Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 kalthandrix Jun 17, 2006 21:20:48	Okay folks, here is is - a vampire-like creature designed by brun01 and I over the last few weeks or so. The name of this creature means "Dark Eater" or "the Darkness That Eats". This creature is not totally finished though, because we need to finish two other creatures to allow you all to see the whole picture. When one is killed by a nifolaetan, they actually become a whelp - a beast-like creature that attacks like a pack of starving wolves and are full of an almost blind beastial fury. Only by draining the life from living creatures does this rage calm, and over time and with enough deaths, the whelp awakens; its rage clears, and it changes into a nifolaetan - with all of the class abilities that they had before death (they loose access to them while they are a whelp due to the rage). But sometimes the rage does not clear. Instead it grows and becomes all consuming. These whelps grow and keep growing - the more they feed and kill, the greater their rage and power becomes. These are the ǽfre-aetan, the Endless Eaters. The other two creatures are in to works, but here is the nifolaetan - the nights of Athas just became more dangerous!!! Enjoy. Nifolaetan A nifolaetan appears much as it did in life, albeit their skin has paled to become an alabaster color. This feature, while strange, does not hinder their movement through the lands of the living. Despite their rather unremarkable appearance, nifolaetan’s can be easily recognized by those who know what to look for. When threatened or angry, their eyes will blaze with a corrupted green and black light and their facial features undergo a slight change, becoming more bestial and feral looking. The thick finger nails that they all possess elongate into cruelly hooked talons almost four inches in length. Nifolaetans speak any languages they knew in life. Creating a Nifolaetan “Nifolaetan” is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature). A nifolaetan uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here. Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to undead (augmented humanoid or monstrous humanoid). Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. The creature gains the psionic subtype. Size is unchanged. Hit Dice: Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s. Speed: Same as the base creature. Armor Class: The base creature’s natural armor bonus improves by +4. Attack: A nifolaetan retains all the attacks of the base creature and receives the following ability. As a free action, the nifolaetan can transform its hands into large razor-sharp claws, granting them a claw attack with each hand. Nifolaetan’s retain all of the weapon skills that they had in life, but usually prefer to use their claws in combat in order to feed upon the life force of their opponents. Full Attack: A nifolaetan usually uses its claws in combat. If armed with a weapon the nifolaetan will usually use it’s claws as its primary attack unless the weapon it carries it more powerful or better situated for the combat. Damage: If the base creature does not have a claw, use the appropriate damage value from the table below according to its size. Creatures that have other kinds of natural weapons retain their old damage values or use the appropriate value from the table below, whichever is better.
#2 kalthandrix Jun 18, 2006 13:11:54	Yeah - it is okay. You guys can reply if you want. I know that the glory of this creation and the sheer genius it took to design such a creature is pretty amazing, but feel free and share your accolades and worship. The two humble creators of this creature can take it.
#3 Tsuul Jun 18, 2006 13:48:48	First, the area in which the nifolaetan discorporated in must be consecrated within 1 minute of time following its discorporation. The creature’s ashes must then be gathered into a container made from dasl within 10 minutes of the consecration being cast. After the ashes are in the dasl container, a hollow spell must then be cast upon it. The ashes and container must then be exposed to at least two blessed elements for a full 24 hours. Failure to do perform these tasks within the allotted time or for the durations specified means that the spirit of the nifolaetan escapes and will then arise fully healed on the sunset of the next day. Hallow has a casting time of 24 hours. Then the container and ashes must be exposed to blessed elements for 24 hours? That's 48 hours of cerimony for something that will rise 21-44* hours after being slain. *assuming sunset is at 8pm
#4 terminus_vortexa Jun 18, 2006 13:52:56	Pretty cool creature. Way different from the common Vampire. Question - How long does the damage reduction they gain last?
#5 kalthandrix Jun 18, 2006 15:33:21	Hallow has a casting time of 24 hours. Then the container and ashes must be exposed to blessed elements for 24 hours? That's 48 hours of cerimony for something that will rise 21-44* hours after being slain. *assuming sunset is at 8pm Hummm - I did not notice the casting time when I designed this aspect. How about this - the dasl container must have been subject to a hallow spell with dimensional anchor tied to it (per the spell). The ashes must then be placed within the prepared container which it in turn exposed to the blessed elements. As for your question Terminus Vortexa - they alway have the DR, I think you ment the Fast Healing. The Fast Healing would last for 1 hour.
#6 terminus_vortexa Jun 18, 2006 15:37:27	You are correct, O Dread Flayer of Halflings. My mistake.
#7 terminus_vortexa Jun 18, 2006 15:38:40	Also, cool twist that for once, metal isn't a method to overcome the creature's damage reduction. Too many Athasian undead have that trait.
#8 kalthandrix Jun 18, 2006 15:50:16	We wanted different and so did everyone else. The DR is a cool twist - requiring magic and wood or magic and dasl items. Both materials come from living things and we though it would fit in the setting. Bone was not considered, at least by me. Thanks for the comments.
#9 Tsuul Jun 18, 2006 16:56:32	How about this - the dasl container must have been subject to a hallow spell with dimensional anchor tied to it (per the spell). The ashes must then be placed within the prepared container which it in turn exposed to the blessed elements. Sounds good. Should be a great monster.
#10 kalthandrix Jun 18, 2006 21:05:55	Alright - made a few minor updates to take in the feedback so far - thanks all.
#11 balican_gigolo Jun 19, 2006 4:26:45	wow. I so want to use that in my upcoming game. Good job.
#12 brun01 Jun 19, 2006 7:18:29	I think it's crap! ;)
#13 kalthandrix Jun 19, 2006 20:43:37	I think it's crap! ;) you should have seen it before i got it - it was full of gibberish in port-u-gees :P