Speaking of DC starting to go through smallville starting at episode 1. I never followed it closely while it aired.
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Heyo! What did I miss?Me slipping farther and farther away from sanity. How's tricks Icy?
Tricky!
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Yeah. I just don't like Wolverine all that much.
He's really only entertaining when he's Deadpool's straightman.
I like Wolverine, it's Deadpool I can't stand. But Marvel has gotten carried away with bot characters being unkillable. Remember back in the Clairmont days when Wolverine would shield his eyes from machine gun fire? Now he gets burned up to nothing but his metal skeleton and heals his whole body back. :/
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Now that I've run the encounter for the party... another Songspawn for display. This time it's the proof of the sound-based creatures' ability to corrupt other entities - a template that can be placed on a creature, transforming it into a member of the dark chorus. Though if a creature remains Dissonant for long, inevitably it will become one of the Song in full.
"Dissonant creature" is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal creature (other than an undead or ooze) that does not already possess the songspawn subtype, referred to hereafter as the base creature. A dissonant creature uses the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
CR: As base creature +1.
Alignment: Always chaotic neutral or chaotic evil.
Type: The creature's type changes to aberration and it gains the augmented, chaotic, sonic, and songspawn subtypes. It retains any subtypes except for alignment subtypes (such as good) and subtypes that indicate kind (such as giant). It uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Hit Dice: A dissonant creature changes racial HD to d8s. Do not recalculate hit dice from class levels.
Defensive Abilities: Dissonant creatures gain SR equal to 10+HD (including class HD) but only against silence effects (see improved silence aversion below). They are immune to mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), sonic damage, and Wisdom damage or drain.
Weaknesses: Dissonant creatures gain improved silence aversion.
Improved Silence Aversion (Ex): Dark Song cannot enter silence effects. If the spell is cast with one inside its range, it must succeed at a caster level check as if facing Spell Resistance before it can affect the dissonant creature; if it succeeds, the dissonant creature is shunted to the nearest square outside the border, and is pushed away from its edge as if bull rushed (no CMB check necessary) if the AoE attempts to move into or through its space; if the SR check fails, the dissonant creature completely ignores the silence, and sonic effects it creates still function within the AoE radius.
If silence or a similar spell or effect is cast on a dissonant creature and it fails its Will save, the spell deals 1 point of untyped damage per caster level to the dissonant creature before ending completely.
Attacks: A dissonant creature retains all the natural weapons, manufactured weapon attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature. It also gains two slam attacks that deal damage based on the dissonant creature's size, unless it already has a natural attack occupying its primary arms or similar limbs (such as a claw or tentacle attack), in which case it gains or retains whichever of the two is a primary attack or deals more damage.
Special Attacks: A dissonant creature retains all of the base creature's special attacks and also gains the following.
Discordant Touch (Su): A dissonant creature can make a melee touch attack as a standard action against a single target and attempt to fill its mind with the discordant cacophony of the Dark Song. The targeted creature immediately takes damage as per the dissonance ability (see below) and must make a Will save (DC equals 10+ ½ the dissonant creature's hit dice [including class levels] + the dissonant creature's Constitution modifier) or become confused (as per the spell). A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same dissonant creature's discordant touch for one day. This is a mind-affecting, compulsion ability. The caster level for this effect is equal to the dissonant creature's hit dice (including class levels). The save DC is Constitution-based.
Dissonance (Su): A dissonant creature is composed of living sound. It deals an amount of sonic damage with its touch, natural weapons, or any melee weapons it wields determined by its Hit Dice.
Hit Dice : Sonic Damage
1-5 : 1d4
6-10 : 2d4
11-15 : 3d4
16+ : 4d4
Abilities: Strength +4, Constitution +4, Wisdom -4, Charisma +2. Wisdom cannot be reduced below 1.
BAB: A dissonant creature's base attack bonus from Racial Hit Dice is equal to 3/4 of its Hit Dice. Do not recalculate base attack bonus from class levels.
Skills: A dissonant creature retains all skill ranks possessed by the base creature. It gains a bonus to Perception equal to half its hit dice (including class levels; see Song (Ex) below).
Feats: A dissonant creature retains all feats possessed by the base creature.
Languages: A dissonant creature gains Aklo and Dark Song as automatic bonus languages.
Special Qualities: A dissonant creature retains all special qualities of the base creature. It also gains the following special quality.
Song (Ex): Dark Song are composed of living sound. They are immune to all sound-based effects and sonic damage. If a Songspawn takes sonic damage, it forgoes any saving throw and is healed by 1 hit point for every 2 points of damage the attack would have dealt as if it had failed its saving throw. It is immune to any effects caused by a sonic effect, such as deafening. Dark Song use their Constitution rather than their Wisdom for Perception checks, and gain a bonus on Perception equal to half their hit dice. They are immune to mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects) and Wisdom damage or drain.
