attack...that's a 6:1 return for PA. A fighter with a Valorous Scythe would be getting a 30:1 return if he confirmed the critical. That's ridiculous. It would be easy as anything to optimize that further. Broken. Dread Crescent: Do you also get the charge bonuses for the foes adjacent to your main target? If so, holy crap. Tank Soldier is quite nice, actually. Hell Clutch: Throw them up to half your movement speed? Do you have any idea how easy it is to get insane trip modifiers? A reach weapon + this = instant broken. Demonic Apotheosis: Cool. Nice flavor, hurtful penalties, nice benefits. Hatred: Too much for too little. Any fighter is going to have all of those prereqs ('cept maaaybe the Int) and an extra 2d6 to all attacks plus negative levels on a crit is freakin' powerful. That's the equivalent to a +4 enhancement bonus. 'Specially since few creatures/classes offer resistance to Negative Energy. Malice: Same problems as Hatred. Witch Hunt: Seems cool. I don't see any way to exploit it too badly. All in all, I like the template. I'm going to offer it to my players in my current game, flavorwise it will fit. EDIT: Actually, screw that, I'm going to use it for a BBEG.
ArgulFraster 09-29-07, 01:10 AM	I take it this has nothing to do with the KH creatures?
BruceLeeroy 09-29-07, 01:16 AM	Gee, what would make you think that?
CobaltDeathWolf 09-29-07, 02:03 PM	this looks like a lotta fun, and i am TEMPTED to use this... BUT, i'm still not too sure. oh! and good on ya necropolitan, i thought KH when i first saw this, and this has absolutely nothing to do with that :D
Rustmonster 09-29-07, 03:16 PM	Mmmmmmmm, reminds me of Nightmare. Awesome.
ImABanana 09-29-07, 07:47 PM	Reminds me a LOT of nightmare, especially since in a campaign I played there was a character called Nightmare, and Soul Edge was a two handed sword that did 2d8
Nerra57 10-02-07, 09:38 PM	I am playing a Heartless Fighter whos only resistence from temptation is a Gnome Cleric with no legs who constantly rides around on his back piggy-back stlye... I got the inspiration from the book "Freak the mighty"