[Tome of Virtue] Totemist

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[Tome of Virtue] Totemist

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The Totemist
My soul burns with the strength of the behir of my ancestors.

Image

Totemists are people whose souls are filled with an arbitrarily blue flame that causes them to channel the beast souls of the natural world. This being the natural world of Dungeons & Dragons, those beast souls are crazy crap like displacer beasts and give the Totemist real magical powers.

A Totemist has powers that are comparable in strength to spells that are usable an unlimited number of times in a day. However, each power has a cool-down period that makes it unlikely to be used twice in the same battle. These powers are Charisma based, so it is to be expected that a Totemist will be put Charisma as their primary attribute.

Starting Age: As Druid
Starting Equipment: 6d4x10gp
Alignment: Totemists can be of any alignment, but like Magical Beasts that alignment is largely to be taken with a grain of salt. They behave a lot like animals, so even if they are totally all chaotic evil and torture fools it's more like how cats spend an hour killing a mouse if they aren't hungry than any depraved sadism. Totemists hardly detect a non-neutral alignment at all even if they have one.

Hit Die: d8
Base Attack Bonus: 3/4
Good Saving Throws: Will
Skill Points: 4+Int
Class Skills: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Any), Listen, Move Silently, Ride, Search, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Survival, Swim, Use Magic Device.
Level:Abilities:Chakras
1:Basic Totems, Call Totems, Soulmelds, Wild Empathy2
2:Respect for the Dead, Woodland Stride3
3:Arcane Sight3
4:Better Soulmelds3
5:Blood of Soulfire4
6:Beast Companion4
7:Advanced Soulmelds4
8:Speak With Souls5
9:Corpse Fashion, Reincarnate5
10:Astounding Soulmelds5
11:6
12:Autolife6
13:Favor of the Totems6
14:Exciting Soulmelds7
15:Embody Totem7
16:8
17:Giant-Size Soulmelds8
18:Limitless Favor of the Totems8
19:9
20:Triumph Promised by Ancestors9

Class Feature

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Totemists are proficient with Simple Weapons, as well as the Trident, the Kukri, the shortsword, the gladius, the light and heavy pick, the shortbow, the longbow, the pincerstaff, the net, and the guisarme. Totemists are proficient with light and medium armor.

Soulmelds (Su): A Totemist has the ability to call upon a number of special blue glowing intangible yet vaguely beast-related wardrobe accessories that cause them to glow blue and gain additional powers. Each Soulmeld is unique, and should have its own name (check the Soulmeld chart below in order to name it). Each Soulmeld has a Basic bonus and a Totemic Power. A Totemist can only show a fraction of the Soulmelds they have at a time. At first level, the Totemist "knows" 3 Soulmelds and learns two additional Soulmelds every time they gain a Totemist level. The number of Soulmelds that can actually be used at one time is the character's number of Chakras, which is 2 at first level, rising to 3 at 2nd, 4 at 5th, 5 at 8th, 6 at 11th, 7 at 14th, 8 at 16th, and finally 9 at 19th. It takes 1 minute of meditation to change which Soulmelds are available (up to the character's number of Chakras), but only a Swift Action to activate and display any or all of them. Soulmelds shed light as a torch. Actually calling upon the Totem's power is usually a Standard Action.

