When I found out I was top 32, I decided that I would complete all the challenges even if I was eliminated, so that I can practice my skills and generally not be lazy. Now that voting has closed for the villians, I thought that I'd post my entry for round 3. Please, let me know what you think.
Wul'gowr, The Howling Terror CR 18 [16 Monk Levels + 2 Werewolf Template]
Male Werewolf(natural, human) Mnk16 (Hybrid Form)
LE Medium Humanoid (Human, Shapechanger)
Init +5 [+5 Dex]; Senses Low-Light Vision, Scent; Listen +5, Spot +5 [No ranks, +5 Wis each]
DEFENSE
AC 36, touch 25, flat-footed 31
[+7 armor (Bracers), +1 deflection (Rings), + 5 Dex, +4 Monk, +4 natural [+2 Wolf, +2 Lycanthrope], +5 Wis]
hp 136 (2d8+8 and 16d8+32) [2 Wolf Hit Dice with +4 Con modifier, 16 Monk Hit Dice with +2 Con Modifier]
Fort +21 [+10 Monk, +3 Wolf, +4 Con, +4 Cloak]
Ref +22 [+10 Monk, +3 Wolf, +5 Dex, +4 Cloak]
Will +21[+10 Monk, +5 Wis, +2 Iron Will, +4 Cloak]
+2 vs. Enchantment [Still Mind]
Defensive Abilities Deflect Arrows, Improved Evasion, Slow Fall(80 ft.), Still Mind; DR 10/Silver; Immune poison [Diamond Body], non-magical disease [Purity of Body]; SR 26 [Diamond Soul 10 + 16 monk levels]
OFFENSE
Spd 80 ft. [30ft. base + 50ft. enhancement from Fast Movement]
Melee Unarmed Strike +21/+21/+21/+16/+11 (4d8+6) [+13 BaB, +5 Dex, +3 Amulet, Greater Flurry of Blows] [4d8 for Large[Improved Natural Attack], 21st level monk[16 monk levels + 5 from Monk's Belt], +3 Str, +3 Amulet] and
Claws +16/+16 (1d4+6) [+13 BaB, +5 Dex, +3 Amulet, -5 Secondary Attack] [+3 Str, +3 Amulet] and
Bite +16 (1d6+4) [+13 BaB, +5 Dex, +3 Amulet, -5 Secondary Attack] [+1 1/2 Str, +3 Amulet]
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Curse of Lycanthropy, Greater Flurry of Blows, Quivering Palm 1/week
TACTICS
During Combat Wul'gowr initially strikes using hit and run tactics, using Spring Attack, Sunder (particularly against silvered weapons), and Stunning Fist to disarm and separate his foes. He never uses Power attack against living foes. Instead, he uses it to smash weapons dropped by stunned opponents. He knows that his mobility is his greatest asset, and will seek to end his turns behind cover, or at least out of melee reach. If possible, he will use Quivering Palm to eliminate a frail-looking opponent early. Once he can fight disarmed foes one on one, he does so, using Stunning Fist and Knock Down to keep opponents from truly fighting back.
Morale Wul'gowr is out to win, but he cares about the long game. If he is reduced to 25 hp or fewer, and has exhausted his access to healing, he will flee (possibly using Abundant Step) and shift to animal form. Losing is unacceptable, so Wul'gowr will return to destroy whoever has bested him.
Base Statistics These statistics reflect Wul'gowr in hybrid form. In human form, Wul'gowr suffers the following penalties: -2 to natural armor, -2 Str, -4 Dex, -4 Con, and loses his damage reduction and natural attacks. In animal form, Wul'gwr cannot speak or wield weapons, loses his claw attacks, and may no longer use his unarmed strike together with his bite attack. However, in animal form, he gains the Trip ability, as a wolf, and his speed improves to 100ft.
Despite the changes to his Constitution score, Wul'gowr's hit points do not change when he changes shape.
