Amazing Transforming 4E Critters * Level 15 Magma to Lava Elementals
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 12:00PM The bloodied state (dropping to half your hit points or less) is a game mechanic that adds some welcome depth to combat in 4E, and I've taken it a step or two further by having a just-bloodied creature radically transform into something new, changing its powers, abilities, and combat role. Have a look at my Magma/Lava Elemental and let me know what you think.
I named these creatures 'trans-role', and you'll find them labelled that way following their other types and subtypes. I have two more being templated as you read this—a level 21 elite soldier/artillery, and a much-needed level 6 solo lurker/brute that I'm especially proud of, and looking forward to playtesting soon.
To keep these trans-role creatures balanced I made the transformative act into a power that kicks off once they reach 0 HP. (Giving the PCs an entire round to absorb and react to your "big-reveal" generally makes for a short and disappointing fight, after all. This helps mitigate that). For example, the magma elemental shucks off his igneous armour with some force that may burn all nearby creatures.
On a side note, the second-form lava elemental melts into a deadpool once defeated, proving hazardous even in death, and a hindrance 5 rounds later once the pool cools into difficult terrain.
The first form of a trans-role creature is never bloodied; the second form is always bloodied. I halved the hit points for each form, and action points for elite critters are spent in the second form, while solo critters get one action point per form.
So, please, check it out, and keep an eye out for the Primordial Changeling and the Swarm Golem to come.
Reader Comments (2)
I like it. Certainly an interesting idea that has a lot of potential to be spread across several types of monsters.
It's sort of a Death Throw combined with a Summoning Spell of some sort, with a touch of the video game world thrown in there too. It's a theme I've liked in console gaming in the past, and I see no reason why it wouldn't work equally well in table top play.
For whatever reason, I never even considered trying to do something like this myself. Good job.
Hey, that's some high praise there! Thanks very much, Psynister.
Yes, the videogame influence was very strong here—the original inspiration, actually—which I had meant to mention, but forgot. I've always found the videogamey multi-form boss battles a treat to play, and the 4E rules lend themselves to it very well.