.Arcane Monster Templates
By Sean K Reynolds

Skreyn's Register: The Bonds of Magic, Vol. 1: Cabal puts to work a couple new monster templates that I created a while ago for use on my website. You don't need these templates to use the characters, but we thought it would be fun to reprint the templates here so readers could see how Sel Kyree, Paz Murali, and Zursha were created. Take a look at the Half-Medusa (below) and the Fleshbound Vampire templates.

Half-Medusa (Template)
Although they normally only breed among their own kind because their gaze petrifies all others, sometimes a medusa finds a mate that is unaffected by its stony stare. These half-medusa offspring inherit some of the traits of their snaky-haired parent.

A half-medusa generally resembles its non-medusa parent, save that its partly scaly skin tends to be an earthy color and it has four to six snakes growing from its head mixed in with its hair. Some individuals have red-rimmed eyes, and others have eyes that only show red when using their petrifying gaze. Many conceal their hair under a hooded cloak or a large hat when travelling in disguise.

A half-medusa generally speaks whatever languages its medusa parent speaks.

Creating a Half-Medusa

"Half-medusa" is an inherited template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid of Small to Large size (referred to hereafter as the "base creature"). The creature's type changes to "monstrous humanoid." A humanoid base creature gains the augmented subtype. It uses all of the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Speed: As the base creature.

AC: Natural armor improves by +1.

Attacks: Same as the base creature, plus it gains an attack by its snakes for 1d4 plus poison.

Special Attacks: A half-medusa retains all of the special attacks of the base creature and also gains the following attacks:

Petrifying Attack (Su): A half-medusa's visage is less potent than its fullblooded parent; creatures are not turned to stone simply by looking at it. However, it can focus its power upon a single creature within 30 feet just like a medusa actively using its gaze as an attack action. The targeted creature can avoid the gaze as normal (see page 294 in the DMG) and if she fails to avoid the half-medusa's gaze she must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 half-medusa's HD + half-medusa's Cha modifier) or be permanently turned to stone. The creature can use this ability a number of times per day equal to its Charisma bonus (minimum 1).

Poison (Ex): Snakes, Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 half-medusa's HD + half-medusaÌs Con modifier); initial damage 1d4 temporary Strength, secondary damage 2d4 temporary Strength.

Special Qualities: A half-medusa retains all of the special qualities of the base creature and also gain darkvision with a range of 60 feet and the following:

Medusa Blood (Ex): For all special abilities and effects, a half-medusa is considered a medusa. Half-medusas, for example, are immune to the gaze attacks of medusas, and vice versa.

Saves: Same as the base creature.

Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Dex +2, Cha +2.

Skills: Same as the base creature.

Feats: Same as the base creature.

Environment: Any land and underground

Organization: Same as the base creature.

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2 [[Compare to a half-fiend: fewer special abilities, no immunities other than medusa-petrification, weaker ability score modifiers, but still worth more than a +1]]

Level Adjustment: +3

Treasure: Same as the base creature.

Alignment: Usually lawful evil

Advancement: Same as the base creature.

Fleshbound Vampire (Template)

(This is a variant vampire template, useful if you prefer the physically oriented vampires of movies such as Blade and shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer to more classical representations of vampires with shapechanging and gaseous form abilities).

Fleshbound vampires are bloodsucking undead creatures possessing superior physical abilities. Although they are undead, they can breed with each other to produce young or infect humanoids by forcing them to ingest vampire blood. Damaged by sunlight, garlic, and silver, vampires are not bound to coffins and lack many of the strange abilities often attributed to supernatural vampires.

Vampires appear just as they did in life, although they are often more pale than their living counterparts and their eyes sometimes have an unnatural glow in firelight. They cast shadows and have reflections in mirrors.

Vampires speak any languages they knew in life.

Creating a Fleshbound Vampire

"Fleshbound vampire" is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the "base creature"). The creature's type changes to "undead" and it gains the augmented subtype. It uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Hit Dice: Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s.

