Yes, I really do want to include incarnum stuff on this one. I have the book, and can outline the concepts, including listing feats from that book here in the creature description. Some special qualities will be able to utilize essentia, but no soulmelds (only feats/abilities).
Still not sure about the antlers making a gore - they are strangely shaped, and the bipedal version shouldn't really be focusing too much on hitting things with its head. They should really be more for show, maybe a little intimidation factor... The Equinal Guardinal from Book of Exalted Deeds is looking like a basis, as well as pulling concepts from the Sivatherium writeup on ENWorld.
Anything with the statistic entry title in bold is done to the best of my knowledge, and I am utilizing some cleaner/clearer info from Rabbit's posting than my longer, more drawn out, or less definitive posting from the Dimorphinal writeup. It is quite possible that I will go back with this new info and update that one.
Sivanal, Dinopriminal Large Outsider (Dinopriminal, Native/Extraplanar, Good, Incarnum) Hit Dice: 17d8+85 (153 hp) Initiative: +6 Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares) Armor Class: 21 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +10 natural); touch 11; flat-footed 19 (*+1 insight per point of essentia invested - see Soulbound Protection below) Base Attack/Grapple: +16/+20 Attack: Hoof slam or kick +23 (1d8+12), or gore +18 (1d6+4) Full Attack: 2 hoof slams or kicks +23 (1d8+12), or gore +18 (1d6+4) Special Attacks: Powerful hoof attack, spell-like abilities, crippling trample (2d8+24 - 2 hooves) Special Qualities: Damage reduction 6/evil or silver, darkvision 60 ft., dinopriminal subtype, essentia pool 7, immunity to electricity and petrification, lay on hands, low-light vision, resistance to acid 8/cold 5/fire 5/sonic 8, soulbound protection, speak with animals, spell resistance 18, tongues Saves: Fort +15, Ref +12**, Will +13+1 (**+1/point of essentia invested - see Cobalt Reflexes below; +1 from open crown chakra) Abilities: Str 26, Dex 15, Con 21, Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 13 Skills: (200, max 20/10) Feats: Alertness , Cobalt Reflexes*, Improved Initiative, Improved Overrun, Improved Unarmed Strike [b], Open Least Chakra (Crown)*, Power Attack, Run [b]Environment: Beastlands of Nym/Omarka, or any good-aligned plane Organization: Solitary, or herd (3-8) Challenge Rating: Treasure: No coins; double goods; standard items Alignment: Always good (any), usually neutral good Advancement: 18-28 HD (Large), 29-34 HD (Huge) Level Adjustment: +a lot
Descr
Body
Combat Powerful Hoof Attack (Ex): A sivatherium applies 1-1/2 times its Str modifier to damage rolls with its hooves.
Spell-like Abilities (Sp): at will - aid, commune, continual flame, detect evil, detect magic, dispel magic, remove curse, remove disease, remove fear; 3/day - command, dimensional anchor, flame strike, light; 1/day - dimension door, lesser restoration, see invisibility, slow, waves of fatigue. Caster level 15th. The save DCs are Wis-based.
Crippling Trample (Ex): A Sivanal's trample attack is a gruesome use of its hooves, speed, and mass that deals double a typical slam damage result on a charge using double the creature's speed. Trampled opponents may make attacks of opportunity against a trampling Sivanal at a -4 penalty if they do save against the attack. A Reflex save DC 26 halves damage. The save DC is Strength-based (10+1/2 HD+Str bonus). The Sivanal may make this attack action while charging on two feet or on all fours, and the damage and effects remain the same.
Essentia Pool (Ex): A Sivanal has an essentia pool of 6+1 (6 racial, and 1 for the Incarnum Feat, Cobalt Reflexes). The creature can use this pool of spiritual energies to affect its AC, Reflex saving throws, and other actions as listed in the abilities and feats described here (Soulbound Protection, Cobalt Reflexes).
Lay on Hands (Su): As the paladin class feature, except that each day a Sivanal can heal an amount of damage equal to its full normal hit points (153 for the average Sivanal). If performed on animals only, the damage healed equals 1-½ times the raptorinal's full normal hit points.
