I'm running a game and I was looking to design some baddies designed as magical construct shock troops for an opposing kingdom, and my mind hopped into my wayback machine to FFIX with its black mages. I liked the idea of empty dolls being used as offensive support for a warring kingdom, capable of taking down a decent amount of normal soliders before going down, specialized in elemental blasts. I'm not quite sure if I should build them simply as Constructs + Sorc or Magus levels with tons of blasts known, or as a construct with many SLAs that equate to the blasts.
For reference: http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Black_Mage_(Final_Fantasy_IX)
Specifically I'm looking to make 7 different types:
Shock Troops:
Type A Mass Produced, no free will/mindless:
Type B Mass produced, no free will/mindless:
Type C Mass produced, no free will/mindless:
Unique Variants (Black Waltzes from the game)
Combat Prototype A, has free will, much stronger variant than the above 3,
Combat Prototype B, has free will, stronger variant than the above 4, Flight
Combat Prototype C, has free will, strongest variant, flight slightly unstable.
First prototype, NPC, has free-will, will gain levels (Vivi-type).
The party I'm GMing the homebrew for is level 3 right now, so I'm looking to build foes in the CR2-CR4 range for the Mass produced, and maybe 5-9 for the Combat Prototypes. The Mass-produced will be more blast-focused whereas the Uniques will hopefully also be capable of melee combat. I'm going to try and have the Uniques harry the party now and then.
I really liked the Black Mages in FF9, and I'm also debating having a community of free-willed Mass-Produced variants, since i like how that story developped as well.
I find this hilarious, since my current DM is running Vivi as an NPC in one of my campaigns.
In any case, I would say check out some demons for inspiration. One example is the Venedaemon
BTW the race builder is always a great resources for this type of thing. While they dont give pointers on how to arrange the CR, it's always fun.
I'll be back in 15 minutes, after I have the chance to try to build something like a "contruct" venedaemon.
Edit: I'd make the "mass produced" ones full constructs, the "free will" one Half-constructs (since they have minds, they should obviously no be immune to mind effecting effects).
Ok, here's a start. I didnt play FFIX, But I want to try anyway based on your description. In this case, evocation is our friend. I'll also note I built these guys as monsters, the other's I'll build like PCs.
Mass–produced:
This is the basic race stuff:
Construct (20 RP)
Pyromaniac trait (3 rp)
(Modify trait for other types of attacks, like ice or electricity)
Following, here’s a small sorcerer build to give them power:
Models:
A: Ice
B: Acid
C: Fire
D: Electricity
They should all have at least the elemental spell feat (to allow all their spells to match their given element)
Give them levels in sorcerer and give them basic element appropriate spells
Level 0: Ray of frost (A), acid splash (B), Flare (C) Spark (D)
Level 1: Magic missile (modified for energy damage depending on model)
Level 2: Scorching ray (also modified)
Stats:
Str: 7
Dex: (12-16, depending on how agile you think they should be)
Con: -
Int: 3 (so they can learn feats/have skills)
Wis: 10
Cha: 13 (For the sorcerer levels)
Ok, here's the basic "sentient construct" build (it's fairly high)
Sentient Dark mages:
Stats: -2 int (not built for intelligence), +2 con (construct, so high body resistance) +2 cha (very intense creatures, if not likeable) (Normal stats, 0 rp)
Half construct (7RP)
Darkvision (60 feet) (2 rp)
Low-Light vision (1 rp)
Dual minded (2rp)
Breath weapon + increased range (2 rp) (1d6 elemental damage of your choice)
Skeletal damage resistance (2 rp) (since they got no flesh!)
Unatural (2 rp) : Gives you -4 in cha with animals, +4 to AC against them. Would fit well with the flavor.
Total: 16 rp build
I think this could fit. You just need to modify the breath weapon to their respective energy type, and voila! Although I could move things around to favor melee combat. -2 wisdom could work as well. I know there's a third party "sorcerer-magus" build out there, might be worth checking out as a class.
You could use lantern archons for the low level guys. Make them look different, but aura of menace and a ranged untyped blast attack? Sounds good to me.
Wow, quick replies! Thanks so much williamoak, you've given me a TON to go on, I really like the Venedaemon as a baseline to establish how to build these guys up. I'll likely lower the stats for the mass-produced ones and use more blasty spells (but changing element type), but it's a great place to start :)
For the sentient ones, I'll likely keep them highly-resistant or immune to most mind-affecting spells, but I like the race you've proposed (most of the attributes fit!). I'm debating whether or not to keep them as constructs, however, since they are built completely from scratch. Since I'm running a 2-player game, I feel a little less worried about having these guys scrap with the PCs by itself (or with only one minion) since it won't get crushed in action economy compared to a party of 6.
I'll post what I end up coming up with as soon as it's done, I'm sure I'll have lots of room for improvement (I like preparing stuff like this, just skittish on hopping on the forums).
