uh, should the Chill Metal ability have a 30 ft. radius like an Elder Ice Paraelemental's, or should it be extended?
I apologize if I posted this on the wrong forum; I've been looking at this one and RPG Discussion over and over again and I can't tell what either one is specifically intended for and not intended for.
I should mention that I am obsessed with Cryonax (hey, I have an excuse, I have obsessive compulsive disorder!)
Anyhow, I also did a writeup for Albrathanilar to see which one of the two would win (to my understanding she's supposed to be about equal to but slightly weaker than Cryonax, so I made her an Advanced Great Wyrm +6)
Turns out neither one can do anything to each other. I mean, Albrathanilar has spells like "Breath Substitution", but even then her breath only does 54 damage maximum, and Cryonax is likely to make his reflex save for half damage. (not to mention he'll have regenerated the damage by the time she can use her breath weapon again) Their total AC is too high for either to succeed in damaging the other outside of a true 20.
The save DC's for Cryonax's spell-like abilities are too low to hit Albrathanilar, and Albrathanilar's caster level is too low to hit Cryonax.
In my writeup for her I gave her a few enchantment-based feats from Dragon Magazine, though if I were to ever post her stats here, I would likely instead give her an artifact (probably a crown) that gave the same effects (and a few additional ones) to avoid copyright violation.
I also wrote some stuff on Cryonax's personality and ambitions:
Cryonax is emotionally subdued and outwardly seems apathetic and distant. Like all the evil archomentals, Cryonax is utterly without compassion and won't hesitate to take out his frustrations on innocent bystanders, though unlike Imix, he is not normally sadistic, and unlike Ogremoch he doesn't relish in violence.
He appears as a hulking creature covered in nacreous (pearly) white fur from head to toe, likened in appearance to a yeti or a very large snow monkey. Instead of arms, he sports a pair of furless tentacles covered in numerous suction cups.
These tentacles fork off at certain places into 4 smaller tendrils, giving him fine manipulation and opposable digits. His eyes glow white, and he always sports a cold gaze.
Cryonax stands alone without a good counterpart, leaving him to slowly conquer the entire paraelemental plane. His ultimate goal is to make Ice the one true element and reduce all other elements into lesser forms of matter. He is not without rivals however; Albrathanilar, the Great White Wyrm, the most powerful white dragon in the Multiverse, seeks to overthrow him. She is a powerful enchantress who continues to amass her army with her enchantments and conjurations.
Moreso than the other archomentals of elemental evil, Cryonax enjoys twisting things to further his intentions. To this end he has hired a team of mortal, genasi, and planetouched arcane casters and devotees to conduct experiments somewhere deep in the basement levels of his palace, with the hopes of creating innovative new minions for his armies.
I also plan to devise an avatar creature for Cryonax, (any idea what it should be called? I've tried to devise a name in the same spirit as the other four, but have had no success) and I hope to redo the Frigidarch (updated on EN world) to be more in line with an "elite general" as they are supposed to be. Only problem is that the Frigidarch sounds very much like what Cryonax's avatars would look like.
I also intend to detail Cryonax's cult, in the same format as what is seen in Complete Divine. Personally, I view each archomental (and Albrathanilar) as being in possession of an artifact of some sort that enhances their abilities to some degree *probably a minor one* (I hold the same view of every celestial paragon and archfiend), and each archomental would have one relic of some type.
Someday, I plan do make a sketch of Cryonax as well.
Here is some of the cult info. It's a bit lengthy. I forgot to mention in my last post that Cryonax is cold, calculating, and much more logical than emotional (the only other Archomental of evil who is this way is Yan-C-Bin)
Devotee Training: Initiation rites differ depending on the creature's subtype. Creatures of the cold subtype must spend 8 hours unsheltered in a violent blizzard, while non-cold creatures must simply survive a night outside in sub-freezing weather without the benefit of winter clothing or protective magic. In addition, they must slay a wyrmling, very young, young, or juvenile white dragon without the aid of any type of fire or heat. All must swear their loyalty to Cryonax and vow never to use or prepare a spell or magical item of fire or magma. Beyond that, there is very little training offered to devotees.
Quests: This varies by environment. In his Chisled Estate, somewhere in the basement levels is a vast laboratory where transmuters, necromancers, and devotees perform experiments on various cold creatures. The goal is to create new forms of life that will make powerful minions for Cryonax. Outside of the Chisled Estate, on the Paraplane of Ice, the primary quest is usually that of conquest. Cryonax frowns upon killing the children of these outposts since they often tend to make better test subjects than adults. Aside from genetic and elemental experiments, Cryonax is also very interested in natural hybridization, and will sometimes capture or simply recruit healthy young women for this purpose.
Rites: Cryonax's rites are generally sacrificial or involve ordeals pertaining to cold. Sacrifices usually take the form of white dragons (symbolizing Albrathanilar, his mortal enemy), enemies of the cult (including those on Ice who refuse to accept Cryonax's authority), and members of the community who are not, and never will be productive. Sacrifices are either killed via cold, or their blood is drained over snow or a glacier. On the Paraelemental Plane of Ice, 'non-productive' members of an outpost may instead be dragged to the Chisled Estate to be vivisected, autopsied, or otherwise studied by Cryonax's necromancers and transmuters.