Basic Bonuses: Every Soulmeld (even Advanced or Giant-Size Soulmelds) has exactly one Basic Bonus, which is defined when the Soulmld is learned:
  • Deflection bonus to AC (1/3 level, rounded up)
  • Resistance Bonus to Saving Throws (1/3 level, rounded up)
  • Enhancement Bonus to an attribute (1/3 level, rounded up)
  • Enhancement Bonus to a Skill other than Use Magic Device (Level + 2)
  • Enhancement Bonus to Natural Armor Bonus (1/3 Level, rounded up)
  • Spell Resistance (8 + Level)
  • Energy Resistance to one Energy type (3 points per level)
Basic Totems: At first, each Soulmeld is attached to a Basic Totem, and the power delivered when called upon is as such:
  • Ankheg: Spit soul acid out to Short Range. Ranged Touch Attack. Inflicts d4 Acid damage/level and on the Totemist's next turn will inflict a similar amount unless the acid has been doused with vinegar or beer or something in the meantime.
  • Corollax: Rainbow colors shoot off into a Short Ranged Cone. Creatures in the cone must make a Will save or be stunned for 1d2 rounds. This is a [Mind Affecting] [Pattern].
  • Carrion Crawler: Touch forces target to make a Fortitude save or be paralyzed for a minute.
  • Ash Rat: Heavy Smoke extends around the Totemist like obscuring mist. The mists last for 4 rounds, and creatures other than the Totemist suffer 1 point of Fire damage per round that they are in the ashy haze.
  • Flame Snake: Touch forces target to take d4 Fire Damage/level and to make a Fortitude Save against Poison or lose 1d6 Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution.
  • Blood Hawks: The Totemist makes a ranged touch attack against up to one enemy within Medium Range per level. Each target struck suffers 1d3 of Force damage and 2 points of Constitution Damage from blood loss.
  • Howler: Scream causes Wisdom Damage. Burst out to Short Range. Will Save or suffer d6 Wisdom damage. Totemist is immune, this is a [Mind Affecting] [Sonic] effect.
  • Dark Mantle: As darkness, but all light is blocked and it provides complete concealment. Or 3e darkness if you prefer.
  • Krenshar: Screech causes target within Short Range to be panicked for a d4 rounds if they fail a Will save. This is a [Sonic] [Mind Affecting] [Fear] Effect.
  • Blood Ape: The character increases in size by 1 size category, and their attributes are adjusted as normal. This change lasts for 4 rounds.
  • Mephit: Breath Weapon of something weird and noxious. Extends to a cone out to Short Range. All creatures in the area must pass a Fortitude Save or be nauseated for 1d2 rounds.
  • Owlbear: Melee Touch Attack Pins target for 1 round.
  • Rust Monster: As rusting grasp.
  • Shocker Lizard: Melee touch attack inflicts d8/level Subdual Electricity damage.
  • Stirge: Melee Touch Attack causes d4 damage/level and heals the Totemist an equal amount as to the damage inflicted on a living creature.
  • Harpoon Spider: A soul harpoon is sent after an enemy within Short Range. Ranged Touch Attack. On a hit, the target suffers d8 Force damage and must make a Fortitude save or be drawn as many squares towards the Totemist as the totemist feels like dragging them (as if bullrushed).
Call Totems (Su): A Totemist can use the Totem Powers of any active Soulmelds any number of times in a day. However, upon calling upon such a Totem, they may not call on the same Totem for the next three rounds. So at first level a Totemist has only 2 Chakras bound, so they could call upon two different powers in the first two rounds of combat, but then they would be unable to use either one again in the next two rounds of combat, forcing them to fall back on weaponry or hiding. The Save DC of any save a Totem's power offers is 10 + 1/2 Level + Charisma Modifier. And every power is used at the Totemist's Character Level.

Wild Empathy (Ex): Totemists can use Handle Animal as if it was frickin Diplomacy and they were speaking the Queen's Bloody English with any Animal or Magical Beast, whether that creature has a language or not.

Respect for the Dead (Ex): At 2nd level, Totemists treat any armor made out of animal parts as if it was a lot easier to use, and reduce the Armor Check Penalty and Armor Stealth Penalty of such armors by 4, making it a lot more likely that they can move at full speed while wearing someone's mother as a breastplate.

Woodland Stride (Ex): Totemists of 2nd level and up are totally at home in natural environments, even really jacked up ones. They ignore naturally occurring difficult terrain and don't take damage from crap like thorns.

Arcane Sight (Su): At 3rd level, a Soulborn benefits at all times from Arcane Sight.

