Simple Template: Virtue Incarnate

Here’s a conversion from a Planescape monster in 2E that I liked very much!

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Simple Template: Virtue Incarnate (CR +1)

Virtue spirits are good spirits similar to the haunts described in the Tome of Horrors Complete, except as follows.

Virtue spirits are the souls of good creatures that left some righteous quest unfinished or simply desire to do more good in the world. A virtue spirit is an outsider with the extraplanar and incorporeal subtypes and has always a NG alignment. Each virtue spirit strongly embodies one of the seven virtues, and is attracted to creatures that possess that same virtue (spirits of different virtues can be created for different cultures).

Virtue spirits roam the Good Planes in search of kindred souls to join forces with, and sometimes even come to the Material Plane. If a virtue spirit possesses a good-aligned creature of suitable strength and drive, it will propose an alliance and leave without further fighting if the creature refuses. A mortal that willingly accepted a virtue spirit within their body is called a virtue incarnate. The synergy between the spirit and its host grants the mortal greater powers in the righteous fight for good. If the host is a medium, the virtue spirit won’t normally interfere with the legendary spirits that share the mortal’s body.

Once a host accepts a virtue spirit within themselves, it cannot be forcibly ejected from the host’s body. If the host asks the spirit to leave, or the spirit feels that the mission it had pursued is accomplished, the two usually part ways amicably. If the host’s alignment becomes non-good, the spirit will try to strangle them as per a haunt’s ability.

“Virtue incarnate” is an acquired template that can be added to any good-aligned living, corporeal creature. The creature retains all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here. A virtue incarnate’s quick and rebuild rules are the same.

CR: As the base creature +1.

Type: The creature’s type changes to outsider (native). Do not recalculate HD, BAB, or saves.

Defensive Abilities: A virtue incarnate gains bonuses or immunities according to the table below.

Abilities: A virtue incarnate gains bonuses on their ability scores according to the table below.

Virtue	Ability Bonuses	Defensive Abilities
Charity	Wis +1, Cha +1	Immune to negative emotion effects
Courage	Con +1, Cha +1	Immune to fear
Hope	Cha +2	+1 on all saving throws, immune to despair
Faith	Str+1, Wis +1	Immune to negative energy damage and magical alignment change
Justice	Int +1, Wis +1	Immune to charm, compulsion, and domination spells and effects
Temperance	Con +1, Wis +1	Immune to transmutation spells and effects
Wisdom	Wis +2	Immune to ability damage, ability drain, and curses

Valkyrie Simple Creature Template

Another thing for my favored class created by Aaron Hollingsworth.

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Valkyrie Creature (CR +2 or +3)

A valkyrie creature fights the enemies of her religion and serves her gods on the battlefield with honor. A valkyrie creature’s CR increases by 3 if the creature has 7 or more HD. A valkyrie creature must worship a deity (which must be determined when the template is added) and its alignment must be within one step of that deity’s.

Quick Rules

+2 on all rolls based on Str and Cha; can vanquish foe once per day (treating its HD as its valkyrie level for the purposes of damage; if the creature has 7 or more HD, this also functions as lasting death); gains deathwatcher and battle training (and improved battle training if the creature has 5 HD or more).

Rebuild Rules

Defensive Abilities battle training (if the creature has 5 or more HD, this functions as improved battle training instead); Special Attacks vanquish foe once per day (treating its HD as its valkyrie level for the purposes of damage; also functions as the lasting death class feature if the creature has 7 or more HD); Special Qualities deathwatcher as the valkyrie class feature; Ability Scores +4 Strength and Charisma.

Omdura Simple Creature Template

Another simple class template that was missing.

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Omdura Creature (CR +2 or +3)

An omdura creature communes with its god, encouraging and healing its allies. It also gains some limited spellcasting. An omdura creature’s CR increases by 3 if the creature has 5 or more HD. An omdura creature must worship a deity (which must be determined when the template is added) and its alignment must be within one step of that deity’s.

Quick Rules

+2 on all rolls based on Wis; can use the invocation ability for a number of rounds per day equal to ½ its HD (minimum 1, uses its omdura level to determine the bonuses granted); can use divine touch once per day (healing 1d6 hit points for every 2 HD it possesses instead of using its omdura level); gains detect alignment (and divine might if the creature has 5 HD or more), usable once per day (treating its HD as its omdura level for the purposes of damage); can cast a small number of omdura spells (see Table: Omdura Spells Known, below) using its HD as its CL and gaining two spell slots of each level for every level of spells known.

