Thursday, August 21, 2008

Snake Eyes: Behind the Curtain - The Drowned One Template

One of the villains in the Serpent War will be using the following template, see if you can tell who (it's not difficult). If you want to build a character using it, talk to me about it, it might be doable, but the requirements are pretty tough.

"Drowned One"

The Drowned One template can be applied to any living, corporeal creature with an Intelligence of at least 3 that meets the following criteria:
Alignment: Any evil
Deity: Must worship an Evil deity with access to the Water or Ocean Domains.
Spellcasting: Able to cast 1st-level spells.
Special: Must have sworn his or her soul to the Deity in question in return for receiving this template. Cannot have sworn allegiance or sold his or her soul to any other power.
Additional Requirements: A Drowned One must meet any two of the following prerequisites in addition to the above:
-Caster level 10
-Base Attack Bonus +10
-Intimidate 13 ranks
-Bluff 13 ranks
-Swim 13 ranks
-Owns a sailing ship crewed by at least 40 people

Template Benefits

Size and Type: The creature’s size does not change. The creature’s type changes to Aberration; reroll Racial Hit dice as necessary, recalculate base attack and saves derived from racial hit dice, do not recalculate skills.
Armor Class: A Drowned One’s natural armor bonus increases by +1d6. This bonus is rerolled whenever he reconstitutes, discarding the old value.
Special Abilities: Each Drowned One has 1d4 of the following abilities, chosen at random whenever he reconstitutes (see below).
Tentacles (Ex): The Drowned One gains a 1d6 tentacles that deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage each. If he has 2 or fewer tentacles, these tentacles (but not his other limbs) have an extra 5 feet of reach. He may use these tentacles as natural secondary attacks (with all of the usual drawbacks) or may full attack with them as primary weapons. The tentacles are too slimy to hold onto weapons, but can be used to deliver an Electrical Discharge touch attack if he has the Electrical Discharge special ability (see below).
Shark Teeth (Ex): The Drowned One gains a bite attack that does 1d8 piercing damage and has Improved Grab. In addition, any creature the Drowned One grapples with his bite attack takes 1d8 acid damage each round the grapple is maintained.
Gas Bladder (Ex): The Drowned One gains a gas bladder on his back. The gas bladder requires a swift action to inflate, and becomes available for use the following turn. The gas bladder gives the Drowned One a Fly speed equal to his base land speed (good maneuverability). A Drowned One can fly while wearing Medium or Heavy armor, but not while carrying a medium or heavy load. If a Drowned One is rendered unconscious, the gas bladder deflates and he falls, but spells that simply immobilize (such as Hold Person) will not deflate the gas bladder.
Fins (Ex): The Drowned One gains a Swim speed equal to twice his base land speed. This incurs a +8 racial bonus on Swim checks and the ability to take 10 on Swim checks regardless of distractions.
Ink Jet (Ex): The Drowned One can spray ink at foes. In water, this ability creates total concealment in a ten radius around the Drowned One. Above water, the ink blinds a single target until that target takes a full-round action to clear the ink from its eyes. The Drowned One cannot see through his own ink (but see Sonar, below).
Electrical Discharge (Su): The Drowned One’s skin holds an electrical charge that can be discharged into foes, much like an electric eel. The Drowned One gains a touch attack that deals 4d6 lightning damage. This touch attack can be used at will, but no more than once per round. If the Drowned One is wielding a metal weapon, he can add 2d6 lightning damage to one attack with that weapon instead of using his touch attack that round.
Stinger (Ex): The Drowned One gains a tail attack similar to that of a Jellyfish’s stinger. The tail attack deals 1d6 piercing damage and can be used as primary or natural secondary weapon (with all the normal drawbacks). Furthermore, the Drowned One can inject a foe he hits with his tail attack with poison (Primary damage paralysis for 1 minute per Drowned One hit die, secondary damage 1d6 CON, Fortitude DC=10+1/2 the Drowned One’s Hit Dice+Drowned One’s CON modifier). The Drowned One’s body produces enough poison to be used a number of times per day equal to the Drowned One’s Constitution modifier plus one (minimum once per day).

Special Qualities:
Damage Reduction: Whenever a Drowned One reconstitutes (see below), roll a d4. The Drowned One receives 5 times the die roll in Damage Reduction/Magic until it next reconstitutes.
Immunities: Denizens of the sea, Drowned Ones are immune to Cold and to crushing pressure caused by ocean depth. Drowned Ones have no other specific immunities, although their Aberration type makes them immune to spells restricted to Humanoids.
Sonar: A Drowned One has blindsight out to 30 feet as long as he is underwater and is able to both make sound and hear (for example, a deafened Drowned One loses this ability, as does one within the effect of Silence). This blindsight does not extend above the water’s surface.
Memories of Mortality: A Drowned One may choose to count himself as an Aberration or a member of his original race whenever an effect would reference his type.
Amphibious: Drowned Ones can breathe air and water (fresh or salt) with equal ease.
Strength of the Sea: While at least 50% of a Drowned One is immersed in salt water, the Drowned One gains Fast Healing 2. In fresh water, the Drowned One instead gains Fast Healing 1.
Reconstitution: A Drowned One keeps his soul at the bottom of a body of water in a physical object, usually a pearl or piece of coral. When the Drowning One’s physical body is destroyed, he will reconstitute at the position of his soulbound item in 1d10 days. Any items that have been in his possession since the last Solstice will teleport to his position, including (but not limited to) clothing and weaponry. When a Drowned One reconstitutes, he takes in sea life around him, resulting in a variable amount of damage reduction, natural armor, and special attacks. If the soulbound item is above water, the Drowned One cannot reconstitute until it is submerged.
Drowned Shape: If a slain Drowned One is returned to life by any means other than Reconstitution, keep all variable aspects of this template from the last time he reconstituted.

Abilities:
STR +2, CON +2, CHA +4
CR: +1 to +4, depending on abilities rolled.
Level Adjustment: +2 to +5, depending on abilities rolled.

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