As cultists, humanoid devotees on the Material Plane will be secretive, whereas monstrous humanoid devotees will be more open. (this rule applies to the other four Archomental cults as well.)
Allies: Many frost giants, ice paraelementals (MotP), yeti (Frostburn), ice mephits, ice drakes (Draconomicon), winter wolves, white dragons, and chraal (MM3) are under his command, many unintelligent ice element creatures (Dragon 347; use cold element creature from MotP if you don't have this) have been trained to serve him, and many ice golems (Frostburn) guard his Chisled Estate. He may also command some Black Ice Golems (Dragon 224) to guard especially important positions (such as say, a treasure vault); he doesn't normally like using these since they leave a mess. He owns many snow and ice weirds and a few immoths (MM2), qorrashi (Frostburn), and ice genasi (Dragon 297 or make your own if you don't like the template) as slaves. Cryonax also commands beings that his devotees have altered with magic. If using supplements, these can include demonically fused elementals (Dragon Magazine Compendium), multiheaded magical beast and ice element creatures (Savage Species; add the multiheaded template first), winged magical beasts (Savage Species), necromentals (Libris Mortis), and any aberration found in Frostburn. Technically, you should be able to use the Draconic and Half-Dragon templates (Draconomicon) (even though it's an inherited template; hey, we're talking about magical genetic engineering, here). These experiments are usually performed on young creatures (when pertaining to organic specimens); the younger the better, as these are better able to adapt to their new forms and are less likely to hold a grudge for being experimented on.
Among powers, Cryonax is rumored to have built alliances with Levistus of Stygia (Baator/9 Hells) and Azeroth of SoulFreeze (Abyss), though nobody is sure to what end. A few sages theorize that, if true, then it is likely for the purpose of acquiring exotic creatures for Cryonax's experiments.
I'm also working on his herald; a half-qorrashi, half-ice paraelemental (qorrashi as the base creature with a half-fire elemental template with fire domain spell-like-abilities swapped out for cold domain spell-like abilities) with an interesting backstory.
This woman was born of a Qorrashi (ice element genies from Frostburn) mother and an Ice Paraelemental father. Because of her appearance and lineage, she was left in the wilderness of the Paraelemental Plane to die as a baby. She was found by Cryonax's minions, who recognizing what she was, took her to Cryonax, who decided that she would be carefully studied (as a reference specimen for future experiments), and raised/trained to become one of his soldiers. Because of her elemental lineage, she was forever tainted by Cryonax's presence, changing her alignment from Lawful Neutral to Lawful Evil. Today she fills the role of Cryonax's herald, and is fiercely loyal to he who granted her life. She frequently runs missions of conquest against independent outposts, acquiring new territory, recruits, and subjects for Cryonax's experiments. The Qorrashi mostly ignore Cryonax's rule, and as of yet Cryonax has done little in reprisal, but his herald yearns for the day when he gives the orders to take action against them, for she lusts for revenge against the beings who left her to die. She hopes to slay her own mother personally for abandoning her.
Hall of Records is the forum for game-mechanical information. Civic Festhall is for creative works, and RPG Discussion is for setting and roleplaying talk in general. Planar Ventures is about adventures, campaigns, and projects. Obviously there is some overlap, so we don't usually sweat it much.
It makes sense that two powerful creatures of ice can do little to each other, since after all their attacks and defenses stalemate each other's abilities unless one is overwhelmingly more powerful than the other. This is fine -- it means there is tension, and allows the conflict to be protracted. Putting a final end to a rival like that would require some sort of quantum jump in power like becoming a deity, which would make a fine motivator for an adventure.
Specific details of powers at the level of beings like Cryonax can usually be glossed over somewhat. Switching out one ice-based spell-like for another is rarely going to cause significant balance difficulties. A Freezing Strike that acts like hold monster seems quite reasonable -- and perhaps it has double duration on creatures with vulnerability to cold, but half duration if the target has any resistance to cold and fails entirely if they are immune to cold damage.
""and perhaps it has double duration on creatures with vulnerability to cold, but half duration if the target has any resistance to cold and fails entirely if they are immune to cold damage.""
I'm not sure how that's going to work. The Archomentals have "primal energy" as a supernatural ability which allows them to bypass resistance to their element and inflict half-damage to those immune to their element (if you're familiar with the "Piercing Cold" metamagic feat from Frostburn, it's exactly like that, except that it applies to all of their attacks, abilities, and spell-like abilities that inflict element-type damage)
I also thought about giving him a "Frostbite" ability as seen in Frostburn (would have to make a DC 47 fortitude save or be fatigued) This would be more in-line with the equivalent of Imix's 'burn' ability.
I don't know how the author of the Archomental Template and Planewalker Imix indends for the "Burn" ability to work, but the idea of fire catching on fire and burning is pretty awesome.
