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I am interested in your favorite or go-to combinations of creatures and templates, or your applications of templates (in general). There doesn't have to be any theme, or even an increase in effectiveness/power.
I have found that templates offer a fun way to make things more interesting from the ground up. The Challenge Rating is hardly accurate for players that don't suck at this game... a well-built, or even halfway optimized party constantly demands APL+2/+3... and this outpaces a lot of potential encounters, and makes a lot of things irrelevant very quickly. Adding templates to certain things offers a way to keep things relevant in [somewhat] unexpected ways.
I have probably wasted entirely way too much time applying class levels to random creatures, and templates have proven to be a much easier/faster alternative. Now I even have templates that I will not play certain things without...
Like Faerie Dragons, for example, all get the Sorcerer Creature template. "A faerie dragon casts spells as a 3rd-level sorcerer." So it makes sense to give them [Faerie Dragons] access to actual Bloodline Arcana, four 1st-level spells (DC~16), seven 0-level spells (DC~15), and a Bloodline ability usable 8/day (DC~16). More than anything, it is a fun way to add some flavor.
I apply the Mutant template to all Wolverines, and use them as a way to kind of test the party. Lol. I usually put these Mutant Wolverines in places that the party always has an easy way to just leave without attacking it by forced circumstance. These things are freaking ridiculous for just a CR3 (with the template)... they have DR 5/-, fast healing 5, natural weapons that count as Adamantine, as well as Rage that activates upon taking damage and lasts "until either it or its opponent is dead." Should have just left it alone...
I have others, like applying the Aerial Creature template to a Leech Swarm (not my idea, I stole it from these forums), but this is the part where I ask you to share your favorite template creations. Again, there doesn't have to be a theme or be especially powerful (although those are welcome, too). The more you share, the richer we all become. We can all benefit from learning new and creative ways to keep things relevant/interesting to encounter.
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Adding the Haunted Construct template to the Marrowstone Golem is pretty awesome... the template's Unholy Beacon goes very well with the Marrowstone Golem's Necrotic Field and Create Spawn.
Applying the Lich template to the Soulbound Shell is very fitting, as creating a Soulbound Shell requires the death of a willing spellcaster of at least 12th level... appropriately, it takes a Caster Level of 11, or higher, to create a phylactery/to become a Lich. Speaking of phylacteries, the Soulbound Shell already has a Soul Focus gem... it makes sense, even if it isn't "legal", or whatever, to apply the Lich template to a Construct (even if it has a soul).
The Fiend-Infused Golem template on a Cutlass Spider is another good one, especially if said Fiend-Infused Cutlass Spider infuses a sentient magic weapon into itself...
Stone Golems made from Irespan Basalt are also pretty decent with the Fiend-Infused Golem template.
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Goblin PCs all gain the Mutant Goblin template, with the following exceptions:
They can only gain the Extra Arm mutation once.
They cannot gain any mutation that isn't already detailed how it works, so the theoretical alternative options are not allowed.
Instead of Str +4 and Int -2, the goblin chooses a physical ability score to give a +4, and a mental ability score to give a -2.
The following are extra mutations (since at 20th level, they will be missing 2 mutations, due to only having so many options, with all of them being selectable only once):
Rugged (Ex): The goblin gains DR 1/-. If it has 5 Hit Dice or more, this increases to DR 2/-. If the creature has 10 HD or more, this increases to DR 5/-.
True Extra Arm (Ex): The extra arm from the extra arm mutation no longer functions as a vestigial arm, but as a natural arm. If the goblin has the two-weapon fighting feat, they can replace it with the multiweapon fighting feat, and if they have the two-weapon defense feat, they can replace it with the multiweapon defense feat. This mutation can only be selected if the extra arm mutation has been selected.
All of this is because they are about a -1 to CR compared to normal PCs, so it balances out.
This is neat. I hadn't ever looked at that particular template before. That would be a lot of fun to have available as a player.
I have never seen Goblins as weak, though, so this just makes them that much stronger. Goblins weren't screwed nearly as bad as Kobolds, and they [Goblins] rather excel at most of the available dex-to-damage options... of which, there are several.
Anyways, I will have to take a look at my Goblin characters to see if any are a good fit for the Mutant Goblin template. Thank you for showing that to me.
