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You've benefited from the monsters to have a target to write to. Revising so that they're gone is the best way to make the work yours.
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You've benefited from the monsters to have a target to write to. Revising so that they're gone is the best way to make the work yours.
I think in Ptolus sourcebook, there was a Beholder-like monster in it.
The 3.5 Arcanis psionics sourcebook had a Mind-flayer-like monster in it too.
Also, if you don't mind a bit of old-schoolness, Castles and Crusades Monsters and Treasures corebook has the Fleshcrawler (the carrion crawler replacement), the Screecher (that screaming mushroom monster whose name I forgot), and the Prysmal Eye (the beholder replacement).
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Seems like some of these races could be filled in by existing creatures with class levels and/or templates.
Want a "Beholder"? Tweak a Lantern Archon and claim it's Fallen.
A Yuan-Ti? Sorceror bloodline (Serpentine) with maybe some sort of snakelike template.
A displacer beast? Advanced dire tiger with a few sorceror (aberration bloodline) levels.
These are rough, but I think they get my intention across. For the mechanics, think outside the box. For the description, just re-skin.
Well, here's my first race replacement I've created, which I am incorporating/replacing previously used race in my novel. This is a replacement race for the Githyanki.
Any thoughts?
WYCHFIENDS
Wychfiends, sometimes referred to as etherfiends by those on other planes, are bloodthirsty and warlike extraplanar humanoids from the Ethereal Plane. They plunder the worlds of the Material Plane in search of vast riches, powerful magic, obscure knowledge, and slaves to serve them, all for the glory of their Wychqueen and her consort the Ovarch. All Wychfiends live in one of thirteen great fortified cities scattered throughout the Ethereal Plane. They boast powerful and true eldritch knights called Wychblades, and potent spellcasters called Wychlyn. Since Wychfiends possess an innate extraplanar magic, they have learned, over the centuries, to employ it with great effect in combat.
Appearance
Wychfiends are humanoid in appearance, standing slightly taller than the average human at six and a half feet. Females tend to be lithe and athletic in appearance, typically weighing around 200 pounds, while males usually have a more muscular and robust physique, weighing around 300 pounds. Regardless of gender, Wychfiends have prominent ridges along their foreheads, as well as small horny protrusions along their brow ridge and jaw line, though a female’s is less pronounced. Their ears are small and pointed, their eyes tend to be deep blue or green, while their skin can range from a pale flesh tone to a ruddy red, and adorned in arcane tattoos and symbols of power.
To a Wychfiend, their hair is of singular importance and honor, for it denotes ones rank and station within their society. Their hair is typically black, brown, or auburn in color, and worn in elaborate braids at the back and temples if a female, or bound and braided into ponytails by the males that serve as the plumes of their battle helmets. Perhaps the Wychfiend’s most unusual feature is their lack of a nose. In its place, they have three small breathing holes spaced along each side of their necks just below their ears, which allows them to breath in any elemental atmosphere, be it air, water, poisonous gas, or the like. Like other planar races, Wychfiends try to blend in with the inhabitants of their target worlds, primarily as a means of gaining intelligence on their victims. When Wychfiends are encountered away from their home plane, they wear lightweight masks or visor helmets to hide their unusual appearance, as well as emphasize their braids and ponytails of rank.
Habitat & Ecology
From their secluded stronghold cities scattered throughout the depths of the Ethereal Plane, Wychfiends strike fear in the hearts of their victims throughout the planes. They launch their incursions into the Material Plane from the decks of their huge ethereal ships which they use to navigate the swirling mists of the Ethereal Plane itself. Though primarily encountered on the Material Plane, their physiology enables them to survive for an extended period of time on any plane of existence, even the Elemental and Energy Planes. Like most living creatures, they require food, water, and sleep, but are unaffected by toxic atmospheres.
Society
For years, any knowledge pertaining to Wychfiend society has been limited–until recently. A few brave planar explorers, who ventured into the Ethereal Plane to study the little-known culture of these dangerous and brutal beings, have revealed this much sought after information.
