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Hey all, this is my first forum post. Do I get a medal?
I'm currently DMing a game, and while my group is just about to begin the Thrushmoor Terror, I have read the rest of the books in preparation to play them eventually. I designed a creature to replace the 2 flying polyps in area D8 of Neruzavin in What Grows Within, the 5th book of the AP. The area remains much the same, but I'll be removing the columns to allow for more movement. The floor will be covered in seeded corpses- both dead and undead- of past adventurers and creatures that have died in Neruzavin and were taken here to rot.
Anyways, the creature itself. I designed this partially to drive home the horror of Xhamen-Dor's infection (I'm not a fan of the Great Old One myself, so I figured a little horrific imagery couldn't hurt to make it scarier) and partially because I enjoy making custom monsters. The players will enter the chamber, and the see the naked, infected corpses within it writhing, copulating, and consuming each other in a big, gross mess.
The Great Ecstasy - CR 16
Seeded advanced unique corpse orgy
NE colossal undead (augmented)
Init +5; Senses perception +31, darkvision 60 ft., all-around vision, telepathy 100 ft. (other seeded creatures)
DEFENSE
AC 30 (-8 size, +1 dex, +27 natural, +1 dodge), touch 3, flat-footed 27
hp 247 (19d8+152), fast healing 5
Fort +15; Ref +9; Will +19
Defensive abilities: channel resistance +4; Immune: undead traits; Resist: cold 10, electricity 10; Weaknesses: transformed
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft., swim 40 ft.
Melee 4 slams +27 (2d8+20 plus grab and seedborne consumption, 19-20), 2 tentacles +22 (2d8+10 plus grab and seedborne consumption)
Ranged corpse throw +24 (2d6+30 plus carnage and seedborne consumption)
Space/reach 30 ft./30 ft.
Special Attacks: rapture, carnage, corpse hurl, absorb body, engulf (DC 39, 2d8+20), pleasured moan, death burst, entrapping tendrils, insidious mind
STATISTICS
STR 50 (+20) DEX 12 (+1) INT 18 (+4) WIS 20 (+5) CHA 24 (+7)
Base Atk +14 CMB +32 (+34 bull rush, +36 grapple) CMD 43 (45 vs bull rush, can’t be tripped)
Feats: Power Attack, Improved Initiative, Toughness, Dodge, Improved Bull Rush, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Weapon Focus (slam), Improved Natural Armor
Skills: perception +31, climb +50, stealth +15, intimidate +29, knowledge (nature, dungeoneering) +23, sense motive +27, swim +50
Languages Aklo, Common, Undercommon, Necril
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Hurl Corpse (EX)
The Great Ecstasy can pick up and throw the undead bodies that carpet the ground of its domain. This is a ranged attack (range increment 60 ft.) that adds 1 ½ its STR bonus to damage. Creatures hit by this attack are exposed to the Ecstasy’s carnage ability (see below) due to the explosion of flesh and guts from the impact.
Rapture (SU)
A creature starting its turn within 60 feet of the Great Ecstasy must make a DC 26 will save or be affected by an effect that compels them to approach the Ecstasy, strip off their armor and clothes when adjacent, and then embrace the creature, doing nothing else on their turn. Creatures receive a saving throw at the start of their turn to end the effect. If a creature succeeds on a saving throw against this ability, it is immune to it for 24 hours. The save DC is charisma-based. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect.
Carnage (EX)
A creature that begins its turn engulfed by the Great Ecstasy or takes a hit from a hurled corpse must make a DC 26 fortitude save or be sickened by the horrific experience. On a critical hit from a hurled corpse, the creature is nauseated rather than sickened. The save DC is charisma-based.
Pleasured Moan (SU)
Twice per day, as a standard action, the Great Ecstasy can emit a sonorous moan from the many naked and writhing bodies that make up its form. This moan deals 10d6 points of sonic damage to all creatures within a 40 ft. radius around the Great Ecstasy. Any creature that fails its saving throw is also shaken for 1d4 rounds by the disturbing noise. A creature can make a DC 26 will save to halve the damage and negate the shaken effect. This is a sonic, mind-affecting, fear effect. Creatures that cannot hear are immune to this ability.
Disease (SU)
Seedborne consumption: DC 26, onset 1 month, frequency 1/month, damage 1d2 charisma (can’t be cured while infected), cure: 3 consecutive saves
Absorb Body (SU)
Works as the normal corpse orgy ability (DC 26)
So, how does this look? Please point out any errors in the stat block if you notice them. Is this too weak or strong for a CR 16 monster? Are there any story-related or thematic problems that you can see? I had a lot of fun making this, and all constructive feedback will be appreciated.
Seems pretty sexual, make sure that your group is okay with that kind of thing. Also the Rapture ability brings up what kind of actions (like how many actions) are required to strip off your stuff.
Personally I like the flavor.
Mechanically I have no idea. With bad dice and a low will save the Rapture ability could be absolutely devastating.
Seems pretty sexual, make sure that your group is okay with that kind of thing. Also the Rapture ability brings up what kind of actions (like how many actions) are required to strip off your stuff.
Personally I like the flavor.
Mechanically I have no idea. With bad dice and a low will save the Rapture ability could be absolutely devastating.
Thanks for the feedback! I'm sure my group will take this just fine (although hopefully it'll gross the out just enough). Rapture is definitely deadly, but I compared it to other creatures at CR 16. Gallowdead's sicken/nausea aura, astradaemon's soul suck, shemhazian's paralysis gaze, etc. All the PCs in my group have good will save progression, so the save is a threat, but not as massive as it might otherwise be.
I'll edit the Rapture ability to be less of a hassle.
I think this is fantastic and would happily steal it, but the strength score is way too high. I'd raise the HD to the 20 and keep the STR to about 34. To hit and damage per CR should be calculated before power attack is factored in. The engulf DC is way too high, thanks to STR being so high.
the DCs for the other abilities work out high per CR, but low will save PCs will not have made it so far anyway.
I think this is fantastic and would happily steal it, but the strength score is way too high. I'd raise the HD to the 20 and keep the STR to about 34. To hit and damage per CR should be calculated before power attack is factored in. The engulf DC is way too high, thanks to STR being so high.
the DCs for the other abilities work out high per CR, but low will save PCs will not have made it so far anyway.
I did worry about the strength score being too high- it was the only way I could think of to balance that nasty -8 to hit from being colossal size. The saves on the other abilities are high, but the main bruiser in my players' party is a paladin. His saves will be absurd, and at this level, he will most likely be able to remove sickness and nausea via his mercies.
I could make the thing itself smaller to mitigate the size penalty to attacks, but I prefer to keep it as a huge mound of undulating corpses. I'll try to find good balance between to-hit and damage by adding hit dice and lowering STR. Thanks for your advice.Edit: Higher hit dice and lower charisma seems to be the way to go. More hp from sheer quantity of hit dice, but I can keep the save DC about the same due to lower charisma.
I did worry about the strength score being too high- it was the only way I could think of to balance that nasty -8 to hit from being colossal size. The saves on the other abilities are high, but the main bruiser in my players' party is a paladin. His saves will be absurd, and at this level, he will most likely be able to remove sickness and nausea via his mercies.
I wasn't worried about the save DCs in the mid/high 20s because my experience of Strange Aeons is everyone boosts saves (particularly Will) as high as possible. Pretty sure most of my group would have been failing on a 1, or at worst less than a 5.