| Tim Bürgers |
I´ve made a template to change any humanoid or monstrous humanoid into a chosen of Ghlaunder. It leans on the vampire-template, because in my campaign, Ghlaunder created these wretches from vampires. I´d like to know if you like it.
I used spoiler buttons, because its quite long.
TEMPLATE: SPAWN OF GHLAUNDER
Spawn speak any languages they knew in life.
CREATING A SPAWN
“Spawn of Ghlaunder” is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
A spawn of Ghlaunder uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to undead (augmented humanoid or monstrous humanoid). Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s.
Speed: Same as the base creature. Spawn of Ghlaunder gain a fly speed equal to their base land speed with good maneuverability. If the base creature has a swim speed, the spawn of Ghlaunder retains the ability to swim and is not vulnerable to immersion in running water (see below).
Armor Class: The base creature’s natural armor bonus improves by +6.
Attack: A spawn of Ghlaunder retains all the attacks of the base creature and also gains a slam attack if it didn’t already have one. If the base creature can use weapons, the spawn of Ghlaunder retains this ability. A creature with natural weapons retains those natural weapons. A spawn of Ghlaunder fighting without weapons uses either its slam attack or its primary natural weapon (if it has any). A spawn of Ghlaunder armed with a weapon uses its slam or a weapon, as it desires.
Full Attack: A spawn of Ghlaunder fighting without weapons uses either its slam attack (see above) or its natural weapons (if it has any). If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack along with a slam or other natural weapon as a natural secondary attack.
Damage: Spawn of Ghlaunders have slam attacks. If the base creature does not have this attack form, use the appropriate damage value from the table below according to the spawn of Ghlaunder’s size. Creatures that have other kinds of natural weapons retain their old damage values or use the appropriate value from the table below, whichever is better.
Size Damage
Fine 1
Diminutive 1d2
Tiny 1d3
Small 1d4
Medium 1d6
Large 1d8
Huge 2d6
Gargantuan 2d8
Colossal 4d6
Special Attacks: A spawn of Ghlaunder retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains those described below. Saves have a DC of 10 + 1/2 spawn of Ghlaunder’s HD + spawn of Ghlaunder’s Cha modifier unless noted otherwise.
Blood Drain (Ex): A spawn of Ghlaunder can suck blood from a living victim with its stinger by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the spawn of Ghlaunder gains 5 temporary hit points.
Children of the Mosquito (Su): Spawns of Ghlaunder command the lesser vermin of the world and once per day can call forth 1d4+1 bat swarms or a swarm of 4d6 stirges as a standard action. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the spawn of Ghlaunder for up to 1 hour.
Gaze of Malaria (Su): A spawn of Ghlaunder can insomniate a single chosen opponent just by making special sounds with his wings. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the spawn of Ghlaunder must use a standard action, and deaf creatures are not affected. Anyone the spawn of Ghlaunder targets must succeed on a Will save or fall asleep instantly as though by a sleep spell (caster level 12th), except there is no chance of awakening and the duration is unlimited. The ability has a range of 30 feet. A remove curse-, break enchantment- or heal-spell can awaken the target.
Lay Eggs (Su): When a spawn of Ghlaunder drinks 5 points worth of Constitution, it can spend them to produce a single egg within 1d4 days. Within another 1d4 days, 2d6 stirges emerge from the egg. A spawn of Ghlaunder can spend 10 points worth of Constitution to transform any humanoid or monstrous humanoid into a spawn of ghlaunder.
In either case, the new spawn of Ghlaunder or the stirges are under the command of the spawn of Ghlaunder that created it and remain enslaved until their master’s destruction. At any given time a spawn of Ghlaunder may have enslaved spawn or stirges totaling no more than twice its own Hit Dice; any spawn it creates that would exceed this limit are created as free-willed spawn of Ghlaunders or stirges. A spawn of Ghlaunder that is enslaved may create and enslave spawn or stirges of its own, so a master spawn of Ghlaunder can control a number of lesser spawn of Ghlaunders or stirges in this fashion. A spawn of Ghlaunder may voluntarily free an enslaved spawn or stirge in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a spawn of Ghlaunder or spawn of Ghlaunder or stirge cannot be enslaved again.
Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a spawn of Ghlaunder’s slam attack (or any other natural weapon the spawn of Ghlaunder might possess) gain one negative level. For each negative level bestowed, the spawn of Ghlaunder gains 5 temporary hit points. A spawn of Ghlaunder can use its energy drain ability once per round.
Improved Grab (Ex): If a spawn of Ghlaunder hits a creature with its slam attack, it can start a grapple as a free action. If it gets hold, it can try to drain blood the next round. A spawn of Ghlaunder gets a racial bonus of +2 on grapple-checks.