Better Soulmelds: At fourth level, each Soulmeld can be attached to a Better Totem, and the power delivered when called upon is as such:
  • Aranea: Can throw a soul Web. Creatures within or moving within a 15' burst within short range must make a Reflex Save or be entangled and anchored in place. An entangled creature may make an Escape Artist or Strength check (DC 20) as a full-round action to wriggle or break free, but if they move out of their square into another square with soul web in it they'll have to make another Reflex save or be caught again. The web dissipates in 1 minute/level or when dismissed, and does not burn.
  • Behir: A line of electricity extends out to short range from the Totemist's mouth. It does 1d6 Electricity Damage/level and allows a Reflex Save for half damage.
  • Chimera: A cone of fire is breathed out to short range. It does 1d6 Fire Damage/level and allows a Reflex Save for half damage.
  • Cloaker: Creates images equivalent to major image within Short Range. The Totemist need not concentrate on the images, but they vanish in 4 rounds.
  • Cockatrice: Touch forces target to make a Fortitude Save or be petrified.
  • Digester: A cone of Acid is spat out to short range. Targets in the area suffer a d4 Acid Damage/level (Reflex Half), and then the following turn suffer the same amount of damage unless they have cleaned themselves off.
  • Ahuizotl: Melee Touch Attack causes he target to be blind.
  • Briarvex: With a melee touch attack, the target suffers 2d6 Force Damage. There are then thorns of force crawling in their skin like a Linkin Park Song, and they take 2d6 of Force Damage each round on the Totemist's turn for 1 round/level. This ongoing damage can be halted by taking a Standard Action to make a DC 15 Heal check to gauge out the force thorns. Each attempt inflicts 1 hit point of damage whether it succeeds or fails.
  • Joystealer: Target within Medium Range must make a Will Save or suffer a d6 of Charisma Damage and be afflicted as per crushing despair.
  • Manticore: The Totemist launches a number of spikes of soul energy as their Level distributed between one or more targets within Medium Range. Each spike inflicts 1d6 damage.
  • Pegasus: Totemist gains a 90' Flight Speed with Good Maneuverability for the next 4 rounds. Activating this is a Swift Action.
  • Cloaked Ape: The Totemist gains Fast Healing equal to their level for 4 rounds. This ability can be invoked as a Swift action.
  • Phase Wasp: The Totemist gains the benefits of true seeing for 4 rounds.
  • Shadow Mastiff: All other creatures within Short Range must make a Will Save or become Panicked for 1d6 rounds. This is a [Sonic] [Mind Affecting] [Fear] effect.
  • Unicorn: Heal a touched target by 1d6/level and remove any poisons they are afflicted with.
  • Winter Wolf: The Totemist breathes a cone of Cold out to Short Range. It inflicts d6/level Cold Damage, with Reflex save for half damage.
Blood of Soulfire (Su): A 5th level Totemist is immune to poison and when they suffer damage from physical attacks they cause 1 point of Force Damage to all creatures within 5' of them as Soulfire splashes out.

Beast Companion: At 6th level, a Totemist is entitled to a companion. Their companion is a Magical Beast with a CR 2 less than their character level. When the Totemist gains a level, their companion either gets more powerful for no reason or their companion wanders off and they get a new companion. Either way.