STATISTICS
Str 17, Dex 20, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 20, Cha 6
Base Atk +13 [+12 16 Monk Levels, +1 2 Animal Hit Dice]; Grp +16 [+13 BaB, +3 Str]
Feats Deflect Arrows(B), Dodge, Improved Natural Attack (Unarmed Strike), Improved Sunder, Improved Trip(B), Improved Unarmed Strike(B), Iron Will(B), Knock Down, Mobility, Power Attack, Spring Attack, Stunning Fist(B), Track(B), Weapon Finesse
Skills Balance +7 [+5 Dex, +2 Synergy from Tumble], Diplomacy +17 [+19 Ranks, -2 Chr], Escape Artist +24 [+19 Ranks, +5 Dex], Jump +44 [+19 Ranks, +3 Str, +20 Speed, +2 Synergy from Tumble], Move Silently +24 [19 Ranks, +5 Dex], Survival +11 [+6 Ranks, +5 Wis] (+2 when tracking by scent), Tumble +26 [+19 Ranks, +5 Dex, +2 Synergy from Jump]
Languages Common; Wolf Empathy
SQ Abundant Step, Alternate Form, Ki Strike (Magic, Lawful, Adamantine), Wholeness of Body (32hp/day)
Combat Gear Amulet of Mighty Fists +3, Bracers of Armor +7, Cloak of Resistance +4, Monk's Belt, a pair of Rings of Protection +1
Other Gear None
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Abundant Step (Su) Wul'gowr can slip magically between spaces, as if using the spell dimension door by an 8th level caster, once per day.
AC Bonus (Ex) When unarmored and unencumbered, Wul'gowr adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC. In addition, he gains a +4 bonus to AC [16th level monk + 5 monk levels from Monk's Belt]. These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, wears any armor, carries a shield, or carries a medium or heavy load.
Alternate Form (Su) Wul'gowr can take the form of a human, a wolf, or a wolf-human hybrid. He prefers his hybrid form, and considers it to be his natural form. He takes the form of a wolf when travelling, but only uses his human form when he needs a disguise.
Curse of Lycanthropy (Su) Any Small, Medium, or Large humanoid or giant hit by Wul'gowr's bite attack must make a DC 15 Fortitude [Fixed DC] save or contract lycanthropy.
Diamond Body (Su) Wul'gowr is immune to all poisons.
Diamond Soul (Ex) Wul'gowr has Spell Resistance 26. [10 base + 16 Monk levels]
Fast Movement (Ex) Wul'gowr gains a +50 ft enhancement bonus to his speed as long as he wears no armor and carries less than a medium load.
Greater Flurry of Blows (Ex) When Wul'gowr takes a full attack action, he may make two additional unarmed strikes at his highest attack bonus.
Improved Evasion (Ex) Wul'gowr takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacksthat allow a reflex save for half damage, and takes only half damage on a failed save. He loses this ability if he is helpless, or if he wears heavy or medium armor.
Ki Strike (Su) Wul'gowr's unarmed strikes count as Magic, Lawful-aligned, Adamantine weapons for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction and bypassing the hardness of objects.
Purity of Body (Ex) Wul'gowr is immune to all diseases, except supernatural and magical diseases.
Quivering Palm (Su) Wul'gowr can set up vibrations within the body of another creature that can thereafter be fatal if he desires. He can use this quivering palm attack once a week, and must announce his intent before making his attack roll. Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits cannot be affected. Otherwise, if he strikes successfully and the target takes damage from the blow, the quivering palm attack succeeds. Thereafter Wul'gowr can try to slay the victim at any later time, as long as the attempt is made within 16 days. To make such an attempt, Wul'gowr merely wills the target to die (a free action), and unless the target makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 23) [+10 base, +8 1/2 Monk level, +5 Wis], it dies. If the saving throw is successful, the target is no longer in danger from that particular quivering palm attack, but it may still be affected by another one at a later time.
Slow Fall (Ex) If Wul'gowr falls within arm's reach of a wall, he way use it to slow his descent, treating his fall as if it were 80ft shorter than it really is.
Still Mind (Ex) Wul'gowr gets a +2 bonus to saving throws against all enchantment spells and effects.
Wholeness of Body (Su) Wul'gowr can heal his own wounds. He can heal 32 hit points each day[2 X 16 Monk Levels], and he can spread this healing out among several uses.
Wolf Empathy (Ex) Wul'gowr can communicate and empathize with canines, including wolves, dire wolves, and dogs. This gives him a +4 racial bonus on checks when influencing the animal’s attitude and allows the communication of simple concepts and (if the animal is friendly) commands, such as "friend," "foe," "flee," and "attack."
When Wul'gowr was barely more than a pup, his pack was wiped out by crusade against lycanthropes of all kinds. He fled, and managed to escape. As he ran, he swore that humanity would pay for what they had done to him and his kind. The following morning, he was found, exhausted, by a kindly monk, Barrin Herot, who adopted him. Barrin believed that through discipline of a monastic lifestyle that Wul'gowr could control his darker nature and use his abilities for the greater good. Indeed, Wul'gowr did learn discipline there, but it merely tempered his anger and hate to a fine edge. When he felt as if his Master had nothing else to teach him, Wul'gowr killed him and the other acolytes of the monastery. The few magic items that Wul'gowr carries were taken from Barrin's body: his medallion, his robe, his arm-bindings, and a matched pair of rings.