Soulbound Protection (Su) - basic effect unarmed attacks cause additional 1d4 electricity damage to aberrations, undead, evil creatures, and outsiders with the evil subtype = +1 on all saves against spells/SLAs, soulmelds, incarnum effects, and any effect that targets incarnum (ie, Incarnum Dragon's Consume Soulmeld) for every 2 points of essentia invested to good- and neutral-aligned creatures within a 15 ft./point of essentia radius (including self, Will save DC 16 negates - harmless); bound to crown chakra - basic effect unarmed attacks cause additional 2d4 electricity damage to aberrations, undead, evil/outsiders, and antler/gore attacks also do additional 1d4 cold damage = +1 per 1 point of essentia as above (same range/radius), plus +1 per point insight bonus to personal AC
Speak with Animals (Su): Dinopriminals can mentally communicate with animals as a free action. This ability acts like the spell speak with animals as cast by an 8th level druid, but requires no sound.
Tongues (Su): Sivanals can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell as cast by a 14th-level cleric.
Racial Bonus to Skills & Feats: A Sivanal receives a +2 bonus to Charisma-related checks including Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Charisma ability checks (but not Bluff) with any creature that perceives the Sivanal's spiritual power - the incarnum energies and the effects they create - or any use of its incarnum-related abilities. Simply seeing the Sivanal and its signs exhibited by a Crown Chakra-bound Soulbound Protection effect is enough to put this bonus into effect. This is not an aura effect, and only affects Cha-based checks made to influence others who can see, feel, and otherwise sense with their ordinary senses the experiential byproducts of the Sivanal's spiritual energy manifestations. Any creature who is blind, numb, or otherwise incapable of experiencing these effects for themselves, or who lacks an Intelligence or Wisdom score is not affected by this bonus to skill checks and Cha-based ability checks. This bonus increases to +4 when Soulbound Protection is bound to its Crown Chakra. They also receive a racial bonus of +2 to Handle Animal, Heal, and Survival checks. Bonus feats include Alertness and Improved Unarmed Strike.
Description on Incarnum-related Feats and Abilities: "Incarnum is an amorphous magical substance made up of the soul energies of all sentient creatures - living, dead, and, it is theorized, those even not yet born."
Sivanals have access to the powers of incarnum energy through their feats (some chosen from Magic of Incarnum) and racial abilities. They enact these ability effects through the use of daily-allotted points of 'essentia' which give them access to their own spiritual energies as a supernatural power source. They can invest these points of power into their supernatural, essentia-using racial traits (such as Soulbound Protection), as well as their Incarnum feat, Cobalt Reflexes. Creatures and characters with class levels in standard classes from Magic of Incarnum often shape this energy into 'soulmelds', and are referred to as 'meldshapers'.
"Essentia is a [creature's] personal store of incarnum. Most [beings] can't access this pool of energy, though certain classes and feats open up this potential. Essentia can be invested into [incarnum effects and abilities] in order to enhance their effects. Essentia can be reinvested each round to augment soulmelds and other effects as the meldshaper wishes."
"Once shaped (a daily process much like prepping spells), a [soulmeld or other incarnum effect] lasts as long as its creator wants it to."
Sivanals have a racial essentia pool equal to 6 plus 1 point of essentia granted by its Incarnum feat - Cobalt Reflexes - which they can invest or reinvest once every round. Each ability that is enhanced by this invested essentia lists how it is benefited from the soul energies in its description.
"Chakras are the [body's centers] of power: crown, feet, hands, [and others]."
"[An incarnum effect] can be bound to a single chakra in order to gain a secondary (and often more potent) effect from doing it. Doing so cuts off the the corresponding body slot from magic item use - binding a [soulmeld or incarnum effect] to your feet chakra means you can't wear magic boots, for example."
