So I have a creature here to start things off. Let me know what you think. And if this has already been talked to death, well... I'll move on then. I just know we talk alot about the big baddies, and I was wondering about those they destroyed, and how they may return.
EDIT: Revision in progress. hopefully to be hammered out by the end of the weekend.
I would give some pointed direction on potential fixes I see but would like to read over it some more and look over some other DS critters first.
Cool idea though so you get a
Oh - I would also like to point out thaat the mir'iseth were brought about during the Green Age- nearer the beginning then the end though. Just an FYI. They will be seen in the next versin of the Terrors of Athas.
On that note, if anyone has any ideas for Green Age tech, or Cleansing War items/ organizations of resistance (the Wind Mages come to mind) then please post them here. or on another post. I just think that it is about time that we started developing ideas and remnants of the times and lives of the people before the current age. There was, after all, about 8000 years (I think) of time from the Rebirth to the Time of Magic, and then a few thousand years before Rajaat starts the preserver jihad. That is enough time for many things, of which we have nothing. (stupid dragon kings and their no-reading-book-burning-keep-us-in-the-dark mentality!)
I have always wanted to see a supplement that talked about the Green Age and the Cleansing Wars, but we don't really have one.
Troy Denning had wanted to write a series of Novels detailing it and CW's, just before it was cancelled, So, did Lynn Abbey
Now that would have been cool- Denning is one of my favorite FR authors and he did a great job with his DS books IMO too.
I'm not big on reading game-related books, but the Prism Pentad remains one of my favorite book series to this day. The first time I read them was back in high school, so at the time I didn't even think about them being "written for a younger audience," but since then I've re-read them twice and they remained just as good each time.
If you want, I would be willing to work on this creature tonight and e-mail you a word doc with edits and stuff that we can hammer out. If it is okay with you I will promise to do it tonight so we can get'er done.
Soldier of Twilight
Medium Native Outsider (Psionic)
Hit Dice: 8d8+32 +16 ( 68 52 hps)
Initiative: +9 +7 (+5 + 3Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares) 40ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 20 18 (+5 +3 dex, +5 deflection) 15 touch, 15 flat footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +8,+3/ ?
Attack: +13/+8 +10/+5 (slam 1d6+5 +3), +13/+8 +10/+5(melee weapon)
Full Attack:
Space/Reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Power Well, Spells, Psionics -- no Power Well
Special Qualities: Against the War Bringer, In the Thick of Battle,
Gray Casting, Fear Immunity, Keen Senses, Toughened for Battle, Race Against the Coming Night, Leap, Grey Sustenance, Battle Hardened, Implanted Knowledge, Evasion, Unncanny Dodge (never flatfooted, never flanked)
Blind sight 50 ft --eliminate
Scent 100 ft --eliminate
Telepathy 100 yards --eliminate
Damage reduction: 10/magic
Fast Healing: 1/minute
Spell resistance: HD+12
Power resistance: HD+12
Saves: Fort 12 10, Ref 11 9, Will 10 7
Abilities: Str 21 15, Dex 21 17, Con 19 15, Int 21 17, Wis 19 13 Cha 12
Skills: Climb 15 12, Concentration 18 15, Hide 19 17, Jump 35 28, Knowledge (arcane)20 13, Knowledge (planar)20 13, Knowledge (history)20 13, Knowledge (psionics) 20 13, Listen 17 11, Move Silently 19 17, Search 17 11, Sense Motive 17 11, Spellcraft 26 19, Spot 17 11, Tumble 15 12, Psicraft 26 19
Feats: Power Attack, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Endurance, Improved Initiative, Psionic Meditation, Iron Will Great Fortitude, Up the Walls.
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or squad (2-10)
Challenge Rating: ?
Treasure: Standard+ one weapon and one defensive item.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral (good tendencies)
Advancement: 8-15 HD medium
Level Adjustment: --
Soldiers of Twilight look like tall humans, but have pale skin with a slight grey cast to it. They are very fit, looking like very capable soldiers; lean, tough, and capable. Their eyes are fierce and focused, giving the impression that they have looked into the heart of despair, and are ready to fight it to the last.
Towards the end of the Cleansing War the remaining races were scattered, forced into a losing battle to try to save themselves. Humans who opposed Rajaat, preservers and psions, and some of the pyreen worked towards hope. Using magic and psionics, as well as life shaping knowledge stolen from captured Halfling servants of Rajaat, these allies created a new breed of soldiers. Seeing their time as the twilight of the Rebirth, they named these them the Soldiers of Twilight. Soon after their creation, the Champions rebelled against the War Bringer and the Cleansing Wars stopped. The Soldiers were put into temporal stasis, waiting for a time that the pyreens need them. With the release of Rajaat, and the stirrings of the Kreen empire, Dregoth, and the Dead Lands, as well as general unrest in the wake of the upheavals recently; some pyreen have awoken their soldiers, seeking to take a more active role in the history of Athas. Before the death of the Dragon, some Soldiers could be found walking among the people of the Tablelands, passing themselves off as humans, working behind the scenes to take out the Sorcerer Kings and their servants.
Combat:
In combat, Soldiers of Twilight tend to use magic and psionics to neutralize threats. They are capable combatants, and have no problems using weapons in combat as well. They tend to use magic weapons and offensive items to their advantage. They are very capable combatants and will ambush if possible, using terrain, numbers, and any other advantages as possible. When pressed, they will retreat, but are comfortable with running battles. Given that they need no sleep, and can run like elves, they are just as relentless as a thri-kreen stalking its prey.
