Beast of Legend (3.5e Template)

Beast of Legend

Beasts of Legend are select animals elevated by the animal soul to become magical beasts of awing might and power, destined for greatness in a world unfriendly to most mundane animals.

Beasts of Legend are of a caliber without comparison; animals embodied with the greatest traits of the animal soul in the flesh, they are living leviathans of near unstoppable natural force. Able to turn blade and spell aside with tremendous ease, a Beast of Legend is a creature best not trifled with, and worthy of being avoided. However, as Neutral creatures, Beasts of Legend are not explicitly hostile to most individuals, but can be provoked with minimal effort by those unfamiliar with nature. To those most acquainted with nature, a Beast of Legend is an ally worth communing with; to even speak with one is a privileged event.

Beast of Legend Qualities

Although physically massive animals, their general qualities are unchanged save for their unearthly grace, scale and perfection. Beasts of Legend have perfect symmetry and are without random or haphazard qualities, retaining a distinct cleanness to their shape that is otherwise lacking in most any other creature. Easily described as the epitome of animal traits, a Beast of Legend is without the worldly weaknesses its animal brethren may suffer from.

Highly intelligent, Beasts of Legend are significantly more studious and aware of their behavior than the animal they stem from. They freely combine said intellect with unadulterated instinct, calculating actions well before acting on them. Much of their lifetime is spent learning about the world around them and subsequently choosing routes to best further their kind.

Creating a Beast of Legend

The Half-Beast template is an inherited template that can be added to any corporeal animal or magical beast which is feline, canine or ursine in nature(referred to hereafter as the base creature).

Size and Type

The creature’s type changes to magical beast if it was not already a magical beast, and its size becomes Huge if it was not already Huge.

Hit Dice

Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d10s.

Speed

Land speed +30 feet, other movement modes unchanged.

Armor Class

Increase the base creature’s natural armor bonus by +7.

Attack

The Beast of Legend's base attack bonus is equal to its effective character level.

Damage

All natural weapon attacks are advanced to the creature's new size (Huge), and then by one additional step.

Special Attacks

Frightful Presence (Ex)

All creatures within 50 feet that have fewer HD than the Beast of Legend are frightened when it roars, growls, or takes some action which could be considered intimidating. Effect lasts until target is more than 50 feet away. On a successful save, the target is immune for 24 hours. The DC is equal to 10 + the Beast of Legend's Strength modifier + its Intimidate skill.

Legendary Blow (Ex)

A creature critically struck by a Beast of Legend must succeed in a Fortitude save equal to the damage caused by the attack or immediately be reduced to -1 hit points and begin dying. All creatures within 25 feet of a Legendary Blow must make a Will save equal to the damage caused or be awed for 1d4 rounds.

Legendary Assault (Ex)

Improved Grab: If a Beast of Legend hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a claw attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it gets a hold, it can rake if it has that ability. Alternatively, it has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use its claw to hold the opponent (–20 penalty on grapple check, but the Beast of Legend is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals claw damage.

Rend: A Beast of Legend that hits with two or more claw attacks latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the flesh. This automatically deals double the appropriate claw damage for the Beast of Legend, plus double the Strength modifier.

Knock Down: A Beast of Legend that hits with a bite or claw attack can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the Beast of Legend.

Special Qualities

Epic Qualities (Ex)

A Beast of Legend gains Darkvision out to 120 feet, and Blindsight out to 60 feet. Additionally it receives the permanent benefits of True Seeing and Tongues.

Soul Anchor (Ex)

A Beast of Legend becomes immune to being raised as an undead creature or transformed into one, and any attempts to do so place a curse upon the individual attempting to convert the Beast of Legend into an undead creature. The target of the curse must make a Will save equal to the Beast of Legend's HD + its challenge rating or each turn, the target has a 50% chance to act normally; otherwise, it takes no action.

Soul Anchor additionally applies to any situation where the Beast of Legend's soul would be corrupted, contained, perverted, destroyed or otherwise harmed, altered or routed in some way. A Beast of Legend's soul cannot be subject to any such effect, although its body can be destroyed as normal.

Null Mortal Power (Ex)

Hostile magical or psionic effects cast from a range further than 30 feet are treated as if they had entered an Antimagic Field or a Null Psionics Field when the attack or effect includes the Beast of Legend. Supernatural abilities function as normal, and this effect is limited to the area that the Beast of Legend occupies.

Animal Legacy (Ex)

A Beast of Legend may be the target of beneficial spells and effects that specifically target animals, despite being a magical beast.

Legendary Defenses (Ex)

Beasts of Legend receive an increase of +4 to all saves, Damage Reduction 10/-, and immunity to hostile Fear, Polymorph and Mind-Affecting Effects.

Legendary Recovery (Ex)

A Beast of Legend gains Fast Healing 10, and may make a save at the original DC against any poison or disease ailing it at the start of each of its turns. Every 1d4 rounds a negative level the Beast of Legend may have acquired is removed.

Abilities

Legendary Might

Beasts of Legend receive an increase of +10 Strength, +6 Dexterity, +10 Constitution, +6 Intelligence, +4 Wisdom, and +4 Charisma.

Skills

The Beast of Legend now has skill points equal to 4 + Int modifier per Hit Die, and gains a +2 competency bonus on all skill checks it makes.

Feats

A Beast of Legend gains the Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Cleave and Great Cleave feats as bonus feats, even if it does not meet the prerequisites.

Environment

Same as the base creature.

Organization

Same as the base creature.

Challenge Rating

Same as base creature +10.

Treasure

Standard.

Alignment

A Beast of Legend must have an alignment of Neutral.

Advancement

By character class.

Level Adjustment

This template is not available to player characters.

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