Alright, in another thread I had asked what monsters from WotC were NonOGL. Here's the compiled list again.
Beholder (and gauth) [b]
Carrion Crawler
Displacer Beast
[b]Githyanki
Githzerai
Kuo-Toa
Mind Flayer
Myconid
Neogi
Slaad (all types)
Umber Hulk
Yuan-ti (all types)
I am currently writing a novel based on my homebrew Campaign World, and of course have included a number of these creatures in the story. In the previous thread I had decided to create my own replacements, and this is where I will post them for some feedback.
Primarily, I plan on posting replacements for the beholder, githyanki, and mind flayer, since they are the races that play some part in my current novel. I may also post replacements for the neogi, umber hulk, and myconids because I like them and have been incorporated in my campaign world. Most of the others aren't very prominent so I will ignore them at this point.
Here's my first race, which is meant to replace the Githyanki. Please feel free to make comments, suggestions, and use or don't use the info I post as you wish. If I could, I'd post visuals, but text descriptions will have to suffice.
WYCHFIEND
This strange extraplanar humanoid has ruddy skin with arcane symbols, green eyes, and a long braided ponytail protruding from the back of his sleek great helm. His piercing eyes stare defiantly at you, in turn making you feel uncomfortable.
WYCHFIEND CR 1
XP 400
Wychfiend fighter 1/sorcerer 1
LE Medium outsider (extraplanar, native)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception -1
DEFENSE
AC 19, touch 10, flat-footed 19 (+9 armor)
hp 16 (1d10+1 plus 1d6+1)
Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +1; +2 resistance vs. illusions
Immune figments; Resist acid 5, cold 5, fire 5
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee wychsteel bastard sword +4 (1d10+2)
Special Attacks spells
Spells Prepared (CL 1st)
0–daze (2), ray of frost (2)
1st–magic missile, obscuring mist
STATISTICS
Str 15, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 9, Cha 14
Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 14
Feats Cleave, Eschew Materials, Power Attack
Skills Intimidate +7, Knowledge (arcana) +5, Spellcraft +4
Languages Common, Dwarven, Orc
SQ adapted body, bloodline arcana, bloodline power (arcane bond), ethereal step, wyching bond, wychsteel affinity
ECOLOGY
Environment any (Ethereal)
Organization solitary, pair, squad (3-5), or company (7-10)
Treasure NPC gear (wychsteel bastard sword, full plate, other treasure)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Adapted Body (Ex) A wychfiend’s body has adapted to the rigors of planar travel and can breathe in any environment, including the elemental planes, toxic atmospheres, underwater, and even in a vacuum, as if he were under the constant effects of a necklace of adaptation.
Bloodline Arcana (Ex) When a wychfiend applies a metamagic feat to a spell that increases the slot used by at least one level, he increases the spell’s DC by +1. This bonus does not stack with itself and does not apply to spells modified by the Heighten Spell feat.
Ethereal Step (Sp) A wychfiend can ethereal jaunt a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + his Hit Dice or class level, as a standard action.
Wyching Bond (Su) Due to their otherworldly nature, a wychfiend can form a special magical bond with an item of the appropriate type, dependant upon the wychfiend’s career path. The wyching bond of those who choose a full caster level arcane spellcasting path is similar to the wizard’s arcane bond class feature. The wyching bond of those who select a more militant path is similar to the paladin’s divine bond class feature, but only applies to the wychfiend’s weapon or armor (see the Divine Bond alternate class feature of the Divine Defender paladin archetype in Chapter 2 of the Pathfinder Advanced Player’s Guide) and is not divine in nature, but arcane, and draws upon the wyching energies innate to the wychfiend.
Wychsteel Affinity (Ex) 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 hold wychsteel full plate armor in such high esteem, and will sacrifice their lives to protect or retrieve such armor when it falls into the hands of other races.
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 13 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 magic, they have learned to employ it with great effect in combat over the centuries.
Physical Description: 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 tan flesh tone to a ruddy red, and adorned in tattoos depicting arcane symbols of power.
A wychfiend’s hair is of singular importance and a point of 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 and serve as the plumes of their battle helmets. Perhaps the wychfiend’s most unusual feature is their lack of 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 visored helmets to hide their unusual appearance, as well as emphasize their braids and ponytails of rank.
