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Topic: Masters of the Universe

bjrc
Member
Member # 7993

posted March 31, 2003 04:08 PM

I do not believe Sy-Klone is a cyborg, despite several similarities.

First, his powers seem more magical than technilogical. I do not think technology could make his armor regenerate damage. Also, no amount of technology can make a creature immortal (he had been guarding Anwat Gar for centuries).

Second, the nature of Anwat Gar suggests a magical background; golems were guarding the place, it was full of odd statues, weird temples, and, of course, the Legacy Stones.

Then their is Sy-Klone's very appearance. He suggests a celestial. The armor is bizarre and otherworldly, not to mention the strange design on the breastplate - the fact that he wears a starchart on his armor should be a dead givaway.

There's no reason to make him a cyborg simply because he can rotate his waist 360 degrees. Thus, I'll keep his stats as they are for now.

Anyway, let's get on with the next character, shall we?

Science fiction has introduced a great many colorful robots in its history: Robbie from Forbidden Planet; the unnamed comedian from “Lost in Space”; and, of course, those two lovable dum-dums R2D2 and C3P0.

But as entertaining as those guys may be, the hero who am about to describe may put them all to shame, at least in terms of heroics.

So, without further ado…

ROBOTO

”Male” Android Expert 4 / Fighter 12

CR17; Medium-sized Construct; HD 4d6 plus 12d10; hp 110; Init +7; AC 23 (touch 13, flat-footed 20); Attack +23/+18/+13/+8 melee (claw), or +19/+14/+9/+4 ranged (missile weapons, varied); SA reshape hand, machine gun, plasma machine gun, missile launcher; SQ alacrity, analyze, binocular vision, natural armor, superior fast healing, restless, repairable, construct; AL NG; SV Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +6; Str 24, Dex 16, Con n/a, Int 20, Wis 13, Cha 15.

Skills: Climb +18, Concentration +20, Craft (machines) +37, Disable Device +15, Intimidate +12, Intuit Direction +12, Knowledge (games, puzzles, and strategies) +38, Listen +12, Spot +12.

Feats: Ambidexterity, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Two Weapon Fighting, Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Shot on the Run, Stunning Fist, Sunder, Two Weapon Fighting.

Reshape Hand (Ex): As a free action, Roboto can reshape his right hand into a crushing claw, his primary means of melee combat. It does 1d6 (plus his Strength bonus) of bludgeoning damage. Note that in claw form, it makes it very difficult for him to grasp objects.

Machine Gun (Ex): As a free action, Roboto can reshape his right hand into a machine gun. This deadly weapon fires about one hundred rounds of ammunition per round, and has an effective range of two-hundred feet. To hit a foe, he must make a ranged touch attack; if he hits, the weapon does 3d10 points of damage, and if the target is size Large or smaller, it must make a Fortitude save (DC 25, or be thrown back two feet for every point of damage that was taken by the impact. If the target was not thrown back, Roboto gains a +5 bonus to his attack roll the next round to hit the foe with the weapon. Although it is not a magical weapon, the machine gun is considered a +2 weapon for determining what Damage Reductions it can overcome.
Note the in machine gun mode, Roboto’s hand is useless as a hand.
Roboto can use the machine gun for thirty rounds (not necessarily continually) before running out of ammunition. Reloading takes thirty minutes if he must do so himself, or half that time with Man-at-Arms’s help. Doing so requires several tools, and is impossible to do during a battle.

Plasma Machine Gun (Ex): As a free action, Roboto can reshape his left hand into a plasma machine gun. This weapon fires just as fast as the standard machine gun, and has an effective range of two-hundred feet. He must make a ranged-touch attack to hit a target, and a target hit takes 4d10 points of heat damage, but no impact damage.
This weapon can be used for thirty rounds before the fuel cell is depleted, and replacing it takes thirty minutes on his own, or half that much time with Man-at-Arms’s help.
Again, in this mode, his hand is useless as a hand.

Note that with his Improved Two Weapon Fighting feat, Roboto can use both guns at the same time with ease.

Missile Launcher (Ex): Roboto has a missile launcher on his shoulder which he can bring to bear and arm as a free action. He can fire one to four missiles at once – if he fires one or two at once, he can program them as smart missiles; if he launches three or four at once, they can only be dumb missiles.
If he launches a dumb missile, he must make a ranged touch attack (he usually uses his binocular vision to get a good aim). The missiles have an effective range of 400 feet.
Smart missiles are guided missiles that track a target. Roboto must first use his Analyze ability; he then can use a full round action to program the missiles to track the target by its specific body heat (most undead creatures and constricts have no body heat and cannot be targeted by a smart missile – but some do. A vampire who has just fed has slight body heat, as does a blazing bones, an effigy, and some others. Technological constructs like clockwork horrors emit heat, as do burning men, and wicker men.) A smart missile flies at a speed of 60, with poor maneuverability, but if the target can avoid it for eight rounds, it falls to the ground and explodes.
When a missile hits a target (a if a smart missile fails to hit its target, whatever it falls on is considered the target), it explodes in a fifteen-foot radius burst, doing 4d6 points damage to the target and 2d6 points to anyone else in the radius (Reflex save at DC 20 for half damage) Half the damage done is fire, the other half is impact.
The launcher holds twenty-four missiles; reloading takes twenty minutes is Roboto is alone, half that with help from Man-at-Arms.

Alacrity (Ex): Unlike most constructs, Roboto can run just as well as a living creature.

Analyze (Ex): By looking at a creature and taking a full round action, Roboto can attempt to analyze the creature and gain information.
If the creature is an individual who is recorded in the records of the Royal Palace, Roboto can learn all important information about that individual or creature. (It is up to the DM what the records know. However, individuals that the records DO have complete info on are – all current and former employees of the Palace and Randor’s army and staff – including the Masters, except where noted below – info on important individuals belonging to kingdoms who Randor is allied with; all dangerous criminals who have opposed the kingdom, past and present, including all members of Skeletor’s Horde and all monsters he and his henchmen have created; and all known fauna of Eternia. The records do NOT include: Any info on the interior of Grayskull, Adam’s, Kringer’s, Man-at-Arms’s, or Orko’s connection with Grayskull; Teela’s true parentage; any mention of the Sorceress’s very existence; information of Zodac’s past; any information on the Elders; and of course, and information on He-Man’s past.)
If the palace records do contain info on the creature, Roboto’s analysis gives him a complete history and basic run-down of the creature; in the case of a PC or NPC, he knows everything on the character sheet; in the case of a monster, he knows the entire Monster Manual entry.
If the palace records do not have info on the individual or creature, Roboto still gains some facts. He learns 1d4 facts, selected at random, which can be almost anything.

Binocular Vision (Ex): Roboto’s optic sensors are equipped with binoculars that let him see up to two-thousand feet away, so long as no obstacles are blocking him. In addition, they are equipped with nightvision scanners, which give him an effective darkvision that reaches as far as he can see with his binocular vision.

Superior Fast Healing (Ex): Roboto’s fast healing can best be described as an interior self-repair system. It repairs ten points of damage per round.
In addition, if he loses a limb, his head, or another part (like his missile launcher), he or an ally can reattach it by holding it back in place. This takes five rounds, and while he is doing so, he can still defend himself with a weapon, so long as he has a hand free. If his missile launcher is torn off, he usually won’t waste time reattaching it until the battle is over, as it is not really necessary for him to continue fighting.

Natural Armor (Ex): Due to his armor plated “skin” Roboto has a natural AC of 10.

Restless (Ex): Before his first battle, Roboto was powered by a simple battery that needed recharging every night. However, after becoming a Master, Man-at-Arms replaced it with a superior one that will not need replacing for five years. Thus, Roboto does not need rest, and can remain active around the clock.

Repairable (Ex): Like all constructs, Roboto cannot be resurrected by magic if killed. However, Man-at-Arms can bring him back to life by repair, given time.
So long as his memory chips remain intact, repairing him takes only three days of uninterrupted work.
If Roboto’s memory chips (housed in his head) are destroyed when he is killed, Man-at-Arms can still repair him, but it takes longer. Man-at-Arms is careful to make back-up copies of Roboto’s chips every week. Repairing him from this state takes a week. When he recovers, Roboto will have no memories of events that happened after the last backup copy was made.
Even if Roboto’s body is completely annihilated, Man-at-Arms can construct a new body for him (and he will probably make an upgrade – the “new” Roboto may be far stronger than before). Doing so takes a month, and again, Roboto will have no memory of the events that happened after the last time a backup copy of his memory chips were made.
The only way Roboto can be permanently killed is to destroy him, destroying his current memory chips with him, and then destroying every last copy of his backup chips. Note that Man-at-Arms does not destroy old back-us when he makes new ones. The backup copies are kept in a secret vault in Grayskull that only Man-at-Arms and The Sorceress know the existence of; not even Roboto knows where to locate the items that could be used to destroy him.

Construct: Despite being intelligent and sentient, Roboto is immune to mind affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, and patterns). Due to his emotions, and concern for others, he is susceptible to morale effects, however, but only if they involve people other than himself. He is immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromantic effects, and effects that require a Fortitude save, unless they affect objects. He is not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, or death from massive damage.

Possessions: None. Roboto prefers to rely on his own powerful weaponry. However, if he runs out of ammunition during a battle and spots a fallen weapon that is better than his claw, he’ll probably seize and use it.

Appearance: Roboto looks intimidating. At first “he” (robots are genderless, but Roboto is referred to as male due to his voice and personality) appears to enemies like a typical – maybe even stereotypical – combat robot, but once an enemy realizes that he is sentient, intelligent, and able to use those powerful weapons with amazing skill, it is a great deal unsettling. Roboto stands six-foot-seven, and is about five feet wide. Built of a solid titanium, he has large limbs with fists the size of anvils; his head has an orange jaw (which does not move when he talks), and a v-shaped optic sensor. Despite his intimidating appearance, Roboto’s voice is friendly, and his attitude is never anything but polite.

Tactics: Roboto can best be described a living tank. In battle, he uses his twin machine guns, doing massive damage; enemies are often never able to get close enough to him to fight back. The Masters often use him to take out enemy artillery or vehicles. He rarely speaks during a battle; in his logical mind, he believes gloating and taunting merely waste time.
Designed originally to play games of strategy, Roboto is very good at thinking up battle strategies. Even his creator Man-at-Arms has been surprised at some of the strategies he has come up with.