A dissonant creature can be returned to its former nature by being subjected to dispel chaos within a hallowed area. The creature returns to its original type, recalculating all racial hit dice as appropriate, and loses the special qualities of the dissonant creature template. Its Strength, Constitution, and Charisma return to their original values; however, its Wisdom remains lowered unless a greater restoration, limited wish, wish, or miracle is also cast on the target within the hallow.
A dissonant creature that is slain can be brought back from the dead as its original self as long as the raise dead or resurrection is cast within a hallowed area and away from Song-tainted areas.
This example uses a 6th-level Huldra Wilder as the base creature.
CR 10 : XP 9,600
CN Medium aberration (augmented fey, chaotic, sonic, songspawn)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +22
DEFENSE
AC 22, touch 19, flat-footed 16 (+3 Dex, +3 dodge, +3 natural, +3 deflection)
hp 156 (13d8+52); regeneration 3 (acid or fire)
Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +10; +1 vs. telepathy powers or enchantment spells
Immune mind-affecting effects, sonic, sound-based effects, Wisdom damage, Wisdom drain; Resist cold 10, fire 10 (wintertide ring); SR 23 (silence effects only)
Weaknesses improved silence aversion
OFFENSE
Speed 45 ft. (30 ft. without skate)
Melee 2 slams +15 (1d6+7 plus 3d4 sonic) and tail slap +15 (1d6+7 plus 3d4 sonic and 1d4 Cha damage [Fort DC 20 negates])
or discordant touch +15 touch (3d4 sonic plus confusion [Will DC 20 negates, 13 rounds])
Ranged surge blast +12 ranged touch (2d6 force)
Special Attacks discordant touch, lashing tail, manipulate luck, surge blast 2d6, wild surge +2
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th; concentration +8)
Constant—detect snares and pits, endure elements, pass without trace
3/day—charm person (DC 17), daze monster (DC 18), wood shape
1/day—deep slumber (DC 19)
Manifesting (ML 6th, concentration +12; DC 16 + power level; 35+18+2=55 power points/day)
1st (1 PP)—ectoplasmic sheen, energy ray, skate
2nd (3 PP)—energy push, inflict pain
3rd (5 PP)—energy wall
Tactics
Nieve prepares as soon as she notices non-Song in the tower by manifesting skate on herself (already calculated into her speed) and using her wand of resist energy (acid) and wand of blur (she automatically succeeds at the DC 20 Use Magic Device checks to activate them). When PCs enter her chamber she attempts to divide them using energy walls of sonic; she then goes on the attack, using Spring Attack to make tail slaps at enemy casters and using discordant touch against warriors or rogues, running through her own sonic energy walls for the healing they provide and using energy push to shove opponents through them as well.
Morale
Nieve fights to the death, long too insane to abandon her post despite her mutation. If disabled and returned to her original fey form (or killed and raised or resurrected somewhere away from Song taint), she quickly returns to her queens to inform them of what happened to her and what the players have done; she then returns to whoever cured her, eager to pay her newfound debt as quickly as possible.
STATISTICS
Str 24, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 22
Base Atk +9; CMB +16; CMD 29
Feats Deceitful, Dodge, Expanded Knowledge (energy ray), Expanded Knowledge (inflict pain), Mobility, Power Attack, Psionic Talent, Spring Attack
Skills Acrobatics +19, Bluff +18, Disguise +18, Escape Artist +13, Knowledge (nature) +11, Knowledge (planes) +7, Perception +22, Sense Motive +8, Stealth +13, Use Magic Device +20 Racial bonuses +6 Perception
Languages Aklo, Common, Dark Song, Giant, Lupine, Sylvan
SQ elude attack +2, improved silence aversion, song, surge bond (free surge), surging euphoria +1, volatile mind
Combat Gear wand of resist energy (29 charges, CL 3), wand of blur (40 charges, CL 3)
Other Gear wintertide ring (ring of protection +3 and fire resistance 10)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Discordant Touch (Su): A dissonant creature can make a melee touch attack as a standard action against a single target and attempt to fill its mind with the discordant cacophony of the Dark Song. The targeted creature immediately takes damage as per the dissonance ability (see below) and must make a Will save (DC 20) or become confused (as per the spell). A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same dissonant creature's discordant touch for one day. This is a mind-affecting, compulsion ability. The caster level for this effect is equal to the dissonant creature's hit dice (including class levels). The save DC is Constitution-based.
Dissonance (Su): A dissonant creature is composed of living sound. It deals an amount of sonic damage with its touch, natural weapons, or any melee weapons it wields determined by its Hit Dice.
