The Z'traska

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nick012000's picture
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factotums
Joined: 2004-05-19
The Z'traska

The Z'traska are an order of Githzerai monks and zerth who operate out of their monastery in Limbo. What sets them apart from other Githzerai monks is their doctrines. Namely, they beleive that since Zerthimon discovered that steel was better than flesh, that they should replace their flesh with steel. As a result, they have mastered shaping karach in a fashion no other group has: to form muscles of metal, and armored skin. Often, it is used in conjunction with other metals which provide a rigid framework for the implants. The current sensei and leader of the order is a monk known as C'reshquetal, who has replaced his entire body (except for his brain) with the cybernetic grafts.

Game mechanically, this can be handled in one of two ways: either the monks take cybernetic components from d20 Future and d20 Cyberspace, or the half golem template (ignoring the alignment shift caused by the latter). In the former case, their fighting style is designed to utilize the spurs that virtually all of them have installed.

ripvanwormer's picture
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Factol
Joined: 2004-10-05
The Z'traska

That's interesting.

I'd make it a prestige class, I think, based on the half-golem template spread across several levels.

Fidrikon's picture
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Factor
Joined: 2004-12-19
The Z'traska

I wouldnt make them cybernetic, at least... not really.
They make themselves out of metal. Not computer parts. While some cybernetic upgrabed make sense, others dont.

An interesting ability, however, might be that- since thier bodies are formed of metal hsaped karach- they can shapeshift the karach parts. I can even see them healing themselves. Who should the fact that your hand got cut off keep you from chaos-shaping a new hand?

Rhys's picture
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factotums
Joined: 2004-05-11
The Z'traska

Have you considered the possibility of making this into an NPC instead of a Prestige Class? I feel like it's a really cool idea, but it's too specific for a Prestige Class. Everyone who took the class would be essentially the same. What if only one githzerai had really mastered it, and make him a half-golem and give him some really out-there traits, and he can have some students who have lesser abilities, just trying to learn from him.

nick012000's picture
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factotums
Joined: 2004-05-19
The Z'traska

Well, with d20 Cyberscape, there are plenty of implants that make sense. Replacement limbs, artificial muscle fiber, artificial twitch fibers, subcutaneous body armor, bone reinforcement, kama calculators, spurs, implaned weapons, assorted vision enhancements, prosthetic enhancers, etc.

Rhys: Well, I just went by what the 3e MotP said about the githzerai monasteries: that they're all headed by a 16th level monk who is the absolute master of that particular martial art.

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