Wychfiend society is a hereditary matriarchy founded centuries ago by the first Wychqueen. It was her who made a pact with a dark entity in return for great power and long life for those of her bloodline. Long ago, a band of wayfaring humans, half-orcs, and dwarves became imprisoned on the Ethereal Plane, unable to leave. Out of necessity, they were forced to breed with each other, resulting in a number of unusual offspring. Their continued interbreeding, in conjunction with years of exposure to the energies of the Ethereal Plane, warped and reshaped them into the Wychfiends encountered today.
The current Wychqueen, Lasheth’yaleen, has ruled for nearly three centuries, alongside her current consort and Ovarch Alukhan. With him at her side, she lives a life of perversion and immoral pleasures, and rules her subjects with an iron hand. With the help of her legions of Wychblade warriors and covens of Wychlyn spellcasters, she controls the expansive Wychfiend Empire that encompasses 13 great fortified cities scattered throughout a corner of the Ethereal Plane.
Wychblades
As the Wychqueen’s consort, the Ovarch has total command of the Wychblades, though he is often superseded by command of the Wychqueen. Despite this, he is the supreme commander of all Wychblades throughout the Ethereal Plane. The next in command is the Wararch, or General in the common tongue, who oversees the training and discipline of the entire Wychblade army for a given city. Each army is divided into 13 legions numbering anywhere from 150 to 200 Wychblades, and is under the command of their Exarch or Captain. Further divisions include brigades of 50 commanded by Zhivarchs or Lieutenants, and companies of 10 under the command of a Navarch or Sergeant.
Wychblades are true eldritch knights. They wield both blade and spell with great skill and favor plate armor and bastardswords when engaging in battle. Such armor and weapons are crafted from a special metal alloy called wychsteel, whose secret is known only to greatest of Wychfiend metalsmiths.
Wychlyn
The Wychqueen has complete dominion over all within the empire, but takes singular pride in commanding the Wychlyn, for she herself is one of them. She oversees all the Wychlyn within her empire by counseling with the Naik of each city and her six Hajjan, who serve as the ruling body of the each city. The Wychlyn in each city are divided into six warrens of 36, and are overseen by the Sersan, and are further divided into covens of six, overseen by a Vadish. Wychlyns tend to garb themselves in rich and ornately adorned robes, decorated in such a manner as to denote their city of origin, as well as their individual warren and coven.
Wychlyns consider those outside their race who are of the Witch class to be kindred spirits, by simple virtue of their magic. Though they will readily destroy such outsiders, the fact they are trained in the “wyching” powers may spare such an individual’s life long enough for one to charm his way to freedom, or escape.
Abilities
Wychfiends have potent magical abilities, a result of their years of adaptation to the Ethereal Plane. Wychfiends lack an olfactory organ (that is, no nose). Instead, they have three small “blow holes” down the side of their necks below their ears. These special holes allow wychfiends to breathe in any type of environment, even underwater or in a vacuum, much like a necklace of adaptation.
Since wychfiends come from the Ethereal Plane, a plane filled with mists that cause some travelers to experience mirages and false images, they are naturally immune to figments of any kind, and gain a +4 bonus to all saving throws against illusions. Because of their natural habitat, wychfiends can ethereal jaunt for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + ½ their Hit Dice, as a standard action. Also, wychfiends are resistant to two energy types of their choice, as chosen from the following–acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5, or fire 5.
Male Names: Arzu, Ashram, Balkhor, Helior, Heralld, Lykosh, Naseer, Sarik, Sarkk, Uruncu.
Female Names: Anaptupish, Cha’nya, Ma’harra, Na’ima, Onju, Yarro, Zorla, Zvenstra.
Wychfiend Racial Traits
+2 Constitution, +2 Charisma, –2 Wisdom: Wychfiends are tough and strong-willed, but are single-minded and set in their ways.
Medium: Wychfiends are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Wychfiends have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Wychfiends can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Adaptive Physiology: Wychfiends lack a nose, but instead possess three small nostril-like orifices positioned along either side of their necks. This system of respiratory holes allows wychfiends to breathe in any environment, including on other planes, underwater, or even in a vacuum.
Ethereal Step: Wychfiends are able to ethereal jaunt for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + ½ their Hit Dice, as a standard action.
Planar Resistance: Wychfiends have acid resistance 5, cold resistance 5, and fire resistance 5.