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I have used the Negative-Energy Charged Creature applied to intelligent undead and it was particularly devastating...
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I have used the Negative-Energy Charged Creature applied to intelligent undead and it was particularly devastating...
Holy crap. That's no joke... but, at the same time, the ridiculous defenses provided by that template probably only save your average enemy once, maybe twice, from being put down for good. Just helps from being nuked by Channel Energy like typical Undead cannon fodder.
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Something that I have found particularly devastating is applying both the Implacable Stalker and the Nightmare Lord templates to a Bogeyman. I advanced the Bogeyman to 25HD, because one of its abilities requires targets to be at leaat 5 lower HD than itself and 20 is going to be max HD for most PC's. Very scary. Lots of fun.
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@Reksew_Trebla, that Mutant Goblin template on a Feral Gnasher is just brilliantly brutal! The Feral Gnasher is all about using a bite attack, and now it can be poisonous... doing a Wyvern's 1D4 Con damage, requiring two saves is legit AF. Breath Weapon with a Con-based DC on a Barbarian is also very cool. I am loving this. Thanks, again.
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Yes, a PC is going to have a tough time as a Goblin, and better have both a good roleplaying game, as well as a solid backstory (why this Goblin character exists, and why they are here, etc). Goblin is not just a block of stats sort of race one can choose all willy-nilly.
But that Feral Gnasher, though... even with a 20pt buy, a wee Goblin can afford to start with a 19,13,15,6,14,6 (w/ racials & template)... by level 10 their Venomous Bite is doing 1D8/×3+poison (DC 18+), said bite has the grab ability with a scaling bonus to size you can grab, they don't gain the grappled condition/can move with you in their mouth when using their bite's grab ability, the Raging Grappler Rage Power can make it so they could knock you prone as a free action, the template can also give them claws with grab to further play off Raging Grappler knocking people prone, they can have Pounce... AND THEY HAVE A FREAKING BREATH WEAPON usable every 1D4 rounds that deals 10D6 acid damage in a 30-ft line (DC 18+ for half). What a little monster. Lol.
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I applied the Commando Construct template to a mythic Annihilator Robot from Legendary's Games Mythic Monster Manuel, which worked out as a CR22.
There were 5 19th level Mythic tier 3 PCs and as it was the first encounter of the day it should have been a walkover/resource drain.
With the special attacks from Commando Construct of Brutal Attacks, Extra Attack and Retaliatory Strike by the end of the 2nd round the party was in deep trouble with the cleric reduced to a -150hp or so red mist from multiple chain gun criticals and the fighter down to about 40hp. I had to tome it down to avoid a smart characters teleporting away never to return/TPK.
I have also applied Implacable Stalker and the Nightmare Lord to a Bogeyman.
The most feared/memorial villain I ever did was a awakened, agile (mythic) vampire cat witch 13. Of course it had a cat familiar which was one of its descendants and physically identical.
Also remember for negative energy charged creature, Advanced Bestiary has a 6th level spell that gives it out...
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...There were 5 19th level Mythic tier 3 PCs......the cleric reduced to a -150hp or so red mist from multiple chain gun criticals...
This made me smile, probably way too much.
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The Advanced Bestiary was my single favorite 3.5 book, and the Pathfinder version ranks nearly as high. I've used quite a few of its templates in my PF games.
One of my favorites was a homebrew variant of the demon-possessed template that was adapted for baregaras. Putting that on a "high girallon" with class levels made for one of the most memorable battles I've ever GMed: the PCs had to take down a tough solo brute boss first, then immediately deal with the fiend inside it while seriously wounded and running low on spells.
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I don't have a fave template right now. Fact is, I'm kind of a curmudgeon on these boards. Until recently I pretty rigidly stuck to the CR guidelines designing fights and only used the Simple templates b/c those were all I understood. My reality though is that my players have advanced their system mastery far beyond these minor tweaks.
For creativity-challenged GMs like myself its nice to get threads like this that help make those connections on synergies provided by templates aligning to monsters. I hope this thread keeps going and I appreciate everyone's contributions so far!
I tried to stick to the CR guidelines, I really did. But as a GM, I was being outclassed. The difficult terrain and by-the-book traps and all the strategy/tactics I could possibly plan, simply weren't enough to keep CR-appropriate encounters interesting for the party. I was CONSTANTLY adjusting to APL +2/+3... which means the base CR system is not accurate [for these players].