History: The origin of the Master known as Roboto is a strange story that no-one (least of all Roboto) truly understands.
It all started with the Master known as Man-E-Faces. One of his favorite pastimes was playing chess. But in his robot form he was just too good at it, and he could find no one who could provide a good challenge for him. He defeated King Randor’s smartest diplomats and ambassadors with ease; it seemed nobody could provide a challenge for Manie at the Game of Kings.
So, to do his friend a favor, Man-at-Arms built him a gift – he created a robot, specially programmed to play chess. He gave it artificial intelligence, and a friendly personality. The Masters nicknamed the robot “Roboto.”
The robot was indeed able to provide a challenge for Manie. It was able to defeat him in a couple of games; it even invented a strategy for chess which it called “The Roboto Gambit.” This strategy involved purposely drawing attention to one of your pieces, so that you could achieve a checkmate with another of your pieces.
However, as the days passed, something odd was happening in Roboto’s metal and silicon mind. No one realized it, but it became evident that Roboto was becoming more intelligent, and fully sentient – nearly a living creature. Why this happened is not known – Man-at-Arms had never been able to create such a robot before. Perhaps some benign spirit had taken possession of the chess-player; perhaps the alignment of the stars at the time of his programming were just right; perhaps Man-at-Arms had made some sort of beneficial error in the programming. Whatever the case, the robot he had created was much more than he had intended.
Meanwhile, at Snake Mountain, Tri-Klops had created a new weapon. A small bone golem, part magical, part technological. Though it was physically weak, it had an advantage- when destroyed, it rose as two identical ones. But when he showed it to Skeletor, it failed, when the duplicates attacked each other. Both Skeletor and Evil-lyn insulted him, calling him a failure.
The humiliated Tri-Klops became determined to prove his invention worked. He fixed the problem, and then, without Skeletor’s approval, brought ten of the golems to attack the Royal Palace.
The golems surprised Adam, Teela, and Syclone outside the Palace grounds. The three of them cut down the ten golems with ease, but then were shocked when the ten became twenty! Syclone held them off, while Adam and Teela ran to get the other Masters.
When they got to the Palace, they found that a bad situation had become worse – Man-at-Arms had taken all the other Masters on another mission. Teela went to round up the Royal Army, while Adam said he would search and see if any Masters were left; actually, he went to transform into He-Man. He then joined Syclone outside the Palace, where the golems had grown into an army of hundreds.
While Teela was rounding up the soldiers, Roboto approached her, and volunteered for service. He apparently thought that both chess and battle both required strategy, and that he could contribute to the effort. Teela was surprised. She told Roboto to go away, saying that he was inadequate for fighting. “You’re a game player, not a warrior,” she said.
But Roboto’s was determined to help. He went to Man-at-Arm’s workshop, and found some weapon blueprints and tools. He quickly grafted all the armor and weapons onto himself that he could build and find, changing his appearance and power dramatically.
Roboto then went back to Teela, but she still refused to let him fight. Even with his weapons, she thought, he would still only be a liability.
In the meantime, Syclone and He-Man were fighting a losing battle. The golem army had grown into the thousands. The two Masters tricked them into a cave and sealed them in it with a cave in. At that point, Tri-Klops, watching from a nearby cliff, implemented an “upgrade,” giving the golems an energy blast attack, and they tore out of the cave at ease.
At that point, Tri-Klops was so drunk with power that he decided then and there that he no longer needed Skeletor – once he had taken the Palace, he would storm Grayskull and seize its power for himself. His dreams started to run wild.
Roboto started to watch the battle from afar, and he realized that Syclone and He-Man could never win – the army was threatening to reach the million-point mark. But then, he noticed Tri-Klops on the cliff, using a device that no-doubt controlled the creatures.
Forgetting Teela’s orders, Roboto leapt into the battle. He informed He-Man of Tr-Klop’s presence. Then, when He-Man went to deal with the villain, Roboto decided to implement his Roboto Gambit for real. He attacked the golems with all his weapons blazing.
The strategy worked perfectly. When Tri-Klops saw the robot, he laughed, and directed all the golems, even the ones guarding him, to attack Roboto. This left him easy prey for He-Man; the hero easily subdued Tri-Klops, grabbed the control device, and crushed it. The golems all crumbled into powder, and the battle was over. But before Tri-Klops could be apprehended, Skeletor swooped down on a vehicle and snatched him (of course, Tri-Klops may have preferred prison to the punishment Skeletor had in store for him…).
Teela arrived at the battlefield minutes later. Roboto had been horribly damaged by pulling off his Gambit, and seemingly died moments later.
Teela spent the whole next day mourning for Roboto, hating herself for refusing to give him a chance and being so pig-headed. Fortunately, Man-at-Arms was quickly able to repair him, and stabilize the upgrades he had made to himself, making him less vulnerable.
Roboto still enjoys performing the function he was originally created for – playing chess with Man-E-Faces (and other highly intelligent Masters and honorary Masters, like Zodac). But he is now a full fledged and valued member of the team, who will likely remain one for a long time.

Classic Roboto Quote

Roboto has just been repaired

Roboto: “I am fully upgraded and back online, and glad to be of service… but right now, I am scheduled for a rematch with Man-E-Robot.”

Coming up next: a guy with a great thumb… and a green arm… and a green leg… and a green head… and… aw you know who I’m talking about.

- Brian

--------------------
"Who's side am I on? I am on nobody's side, for nobody is on my side."

- Treebeard, from The Two Towers, expressing the basic philosophy of nature - neutrallity.

From: Brooklyn, NY, USA | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

Wyvern76
Member
Member # 110791

posted April 04, 2003 12:35 AM

quote:
Originally posted by bjrc:
New characters are popping up like wildfire – last night introduced Kobra Khan and Zodac (and another snake man… General something or other)

That would be General Rattlor. I was kind of disappointed not to see Tung Lashor as well, but otherwise "Snake Pit" was one of my favorite episodes so far. (That's partly because I owned both Rattlor and King Hiss as a kid. It was interesting to see the similarities and differences from the story in the mini-comic that came with King Hiss.)

quote:
Syclone’s way of explaining how flexibility is just as important as strength

Syclone: “Strength is not always the key Teela. Remember, the reed bends before the wind, while the brittle branch snaps in two.”

Personally, aside from the cool twist it gave to Roboto's origin, I was really disappointed by that episode. Sy-klone lectures Teela on needing flexibility as well as strength, but when faced with an enemy that multiplies every time it's hit, he just keeps on hitting it? Talk about inconsistency! Also, I couldn't help wondering why Skeletor doesn't get Tri-Klops to make another of the mega-monsters and sic it on the palace. It nearly defeated the Masters the first time, after all; the only way He-Man won was by luring it into a trap.

Wyvern

--------------------
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
- William Shakespeare, "Hamlet"

From: E. Lansing, MI | Registered: Oct 2002 | IP: Logged

bjrc
Member
Member # 7993

posted April 04, 2003 08:11 AM

Wyvern -

Well, what did you expect Sy-Klone to do, let the things kill him? I know his actions seemed to contradict his words, but perhaps his plans was to delay them until they could find out how to permanently stop them.

As to why Tri-Klops does not construct the giant golem again, it is obvious. It had a achillies heel - too large, clumsy and stupid, easily outsmarted.

Anyway, Moss-Man will be up soon followed by Kobra Khan and Zodac. Their character classes will be:

Kobra Khan: Male Snake-Man Rogue 16

Zodac: Male Celestial Monk 20

After that, I may get to Count Marzo, Evil Seed, and General Rattler, but only after any other major characters ahave been introduced and dealt with; I believe Fisto, Stinkor, and Webstar may be appearing before the current season ends.

- Brian

--------------------
"Who's side am I on? I am on nobody's side, for nobody is on my side."

- Treebeard, from The Two Towers, expressing the basic philosophy of nature - neutrallity.

From: Brooklyn, NY, USA | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

Wyvern76
Member
Member # 110791

posted April 05, 2003 01:09 AM

quote:
Originally posted by bjrc:
Well, what did you expect Sy-Klone to do, let the things kill him? I know his actions seemed to contradict his words, but perhaps his plans was to delay them until they could find out how to permanently stop them.

Yes, but that's exactly my point - there are plenty of ways to slow down or delay an opponent besides hitting them repeatedly, and if you can't think of any then you shouldn't be blathering about flexibility. How about trapping them in a box so they can't hurt anyone, tying them up, luring them to the nearest ocean and trying to drown them? Those are just a few ideas off the top of my head. Sure, it's not easy to do any of those things when you've got twenty of them attacking you at once, but they should never have let it get to that point - as soon as it became clear that hitting them only made the problem *worse*, they should've STOPPED HITTING THEM!!!

Wyvern

--------------------
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
- William Shakespeare, "Hamlet"

From: E. Lansing, MI | Registered: Oct 2002 | IP: Logged

WilliamPall
Member
Member # 130338

posted April 05, 2003 09:10 AM

Wyvern . . . I think the fact that Sy-Klone didn't think of an alternate solution to the situation is pretty self evident.

The writers of the cartoon show are not as wise as Sy-Klone actually is.

Registered: Mar 2003 | IP: Logged

bjrc
Member
Member # 7993

posted April 05, 2003 01:30 PM

True, perhaps.

By the way people, according to the end credits of "The Mystery of Anwat Gar" and "The Roboto Gambit", the correct spelling of his name is "Syclone."

I do not have time to edit it right now, but I will.

I have just installed a new computer; as soon as I upgrade my AOL from 8.0 to XP, Moss Man's stats will be added; it may take time.

- Brian

--------------------
"Who's side am I on? I am on nobody's side, for nobody is on my side."

- Treebeard, from The Two Towers, expressing the basic philosophy of nature - neutrallity.

From: Brooklyn, NY, USA | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

Crinos Galavar
Member
Member # 110408

posted April 05, 2003 05:40 PM

Alright, In case you missed it they just showed the new episode "the island." which shows us Man at arms original teacher, but more importantly gives us some insight to Clawfuls race.

Apparently, all the members of clawfuls race are of low intelligence (But clawful is particularly stupid; he couldnt even recognize his native language! [ROFL]

)

Also, unlike whiplashes race, who think of him as a traitor and despise him, Clawfuls race seems to respect Clawful for his prestigious position in skeletors army, and some even aspire to join the ranks themselves.

--------------------
Crinos: big evil

From: the mists | Registered: Oct 2002 | IP: Logged

bjrc
Member
Member # 7993

posted April 05, 2003 06:13 PM

Yes, I saw it.

And apparently, the character class I chose for Clawful was rather appropriate - he said he couldn't spell very well...that is because, as a Barbarian, he is illiterate! However, it is now clear that in "The Deep End," he was no using a device to summon those underwater vehicles - he called them by using sound-sensors with a "command-word" linked to his own strange language.

This might be a good time to mention something... with the series progressing, some of the characters are growing, and some are displaying new powers and weapons that make my old stats some what inclomplete. I'm not going to redo them completely - not all of them, anyway - but I will soon do an "upgrade" that will add on a few things to a few characters.

The one guy I will completely redo is Skeletor. For one, his new stats will include his complete history (what is known) and have a few additions from The Book of Vile Darkness (but not too much to make this thread more than a PG rating.

And by the way, this Decker character has a lot of potential - it shows that even the best of the best had to learn from somebody. Although I do not have enough info to make complete stats, if he ever becomes a recurring character, perhaps someday I might.

- Brian

PS Moss Man will have to wait until tommorow. Setting this stupid comuter up took longer than I thought.

--------------------
"Who's side am I on? I am on nobody's side, for nobody is on my side."

- Treebeard, from The Two Towers, expressing the basic philosophy of nature - neutrallity.

From: Brooklyn, NY, USA | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

WizO_Jedi

Member # 2818

posted April 05, 2003 11:58 PM

I've removed the Off Topic posts that were polluting this thread. Keep up the great work! [Smile]

--------------------
WizO Jedi
TCG Boards Team Lead
Lawful Neutral Gnome Ranger Druid
Remember, the tone of your posts is as important as the content.

From: A galaxy far, far away. | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

bjrc
Member
Member # 7993

posted April 06, 2003 04:10 PM

Hi everybody (and thank Jedi).

At long last, I got my new computer set up; so it’s time to get back to work.

So here he is, the first druid in the group:

MOSS-MAN

Male Nature Spirit Druid 18

CR 18; Medium Sized Plant; HD 18d8 + 72; hp 220; Init +8; Spd 30 ft; AC 20 (touch 16, flat-footed 14); Atk +16/+11/+16 melee (by weapon, varies); SA/SQ Nature sense, woodland stride, trackless step, resist nature’s lure, wild shape (large, tiny, huge, and dire available 6 times per day, elemental 3 times per day), a thousand faces, special wild shape, plant control, wave of moss, regeneration 7, photosynthesis, unkillable, plant; AL NG; SV Fort +15, Ref +10, Will +17; Str 17, Dex 18, Con 19, Int 20, Wis 22, Cha 15.