Also, it turns out I was calculating the AC incorrectly when I thought they could not damage one-another; they actually can, though I'm not sure who would win. Albrathanilar, as a +6 advanced White Wyrm, has the potential to be far more powerful than Cryonax, but she is likely to use most of her feats on metamagic and metabreath feats, and is likely to waste her "spells known" slots on summoning and enchantment, neither of which are going to do anything whatsoever against Cryonax (Cryonax's aura inflicts 1d6 cold damage to anything immune to cold within 15 feet of him, and 3d6 to anything resistant to or with no defenses vs. cold, and he's immune to mind-affecting effects)
I have to finish calculating Albrathanilar's stats, though, and I probably won't get to that until I finish Cryonax's herald.
I intend to make her a Qorrashi with full HD (22) plus 5 levels in cleric (she's a devotee) and 8 levels in fighter... I think the rules allow for that, don't they? Anyway, that would bring her to a maximum of about 35HD, which is about right. (I'm going based on the HD of Cryonax vs. the Frigidarch on ENworld and recalculating the latter's HD compared to Planewalker archomentals, which would be... 38 or 39 maximum IIRC) Bear in mind she uses an elite template and has a racial bonus to a few stats for being half Ice Paraelemental, and I'm also going by the examples in the MM of monsters who take class levels (I know what the rules say, but the Harpy Archer, Frost Giant Jarl, etc. get 2 ability score increases for each level they gain in a class O_o, so her stats are a tad high.)
I've finished both Cryonax and his herald, except that I haven't decided on a name for his herald, yet (Probably something starting with "Frigi" to give it a nice Glacian feel) Since Ice Paraelementals and Fire Elementals have all the exact same ability scores, saves, etc. (with the exception that elder ice paraelementals have 4 more Int points than fire ones), I mostly just copied the stats given for Imix in the "Denizens of the Inner Planes" book.
CRYONAX, PLANEWALKER VERSION
Huge Elemental (Evil, Extraplanar, Cold)
Hit Dice: 48d8+624 plus 576 (1,584 hp)
Initiative: +19
Speed: 150 ft.
Armor Class: 65 (-2 size, +17 Dex, +12 divine, +8 natural, +8 deflection, +12 insight), Touch 57, Flat-Footed 48
Base Attack/Grapple: +33/+57
Attack: Slam +77 melee (3d8+35/19-20x2 plus 2d8 cold)
Full Attack: 2 tentacle slaps +77 melee (3d8+35/19-20x2 plus 2d8 cold) secondary attack: 2 tentacle slaps +72 melee (3d8+35/19-20x2 plus 2d8 cold)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: aligned strike (evil), epic strike, frostbite, primal energy, rebuke creatures, spell-like abilities, summon creatures
Special Qualities: cold immunity, damage reduction 10/epic and 15/-, darkvision 60 ft., elemental aura, elemental traits, fast healing 20, Fire vulnerability, Frostbrittle, Icewalking, quasi-deity traits, Snowsight, Spell Resistance 45
Saves: Fort +39, Ref +56, Will +34
Abilities: Str 40, Dex 44, Con 36, Int 25, Wis 26, Cha 26
Skills: Bluff +60, Concentration +60, Diplomacy +56, Hide +45, Intimidate +55, Jump 58, Knowledge (the planes) +45, Knowledge (religion) +15, Listen +70, Move Silently +50, Search +52, Sense Motive +65, Spot +70
Languages: Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Draconic, Entropian, Giant, Infernal, Vivacian
Feats: Blind-Fight, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Greater Cleave, Empower Spell-Like Ability (Polar Ray) (B), Improved Critical (Slam) (B), Improved Natural Attack (Slam), Improved Sunder, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Power Attack, Quicken Spell Like Ability (Sleet Storm) Quicken Spell Like Ability (Wall of Ice) Rapidstrike (B), Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse (tentacle/slam) Weapon Focus (Slam)
Epic Feats: Blinding Speed
Environment: Paraelemental Plane of Ice
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 37
Treasure: Triple standard
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: –
Level Adjustment: –
""This monstrosity, covered in nacreous (pearly) fur, standing over 18 feet tall, radiates unearthly cold. Basically humanoid in appearance, he sports two furless tentacles where one would expect arms. Everything instantly freezes in his presence. Every word he speaks seems to chill your soul.""
The Evil Prince of Paraelemental Ice rules over many frost giants, white dragons, yeti, and ice paraelementals from his frozen fortress at the juncture between Air and Ice, known as "The Precipice". This fortress is known as the "Chisled Estate", and consists of a palace of ice, glass, and crystal, reaching one mile into the sky, and 4 miles below the ground.
Cryonax is the misfit of the Princes of Elemental Evil. After all, he's not an elemental but a para-elemental lord. The other para-elemental lords are nothing more than formidable mephits. Cryonax is more like the other archomentals, in that he's a true force to be reckoned with.
Cryonax is emotionally subdued and outwardly seems apathetic and distant. Like all the evil archomentals, Cryonax is utterly without compassion and won't hesitate to take out his frustrations on innocent bystanders, though unlike Imix, he is not normally sadistic, and unlike Ogremoch he doesn't relish in violence. He is cold and calculating, more logical than emotional.
He appears as a hulking creature covered in nacreous white fur from head to toe, likened in appearance to a yeti or a very large snow monkey. Instead of arms, he sports a pair of furless tentacles covered in numerous suction cups.