But there were enemies I actually WANTED to use. There were encounters in the AP I was running, where it wouldn't make sense it greatly increase the number of enemies, and the enemies that ARE there are SUPPOSED to mean something... part of the story, and intended to be difficult. I didn't want to have to rewrite the entire encounter, but I actually enjoy building/modifying characters/monsters... so templates became a way to make ordinary monsters bring something unexpected to the table.
Sure, you may have fought Ceratioidi before... but have you fought Ceratioidi with the Wizard-creature template before? I give all Ceratioidi the Wizard-creature template, and all their Familiars get the Parasite Familiar archetype. The male Ceratioidi are little eel parasites that attach to the females' spine, and form a weird symbiotic relationship with their host female. It makes further sense, because Ceratioidi have a glowing appendage on their face like an anglerfish, and I give them the Illusion School for its Blinding Ray ability. Now this aforementioned glowing orb can act as a lure to make everyone within 20ft fascinated, or shoot a ray that makes one person blind.
And, honestly, the party still stomps all over them... but it was more interesting, after the fight there was whispers around the table, "I don't remember them doing THAT."
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Back to the Mutant Goblins... it honestly blows my mind that it's a Paizo template... they can start with an acidic Breath Weapon, and a Venomous Bite... thus qualifying for the Noxious Bite feat!!!
So you have a primary bite attack that does 1D4 + 1 acid + poison + nauseated... wyvern poison does 1D4 Con damage, and requires 2 saves... the poison and the nauseated condition each have their own saving throw, so saving against one in no way guarantees success against the other... all the saving throws for the Breath Weapon, poison, and nauseated condition are Con-based (perfect for a Feral Gnasher Barbarian).
Breath Weapon (Su) The goblin can spew a line of foul acidic blood from its mouth (20-foot line, Reflex DC = 10 + 1/2 Hit Die + its Constitution modifier for half damage, 1d4 points of acid damage per HD, usable every 1d4 rounds). If it has 5 or more HD, the range increases to 30 feet and the damage increases to 1d6 points of acid damage per HD.
Venomous Bite (Ex) The mutant goblin grows large fangs, gaining a poisonous bite as a natural attack that deals damage appropriate to its size. The poison functions like wyvern poison*, except its DC is 10 + 1/2 HD + its Constitution modifier.
*Poison (Ex)
Sting—injury; save DC 17; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Constitution damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution-based. [Copied from Wyvern]
Noxious Bite
Source Dragons Revisited pg. 9
Your acid-dripping breath causes those you bite to become ill.
Prerequisites: Acidic breath weapon, bite attack.
Benefit: Your bite attack deals 1 point of acid damage in addition to its normal damage. Living creatures you bite must make a Fort save (DC equal to your breath weapon's DC) or be nauseated for a number of rounds equal to 1 + your Constitution modifier (minimum 1 round).
And, just a reminder... "Nauseated creatures are unable to attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or do anything else requiring attention. The only action such a character can take is a single move action per turn."
I am having a lot of fun adding this Mutant Goblin template to me Feral Gnasher Barbarian... it just keeps getting better and better. Since the template ALSO allows claws with grab, I'm thinking about skipping Pounce [Beast Totem] in favor of Swallow Whole [Tyrant Totem]... I know Goblins are little, and thus cannot eat big things but d@mmit there is something hilarious about a Goblin with the Swallow Whole ability. Lol.
We mustn't forget about THIS to go with his 6 Intelligence:
Letter Fury (Goblin)
You go wild when someone tries to steal the words from your head.
Prerequisite: Goblin, rage class feature.
Benefit: If someone reads or writes in your presence (including casting spells like glyph of warding or symbol) you can, as an immediate action, choose to activate your rage class ability for 1 round. This round of rage does not count toward the total number of rounds which you can rage each day, but if you wish to continue your rage beyond that single round you must expend rounds from your daily rage allotment as normal. Once you use this feat you must wait at least 1 minute after you cease raging before you can use it again.
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The couple that pop to mind were both modified swarms, the first a skeletal rat swarm (to model every rodent, lizard, frog etc skeleton being animated by a place of "bad mojo"). The second fiendish spider and wasp swarms. The addition of even a little fire resist to a swarm can make them much trickier to fight.