Skills: Concentration +18, Heal +21, Knowledge (Botany and Horticulture) +25, Knowledge (Nature) +40, Listen +20, Profession (Farmer) +41, Spot +20,Wilderness Lore +26.

Feats: Expertise, Deflect Arrows, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, *Snatch Arrows.

*From Sword and Fist. Note that Moss Man uses this feat - and other feats of his - different than most users do; rather than use his hands, he uses his Plant Control ability to use vines to trip and disarm enemies, and to deflect and snatch missiles.

Typical Druid Spells (6/7/7/6/6/5/5/3/3/2): Create water, cure minor wounds, detect magic, *fire eyes, light, purify food and drink; cure light wounds, endure elements, faerie fire, goodberry, invisibility to animals, obscuring mist, summon nature’s ally I; charm person or mammal, lesser restoration, resist elements, soften earth or stone, summon nature’s ally II, tree shape, warp wood; cure moderate wounds, neutralize poison, protection from elements, remove disease, speak with plants, summon nature’s ally III; cure serious wounds, dispel magic, quench, *last breath, summon nature’s ally IV, *waterball; commune with nature, cure critical wounds, death ward, *druid grove, tree stride; greater dispelling, healing circle, summon nature’s ally VI, transport via plants; changestaff, heal, summon nature’s ally VII; summon nature’s ally VII, sunburst, word of recall; mass heal, *invulnerability to elements (has been known to replace one with summon natures ally IX or *nature’s avatar.

*From Masters of the Wild

Special Wild Shape (Su): When Moss-Man uses his Wild Shape ability to take the form of an animal, it is, like him, a plant in the shape of an animal, with all the animal’s abilities, but with all of the special qualities of a plant that he has.
When he takes the form of an earth elemental, it is an earth elemental, but it is covered with moss and a variety of plants and flowers. He does not take air or water elemental form unless he has to (as he dislikes those forms) and because he despises fire, he never takes fire elemental form (although he is technically capable of it.

Plant Control (Su): Moss-Man is a master of plant life, and can control all plants within a hundred feet of him, in the following ways:

* He can cause all plant life to grow, doubling in size every round (except trees, which double in size every two rounds). He can even make them sprout from mere seeds in only a round.

* He can shape them into any shape he desires, the limit only being his imagination. This works like a stone shape spell as if he were a sorcerer of his druid level.

* He can increase the hardness of plants, up to and including the hardness of adamantite, or decrease it to the harness of paper. Increasing hardness takes one round for every five points increased, while decreasing it takes one round for ever eight points.

* He can will plants to attack enemies. He can, for example, make vines strike foes, or make them grapple. All plants do so with Moss-Man’s attack bonus; damage done depends on the plant’s size and hardness (DM’s discretion, as it can vary widely; a small vine would do little more than a few points of subdual damage, while an oak tree’s branch that had been hardened to the hardness of steel would be lethal). He has been known to make such “plant-weapons” more dangerous with his shaping ability, by making them sprout thorns or blades.

* His control of plants extends to the plant-matter that makes up his own body. He cannot make himself bigger, but he can sprout tendrils from his limbs, or form weapons out of his body should he need one.

* He cannot command plants to die or otherwise be destroyed. It is said that the destruction of plant life causes him pain, and he will not do so intentionally.

* Moss-Man can control plants that another spellcaster is controlling, but he must first make an opposed Wisdom check against that spellcaster. Is he succeeds, he seizes control of the plants. He can also control some intelligent plant life; such creatures must make a Will save against DC 22 (Moss-Man’s Wisdom score) or they become effectively charmed.

*There are certain plants that Moss-Man cannot control at all: intelligent plant life of evil alignment, plants created or summoned by evil or vile magic, and plants native to the Lower Planes or other evil dimesions.

Wave of Moss (Su): Moss-Man can summon a huge wave of grassy moss, that he can ride at great speed, traveling over even the roughest terrain at a speed of 90. He can take up to tree passengers with hin on the wave.

Regeneration (Su): Fire and cold inflict lethal damage on Moss-Man. If he loses a limb or other member, the limb withers and rots instantly, but a new one grows in its place in 1d4 rounds.

Natural Armor: Though Moss-Man’s mossy skin looks soft, it is hard as stone, giving him a natural AC of 4 (note that he cannot use his plant control ability to increase his natural armor further).

Immortal (Su): Moss-Man cannot die of old age; he does not require air to survive, and he gains nourishment differently than other beings (see below). (Note that this makes the Timeless Body ability of druids redundant).

Photosynthesis (Ex): Like most plants, Moss-Man gains nourishment form sunlight, and does not require any other food; unlike most plants, he can gain nourishment through photosynthesis even during winter months.

Unkillable (Su): Moss-Man is the living extension of Eternia’s ecology, and as such, he can never truly die. If killed, he is reborn at full health in the Evergreen Forest 1d6 days later (probably very angry and ready to find whoever killed him). The only way to truly kill him is to decimate Eternia’s ecosystem completely; because its ecosystem is controlled by Grayskull, a villain intent on doing that would have to seize the Castle first. Of course the only villain who would benefit from such an act would be an undead one who had absolutely no use for living creatures - if Eternia’s ecosystem died, all of its life would too.

Plant: Moss-Man is immune to poison, sleep, stunning, critical hits and polymorphing. He has low-light vision. Unlike most plants, Moss-Man is sentient and intelligent, so he is not immune to mind-effecting magic.

Possessions: Moss-Man always carries a lot of seeds to use his plant control powers on. some from common plants, some from very rare plants. They serve a variety of purposes - some create vines that make good weapons, others grow into plants that have fruits, sap, pollen, or such that can easily be made into cures for poisons or diseases.
Moss-Man carries no weapons - if he needs one, he creates one using his plant control power, out of the nearest convenient plant (or his own body, if necessary). First he shapes it, then hardens it. Note that because they are made of plant matter, he can use weapons that are not on the druid list without suffering a penalty (but he has no proficiencies with weapons other than those on the druid list).

Appearance: Moss-Man’s name describes him completely. He appears as a tall, humanoid made completely out of moss and shrubbery. His eyes are emerald green with no irises or pupils, his ears are pointed and fey-like, and the moss around his chin suggests a beard. He wears golden armbands, a golden belt, brown shorts, and no shoes. Wherever he walks, flowers sprout from the ground.
Moss-Man’s voice and syntax is similar to that of the typical farmer - kind, informal, and full of slang; he jokes often too, even in the heat of battle, which he otherwise takes seriously.

Tactics: Moss man takes both of his duties - that of a Master and that of the protector of nature - very seriously. Despite his humorous attitude, he no-one to be taken lightly - even the mightiest treants respect his power.
Moss-Man is very creative with his plant-control ability; he has been using it for centuries, and can use it to deal with nearly any situation. He can, for example, form a protective shell around himself and allies, conjure up vines to reach high areas, use them to burrow through soil, and even form them into makeshift siege machines.

History: The history of the being known as Moss-Man is largely unknown. It is generally believed, however, that he was created eons ago as a sort of genus loci by Eternia itself to act as the defender of nature.
Sometime in the past (exactly when is unknown) Moss-Man clashed with the evil (and likely insane) Evil Seed, a demonic plant bent on destroying Eternia’s animal life and replacing it with evil plants. Moss-Man defeated him, and imprisoned him in a cavern, bound by an enchanted tether. The spell of imprisonment also prevented Evil Seed from producing more of his fiendish seeds, the source of his power. There was one bag of the fiendish seeds left; Moss-Man knew that it would be wise to destroy them, but he did not dare touch them, knowing that if he so much as accidently spilled the bag and even one seed touched ground, it would take root, and the monster would soon be free, a risk he could not take. But he reasoned that as long as the bad was out of Evil Seed’s reach, there was no danger.
Years later, when the Masters had been established, a simple mistake would prove that logic wrong. One day, as Man-at-Arms gave duties to the Masters, Orko was so eager to help, that Man-at-Arms assigned him to work in the Queen’s garden, figuring that not even Orko could mess up a job THAT simple.
He was wrong - there are few jobs that Orko CAN’T mess up. After nearly drowning the garden in an attempt at creating rain with magic, Orko bumped into Ram-Man. Ram-Man had heard stories about a “plant expert” named Moss-Man who lived in the Evergreen forest, and suggested Orko go ask him for advice. So, not wanting to let Man-at-Arms down, Orko went off to find the “plant expert.”
After wandering the dark forest for hours, Orko naturally got lost. And eventually, as his bad luck would have it, he fell into a cavern, which took him directly to Evil-Seed’s prison. Due to the nature of Moss-Man’s spell, Evil-Seed did not look like his normal self, so his fiendish nature was not immediately obvious. When Orko stated that he was looking for Moss-Man, and then stated that he lived at the Royal Palace, an opportunity quickly came to the demon’s mind. He lied, stating that he was Moss-Man, and told Orko to take the bag of seeds and plant them in the garden. Having no reason to disbelieve him, Orko did.
Once the fiendish seeds were planted, they quickly grew into fiendish vines. Orko didn’t see it, but they grew downwards; they first subdued and captured all members of the Masters, Randor and Marlina, and then burrowed their way to their master, freeing him. He commanded the vines to take their captives to a subterranean base, and made his way there to confront them.
Fortunately, the real Moss-Man was alerted to Evil-Seed’s escape, and made his way to the palace. When he met up with Orko, the court magician was able to show him where he had planted the fiendish seeds, and from there, Moss-Man was easily able to track the vines to Evil-Seed’s lair.
In the meantime, the mad demon confronted his captives, and ordered his vile plants to devour them, but at the last minute, Moss-Man an Orko arrived. As the two old enemies clashed, the masters struggled to free themselves from the vines; but as Evil-Seed gloated, Orko messed up again. He himself started to gloat, saying how strong the Masters were, and let it slip how the source of their power was Grayskull. At that, Evil-Seed abandoned his captives, and left, intending to seize the Castle.
Fortunately, when he left, his control over the vines weakened, and the Masters escaped with ease. Adam transformed into He-Man, and rode Battle-Cat towards the Castle, meeting up with Moss-Man halfway on his wave of moss. They caught up with Evil-Seed, and Orko was finally able to do some good in defeating him, providing a rainshower to water some of Moss-Man’s seeds, which were able to restrain the demon long enough for Moss-Man to send him to a more secure prison.
Eventually, Moss-Man did help Orko with his gardening work, (which Orko had now quit), and Randor offered Moss-Man a place in the Masters. Eager to help the ecosystem of Eternia on a larger and more formal scale, Moss-Man accepted, and remains a welcome member to this day.

Classic Moss-Man quote:

“The way I see it, Eternia is like a garden; be a shame to let a few bad seeds ruin the whole thing.”

Be here next time for Kobra Khan.

- Brian

[ April 06, 2003, 04:12 PM: Message edited by: bjrc ]

--------------------
"Who's side am I on? I am on nobody's side, for nobody is on my side."

- Treebeard, from The Two Towers, expressing the basic philosophy of nature - neutrallity.

From: Brooklyn, NY, USA | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

bjrc
Member
Member # 7993

posted April 25, 2003 05:35 PM

Hello everyone; sorry about the big delay; I went on vacation for spring break (no jobs for substitutes) and forgot to tell you.

But I swear by the masters, the next character will be up by Saturday evening, at the latest.

- Brian

--------------------
"Who's side am I on? I am on nobody's side, for nobody is on my side."

- Treebeard, from The Two Towers, expressing the basic philosophy of nature - neutrallity.

From: Brooklyn, NY, USA | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

bjrc
Member
Member # 7993

posted April 27, 2003 12:54 PM

Hello people. At long last, the next character is here!

So without further ado...

