Still walkin' the beat, 25,000 years later... [Archive]

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Jkeown

Jun 9th, '05, 03:51 AM

Herdstone

Player:

<table cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="right">Val  </td><td>Char   </td><td>Cost</td></tr><tr><td align="right">10  </td><td>STR</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td align="right">20  </td><td>DEX</td><td>30</td></tr><tr><td align="right">15  </td><td>CON</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td align="right">15  </td><td>BODY</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td align="right">20  </td><td>INT</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td align="right">0  </td><td>EGO</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td align="right">10  </td><td>PRE</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td align="right">10  </td><td>COM</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> </td><td></td></tr><tr><td align="right">8  </td><td>PD</td><td>21</td></tr><tr><td align="right">8  </td><td>ED</td><td>21</td></tr><tr><td align="right">3  </td><td>SPD</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td align="right">5  </td><td>REC</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td align="right">30  </td><td>END</td><td>0</td></tr><td></td><td> </td><td></td></tr><tr><td align="right">0"  </td><td>RUN</td><td>-12</td></tr><tr><td align="right">0"  </td><td>SWIM</td><td>-2</td></tr><tr><td align="right">0"  </td><td>LEAP</td><td>-2</td></tr></table>Characteristics Cost: 86

<table border="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td align="right">Cost  </td><td>Power</td><td align="right">END</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">50  </td><td>Central Rune: Multipower, 50-point reserve </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">5u  </td><td>1) Unfocused Ray: EB 5d6, Area Of Effect (3" Radius; +1) (50 Active Points) </td><td valign="top" align="right">5</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">4u  </td><td>2) Repair Beam: Healing BODY 3d6, Ranged (+1/2) (45 Active Points) </td><td valign="top" align="right">4</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">4u  </td><td>3) Focused Beam: RKA 2d6, Armor Piercing (+1/2) (45 Active Points) </td><td valign="top" align="right">4</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">4u  </td><td>4) Rapid Shot: RKA 2d6, Autofire (5 shots; +1/2) (45 Active Points) </td><td valign="top" align="right">4</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">5u  </td><td>5) Lifter Beam: Telekinesis (33 STR) (50 Active Points) </td><td valign="top" align="right">5</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">5u  </td><td>6) Dispel Beam: Dispel 16d6 (48 Active Points) </td><td valign="top" align="right">5</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">75  </td><td>Restraints of Perp Binding: Entangle 6d6, 6 DEF, Cannot Be Escaped With Teleportation (+1/4) (75 Active Points) </td><td valign="top" align="right">7</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">20  </td><td>Herdstone Ping-Sense: Active Sonar (Hearing Group), Tracking </td><td valign="top" align="right">0</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">60  </td><td>Herdstone Construction: Automaton (Takes No STUN) </td><td valign="top" align="right">0</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">10  </td><td>Herdstone Construction: No Hit Locations </td><td valign="top" align="right">0</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">15  </td><td>Herdstone Construction: Does Not Bleed </td><td valign="top" align="right">0</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">45  </td><td>Herdstone Construction: Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 25% </td><td valign="top" align="right">0</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">45  </td><td>Herdstone Construction: Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 25% </td><td valign="top" align="right">0</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">24  </td><td>Herdstone Resiliency: Damage Resistance (8 PD/8 ED) </td><td valign="top" align="right">0</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">16  </td><td>Levitation: Flight 12" (24 Active Points); Levitation (-1/2) </td><td valign="top" align="right">2</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">5  </td><td>Detect Life: IR Perception (Sight Group) </td><td valign="top" align="right">0</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">20  </td><td>Utterly Silent: Invisibility to Hearing Group , No Fringe </td><td valign="top" align="right">2</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">9  </td><td>It's a Rock...: Lack Of Weakness (-3) for Resistant Defenses </td><td valign="top" align="right">0</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">50  </td><td>Herdstone Vitality: LS (Eating: Character does not eat; Immunity: All terrestrial poisons and chemical warfare agents; Immunity: All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents; Longevity: Immortal; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; Self-Contained Breathing; Sleeping: Character does not sleep) </td><td valign="top" align="right">0</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">60  </td><td>Defense Field: Missile Deflection (Any Ranged Attack) </td><td valign="top" align="right">0</td></tr></table>Powers Cost: 531