Speed: Same as the base creature.

AC: The base creature's natural armor improves by +6.

Attacks: A fleshbound vampire retains all the attacks of the base creature.

Special Attacks: A fleshbound vampire retains all the special attacks of the base creature and also gains those listed below.

Blood Drain (Ex): A fleshbound vampire can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, inflicting 1d4 points of temporary Constitution damage each round the pin is maintained.

Create Spawn (Ex): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by a fleshbound vampire's blood drain attack rises as a fleshbound vampire 1d3 days after its death. These new vampires are not under the control of their sire in any way.

Special Qualities: A fleshbound vampire retains all the special qualities of the base creature and those listed below, and also gains the undead type.

Damage Reduction (Su): A fleshbound vampire's undead body is tough, giving the creature damage reduction 10/silver.

Turn Resistance (Ex): A fleshbound vampire has +4 turn resistance.

Resistance (Ex): A fleshbound vampire has cold and electricity resistance 10.

Fast Healing (Ex): A fleshbound vampire heals 5 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. A fleshbound vampire harmed by silver or magic weapons cannot heal that damage until all of its other damage has been healed, and even then only heals at a rate of 1 point of damage per round.

Slow Regeneration (Ex): Fleshbound vampires can slowly regenerate lost limbs over the course of several days, but cannot reattach severed limbs.

Saves: Same as the base creature.

Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +6, Dex +6, Wis +2, Cha +2. As undead creatures, fleshbound vampires have no Constitution score.

Skills: Fleshbound vampires receive a +8 racial bonus to Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.

Feats: Fleshbound vampires gain Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Lightning Reflexes, and Toughness as bonus feats.

Environment: Any land and underground.

Organization: Solitary, pair, gang (2-5), or troop (1-2 plus 2-5 vampire spawn).

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +1.

Level Adjustment: +4.

Treasure: Standard.

Alignment: Any evil.

Advancement: By character class.

Fleshbound Vampire Weaknesses

Like supernatural vampires, fleshbound vampires have a number of weaknesses.

Garlic: Fleshbound vampires can be killed by garlic. A single clove of garlic crushed onto a weapon allows the weapon to inflict one negative level upon a vampire in addition to its normal damage (this is an exception to the rule that undead are immune to negative levels); each application has a limit of one successful strike, in the manner of poisoned weapons. An entire vial of garlic juice injected into or consumed by the vampire inflicts 2d4 negative levels. If the vampire's negative levels ever meet or exceed its actual hit dice, the vampire is destroyed.

Sunlight: Fleshbound vampires cannot stand sunlight. Exposing one to sunlight for a full round causes it to take damage equal to its maximum hit points, killing it instantly. A vampire exposed to sunlight for less than a full round loses half its maximum hit points. Cover or concealment reduces the amount of damage by the amount of cover or concealment (so being exposed to sunlight for a full round through nine-tenths cover, such as an arrow slit, means the vampire only loses one-tenth of its maximum hit points).

Variant Rule: Staking a Fleshbound Vampire's Heart

In a more cinematic game, consider making a fleshbound vampire's heart vulnerable to certain attacks. A wooden stake or a silver weapon thrust into its heart can destroy it instantly (a weapon with a metal blade and wooden shaft, such as a spear, can be used in this manner at a -4 penalty to hit because of the extra force needed to push past the blade). To strike its heart, an opponent must use a full-round action to aim for its heart with a melee weapon (the opponent may use a bow or crossbow if they are adjacent to the vampire). Making a heart strike draws an attack of opportunity from the defender and from all threatening foes. The attacker then makes an attack roll at -4 (the penalty for using a spear or similar weapon stacks with this penalty); if the attack succeeds, the vampire suffers normal damage and must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or be destroyed instantly. The attack is not a critical hit, nor does sneak attack damage apply.

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"Half-Medusa" and "Fleshbound Vampire" templates ©2002 Sean K Reynolds. All rights reserved.