Wychfiend Immunities: Wychfiends are immune to figments, and get a +2 racial saving throw bonus against illusion spells and effects.
Weapon Familiarity: Wychfiends are proficient with bastardswords, longswords, longspears, spears, light crossbows, and heavy crossbows.
Languages: Wychfiends begin play speaking Common, and Dwarven or Orc. Wychfiends with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aklo, Aquan, Auran, Draconic, Ignan, Infernal, and Terran.
Wychsteel: Wychsteel is an extremely rare bluish metal that is lighter than steel, and just as hard. An alloy forged from mitral and the mystical mists of the Ethereal Plane, the secret to its creation is known only to the greatest Wychfiend metalsmiths, and is used primarily in crafting the highly prized armor and weapons used by their Wychblade warriors. Most wychsteel armors are one category lighter than normal for purposes of movement and other limitations. Heavy armors are treated as medium, and medium armors are treated as light, but light armors are still treated as light. This decrease does not apply to proficiency in wearing the armor. A character wearing wychsteel full plate must be proficient in wearing heavy armor to avoid adding the armor’s check penalty to all his attack rolls and skill checks that involve moving. Spell failure chances for armors made from wychsteel are decreased by 15%, maximum Dexterity bonuses are increased by 4, and armor check penalties are decreased by 4 (to a minimum of 0). Shields are never made from wychsteel, for they tend to hamper Wychblades in their blade and spell combat techniques.
Because of its ethereal nature, some unexplained kinship exists between Wychfiends and armor crafted from wychsteel. This mystical connection allows any Wychfiend wearing such armor to completely ignore any chance of spell failure normally imposed by the armor. It is for this reason that Wychfiends greatly prize wychsteel full plate armor, and will sacrifice their lives to protect or retrieve such armor from the hands of other races.
Weapons made from wychsteel weigh half as much as the same weapon made from other metals. For such weapons, this lighter weight does not change a weapon’s size category or the ease with which it can be wielded (whether it is light, one-handed, or two-handed). Weapons not primarily of metal are not meaningfully affected by being partially made of wychsteel. (A longsword can be a wychsteel weapon, while a quarterstaff cannot.)
Weapons or armors fashioned from wychsteel are always masterwork items as well; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below.
Wychsteel has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 15.
Type of Wychsteel Item Item Cost Modifier
Light armor +3,000 gp
Medium armor +7,000 gp
Heavy armor +12,000 gp
Weapons +1,500 gp
I'm working on a replacement for Illithids and beholders next. Stay posted.
And to the people claiming Hasbro could forgo the OGL and claim ownership of every monster in the monster manual - it's impossible.
They (WotC) could have claimed ownership of the mechanics of every monster in the MM, even if the monsters exist in folklore. Thankfully, they didn't :)
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This thread suggests something that Paizo could do more confidently: shout loud and proud about their monstrous creations.
Stygiras, Denizens of Leng, Akatas, Rune Giants and Hounds of Tindalos have only ever been support monsters for the big players in each adventure.
Masterminds tend to be classic demons, aboleths or core humanoids (I haven't read Legacy of Fire so could be wrong on that one). None of them are species invented by the great minds at Paizo.
I think Denizens of Leng could make great mastermind villains, as could Stygiras' and I'm just scratching the surface here: attic whisperers, lyrakien, totenmaske, shining children, maftets, xacarba, salikotals, graveknights, royal nagas (hoping for some in serpents skull), uniila, adhukait, nihiloi, vouivre, tatzlwyrm, spawn of yog-sothoth, roseblood sprites, meladaemons...
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Aren't Illithids available from other sources anyway? I could swear they can be found in Lovecraft... I know Aboleths can, but my Lovecraft knowledge is terribly lacking for now. I'm pretty sure WotC/Hasbro couldn't possibly own them completely. They've been a pretty strong presence in literature for a long time now, haven't they?
Beholders and Displacer Beasts were created, to my knowledge, by DnD for DnD, but I could swear Illithids were based on an outside source.
Nope. Created by Gary Gygax in 1974. He based it on some artwork on the cover of a Brian Lumley novel but other than that it's an original creation.
A shame because I love using the critters.