<table cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="right">Cost  </td><td>Skill</td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Concealment 13- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Criminology 13- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Deduction 13- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Interrogation 11- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">4  </td><td>KS: Law 13- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Navigation 13- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">5  </td><td>Rapid Attack (Ranged)  </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">20  </td><td>+4 with Runic Multipower </td></tr></table>Skills Cost: 44

<table cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="right">Cost  </td><td>Talent</td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">20  </td><td>Universal Translator 13- </td></tr></table>Talents Cost: 20

<table cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="right">Val  </td><td>Disadvantages</td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">25  </td><td>Distinctive Features: Large Floating Rock (Not Concealable; Extreme Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">20  </td><td>Susceptibility: Anti-magical Fields and NMZs, 2d6 damage per Phase (Uncommon) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">25  </td><td>Psychological Limitation: Must Enforce "Order" (Very Common, Total) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">25  </td><td>Social Limitation: Relic (Very Frequently, Severe) </td></tr></table>
Disadvantage Points: 95
 
Base Points: 75
Experience Required: 511
Total Experience Available: 511
Experience Unspent: 0
Total Character Cost: 681

 
<table width="100%" valign="top"><tr valign="top"><td>Height: 2.14 m</td><td>Hair: n/a</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Weight: 700.00 kg</td><td>Eyes: n/a</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan=2>Appearance: Herdstones look like large floating rocks with glowing runes on one surface. The rune pulses when the Herdstone speaks and is the source of their heat ray attacks. </td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan=2>Personality: Herdstones have appeared from time to time to enforce order. The question remains, whose order? It is thought they were servants of the original Dharzooni Masters who have gone rogue or malfunctioned. Some behave rationally, learning local laws and enforcing them peacefully. Others have evolved into power-mad dictators. </td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan=2>Quote:"You are in violation of local codes of conduct. Report your actions to the constabulary or I shall have to disable you and deliver you to them myself." (or just as often) "This area is now under my control. All things of flesh must cede to my will or be destroyed."</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan=2>Background: Unknown. The fact that the Herdstones speak modern languages, as well as ancient tongues suggest they are either given new abilites by their (presumably long-lived) creators or are capable of learning. The symbols engraved into their "front surface" are Dharzooni letters. What they might mean is unknown. It is perhaps a ranking system or just a way of keep track of them. </td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan=2>Powers/Tactics: They usually warn you first, then actually blast you with their heat rays. They have never been observed attacking by surprise.</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan=2>Campaign Use: Herdstones, both the "good" and "bad" flavors are meant to give a mysterious air to the ancient civilizations of your campaign. Were they created to provide a simple police force, or is something more sinister going on? If you increase their number over time, perhaps they are a way of ensuring the rule of the ancients long after they have faded from the world. </td></tr></table>

Old Man

Jun 9th, '05, 04:30 PM

Interesting...

Curufea

Jun 9th, '05, 04:57 PM

It's Terry Pratchett's golems from "Feet of Clay" meets Terry Dowling's weresuits from "Wormwood".

;-p

Cute - but a bit too cheesy for my campaign, unfortunately.

Jkeown

Jun 9th, '05, 05:27 PM

I've been ramping up the cheddar for some years now in Caleon... I suspect it will only get worse...

Curufea

Jun 9th, '05, 05:54 PM

Heh :)

Anyhow, I could use them, but I'd have to have them spout something in an unknown ancient tongue and the PCs would not be able to work out easily that it is law enforcement (possibly because they won't know the laws being enforced).

Tim

Jun 9th, '05, 09:54 PM

I like the idea.

Consider it stolen.

