Maddened Aberrant: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
m (Text replacement - "Slirmisher" to "Skirmisher") |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 61: | Line 61: | ||
| Description | It is widely accepted among most intelligent creatures, at a very general level, that the world we all live in is balanced upon the surface of a much larger, darker, and far more terrible reality called the Outer Madness. Most people have little understanding of Planes, and in the minds of most people, Demons, Devils, Aberrations, and most 'weird' monsters are part of this terrifying background reality. | | Description | It is widely accepted among most intelligent creatures, at a very general level, that the world we all live in is balanced upon the surface of a much larger, darker, and far more terrible reality called the Outer Madness. Most people have little understanding of Planes, and in the minds of most people, Demons, Devils, Aberrations, and most 'weird' monsters are part of this terrifying background reality. | ||
However, there are always those who think that 'larger and more terrible' means, 'a convenient way to get power'. As a result, all over the world, in every race, creed, and culture, civilized or not, there are those with far too much greed and far too little wisdom who seek out this Deep Darkness and pledge themselves to it. The Creeping Madness is easy to access, easy to draw upon...and insanely dangerous. A fair number of those who attempt this foolish act are consumed utterly by their very first sup of that dark well, their lives, essence, souls, and flesh consumed entire. | |||
Many of those luckless fools do not quietly disappear, however. | |||
Maddened Aberrants are those creatures, with the Spark or without, who have reached out to the Madness, and not only survived, they have grown exalted. Aberrants are abominations, horrifically twisted, warped, and mutated, their minds filled with the ecstasy of the Great Void. Some Maddened Aberrants are likely to be Maddened Reavers or Maddened Fanatics who have survived and grown and been granted greater gifts by the Deep Dark. Other Aberrants were created new and whole, as their exposure to True Thought tears them from humanity to Other in one horrible, ecstatic wrench. | |||
Aberrants have warped and grown awful due to their corruption, as evidenced by their vast, misshapen bulk. They are far too large to pass as any civilized race, but they can still sometimes mask their deformities with large enough obstacles, or large, shapeless clothing, to blend in at least a little with some races of Giants, or pass (poorly) as a beast of burden...in the dark...from a distance. Maddened Aberrants are often drawn from the Civilized Races, people who should have known better, but many large 'monstrous' races are also commonly sources for Aberrants. It is possible for Ogres, Hobgoblins, and Giants, among others, to be subsumed by the Outer Madness, and thus become Maddened Aberrants. | |||
Maddened Aberrants, like all of the Maddened, are united in their allegiance to the Endless Night, the Dark Sweet Depths that lie Outside. They are not terribly organized, but they act, vaguely and constantly, to tear down civilization, destroy all the structures of the world, material and social, for good and for ill. They lurk and plot, they poison, murder, and ruin, they steal and burn, everything. Maddened Aberrants are terrible juggernauts of bleak, writhing woe, and they will attack anything, civilized or monster, if they think it will lead them to the Final Truth: All things must fall to the Dark, sooner or later. | |||
Maddened Aberrants are far more introspective than other Maddened, although their allegiance to the Pure Bleak Woe is absolute. Aberrants seek to always press forward the end of all, but they are not talkative, even with other Maddened, and they tend to be 'deep thinkers', although the paths their thoughts roam are unknowable to the sane. Aberrants are able to transform themselves into completely inhuman pools of deadly, wriggling palps, scutes, and tentacles, and their power is vast. Aberrants tend to allow Fanatics, Mavens, Magnates, or even Reavers to choose where their attacks will be directed, being far more interested in sowing destruction and contemplating their internal landscapes than plotting. | |||
}}</onlyinclude> | }}</onlyinclude> | ||
| Line 590: | Line 589: | ||
| Dex = 20 | | Dex = 20 | ||
| Con = 26 | | Con = 26 | ||
| Int = | | Int = 28 | ||
| Wis = 8 | | Wis = 8 | ||
| Cha = | | Cha = 28 | ||
| Line 598: | Line 597: | ||
| Feat1 = Combat Reflexes | | Feat1 = Combat Reflexes | ||
| Feat2 = | | Feat2 = Knowledge:Planes | ||
| Feat3 = | | Feat3 = Diplomacy | ||
| Feat4 = | | Feat4 = Deep History | ||
<!-- Just the feat name; will be autolinked, and ShortDesc added --> | <!-- Just the feat name; will be autolinked, and ShortDesc added --> | ||