Sivanals have access to one of their least chakras (the crown chakra: which is located above and around the head area, corresponding to the creature's large antler-like horns and the item slot where helmets, headbands, phylacteries, etc. are placed) because of the Open Least Chakra feat. They can bind their Soulbound Protection (or any other soulmeld or incarnum effect) into this energy center of their body to change or enhance the effect, as noted in its description. If the Sivanal takes any levels in a meldshaper class (such as Incarnate, Soulborn, or Totemist - from Magic of Incarnum), they may also bind other soulmelds and effects not related to their racial incarnum abilities to this location as well. Meldshapers with class levels of this sort gain the ability to bind soulmelds and effects to the ten chakras listed in Magic of Incarnum as their progressive class abilities describe.
"After resting, [an incarnum shaper] must meditate for one hour. During this time, [he/she] selects and shapes all [his/her soulmelds and incarnum effects, as well as chakra-bindings] for the day, simultaneously unshaping any current [soulmelds, incarnum effects, and chakra-bindings that they] choose not to retain."
These incarnum melds and abilities are supernatural, semi-permanent effects (except for when the incarnum user chooses to unshape or modify them as allowed), and last for a full day, or else as long as the shaper chooses. Sivanals often keep their shaped effects and bindings the same through each day, although changing them around or when used in tandem with other incarnum effects, soulmelds, magical items, etc. is quite common as well - especially with those Sivanals who are also meldshapers, such as Totemists and their variants.
Soulmelds and similar effects cannot be unshaped except during the shaper's daily meditation, or by use of a spell or spell-like ability that affects it in this way (or, as some soulmelds are made to have a specific effect - such as a damaging blast effect - which is specific and unique to that soulmeld).
According to Table 2-1: Essentia Capacity, in Magic of Incarnum, (and treating the Sivanal's equivalent Outsider racial HD as its class levels) the Essentia Capacity for any of the Sivanal's feats, incarnum effects/abilities, and/or soulmelds is 3 - so the total essentia it can invest into Soulbound Protection is a maximum of 3, and with the feat Improved Essentia Capacity (Soulbound Protection) it is improved to a maximum of 4. Essentia can be reinvested once per round on the creature's turn - though there is no limit as to how many points of essentia are moved around in this way.
A Sivanal's meldshaper level is equal to 1/3 its HD (round down), for the purposes of caster level checks made using soulmelds and incarnum effects. Sivanals who take on future levels in a meldshaper class use their racial meldshaper level or their class level, whichever is higher. [[Meldshaper level - caster checks - etc.]]
"Any creature with incarnum-based powers has the incarnum subtype. An incarnum creature can be born with the subtype or can gain it during its life. "A creature meeting any one of the following criteria has the incarnum subtype:
The creature has an essentia pool. This category includes characters with levels in a character class that grants an essentia pool or creatures with feats that grant essentia.
The creature has one or more preshaped soulmelds (that is, soulmelds are automatically shaped on it without any effort on its part).
The creature was created through the use of incarnum or from raw incarnum.
"Traits: Creatures with this subtype have no specific shared traits other than those given above. The incarnum subtype merely identifies creatures that might be vulnerable to spells and effects that target incarnum creatures."
(- "italicized quotes" are transcribed from v3.5 Magic of Incarnum, 2005)
New Feats: (from Magic of Incarnum) Cobalt Reflexes [Incarnum] Desc Prerequisites: Benefit:
Open Least Chakra (Crown) Desc Prerequisites: Benefit: Special:
Rabbit, I want to correct myself one more time... I am often working on the road or away from my books/pdfs, so I am constantly having to come up with ideas by memory alone, and I am not familiar enough with the psionics handbook.