Advanced Soulmelds: At seventh level, each Soulmeld can be attached to an Advanced Totem, and the power delivered when called upon is as such:
  • Basilisk: Target within medium range must make a Fortitude save or be petrified.
  • Bulette: The ground trembles as earth and stone excavate themselves at the Totemist's urging. The character can tunnel out up to a 10'x10'x40' area. Every end must be within short range, and yes you can create holes under enemies and drop them in.
  • Blink Dog: As dimension door.
  • Displacer Beast: The Totemist gains full displacement and a 50% miss chance for 4 rounds. This is a Swift Action to activate.
  • Ethereal Marauder: The Totemist and everything they carry is shifted to the Ethereal Plane or back to the Material from the Ethereal.
  • Girallon: Spectral arms rip the target to pieces. The Totemist makes 4 melee touch attacks, and each is a claw that inflicts 1d6 Damage / 2 levels.
  • Lamia: As Charm Monster. This is a [Mind Affecting] [Compulsion] and allows a Will Save.
  • Nymph: Short Ranged Burst. All creatures in area that can see the Totemist must make a Fortitude Save or be blind.
  • Phoenix: For the next 4 rounds, the Totemist is immune to Fire, and heals when they would suffer fire damage. Also there is a 5' burst of flame centered on the Totemist that inflicts d6/level Fire Damage (Reflex Half), and that heals the Totemist because it is Fire Damage.
  • Remorhaz: The Totemist catches on fire, and anything she touches or that even hits her in melee suffers 1d6/level of fire damage from the experience. This effect lasts 4 rounds.
  • Frost Salamander: The Totemist exudes an aura of cold. All creatures that begin their turns within 15' of the Totemist suffer d6/2 levels of Cold Damage. This effect lasts 4 rounds.
  • Mudmaw: Two soul tendrils lash out and grab enemies. The Totemist can make two melee touch attacks against one or two creatures within 10'. Any creature touched is pinned for 1 round.
  • Brood Keeper: A spectral swarm races out to engulf your enemies, as summon swarm. The swarm summoned uses your save DC (10 + 1/2 level + Cha modifier) for its abilities, inflicts force damage rather than normal damage, is incorporeal, and persists for four rounds.
  • Umber Hulk: One target within Short Range must make a Will Save or be confused as per the spell confusion. This can be invoked as a Swift Action.
  • Wyvern: Melee Touch Attack causes target to suffer 3d6 Constitution Damage from Poison. Fortitude Save for Half.
  • Yrthak: Target within Medium Range suffers d6/level Sonic damage, Fortitude half.
Speak with Souls (Su): A Totemist of 8th level can see the souls of the living and the dead. They are apparently little blue flamy things like in Soul Eater. The Totemist can speak with the souls of the dead as if the dead were still alive. The souls depart in about a week unless they get transformed, consumed, or returned to life before that point.

Corpse Fashion (Su): Three times a day, a 9th level Totemist can fabricate things out of animal parts. This can make things as respectable as hide armor or as creepy as human bone swords.

Reincarnate (Su): Three times a week, a 9th level Totemist can bring someone back from the dead in a new body. Like reincarnation.

Astounding Soulmelds: At tenth level, each Soulmeld can be attached to an Astounding Totem, and the power delivered when called upon is as such:
  • Avalancher: As Transmute Rock to Mud.
  • Nightmare: Can plane shift into a different realm of existence.
  • Inferno Spider: Can throw a flaming soul Web. Creatures within or moving within a 15' burst within short range must make a Reflex Save or be entangled and anchored in place. An entangled creature may make an Escape Artist or Strength check (DC 20) as a full-round action to wriggle or break free, but if they move out of their square into another square with soul web in it they'll have to make another Reflex save or be caught again. The web dissipates in 1 minute/level or when dismissed, and is on fire. All creatures suffer 1d8 + Level Fire Damage every round they begin in the area of the web.
  • Pixie: All creatures in a 15' burst within Medium range must make a Will Save or fall asleep for 10 minutes/level. This is a [Mind Affecting] effect.
  • Frost Worm: A strange trill forces everyone to stand still. Emanation extends to Medium range and affects every creature except the Totemist. Creatures that fail a Will Save are stunned for a d4 rounds. This is a [Sonic] effect.
  • Lodestone Marauder: Magnetic pulse yoinks all freestanding and handheld metal objects in a Medium Cone and piles them at the Totemist's feet. Creatures can hold onto their weapons and whatnot by making a Reflex save. Creatures wearing metal armor are subjected to a strong gale.
  • Rapture Locust: All creatures within Short Range must make a Will save or be dazed for a d6 rounds. Dazed creatures have locusts made of blue soulfire chewing on them for 2d6 Force damage per round until they snap out of it.
  • Naga: Target within short range must make a Fortitude Save against Poison or Die. Successful save still results in d8 Poison damage to Constitution.
  • Nightmare Beast: A creature that is asleep within 5 miles that the Totemist is aware of makes a Fortitude save or dies. This is a [Death] effect.
  • Purple Worm: Touch Attack shrinks the target to the size of a walnut and swallows them whole. Target suffers 4d8 Acid damage a round and cannot free themselves. If they are transported out of the Totemist or the Totemist dies, they return to normal size.
  • Roper: The Totemist can fire 6 soul strands at one or more targets within Short Range. Each Strand is a Ranged Touch Attack that inflicts 1d8 Strength Damage.
  • Sphinx: The Totemist lets out a mighty roar, and all creatures within Long Range must make a Willpower Save or become Panicked for 2d6 rounds. Even creatures that succeed in their save are shaken. This is a [Mind Affecting] [Sonic] [Fear] effect.
  • Cloud Ray: As telekinesis.
  • Peryton: Touch attack inflicts 10 points of damage per level.