| Line 700: | Line 699: | ||
<!-- Values: Sp, Su, Ex; can also include things like "disease", "poison" or "stance" --> | <!-- Values: Sp, Su, Ex; can also include things like "disease", "poison" or "stance" --> | ||
| Ability-1-Action-Required = | | Ability-1-Action-Required = Immediate action when Maddened ally killed | ||
<!-- Values: Full Round Action, Full Attack Action, Standard Action, Move Action, Swift Action, Free Action, Immediate Action | <!-- Values: Full Round Action, Full Attack Action, Standard Action, Move Action, Swift Action, Free Action, Immediate Action | ||
Free Action 1/Rnd, Free Action 1/Enc, Always On, Auto At Start of Encounter, Auto Upon Death, etc. --> | Free Action 1/Rnd, Free Action 1/Enc, Always On, Auto At Start of Encounter, Auto Upon Death, etc. --> | ||
| Line 707: | Line 706: | ||
<!-- Values: "S" for strong caster, "W" for weak caster, leave blank if unneeded; will auto-detect Combat Casting and include it --> | <!-- Values: "S" for strong caster, "W" for weak caster, leave blank if unneeded; will auto-detect Combat Casting and include it --> | ||
| Ability-1-Description = | | Ability-1-Description = Whenever any Maddened creature is killed by enemy actions, any Maddened Aberrant who has line of sight and line of effect to the attacker who made the killing blow may choose to make an immediate action attack of opportunity against that creature. They must have an attack of opportunity available, but Aberrants have Combat Reflexes, so that is rarely an issue. Aberrants prefer to use Tearing Chop for this attack, but will use their Orbs if they must. They must take all normal modifiers for such attacks as normal. | ||
<!-- Insert colons ":" before each paragraph after first; replace any to-hit, damage or save DC numbers with variables: | <!-- Insert colons ":" before each paragraph after first; replace any to-hit, damage or save DC numbers with variables: | ||
| Line 743: | Line 742: | ||
<!--Values: Sp, Su, Ex; can also include things like "disease", "poison" or "stance"--> | <!--Values: Sp, Su, Ex; can also include things like "disease", "poison" or "stance"--> | ||
| Ability-2-Action-Required = | | Ability-2-Action-Required = Full Attack Action | ||
<!-- Values: Full Round Action, Full Attack Action, Standard Action, Move Action, Swift Action, Free Action, Immediate Action | <!-- Values: Full Round Action, Full Attack Action, Standard Action, Move Action, Swift Action, Free Action, Immediate Action | ||
Free Action 1/Rnd, Free Action 1/Enc, Always On, Auto At Start of Encounter, Auto Upon Death, etc. --> | Free Action 1/Rnd, Free Action 1/Enc, Always On, Auto At Start of Encounter, Auto Upon Death, etc. --> | ||
| Line 750: | Line 749: | ||
<!--Values: "S" for strong caster, "W" for weak caster, leave blank if unneeded--> | <!--Values: "S" for strong caster, "W" for weak caster, leave blank if unneeded--> | ||
| Ability-2-Description = Whenever a Maddened Aberrant declares a Full Attack Action, so that it is not using a Move action for Movement, they...'unfold' their horrible body into a sessile form that appears like a rooted mass of tentacles. They may make their Full Attack Action against any targets they choose within their (admittedly large) melee reach, but in addition, they are Immune to forced movement until their next action, and they may [[Pull]] any enemy creatures they choose that are within eight squares of their space up to six squares, so that they are within their melee reach, or even adjacent. Like all forced moves, affected creatures may fall prone to avoid this effect. Note that Aberrants will then prioritize ranged attackers and spellcasters for attacks of opportunity if they move away or otherwise provoke attacks of opportunity. | | Ability-2-Description = Whenever a Maddened Aberrant declares a Full Attack Action, so that it is not using a Move action for Movement, they may...'unfold' their horrible body into a sessile form that appears like a rooted mass of tentacles. They may make their Full Attack Action against any targets they choose within their (admittedly large) melee reach, but in addition, they are Immune to forced movement until their next action, and they may [[Pull]] any enemy creatures, or even other Maddened, they choose that are within eight squares of their space up to six squares, so that they are within their melee reach, or even adjacent. | ||
They will use this to both attack their enemies and move other Maddened to advantageous positions. Fights with Aberrants become surreal shuffling affairs, with the battlefield re-arranging like dreams. Note that Aberrants cannot use this ability upon any other Aberrant that has also used this ability in the same round, but they are clever enough to alternate use of this power so that they all gain additional mobility and arrange battle to their liking. | |||
