Anyone have any new (better) versions of Vanthus in Divided's Ire? He seams very weak, and as written, will get "one-shotted" by any one of my PC's. Not a very fitting end to such a great villian IMO.
Help?
Turin the Mad posted a really nice powered-up version of Vanthus, but I can't for the life of me find it right now and I'm leaving soon. I'll see if I can track it down when I get back in a few hours, if no one beats me to it.
I note that you posted in that thread, and you mentioned that this version of Vanthus could kill your party twice, so you may want to ramp him down a bit ;)
I gave Vanthus the Unholy Fortitude and Martial Calling special qualities.
Unholy Fortitude lets Vanthus gain his cha mod to hit points per hit die. It started cropping up regularly late in 3.5, and now is built into the undead traits in PF.
Martial Calling first showed up in AoW (IIRC), and gave undead a bonus on attack rolls equal to 1/2 the creatures hit dice. I ruled it applied to all hit dice, including class levels. It made Vanthus more accurate than he was supposed to be, but he needed some kind of edge.
I can't figure out why his printed AC is 42.. I ran his numbers and I can't get it that high, what am I missing?
Definately gonna add unholy fortitude and martian calling...
It's pretty easy to calculate, just read all of the entries.
Lemorian: +1 Natural Armor
Death Knight: +5 Natural Armor
Amulet of Natural Armor: +4 Natural Armor
Tempest Defense: +3 Untyped
+5 Mithral Breastplate: +10 Armor
Dex 21: +5 Dex
Two-Weapon Defense: +1 Shield Bonus
Ring of Protection: +3 Deflection
= 42 AC
Of course, if you take into account that he can cast Unholy Aura (my boss monsters who have this as a spell-like ability automatically have it on them every combat :D) and Haste, that jumps to 44.
martian calling...
Best. Typo. Ever.
*imagines Death Knight Vanthus tromping around Divided's Ire in a Tripod*
martian calling...Best. Typo. Ever.
*imagines Death Knight Vanthus tromping around Divided's Ire in a Tripod*
So, would that be scorching ray or disintegrate at will? *grin*
So, would that be scorching ray or disintegrate at will? *grin*martian calling...Best. Typo. Ever.
*imagines Death Knight Vanthus tromping around Divided's Ire in a Tripod*
Heck, I'd give him both. Toss in polar ray or maybe enervation (your choice) to complete the feeling of "needs three of stuff". :)
Beats the heck out of the lame nightmare mount. Saddle him up in a ginormous construct packing death rays and watch the heroes squirm!
Hrm ... how big is a Retriever again ... ?
Beats the heck out of the lame nightmare mount. Saddle him up in a ginormous construct packing death rays and watch the heroes squirm!
Hrm ... how big is a Retriever again ... ?
Speaking of suitable mounts, how about the Skyshadow from the Elder Evils page 22? It's a converted Nightwing that can be won from its previous rider.
Beats the heck out of the lame nightmare mount. Saddle him up in a ginormous construct packing death rays and watch the heroes squirm!
Hrm ... how big is a Retriever again ... ?
*eyes Bestiary* Huge, it looks like. I'd probably sub out the fire, cold, and electricity rays and replace them with a level 11 scorching ray (hits up to three targets!), an enervation, and a level 11 disintegrate (with the Fort save for 5d6).
Petrification can stay. *evil grin*
Speaking of suitable mounts, how about the Skyshadow from the Elder Evils page 22? It's a converted Nightwing that can be won from its previous rider.Beats the heck out of the lame nightmare mount. Saddle him up in a ginormous construct packing death rays and watch the heroes squirm!
Hrm ... how big is a Retriever again ... ?
Much better ... much MUCH better. ^_^
Beats the heck out of the lame nightmare mount. Saddle him up in a ginormous construct packing death rays and watch the heroes squirm!
Hrm ... how big is a Retriever again ... ?
*eyes Bestiary* Huge, it looks like. I'd probably sub out the fire, cold, and electricity rays and replace them with a level 11 scorching ray (hits up to three targets!), an enervation, and a level 11 disintegrate (with the Fort save for 5d6).
Petrification can stay. *evil grin*
Hrmmm ... Advanced Dreadnaught Flying Retreiver mount for ol' Vanthi...
Hrmmm ... Advanced Dreadnaught Flying Retreiver mount for ol' Vanthi...Beats the heck out of the lame nightmare mount. Saddle him up in a ginormous construct packing death rays and watch the heroes squirm!
Hrm ... how big is a Retriever again ... ?
*eyes Bestiary* Huge, it looks like. I'd probably sub out the fire, cold, and electricity rays and replace them with a level 11 scorching ray (hits up to three targets!), an enervation, and a level 11 disintegrate (with the Fort save for 5d6).
