In the constant search for more monsters I decided to brew (or maybe assemble would be a more correct term in this case) a new subtype of chaotic Outsiders. While I do not intend to explicitly refer to Gorum in their description, I do not deny that are inspired by The Lord In Iron spontaneous creation from the tides of war - Battlewrought are intended to be spirits of war (I would say demons of war, but regretfully D&D shoehorned the term into very particular subtype of fiends) that inhabit physical shells formed of shattered armors, discarded weapons, fragments of fortifications, broken siege engines, and other debris lingering on battlefields fused together into imitation of humanoid (more or less, but not always) - creatures most responsible for their very existence.
Battlewrought subtype: Battlewrought are spirits of war inhabiting shells composed of shattered arms and armor from the planar battlefields. They have the following traits:
- Constructed (Ex): Although battlewrought are living outsiders, their bodies are constructed of physical components, and in many ways function like constructs. For the purposes of effects targeting creatures by type (such as a ranger's favored enemy and bane weapons), battlewrought count as both outsiders and constructs. They are immune to death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects, necromancy effects, paralysis, poison, sleep, stun, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless). Battlewrought are not subject to nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain. They are not at risk of death from massive damage. They have bonus hit points as constructs of their size.
- Saves: A battlewrought’s good saving throws are Fortitude and Reflexes.
- Skills: A battlewrought counts Acrobatics, Climb, Intimidate and Swim as class skills in addition to general outsider skills.
- Regeneration (Ex): Battlewrought have regeneration/lawful. The regenerated amount varies by the type of battlewrought.
- Truespeech (Su): A battlewrought can speak with any creature that has a language as if using tongues (caster level 14th). This ability is always active.
- Body Weaponry (Ex): All the weapons, shields and armors wielded by battlewrought are parts of its body. They cannot be disarmed. They can be sundered but regenerate in one round if broken and 1d4+1 rounds if destroyed. The same applies to any other body part of the battlewroughts.
- Wrought For Battle (Ex): Battlewrought HD count as fighter levels when meeting prerequisites of combat feats. They also gain bonus combat feats as if their outsider HD were fighter levels.
Where have I seen this idea before? Hmm.
Battlewrought = Warforged. I see what you did there. Seriously though, not a bad idea. If they are of Gorum's making then they should be chaotic and not lawful.
Little more than steel crossbow on eight brass, spidery legs and a scorpion-like tail made of metal segments that draws the string and replaces the bolts after each shot.
CR 2; XP 600
CN Small Outsider (battlewrought, chaotic, extraplanar)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60-ft.; Perception +7
Defense
AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (+1 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 size)
HP 21 (2d10+10); regeneration 1 (lawful)
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +1
Defensive Abilities constructed
Weakness rust vulnerability
Offense
Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee sting +3 (1d3)
Ranged crossbow +4 (2d8, 19-20/x2)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Spell-like Abilities (CL 3rd)
Constant — abundant ammunition, gravity bow
3/day — true strike
Statistics
Str 10, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 7
Base Atk +3; CMB +2; CMD 14 (26 against trip)
Feats Dodge, Point-blank Shot*, Precise Shot*
Skills Acrobatics +7 (+11 on jump checks), Climb +14, Perception +6, Stealth +11
Languages do not speak but understand all languages as per truespeech
SQ oversized weapon, reloading tail
Ecology
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or flock (3-14)
Treasure none
Special Abilities
Oversized weapon: A bolter battlewrought is a living heavy crossbow sized for a medium creature and deals damage accordingly, further boosted by their constant gravity bow spell-like ability.
Reloading Tail (Ex): A bolter battlewrought uses its tail to reload itself as a free action. The bolter that uses its tail in this way cannot perform attacks of opportunity until the begining of its next turn.
Rust Vulnerability: A battlewrought affected with rust-inducing effect loses its regeneration until the effect ends. Instantaneous rust effects suspend regeneration for one round.
Least of all the battlewrought legions, bolters are little more than mobile self-firing crossbows. They often act as scouts or skirmishers but their primary role is that of ranged support for battlewrought troops. Despite their limited intelligence they have intuitive grasp of combat tactics and fight with greater cunning and efficiency than their Intelligence score would suggest.
Where have I seen this idea before? Hmm.
If you recall, tell me, I am quite certain that the general idea of creatures risen from the tides of war is older than Gorum.
Battlewrought = Warforged. I see what you did there. Seriously though, not a bad idea.
There is semblance of name, but warforged are somewhat different - they were deliberately created as a weapon of war by humanoids. What I want to create is a host of outsiders that follow the Gorum's lead, raise spontaneously from the war itself. Like certain kinds of fiends were spontaneously grown from the flesh of dead god (wait, there is no such outsider subtype in Pathfinder? Well, that need to be corrected), like proteans were spawned by the chaos itself and qlippoths where in the abyss when it opened, so the battlewrought appeared when the scale of wars passed a personal threshold and turned into depersonalized conflicts of armored masses.
If they are of Gorum's making then they should be chaotic and not lawful.
So they are. Regeneration/lawful means that attacks by lawful creatures is their weakness - compare to inevitables that have regeneration/chaotic.