These tentacles fork off at certain places into 4 smaller tendrils, giving him fine manipulation and opposable digits. His eyes glow white, and he always sports a cold gaze.
Cryonax stands alone without a good counterpart, leaving him to slowly conquer the entire paraelemental plane. His ultimate goal is to make Ice the one true element and reduce all other elements into lesser forms of matter. He is not without rivals however; Albrathanilar, the Great White Wyrm, the most powerful white dragon in the Multiverse, seeks to overthrow him. She is a powerful enchantress who continues to amass her army with her enchantments and conjurations.
For now however, their conflict is limited to sabotage and spying.
Some of his minions are elemental devotees, and have access to Cold and Evil domains. This includes his herald, a half-genasi, half-ice paraelemental female.
Moreso than the other archomentals of elemental evil, Cryonax enjoys twisting things to further his intentions. To this end he has hired a team of mortal, genasi, and other planetouched arcane casters and devotees to conduct experiments somewhere deep in the basement levels of his palace, with the hopes of creating innovative new minions for his armies. Rumor has it that his six Frigidarch generals are a product of this research.
As an extension of this interest, Cryonax is also highly interested in natural hybridization, and other areas concerning genetics.
His minions also patrol the plane, conquering new territory and destroying non-natives (especially the entropes, which Cryonax views as a dire threat to his ultimate goal).
Elemental Aura (Su): Cryonax is surrounded by an aura which deals 3d6 cold damage per round to all creatures within 15 ft. Furthermore, all non-magical fires within 20 ft. are instantly extinguished and all heated or molten rock or metals are instantly cooled.
Elemental Traits: Immune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, and stunning; not subject to critical hits or flanking.
Fast Healing (Ex): Fast healing 20.
Frostbite (Ex): A creature that sustains any cold damage from Cryonax's melee attacks must make a DC 47 Fortitude save or become frostbitten.
Creatures suffering from frostbite are fatigued (cannot run or charge; -2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity). These penalties end when the cold damage is healed by any means. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Icewalking (Ex): This ability works like the spider climb spell, but the surfaces Cryonax climbs must be icy. In addition, Cryonax can move normally on all icy surfaces. This ability is always in effect.
Primal Energy (Su): Cryonax’s cold-based damage ignores cold resistance. Creatures with cold immunity take half damage. Creatures vulnerable to cold take double damage instead of 50% more damage.
Quasi-Deity Traits: Immune to form-altering effects, polymorph, petrification, energy drain, ability drain, ability damage, and mind-affecting effects. Cryonax is immortal and has divine rank 0.
Rebuke Creatures (Su): Cryonax can rebuke or command creatures with cold subtype as a 48th-level cleric 11/day.
The rebuked creature gains a turn resistance equals to its Charisma bonus (if any).
Skills: Cryonax gains a +10 competence bonus on all his skill checks.
Spell Like Abilities:
Caster Level 48th; Save DCs are Charisma-based.
Always Active: Comprehend Languages, Detect Evil, Detect Good, See Invisibility
At Will: Chill Metal (DC 19), Chill Touch (DC 18), Cone of Cold (DC 24), Greater Dispel Magic, Greater Teleport (self only), Ice Storm (DC 21), Read Magic, Sleet Storm, Suggestion (DC 21), quickened Wall of Ice
3x/day: Control Weather, Obedient Avalanche (DC 28), empowered Polar Ray (DC 27), Telekinesis (DC 23), Tongues
If the continually active effects are dispelled, Cryonax can reactivate them as a free action.
Summon Creatures (Sp): Cryonax can summon up to a number of creatures native to the Plane of Ice (usually ice paraelementals, frost giants, yeti, or white dragons) 1/day, so long the total HD of summoned creatures do not exceed 48.
No single summoned creature may be of more than 25 HD. This is equivalent to a 9th-level spell.
I didn't get his tactics yet; I'll probably let someone else figure those out.
Next up is Cryonax's herald. Her description as an NPC is rather lengthy. She might be a tad unbalanced. A 22HD Qorrashi was used as the base creature, and the half-fire elemental template from MotP was added (with fire-domain spell-like abilities substituted for cold-domain spell-like abilities)
CRYONAX'S HERALD
Half-Qorrashi, Half-Ice Paraelemental; 8th level fighter; 7th level Cleric devotee of Cryonax
Huge Outsider (Cold)
Hit Dice: 22d8+220 HD plus 8d10+80 HD plus 7d8+70 (682HP)
Initiative: +14
Speed: 40 ft., fly 80 ft. (perfect)
AC 40 (-2 Size, +13 Dex, +10 natural +10 armor) touch 25, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +37/+55
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Attack: Slam +48 melee (3d6+18/19-20x2 plus 2d6 cold)
Full attack: 2 Slams +48 melee (3d6+18/19-20x2 plus 2d6 cold) plus 2 additional slams +43/38 melee (3d6+18/19-20x2 plus 2d6 cold)
Special Attacks: Chill, frostbite, spells, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, evasion (ring), icewalking, immunity to cold, outsider traits, plane shift, telepathy, vulnerability to fire, SR 19 (armor)
Saves: Fort 23, Ref 24, Will 18
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 36, Con 30, Int 22, Wis 24, Cha 20
Skills: Bluff +54, Climb+28, Concentration +45, Diplomacy +42, Disguise +25, Escape Artist +34, Heal +20, Intimidate +47, Jump+38, Knowledge (arcana) +20, Knowledge (history) +20, Knowledge (religion) +22, Knowledge (the planes) +31, Listen +56, Move Silently +32, Sense Motive +52, Spellcraft +30, Spot +56, Swim +26, Use Rope +18
Languages: Auran, Aquan, Draconic, Entropian, Giant, Vivacian
Feats: Blindfight, Cleave, Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Elemental Devotee, Improved Critical (slam), Improved Natural Attack (slam), Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Power Attack, Rapidstrike, Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (Slam)
(Rapidstrike is from Draconomicon, but its effects are listed in her stats)
Prepared Cleric Spells: 6/5/4/3/2 CL 7th
0level:-- Resistance x2, guidance x2, detect magic
1st: -- cure light wounds x2, divine favor x2, chill touch
2nd -- aid, obscuring snow (frostburn), chill metal
3rd -- prayer, sleet storm, see text for further details*
4th -- cure critical wounds, ice storm
*She may also prepare protection from energy (lightning) or protection from positive energy or negative energy (Planar Handbook) depending on what she and her troupe expect to encounter.