Possessing a massive superiority/inferiority complex, Wul'gowr believes canines to be superior to humanity in every way: Humans are soft, pink, and weak. Afraid to fight fairly, they cover themselves with metal, blades, and magic. And they killed his family out of jealousy. For this, Wul'gowr has decided that humanity must be wiped out. Obviously, genocide on such a scale is currently beyond his abilities, and so Wul'gowr continues to train himself and gather minions. He has subjugated several Gnoll bands, and has begun to work with other groups who have similar goals of death and conquest. If he can aid in the destruction of humanity by another, all the better, especially if the other group garners all the blame.
Interestingly, Wul'gowr considers afflicted lycanthropes to be tools at best, tainted by their previous humanity. Instead of converting followers as many lycanthropes do, he breeds the ideal followers: his own progeny. It is this practice that has earned him his title. Young women who are out too late, particularly on nights with full moons, disappear as wolves bay in the distance. Wul'gowr is abducts these women, afflicts them with lycanthropy, and uses them as living and unwilling incubators for litters of his children. The luckier victims die in childbirth. Less fortunate women may have to suffer this process repeatedly. Like a real wolf pack, only the alpha male breeds: if his plan is to succeed, Wul'gowr cannot afford for his children to splinter off and form their own packs.
Wul'gowr's master taught him patience, and for this, Wul'gowr has been rewarded. After his years of building his forces and infiltration, he has learned of a dead godling, the wolf-headed Gerr'vais, Master of Fangs. If he can discover the last tomb of Gerr'vais, Wul'gowr believes that he can merge with the remains of the god's spark and gain the power necessary to wipe out the pink blight of humanity once and for all.
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
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I like him. His motivations are a little simplistic ("kill all humans!"), but you laid out several plans already in motion for how to do it (and a nice touch explaining his outlook on types of lycanthropes). LE werewolf working with CE gnolls maybe an issue but not a deal-breaker. I like the "so wise teacher, anything left to learn?" "no, my pupil." "alrighty then, thanks for everything. ROWRRRRRRR!" *AIIIEEeeeeeee* bit. A little reverse evil Kung Fu.
Thanks. The way I looked at it, the Gnolls don't need to be disciplined: They're disposable shock troops, at best. Wul'gowr gets to be in control because he showed up, murdered the Flinds in charge and said 'You work for me now.' Heck, Gnolls might not be smart enough to know the difference between a Gnoll and a werewolf in hybrid form. If Wul'gowr we counting on the gnolls to be patient, or be be infilrators, so secretive, then the alignment issue might be a problem.
And I liked the simplistic goal ('Kill all humans!', as you put it (Yay Bender)), because it lets Wul'gowr be a secondary villian or work with other evil creatures dramatically different from himself.
(Warning: Possible Savage Tide spoiler in example)
Design notes:
Wul'gowr is an attempt to reconstruct a character I made under 3.0 for a Evil PbP game that never really got going. Back then, a lot more things stacked between monk and werewolf, so the result was a speed of 180 feet and the ability to leap that far on a jump check roll of 1. Obviously, some things have gotten better since then, like Ki Strike and the fact that DR/Silver still matters past 3rd level. Others, like that ridiculous speed, have gotten worse.
Wul'gowr, in this incarnation, was built to 16th level because of Ki Strike (Adamantine), which gives him something to do, permanently, about silver weapons. I chose sundering over disarming because Stunning Fist is mighty close to disarming anyway: Stunned opponents drop held items, including weapons that aren't in locked gauntlets.
I'm not quite sure he lives up to his challenge rating: Hold him side-by-side with a Nightwalker at the same CR, or even with Boomer's Djinni at CR 16, and he comes up a bit short. His AC is ok (same as a Pit Fiend's), but his HP, DR, and SR are all lacking. He has crazy mobility and a lot of combat options, but so do Fighters with Winged Boots. Better gear might have helped, but then I would have way too much loot and violated Wul'gowr's ideal of humans being cheaters. If I could find a good ruling for it, I'd just strip off all the gear and give an ad-hoc CR adjustment to 15th level or so. Maybe the problem in this case is just that Monks need other creatures to foil with. For instance, pair Wul'gowr with 4 or so level 13 rogues. Sneak attack works quite well when stunned pinkskins are all over the place. That seems a lot more befitting of the CR.
It has merit, though I think the rape section might have hurt you. Heathy would have loved you for having a werewolf villain.
The names hurt you. Your villain's name is "growl" mixed up. And then, sin of sins, it uses an apostrophe. That is the kiss of death in some circles. Same with the god.
The rape content is borderline. Not a DQ, but concerning.
The stat block seems sufficient.