Special Qualities: A spawn of Ghlaunder retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below.
Alternate Form (Su): A spawn of Ghlaunder can assume the shape of a stirge as a standard action. This ability is similar to a polymorph spell cast by a 12th-level character, except that the spawn of Ghlaunder does not regain hit points for changing form and must choose from among the forms mentioned here. While in its alternate form, the spawn of Ghlaunder loses its natural slam attack and gaze of malaria ability, but it gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of its new form. It can remain in that form until it assumes another or until the next sunrise.
Damage Reduction (Su): A spawn of Ghlaunder has damage reduction 10/good or law. A spawn of Ghlaunder’s natural weapons are treated as chaotic, evil and magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Fast Healing (Ex): A spawn of Ghlaunder heals 5 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, it automatically assumes amorphous form and attempts to escape. It must reach its nest within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed. (It can travel up to nine miles in 2 hours.) Any additional damage dealt to a spawn of Ghlaunder forced into gaseous form has no effect. Once at rest in its nest, a spawn of Ghlaunder is helpless. It regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no longer helpless and resumes healing at the rate of 5 hit points per round.
Amorphous Form (Su): As a standard action, a spawn of Ghlaunder can assume amorphous form at will as the spell (caster level 5th), but it can remain amorphous indefinitely and has a swim speed equal to its base land speed. A spawn of Ghlaunder in this form is immune to immersion in running water.
Resistances (Ex): A spawn of Ghlaunder has resistance to acid 10 and sonic 10.
Spider Climb (Ex): A spawn of Ghlaunder can climb sheer surfaces as though with a spider climb spell.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A spawn of Ghlaunder has +4 turn resistance.
Scent (Ex): A spawn of Ghlaunder gains the scent special quality. It can track by smell.
Contagion (Sp): A spawn of Ghlaunder can infect a creature with disease with a touch, just like the contagion-spell (caster level equals HD), except the save-DC is 10 + 1/2 spawn of Ghlaunder’s HD + spawn of Ghlaunder’s Cha modifier. It can use this ability three times per day.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +6, Dex +4, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +4. As an undead creature, a spawn of Ghlaunder has no Constitution score.
Skills: Spawns of Ghlaunder have a +8 racial bonus on Jump, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Survival, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Feats: Spawns of Ghlaunder gain Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Track and Lightning Reflexes, assuming the base creature meets the prerequisites and doesn’t already have these feats.
Environment: Any, usually same as base creature.
Organization: Solitary, pair, gang (3–5), or troupe (1–2 plus 5-30 stirges)
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2.
Treasure: Double standard.
Alignment: Always chaotic evil.
Advancement: By character class.
Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +8.
Spawn of Ghlaunder Weaknesses
For all their power, spawn of Ghlaunders have a number of weaknesses.
Repelling a Spawn of Ghlaunder: Spawn of Ghlaunders cannot tolerate a thick layer of mud on the skin and strong odors of several herbs and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, they recoil from a strongly presented holy symbol of Desna. These things don’t harm the spawn of Ghlaunder—they merely keep it at bay. A recoiling spawn of Ghlaunder must stay at least 5 feet away from a creature holding the holy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks against the creature holding the item for the rest of the encounter. Holding a spawn of Ghlaunder at bay takes a standard action.
Attracted by bright light: A spawn of Ghlaunder cannot willingly move away from a bright, artificial source of light, such as a daylight-spell.
Slaying a Spawn of Ghlaunder: Reducing a spawn of Ghlaunder’s hit points to 0 or lower incapacitates it but doesn’t always destroy it (see the note on fast healing). However, certain attacks can slay spawn of Ghlaunders. Immersing a spawn of Ghlaunder in running water robs it of one-third of its hit points each round until it is destroyed at the end of the third round of immersion. Another popular tactic is to cut off the creature’s head and fill its mouth with holy wafers (or their equivalent).
Spawn of Ghlaunder Characters
Spawn of Ghlaunders are always chaotic evil, which causes characters of certain classes to lose some class abilities. In addition, certain classes take additional penalties.
Clerics: Spawn of Ghlaunder clerics lose their ability to turn undead but gain the ability to rebuke undead. This ability does not affect the spawn of Ghlaunder’s controller or any other spawn of Ghlaunders that a master controls. A spawn of Ghlaunder cleric has access to two of the following domains: Air, Animal, Chaos, Destruction, Evil.
Sorcerers and Wizards: Spawn of Ghlaunder sorcerers and wizards retain their class abilities, but if a character has a familiar other than a rat or bat, the link between them is broken, and the familiar shuns its former companion. The character can summon another familiar, but it must be a stirge or bat.