A short, stocky figure without discernible head is wielding a halberd in two of its hands and a shield in the third. Its whole body remains covered with metal scales and plates riveted together into a weird-looking spiked armor.
CR 5; 1,600 XP
CN Medium Outsider (battlewrought, chaotic, extraplanar)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60-ft.; Perception +9
Defense
AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 18 (+6 armor, +2 shield)
HP 59 (6d10+26); regeneration 3 (lawful)
Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +4
Defensive Abilities constructed; DR 5/adamantine or lawful; SR 11
Weakness rust vulnerability
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee masterwork halberd +10/+5 (1d10+5, x3) or armor spikes +8/+3 (1d6+2)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Statistics
Str 14, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 9
Base Atk +6; CMB +8; CMD 18
Feats Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative*, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Outflank*, Weapon Focus (halberd)*, Weapon Specialization (halberd)*
Skills Acrobatics +4, Climb +6, Intimidate +8, Perception +9, Swim +6
Languages truespeech
Ecology
Environment any
Organization pair, flock (3-14) or troop (10-40)
Treasure masterwork halberd
Special Abilities
Rust Vulnerability: A battlewrought affected with rust-inducing effect loses its regeneration until the effect ends. Instantaneous rust effects suspend regeneration for one round.
Shield-bearers are core of the battlewrough troops - stubborn, relentless, faceless figures devoid of personality, desires, fears or hatreds. They are taciturn, speaking only when absolutely needed - answering to orders or reporting to superiors.
Many conjurers, commanders and planewalkers mistook their stoic facade as a manifestation of order. While the shield-bearers are perfectly capable of fighting in ranks, following orders and using tactics, they are chaos of war made corporeal, willing to battle anyone, anywhere at any time, changing sides at their commanders whim (or when commander fails to control the battle), without mercy or regard for their former brothers at arms.
Ah, thank you for correcting my correction:) Now that I see the stats of two examples I see what you've done. I must say that I think it's a good new idea for a new outsider.
I wanted to see another purely chaotic group of outsiders beyond the enigmatic proteans (which I like very much) and strongly entropic slaads (which I keep in my games and like since I saw 3rd edition red slaad graphics).
Last one for today (unless I manage to write another one today):
An armored figure of fused together plates, molded into a simplified figure of an armored knight on an equally armored mount.
CR 8; XP 4,800
CN Large Outsider (battlewrought, chaotic, extraplanar)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60-ft.; Perception +12
Aura banner of resistance (30 ft.)
Defense
AC 21, touch 10, flat-footed 20 (+9 armor, +1 Dex, +2 shield, -1 size)
HP 99 (8d10+54); regeneration 4 (lawful)
Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +7; including +2 resistance bonus
Defensive Abilities constructed; DR 5/adamantine or lawful; SR 14
Weakness rust vulnerability
Offense
Speed 50 ft.
Melee +1 lance +14/+9 (1d8+8, 19-20/x3) and 2 hooves +11 (1d6+2)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with lance)
Special Attacks frightful presence (30-ft., DC 17), knockback
Spell-like Abilities (CL 8th)
Constant — detect law
3/day — expeditious retreat, jump
Statistics
Str 20, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 17
Base Atk +8; CMB +14; CMD 25 (29 against bull-rush and trip attempts)
Feats Improved Critical (lance)*, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mounted Combat, Multiattack, Ride-By Attack*, Spirited Charge*, Weapon Focus (lance)*, Weapon Specialization (lance)*
Skills Acrobatics +12 (+20 while jumping), Intimidate +14, Knowledge [nobility] +7, Perception +12, Ride +17, Swim -4; Racial Modifiers +8 Ride
Languages truespeech
SQ banner of resistance, monstrous cavalry, undersized weapon
Ecology
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or flock (3-14)
Treasure +1 lance
Special Abilities
Banner Of Resistance (Su): Each charger battlewrought fights under a personal banner hanging from a short pole erected from the back of their mount-body. The banner provides +2 resistance bonus to all saving throws made by the charger and his battlewrought allies within 30 feet.
Knockback (Ex): Upon a successful hit with lance during charge a charger battlewrought initiates a bull-rush attempt as a free action that does not provokes attacks of opportunity. If maneuver is successful, the target is pushed back as per bull rush and (if Medium or smaller) knocked prone.
Monstrous Cavalry (Ex): Despite being single creature, a charger battlewrought is considered to be a mounted combatant for purpose of abilities, feats, maneuvers and skills. It does not apply its armor check penalty to Ride checks.
Undersized weapon: A charger battlewrought is a centauroid creature with humanoid torso wielding medium-sized weapon.
Rust Vulnerability: A battlewrought affected with rust-inducing effect loses its regeneration until the effect ends. Instantaneous rust effects suspend regeneration for one round.
Chargers are cavalry troops for the battlewrought legions, sometimes acting as minor commanders for skirmishes of lesser battlewrought. Like others of their kin, chargers are uncarring combatants, focusing purely upon eternal warfare, without regard for victory, defeat, honor or personal glory. They do recognize combat from slaughtering the defenseless, however, and tend to ignore non-combatants, as long as civilians do not act violently and do not block the path to the enemy.