Petrification can stay. *evil grin*
Where's the dreadnaught template?
Where's the dreadnaught template?Hrmmm ... Advanced Dreadnaught Flying Retreiver mount for ol' Vanthi...Beats the heck out of the lame nightmare mount. Saddle him up in a ginormous construct packing death rays and watch the heroes squirm!
Hrm ... how big is a Retriever again ... ?
*eyes Bestiary* Huge, it looks like. I'd probably sub out the fire, cold, and electricity rays and replace them with a level 11 scorching ray (hits up to three targets!), an enervation, and a level 11 disintegrate (with the Fort save for 5d6).
Petrification can stay. *evil grin*
In Book of Templates, Deluxe Edition by Goodman Games. Sadly, Dreadnaught is not applicable to constructs. However ...
CE Huge Construct (extraplanar), CR 16 (76,800 xp)
Init +10
Senses darkvision 60', low-light vision; Perception +19
AC 38; flat-footed 34 (+24 natural [14+2+8])
Touch AC 14; flat-footed touch 8 (10 -2 size +6 Dex)
hp 137; fast healing 5; DR 3/-- & DR 17/adamantine and magic; (15d10 [82] +40 size +15 toughness)
Fort +7 (base 5 +2 Great Fortitude), Ref +13 (base 5 +6 Dex +2 Lightning Reflexes), Will +9 (base 5 +4 Wis)
Defensive Abilities construct traits; Immune to acid, cold, electricity, fire and sonic energy types; and all magic that allows SR; Feint DC 29
Speed 50', fly 50' (perfect) +25
Melee bite +22 (1d8+9 plus grab), 4 claws +22 (2d6+9 / 19-20)
Melee Power Attack bite +18 (1d8+17 plus grab), 4 claws +18 (2d6+17 / 19-20)
Space 15'; Reach 15'
Special Attacks eye rays (+19 ranged touch) [15-2+6]
Spell-like Abilities (CL 20th) At Will - discern location
Str 29, Dex 22, Con --, Int 11, Wis 19, Cha 1
Base Attack +15; CMB +26 (+28 bull rush, +30 grapple) Power Attack CMB +22 (+24 bull rush, +26 grapple) [bab 15 +2 size +9 Str]; CMD 42 (46 vs. overrun and trip) [10 +15 bab +2 size +9 Str +6 Dex]
Feats Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical (claw), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Toughness
Skills Fly +25 [15 ranks +8 +6 Dex -4 size], Perception +19 [15 ranks +4 Wis]
Languages Abyssal (cannot speak)
SQ relentless, magic-immune, flight
Eye Rays (Su) A Lemorian retriever's eye rays can produce four different rays, each with a range of 100'. Each round, it can fire one ray as a free action. A particular ray is usable only once every 4 rounds. A Lemorian retriever can fire an eye ray in the same round it makes physical attacks - doing so does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The save DC for eye rays is 19, including a +2 racial bonus (17+2). The eye ray effects are the following:
- Cold: deals 12d6 cold damage, Reflex half
- Electricity: deals 12d6 electricity damage, Reflex half
- Fire: deals 12d6 fire damage, Reflex half
- Petrification: Fortitude negates
Relentless (Su) A Lemorian retriever is constantly under the effects of spider climb and water walk; these abilities cannot be dispelled.
Magic-Immune(ex) A Lemorian retriever is immune to any magical and supernatural effects that allow spell resistance.
Flight (Su) A Lemorian retriever flies by supernatural means that cannot be dispelled.
Swap out the eye rays as Kuru suggested and it's good to go. >:}
Swap out the eye rays as Kuru suggested and it's good to go. >:}
The only down side to scorching ray eyes are the crummy damage output: 4d6 (the 12d6 split 3 ways) is barely enough for a caster level 7th resist energy to care about, let alone resist fire 30.
The retriever's rays are free and don't provoke - and with an average Intelligence, a Lemorian retriever can and will take advantage of the cheap shots provided to target the wusses hanging out at the back of the party ... say, the archer's bow as well ...
Swap out the eye rays as Kuru suggested and it's good to go. >:}
The only down side to scorching ray eyes are the crummy damage output: 4d6 (the 12d6 split 3 ways) is barely enough for a caster level 7th resist energy to care about, let alone resist fire 30.
The retriever's rays are free and don't provoke - and with an average Intelligence, a Lemorian retriever can and will take advantage of the cheap shots provided to target the wusses hanging out at the back of the party ... say, the archer's bow as well ...
Hmm true, I didn't know/had forgotten about the damage cap. Might keep the fire ray and just swap out the cold one for disintegrate and the electric one for enervation.
And yessssss, very nasty indeed.