Not alot of spark here. Its a high level monk with lycanthropy. I would not have recommended advancement to top 8.
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He should get a dojo, and have people come train under him.
And in training, you get hurt somewhat, (not me I was tough) and he could infect them with lycanthropy unbeknownst to them.
Like, he's this badass black belt teacher that can take full force punches all day because they're not silver. So he fights a promising student who is suitably impressive with his asinine, egotistical behavior, impressive enough to gift with the sublime black belt of werewolfdom. So he lets his guard down, and lets the guy pop him in the mouth one good time, and cut his knuckles up on his canines, and get infected with lycanthropy that way.
Woah, I didn't mean to be all "this is how I would've written it," I just thought that might be a cool idea.
The names hurt you. Your villain's name is "growl" mixed up. And then, sin of sins, it uses an apostrophe. That is the kiss of death in some circles. Same with the god.
True, but I was trying to think 'How would werewolves talk?'. The rules say they can't use verbal components. That tells me the growl and snarl alot. They'd pick names appropriately.
The rape content is borderline. Not a DQ, but concerning.
I must have been reading too much Book of Vile Darkness. He is a villian, after all.
The stat block seems sufficient.Not alot of spark here. Its a high level monk with lycanthropy.
I tried to make the description interesting. The stat block could really be done to whatever level the story needed. And I was trying to avoid over-templated monster syndrome. (I'm not arguing, just providing my reasons).
I would not have recommended advancement to top 8.
Fair enough. There were some pretty good entries this round.
Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8
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He should get a dojo, and have people come train under him.
I agree, for a couple of different reasons.
First, as the description stands, I'm far from convinced by his alignment. He should have followers and a lifestyle that are more civilised and organised. I'm not saying that creatures living in the wilderness can't be Lawful, but a werewolf's basic nature works against it. Both in terms of convincing the reader, and as an in-game consideration to maintain whatever psychological tilt or metaphysical allegiance is represented by alignment, he needs to work harder than most at being Lawful.
Second, while I have no experience in martial arts, it seems unlikely to me that you'd get better at it by lounging around in the woods and molesting women. If anything, that sort of experience should advance him in werewolf hit dice. Training in martial arts should mean just that.
The wolf-headed deity's name sounds very Kalamar-ish. It might be OK on that basis, though in an entry, I'd expect a contestant to pay more heed to avoid the qualities that were heavily criticised in the last round (not in this author's country but certainly in others).
I think, with a slight shift of emphasis, this could have been a very creditable entry.
I’m assuming this is just a draft, and you would have given it a smooth gloss-over before submission, so keeping that in mind, I think you have a good idea simmering here.
I agree, for a couple of different reasons.
First, as the description stands, I'm far from convinced by his alignment. He should have followers and a lifestyle that are more civilised and organised. I'm not saying that creatures living in the wilderness can't be Lawful, but a werewolf's basic nature works against it. Both in terms of convincing the reader, and as an in-game consideration to maintain whatever psychological tilt or metaphysical allegiance is represented by alignment, he needs to work harder than most at being Lawful.
Second, while I have no experience in martial arts, it seems unlikely to me that you'd get better at it by lounging around in the woods and molesting women. If anything, that sort of experience should advance him in werewolf hit dice. Training in martial arts should mean just that.
The wolf-headed deity's name sounds very Kalamar-ish. It might be OK on that basis, though in an entry, I'd expect a contestant to pay more heed to avoid the qualities that were heavily criticised in the last round (not in this author's country but certainly in others).
I think, with a slight shift of emphasis, this could have been a very creditable entry.
I think you just pointed out something I did with Terram, too, and it cost me the round. I left too much merely implied. I assumed the reader would extrapolate a rigid pack structure, a hideout near (or in) civilization, and that training, for a monk, means hours a day spent meditating and doing kata, in addition to whatever other activities may be going on, just as I assumed readers would know a bunch of metallurgy and military history for Terram.
In short, I need to stop assuming that readers can read my mind as well as my words. Thank you for helping me realize that.
Oh, and even though I said I am completing all the challenges, this is the last one I'm releasing on the Paizo boards. My creatures and encounter will submitted to Kobold Quarterly when I'm finished with them. Hopefully Wolfgang will like them.
Like, he's this badass black belt teacher that can take full force punches all day because they're not silver. So he fights a promising student who is suitably impressive with his asinine, egotistical behavior, impressive enough to gift with the sublime black belt of werewolfdom. So he lets his guard down, and lets the guy pop him in the mouth one good time, and cut his knuckles up on his canines, and get infected with lycanthropy that way.
This doesn't work: Lycanthropes only have DR/Silver when in hybrid or animal form.