Kobra Khan

Male Snake Man Monk 17

CR 19; Medium-Size Monstrous Humanoid (reptilian); HD 17D8+51; hp 180; Init +11; Speed 80 ft, Swim 100 ft (high speed is a supernatural ability); AC 26 (touch 21, flat-footed 19); Atk +17/+12/+7 melee (by weapon) or +17/+14,/+11/+8 melee (unarmed, 1d20); SA flurry of blows, stunning fist, Ki strike (+3), quivering palm, acid spit, bite; SQ still mind, slow fall (50 ft), purity of body, Leap of the Clouds, improved evasion, diamond body, abundant step, diamond soul (SR 27), Tongue of the Sun and Moon, natural armor, spider climb, summon familiar, sadistic, immortal; AL LE; SV Fort +14, Ref +17, Will +14; Str 20, Dex 24, Con 17, Wis 18, Cha 12.

Skills: Balance +20, Escape Artist + 20, Hide +20, Jump + 20, Knowledge (ancient Eternian history): +12, Listen +17, Move Silently +20, Tumble +21.

Feats: Circle Kick*, Deflect Arrows, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Knock-Down*, Mantis Leap*, Thrall to Fiend (King Hiss)**, Unarmed Strike.

* From Sword and Fist

** This works like Thrall to Demon or Disciple of Darkness from The Book of Vile Darkness. For purposes of any MotU campaign, I will consider King Hiss a fiend lord of some type. (Khan can use this feat despite Hiss’s imprisonment.)
Acid Spit (Ex): Khan can spit a stream of highly corrosive venom at an enemy (or object), as a full round action. This “breath weapon has a range of 150 feet, and Khan must make a ranged attack at a +17 bonus to hit a foe. The acid does 5d10 points of damage (Reflex save at DC 17 for half damage). If Khan hits his foe in the face (assuming it is a living creature which has eyes), which he must take a -8 attack penalty to do (unless the foe is caught flat-footed), the victim must make a Fortitude save at DC 20 or be stunned for 1d8 rounds.
This acid can melt even the hardest metal. Any object hit (including belongings worn by a victim hit), must make a Fortitude save (DC 20) or melt into slag.
After spitting, Khan must wait 1d6 turns before he can do so again. Khan is immune to his own acid.

Bite (E): Khan has a venomous bite, but he rarely uses it, as he is not very good at doing so, and it isn’t very powerful. He must be grappling a foe to do so, and then make one attack at a +17 bonus. A creature bitten takes 1d4 points damage; to save against the venom requires a Fortitude save at DC 15. Primary damage is 1d4 points Constitution damage; secondary damage is 1d4 points Constitution damage and one point Constitution drain.
Khan’s fangs have only enough venom to poison a foe 4 +1d4 times a day (decided when combat begins).

Natural Armor (Ex): Khan’s hard plated scales gives him a natural AC of 5.

Spider Climb (Ex): Khan can clime the slickest surfaces with ease, as if under a permanent spider climb effect.

Summon Familiar (Su): Though not an arcane spellcaster, Khan has recently learned to summon a familiar, though he is limited to small reptiles (lizards, small snakes, iguanas, etc.). The creature has all the powers of an arcane spellcaster’s one, except share spells, touch, an scry on familiar.
His current familiar is a lizard, which gives him the same abilities as a toad familiar does.

Sadistic (Ex): Perhaps it is due to millennia of his race being imprisoned with him helpless about it, perhaps it is the sheer hate he feels towards other races, but Khan is an insane sociopath, and has the Sadistic quality. Thus, if he inflicts damage to a foe (by any means) equal to his level in a single round, he gets a +1 circumstance bonus to attack, damage, saving throw, and skill check bonuses the next round. However, like all sadists, he hates feeling pain himself; thus, an enemy gets a +1 bonus to all Intimidate checks if he threatens Khan with physical pain.

Immortal: Khan, like all snake men, is immortal, and does not age; he does not require food (but he does get hungry, and can eat for the satisfaction), but does need air and rest. Note that this makes the Timeless Body ability of monks redundant.

Possessions: None, aside from his familiar. Khan prefers to fight with his bare hands. He once had the key which opened The Void, but that item has been destroyed.

Appearance: Kobra Khan appears different from the average snake man. Rather than smooth scales, he has hard plates for skin, with patters of light and dark green. He has two vertical bony ridges that go from each side of the front of his waist to the base of his spine, and brown flares on his elbows. When he spits poison, a frightening cobra-like hood snaps open around his neck and cranium. He wears only a brown loincloth, anklets, and a belt with a buckle bearing the same design as the key to The Void (possibly to conceal the fact that he was hiding it there). Naturally, he speaks with a snake-like lisp, rolling his S's.

Tactics: Few opponents that the Masters have faced are as good at physical combat as Kobra Khan. He knows how to use each and every one of his monk abilities and feats to the best of his ability. After a lifetime of several millennia, one gets rather good.
Khan is a ruthless fighter, and rarely stops fighting until all enemies - or himself - are not moving. He isn’t stupid, however, and won’t fight to the death - not until he and General Rattlor find another way to free the snake men.
Khan’s biggest weakness is his cruel streak. He loves to gloat and cajole his enemies during a battle, and while he intends to kill them, he always wants to do so in the most painful way possible. This can make him sloppy, and a smart combatant can benefit from any mistakes he makes.

History: It is impossible to relate Kobra Khan’s history without first summarizing the history of his race, the dreaded Snake Men.

Ages ago, in the time of Randor’s ancestor’s ancestors, their was a threat far greater than Skeletor ever could be. A race called the Snake Men, spawned in the Dark Hemisphere, raised an army from Snake Mountain which they built (that horrible fortress was far larger back then). Under the leadership of a being named King Hiss, they set out not only to conquer Eternia, but to exterminate all other sentient life, making them the planet’s sole masters.

In the war that followed, Eternia’s inhabitants were cut down by the thousands by the vile monsters. Eventually the Elders themselves decided to intervene, along with many powerful allies, like the celestial mystic named Zodac.

The war continued to be costly; even some of the Elders died under the grip of King Hiss, as did Zodac’s brother. Eventually, however, the Elders led a strike against Snake Mountain, and utilized one of Hiss’s own weapons against them: a prison demiplane known as The Void. In the final battle, Zodac used the King’s magic to imprison him and his whole race in the demiplane.

They took with them the key that could release the race from the prison; why they did not destroy it is unknown. Probably they, as beings of goodness often do, thought that someday the Snake Men could find redemption. It was a minuscule chance, but so long as their wasn’t NO chance, they would not attempt to leave them there forever.

Sometimes, even the plans of the most powerful beings of goodness go wrong.

They did not know it, but one solitary snake man had escaped their notice - an officer named Kobra Khan. How he avoided imprisonment is unknown; perhaps he at one point had incredible magic to escape detection.

Centuries went by, and eventually the Snake Men became mythical to Eternia’s population, parts of legends, fiction, and even fairy-tales. Eventually, parents would even use them to scare their children into obeying (“If you don’t go to sleep, the Snake Men will get you!”) turning their once deadly image into that of pathetic bogeymen.

But the Snake Men were real, and the last free one spent the centuries plotting their release. Close to the present time, Kobra Khan found the key to The Void, which possibly was given to King Randor by the Elders. He eventually wound up in the prison of the Royal Palace (perhaps as a result of breaking in to steal the key).

While in jail, Khan meditated constantly, and eventually unlocked a new power in his mind. He became able to summon a familiar, just like an arcane spellcaster. He summoned a lizard to his side, which entered his cell while the guards were not looking. Khan then instructed his new companion on how to escape - after midnight one night, when the prison guard shift was at its lowest, and when the two guards on his cellblock were preoccupied with a game of chess, the lizard stole in, seized the keys to its master’s cell, who quickly freed himself. Khan made short work of the guards, and took from then the key to the muzzle he had been forced to wear (to prevent his acid-spitting), removed the muzzle, and then used his acid to melt through the floor, and escape through a sewer.

The instant he escaped, Castle Greyskull, its former selves now realizing the danger, alerted the Sorceress, who alerted Man-at-Arms. With the Elders now helpless to act, he decided to seek out Zodac in his home in the Mystic Mountains, taking Teela and Adam with him. After finding the legendary mystic, anger swelled inside Zodac as memories of his brother filled him. Telling the three Masters to leave, he decided to find Khan alone.

Meanwhile, Khan had reached his former home, well aware of its new inhabitants. He purposely strode right up to Skeletor’s territory, and was confronted by Merman and Two-Bad. He surrendered without a fight - which was exactly his intention. When brought before the Overlord of Evil, Khan told Skeletor that he wished to join the ranks of his horde. He offered information on the Palace which he claimed was useful. Skeletor had heard of Khan, and even if he was suspicious, he believed the Snake Men could never be freed (he had found the door that led to the entrance to The Void when he moved into Snake Mountain, but never succeeded in opening it. Thus he accepted Khan’s offer.

Khan provided the information he promised (whether it was real or fake is not known), and while Skeletor and his henchmen were studying it, he stole away to the door that led to The Void, and opened it with the key.

Minutes later, Zodac barged into the fortress and made short work of Skeletor and his henchmen (due to the fact that they had no idea of his abilities), he trailed Khan to the room where The Void was accessed, and arrived just in time to see Khan fit the key into the slot.. Anger got the best of Zodac, and while he threatened Khan, the snake man stunned him with his acid.

The, to Zodac’s horror, The Void opened, and the vile army began to emerge. The first to leap free was the hulking General Rattlor, who Khan offered to do with Zodac as he wished.

But when all hope seemed lost, Man-at-Arms, Teela, and Adam (who naturally had followed Zodac), arrived. Khan attacked them, with acid, and Adam, was splashed in the face. The splash didn’t hurt him, but he thought fast, faked blindness by clutching his eyes, ran for the door. Teela tried to follow, but Khan’s acid melted the door shut.

As Adam transformed into He-Man, Rattlor commanded his soldiers to emerge, and dozens of snake men leapt out. Zodac, Duncan and Teela started to fight a losing battle, until, He-Man dropped in (claiming the Sorceress had contacted him). He-Man chased Khan to the ceiling; and then a blast of energy caused him to plummet into The Void. The blast had come from Skeletor, who had recovered. He congratulated Khan for freeing the Snake Men to serve him (saying it as if that had better be what he was doing).

Zodac plunged into The Void to rescue He-Man; smelling victory and drunk with it, Khan gloated, and announced his true intentions, forgetting that Skeletor was right next to him.

Meanwhile, He-Man and Zodac were facing scores of snake-men, and the colossal, shadowy form of Hiss himself! He-Man finally convinced Zodac the suicidal nature of his folly, and the two escaped before the confused Hiss realized the situation.

When Zodac went to try to remove the key and re-imprison the Snake Men, Khan hit the key’s alcove with acid, rendering it irremovable. Zodac tried to smash it by plunging his spear into it, but he wasn’t strong enough to do so. But then Khan’s gloating doomed his plans - he yelled that Zodac wasn’t strong enough. So He-Man plunged the Sword of Greyskull into it as well.

The key was destroyed, and an immense suction drew the vile monsters back into their prison and resealed it. Only Khan and Rattlor (who were strong enough to brace themselves) escaped this fate. They then retreated, as did Skeletor.

Though the two elite snake men no doubt still intend to free their race, they will have a hard time doing so now that the key is gone. And with both the Masters and Skeletor’s Horde as enemies, they will have an even harder time.

Classic Kobra Khan quote:

[Zodac has just appeared to challenge him.]

Khan: ZODAC!! King Hiss will rise from his ancient prison, hsss, just in time to see his captor fall before me!"

Campaign Conversion

For those who wish to insert the Snake Men into an existing campaign, doing so is easy. A “common” snake man should be no more than a lizard man, albeit one with many character levels (mostly fighters and rogues), and the immortal trait Khan has.

