Magmortar (3.5e Monster)



[[Summary::This odd bird-like creature appears to have a cannon for an arm. It aims its weapon directly at you the moment it notices your approach.]]

Magmortar is the ultimate form of the Magmar line. It's able to use a variety of elemental attacks.

Combat
Magmortar's special attacks take a huge leap in effectiveness, and its physical combat isn't too shabby either. Its Constitution is only average, but it has decent special defenses as well. However, Magmortar is somewhat slow, and a Magmar is capable of outrunning it.

Magmortar's flare attack is a short-ranged heat wave, treated as a melee touch attack. It is a secondary natural weapon (taking the according penalty) and its attack and damage rolls are influenced by Magmortar's Constitution instead of its Strength (which isn't really a good thing for Magmortar, as its Constitution is mediocre at best). Still, its flare attack is strong enough to be a reasonably effective attack option.

 (Su): Magmortar's body is very hot. Anything striking it with an unarmed attack or natural weapon takes 1 point of fire damage per HD Magmortar has (15 for the sample Magmortar) and must succeed on a Reflex save or suffer a burn. The save DC is equal to 10 + ½ Magmortar's HD + Magmortar's Constitution modifier.


 *  (Ex): When making a slam attack, Magmortar may elect to take a penalty on its attack roll up to its Base Attack Bonus. If it does, it may only make one slam attack for any attack action (thus, it only makes one slam if making a full attack), but its slam attack's threat range is increased by 1 per point of penalty (for instance, taking a &minus;5 penalty increases the threat range from 20 only to 14-20). The penalty taken to use Cross Chop is not applied to a roll made to confirm a critical hit. Cross Chop also adds 1d6 to its slam attack's damage per point of penalty taken, and these extra damage die are multiplied by a critical hit. Cross Chop stacks with Power Attack, should Magmortar later choose to take it, and Power Attack combines perfectly with Cross Chop; this means that the attack roll penalty taken with Cross Chop is also applied to Power Attack, with no additional penalty needing to be taken, and this allows Power Attack to be used with a penalty and bonus greater than +5. Cross Chop cannot be used in conjunction with some of Magmortar's other attack options, including Fire Punch, Ice Punch, and ThunderPunch. The attack penalty taken with Cross Chop applies to all slam attacks made until the end of the round. Cross Chop is a [Fighting] effect.
 *  (Su): As a Swift action, Magmortar may cast fire shield. It may then dispel the effect by making a melee attack, dealing 1d8 extra Fire damage per HD and setting the opponent on fire for 2d8 fire damage per round. Doing this deals 1d8 damage per 4 HD to Magmortar (minimum 1d8 at 4 HD or less). This may be cast once per 5 rounds. This is a [Fire] effect. In a Contest, using this automatically gains a fantastic success, gaining 2 points and raising the DC, but Magmortar takes a &minus;4 penalty on the following turn.
 *  (Ex): Magmortar may make a slam attack as an immediate action. Mach Punch cannot be used in conjunction with Fire Punch, Ice Punch, or ThunderPunch. This is a [Fighting] effect.

