Can you apply multiple templates to a single creature?

[Angry Wizard]

As an example, is there anything that would prevent me from putting 20 different templates on a goblin and loosing him upon the world, as long as all the templates are different and don't clash (like a celestial and fiendish template)?

Does the same also apply to mythic templates?

[DM_Blake]

Absolutely.

But they're not all compatible, such as your celestial/fiendish combo (but I think you could still do it - "mom was a devil, dad was an angel, I'm in therapy").

By incompatible, I mean that each template applies to one or more specific base creature Types. For example, the Half-Dragon template applies to "a living, corporeal creature". No problem, make it a half-dragon goblin. But that changes its creature Type to "Dragon". Now if you want apply Abomination to your half-dragon goblin, you'll notice that the Abomination template applies only to "any animal, vermin, or humanoid" and since your goblin is no longer a humanoid (he's a dragon), you now cannot apply this template. (However, you could apply them in the reverse order, so this is not a perfect example - maybe if I looked harder I could find two templates that never could be applied to the same creature at the same time in either order).

[What's in the box?]

^ Seconded... Totally ok to apply multiple templates.

There is a 3rd party system for Disgaea rules that allow you to apply the "Advanced" template multiple times onto the same creature in effect "Leveling Up" its difficulty. This is a strange exception but does give the feeling of fighting the same thing only -Advanced- which is kinda a cool method if that is something you want to play with.

[Bandw2]

the quickling dread zombie goblin then proceeded to murder all of existance, the end.

[GM Rednal]

I often stack templates. Advanced is just the basic buff for any enemy I actually want to be a challenge, and then there's another one or two to really set its theme. I could, for example, make a Fire-Infused Natural Werewolf. Or a Fortune-Blessed Force Creature. If I'm feeling particularly nasty, something could be Metal-clad as well, and given a Mythic Simple Template for added brutality. A wicked wizard might be possessed by each type of infernal outsider, all of them granting power and hoping to sway him to their side.

Of course, I do think it's important to have a solid theme in mind when stacking templates. Once you have an idea for what sort of strange being it is, I've found that the rest tends to follow naturally.

[ZZTRaider]

One important thing to note, though, is that stacking templates can quickly leave a creature with a CR that is far different than its actual abilities would normally warrant.

If you stack more than just one or two templates, your best bet is comparing the monster's final statistics to the ranges in the Bestiary for building custom monsters, and use that to adjust the actual CR.

[Angry Wizard]

Well we're doing a one shot mythic campaign, They're going to be playing level 20/tier 10 mythic characters (No summons) while I'm slapping together a Tarrasque with a many g+% d!*n templates as I can get onto it and we're going to see what happens. Good to know I can just put on all the mythic templates and then 20 others. Thanks you guys.

[GM Rednal]

Don't forget about the HP. A lot of templates don't improve the creature's HP (except maybe through CON increases) even while increasing its CR, so if you're not careful, it could end up with waaaaaay too little health for its supposed power level. ^^

[DM_Blake]

Angry Wizard wrote:

Well we're doing a one shot mythic campaign, They're going to be playing level 20/tier 10 mythic characters (No summons) while I'm slapping together a Tarrasque with a many g$+ d+#n templates as I can get onto it and we're going to see what happens. Good to know I can just put on all the mythic templates and then 20 others. Thanks you guys.

Ooooh, yeah baby! Now we're talkin!

Don't make me a vermin. Don't make me a vermin. Don't make me a vermin. Don't make me a vermin. Don't make me a vermin. Don't make me a vermin. Oooh, and don't make me a Fey, either. I know, when you really get down to it, it's same thing. Don't make me a vermin. Don't make me a Fey. Don't make me a vermin. Don't make me a Fey. Don't make me a vermin. Don't make me a Fey. Don't make me a vermin. Don't make me a Fey.

Ooooh, oooh, can I be a quickling Tarrasque? Oh pretty please?

[Kthulhu]

Take 1 standard goblin.

Apply every Advanced Bestiary template that will stack with the others.

Repeat with The Book of Monster Templates.

Repeat with templates from the SRD.

Repeat with Paizo-published templates.

Unleash this horrific monstrosity upon your players.

Upon being confronted with this bizarre and unique entity, they will undoubtedly attempt a Knowledge check.

Inform them it is a goblin.

Laugh evilly.

[kinevon]

Do NOT, absolutely NOT, apply the Undead template. That one just ruins a good monster.

Also, and I am sure this doesn't apply to the Tarrasque, be careful when applying certain templates on certain creatures.

The Young template is one of the prime culprits for having CR be way off. It is, nominally, a -1 CR. And I am sur eit works that way on many monsters, if they are Strength based. Apply it, however, to a monster that already uses Finesse and equivalent, and it usually increases the difficulty, not decreases it.

Imagine, if you will, a 3rd level Young Halfling Unchained Rogue. Maybe higher level, to get the Whip Mastery feats, so she still has the ability to attack from a different square. Size to AC, Dex to AC, Dex to hit, Dex to damage, size to Stealth.

[Milo v3]

I've done this previously.

[My Self]

Um...

1. Apply the Young template to a monk
2. Apply the Advanced template to monk
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 and watch as your monk simultaneously shrinks, de-ages out of existence, and becomes impossible to hit
4. Repeat steps 1-3 with a gunslinger for ultimate damage

[Kthulhu]

Milo v3 wrote:

I've done this previously.

I'm tempted to one-up you with the following:

Base Creature: Cthulhu (Great Old One)
Applied Templates: Paragon (3.5 SRD), Pseudonatural (3.5 SRD), Advanced (PF Bestiary), Eldritch (Advanced Bestiary), Eldritch Spawn (Book of Monster Templates)
Class Levels: 20 levels as a cleric of Nyarlathotep
Mythic Ranks: 10 tiers as hierophant
Automatic Bonus Progression rules from Pathfinder Unchained

...

Dreamscarred needs to create a Psionic Creature template.

[Milo v3]

Kthulhu wrote:

Milo v3 wrote:

I've done this previously.

I'm tempted to one-up you with the following:

Base Creature: Cthulhu (Great Old One)
Applied Templates: Paragon (3.5 SRD), Pseudonatural (3.5 SRD), Advanced (PF Bestiary), Eldritch (Advanced Bestiary), Eldritch Spawn (Book of Monster Templates)
Class Levels: 20 levels as a cleric of Nyarlathotep
Mythic Ranks: 10 tiers as hierophant
Automatic Bonus Progression rules from Pathfinder Unchained

Dreamscarred needs to create a Psionic Creature template.

That's barely any templates :P

As for a psionic template, here's the one I used for the apocalypse.

[Bandw2]

Milo v3 wrote:

I've done this previously.

fond of lizards, eh?

[Milo v3]

Bandw2 wrote:

Milo v3 wrote:

I've done this previously.

fond of lizards, eh?

More... fond of templates. I mean, at one stage I was thinking of doing an NPC Codex style Templated Codex full of pre-templated creatures for every template in PF.

[Bandw2]

i was referring to your avatars :P

[Milo v3]

Bandw2 wrote:

i was referring to your avatars :P

Hey, kobolds are dragon-kin not lizards! Our reptilian subtype is simply anti-draconian propaganda!!.... even we are ectothermic...