Possessions: Skull talisman of cure moderate wounds x2, skull talisman of lesser restoration, skull talisman of snowsight (Frostburn; 1st level spell; see normally in a blizzard or freezing fog; note that skull talismans have the same effect as potions), Blue Ice Breastplate of Spell Resistance +5, Boots of Speed, Ring of Evasion, Wyrmfang Amulet (Magic Item Compendium; its effects are already listed in her stats)
Environment: Paraelemental Plane of ice
Organization: Outing (1d2 frost giants *either tundra scouts or maulers* and 2 huge ice paraelementals) or troops (6-12; 1 Frost giant mauler *Frostburn*, 1-2 frost giant tundra scouts *Frostburn*, 1-3 winter wolves, 1-2 huge paraelementals *Manual of the Planes*, 1-4 large paraelementals, and 1-2 abominable yeti *Frostburn*, none of which can be of more than 18HD. If you do not have the Frostburn supplement, then substitute the Maulers and Tundra Scouts with giants in a couple class levels of Barbarian and Ranger, respectively.)
Alignment: Always Lawful Evil
Treasure: Double standard
Challenge Rating: 28
Advancement: –
Level Adjustment: –
Description: The herald appears as a 16', somewhat muscular woman with a large frame, in warrior's regalia. Her skin is white as snow, while her hair, eyes, and lips are a pale blue. Her features are slightly more chisled and sharper than that of a full-blooded quorrashi, and her gaze is cold like ice. Unlike a full-blooded Qorrashi, she also, strangely, bears sharp fangs like those seen in outsider humanoids of the Lower Planes, but they are slightly translucent. Her fingernails are long (about half and inch long) and are completely transparent; they look as though they are made of ice.
Personality: Cold, unemotional, and unspeakably cruel. She usually bears a cold scowl, and sometimes displays anger, but is slow to wrath. She shows no hint of compassion towards anyone save those of Cryonax's minions who reared her, Cryonax himself, and a few of the servants. She has been known to toy with enemies of Cryonax before killing them.
History: The herald was born of a Qorrashi mother and an Ice Paraelemental father. Because of her appearance and obvious lineage, she was left in the wilderness of the Paraelemental Plane to die as a baby. There she was found by Cryonax's minions, who, recognizing her as a cross-breed, brought her to the Bleak Monarch (who is highly interested in natural hybrids). There she was raised and groomed to be a warrior and servant of the Frozen Lord. Because of her elemental lineage, she was forever tainted by Cryonax's presence, changing her alignment from Lawful Neutral to Lawful Evil. As she neared adulthood, she quickly rose in the ranks until she became a general. Today she fills the role of Cryonax's herald, and is fiercely loyal to he who granted her life. She frequently runs missions of conquest against independent outposts, acquiring new territory, recruits, and subjects for Cryonax's experiments, and sometimes runs missions of diplomacy. Because Cryonax considers her to be one of his most precious treasures (likened to a natural gem vs. a manufactured, magically created, or lab-created gem), he won't allow her to leave the Citadel without armed escorts (usually frost giants, paraelementals, and winter wolves), nor will he send or permit her to engage in risky missions (this includes any dealings with Albrathanilar, or dealing with entropes, and dealing, diplomaticly or in combat with beings more powerful than she; separate, more expendable generals specialize in these areas.) For the time being, she, Cryonax, the other generals, and the devotees have generally left the Qorrashi alone, and the Qorrashi, likewise, want nothing to do with Cryonax. However, the herald has always yearned for the day when Cryonax authorizes her to take action against the Qorrashi as a whole, for she desperately lusts for revenge against the people who left her to die, and wishes to slay her own mother personally. Rumor has it Cryonax may soon grant her this wish...
Because of her lineage, alignment, and association with Cryonax, the herald is an outcast among the Qorrashi.
Note: The herald is NOT a tasked genie, because she is cut off from Genie culture and was raised by elementals... that and because she is half-elemental herself.
