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#1 zombiegleemax Feb 16, 2005 12:39:59

This post is the first work I’ve done on a new system for creating exemplars in my planescape campaigns. After reading Exalted: The Fair Folk I became pretty dissatisfied with WotC’s conceptions of the various planar exemplars. The Exalted Fair Folk: infinitely variable in their forms, constructed by their own hands from dreams and beliefs, possessing alien psychologies, and wielding strange combinations of elemental, emotional, and creative powers seems far more inspiring, mythological, and heroic than the exemplars Wizards has been steadily pumping out with their ongoing parades of hack and slash Monster Manuals. Basically, at the risk of making an overly complex and unwieldy system, I wanted to make a thematic, template driven set of rules to custom build exemplars. This I hope would make exemplars more unique individuals with personalized appearances, belongings, and powers. By creating this system I’m also doing away with a lot of the old planescape canon, particularly the established subdivisions of the various exemplar races. The most significant changes I’ve made to the exemplars in my campaign have primarily been aesthetic and involved the combining of some preexisting outsider races. In my campaign I moved the slaadi away from the classic froggy look and made them more reptilian/elemental/primal looking, even charming and beatific in some cases. The Eladrin and Asuras have been combined to give the CG exemplars a more Indian feel. In my current planescape campaign I wanted to introduce some kind of rite of passage among the eladrin that temporarily turns one into a baatezu so that it can gain a more complete understanding of its own nature. Similarly, I’ve combined Rakshasa with Baatezu. Modrons have been mixed with the inevitables and formians. I expanded the guardinals to basically allow for any animal race (I wanted to make a noble moth guardinal). The other races I pretty much left alone. The system I’ve been working on constructs exemplars similarly to Expert NPC’s. Each exemplar, depending upon its station (lesser, intermediate, greater, and noble) receives a certain amount of discretionary points and abilities to create its subtypes, skills, attributes, abilities, attacks, defenses, etc. NOTE: In my campaigns I never use the challenge rating system so I’m not going to try to address a lot of potential game balance issues in the first incarnation of these rules. Lesser Exemplars: The rank and file peasants, workers, couriers, soldiers, and drones of multiversal principals, lesser exemplars are by far the most common and weakest of their respective races. These beings fill an almost limitless number of roles in and outside of planar society. Lesser exemplars of strong principles (LG, LE, CG, and CE) mature slower than members of the neutral alignments and generally favor one side of their nature over the other while in this station. Intermediate: Intermediate exemplars are the skilled craftsmen, librarians, body guards, knights, wanderers, and courtesans of the planes. Exemplars of this station have perfected the lowest level of forging their philosophic natures into physical forms. Many carry on this process by crafting themselves new and novel features to better personify their inner natures. Greater: The minor lords, elite body guards, heroes, holy people, and tribal leaders of their races, greater exemplars are capable of ruling vast numbers of their races but defer to the power and wisdom of noble exemplars. Greater exemplars express novel interpretations of multiversal principles through their physical forms; grafting larger amounts of planar substance to themselves and emerging as truly unique and more powerful beings. Nobles: Exemplars of this station fill multiversal roles as the champions, bodhisattvas, philosopher kings, and magi of planar philosophy. At this level of power, noble exemplars’ bodies and spirits become more plastic and mutable. They may change and shed their forms as the exemplification of multiversal principles dictate. Station HD Size AC Bonus Base Attacks Lesser 1-5 M-L +5 1d4X2/1d6 Intermediate 6-10 M-L +10 1d6X2/1d8 Greater 11-15 M-H +15 1d8X2/2d6 Noble 16-20 M-H +20 1d10X2/2d8 Station Ability Points #Class skills Lesser 78 + HD 10 Intermediate 90 + HD 11 Greater 102 + HD 12 Noble 114 + HD 14 Station #Spell Domains Max Templates (total CR increase) SR DR Lesser 1$ 1* 15 5/+1 or iron Intermediate 2 $$ 2** 20 10/+2 iron Greater 3 $$$ 5*** 25 15/+3 iron Noble 5 $$$ no limit**** 30 20/+4 iron Hit Dice: Exemplars are considered outsiders. They receive 1d8 HP per level + any bonuses from high constitution. Size: This is a general range for the size of an encountered exemplar. AC Bonus: An exemplar’s natural AC bonus before armor, size, and dexterity modifiers are applied. Base Attacks: This is a general rule of thumb for