Sentient Dark mages:
Size: Small (0rp)
Stats: +2 int(focused minds), -2 wis (poor sense of reality), +2 Con (surprisingly hearty) (Standard= 0RP)
Half construct (7RP)
Darkvision (60 feet) (2 rp)
Iron will (Static Bonus Feat 2rp)
Great fortitude (Static Bonus Feat 2rp)
Elemental Affinity (1rp)
Total: 14 rp build
I would then simply build them all as cross-blooded sorcerers with Sage and Elemental bloodlines. They really only seemed to have elemental attack spells so they wont notice the loss of spell diversity
Sentient Dark mages:
Size: Small (0rp)
Stats: +2 int(focused minds), -2 wis (poor sense of reality), +2 Con (surprisingly hearty) (Standard= 0RP)
Half construct (7RP)
Darkvision (60 feet) (2 rp)
Iron will (Static Bonus Feat 2rp)
Great fortitude (Static Bonus Feat 2rp)
Elemental Affinity (1rp)
Total: 14 rp build
I would then simply build them all as cross-blooded sorcerers with Sage and Elemental bloodlines. They really only seemed to have elemental attack spells so they wont notice the loss of spell diversity
Shiny, I like it! I'm still looking into true constructs as a race to use, but I agree totally on the sorc levels. My issue with keeping them as constructs and topping them with sorcerer levels was really the d6 with no chance of boosting HP through other means. I noticed for the Venedaemon that they had equivalent spellcasting to an equal level sorcerer (by HD) which is a trait I liked and that I applied to the Black Waltz below.
I was thinking for the mass produced black mages, giving them a simple DR 5/magic, then for the 3 Unique Variants, DR 5/magic and silver, DR/10 magic and silver and finally DR 10/magic and adamantine to reflect their much tougher construction. I'd make the mass produced mages level 4,5 and 6 casters respectively, scaling their HD and saves accordingly. To keep them useful once they're out of blasts for the day (in the context of using them in a war, they need more than 10 rounds usefulness), modding the lantern archon rays as suggested above seemed decent.
Black Waltz III:
Black Waltz III
NE Medium construct
Init +7; Senses arcane sight, darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +14
DEFENSE
AC 25, touch 17, flat-footed 22 (+3 Dex, +4 natural,+4 mage armor, +4 shield)
hp 81 (11d10+20)
Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +6
DR 10/magic and adamantine; Immune construct traits
Resist cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10, acid 10; SR 16
5th (5/day)—Blasty things
4th (7/day)— Blasty things
3rd (7/day)— Blasty things
2nd (2/day)— Blasty things
1st (8/day)— Blasty things mage armor, shield
0th (at will)—arcane mark, detect magic, light, mage hand, message,prestidigitation, ray of frost, read magic, resistance
STATISTICS
Str 16, Dex 16, Con -, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 22
Base Atk +11; CMB +6; CMD 18
Feats Combat Casting, Eschew MaterialsB, Improved Initiative, Not sure what else
Elemental Versatility (Su): When Black Waltz III casts an evocation spell that does cold, electricity, or fire damage, it may change the damage dealt to one of the other two energy types. This changes the descriptor of the spell to match the new energy type. Any non-damaging effects remain unchanged unless the new energy type invalidates them (an ice storm that deals fire damage might still provide a penalty on Perception checks due to smoke, but it would not create difficult terrain).
Elemental Pride: When the The Black Waltz III is targeted with an evocation spell that does cold, electricity, or fire damage, it will attempt to retaliate using a spell of the same energy type. If possible, the Black Waltz III will attempt to cast either its highest level spell of that damage type or an empowered spell of the same damage type as that which struck it.
Elemental Fury (Su): Upon being reduced to 20 hp or less, Black Waltz III will summon its remaining arcane energies to itself, activating an effect similar to the detonate spell as an immediate action, before attempting to enter melee with his nearest opponent.
Some elements I took from the in-game Black Waltzes was their hubris (THIS is how you cast a Thunder spell!) and their singlemindedness. Since, as you posted before, they don't really need a huge spell list, I wanted to give them some flexibility with the different spells. Though I think in my head they just end up with every conceivable shape of blast in all 3 elements. I like the unnatural aura suggested before, and I'd love to have scaling auras of menace/fear/something for the unique variants, but I'm not quite sure how to organize it all.
A worry of mine is, unless I give them some kind of unique or different flavor, they're really just reskinned dragons that are squishier and dumber.
I also looked into the Lifespark construct , which seemed like it opened up mind-affecting things for the sentient, as well as gave it some flavor.
This is really rough, so please critique till it falls to pieces!
Soit's been awhile since this one was touched. But I made a black mage race AND a black waltz race. You may allow PCs to be variant black mages (i.e. vivi) but the black waltz is a boss race through and through.
These are the names out ouf the ARG. Consult them if needed.