Auto-Life (Su): If a 12th level Totemist has been dead for a whole day, they reincarnate into a new body unless something has happened to their soul in the meantime. This does not cost them a level, it's just slightly disconcerting.

Favor of the Totems: From 13th level on, a Totemist need only forgo calling on a Totem's powers for 2 rounds after the last time they called upon the Totem's Powers.

Exciting Soulmelds: At fourteenth level, each Soulmeld can be attached to an Exciting Totem, and the power delivered when called upon is as such:
  • Cranium Rat: All targets within a Medium Cone must make a Will save or be stunned for 2d4 rounds. This is a [Mind Affecting] [Psionic] effect.
  • Catoblepas: Target within Medium Range must make a Fortitude Save or die. This is a [Death] effect. Even if the target succeeds, they still take 1d8 damage/2 levels.

  • Gorgon: The Totemist breathes a cone out to Short Range. All creatures in the cone must make a Fortitude Save or be petrified.
  • Gravorg: As Reverse Gravity, targets are allowed a Reflex Save as normal.
  • Greenvice: As acid fog. The fog lasts for 4 rounds.


  • Lammasu: As heal.

  • Quanlos: As Dominate Monster. Target is entitled to a Will Save. This is a [Mind Affecting] [Compulsion].
  • Razor Boar: Touch attack decapitates target. This is a [Death] effect.
  • Spirit of the Air: The Totemist decides what the weather is.
  • Titanic Toad: The Totemist stamps on the ground and flattens everything around them. All other creatures and standing objects in a 40' radius are subjected to a d8/level in Force Damage and are knocked prone. A successful Reflex save halves the damage and negates the prone effect.




Embody Totem (Su): With a standard action, a 15th level Totemist can transform into one of the creatures that is one of their displayed totems. You can argue with the DM as to how Wildshape works, but you get all the Extraordinary, Supernatural, and Spell-like abilities whether they are Attacks or Qualities or whatever.

Giant-size Soulmelds: At Seventeenth level, each Soulmeld can be attached to a Giant-size Totem, and the power delivered when called upon is as such:
  • Beholder: The Totemis can create a conical emanation of anti-magic field that extends from their body in any direction and can be rotated each turn. It persists for 4 rounds, and goes out to short range.

  • Chaos Roc: All creatures in a Medium Range Cone are struck with 2 colors from a prismatic spray.
  • Chronotyrin: The Totemist takes a second round of action after her normal one. This Totem is invoked as a Swift Action.
  • Fiendwurm: The Totemist vomits forth a creature compatible with summon monster VIII.



  • Leviathan: The Totemist is Colossal as per the spell giany size for four rounds. This Totem is invoked as a Swift Action.
  • Lucent Worm: Every creature that is in the Totemist's Threatened Area before the start of their next turn must make a Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 4 rounds.