COMBAT
Her natural weapons, as well as any weapons she wields, are treated as lawfully and evil-aligned for overcoming Damage Reduction. Her wyrmfang amulet also allows her to overcome damage reduction/magic.
TACTICS
Cryonax's herald uses two methods of combat depending on the perceived toughness of her opponents. She is somewhat vain, and considers battles lacking opponents of at least 20HD to be below her, and thus will send her cohorts to deal with them. If a 20HD or greater opponent is within the group, she will usually fight it herself. In which case she'll usually open combat by softening the opponent with her spell-like abilities. At that point she'll often use feints to trick her opponents into making attacks of opportunity, and finish them off with other combat tactics. If she decides to cast a spell or use a spell like ability, she will order or motion her cohorts (if the order is verbal, it is usually coded) to keep her opponents occupied until she executes the power. She is not above fleeing if the battle turns sour, and if reduced to 0 HP, her cohorts (if still alive) will grab her and attempt to flee.
Chill (Ex): In addition to her normal slam damage, she deals an extra 2d6 points of cold damage with a successful melee attack.
Frostbite (Ex): A creature that sustains any cold damage from her slam attacks must make a DC 22 Fortitude save or become frostbitten.
Creatures suffering from frostbite are fatigued (cannot run or charge; -2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity). These penalties end when the cold damage is healed by any means. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Icewalking (Ex): This ability works like the spider climb spell but applies to all icy surfaces. She can move normally on any icy surface.
Outsider Traits: A Haiayana cannot be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected (though a limited wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection spell can restore life). She has darkvision out to 60 feet.
As a half-elemental, she has a +4 racial bonus for Fortitude saves against poison and is immune to disease.
Planar Study (Ex): She gains a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls against elementals, outsiders, and creatures that would have the extraplanar subtype while on the Material Plane.
Plane Shift (Sp): Like other genies, she can enter any of the elemental planes, the Ethereal Plane, or the Material Plane. This ability transports her and up to six other creatures, provided they all link hands with her. It is otherwise similar to the spell of the same name.
Rebuke Cold Creatures (Su): She can rebuke cold creatures as a 7th-level cleric.
Spell-Like Abilities (Su):
At will—endure elements, invisibility (self only);
3/day—cone of cold (DC 20), ice storm;
1/day—chill metal (DC 17), chill touch (DC 16), control weather (wind or snow/ice/cold effects only), obedient avalanche (DC24), persistent image (DC 20), polar ray (DC 23), sleet storm, wall of ice, wind walk.
Caster level 22nd.
Telepathy (Su): She can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.
Note for the confused: You don't have to use this, but this is my rule for inner-planar languages: The Paraelemental and Quasielemental planes use a pidgin language (wikis to make sure I spelled it correctly) Nope, that's not the word I'm looking for.
The Paraelemental and Quasielemental planes use a CREOLE language.
Rules: You cannot take a creole language as a language skill/proficiency; they don't exist.
Instead, in order to understand a creole language, you need to know both base languages, and have an Int rating of 13 or higher.
Paraelemental creoles are, of course, based on the languages of the two elements they consist of.
Now for the part you are likely confused about.
I have created two new languages: Entropian and Vivacian, the languages of the Negative and Positive energy planes respectively. While few beings exist on these planes, and far fewer speak any known language, beings of the Quasielemental planes speak a creole between their element and the positive or negative energy language, respectively.
(Or, if you don't like the idea of positive and negative having their own languages, you could instead make the Quasielemental languages simply be dialects of Auran/Aquan/Ignan/Terran, though I don't know how that will work in game terms)
Each creole language has a proper name based on some Latin word (I haven't decided on names for most of them yet). For instance, Auran/Aquan creole, the official language of the Paraelemental Plane of Ice, is called "Glacian". The Auran/Vivacian creole, the official language of Lightning, is called "Fulguran" or "Fulgran".
Next, I'm going to work on revising the Frigidarch (En World). Needs to be a tad more powerful for one, and some other changes need to be made (such as to its alignment; they are described as Cryonax's elite generals, yet they are true neutral... Doesn't make sense, does it?. There is no description of the Frigidarch's tactics, and its "Shatter Ice" entry doesn't explain the in-game effect.) Also, these things... a fully advanced one... hoo, these things could get nasty. Their full attack is 6 tentacles, and they can also, as a full round action, use a spell-like ability AND attack with 3 tentacles. I might give them weapon focus, improved critical, and improved natural attack... ouch.
I'm also going to see if I can use rules for a couple D20 books on crossbreeds to create new, horrible monsters from Cryonax's laboratory. I have no idea what to expect though (I've heard one of them is pretty far out, e.g. they crossed a dwarf with a roper. They even gave the example cross-breeds names based on a blend of the two base creatures, which IMO is rather lame)
Alrighty... Here's the revised Frigidarch. I used the EN world writeup as a reference, but mostly went off of its original Dragon 129 entry (aw, man, I was going to draw that thing... I'd forgotten just how bad 1E monster art was. I mean I knew going in that it would be bad *knowing 80's magazine art* but egad...)
I hope it's not too overpowered. What do you guys think?