An “elite” snake man should be made like a yuan-ti half-breed, but should not look human at all. They can have virtually any extraordinary or superhuman power that is snake-like (like superior contortionist ability, a rattle that can make a sonic attack, and anything that has to do with poison). These snake men should defiantly have many levels, of practically any class or prestige class an evil creature could take (except cleric). They are, of course, immortal as well.

King Hiss has only been shown in shadow, but he should be a fiend of at least DR 0. He may be the illegitimate child of some powerful evil deity; on Oerth, Incabulous, Tharizdun, or even Obad-Hai (who’d naturally been seduced by some demon), are good ideas, while on Toril, Shar, Bane, or Set will do.

Tune in next time for - oh, who do you think?

- Brian

[ April 27, 2003, 01:01 PM: Message edited by: bjrc ]

--------------------
"Who's side am I on? I am on nobody's side, for nobody is on my side."

- Treebeard, from The Two Towers, expressing the basic philosophy of nature - neutrallity.

From: Brooklyn, NY, USA | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

bjrc
Member
Member # 7993

posted May 10, 2003 09:19 AM

Hi everyone. I finally broke my writer’s block, and managed to type up the next character.

I would appreciate some feedback here from time to time.

First some background:

In the old series Zodac was just a recurring character; he was an ally of the Sorceress who just visited Eternia from time to time when apocalyptic problems were afoot. He doled his problems out to He-Man, and never engaged in a battle himself.

All that is now changed. His origin has been completely redone, and now this character who’s name starts with “Z” can kick some serious “A”.

So here we go.

ZODAC

Male Celestial Monk 20 (exact race unknown)

CR 23; Medium-Sized Outsider (Good, Lawful, Extraplanar); HD 20d8+ 40; hp 175; Init +10; Speed 90 ft; AC 27 (touch 27, flat-footed 27); Atk +15/+11/+6 melee X2 (2d6+2 plus special, magical double axe-spear); or +17/+15/+11/+8/+5 melee (1d20+2, unarmed); or +21/+16/+11 ranged (light blasts; damage varies); SA/SQ stunning attack, flurry of blows, improved evasion, still mind, slow fall (any distance), purity of body, wholeness of body, leap of the clouds, ki strike (+3), diamond body, abundant step, diamond soul (SR 30), quivering palm, tongue of the sun and moon, empty body, perfect self (DR 20/+1), light blasts, float, store/recover, discern weaknesses, celestial qualities; AL LG; SV Fort +14, Ref +18, Will +19; Str 14, Dex 23, Con 14, Int 20, Wis 25, Cha 17.

Skills: Balance +30, Concentration +25, Diplomacy +26, Escape Artist +30, Hide +30, Knowledge (Ancient Eternian History) +27, Listen +19, Move Silently +18, Tumble +30.

Feats: Ambidexterity, Deflect Arrows, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (double axe-spear), Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Pain Touch*, Stunning Fist, Two-Weapon Fighting, Unarmed Strike.

Light Blasts (Su): Zodac’s ranged attack is to fire beams of pure light from his hands - the light of ultimate goodness. To hit an opponent, he must make a ranged touch attack; but damage varies.
The blasts are completely useless against creatures that are neither good nor evil.
Against ordinary evil beings (orcs, for instance), the blasts do 1d8 points damage.
Against beings of inborn evil, the blasts do 2d10 points damage. An “inborn evil” creature is a being that is born evil, like fiends, evil magical creations, evil fey, evil undead, and many (but not all) other creatures listed as “always” evil in their stats. DM discretion is advised.
If he hits a good-aligned creature with the blasts, the creature is stunned for one round, but is instantly healed of 2d10 points damage, and one point of ability score damage, if any. Zodac can not use this power on himself.

Float (Su): Zodac can levitate a few feet off the ground, and float forwards at a speed of 20. However, while doing so, he cannot engage in melee combat, and his improved evasion no longer functions. In this state, Zodac it immune to all magic that affects the ground (like {I]earthquake[/I] spells), and can cross thick mud, quicksand, snow, or even water without sinking. Also, his Move Silently skill gains ten extra ranks.

Store/Recover (Su): Zodac has an ability similar to Leamund’s secret chest he can send any belonging of his (like his weapon, helmet, or sky-sled) to an extraplanar location at any time, and retrieve it at any time. Where the things are sent is unknown. It is not known how many items he can store (if there is a limit), or the size limit (and there probably is one).

Discern Weaknesses (Su): By simply looking at a creature (a free action), Zodac can tell what the creature’s physical and magical strengths and weaknesses are.
For instance, if facing a nycoloth, Zodac would know immediately that poison and acid would be worthless against it, and fire, cold, and electricity would not do much damage; he would also know that it was vulnerable to sonics and that his axe-spear would do great damage against it. If the nycoloth had and special, personal strengths (like if it were wearing a minor ring of fire resistance) or weaknesses (like it was deathly afraid of a certain pit fiend who once nearly killed it), Zodac would know those facts too. This ability can tell Zodac practically any small weakness, like if his enemy had a splitting headache at the time (that could be useful).

Celestial Qualities: Zodac has most of the qualities of an archon; he has the aura of menace and magic circle against evil abilities and is immune to petrification and is immune to electricity and petrification. He has no ability to teleport, however. He does not need to breathe or eat, and is immortal (which makes the Timeless Body ability of monks redundant for him).

Possessions: Helm of proof against detection and location (same powers as the amulet), sky sled, +4 holy, storing, double axe-spear.

The Sky Sled: This mode of transportation resembles a metal platform with a chair on it. The rider of this vehicle can fly at a speed of 200 MPH. Only Zodac can use the sky sled; if it were stolen he’d use his Store/Retrieve power to store it.

Zodac’s Double Axe-Spear: A double axe-spear is an exotic weapon of his own design; anyone wishing to gain the proper Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat must be trained by him. Each side of the Large staff-like weapon is tipped with four blades shaped like crescent moons. The double axe-spear is a double weapon; you can fight with it as if fighting with two weapons, as if one end was a light weapon, but you incur all appropriate penalties. A Large creature cannot use it as a double weapon. Each side of the weapon can be used for slashing or piercing; when properly used as a double weapon, the user slashes with the first strike, and pierces with the second. A user can slash twice, but not pierce twice. Slashing does 2d6 points damage, threatens a critical on a natural 19-20, and does 2X damage on a critical; piercing does the same damage, threatens a critical on a natural 20, and does 3X damage on a critical.
In addition, Zodac’s staff is a potent magical weapon. In addition to being a +4 weapon with the holy quality, it has the “storing” quality If Zodac is targeted by a spell, or spell-like affect and it fails to overcome his magic resistance, the spell’s energy is stored in the weapon (so long as he is using it). On the next round, Zodac can choose to disperse the energy harmlessly (which the staff automatically does), or use a standard action to stamp the weapon on ground, releasing the spell back in whatever direction he is facing (often back at the caster).
Only Zodac can use the weapon - if it is stolen, he simply stores it immediately and then retrieves it.

Appearance: Zodac has dark skin, is bald, and his eyes are shining white. He wears a red and white outfit that resembles a sleeveless breastplate, but is actually just a lightweight battle-garment. He wears red boots and armbands, and a helmet with odd flares and black eyepieces. When he becomes angry or excited, odd white symbols appear on his skin.

Tactics: As far as physical fighting goes among the Masters, only He-Man is better than Zodac. Millennia of training his inner powers have made him a powerful force to be reckoned with. In a fight he is usually calm and collective, as most monks are, and says very little. His only real weakness is the Snake Men; seeing or hearing of them fills him with rage due to the memories of his murdered brother, and such rage might cause him to get sloppy, and make mistakes that he’d never otherwise make.
Zodac uses the power of his axe-spear and his ability to tell a creature’s weaknesses in great unition. For example, say he were fighting a pit fiend, and the monster cast meteor swarm at him and the effect failed to overcome Zodac’s magic resistance. Zodac would know instantly that the fiend could not be harmed by fire, and would not waste a round blasting the creature with the stored spell. But, if the fiend was a wizard and cast lightning bolt, Zodac would realize that the spell could hurt the fiend, and would then use the weapon’s power.
To repeat the above scenario, if the fiend were not fighting alone, but with a gang of bladeling mercenaries, and at that time cast the meteor swarm Zodac would know that the spell could not harm the pit fiend, but would wipe out all of the mercenaries, and would likely use the weapon’s power.

History: The early origins of the mystical warrior Zodac are not known, nor is it known what odd (but clearly Upper Planar) realm he once called home. His known history began several millenia ago.

Ages ago, in the time of Randor’s ancestor’s ancestors, their was a threat far greater than Skeletor ever could be. A race called the Snake Men, spawned in the Dark Hemisphere, raised an army from Snake Mountain, which they built. Under the leadership of a being named King Hiss, they set out not only to conquer Eternia, but to exterminate all other sentient life, making them the planet’s sole masters.

In the war that followed, Eternia’s inhabitants were cut down by the thousands by the vile monsters. Eventually the Elders themselves decided to intervene, and they recruited their strongest allies. Zodac was among these, as was his brother, a hero whose name and exploits have not yet been revealed.

The war continued to be costly and terrible; even some of the Elders died under the grip of King Hiss, and in the evening of the way, Zodac’s brother was mudered by an assassin sent by the honorless monsters.

Eventually, however, Zodac himself led the Elders on a strike against Snake Mountain, and utilized one of Hiss’s own weapons against them: a prison demiplane known as The Void. In the final battle, Zodac used the King’s magic to imprison him and his whole race in the demiplane.

The Elder's took with them the key that could release the race from the prison; why they did not destroy it is unknown. Probably they, as beings of goodness often do, thought that someday the Snake Men could find redemption. It was a minuscule chance, but so long as their wasn’t NO chance, they would not attempt to leave them there forever.

Mourning his lost sibling, Zodac retreated to a modest retreat in the inhospitable Mystic Mountains, where he spent the next several centuries in deep meditation, rarely emerging. He probably communicated with the Elders from time to time, but mostly he lived as an isolated hermit.

Centuries passed, and eventually the Elders, unable to sustain the magic that was prolonging their lives, merged with the walls of Castle Grayskull, forming one entity of pure goodness and near infinite power. Whether Zodac knew of this is not known; he no longer worked with his old allies, and did not think he would need them.

Over the years, the Snake Men became mythical to Eternia’s population, parts of legends, fiction, and even fairy-tales. Eventually, parents would even use them to scare their children into obeying, turning their once deadly image into that of pathetic bogeymen.

But the Snake Men were real, and they were not as vanquished as the Elder's thought. One of them, an officer in Hiss's army named Kobra Khan had escaped imprisonment somehow. And all these centuries, the last free Snake Man plotted his race's release. Close to the present time, Kobra Khan found the key to The Void, which possibly was given to King Randor by the Elders. He eventually wound up in the prison of the Royal Palace (perhaps as a result of breaking in to steal the key).

While in jail, Khan, a monk himself, meditated constantly, and eventually unlocked a new power in his mind. He became able to summon a familiar, just like an arcane spellcaster. He summoned a lizard to his side, which entered his cell while the guards were not looking. Khan then instructed his new companion on how to escape - after midnight one night, when the prison guard shift was at its lowest, and when the two guards on his cellblock were preoccupied with a game of chess, the lizard stole in, seized the keys to its master’s cell, who quickly freed himself. Khan made short work of the guards, and took from then the key to the muzzle he had been forced to wear (to prevent his acid-spitting), removed the muzzle, and easily escaped.