  • Megapede: wave of force precedes the Totemist as they stampede enemies. Any creatures and freestanding objects within 20 feet are pushed out of the area, suffering a d20 of force damage per 5' moved. The force lasts until the beginning of next turn, and enemies are pushed out of their area (for another d20 of damage per 5' square pushed) as the Totemist moves. Creatures are entitled to a Reflex save for half damage and to move out of the way in a direction of their choice to avoid getting Tekken juggled.
  • Sky Bleeder: Acid rains from the sky for a mile in every direction, causing 3d4 Acid damage a round for the next 4 rounds.
  • Tarrasque: The Totemist is restored to full health and all baleful conditions end.
  • Thunder Worm: The Totemist becomes Incorporeal for the next 4 rounds, and in departing from physicality lets off a huge thunderclap that breaks things in all directions. Everything around the Totemist in a Medium Ranged Burst is subjected to a d8/level Sonic damage (Reflex Half).


Limitless Favor of the Totems: At 18th level, the Totemist can call on any of her displayed Totems that she did not call last turn.

Triumph Promised by Ancestors (Su): At 20th level, the Totemist wins D&D.

Soulmelds Table
To name a Soulmeld, combine the Totem with an adjective, a color, and a thingy. This can go in any order you want. So for example, you might have Dimming Electric Corollax Wings or Corollax Crushing Cyan Gauntlets. Whatever. You can fudge it a bit so it sounds less ridiculous or not, at your option. Also, you can really have your soulmelds be any color you want, as long as they are blue.
Roll (or Choose)AdjectiveColorThingy
1:CrushingAzureClaws
2:RisingBerylMantle
3:FierceAqueousCloak
4:DimmingBlueWings
5:ClutchingCeruleanArmor
6:GnawingCobaltMask
7:GraspingElectricGloves
8:DevastatingMidnightSleeves
9:ExpansiveIndigoRobe
10:SecretNavyHelm
11:ProtectiveOceanHat
12:MonstrousSapphireHorns
13:HorrendousTealGauntlets
14:AwesomeTurquoiseCape
15:WickedUltramarineBelt
16:DepressiveSkyBoots
17:RepetitiveSteelTrail
18:VengefulCyanEyes
19:GorgeousPaleBraids
20:FutileRedAmulet

I really do like the vest!
Last edited by Username17 on Sun Nov 22, 2009 1:24 pm, edited 5 times in total.
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Post by IGTN »

How did "red" make it on as the last color? Last I checked, that wasn't a shade of blue.

You're missing royal blue, powder-blue, and icy blue on your table of colors.
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Post by Midnight_v »

No... red is fucking great as the last color!

If nothing else that to show how ridiculous the power of "blue" is... I mean what is this the Green latern wars? LOL
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Post by Koumei »

I like it. Two things:

1. If a power lasts four rounds ("It's raining menblood!" or flight), does the 3-round cool-down start as soon as you activate it (thus, you can keep flying if you keep spending the actions, or Chocolate Rain is eternal) or does it start after the effect ends?

2. The tarrasque one has the Iron Heart Surge problem, where you could end "Night" (a baleful condition that affects your vision), "Pregnancy", "Time", "Gravity" and so on. Is there a way of wording it so that these things don't apply, or do we just say "For fuck's sake, you know what we fucking mean, I am not fucking spelling this out for you."?

Or do you really want tarrasque totems to return you to adult age? That'd be kind of cool.
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Post by Username17 »

Cooldown starts from when you activate it. So you can keep Chocolate Rain going forever if you want to.

And no, I don't intend to reword the Tarrasque ability. My intention is that if anyone attempts t claim an exemption from Gravity or some shit to merely stare at them like they were retarded.

And yes, the Red is in there on purpose.

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Post by Manxome »

It might be worth specifying whether you can change a soulmeld in any way after it's been learned, and if so, under what conditions. For example, when you get Better Totems, do your old soulmelds upgrade, or do only soulmelds learned after that point get the new stuff?
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Post by CatharzGodfoot »

Do soulmelds take up magic item slots?
Last edited by CatharzGodfoot on Sun Nov 15, 2009 9:39 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by Username17 »

Manxome wrote:It might be worth specifying whether you can change a soulmeld in any way after it's been learned, and if so, under what conditions. For example, when you get Better Totems, do your old soulmelds upgrade, or do only soulmelds learned after that point get the new stuff?
Your old Soulmelds just sit there being old soulmelds. The number of Chakras you have is limited enough that you won't end up being forced to keep your Basic Totems on hand when you have Advanced Totems to activate.
Catharz wrote:Do soulmelds take up magic item slots?
No. It's just like you cast some minor buffs on yourself all the time.

