Post/Author/DateTime	Post
LordHawkeye 08-08-06, 08:23 PM	I want to describe to my players when monsters use spell like abilities and such in a better way than just "monster casts such and such." I got ideas for some but others I'm drawing a blank to how to describe them. One in particular though... I'm doing a far realm invasion campaign and that means lots of pseudonatural creatures who have that true strike ability. Any ideas how to describe a monster making an attack that seems unnaturally on it's mark?
Tembo 08-08-06, 08:32 PM	Technically, true strike provides a +20 insight bonus. This insight may come from some form of precognition (ala spider-man's spider sense), a thurough knowledge of fighting styles (either instinctive or learned), or the creature is just damn good at attacking (and the PCs can't seem to evade the attacks, they are always just a step or inches from avoiding the lightning quick strikes). I would suggest any, all, or a combination of these descriptors. Hope this helps!
Milandros 08-08-06, 08:51 PM	The far realm is perfect for wierd special effects. One idea: Time and space aren't the same thing in the far realm they are here, and these far realm creatures are dragging their warped time and space around with them. When they use their true strike ability, the PC will suddenly feel the pain from the blow, then their opponent will blur towards them in a wierd out-of-phase multiple images wayuntil suddenly their position matches their damage and it's attack has already connected. Basically they are striking where they know you're going to be shortly because they are already there. An alternate: When the creature begins its strike, space warps and compresses aound the line of its attack, making distances shorter and guiding its strike directly to the target. Space warps to push the weapon/tentacle/whatever and the PC together. Another: The creature strikes out at empty air. A couple of seconds later, as the PC dodges through the same spot that was recently struck at, the blow, unphased with space and time, suddenly hits (a ghostly image shows for a sudden moment). For the far realm there's no need to be consistent. You can mix and match these different special effects for the same game mechanics and really make the players wonder what the heck is going on - and how many wierd attacks these things have. Just be prepared to confirm that you're doing things by the rules when they query how in heck they're doing that!
Espynwislyn 08-08-06, 09:03 PM	Perhaps a point glows on the tip of the enemy's weapon/claws, and a similar glow appears on the heart of the character, and the two points seem drawn to one another, as if magnetized. I find that the spell description usualy provides a good way of describing a spell without using the spell's name. For a example "A fan of a flames spurts from the creature's hands," rather than "It castes flaming hands." Then again, you could just pull the ominously ambiguous DM "Make a reflex save" and then just describe the effects of the spell depending on how it effected the character. You might say that nothing at all happens and the creature just stands there, glaring, when a character passes, or describe the scorching of flesh when someone fails against a flaming hands spell. So, what were your ideas, Milandros?
LordHawkeye 08-08-06, 09:08 PM	Like this so far. I'll definetly use those. Now my other thing is designing the monsters. The basic premise is that certain events (complicated and I won't go into detail here) have caused rifts to open that leak alien protoplasm from the far realm into the material plane. THe protoplasm emulates nearby creatures thus creating pseudonaturals. Now, the whole "mass of tentacles/eyeballs/mouths" and all that is nice but I don't want it to get old. Trying to think of other ways for monster design as far as appearance goes.
Archmage_Vall 08-08-06, 11:36 PM	Have the aliens mimic whatever creatures they encounter, though not perfectly. For example, the PCs would see a mountain lion...sorta. It resembles a mountain lion, but it's fur doesn't look very soft, its eyes don't seem to be looking at anything in particular, and it doesn't move like a mountain lion. Any druid and most rangers would recognize (knowledge nature DC 10) that this isn't a natural mountain lion. Though people who don't know anything about nature might not be able to tell the difference.
Tembo 08-10-06, 08:56 AM	I like Vall's idea, but I would take it a step further. The creature mimics some part of every creature (or thing) it comes into contact with. This effect would make the creature an amalgam of everything it has encountered in the realm. Peraps it could mimic a lion's mane, tail, claws, or walk on all fours; It's skin may look like leaves or its appendages like branches because it has encountered trees (sounds mundane, but when you're from a different plane, everytning is new!).
Reversefigure4 08-10-06, 08:22 PM	... And any that manage to escape an encounter and later return... are now mimicking bits of the PCs!