As we were talking before about the Parodinal (Psittacosaur-inal), and I was mentioning favored classes, I said Psiblade (after correcting myself from Psion - Telepath).... I was yet wrong again. The name of the class I had in mind is called the Soulknife, and it is from the Expanded Psionics Handbook. The specific thought I had in mind (along with your very dead-on intuition about them being very kind, comforting, compassionate, and hands-on healers) was the ability to create a Mind Blade. I will post the text of the ability in that book, in case you would like to work with it or incorporate it into it in any way. I am excited to see the idea you already had in mind, and I hope this helps that concept grow further:
Mind Blade (Su): As a move action, a soulknife can create a semisolid blade composed of psychic energy distilled from his own mind. The blade is identical in all ways (except visually) to a short sword of a size appropriate for its wielder. For instance, a Medium soulknife materializes a Medium mind blade that he can wield as a light weapon, and the blade deals 1d6 points of damage (crit 19-20/x2). Soulknives who are smaller or larger than Medium create mind blades identical to short swords appropriate for their size, with a corresponding change to the blade's damage (see Table 7-4 and Table 7-5 in the Player's Handbook). The wielder of a mind blade gains the usual benefits to his attack roll and damage roll from a high Strength bonus. The blade can be broken (it has hardness 10 and 10 hit points); however, a soulknife can simply create another on his next move action. The moment he relinquishes his grip on bis blade, it dissipates (unless he intends to throw it; see below). A mind blade is considered a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. A soulknife can use feats such as Power Attack or Combat Expertise in conjunction with the mind blade just as if it were a normal weapon. He can also choose mind blade for fears requiring a specific weapon choice, such as Weapon Specialization. Powers or spells that upgrade weapons can be used on a mind blade. A soulknife's mind blade improves as the character gains higher levels. Ar 4th level and every four levels thereafter, the mind blade gains a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls (+2 at 8th level, +3 at 12th level, ..... at 16th level, and ...5 at 20th level). Even in places where psionic effects do not normally function (such as within a null psionics field), a soulknife can attempt to sustain his mind blade by making a DC 20 Will save. On a successful save, the soulknife maintains his mind blade for a number of rounds equal to his class level before he needs to check again. On an unsuccessful attempt, the mind blade vanishes. As a move action on his turn, the soulknife can attempt a new Will save 10 rematerialize his mind blade while he remains within the psionics negating effect.
(PS: the ability to throw this mind blade is a separate class ability for the Soulknife class, which comes at 2nd level - I can post it here later if you need or want.)
Also, the more I think about the stats and size from Megaraptor/Raptorinal, I think you are right to size him down, but when we say that he is seven feet tall, and then looking at his skeleton, it is easy to think that he could very easily could be Large (long). I do also agree that the three-fingered clawed hands are an adequate appendage, and now see your original perspective on that fully. I will also try to write up a decent descriptive text as well for your posting. I actually feel somewhat inspired by your work to make some of the other dinopriminals just as cool and unique. I think the Guardinals and typical Beastlands D&D Cosmology creatures get the shaft most times, because there is nothing to really quench a DM's thirst in this area. We are doing a good thing here. :D
Any thoughts on an incarnum-using Sivanal, good or bad? -will
I'm a bit confused by the Eomanis. Is the miscellaneous bonus granted by defensive bonus just an untyped bonus? What would the DC be for weapons to avoid the damage? Does a weapon still take 1d10 points of damage? I would think it should be 1d6 since the natrual armor of an eomanis isn't as tough as that on a stegosaurus (+5 natural for the eomanis as opposed to +15 for the stegosaurus).
Just finished work on this, but I think the flavor text could be improved.
Dinopriminal, Tyrranal Huge Outsider (Dinopriminal, Extraplanar/Native, Good) Hit Dice: 22d8+154 (253 hp) Initiative: +3 Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares) Armor Class: 32 (-2 size, +4 Dex, +20 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 28 Base Attack/Grapple: +22/+40 Attack: Bite +30 melee (3d6+10) Full Attack: Bite +30 melee (3d6+10) and 2 claws +28 melee (2d6+5) Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft. Special Attacks: Crunch, great roar, improved grab Special Qualities: Damage reduction 15/evil and silver, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to electricity and petrification, lay on hands, low-light vision, resistance to acid 10, cold 5, fire 5, and sonic 10, speak with animals, spell-like abilities, spell resistance 34, tongues Saves: Fort +20 (+26 vs. poison, +22 vs. disease), Ref +16, Will +15 Abilities: Str 30, Dex 16, Con 25, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 19 Skills: Concentration +17, Craft (sigils) +22, Diplomacy +24, Handle Animal +26, Intimidate +24, Knowledge (nature) +24, Knowledge (Nymian sigilry) +22, Knowledge (the planes) +22, Listen +24, Search +22, Spellcraft +22, Spot +24, Survival +24 (+26 in aboveground natural environments, +26 on other planes, +26 following tracks, +28 any two, +30 all three) Feats: Awesome Blow, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Natural Attack (bite, claw), Multiattack, Power Attack, Run, Scribe Rune/Sigil (B), Track Environment: Beastlands of Nym/Omarka, or any good-aligned plane Organization: Solitary, pair, or gang (3-4) Challenge Rating: 19 Treasure: No coins; double goods; standard items Alignment: Always good (any), usually neutral good Advancement: 23-33 HD (Huge), 34-44 HD (Gargantuan) Level Adjustment: -
On their home plane, tyrranals are gentle giants, but they are among the most powerful of the dinopriminals. They are both potent combatants and adept users of Nymian sigilry.