The instant he escaped, Castle Grayskull, its former selves now realizing the danger, alerted the Sorceress, who alerted the Master Man-at-Arms. With the Elders now helpless to act, he decided to seek out Zodac in his home, taking Teela and Adam with him. After finding the legendary mystic, and explaining the situation, anger swelled inside Zodac as memories of his murdered brother filled him. Telling the three Masters to leave, he decided to find Khan alone, and flew towards Snake Mountain.

Meanwhile, Khan had reached his former home, well aware of its new inhabitants: The Horde of the Overlord of Evil, Skeletor. When brought before the blackguard, Khan told Skeletor that he wished to join the ranks of his horde. He offered information on the Palace which he claimed was useful. Skeletor had heard of Khan, and even if he was suspicious, he believed the Snake Men could never be freed (he had found the door that led to the entrance to The Void when he moved into Snake Mountain, but never succeeded in opening it.) Thus he accepted Khan’s offer.

Khan provided the information he promised (whether it was real or fake is not known), and while Skeletor and his henchmen were studying it, he stole away to the door that led to The Void, and opened it with the key.

Minutes later, Zodac barged into the fortress and made short work of Skeletor and his henchmen (due to the fact that they had no idea of his abilities), he trailed Khan to the room where The Void was accessed, and arrived just in time to see Khan fit the key into the slot. Anger got the best of Zodac, and while he threatened Khan, the snake man stunned him with his acid.

Then, to Zodac’s horror, The Void opened, and the vile army began to emerge. The first to leap free was the hulking General Rattlor, who remembered Zodac well. Khan offered Rattlor to do with Zodac as he wished.

But when all hope seemed lost, Man-at-Arms, Teela, and Adam (who naturally had followed Zodac), arrived. Khan attacked them, with acid, and Adam was splashed in the face. The splash didn’t hurt him, but he thought fast, faked blindness by clutching his eyes, ran for the door. Teela tried to follow, but Khan’s acid melted the door shut.

As Adam transformed into He-Man, Rattlor commanded his soldiers to emerge, and dozens of snake men leapt out. Zodac, Man-at-Arms and Teela started to fight a losing battle against the army, until, He-Man dropped in (claiming the Sorceress had contacted him). He-Man chased Khan to the ceiling; and then a blast of energy caused him to plummet into The Void. The blast had come from Skeletor, who had recovered. He congratulated Khan for freeing the Snake Men to serve him (saying it as if that had better be what he was doing).

Zodac plunged into The Void to rescue He-Man; smelling victory and drunk with it, Khan gloated, and announced his true intentions, forgetting that Skeletor was right next to him.

Within the Void, He-Man found himself surrounded by hundreds of snake men, his sword a hundred feet away... and then he saw before him the shadowy, collossal form of King Hiss himself! Hiss was too confused by the situation to attack immediately, but that would change soon.

As Zodac lept to He-Man's rescue, he told the Master to leave - seeing Hiss intensified his hate, and he seemed determined to fight the demon by himself. But He-Man knew that attacking Hiss would be suicide. He commanded Zodac that they would leave together.

Finally, Zodac broke though his block, and say the sense in He-Man's words. They made a run for it, and lept from the Void before Hiss could attack.

Now with his only intent to reseal the Void, Zodac went to try to remove the key and re-imprison the Snake Men. But then Khan hit the key’s alcove with acid, rendering it irremovable. Zodac tried to smash it by plunging his spear into it, but he wasn’t strong enough to do so. But then Khan’s gloating doomed his plans - he yelled that Zodac wasn’t strong enough. So He-Man plunged the Sword of Grayskull into it as well.In a blast of power, the key was destroyed, and an immense suction drew the vile monsters back into their prison and resealed it. Only Khan and Rattlor (who were strong enough to brace themselves) escaped this fate. They then retreated, as did Skeletor.

Zodac apologized for his brief recklessness, and vowed to help the Masters whenever needed. Now, though not an official member, he is one of their greatest allies.

Still, with Khan and Rattlor free, it is possible that the Masters and Zodac have not seen the last of the ancient evil that would destroy Eternia.

Classic Zodac Quote:

"BY THE ELDERS!!!"

(Zodac's "war cry")

Campaign Conversion

In a standard D&D campain, Zodac's home plain is likely the Peaceable Kingdoms of Arcadia, a place of heroic goodness. In a FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign, it is likely the House of the Triad.

As far as Zodac's origin, Zodac may well be a former (or even current) proxy of a Good and/or Lawful god. In a standard campaign, Heironious or St. Cuthbert would be good choices; on Toril, Helm, Torm , or Tyr would be ideal.

Finally, Zodac's home is in the Mystic Mountains, a very inhospital and dangerous mountain range, On Oerth, the Crystalmists could fill this purpose, while on Toril, there are dozens of mountain ranges that could do. Note that any evil races who inhabit these mountains would never dare approach his retreat.

Coming up next: the "offensive" key to Skeletor's new offensive.

- Brian

[ May 10, 2003, 06:07 PM: Message edited by: bjrc ]

--------------------
"Who's side am I on? I am on nobody's side, for nobody is on my side."

- Treebeard, from The Two Towers, expressing the basic philosophy of nature - neutrallity.

From: Brooklyn, NY, USA | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

bjrc
Member
Member # 7993

posted May 25, 2003 09:19 AM

Hello everyone. Ready for the next character?

Again, feedback is welcome, and encouraged.

STINKOR

Male Mutant Rogue 17

CR 19; Medium-Sized Monstrous Humanoid; HD 17d6+68; hp 130; Init +6; Move 60 ft; AC 18 (touch 16, flat-footed 18); Atk +24 (X2) melee (1d8+4/1d8+4, claws); SA/SQ sneak attack +8d6 (see below), uncanny dodge (can’t be flanked, +3 against traps), improved evasion, slippery mind, vile stench; AL CE; SV Fort +9, Ref +16, Will +10; Str 17, Dex 23, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 10.

Skills: Balance +28, Escape Artist +27, Intimidate +20, Jump +27, Listen +20, Spot +22, Tumble +27.

Feats: Acrobatic*, Dodge, Expertise, Fleet of Foot*, Iron Will, Mobility, Run.

Vile Stench (Su): The hideous stench that Stinkor continually exudes is, by all practical purposes, magical. This aura of stinking gas makes it hard for an enemy to even come near him.

Normally, the aura of gas surrounds a fifteen-foot radius around Stinkor. Every round that a creature with a sense of smell is within the radius, he takes 1d12 points of subdual damage (usually - see below). A Fortitude save at DC 17 is allowed for half damage. Because it is a magical effect and not a true poison, immunity to poison does nothing to protect a victim (but magic resistance does). Holding one’s breath prevents damage (a temporary solution), as does a simple gas mask).

Plant life is especially vulnerable to the stench; small plants like ferns and shrubs die instantly when exposed to the stench; large plants and plant-based monsters take real damage rather than subdual.

Computerized machinery is also affected, as the stench scrambles computer circuits. Such machines must make a Fortitude save (again, DC 17), or break and require repair before being able to function. Sentient machines take real damage, like plants, but a successful save means no damage rather than half. Some highly advanced machinery (like the Master known as Roboto) are unaffected.

Creatures who are especially sensitive to smell (like grimlocks, oozes, and creatures with the scent ability), take double the subdual damage, and must make a second Fortitude save every round or pass out (unconscious), until the smell is gone.

The stench lingers for an 10d6 minutes after Stinkor has passed (making him incredibly easy to track - all attempts gain a +10 circumstance bonus, and attempts by rangers get automatic success).

The stench has no effect on creatures that do not breathe, like golems, elementals, and elementals.

Stinkor can use the stench in the following ways:

* He can increase the radius of the stench around him at thirty feet per round, to a maximum of two miles. However, at distances of more than a mile, the stench is deluded, and all damage it does is halved. However, the gas is visible, and the entire radius around Stinkor is treated as under the effects of an fog cloud.

* Stinkor can spray the stench from his hands in a 40 ft cone, or he can aim a spray at the ground, causing a 20 ft radius cloud of extra-potent stench. Anyone caught in either effect takes real damage rather than subdual, as the horrid vapors corrode their lungs. Damage is doubled for plants and machines, and odor-sensitive creatures take double the damage that is already doubled. A Reflex save at DC 20 is permitted for half-damage, but anyone who avoids full damage still must save against the ordinary stench surrounding Stinkor. Holding one’s breath cannot help one avoid this attack, but a standard gas mask will.

Stinkor’s power comes with drawbacks. He cannot turn off the power, and he himself has no resistance to it. Skeletor’s other henchmen likewise have no resistance, but Skeletor himself has devised a potion to protect himself, which he imbibes whenever he needs Stinkor. Unfortunately, he cannot (or will not) make enough of it to dole out to his whole horde, and the potion does not work on Stinkor himself. Also, Stinkor cannot use the rogue’s sneak attack power on any creature who has a sense of smell.

Possessions: Stinkor wears special mechanical armor invented by Tri-Klops; this odd breastplate, though made of metal, is only as encumbering as leather armor. It also comes with an attached gas mask and air-tanks, to protect Stinkor from his own stench.

Appearance: The accident which mutated Odiphus into Stinkor made him, coincidentally, resemble a humanoid, muscular skunk. His face is cat-like with flared ears, and his teeth are fanged. His eyes are slitted and snake-like. He wears an orange breastplate covered with hoses, switches and other do-dads; it contains a gas mask that cannot be removed by an enemy (the reason he lost his first battle), without tearing the entire thing off. He also wears orange armbands and anklets. Stinkor’s voice is gravely and inarticulate, and he often refers to himself in third person.

Tactics: If one can imagine a slaughterhouse in a sweltering desert, abandoned for years with carcasses still inside, attacked by an arsonist, you might be able to imagine Stinkor’s stench. He rarely carries a weapon in battle, knowing that foes can rarely come close enough to lay a finger on him.
Stinkor does not have many bright ideas of his own - he does whatever Skeletor tells him to (which seems to actually impress the Overlord of Evil). Usually, Skeletor uses him for one-man missions where subtlety is not needed, as he interferers with his other henchmen’s abilities.

History: The creation of the evil warrior known as Stinkor was an accident that was never intended to be. He was once a common thief named Odiphus, a semi-humanoid creature the size of a house-cat. He wasn’t a very bright or competent thief, but he had guts, and a LOT of nerve. In fact, he was serving time for burglary in the Eternian Palace jail the very night that the fiendish Kobra Khan escaped; when Man-at-Arms ordered a search, Odiphus couldn’t help but mock his captors, laughing, “Yeah, right, you’ll never catch him!”

Despite his incompetence, Odiphus had big dreams. He wanted to be someone special; he’d have sold his soul to join Skeletor’s horde. And it was a chance meeting with that group that made his dream come true.

After getting out of jail, he broke into a alchemy lab; the building had plenty of valuable, portable items that he figured would sell big. But minutes after he broke in, a group of Skeletor’s henchmen, led by Tri-Klops, broke in as well. Odiphus hid, and watched as Tri-Klops carefully took a bottle of pink liquid from a shelf.

But then, He-Man and some other Masters, who had been following the Horde arrived to apprehend them. A fight broke out, the building was destroyed, and the villains managed to escape with the bottle. After the Masters had left, Odiphus crawled out, and found a destroyed doom-seeker that Tri-Klops had left behind. He got an idea - would Tri-Klops reward him if he returned the busted machine? In Odiphus’s anxious mind, he figured the answer was yes, and carried the item to Snake Mountain.

What Tri-Klops had stolen was called necrosia; what necrosia is isn’t known, but given its name, it was probably created through necromancy. Unbeknownst to the Master, Skeletor did not want it for any serious plot. He and his henchmen were getting tired of Beast-Man’s terrible body odor, so Tri-Klops was building a machine to cure him of it. Necrosia was an ingredient in its making.