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Post by CatharzGodfoot »

FrankTrollman wrote:
Catharz wrote:Do soulmelds take up magic item slots?
No. It's just like you cast some minor buffs on yourself all the time.

-Username17
Good to know.

How do these sound?
[*]Brood Keeper: A spectral swarm races out to engulf your enemies, as summon swarm. The swarm summoned uses your save DC (10 + 1/2 level + Cha modifier) for its abilities, and persists for four rounds.
[*]Harpoon Spider: Make a ranged touch attack against one creature within close range for every three levels you have. A successful hit deals 1d6 damage, and as a free action you can reel in a damaged foe (moving them directly towards your space, as far as you like).
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Post by Username17 »

Catharz wrote:How do these sound?
Added.

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Post by Koumei »

Here are some ideas, after scrambling about trying to find MMIV.

Briarvex: an unarmed attack adds 1d6 Piercing damage, and the target takes 2d6 Piercing damage every round for 3 rounds unless they spend a Standard action removing the thorns crawling in their skin.

Inferno Spider: you may throw a web like a net. Anyone hit by it becomes entangled and takes 1d6 Fire damage per level until they disentangle themselves or the web is doused with water. Doing so destroys the web too.

Wow, MM4 is pretty lame.

Assassin Vine: you can Trip and Grapple anyone from up to Short range, maintaining the grapple for 4 rounds. If you don't get within normal reach or renew the power when it ends, the grapple instantly ends.
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Post by Username17 »

Koumei wrote:Here are some ideas, after scrambling about trying to find MMIV.
Sure. Inferno Spiders and Briarvexes for everybody.
Wow, MM4 is pretty lame.
Yes. Yes it is.

Isn't there a Monster Manual V? I don't have a copy and can't even remember if it existed in reality in addition to parody.

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Post by Koumei »

It exists, but whereas I paid for MM4 hardcopy (I had plenty of money then, I figured "Why not?"), I doubt MM5 is worth the bandwidth of pirating, it's likely to be that bad.

I hear it contains:
1. More of those "Existing monster with class levels for those too lazy to do it yourselves (and who trust our judgement in adding levels to monsters)"
2. Thoon Illithid (many people on /tg/ think this is the only good thing in the book, and as far as I can tell, the reason is "Because it's Illithid". Next)
and 3. A pile of stupid shit

And I looked through the few Dungeon magazines I have, but no good monsters stand out there - more dragons (in case there aren't enough. One (Good-aligned) has a breath weapon of "save vs being drunk") and some random shit. Though it does have THE NUCKELAVEE!

Possibly the nuckelavee could be worked in as some sort of cone breath weapon that deals wet damage (cold or acid or bludgeoning? Or Force as this is SOUL water?) and applies a Grease effect?

And you said they can gauge the thorns out. I think you mean gouge.
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Post by Blicero »

I heard that MMV had a lot of creatures that radically changed their battle style when they were reduced to a certain hit point. While that sorta undermine the Critical Existence Failure vibe of D&D, it could be mildly entertaining.
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Post by Emerald »

Blicero wrote:I heard that MMV had a lot of creatures that radically changed their battle style when they were reduced to a certain hit point. While that sorta undermine the Critical Existence Failure vibe of D&D, it could be mildly entertaining.
It does, many of which trigger off of being less than 1/2 HP as a pseudo-bloodied mechanic. It was basically a field test for the 4e monster stuff, as far as I could tell, in the same way ToB was a test for encounter power mechanics.
Last edited by Emerald on Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Emerald »

Double post.
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Post by Blicero »

Were any of the bloodied mechanics any good? I think I might have skimmed through the book once at a store, but I remember pretty much nothing. (is there maybe some "skull lord" creature with multiple heads that fall off as it's damaged?)
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Post by Avoraciopoctules »

Skimming through MM5 monsters of note in between college classes, taking advantage of college's Wi-Fi network.