A tyrranal resembles a vaguely humanoid tyrannosaurus with arms of a more proper size for its proportions. Its hands possess three short, clawed fingers. A tyrranal's scales are pebbly and olive green or brown in color, sometimes with striping on the back and flanks. A tyrranal is about 15 feet tall.
Tyrranals can speak Celestial, Sylvan, Anakim, Faunar/Felynne, and Omarkan, although they can speak with most any creature thanks to their tongues ability.
Combat Despite being the most fearsome-looking of the dinopriminals, tyrranals prefer to avoid combat. They will usually use their great roar to scare off any potential foes, or use their spell-like abilities to take care of lesser foes. When faced with the worst of evildoers, they will bring to bear their full combat prowess, giving their enemies no quarter. Against such foes, they use their spell-like abilities on themselves (or each other) to make themselves as powerful as possible before charging into combat and eradicating their enemies with their devastating natural attacks.
A tyrranal's natural weapons (and any manufactured weapons it may wield) are considered magic and good-aligned for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. Tyrranals will occasionally wield giant axes designed to look like a tyrannosaur's head; these are treated as Huge +3 wounding greataxes made of either silver or cold iron.
Crunch (Ex): If the tyrranal is holding a Medium or smaller creature in its Improved Grab, it deals automatic bite damage each round the grapple is maintained until the creature escapes or dies, or the tyrranal is killed.
Great Roar (Su): The tyrranal's roar can shake the resolve of even the bravest warrior. Three times per day as a standard action, the tyrranal can unleash a frightening roar as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The roar is a 30-foot cone that affects all creatures other than dinopriminals with 21 HD or less, causing them to be panicked for 4d6 rounds unless they succeed on a Will save (DC 26), and even then they are shaken for 1d4 rounds. DC is Cha-based. This is a sonic, mind-affecting fear effect.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a tyrranal must hit an opponent of up to one size smaller with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and begins dealing crunch damage to Medium or smaller foes in the next round.
Lay on Hands (Su): As the paladin class feature, except that each day a tyrranal can heal an amount of damage equal to its full normal hit points (253 for an average tyrranal). If performed on animals only, the damage healed equals 1-½ times the tyrranal's full normal hit points.
Speak with Animals (Su): Dinopriminals can mentally communicate with animals as a free action. This ability acts like the spell speak with animals as cast by an 8th-level druid, but requires no sound.
Spell-like Abilities (Sp): At will - detect evil, fireball (DC 17), greater dispel magic, greater magic fang, holy aura, holy word (DC 21), magic circle against evil (self only); 3/day - mass hold monster (DC 23); 1/day – meteor swarm (DC 23). Caster level 20th. The save DCs are Cha-based.
Tongues (Su): Dinopriminals can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell as cast by a 14th-level cleric.
Skills: A tyrranal has +2 racial bonus on Handle Animal, Listen, Spot, and Survival checks.
Bring Gleemax Back. Even as a failure, it was better than this. http://community.wizards.com/durdur
I'm a bit confused by the Eomanis. Is the miscellaneous bonus granted by defensive bonus just an untyped bonus? What would the DC be for weapons to avoid the damage? Does a weapon still take 1d10 points of damage? I would think it should be 1d6 since the natrual armor of an eomanis isn't as tough as that on a stegosaurus (+5 natural for the eomanis as opposed to +15 for the stegosaurus).