the base damages an exemplar may do with its natural weaponry. These numbers are primarily intended to represent the claw and bite damages of bestial Guardinals, Slaadi, and Tanar’ri but can easily be used to represent the fists of an Archon or rays of energy from a Rilmani’s hands. Abilitiy Points: Exemplars receive the specified number of discretionary points to distribute among their ability scores plus 1 per HD. # Class Skills: Like expert NPC’s, exemplars choose up to the listed number of skills to function as class skills. Like all outsiders, exemplars receive 8 + Int modifier points per HD to spend on skills. # Spell Domains: All exemplars may cast a number of spells per day equal to a priest of similar level to their HD. For instance a 16 HD (before possible augmentation through templates) rilmani may cast spells as a 16th level priest. Exemplars do not gain bonus spells for high wisdom but still must have a high enough wisdom score for the appropriate spell level. Exemplars do not gain the granted powers of their domains either. Finally, levels of priest classes taken by the exemplar stack their priestly casting levels from HD. $ Lesser exemplars may select their spells from a single domain dictated by their alignment affinity (Good for celestials, Evil for fiends, etc.). For instance, a lesser yugoloth (NE) would have to draw its spells solely from the evil domain while an eladrin (an exemplar of chaos and good) would select whether to cast its spells from either the chaos or good domain at its birth. $$ When they advance to the position of an intermediate, exemplars of strong alignments (LG, CE, etc.) must select the neglected alignment domain as their second casting option. Intermediate, neutral affinity exemplars may from now on select any domain they wish provided it is appropriate to their concept and templates. For instance, an intermediate slaad that has taken on a fire elemental template would probably accept the fire domain or something conceptually appropriate like war or destruction. $$$ Greater and noble exemplars are free to select any domains they wish as long as they match the concepts and templates they have taken upon themselves. Exemplars of this power level may also learn prestige domains provided they are instructed by an exemplar of higher station or deity. Common Domains (from PH) Archon/Aasimon: Good, Law, Healing, Protection, Strength, Sun, Travel, War Guardinal: Good, Animals, Healing, Knowledge, Protection, Strength, Sun, Travel Eladrin/Asura: Chaos, Good, Elements, Destruction, Luck, Plant, Animals, Trickery, Travel Slaadi: Chaos, Elements, Destruction, War, Strength Tanar’ri: Chaos, Evil, Destruction, Death, Animal, War Yugoloth: Evil, Death, Destruction, Magic, Trickery Baatezu/Rakshasa: Evil, Law, Death, Elements, Knowledge, Protection, Trickery, War Modron/Inevitable: Law, Knowledge, Magic, Protection, Strength, Sun, War Rilmani: Animals, Plants, Elements, Knowledge, Magic, Protection, Travel *Plenty of domains from the BoVD and the BoED would be appropriate too. Max Templates: This is a general rule for the number of templates an exemplar can possess. This system of building exemplars encourages the use of templates to flesh out their appearance and abilities. * Every exemplar must take at least one template specific to its alignment as its first template choice. For instance, a newly formed lesser slaad must conform to its nature as an exemplar of chaos by taking the anarchic template. Similarly, exemplars representing strong alignments (LG, CG, LE, CE) must chose one of the two appropriate alignment templates at their creation. An archon for instance would choose to either uphold law or good at its creation by taking either the axiomatic or celestial template. **Upon becoming an exemplar of intermediate power, an exemplar of strong alignment must take the other appropriate alignment template to complete their natural transformation. A lesser baatezu with the infernal template upon becoming an intermediate exemplar must choose the axiomatic template to reflect its perfected understanding of both law and evil. Exemplars of neutral alignments (TN, NE, NG, CN, LN) are free at this point to start assembling a potpourri of templates to delineate their natures. For example, a lesser modron upon becoming an intermediate exemplar is free to select the insectile, living construct, or any other appropriate template to reflect its new shape and roles. Intermediate exemplars cannot select templates that would increase the base creatures CR by more than about 1 at this point (reptilian (+1 CR): ok; wight (+3 CR): too high). ***At this level of power, all exemplars are free to select any number of templates provided they don’t exceed a CR bonus total of +4. The only restrictions are that exemplars may not take any of the templates reflecting outer planar origins. For example, a greater archon may not select the ½ celestial