Tri-Klops had nearly finished the machine, and all that was left to do was add the necrosia; but at that point, Odiphus, having snuck into Snake Mountain and avoided all traps and guards, barged into his lab. Tri-Klops commanded the creature to leave, and likely would have killed him if he hadn’t; but at that moment, Skeletor ordered Tri-Klops to the throne room for a progress report. Thinking Odiphus was harmless, Tri-Klops obeyed, telling Odiphus that he’d better be gone by the time he got back.

But Odiphus misunderstood the scientist. Thinking that Tri-Klops was testing him, he decided to do Tri-Klops a favor, and finish the experiment. So he took the necrosia and dumped it into the spigot that he saw Tri-Klops intend to. That was a mistake - the volatile liquid was meant to be poured slowly, and not ALL of it was meant to be added. Before he knew it, the machine exploded.

A vile gas filled the room, and within minutes. Oedipus had mutated into a man-sized, fully-humanoid. He then noticed a horrible stench around him, so he grabbed the gas-mask that Tri-Klops had been using and put it on. As he stumbled forth from the lab, it did not take him long to discover that HE was the cause of the smell.

Of course, Skeletor discovered him, and had him dragged before him. Normally, Skeletor would have fed such an intruder to Beast-Man’s pets, but Odiphus’s stench was so horrible that Skeletor just blasted him good and had him thrown out. But he couldn’t help but be curious; so he ordered Tri-Klops to watch the creature with a doom-seeker.

The confused Odiphus wandered the countryside for hours. Plants died in his wake, and birds fell from the sky. Finally, as fate would have it, his uncontrolled stench hit a herd of domestic unilopes. These herd animals are gentle creatures, despite being the size of elephants; but they are nearly blind, and sensitive to smell. A whiff of Odiphus’s stench spooked them, and they stampeded right towards the Eternian capital.

The Masters, of course, sprung into action, thinking it was Beast-Man’s work. However, after subduing the animals and finding no trace of Beast-Man, they were confused as to what could have made the creatures so violent. But the ranger Stratos knew how vulnerable they were to smell, and deduced that a new, evil, with a foul odor, had emerged...

In the meantime, Skeletor had been watching, and he was impressed. He had his henchmen bring Odiphus back to Snake Mountain, and told him that he would offer him a place in his Horde, if he could follow directions in a new offensive that Skeletor had planned. Odiphus could not agree fast enough.

Thus, the next day, Skeletor’s plan was enacted - Oedipus would remain a distance from the Palace and incapacitate the guards and the Masters with his stench, while Skeletor and his men would attack by air.

When the attack started, it at first went perfectly. Most of the Royal Guard panicked, and the Masters could only keep order. When He-Man and Man-at-Arms went to investigate the source of the odor, they were soundly trounced by the reeking villain. However, they realized that he was a diversion for a larger attack. Thus, Man-at-Arms contacted the palace, and warned Roboto, the one Master able to resist the stench. Roboto attempted to scan the source... and then noticed that he was wearing a gas mask. Realizing that the stench-causing creature was not immune to his own stench, he called Man-at-Arms back with an idea for a counter attack.

He-Man and Battle Cat went to confront the monster; fighting his way through nausea, and Odiphus’s attacks, he was able to distract the fiend long enough for Battle Cat to rip his gas mask off. Then, as Odiphus started to choke on his own vile odor, He-Man noticed Skeletor and his men flying towards the palace on griffon-back; so he hurled his foe at them, spooking the griffons and forcing them to retreat.

After escaping to Snake Mountain, Odiphus escaped punishment, as Skeletor claimed he was “useful.” (Most likely, Skeletor did not want him to leave.) Skeletor let out his steam by making the rest of his henchmen clean the armor and machinery that had been befouled. He also commanded Tri-Klops to build a suit of armor for Oedipus, supplied with a high tech gas mask, so that the former problem could not happen again. Oedipus renamed himself Stinkor, and was granted a permanent part in Skeletor’s army.

Stinkor knows that his powers are a liability as well as an asset, but he doesn’t care. His dreams have been realized, and he is no longer a petty thief. Also, it is not known how much he may learn to use his power. He may find a way to make the stench worse, or use it in deadly ways. He likely will remain a threat to the Masters for some time to come.

Coming up next: Count Marzo!

- Brian

[ May 25, 2003, 06:47 PM: Message edited by: bjrc ]

--------------------
"Who's side am I on? I am on nobody's side, for nobody is on my side."

- Treebeard, from The Two Towers, expressing the basic philosophy of nature - neutrallity.

From: Brooklyn, NY, USA | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

Puritan13
Member
Member # 98144

posted May 25, 2003 02:17 PM

You're starting to get into character that I don't remember from my childhood.

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What the heck is a sig virus?

Oh, and Everybody Wang Chung Tonight.

"Skinny guys fight till they're burger." -- Tyler Durden.

Top o' the mornin to ya.

From: Soon to be Dayton, Ohio | Registered: Jul 2002 | IP: Logged

DFloyd
Member
Member # 21429

posted May 25, 2003 03:28 PM

Before the accident, Stinkor was "Odiphus," as in "odiferous," not "Oedipus," the guy who killed his dad and married his mom.

--------------------
All people are created stupid, but some are more stupid than others.

>My D&D Dungeon< hosts a slew of original and converted material, including the d20 Modern Net.Book of Fictional Characters.

Zelda d20 Status and Countdown!

From: Vancouver, BC, Canada | Registered: May 2001 | IP: Logged

bjrc
Member
Member # 7993

posted May 25, 2003 06:54 PM

DFloyd - It has now been edited.

Puritan - Admittedly, Stinkor never appeared in the original cartoon; he was only an action figure. Back then, Mattel liked making "novelty" action figures, and thought that one with a foul odor would be a good idea. Putting him in the cartoon back then may have not gone well with some censors (A villain with the power to stink? That was too offensive for 80's children's television.)

Now that censorship has been relaxed, and the current version is darker and more intense the writers of the current show have made a "real" Stinkor for the cartoon, and he fits in just fine.

Count Marzo was neither an action figure or cartoon character for the original series, but he's such a colorful character with a lot of history, so I am including him. After him will come General Rattlor and Evil-Seed; the second season promises the introduction of such favorites as Fisto and Webstar, and in-between, I'll do some updates of characters, monsters, and artifacts.

- Brian

--------------------
"Who's side am I on? I am on nobody's side, for nobody is on my side."

- Treebeard, from The Two Towers, expressing the basic philosophy of nature - neutrallity.

From: Brooklyn, NY, USA | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

DFloyd
Member
Member # 21429

posted May 27, 2003 07:18 PM

Count Marzo was in a few episodes of the original series, although he received the most thorough redesign of any character so far that he resembles the original in name only.

Classic Marzo had a subtle drug-related theme to him, using black flowers to hypnotize people into doing his bidding (I haven't actually seen those eps; I'm going by second-hand info).

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All people are created stupid, but some are more stupid than others.

>My D&D Dungeon< hosts a slew of original and converted material, including the d20 Modern Net.Book of Fictional Characters.

Zelda d20 Status and Countdown!

From: Vancouver, BC, Canada | Registered: May 2001 | IP: Logged

bjrc
Member
Member # 7993

posted May 28, 2003 02:39 AM

Hmmm... I don't seem to resemble those episodes either... of course, with the exception of maybe Evil-Seed, I don't remember the "secondary" villains too well...

Of course, if Marzo is now present "in name only," then I may remember the episodes, but not the villain's name...

If you say he was in it though, I believe you.

Anyway, my stats will be up by Saturday at the latest.

- Brian

--------------------
"Who's side am I on? I am on nobody's side, for nobody is on my side."

- Treebeard, from The Two Towers, expressing the basic philosophy of nature - neutrallity.

From: Brooklyn, NY, USA | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

jonstryder
Member
Member # 15558

posted May 28, 2003 09:43 PM

Sorry this is a bit off topic but not by much. Either way I figured it might be something you'd all be interested in hearing.

In a game magazine I just got, they are coming out with a He-Man video game for the PS2. The game is centered around the new series of course. You get to play He-Man as one would think. The game is suppose to bost over 40 combat moves depending on whether or not your on Battlecat. Battlecat will have laser cannons and of course his claws and teeth not to mentioning a sword weilding hero.

They really didn't get to much into teh prmis of the game but suggested on answering the question of, "what would happen if Skeletor did get his hands on the power of Greyskull? What sort of transformation would he have?"

According to the magazine characters like Man-at-arms, the Sorceress, and the other masters will have cameo's in the game but they never mentioned anything about being able to control them.

The graphics from the few screen shots that were shown looked pretty good. The artical can be found in this months edition of Game Informer, it has a picture of Spiderman on the cover and the major artical of the isue revolves around the Spiderman 2 video game.

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"Nothing gives me a warm fuzzy feeling like a mob of armed villagers."

"Never underestimate the power of a Dark Clown!"
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From: Aloha, OR, USA | Registered: Apr 2001 | IP: Logged

bjrc
Member
Member # 7993

posted May 29, 2003 01:38 AM

That is intriging - however, I have only a GameCube.

- Brian

--------------------
"Who's side am I on? I am on nobody's side, for nobody is on my side."

- Treebeard, from The Two Towers, expressing the basic philosophy of nature - neutrallity.

From: Brooklyn, NY, USA | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

jonstryder
Member
Member # 15558

posted May 29, 2003 09:32 PM

I don't have the magazine right in front of me at the moment, but it wouldn't surprise me if it did come out on other platforms.

Now games that I want to see are the Thundercats, Voltron, maybe the Silverhawks, and of course Transformers.

[ May 29, 2003, 09:51 PM: Message edited by: jonstryder ]

--------------------
"Nothing gives me a warm fuzzy feeling like a mob of armed villagers."

"Never underestimate the power of a Dark Clown!"
www.geocites.com/sean_ropp

From: Aloha, OR, USA | Registered: Apr 2001 | IP: Logged

bjrc
Member
Member # 7993

posted May 30, 2003 01:33 PM

Don’t hold your breath for Silverhawks - however, I have heard that Thundercats are possibly due to make a return in the cartoon world, so who knows?

And now, the moment we’ve been waiting for... comments and feedback are welcome, as always.

COUNT MARZO

Male Human Fighter 1 / Sorcerer 19

CR 20; Medium-Sized Humanoid (human); HD 1d10+ 5 plus 19d4+95; hp 125; Init +7; Move 30 ft; AC 18 (touch 18, flat-footed 15); Atk +28/+23/+15/+13 melee (1d8+5, +5 mighty cleaving longsword); SQ sympathetic object, longevity; AL CE; SV Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +14; Str 17, Dex 16, Con 20, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 20.

Skills: Concentration +20, Knowledge (Arcana) +24, Knowledge (the Planes) +10, Scry +15, Spellcraft +39, Survival +18.

Feats: *Arcane Preparation, Cleave, *Eschew Materials, Improved Initiative, *Repeat Spell, *Sculpt Spell, Still Spell, Spell Focus (Evocation), Spell Penetration.

*From Tome and Blood

Sympathetic Object: Like all sorcerers, Marzo’s arcane magic is generated inside him; but unlike most, he must use a conduit to use his magic. This conduit is his amulet; if deprived of it (i.e., not touching it physically), he loses the ability to cast spells. It is not known if any other object can be used as a conduit, or whether his amulet can benefit any other spellcaster.

Longevity: For unknown reasons - possibly magical experimentation, possibly something more sinister - Marzo has lived (and remained young longer than a normal man should. The limits of whatever he uses to prolong his lifespan are not known.