Hit Dice : Sonic Damage
1-5 : 1d4
6-10 : 2d4
11-15 : 3d4
16+ : 4d4
Improved Silence Aversion (Ex): Dark Song cannot enter silence effects. If the spell is cast with one inside its range, it must succeed at a caster level check as if facing Spell Resistance before it can affect the dissonant creature; if it succeeds, the dissonant creature is shunted to the nearest square outside the border, and is pushed away from its edge as if bull rushed (no CMB check necessary) if the AoE attempts to move into or through its space; if the SR check fails, the dissonant creature completely ignores the silence, and sonic effects it creates still function within the AoE radius.
If silence or a similar spell or effect is cast on a dissonant creature and it fails its Will save, the spell deals 1 point of untyped damage per caster level to the dissonant creature before ending completely.
Lashing Tail (Su): A huldra’s tail slap is a primary attack. In addition, each time a huldra damages a creature with her tail slap, she deals 1d4 points of Charisma damage, causing her target to grow progressively more deformed and ugly with each strike. A DC 20 Fortitude save negates the Charisma damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Manipulate Luck (Su): Once per day, a huldra can manipulate another creature’s luck by spending a full-round action, during which the huldra must remain in physical contact with the target creature. When the huldra uses this ability, she must choose whether she is imparting good luck or bad luck. A creature granted good luck gains a +2 luck bonus on all saving throws, attack rolls, and skill checks, while a creature afflicted with bad luck takes a –4 penalty on all saving throws, attack rolls, and skill checks. A DC 21 Will save negates the effect. Huldras cannot be the target of this ability. This effect lasts for 24 hours and is a curse effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Song (Ex): Dark Song are composed of living sound. They are immune to all sound-based effects and sonic damage. If a Songspawn takes sonic damage, it forgoes any saving throw and is healed by 1 hit point for every 2 points of damage the attack would have dealt as if it had failed its saving throw. It is immune to any effects caused by a sonic effect, such as deafening. Dark Song use their Constitution rather than their Wisdom for Perception checks, and gain a bonus on Perception equal to half their hit dice. They are immune to mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects) and Wisdom damage or drain.
Surging Euphoria (Ex): Starting at 4th level, when a wilder uses her wild surge ability, she gains a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws for a number of rounds equal to the intensity of her wild surge. If a wilder is overcome by psychic enervation following her wild surge, she does not gain the morale bonus for this use of her wild surge ability.
Wild Surge (Su): Free Surge:
Wild Surge and Psychic Enervation: The free wilder rides every emotion, taking them to heights unbelievable by others and finding her power in the moment of each encounter. Regardless of the emotion, embracing them to such a degree can sometimes be draining and cause her to be lost inside the experience. A free wilder overcome by psychic enervation (15% chance) is dazed until the end of her next turn and loses a number of power points equal to her normal manifester level (the increase in manifester level from her wild surge does not increase the number of power points lost).
Surge Bond: The free wilder gains the Psionic Talent feat as a bonus feat.
Improved Surge Bond: At 5th level, the free wilder gains the Volatile Mind ability.
Volatile Mind (Ex): A free wilder’s temperamental mind is hard to affect with telepathy or enchantment. Beginning at 5th level, the wilder gains a +1 bonus to saving throws against telepathy powers or enchantment spells.
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Hehe. I love reading the Lucas-hate in the previous pages. There's something ironic about Star Wars fans hating the guy who created Star Wars because he didn't create it right. If he is such a hack, why are you a fan of his work? ;)
Hell, in his own words he didn't create it right. But I think the biggest reason behind Lucashate among SW fans in continuity, or lack thereof. The man recanted almost everything he said, and most of what he did, with the first films. There were a few things that I liked about his "prequel" trilogy, but very few.
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I had the weirdest dream during my little nap, I dreamed that I found a lost treasure trove of family heirlooms that my parents had hidden, before we moved to TX.
Now I wish I could remember what was in it besides the Barbie dolls my mother had when she was kid. I'd hate to think I was dreaming about Barbie.
Hehe. I love reading the Lucas-hate in the previous pages. There's something ironic about Star Wars fans hating the guy who created Star Wars because he didn't create it right. If he is such a hack, why are you a fan of his work? ;)
Hell, in his own words he didn't create it right. But I think the biggest reason behind Lucashate among SW fans in continuity, or lack thereof. The man recanted almost everything he said, and most of what he did, with the first films. There were a few things that I liked about his "prequel" trilogy, but very few.
The way I've seen it explained, Lucas had people willing to tell him no and edit and refine his ideas when he made the first movies, and with their help he made something awesome. When he did the prequels, he was too big to take that kind of advice, too surrounded by yes-men, and had no one sorting the good from the bad in the things he wrote up.