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Umm... Drider? Yes please!
It comes as no surprise to anyone that has seen me on these boards, I love using Mites as my go-to horde type. Unlike goblins or kobolds I don't need to justify huge lairs containing hundreds per lair being close to civilization, they are physically weak but have lots of fun skills and Prestidigitation at will, and best of all they can command ANY Vermin they can manage to tame and train through Vermin Empathy.
With all that focus on vermin, why not make mite-driders? Using the variant rules at the bottom of the page I'm linking to, you could make drider types for mites with spiders, beetles, giant ticks, centipedes and so on. Obviously you wouldn't have an entire "tribe" of driders, but maybe one or two elite types guarding the lair.
The fact that Mites start with a 13 Wis, get a +6 from the template, then the driders could also pick up the spellcasting of a level 6 Cleric? Are you KIDDING me? Instead of the standard Mite ability to cast Doom 1/day, how about Visions of H E double hockey sticks 3/day with a DC 17 Will save on it?
Yeah, this feels right...
Drider Mites are epic. Thank you for this. I love all of it.
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Speaking of Driders... adding any of the cleric, sorcerer, or wizard simple class templates can really round out the Driders' innate spellcasting. And it offers you ample opportunity to fine-tune each Drider for flavor and/or effectiveness.
Just like adding the Sorcerer simple class template really helps the Faerie Dragon... the Druid simple class template is a natural fit for a Nymph. She gets Wild Shape as a 5th-level Druid, and Woodland Stride to go with the Wild Empathy she already had. This aforementioned Druid Creature Nymph can select anything from the Summon Nature's Ally IV list as a quasi Animal Companion... our Nymph will select the Satyr. The Satyr is also a Fey, so it makes sense. And the Satyr is intelligent enough to receive the Nymph's Inspiration. Just a Nymph and a Satyr palling around together, like it's the most natural thing in the world. Great combination of creature and template, me-thinks.
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What a fun way to make mutants... I was unaware, so thank you. The new choices offered by the Spellscar Fever table are nice. I like having options...
Living with Spellscar Fever for a week without dying could be a rite of passage, and the mutation(s) gained are a sign of maturity within the community... a whole tribe of whatever you want, all of them with the Mutant or Manna Waste Mutant template.
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Man, I had been meaning to actually do the work on adding those simple class templates to the Drider for quite some time now... and having just completed the Cleric version, I don't know how or why I ever ran these creatures without these templates.
Their innate spellcasting is that of a "6th-level cleric, sorcerer, or wizard"... and you still have all that, separate from the handful of spells the template provides. The template boosts your Wisdom up +4, which gives you bonus spells per day in all your available spell levels. By my calculations, this gives our Drider Cleric Creature 4(DC 18) 3rd-level spells, 6(DC 17) 2nd-level spells, 7(DC 16) 1st-level spells, and 4 orisons. I doubt a CR 9 (with template) creature will survive long enough to cast even half of their available spells. Lol. But the save DC's are right on the money for a CR9 creature, so everything seems to check out.
She also can Channel Negative Energy 6/day (DC 16, 4D6) to make her a little more like a "real" Cleric.
I do find it funny that they say Driders cast as Clerics, then fill their list of "Sorcerer Spells Known" with a bunch of spells Clerics don't have access to. They could have at least chosen spells that are on both the Cleric list and Sorcerer/Wizard list, or at least spells available to specific Cleric Domains... from what I see, though, they have spells listed that Clerics just can't get, and that is funny to me. Or, provided examples of Driders with Cleric Spells Prepared...
So would it be fair to say that templates have unlimited 'stacking' potential- unlike class archetypes- when put together since there might not be any explicit limits written out to put upon the templates themselves?
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So would it be fair to say that templates have unlimited 'stacking' potential- unlike class archetypes- when put together since there might not be any explicit limits written out to put upon the templates themselves?
For the most part, yes.
Some templates may change one's type [or alignment], thus making them not qualify for another... but other than that, stack away.
I do try not add more than two templates, though. In fact, the Implacable Stalker Nightmare Lord Boogieman might be my only creation using two templates... it is not something I do often. One is usually enough for a simple rewrite, boost to Challenge Rating, or add some flavor. If I need more than that, I am adding class levels to monsters or making entirely new custom monsters.