Like all forced moves, affected creatures may fall prone to avoid this effect. Note that Aberrants will then prioritize ranged attackers and spellcasters for attacks of opportunity if they move away or otherwise provoke attacks of opportunity. | |||
<!-- Insert colons ":" before each paragraph after first; replace any to-hit, damage or save DC numbers with variables: | <!-- Insert colons ":" before each paragraph after first; replace any to-hit, damage or save DC numbers with variables: | ||
| Line 786: | Line 789: | ||
<!--Values: Sp, Su, Ex; can also include things like "disease", "poison" or "stance"--> | <!--Values: Sp, Su, Ex; can also include things like "disease", "poison" or "stance"--> | ||
| Ability-3-Action-Required = | | Ability-3-Action-Required = Swift Action 1/Enc | ||
<!-- Values: Full Round Action, Full Attack Action, Standard Action, Move Action, Swift Action, Free Action, Immediate Action | <!-- Values: Full Round Action, Full Attack Action, Standard Action, Move Action, Swift Action, Free Action, Immediate Action | ||
Free Action 1/Rnd, Free Action 1/Enc, Always On, Auto At Start of Encounter, Auto Upon Death, etc. --> | Free Action 1/Rnd, Free Action 1/Enc, Always On, Auto At Start of Encounter, Auto Upon Death, etc. --> | ||
| Line 1,486: | Line 1,489: | ||
<!-- COMBAT TACTICS --> | <!-- COMBAT TACTICS --> | ||
| CombatTactics = Maddened Aberrants are huge masses of fleshy, bone-and tooth-studded, palps and tentacles, all dry and rubbery and horrid. They have a powerful Vaulting ability, and will typically Brachiate from the surroundings or Vault until they get at least two enemies within their huge melee reach. Once they are within melee range, they will use their Puddle of Guts and Look Within The Void abilities to 'sweep up' all their enemies as close to them as possible, and | | CombatTactics = Maddened Aberrants are huge masses of fleshy, bone-and tooth-studded, palps and tentacles, all dry and rubbery and horrid. They have a powerful Vaulting ability, and will typically Brachiate from the surroundings or Vault until they get at least two enemies within their huge melee reach. Once they are within melee range, they will use their Puddle of Guts and Look Within The Void abilities to 'sweep up' all their enemies as close to them as possible, while at the same time moving some or all of their allies into flanking positions, or, out of melee. One or two of them will then do this again, and again, 'resetting' the melee combat to their advantage every round. | ||
Puddle of Guts is useful enough that you will frequently see an Aberrant or two in the company of groups of Maddened far more mighty (Magnates and Mavens and Travesties, oh my...), just for the battlefield utility these mad philosophers bring to combats. | |||
Aside from re-arranging the battle, Aberrants will make full attacks (without Puddle of Guts) while taking five-foot steps backwards, forcing their enemies to hopefully follow and thus be less effective in battle, or possibly flee and allow attacks of opportunity. Once enemies have opened the distance, they will do it all again. As they take casualties, they will use their Fanatical Vengeance often, to deadly effect. | |||
Simple, but devastating. | |||
Once battle has begun, Aberrants will kill every non-maddened thing they can find, unless they are destroyed first. | |||
| Line 1,498: | Line 1,505: | ||
| OutOfCombat = Maddened Aberrants are the first of the Maddened who have completely given up their humanoid forms, but the shattered wreckage of their minds are still...sort of...humanoid. As a result, out of combat Aberrants seek to maintain some vestige of humanoid behavior, living in buildings and ruins, forming their unquiet mass into a vaguely humanoid configuration, even 'wearing' clothes and keeping some of their eyes and mouths in a 'head' sort of formation. | | OutOfCombat = Maddened Aberrants are the first of the Maddened who have completely given up their humanoid forms, but the shattered wreckage of their minds are still...sort of...humanoid. As a result, out of combat Aberrants seek to maintain some vestige of humanoid behavior, living in buildings and ruins, forming their unquiet mass into a vaguely humanoid configuration, even 'wearing' clothes and keeping some of their eyes and mouths in a 'head' sort of formation. | ||
Aberrants are not good planners, but they are exceptional thinkers of the darkest and maddest sort. It is common to see Fanatics and even Mavens or Magnates consulting an Abberant for their views and ideas for how best to promulgate the Final Ending. If such consultations are heeded and carried out effectively, the world has enormous problems. It is common to see Aberrants acting in roles ranging from berserk muscle to wise council, sometimes even at the same time. The safest course is to destroy Aberrants as soon as they are discovered. | |||