FRIGIDARCH
Large Elemental (Cold, Extraplanar)
HD: 14d8 + 96 (160HP)
Initiative: +13 ( 9 dex)
Speed: 50 ft
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+20
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 29, Con 22, Int 16, Wis 20, Cha 20
Fort: +12 Ref +17 Will +10
AC: 24 (-1 size, + 9 dex, +8 natural)
Attack: Tentacle +20 melee (1d6+11 plus 1d6 cold)
Full Attack: 6 tentacles +20 melee (1d6+11 plus 1d6 cold)
Special Attacks: Spell-Like Abilities, Summon Elementals
Special Qualities: All-Around Vision, Cold Aura, Damage Reduction 5/--, Elemental Traits, Fast Healing 5, Spell Resistance 20
Bluff +16, Diplomacy +10, Intimidate +14, Jump +10, Knowledge (the planes) +5, Listen +13, Sense Motive +17, Search +10, Spot +16
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative (B), Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (Ice Storm), Weapon Finesse, Whirlwind Attack (B)
Alignment: Always Neutral Evil
Organization: Company (1 lv 7 human clerical devotee, sorceror, or wizard + 1d4 small ice paraelementals) or troops (1 lv 7 human clerical devotee, sorceror, or wizard + 1d6 small ice paraelementals, 1 frost giant, 1d2 winter wolves, 1d2 yeti, and 1 very young white dragon)
Challenge Rating: 16
Advancement: 15-28HD (Large), 29-39HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: --
Frigidarchs, also known as "Frost Kings", are the most powerful Paraelementals second only to Cryonax himself. Only six are known to exist, (in fact, rumor has it in fact that these beings were created in Cryonax's laboratory) and they all serve as Cryonax's elite generals. They are shaped like broad, faceted pyramids about 6 feet high and 8 feet wide in diameter (fully advanced Frigidarchs are twice this size). They scuttle on 12 short, insect-like legs set around the underside of its body. Around the rim of its body are situated 6 icy tentacles. Atop its body is its mouthless head, ringed with gleaming eyes and a crown of icicles. Despite a lack of mouth, they can speak in several languages. When they do so, the coronet of icicles atop its head vibrate, and their voice has a highly resonating tone. Frigidarchs never leave Cryonax's palace without troops.
COMBAT
A Frigidarch's natural weapons are considered evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Because their arms are situated all around their body, they receive Whirlwind Attack as a racial bonus feat.
TACTICS
Frigidarchs usually begin battle by softening up their opponents with spell-like abilities, reserving their quickened Ice Storms to use for the purpose of disrupting the opponent's spellcasting. Since Frigidarchs on patrol or missions usually travel with a clerical devotee or arcane spellcaster (18th level), they usually command these beings (almost always humans, but sometimes an artificial ice genasi) to back them up with buffs if it intends to enter the fray itself. All the while, the Frigidarch quickly assesses its situation by sizing up its opponents. After doing all of the above, it sends its troops (minus the spellcaster) to deal with weaker opponents, entering melee combat only if a significantly stronger opponent can be found among the enemy group or the battle goes poorly. If the latter occurs, the Frigidarch will take one of two courses of action: it will either summon more troops, or order the spellcaster to back it up with buffs (if it has not already done so) and will then enter melee combat. The spellcaster will remain at the Frigidarch's side, but will try to avoid melee combat if possible. When DMing a Frigidarch, they should be depicted as battle geniuses, using whatever tactics will give them the greatest edge, and won't miss a single opportunity to do so.
All-Around Vision (Ex): The frigidarchs' symmetrically placed eyes allow them to look in any direction, bestowing a +4 racial bonus to Spot and Search checks. Frigidarchs can't be flanked.
Cold Aura (Ex): Frigidarchs’ bodies generate intense cold, dealing 1d6 points of damage with their touch and to those within 10 feet of its body. Creatures attacking a frigidarch unarmed or with natural weapons take cold damage each time their attacks hit.
Elemental Traits: Immune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, and stunning; not subject to critical hits or flanking.
Fast Healing (Ex): A frigidarch heals only if it is touching a piece of ice of at least Medium-size or if the ambient temperature is freezing or below (basically guaranteed on its native plane)
Fracture Ice (Ex): Frigidarchs have the uncanny ability to fracture ice by slashing it with their tentacles. Such fractures are never more than 10 feet long or one foot deep, but this is usually more than enough to fracture the patch of ice a character may be standing on. When this occurs, the character must make a DC 24 Reflex save or be knocked prone. The DC is Strength-based.
Spell-Like Abilities (Su):
CL 14th
3/day: Chill Metal (DC 17), Cone of Cold (DC 21), Quickened Ice Storm
1/week: Control Weather (only to make area colder)
Summon Elemental (Su): Three times per day, a frigidarch can attempt to summon ice paraelementals or ice/cold element animals. The total HD of the summoned creatures cannot exceed 14, and no single creature can be of more than 7HD. This is equivalent to a 5th level spell.