Lucas has brilliant ideas, but he also has terrible ones, and he dreadfully needs people willing to filter them for him and tell him no. He had it with the first three, he didn't with the prequels.
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I have a list for them to choose from for their first level adventure.
I started using the database that TOZ was awesome enough to lead me to, to help me locate level appropriate adventures in all my old Dungeon mags. Saves me a crap ton of pouring through issues, and lets me make a list of everyone I'm interested in running. Then I write a little teaser about them, as well as where the adventure takes place, and let them choose what they want to do next.
I wonder which one it'll be, I'm leaning to Wedding Bells... it looks like a lot of fun.
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Hehe. I love reading the Lucas-hate in the previous pages. There's something ironic about Star Wars fans hating the guy who created Star Wars because he didn't create it right. If he is such a hack, why are you a fan of his work? ;)
Hell, in his own words he didn't create it right. But I think the biggest reason behind Lucashate among SW fans in continuity, or lack thereof. The man recanted almost everything he said, and most of what he did, with the first films. There were a few things that I liked about his "prequel" trilogy, but very few.
The way I've seen it explained, Lucas had people willing to tell him no and edit and refine his ideas when he made the first movies, and with their help he made something awesome. When he did the prequels, he was too big to take that kind of advice, too surrounded by yes-men, and had no one sorting the good from the bad in the things he wrote up.
Lucas has brilliant ideas, but he also has terrible ones, and he dreadfully needs people willing to filter them for him and tell him no. He had it with the first three, he didn't with the prequels.
There was this book, written by Lucas, that came out a couple of years after RoTJ, where he discussed the history of the universe, and his vision for it. Talked about the Clone Wars, about how the Jedi were at war with the Mandolorians for decades, how Boba Fett was the last of those warriors who had fought the Jedi and nearly crippled them. How with the birth of the Empire from the ashes of the Republic Vader had helped hunt down the Jedi, dark days when the Jedi went into hiding, but one by one were found and destroyed.
I didn't get any of that from the "prequels".
Damn I truly wish I still had that book, it even talked about he had started with a single male character, more like Han than Luke, and his name had been Starkiller.
Damn I truly wish I still had that book, it even talked about he had started with a single male character, more like Han than Luke, and his name had been Starkiller.
I remember hearing that somewhere too.
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Shiny and I sat here one night and laid out the plot for a "rewritten" Star Wars campaign that takes place right after the Clone Wars, about a handful of clones who help the Jedi go into hiding, then are the foundation of the Rebellion. It would start off 10 years before Star Wars, and end in great fireball on the second Death Star above the forest home of the wookies.
Ewoks for life!!!!!!!!!
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I had the weirdest dream during my little nap, I dreamed that I found a lost treasure trove of family heirlooms that my parents had hidden, before we moved to TX.
Now I wish I could remember what was in it besides the Barbie dolls my mother had when she was kid. I'd hate to think I was dreaming about Barbie.
Hey, at least you have non-terrifying nap dreams. My most recent one involved me ripping the skin off of my own face.
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Shiny and I sat here one night and laid out the plot for a "rewritten" Star Wars campaign that takes place right after the Clone Wars, about a handful of clones who help the Jedi go into hiding, then are the foundation of the Rebellion. It would start off 10 years before Star Wars, and end in great fireball on the second Death Star above the forest home of the wookies.
Actually, I'm playing in that campaign,... <blink>
There is a Louisiana convention called Mechacon, (Primarily an Anime Con)
A group of their volunteers/game organizers started what they call a "Meta-Scenario". Combining both sessions of RPG, SW Minis & SW Space minis, the plot started back in the Old republic, and will continue through the most recent of books/comics. The plan is to take 8 years to play through the entire plot line. We are coming up on Season 6.
It has been one of their most successful yearly attractions, and most of us who play have returned for all the seasons. Making it very hard for newcomers to join. ;/
Huzzah for that! And just think, one day we may get to game together in Houston!I see that Moorluck is in the midst of an EPIC ONEDROW BLITZ!!!I have been posting a LOT as of late.
Make it so!
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For me my hatred of Lucas is the special hate you get when someone you respected and admired disappoints you horribly. I was pumped for Episode I, truly pumped. I walked out of it saying 'WTF?' Taking a franchise I loved and taking a giant CGI Muppet crap on it is unconciable. Indulging in Stalinist revisionism to shoehorn your nifty new ideas and CGI into your first three classic movies (and then making the originals unavailable) is just a douche maneuver.
Hmm. Kind of sounds like my hatred for WotC, now that I think of it :P. At least they wised up and decided to free the previous edition PDFs. Hopefully Disney will see fit to release the original trio in their original form.