template as they are already a full blooded member of that race (and it would probably be redundant ability-wise to do so). This archon could also not select the fiendish, or anachic templates as these are anathema to their natures. Templates that change the exemplars creature type from that of an outsider are legal so long as they make sense for the character. For example, many fiends take on the trappings of undeath to better understand and channel their fell natures. ****The greatest of the exemplars have no restrictions on the number and power of the templates they may adopt. They are free to change and mutate as their exemplification of multiversal principles necessitate. Noble exemplars may trade out preexisting templates for new ones. There are no rules governing this process but it usually requires significant time, purification (or sacrifice), study, and ritual to accomplish. Other Statistics Type: Exemplars begin to accumulate monster subtypes as they progress in power. Exemplars gain all the benefits and weaknesses associated with these changes. Many Chaotic exemplars, particularly slaad, accumulate elemental subtypes not ordinarily able to coexist, such as fire and water subtypes. In an event such as this, the exemplar is no longer vulnerable to fire’s weakness to water and vice versa but still vulnerable to attacks and powers targeting elementals as a general category. Initiative: Calculated Normally Speed: All exemplars begin with a base movement of 30ft. At creation, they may select a second form of locomotion such as flying (60 ft, Average maneuverability), swimming (30 ft), jumping (30ft), climbing (15ft), or burrowing (15ft). Some exemplars, such as the elemental slaadi seek out more modes of locomotion through templates to better traverse their home planes. Attacks: Exemplars’ Base Attack Bonus is equal to their total HD, like all outsiders. Exemplars possess various natural and weapon based attacks determined by their shapes and abilities. Face/Reach: Determined by the size of the exemplar. Special Attacks: See below Special Qualities: Home plane immunities, see below Saves: As outsiders, exemplars saves are all considered good. Feats: Starting exemplars receive 1 feat plus another 1 per 4 HD. They may select feats as appropriate for their abilities and forms (no metamagic feats though). Climate/Terrain: Any Organization: Any Challenge Rating: ~ Treasure: See below Alignment: Any Advancement: By class or exemplar station advancement Special Attacks & Qualities of exemplars are determined by the templates they take upon themselves but also by a system exactly like item creation for a starting PC above 1st level. Exemplars forge their armors, weapons, scales, and claws from the outer planes themselves. They can never be divested of these weapons and powers except as gifts to worthy mortals or through unique role playing circumstances. Building exemplar’s powers uses a discretionary point system completely analogous to the GP cost of making magic items. Here’s a redesigning of table 5.1 from the DMG to illustrate the number of points a particular exemplar should use to craft its abilities. HD Discretionary Points HD DP 1 500 12 88,000 2 900 13 110,000 3 2,700 14 150,000 4 5,400 15 200,000 5 9,000 16 260,000 6 13,000 17 340,000 7 19,000 18 440,000 8 27,000 19 580,000 9 36,000 20 760,000 10 49,000 11 66,000 Powers and abilities gained through this system manifest as physical features on the exemplar and occupy physical “slots” on their bodies similar to normal characters. Typically these items are heavily stylized and thematically appropriate for the exemplar’s templates. For example, a 7 HD, intermediate modron warrior created with the lawful and insectile templates could manifest a heavily armored carapace (magical full plate armor) and gossamer wings (a cloak of the bat or wings of flying). The same modron with the animated construct template, instead of insectile, could simply reword the previous section into clockwork armor and wings for the same effect. Special powers originating from less tangible locations should occupy thematically appropriate slots such as cloaks (auras and miens), helmets (gazes and enhanced senses) rings, cloaks, circlets, boots, etc. (aptitudes and movement affecting powers. Slots governing where special abilities are located are only important for thematics and when PC are gifted or steal them. Magical items taken from exemplars are crafted from dreams and beliefs and are for all intensive purposes weightless and unencumbering (with regard to skill checks). Exemplars manifesting armor and weapons are considered fully proficient with them. Planar Immunity: Exemplars are considered completely immune to most mundane environmental hazards on their home and two adjacent planes (Limbo: Ysgard, and Pandemonium for example). Most also receive environmentally appropriate abilities such as chaos shaping for the slaadi.