EXAMPLE FULLY ADVANCED FRIGIDARCH
Huge Elemental (Cold, Extraplanar)
HD: 39d8 + 312 (464-624HP)
Initiative: +13 ( 9 dex)
Speed: 50 ft
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Base Attack/Grapple: +30/+49
Str 32, Dex 29, Con 27, Int 16, Wis 20, Cha 20
Fort: +17 Ref +25 Will +14
AC: 28 (-2 size, + 9 dex, +11 natural)
Attack: Tentacle +41 melee (1d8+13 plus 1d8 cold)
Full Attack: 6 tentacles +41 melee (1d8+13 plus 1d8 cold)
Special Attacks: Spell-Like Abilities, Summon Elementals
Special Qualities: All-Around Vision, Cold Aura, Damage Reduction 10/--, Elemental Traits, Fast Healing 5, Ice Glide, Spell Resistance 28
Skills: Bluff +40, Diplomacy +28, Intimidate +40, Jump +30, Knowledge (the planes) +15, Listen +38, Sense Motive +39, Search +22, Spot +42
Feats: Blind-Fight, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Feint, Improved Initiative (B), Improved Sunder, Mobility, Power Attack, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack (B)
Alignment: Always Neutral Evil
Organization: Company (1 lv 18 human clerical devotee, sorceror, or wizard + 1d4 medium ice paraelementals) or troops (1 lv 18 human clerical devotee, sorceror, or wizard + 1d6 medium ice paraelementals, 1 frost giant, 1d2 winter wolves, 1d2 yeti, and 1 juvenile white dragon)
Challenge Rating: 25
Advancement: --
Level Adjustment: --
Frigidarchs, also known as "Frost Kings", are the most powerful Paraelementals second only to Cryonax himself. Only six are known to exist, (in fact, rumor has it in fact that these beings were created in Cryonax's laboratory) and they all serve as Cryonax's elite generals. They are shaped like broad, faceted pyramids about 6 feet high and 8 feet wide in diameter (fully advanced Frigidarchs are twice this size). They scuttle on 12 short, insect-like legs set around the underside of its body. Around the rim of its body are situated 6 icy tentacles. Atop its body is its mouthless head, ringed with gleaming eyes and a crown of icicles. Despite a lack of mouth, they can speak in several languages. When they do so, the coronet of icicles atop its head vibrate, and their voice has a highly resonating tone. Frigidarchs never leave Cryonax's palace without troops.
COMBAT
A Frigidarch's natural weapons are considered evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Because their arms are situated all around their body, they receive Whirlwind Attack as a racial bonus feat.
All-Around Vision (Ex): The frigidarchs' symmetrically placed eyes allow them to look in any direction, bestowing a +4 racial bonus to Spot and Search checks (these bonuses have already been calculated into its skills). Frigidarchs can't be flanked.
Cold Aura (Ex): Frigidarchs’ bodies generate intense cold, dealing 1d6 points of damage with their touch and to those within 10 feet of its body. Creatures attacking a frigidarch unarmed or with natural weapons take cold damage each time their attacks hit.
Elemental Traits: Immune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, and stunning; not subject to critical hits or flanking.
Fast Healing (Ex): A frigidarch heals only if it is touching a piece of ice of at least Medium-size or if the ambient temperature is freezing or below.
Fracture Ice (Ex): Frigidarchs have the uncanny ability to fracture ice by slashing it with their tentacles. Such fractures are never more than 10 feet long or one foot deep, but this is usually more than enough to fracture the patch of ice a character may be standing on. When this occurs, the character must make a DC 40 Reflex save or be knocked prone. The DC is Strength-based.
Freeze Water (Su): A frigidarch can freeze water by touch, affecting up to 100 square feet per round. The ice will be one inch thick for every round the frigidarch spends creating it, to a maximum of six inches thick.
Ice Glide (Ex): A Frigidarch can glide through ice, snow, or slush as easily as a fish swims through water. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, and its passage does not create any ripples or other signs of its presence. A "move ice" spell cast on an area containing a burrowing Frigidarch flings it back 30 feet and leaves it dazed for 1 round unless it makes a DC 15 Will save.
Spell-Like Abilities (Su):
CL 39th
3/day: Chill Metal (DC 17), Cone of Cold (DC 21), Ice Storm
1/week: Control Weather (only to make area colder)
Summon Elemental (Su): Three times per day, a frigidarch can attempt to summon ice paraelementals (Manual of the Planes) or ice/cold element animals (Dragon 347 or Manual of the Planes). The total HD of the summoned creatures cannot exceed 39, and no single creature can be of more than 18HD. This is equivalent to a 9th level spell.
Next I think I'll work on Albrathanilar (Cryonax's mortal enemy). She still needs a lot of work...
A couple more things.
--Since Cryonax would have a chill metal ability, it seems pretty useless and redundant for him to have it as a spell-like ability as well. Do you think it would be okay to swap out some other 2nd-level cold-based spell like Ice Knife?
--The elder ice elemental (base creature of Cryonax's template) has icicles as an attack, which doesn't match with Cryonax in any other incarnation, so I have decided to give him a different ability attributed to his attack; a Freezing Strike. However, I haven't decided exactly what it does yet (other than its saving throw). Should it simply slow the victim? Freeze them as hold monster (but not a mind-affecting effect) for 1-4 rounds? (I had thought of having them become frozen as a flesh-to-ice spell for 1-4 rounds)