LoresLost

Jun 9th, '05, 10:03 PM

Looking at this neat concept, I have several questions of a design type.

Why did you not sell back running, swiming and leap? A rock can not swim and it has no legs and it floats anyway.

Also Why did you not give it physical and energy damage resistance (a rock is hard and it does not dent easily)?

Another thought is you could make it an automation (No stun)

Also an additional random thought is to give it Universal translator talent It always knows the right language to speak in.

Very nice encounter creature, Just curious about design thoughts.

Edit
I am a sleep, Damage resistance and Automation are there.
I was actually thinking of Damage Reduction (25%) any way, on top of everything else. (I tend to like tough order keepers) or more rED and rPD to represent there Magical nature (or may be even regeneration with reserrection as long as the ruin is not destroyed)

Jkeown

Jun 10th, '05, 03:53 AM

Thanks for the advice, and thanks to everyone who stole it! I revised the Herdstone, so please, use the shootier one...

Krim Haneth

Jun 10th, '05, 08:58 AM

Very Cool, good encounter creature especially for my adventure group as they will be exploring ancient dwarven ruins soon.

DrTemp

Jun 10th, '05, 09:19 PM

Shouldn't they be Unaging, too?

Jkeown

Jun 10th, '05, 10:46 PM

Doesn't Immortal take care of that?

CraterMaker

Jun 11th, '05, 02:08 PM

He kinda has a low endurance - or may his powers should run off an endurance battery. 2 end for his flight and 5- 15 end (his autofire attack) for his attack powers.. better hope a mage dowsn't have a Drain Endurance spell.

Come to think of it, 5 pts of power defence wouldn't be too bad to have..

Maby put in the writeup two possible package deals, one for the good cop with area knowledge, ks local history, and a perk (to represent any respect he might have earned from the locals)

and the Bad Cop, with followers (cult worshippers), Oratory, and a base or something..

Really like the idea.. Thinking about a senario with both versions, bad and badder, with the heroes stuck in between. Maby the copstone reveals a weakness the heroes use to take down the wannadiety, then the boys can use it against the copstone.. Hmmm..

thanks

CraterMaker

DrTemp

Jun 11th, '05, 11:39 PM

Doesn't Immortal take care of that?

Ah, it is buried in "Herdstone Vitality". Never mind. :)

Michael Hopcroft

Jun 12th, '05, 11:49 PM

Does 0 EGO for the Herdstones mean that they have no free will? Are they simply following their programming endlessly, without the capacity to be aware that their masters are gone and the laws they enforce no longer exist?

Assuming they do not have the sort of minds that are susceptible to control, is it still possible to trick or persuade a Herdstone into leaving you alone?

Is it possible to destroy one with a sufficiently powerful attack?

Jkeown

Jun 13th, '05, 03:53 AM

Good Questions, all of them.

They have the fantasy equivalent of programming. However, being magical programming, and under the control of whimisical beings such as FH GMs, it might be prone to tampering, to magical accidents or whatever nonsense is required for a good evenings fun... My group's run-in with a modified Herdstone is approaching. I intend that it be twisted be hope of recovery.

In Caleon, you can use Mind Control, etc on such things by taking the "machine class of minds" adder.

As to whether they can be destroyed by a single great attack... it would take a lot.

You'd have to do 15 BODY. That 15 would have to take into account 8 rPD (or 8rED) and the 25% rDR. So maybe ((31 points of BODY x .75)-8) would kill it outright. Assuming a roll of 4 on a die, you'd need 8d6-1 RKA of some kind. That's what? 116 active points?

I don't know where you're gonna get something that big... maybe another Dharzooni weapon?