' (Sp):' Magmortar can cast smog'' as a spell-like ability four times per encounter (DC 23, Charisma-based). Smog is identical to stinking cloud, except that it poisons creatures instead of nauseating them. All creatures within the smog cloud take 3 points of damage per caster level per round, and during each round that they remain, they must succeed on a Fortitude save or suffer 3 points of Constitution damage, then suffer 3 more points of Constitution damage every 2 rounds thereafter until the end of the encounter. Success on a primary save prevents secondary damage from being incurred, with no further saves needed (assuming that the creature in question leaves smog ' s area of effect before another round of primary damage is potentially incurred). Failure on even one primary save allows secondary damage to occur until the effect is lifted (by magic or by the encounter ending). Secondary Constitution damage can be prevented by a successful Fortitude save against the same DC as the initial one, but each round of secondary damage requires a new save to prevent (success on a secondary save does not end the effect). Hit point damage caused by smog is not affected by victims' saving throws. Constitution damage can be incurred once per round of exposure, but secondary Constitution damage does not stack, even if the primary Fortitude save is failed several times. Both the hit point damage and Constitution damage are considered poison effects, so all bonuses and penalties to saves against poison (such as a dwarf's racial bonus) are applicable to smog, and creatures with immunity to poison are unaffected regardless of how poor their Fortitude saves are (and poison-immune creatures don't take hit point damage either). The Constitution damage can be stopped by neutralize poison or any other effect capable of curing a poison before it inflicts its secondary damage. delay poison does not end the effect of smog outright, but it does grant affected creatures temporary poison immunity with respect to smog, and creatures that are already poisoned do not take secondary Constitution damage for as long as delay poison ' s effects last. Magmortar's caster level for smog is equal to its Hit Die (caster level 15th for the sample Magmortar). Smog is treated as a 3rd-level spell, and is a [Poison] effect. (However, Magmortar uses ½ of its Hit Die in place of smog ' s spell level in the save DC because of its Dynamic Potential feat.)

 (Su): As a standard action, Magmortar may attempt to unsettle opponents and make them open up their guard a bit. Its menacing stare affects all targets within a 30-foot cone that meet Magmortar's gaze, forcing them to succeed on a Will save (DC 21, Wisdom-based) or gain damage susceptibility 3/physical for 5 rounds. This is treated as a gaze attack, and thus can be avoided in any of the same ways that a gaze attack can be, but it is not continuously active; Magmortar has to consciously choose to use it. (It's just like a vampire's dominating gaze in that respect.) Leer is a [Fear, Mind-Affecting] effect, with all of the capabilities and limitations that are implied by said descriptors (in other words, Magmortar's wasting its time by trying to use Leer on a mindless creature or a paladin).

 (Su): As a standard action, Magmortar can fill a cylinder centered on itself with a 15-foot radius and 15 feet high with with smoke from the flames on its body, similar to an obscuring mist effect. Fire-subtype creatures can see further through the smoke; for them, creatures 10 feet away have only concealment and creatures 5 feet away are not concealed.

The smoke dissipates after 5 rounds. This is a [Fire] effect.

 (Ex): Whenever Magmortar succeeds on a Bluff check to feint an opponent, it automatically makes a slam attack on that opponent which cannot miss. It still makes an attack roll to determine whether or not the attack is a critical hit. This is a [Dark] effect.

 (Su): As a standard action, Magmortar can make a ranged touch attack against a single creature within Close range. If it hits, the target takes 1d4 + HD + Cha mod fire damage, and is also entangled. It takes an additional 1d4 fire damage every round that it remains entangled. The target may be entangled by this effect for up to 5 rounds, after which it is automatically released. This is a [Fire] effect.

' (Sp)' Magmortar may cast stinking cloud'' as a spell-like ability four times per encounter (DC 23, Charisma-based). In addition to its normal effects, this stinking cloud attempts to remove all stat boosts and other beneficial magical effects on creatures caught within it, as greater dispel magic, with a caster level equal to the caster level of the stinking cloud itself (caster level 15th for the sample Magmortar). This dispel check is resolved as normal; success or failure on the saving throw does not influence its outcome. Clear smog attempts to dispel whenever affected creatures would be required to save against the stinking cloud (regardless of whether or not they actually need to save against it). This is a [Poison] effect. (However, Magmortar uses ½ of its Hit Die in place of clear smog ' s spell level in the save DC because of its Dynamic Potential feat.)

' (Sp):' This functions like a fireball'', except that it has a secondary blast radius extending out to 200 feet. All creatures caught within this secondary blast radius (but not the primary blast) take 1d8 points of fire damage (Reflex save negates). Creatures caught within the primary blast radius are affected as normal for a fireball, but flame burst does not have a damage cap for Magmortar. This move is a [Fire] effect.

