New Monster - Timeless Sentinel

[dire_insomniac]

So I have been working on a concept for a new monster, but I am not sure about the clarity of the abilities and if the DC that I assigned is accurate.

I would like this creature to be reviewed and playtested and feedback provided.

Timeless Sentinels are purpose built to defend places of great power and ancient magics. There bodies are covered in arcane runes and runic carvings that glow when they absorb magical energies.

Timeless Sentinels tend to be built in pairs or groups and can vary in size depending on the site and what they are guarding.
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Timeless Sentinel CR 10
XP 9,600
Timeless sentinel
N Large construct (inevitable)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, see in darkness, see invisibility, tremorsense 120 ft.; Perception +11
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Defense
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AC 25, touch 11, flat-footed 23 (+1 Dex, +1 dodge, +14 natural, -1 size)
hp 170 (11d10+60)
Fort +13, Ref +9, Will +13
Defensive Abilities block attacks, constructed, fortification 50%; DR 10/—; Immune construct traits, death effects; Resist divine power 10; SR 20
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft., burst of speed, fly 40 ft. (good)
Melee 2 arms +18 (2d6+8), slam +18 (2d6+8)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks energy redirect, powerful charge
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Statistics
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Str 26, Dex 13, Con —, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 4
Base Atk +11; CMB +20; CMD 32
Feats Blind-fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flanking Foil[UC], Improved Blind-fight[APG], Lunge, Mobility, Multiattack
Skills Fly +3, Perception +11, Spellcraft +11
Languages truespeech
SQ incorporeal strike, powerful blows ()
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Special Abilities
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Block Attacks (1/round) (Ex) When hit by an attack, if you succeed with a melee attack at your highest bonus vs. the attack result, the attack misses.

Burst of Speed (Ex) Move twice base speed in a single move action every 1d4 rounds.

Energy Redirect (Ex) Any spell or spell-like ability that deals energy damage that overcomes the creature’s spell resistance, is instead absorbed, dealing no damage to the creature. The creature is then able to redirect the absorbed energy through an attack, in which the attack would do damage equal to the creatures attack plus the absorbed energy.

Incorporeal Strike (Ex) A Timeless Sentinel’s attacks are able to hit incorporeal creatures as if effected by the ghost-touch property.

Powerful Charge (Ex) Your charge attacks deal additional damage.

[SmiloDan]

First of all, awesome name! Very evocative.

The Energy Redirect ability is neat, but it seems to be kind of backwards. I can see it absorbing the energy it resists, but not the energy it fails to resist. Also, it might be a little vague in its description. Does it add the absorbed energy to its arm or slam attack, or does it grant the Timeless Sentinel the ability to use the energy attack, like shooting out fireballs and lightning bolts?

I also think it might be cool if it was resistant to slow and age and time-related magics, like rusting grasp and maybe disintegrate.

[dire_insomniac]

SmiloDan wrote:

First of all, awesome name! Very evocative.

The Energy Redirect ability is neat, but it seems to be kind of backwards. I can see it absorbing the energy it resists, but not the energy it fails to resist. Also, it might be a little vague in its description. Does it add the absorbed energy to its arm or slam attack, or does it grant the Timeless Sentinel the ability to use the energy attack, like shooting out fireballs and lightning bolts?

The idea behind the ability was that if a spell or spell-like ability managed to overcome the SR then the Sentinel would be able to redirect the intended dmg through one of it's own attacks.

For example, a character casts lightning bolt at the Timeless Sentinel and overcame its SR, normally a lightning bolt would deal x dmg. The Energy Redirect ability would allow the Sentinel to use the same energy and dmg of that spell in an attack of its own, and it could be any of its attacks. So the next attack of the Sentinel would deal whatever the normal dmg of its own attack plus the same amount of elemental damage that it absorbed.

[Amanuensis]

I don't get the concept, it seems to be a bit all over the place. You borrow abilities from different monsters (including angels and devils). What sets this creature apart from other constructs?

- While inevitables share traits with constructs, they are outsiders.
- Senses should be more focused. Why does it have see in darkness and tremorsense?
- Why does it have the ability to fly? I thought it was a guardian creature.
- Why does it have truespeech?
- Why can it hit incorporeal undead?
- I'm pretty sure 'arm' is not a standard attack (slam is).
- Why is it not mindless?

I think you would benefit from narrowing down your concept and then coming up with a more focused set of abilities. It can also be helpful to take a look at similar existing creatures (graven guardian, calikang), especially when trying to figure out how to write new special abilities. When creating new special abilities, make sure to include what kind of action it requires to use the ability (unless it is a passive ability of course).

[dire_insomniac]

Amanuensis wrote:

I don't get the concept, it seems to be a bit all over the place. You borrow abilities from different monsters (including angels and devils). What sets this creature apart from other constructs?

- While inevitables share traits with constructs, they are outsiders.
- Senses should be more focused. Why does it have see in darkness and tremorsense?
- Why does it have the ability to fly? I thought it was a guardian creature.
- Why does it have truespeech?
- Why can it hit incorporeal undead?
- I'm pretty sure 'arm' is not a standard attack (slam is).
- Why is it not mindless?

I think you would benefit from narrowing down your concept and then coming up with a more focused set of abilities. It can also be helpful to take a look at similar existing creatures (graven guardian, calikang), especially when trying to figure out how to write new special abilities. When creating new special abilities, make sure to include what kind of action it requires to use the ability (unless it is a passive ability of course).

The creature, a mentioned in its description, is designed to protect sites of great power or ancient magics (like ley lines and artifacts), but its not always that they would be defending the site from intruders, but they could be protecting the world from what's inside that might try to escape (like powerful evil spellcasters, liches, or something more ancient).

So I gave it abilities that would allow it to handle both aspects of it's potential programming.

Truespeech?
All Inevitables have truespeech, and by assigning the Sentinel that subtype, it's automatically granted.

But the idea behind it is so that it can understand and communicate with anyone trying to gain entrance to a site under its protection, and discern their reasons for being there.

Flight?
In the case of a assault on a site under their protection, they would need to be able to reach any potential enemy, which could include creatures with natural flight or spellcasters.

Able to hit incorporeal undead?
This ability was inspired by a campaign specific reason, part of the reason I created them, which was to keep something contained and prevent them from escaping into the Material Plane.