Jkeown

Jun 13th, '05, 03:59 AM

Not even the Dharzooni's other enchanted killing maching could kill it in one shot:

Durlozi

Val Char Cost
40 STR 30
15 DEX 15
15 CON 10
16 BODY 12
10 INT 0
13 EGO 6
20 PRE 10
10 COM 0

8/21 PD 0
7/20 ED 4
4 SPD 15
11 REC 0
30 END 0
44 STUN 0

18" RUN 0
2" SWIM 0
8" LEAP 0
Characteristics Cost: 102

Cost Power END
90 Essence Beam: Multipower, 90-point reserve
7u 1) Standard Beam: EB 18d6 (90 Active Points); Beam (-1/4) 9
7u 2) Wide Beam: EB 12d6, Area Of Effect (One Hex; +1/2) (90 Active Points); Beam (-1/4) 9
8u 3) Lethal Beam: RKA 3 1/2d6, Armor Piercing (+1/2) (82 Active Points) 8
7u 4) Essence Bomb: EB 12d6, Explosion (+1/2) (90 Active Points); Beam (-1/4) 9
6u 5) Accurate Beam: (Total: 75 Active Cost, 63 Real Cost) EB 12d6 (60 Active Points); Beam (-1/4) (Real Cost: 48) plus +3 with Ranged Combat (Real Cost: 15) 6
7u 6) Autofire Beam: EB 12d6, Autofire (5 shots; +1/2) (90 Active Points); Beam (-1/4) 9
24 Enhanced Glass Armor: Armor (8 PD/8 ED) 0
10 Essence Ward: FF (5 PD/5 ED) 1
14 Self-repairing Enchantment: Healing 3 BODY, Can Heal Limbs (35 Active Points); Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 Minute (-1 1/2) 3
35 Essence Sight: Detect Magic 15- (Unusual Group), Discriminatory, Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees), Targeting, Telescopic (+1 versus Range Modifier), Tracking 0
22 Long Arms: (Total: 25 Active Cost, 22 Real Cost) HKA 1d6 (2d6 w/STR) (Real Cost: 15) plus Stretching 2" (10 Active Points); Limited Body Parts (Arms; -1/4), no Noncombat Stretching (-1/4) (Real Cost: 7) 2
47 Animated Vitality: LS (Eating: Character only has to eat once per week; Immunity: All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents; Immunity: All terrestrial poisons and chemical warfare agents; Longevity: Immortal; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; Self-Contained Breathing; Sleeping: Character only has to sleep 8 hours per year) 0
26 Elemental Furnance: Endurance Reserve (100 END, 20 REC) Reserve: (30 Active Points); REC: (20 Active Points); Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (No Magic Zones; -1/4) 0
5 4 Legs: Extra Limbs (2) 0
12 Heavy: Knockback Resistance -6" 0
24 Long Legs: Running +12" (18" total) 2
Powers Cost: 351

Cost Skill
48 +6 with All Combat
7 Analyze: Combat 13-
3 Analyze: Magic 11-
10 Defense Maneuver I-IV
4 KS: Dharzooni Tactical Lore 13-
0 Language: Dharzooni (completely fluent; literate) (4 Active Points)
3 Shadowing 11-
5 Tracking 12-
Skills Cost: 80

Cost Talent
3 Absolute Range Sense
3 Absolute Time Sense
3 Ambidexterity (-2 Off Hand penalty)
5 Eidetic Memory
14 Fearless
Talents Cost: 28

Total Character Cost: 561

Val Disadvantages
15 Susceptibility: Dispel Magic, 2d6 damage Instant (Common)
35 Enraged: Berserk When awoken from its thousand-year slumber, and almost any time after that. (Uncommon), go 14-, recover 8-
10 Physical Limitation: DEX reduced to 10 in No Magic Zones (Infrequently, Greatly Impairing)
25 Distinctive Features: Enormous Glass-Armored Killing Machine (Not Concealable; Extreme Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
20 Physical Limitation: No Manipulation (All the Time, Greatly Impairing)
381 Giant Glass-Armored Killing Machine Bonus

Disadvantage Points: 486

Base Points: 75
Experience Required: 0
Total Experience Available: 0
Experience Unspent: 0

Jkeown

Jun 13th, '05, 05:11 PM

Here is the .hdc