' (Sp):' Magmortar may cast confusion as a standard action; however, instead of its normal targeting mechanism, Magmortar's confusion'' is a magical ray (that is, a ranged touch attack). If Confuse Ray connects, it automatically confuses the target with no save allowed. Magmortar may use its Charisma modifier instead of its Dexterity modifier in the attack roll. If Confuse Ray scores a critical hit, the target becomes permanently insane, as the insanity spell. This move is a [Ghost] effect, but can affect Normal-type Pokémon.

 (Su): When making a slam attack, Magmortar can wreath its fist in fire energy. This adds 2d6 fire damage to its unarmed attack and (assuming Magmortar hits) forces the target to make a Fortitude save against being burned. This attack is an ordinary slam attack in all other respects. The Fortitude save DC is Strength-based and has a +2 racial bonus. This move is a [Fire] effect.

 (Su): When making a slam attack, Magmortar can wreath its fist in electric energy. This adds 1d8 electricity damage to its unarmed attack and (assuming Magmortar hits) forces the target to make a Fortitude save against being numbed. This attack is an ordinary slam attack in all other respects. The Fortitude save DC is Strength-based. This move is an [Electric] effect.

 (Su): When making a slam attack, Magmortar can wreath its fist in frost energy. This adds 1d8 cold damage to its unarmed attack and (assuming Magmortar hits) forces the target to make a Fortitude save against being frozen, as the freeze spell. This attack is an ordinary slam attack in all other respects. The Fortitude save DC is Strength-based. This move is an [Ice] effect.

 (Su): As a standard action usable every 1d3 rounds, Magmortar may emit an explosion of magma that affects all squares within 30 feet per 10 HD (minimum 30 feet) and does 1d10 fire damage per 2 HD Magmortar has. A Reflex save (Charisma-based DC) is allowed to halve the damage. Failure by 5 or more on the Reflex save results in burning. This is a [Fire] effect.

 (Su): Magmortar may replicate the effects of the Drought feat as a standard action; however, the sunlight caused by Magmortar lasts for only 5 rounds.

 (Su): Instead of Ember, Magmortar has an advanced breath weapon. Magmortar's flamethrower attack strikes in a 40-ft. line or 20-ft. cone and deals 1d8 fire damage per HD plus Magmortar's Charisma bonus. Creatures in the area may halve the damage on a successful Reflex save, DC 10 + Magmortar's Charisma or Constitution modifier (whichever is higher) + ½ Magmortar's Hit Dice. Magmortar may not use Flamethrower for 1d4+1 rounds after having used it. This is a [Fire] effect.

Magmortar learns Flamethrower at 12 HD; the sample Magmortar already knows it.

' (Sp):' Once per 1d2 minutes, Magmortar may launch an extra-potent fireball'' with no damage cap and an explosion radius of 25 feet per caster level (Magmortar's caster level is equal to its Hit Dice). Magmortar's fire blast does 1d8 damage per Hit Die. It is a [Fire] effect and (for Magmortar) the equivalent of a 6th-level spell.

Magmortar learns Fire Blast at 14 HD; the sample Magmortar already knows it.

Obsolete Moves
 (Su): Magmortars with less than 12 HD have a very minor breath weapon; they can breathe fire. A Magmortar's ember attack strikes in a 20 ft. line and deals 1d6 + HD + Cha mod in fire damage. Creatures in the area may halve the damage on a successful Reflex save, DC = 10 + Magmortar's Charisma or Constitution modifier (whichever is higher) + ½ Magmortar's Hit Dice. Magmortar may not use Ember for 1d4 rounds after having used it. The sample Magmortar no longer knows Ember; it has Flamethrower instead. This is a [Fire] effect.

Advancement
With the assistance of a special device, Magmortar can learn  (Su). This is identical in all respects to Electivire's Thunderbolt, except that Magmortar only does 1d4 damage per Hit Die and takes a &minus;4 nonproficiency penalty to the save DC. Magmortar can contribute to a Thunder attack, but is incapable of being the leader of a Thunder attack, even if it has the most HD out of all the creatures using Thunderbolt.