Spells per Day: 6,8,7,7,7,7,6,6,6,4

Spells Known:daze, detect magic, ghost sound, light, mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of frost, read magic, resistance; burning hands, cause fear, magic missile, *negative energy ray, shocking grasp; bull’s strength, Melf’s acid arrow, resist elements, Tasha’s hideous laughter, web; blink, haste, *ice burst, lightning bolt; *fire orb, stoneskin, shout, special; cone of cold, hold monster, summon monster V; chain lightning, greater dispelling, antimagic field; greater scrying, power word: stun, spell turning; Bigby’s clenched fist, incendiary cloud, iron body; prismatic sphere, special.

*From [/i]Tome and Blood[/I]

One of Marzo’s fourth- and ninth-level spell slots are occupied by spells of his own design, neither of which are fully understood.

Marzo’s last fourth-level slot seems to be a lesser version of Leomund’s secret chest, which enables him to store one object (like his sword) in an extradimensional space; he can retrieve it or return it there at any time.

Marzo’s second ninth-level slot is filled by a highly destructive evocation that is not well understood. To cast this spell, Marzo must spend a full round concentrating, and cast the spell on an object (like his amulet). After 1d4 rounds of the spell being completed, the object lets out a colossal burst of destructive energy, at least a half-mile in radius - neither the object or the caster (if within the radius) are harmed. It is not known what form of energy the spell uses, or just how much damage it does, but Marzo claimed it could destroy the whole Royal Palace complex.

Possessions: +5 mighty cleaving longsword, ring of jumping, braciers of armor +5, amulet (currently lost).

Marzo once worked with a pair of nightmare beasts (fiendish attack beasts named for their sleep-causing breath weapon), but they were probably impounded and disposed of after his arrest.

As was said, Marzo’s power comes from his amulet (it is called an “amulet,” but it lacks a chain or any other means of wearing it - maybe it once had a chain, which was broken during the battle with Captain Miro’s army). Made from a large red crystal in a steel setting, this minor artifact if the key to Marzo’s power; without it, he is practically helpless. As far as is known, only Marzo can benefit from it. The Elders would obviously have destroyed the amulet if they could; seeing as they didn’t, it is likely more or less indestructable.

Appearance: It is obvious just by looking at him that Marzo is a sorcerer. He practically oozes magic - of a sinister sort. He has red eyes, and his jet-black hair and goatee are wild, uncombed, and seem to move even when there is no breeze. He wears an outfit typical of an evil sorcerer - one that stands out. He wears a dark violet vest (revealing, to show off his muscular frame), dark leather breeches and boots, and a scarlet cape. He speaks with a strong accent that those who listen to would never forget.

Tactics: Unlike most arcane spellcasters, Marzo does not shy from melee combat, as he is quite capable of it, but he will not hesitate to use his most powerful spells. Marzo rarely fights fair - he is a cruel combatant, who cheats. He will often strike a foe from behind, or one who is down.
Marzo is a loud-mouthed egotist who loves hearing himself talk, and also likes to gloat, belittle, and humiliate opponents. His pride is so strong, he has even been known to gloat when no visible foes are alive or conscious. This can be his Achilles heel - he may waste whole minutes on evil ranting that an enemy can use to his advantage.

History: Before Skeletor was even a contending force in the ranks of Eternia’s would-be conquerors, he had a predecessor: the sorcerer known as Count Marzo. Little is known of Marzo’s past life, nor is it known the circumstances under which he gained the powers of a sorcerer. Unlike most sorcerers, Marzo required a magical conduit to use his powers, an amulet-like device consisting of a red crystal in a steel setting; the origins of this device are also unknown.

When his ego had blossomed to its limits, the evil sorcerer strove for world conquest, and attacked the Tower of Wisdom, headquarters of the Elders, rulers of Eternia (whether he did so alone or with aid is unclear). The Elders were caught by surprise. At that time, the leader of their armies was Captain Miro, father of Randor, his eventual successor and current king of Eternia.

Miro’s army launched a counter-attack against Marzo, and were cut down by the dozens by the merciless sorcerer. Eventually however, the would-be conqueror was defeated, and was dragged before the Elders, who were NOT pleased.

The Elder’s cursed Marzo, transforming his body into that of a crippled old man. Knowing that even then, he was far too dangerous to merely imprison, they banished him, as they did most dangerous criminals, to the Dark Hemisphere. Everyone assumed he’d perish there, as many had.

His amulet was confiscated, of course, and the Elders hid it in a way that was so simple, it was brilliant. They used magic to dig a labyrinth of tunnels, just over a foot wide, in a mountain in the Sands of Fire. Every tunnel in the labyrinth was twisted like a demented corkscrew, dozens of feet long, and contained no light. They placed the amulet at the end of one such tunnel. Even if someone had a grabbing tool long enough and flexible enough, he could never control it properly unless he could see through stone, in darkness.

But Marzo did not perish - he was resourceful. And as years went by, his thirst for revenge against his jailers grew - quite possibly, it drove him mad. He managed to find some minor magical items, but none that he could use to escape or break his curse. He also befriended and tamed a pair of vicious nightmare beasts, who helped to protect him.

Thus when Skeletor broke down the Mystic Wall, making the Dark Hemisphere useless as a prison, Marzo eventually found out about it via minor divinitation devices. He slowly made his way towards civilized lands; once there, he used the last charges of a wand of polymorph other to transform his nightmare beasts into canaries. He was thus able to travel incognito. He then used the last of his divinitation magic to find out where his amulet was - but had no idea how he would get it. In his cursed form, even climbing the mountain would be impossible.

Around the same time, the Master known as Mekanek was having serious problems with self-esteem. The Masters had just won a major victory over Skeletor and his horde, and had truly humiliated the Overlord of Evil. However, Mekanek had barely contributed to the battle, doing little except reconnaissance. He began to believe that his neck-extending powers were pathetic compared to those of the other Masters.

It got worse when he went to Man-at-Arms’s workshop to repair his cybernetics; the leader of the Masters had invented a telescope-like device capable of seeing over and around objects - a great reconnaissance tool. Not knowing of Mekanek’s feelings, Man-at-Arms mentioned the device to Mekanek.

Now believing he was truly worthless, Mekanek retreated to the Evergreen Forest to do some soul-searching, coincidentally the exact place Marzo was. Marzo heard Mek’s complaining, and when he saw how the master could use his cybernetics, a quick plan formed in his mind. He approached the Master, claiming that he was an oracle capable of granting wishes. Mek was skeptical at first, but in his demoralized state, he was ready to believe anything. Marzo asked for a “favor” in return - that the Master retrieve his amulet (Marzo claimed it belonged to a deceased sister). Thinking it could do no harm, Mek agreed.

In the meantime, Castle Grayskull - the structure that now housed the collective consciousness of the Elders - sensed Marzo’s return, and warned the Sorceress. She in turn called Prince Adam to the Castle, related the story of how his grandfather had fought Marzo, and warned him to be on his guard.

Mekanek found the resting place of the amulet, and easily retrieved it with his flexible, cybernetic neck and reconnaissance spectacles. When he gave the object to Marzo, the sorcerer just gave him a forlorn look and walked away (the reason Marzo did not use it to attack Mekanek was probably not that he feared losing, but more likely that he didn’t know how capable Mek was of calling for reinforcements). However, once he was in the clear, Marzo first used powerful dispelling magic to return himself to his true form; he then used divinitation to learn that the Tower of Wisdom was gone, and that Miro’s son now ruled Eternia. Thus, he dispelled the magic on his nightmare beasts, and head for the Palace, with revenge his only thought.

A practical alarm went off at Grayskull, and the Sorceress quickly contacted Adam. After transforming into He-Man, he and Battle Cat met Marzo at the forest’s edge; but they found Marzo stronger and more ruthless than Skeletor ever was. After a brief battle, Marzo soundly trounced the hero, knocking him out. He then continued on his way.

At the Palace, Marzo preceded to beat the other Masters black and blue; when major resistance was nullified, he achieved a high spot, and had his beasts cover the grounds with sleeping gas.

Fortunately, Orko managed to escape, and fled in search of He-Man. He first met up with Mekanek, who now had suspected that he’d been had; Orko’s ranting that an “evil wizard” was attacking confirmed it. As Orko continued his frantic search for He-Man, Mekanek ran towards the Palace; upon seeing the vapors, he craned his neck safely above them.

As He-Man recovered and got to his feet, Marzo noticed Mekanek; he first tried to sic the nightmare beasts on the Master - and the creatures fell victim to their own vapors (something Marzo obviously did not know could happen. He then tried to attack Mek with lightning bolts and other offensive spells - but with the vapors obscuring his foe’s body, he could not aim them properly.

At that point, He-Man leapt onto an adjacent statue to challenge Marzo; panic began to seep into the sorcerer’s huge ego. He began to prepare his most destructive spell on his amulet, gloating at He-Man that it would destroy the whole complex, and daring him to come get it (knowing that he couldn’t, due to the vapors). But then Mekanek (whom he’d forgotten about), grabbed the amulet with his teeth, and tossed it to He-Man! At the last moment, He-Man threw the amulet into the sea, where the spell went off, destroying little. Without his amulet, Marzo was quickly apprehended.

Marzo is now incarcerated in the Palace prison; however, his intact amulet still lies on the sea floor of the Ocean of Gnarl, and it is likely he now desires revenge more than ever. Whether he will ever be a threat again, none can say.

Campaign Conversion

In a standard D&D campaign using the BoVD, Marzo might make a good Demonic Thrall. The most likely patron for him would be Graz'zt. This would change him to a Fighter 1 / Sorcerer 12, Thrall of Graz'zt 8 (suggested). His Acane Spell Preparation and Sculpt Spell feats would be replaced by Violate Spell and Thrall to Demon, while four ranks would be taken from his Spellcraft skill and divided to provide 2 ranks each to Bluff and Diplomacy (which would each be increased to 7 due to high charisma). He'd have less spells, but he'd have access to spells from the BoVD.
This would explain how he got his amulet (it would be a gift from Graz'zt), and opens up campaign hooks. On Oerth, he might be an ally or former underling of Graz'zt's son Iuz, while clerics of St. Cuthbert and Vecna would be his mortal enemies. On Toril, Graz'zt has few real allies, but plenty of enemies - clerics of Waukeen, and her allies Gond and Lliira would definately appose him. In all campaigns, thralls of Demogorgon and Orcus would be his enemies as well.

Coming up next: Evil-Seed!

[ May 30, 2003, 01:37 PM: Message edited by: bjrc ]

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"Who's side am I on? I am on nobody's side, for nobody is on my side."

- Treebeard, from The Two Towers, expressing the basic philosophy of nature - neutrallity.

From: Brooklyn, NY, USA | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

DrakeRunner
Member
Member # 138936

posted May 30, 2003 04:42 PM

Man, you're good.

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Super Hyper Satchel Monsters!(email if you dare!)

From: Milan Indiana | Registered: May 2003 | IP: Logged

bjrc
Member
Member # 7993

posted May 30, 2003 05:37 PM

Why thank you. [Big Grin]

I have only two characters left that were introduced before the first season ended (Season Two will see the introduction of Fisto and Webstor; Hordak has already been seen in a shadowy flashback, so we may see him); after I do them, I will update some characters; I'll also be doing a complete revision of Skeletor. Then, I will do some monsters that have appeared on the show, and if I have time, some of the magic items (artifact level ones, like the Legacy Stones and the Ramstone).

Believe me, I am as eager to go forward as you are.

- Brian

[ May 30, 2003, 05:38 PM: Message edited by: bjrc ]

--------------------
"Who's side am I on? I am on nobody's side, for nobody is on my side."

- Treebeard, from The Two Towers, expressing the basic philosophy of nature - neutrallity.

From: Brooklyn, NY, USA | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

All times are Pacific Time

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