Living Bomb (3.5e Template)

Living Bomb

A bomb has been built into this creature, giving its foes a nasty surprise when it goes down.

The path from a normal creature to a living bomb can be varied. Some living bombs are created from willing subjects through arcane means; others are forcibly operated on, and have explosive devices implanted into their bodies. Whatever the case, a living bomb creature has the ability to explode at will as well as automatically at the moment of death, killing them instantly and causing serious harm to those around them. The power of the explosive is dependent on the power of the creature.

Sample Swarmnesters

	Living Bomb Dog
Size/Type:	Small Animal
Hit Dice:	1d8+2 (6 hp)
Initiative:	+3
Speed:	40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class:	15 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +1 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple:	+0/–3
Attack:	Bite +2 melee (1d4+1)
Full Attack:	Bite +2 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach:	5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks:	Death throes, rage
Special Qualities:	Low-light vision, scent
Saves:	Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities:	Str 13, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills:	Jump +7, Listen +5, Spot +5, Survival +1*
Feats:	Alertness, TrackB
Environment:	Any
Organization:	Any
Challenge Rating:	1
Treasure:	None
Alignment:	Neutral
Advancement:	—
Level Adjustment:	—

The pack of famine-thin, drooling and shaking mutts standing before you would almost be pitiable if they weren't so frightening. All sense has disappeared from their eyes, replaced by a pained frenzy. As one of them leaps at you, you spot poorly-sewn white scars on the creature's belly - what's been done to these poor things?

Death Throes (Ex): When killed, a living bomb dog explodes in a forceful blow that deals 2d6 points of damage to anything within 10 feet (Reflex DC 12 half). The save DC is Constitution-based.

Rage (Ex): A living bomb dog that takes damage in combat flies into a berserk rage on its next turn, attacking madly in whatever way it can until either it or its opponent is dead. It gains +4 to Strength, +4 to Constitution, and -2 to Armor Class. The living bomb dog cannot end its rage voluntarily.

Skills: Living bomb dogs have a +4 racial bonus on Jump checks.

*Living bomb dogs have a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.

	Living Bomb Noble Salamander
Size/Type:	Large Outsider (Extraplanar, Fire)
Hit Dice:	15d8+45 (112 hp)
Initiative:	+1
Speed:	20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class:	18 (–1 size, +1 Dex, +8 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple:	+15/+25
Attack:	+3 longspear +23 melee (1d8+9/x3 plus 1d8 fire)
Full Attack:	+3 longspear +23/+18/+13 melee (1d8+9/x3 plus 1d8 fire) and tail slap +18 melee (2d8+3 plus 1d8 fire)
Space/Reach:	10 ft./10 ft. (20 ft. with tail or longspear)
Special Attacks:	Death throes, rage, Constrict 2d8+3 plus 1d8 fire, heat, improved grab, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities:	Damage reduction 15/magic, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to fire, vulnerability to cold
Saves:	Fort +12, Ref +10, Will +11
Abilities:	Str 22, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 15
Skills:	Bluff +19, Craft (blacksmithing) +25, Diplomacy +4, Hide +15, Intimidate +4, Listen +13, Move Silently +17, Spot +13
Feats:	Alertness, Cleave, Great Cleave, Multiattack, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Craft [blacksmithing])
Environment:	Any
Organization:	Any
Challenge Rating:	11
Treasure:	None
Alignment:	Lawful evil
Advancement:	—
Level Adjustment:	—

Red runes criss-cross the muscular torso of the salamander before you. It looks similar to the giant script you've seen elsewhere in the fortress, but its magical nature is obvious. The runes ebb and glow like living lava, and with every blow struck against the salamander, seem to gain in brightness, as if some inner fire was growing in the monster.

A living bomb noble salamander's natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Death Throes (Ex): When killed, a living bomb noble salamander explodes in a forceful blow that deals 9d6 points of fire damage to anything within 40 feet (Reflex DC 20 half). The save DC is Constitution-based.

Rage (Ex): A living bomb noble salamander that takes damage in combat flies into a berserk rage on its next turn, attacking madly in whatever way it can until either it or its opponent is dead. It gains +4 to Strength, +4 to Constitution, and -2 to Armor Class. The living bomb noble salamander cannot end its rage voluntarily.

Constrict (Ex): A living bomb noble salamander deals automatic tail slap damage (including fire damage) with a successful grapple check. A living bomb noble salamander can constrict multiple creatures simultaneously, provided they are all at least two sizes smaller than it.

Heat (Ex): A living bomb noble salamander generates so much heat that its mere touch deals additional fire damage. Salamanders’ metallic weapons also conduct this heat.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a living bomb noble salamander must hit a creature of up to one size larger than itself with its tail slap attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day—burning hands (DC 13), fireball (DC 15), flaming sphere (DC 14), wall of fire (DC 16); 1/day—dispel magic, summon monster vII (Huge fire elemental). Caster level 15th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Skills: Living bomb noble salamanders have a +4 racial bonus on Craft (blacksmithing) checks.

Feats: Living bomb noble salamanders have the Multiattack feat even though they do not have the requisite three natural weapons.

Creating a living bomb

“Living bomb” is an acquired template that can be added to any creature that has a corporeal body (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

A living bomb uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Special Attacks

A living bomb retains all the special attacks of the base creature. A living bomb also gains the special attacks described below. The save DC against a special attack is equal to 10 + 1/2 living bomb's HD + living bomb's Con modifier unless otherwise noted.

Death Throes (Ex): A living bomb reduced to 0 hit points or lower immediately detonates in a burst of either physical force or elemental energy. The type of explosion is chosen by the one creating the living bomb, and if elemental, is chosen from among acid, cold, electricity, fire and sonic. The explosion kills the living bomb with no chance of survival. The explosion deals damage and has an area depending on Hit Dice, as follows (Reflex half):

A living bomb can voluntarily activate its explosive ability as an action that lasts 1 round.

Hit Dice	Explosion damage	Area
1/2-2	2d6	10-ft.-radius spread
3-4	3d6	10-ft.-radius spread
5-6	4d6	20-ft.-radius spread
7-8	5d6	20-ft.-radius spread
9-10	6d6	30-ft.-radius spread
11-12	7d6	30-ft.-radius spread
13-14	8d6	40-ft.-radius spread
15-16	9d6	40-ft.-radius spread
17+	10d6	50-ft.-radius spread

Rage (Ex): A living bomb that takes damage in combat flies into a berserk rage on its next turn, attacking madly in whatever way it can until either it or its opponent is dead. It gains +4 to Strength, +4 to Constitution, and -2 to Armor Class. The living bomb cannot end its rage voluntarily.

Challenge Rating

HD 1/2 or less, CR 1 or as base creature, whichever is higher; HD 1 or more, as base creature +1.

Level Adjustment

Same as the base creature +1.

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