Banshrae: evil fey with flute-blowguns.
Ability of note:

Image


Will post more as I find them.
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Post by CatharzGodfoot »

At first level, every combat (depending on the two melds shaped) will look something like this:
[*]Call upon the gnawing azure ash rat trail (tail?)
[*]Run up next to an enemy and paralyze it with your Depressive Cerulean Cephalothrix Hat
[*]Coup de grace
[*]Call upon the ash rat
[*]...

Is that a problem?

[Edit]I swear that those names were randomly generated.[/Edit]
Last edited by CatharzGodfoot on Tue Nov 17, 2009 7:18 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Post by Username17 »

Actually you overestimate them a bit. They won't have their original power back on the fourth round. So on the fourth round they stab someone with a trident or throw a rock or something. It's first level, and life is cheap.

By 2nd level they can use their 3rd power in some order and can largely avoid having to stab things at all.

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Post by CatharzGodfoot »

Got it. So the rat cloud is more squid ink than I thought.

[Edit]
This class can play hilariously poorly with others, from dropping darkness and howler howling to shadow mastiff scariness to nymph blindness to the frost worm's trill to going incorporeal while dealing sonic damage out to medium range.
[/Edit]
Last edited by CatharzGodfoot on Tue Nov 17, 2009 7:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by Koumei »

...I first read Banshrae as Banshee, and thought "What the fuck? They already exist."

Incidentally, should things like Beholders (Aberrations, as in "things that exist against the will of nature) and various Outsiders (who have little to do with nature, being spawned from planar energy) be on the Totemist list? Or is it a case of "even the unnatural still exist naturally and became part of nature, despite nature's best intentions to the contrary"?

Not that I'm complaining about Mephit Hats and Beholder Sunglasses.
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Post by Username17 »

My thought is that the aberration title is completely arbitrary, in that carrion crawlers are no more or less an iconic D&D beast than an Ankheg or a Displacer Beast is. The distinction is in most cases completely random, and it's more like a character class. Arbitrarily Carrion Crawlers have a high will save because they are "Aberrations" and Blink Dogs have a high Reflex Save because they are "Magical Beasts."

But really we're looking straight on at a major failing of the D&D typing system: Beholders, Carrion Crawlers, Blink Dogs, and Displacer Beasts are all iconic monsters that are part of the D&D World.

For stuff like Howlers, the sad reality is that Extraplanar Magical Beast wasn't invented until the later Monster Books. So while such things are all over the place in the Fiend Folio, in the original Monster Manual all that crap got called "Outsider" even if it was wildly inappropriate (as is the case with Tieflings and Howlers).

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Post by Koumei »

Fair enough. In that case, I might suggest Mind Flayer, which probably lets you scoop brains out to eat with tentacles, because there are plenty of things with Stun/Stun-like effects, even if theirs is best known (possibly because it has roughly the same range as the Illithid Hunter's "Detect Aberrations" ability, thus granting everyone Detect Mind Flayers: when the fighter stands dazed and catatonic, there's an illithid nearby).

*You gain a tentacle attack as a natural weapon that has the Improved Grab ability and grants (arbitrary bonus that should keep them level-appropriate) to Grapple checks. Additionally, you (gain a Constrict attack that also deals Int damage)/(can Extract their brains (as per the Mind Flayer) if you grapple them for a full round).

Or it could be handled like nethack, where you can make a tentacle attack that just deals Int damage, and forego the whole Grapple experience.

Also, there are seriously a lot of worms in the higher levels. I only noticed it in your lists, but it occurs to be they really love their enormous worms.
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Post by Username17 »

Thematically speaking, Ilithid are "evil people" and wouldn't fit the Totemist for the same reason that they wouldn't have a "Drow" totem or a "succubus" totem. It's not that those things aren't iconic, it's that they are people and not monsters n the traditional sense.

Of course, that makes me want to create a Master Doppelganger that uses the iconic abilities of different D&D people. Hmmm...

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