Debby
Debby, the following text is all content I was considering, but could not fully decide on the final format:
Content - feeds on insects and plants
Combat Defensive Ball (Ex) - willingly become prone, lose Dex bonus to AC, gain +4 misc to AC, as stegosaurus - also has sharpness so light/natural weapon attacks take damage unless Ref save
Noxious Spray (Ex) - as a skunk, clings to sprayed creatures
Sticky Tongue (Ex) - gives 1 ft. reach, no dmg attack, bonus to grapple checks, sticky saliva
Also, the Dire version of this creature is not finalized... So, are they 'untyped' bonuses? Well, yeah - since I haven't finalized what those bonuses would be.... They are up for debate. I added the stegosaurus link as a precedent for the defensive manuever, not for the whole list of stats - since a stegosaurus is much larger and built for combat.
As for damage to weapons, I am not sure - is there any precedent for damage done to weapons from natural armor or scaly spines? Perhaps natural attacks might make this damage happen to their body parts, but damage done to a sword by the same keratin material as fingernails and hooves? I don't think so, but just not sure... In the case of using light weapons against the creature, I think the damage done would be to the hands of the creature holding the weapon, and not as much to the weapon itself.
Rabbit, I like the Tyrranal. I will try to have some information for you shortly which will broaden the creature's offensive and resource details for Nymian Sigilry. Most magical-type effects would appropriately work similar to parallel Power Word variants. I have to finalize the feat system for Sigilry, so that advanced sigil effects become more clarified.
UPDATE: Rabbit, I have new info on Nymian Sigilry: please make sure to copy and paste the URL location, as PDFs seem to redirect to a funky image error code (http://elftown.com/stuff/nymian-sigilry_01.pdf). Copy-pasting should allow you to view the file with Adobe Reader, however. Obviously, it's not complete - but it's getting there.
As it's a work in progress, I'll wait to see what you do. I do have one small suggestion though. I don't usually like the idea of taking damage from succeeding on a attack. It's counter-intuitive. However, on a missed attack, there should be a percentage chance that the scales deal damage. On a critical fumble, they deal double damage. 10% for 1d2 points of damage wouldn't be unreasonable as these are rather weak critters. Wearing gauntlets or other protective gear on the hands negates the damage.
As it's a work in progress, I'll wait to see what you do. I do have one small suggestion though. I don't usually like the idea of taking damage from succeeding on a attack. It's counter-intuitive. However, on a missed attack, there should be a percentage chance that the scales deal damage. On a critical fumble, they deal double damage. 10% for 1d2 points of damage wouldn't be unreasonable as these are rather weak critters. Wearing gauntlets or other protective gear on the hands negates the damage.
What do you think?
Debby
Gotcha. How about this? Grapple checks and missed attack rolls, 20% chance of 1d4-1 damage (minimum 1), 40% chance on a critical fumble (and only because I hate flipping a coin for damage), damage reduction overcomes it, and wearing gauntles or protective gear on your weapon-holding appendages or over your natural weapons reduces the chance to 10% - that way, even a claw can get a spiny scale in between the flesh and nail, and it accounts for similar gaps in armor, etc. Improved Grapple, Grapple check success of 6+, and a successful Fort or Reflex save DC 14 will negate damage (save would be Con based, = 10 +Con bonus[2] +1/2 natural armor bonus, rounded down[2]). ???
I have a concern about criticals now.... I was thinking of saying that crits deal normal damage in Defensive Ball state, but that doesn't seem right, or balanced. If I say the critical threat range is halved, then what happens with normal 20-only threat range attacks? Still critical? And what about a threat range of 18-20? Would that be 19-20 or just 20? In this line of thought, would it be simpler to just lessen the crit threat range by one (elimintating critical double damage on a threat range of simply 20)? Should I abandon this line of thought altogether?
(I am considering this because a large amount of natural armor is now covering the critical spots on the creature... If this is too powerful, I can always lessen the misc armor bonus by one or two to make up for the lessened critical threat range....)
I will post that detailed description soon - it's too late at night to concentrate on it right now. Then when this is done, let's move onto the sticky tongue or spray (or both, if you feel inspired with stats).