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 greater 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 interbreed, resulting in a number of unusual offspring. This, in conjunction with years of exposure to the strange emanations of the Ethereal Plane have warped and reshaped them into the wychfiends of 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 secluded corner of the Ethereal Plane.
From their stronghold cities, 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.
Relations: Wychfiends are greatly despised by most races, for they are seen as nothing more than extraplanar pirates and brigands. Thus, most races avoid any contact with them. However, some individuals grudgingly claim that the wychfiend Wychblades are among the greatest of any eldritch knights throughout the planes. Because of their innate propensity for magic, wychfiends get along best with those races with the same propensity, such as elves and half-elves. However, because of their warlike nature, they also get along with dwarves and half-orcs, since these are the races of their origin.
Alignment and Religion: Although wychfiends are considered to be fearsome and blunt in their dealings with other races, they follow a certain code of honor. They tend towards brutal, decisive battle tactics, and unleash their magic with great effect in their attempts to acquire greater power and dominion on behalf of their wychqueen. Wychfiends tend to be lawful evil, but very few worship any form of deity since it would greatly anger their wychqueen and bring about their demise. However, those few who choose to tread such dangerous ground typically worship deities who value strength, order, and magic, such as Abadar, Irori, Asmodeus, and Urgathoa,
Adventurers: Wychfiends have an inbred lust for battle and adventure, especially for the glory of their wychqueen. Youngling wychfiends are often sent to the Material Plane to test their mettle and skill at arms, and prove themselves worthy of being admitted to the ranks of the Wychblades. Veteran wychfiends travel and battle to increase their hone, and further the cause of their sovereign, but are typically encountered in companies or brigades. Renegade wychfiends hold no allegiance to the wychqueen. They have thrown off their racial shackles of domination and unquestioning obedience to her, and replaced them with the ideals of freewill and personal honor.
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.
WYCHBLADE
Wychblades are true eldritch knights. They wield both blade and spell with great skill and favor plate armor and bastard swords 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.
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.
Few females are numbered among their ranks, but those who do so have proven themselves as skilled warriors and capable leaders within the organization.
WYCHLYN
Wychlyns are arcane spellcasters who wield powerful otherworldly magic. They consider those outside their race who are of the sorcerer or witch classes as 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 long enough for one to charm his way to freedom or escape.
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.
Male Wychfiends with a predisposition towards pure magic may join the wychlyn. Those few who have done so have been nicknamed wylochlyn by their sister wychlyn, in an attempt to differentiate them from the rest of them. Nevertheless, they are welcomed as full members of their order.
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.
Wychfiends that wear armor made of wychsteel ignore any chance of spell failure imposed by the armor. This strange connection is not fully understood, but is the reason that wychfiends will sacrifice life and limb to regain or reatain such items.
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
WYCHFIEND CHARACTERS
Wychfiends are defined by class level–they do not possess racial Hit Dice. Wychfiends have the following 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.
Adapted Body: Wychfiends lack a nose, but instead possess three small nostril-like orifices positioned along either side of their necks. This specialized respiratory system 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.
Wyching Bond: Wychfiends may form a special magical bond with an item depending upon their chosen class. Wychfiends who select the sorcerer, summoner, or witch class gain the benefits of the wizard’s arcane bond class feature. Those who select the cavalier or fighter class gain the benefits of the paladin’s divine bond class feature. However, this only applies to the weapon or armor (see the Divine Bond alternate class feature of the Divine Defender paladin archetype in Chapter 2 of the Advanced Player’s Guide) portion of the feature, and is not divine in nature, but arcane, drawing upon the innate wyching energies of the wychfiends.
Wychsteel Affinity: Wychfiends possess an unexplained kinship with wychsteel, an extraplanar metal alloy forged by wychfiend metalsmiths. This mystical connection allows a wychfiend (and only a wychfiend) wearing any armor crafted from wychsteel to ignore the chance of spell failure normally imposed by the armor. Therefore, wychfiends hold wychsteel armor, especially full plate, in a place of high honor and will do all within their power to prevent such armor from falling into the possession of other races.
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, Elven, Ignan, Infernal, and Terran.