--eliminate (I agree that this should be taken out)
Power Well (Su): Due to his connection with the Grey, Dyrden Kym (Who is this?) has a well of energy within him that he may use for either psionics or arcane magic. He may use this and not lose memorized spells. These points can be used for metamagic/psionic feats as well. He has 50 PP or spell levels to use at his maximum, and he regains the levels at a rate of 10 per day.
--eliminate
Against the War Bringer (Su): Soldiers of Twilight not effected by deifier magic or dragon magic. They suffer no penalties and suffer no damage from defiling.
In the thick of battle: These soldiers were meant to fight and use magic and psionics. They do not provoke attacks of opportunity while casting, and never need to make concentration checks to continue casting a spell. (I suggest that this be toned down- I do not know if Dragon magic would have been around during the Green Age- it would depend on if the Champions were dragons or not during this time- for ease of making this work I would take it out. Instead just say that being caught in a defiler radius does not affect them. As for being immune to defiler magic- I think that would be covered by their spell resistance.)
Gray Casting (Su): These Soldiers were built to draw energy from the Gray to fuel their spells. They can choose whether to utilize plant energy or energy from the Gray when casting spells. Gray energy has no impact on the environment. (These guys are highly immune to magic and were made to fight defilers- it does not seem right that they should be spellcasters- at least of the arcane type. And why would they be connected to the Grey- they are not undead?)
Fear Immunity (Ex): Made for war, the Soldiers have an immunity to fear.
Ferocity (Ex): A Soldier of Twilight is such a tenacious combatant that it continues to fight without penalty when disabled or dying (see the Injury and Death section in the Player's Handbook). (I would just give them the Die Hard feat as a bonus feat)
Keen Senses (Ex): Soldiers of Twilight can see 4 times as far as humans can. They have low light vision and darkvision out to 120 feet. They receive a +8 +5to spot, listen, search, and sense motive checks. (See skill note below).
Toughened for Battle (Ex): Soldiers of Twilight have a natural resistance to extreme temperatures and are not adversely affected by the heat of the day or the chill of the night. They treat extreme heat or cold as if it were only very hot or cold, (see DMG for rules on temperature effects) but suffer normally from abysmal heat, or from magical supernatural heat and cold. (Maybe just call it the same thing that the elves have)
Race Against the Coming Night (Ex): After a minute of warm-up and a Concentration check (DC 10), Soldiers of Twilight can induce an race state. This state allows them to hustle for long distances as easily as a human can move normally, and run for long distances as easily as a human can hustle. Each day that they continue this run, they must make additional Concentration skill checks to maintain their race state: A trivial check (DC 10) on the second day, an easy check (DC 15) on the third day, an average check (DC 20) on the fourth day, a difficult check (DC 30) on the fifth day, and an heroic check (DC 40) on the sixth day. Once they fail a Concentration skill check, they lose the benefits of the race and suffer normal penalties for extended hustling and running as described in chapter 9 of the Player’s Handbook. After a full day’s rest, a Solider of Twilight may attempt again to induce a race state. With a group of Soldiers, runners add their leader’s Charisma bonus both to their movement rate and to any Fortitude checks related to movement. (I am not a fan of this- seems to make elves less unique- here is my suggestion- I would make it so they are more able to perform forced marches with less penilaty- which would be covered by giving them the Endurance Feat.)
Leap (Ex): Soldiers of Twilight are created to be jumpers, springing into and out of combat. Soldiers of Twilight gain a +20 racial bonus to all Jump checks. (Why do they get such a huge jump bonus- they do not have the physical build of a thri-kreen?)
Grey Sustenance (Su): A Soldier of Twilight gains its sustenance from the Grey, and does not need to eat, breathe, or sleep. (Again- why the ties to the Grey. If you are going to keep this I would maybe make them like a living construct instead of an outsider.)
Battle Hardened (Ex): The Soldiers of Twilight are bread for war, and so have bonuses to their skills. They gain a 5 point bonus to Climb, Concentration, Hide, Move Silently, and Tumble. (See skill note below.)
Implanted Knowledge (Ex): Soldiers of Twilight are given knowledge at the time of their creation, allowing them to cast spells as a necromant or sorcerer equal to their HD and use psionics as a psion equal to their HD. They also gain a 10 5 point insight bonus to the following skills: Knowledge (arcane), Knowledge (planar), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (psionics), Spellcraft, and Psicraft. In addition to the racial feats, the Soldiers of twilight has a number of feats based on their HD. They tend to use metamagic and metapsionic feats to augment their capabilities. (I am not a huge fan of this too- once again, why are they casting arcane magic? I think psionics would be a great addition to this race, but maybe you would give them a short list of psionic power- mostly from the psychic warrior list- as these powers would be of the most use to them along with empty mind).
(Skills- all racial skills should be located at the bottom of the text along with a section on bonus feats they get. No need to make a special quality line item IMO).
Society:
Soldiers of Twilight have no society. They blend in best with humans, capable of hiding their true nature and working to defend their communities. They are natural leaders and are capable of leading slave tribes to prosperity, merchant houses to riches, and Veiled Alliance cells to success. They defer to Pyreen without question. If a Soldier of Twilight comes to know of Oronis of Kurn, they will seek him out and pledge themselves to him, seeing his goals as the perfect place for them. Soldiers of Twilight do best when acting, or researching solutions. They are driven towards defending the people of Athas, and are often unable to sit and do nothing. They quickly rise to levels of leadership wherever they go.
Time for sleep!