Rebuild Rules

Defensive Abilities invocation (can be used a number of rounds per day equal to ½  the creature’s HD + its Wis modifier, using its HD as its omdura level to determine bonuses and types of performance); Special Attacks divine might ability once per day (if the creature has 5 or more HD, treating its HD as its omdura level for the purposes of damage); Special Qualities detect alignment as the omdura class feature, divine touch once per day (healing 1d6 hit points for every 2 HD the creature possesses instead of using its omdura level); Omdura Spells can cast a small number of omdura spells (see the Table: Omdura Spells Known below) using its HD as its CL and gaining two spell slots of each level for every level of spells known; Ability Scores +4 Wisdom.

Table: Omdura Spells Known

HD	0	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
1-4	2	1	—	—	—	—	—
5-8	2	2	1	—	—	—	—
9-12	‡	2	2	1	—	—	—
13-16	‡	‡	2	2	1	—	—
17-20	‡	‡	‡	2	2	1	—
21+	‡	‡	‡	‡	2	2	1

Spellcasting: Simple class templates that grant the ability to cast spells as a member of the class on which the template is based only grant spells for the three highest spell levels the creature has access to. If the creature casts all of the spells of its higher levels, you can keep the combat challenging by adding lower-level spells -denoted by a double dagger (‡)- but no more than two for any given spell level.

Shifter Simple Creature Template

Even monsters can be shapeshifters of sorts.

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Shifter Creature (CR +1 or +2)

A shifter creature gains shapechanging powers and some more druidic abilities.

A shifter creature’s CR increases by 2 if the creature has 7 or more HD.

Quick Rules

+2 on all rolls based on Str and Wis; can use shifter aspect for a number of minutes per day equal to 3 + ½ its HD; can use wild shape (if it has 7 or more HD, using its HD – 3 as its shifter level to determine the duration and effect of the wild shape); gains defensive instinct (treating its HD as its shifter levels to determine the bonus) and track.

Rebuild Rules

Defensive Abilities defensive instinct (treating its HD as its shifter levels to determine the bonus); Special Attacks shifter aspect (for a number of minutes per day equal to 3 + ½ its HD), wild shape (if it has 7 or more HD, using its HD – 3 as its shifter level to determine the duration and effects); Special Qualities track; Ability Scores +4 Strength and Wisdom.

Vampire Hunter Simple Creature Template

Undead slayers do exist among monsters too.

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Vampire Hunter Creature (CR +1 or +2)

A vampire hunter creature gains a vampiric focus. It also gains some technique feats, tracking, and the relentless ability.

A vampire hunter creature’s CR increases by 2 if the creature has 10 or more HD.

Quick Rules

Choose either Str or Dex. The creature gains +2 on all rolls based on the chosen ability score (and +2 to AC if Dex is chosen). The creature gains a technique feat as a bonus feat (if the creature has 10 or more HD, choose two more bonus feats from those listed as combat feats or as vampire hunting technique feats).

The creature also gains one vampiric focus, treating its hit dice as its vampire hunter level for the purpose of determining that vampiric focus’ benefits. Lastly, the creature gains track (and relentless if the creature has 10 or more HD).

Rebuild Rules

Defensive Abilities relentless (if the creature has 10 or more HD); Special Attacks vampiric focus (choosing only one, treats its hit dice as its vampire hunter levels; Special Qualities track; Ability Scores +4 Strength or Dexterity; Feats one technique feat as a bonus feat (if the creature has 10 or more HD, choose two more bonus feats from those listed as combat feats or as vampire hunting technique feats).

New Monster Template: Hivemind

 I will NEVER be able to forget what Aaron told me about the movie that inspired him to create this in his novel.

Something like it was sorely missed in Pathfinder, though.

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New Creature Template: Hivemind

A hivemind, or collective, is created when the minds of many creatures are bonded together by powerful magic (like the bonding of minds occult ritual). More rarely, hiveminds can form spontaneously as powerful telepathic races or cultures evolve and share more and more of their thoughts and goals.

Creating a Hivemind

“Hivemind” is an acquired or inherited template that can be added to any creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature). Usually, all creatures in a hivemind share the same type or subtype, but exceptions are known for acquired hivemind templates. A hivemind uses the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Challenge Rating: Each body in the hivemind gains +1 CR for every other body it contains.

Type: A hivemind creature’s type remains unchanged and it gains the hivemind subtype.

Defensive Abilities: A hivemind creature retains all of the base creature’s defensive abilities and special qualities. Since all members share a single conscience, mind-affecting effects can affect a group of hivemind creatures only if all members of the group fail their saving throw against them.

Special Attacks: Each body in the hivemind retains its special abilities and gains the following special ability.

Hive Mind (Ex): All members of a hivemind are in constant telepathic communication within each other, regardless of distance. If one is aware of a particular danger, they all are aware of a particular danger. If one member of the hivemind in a group is not flat-footed or flanked, none of them are.

Ability Scores: All creatures in the hivemind share the same mental scores. Each member of the hivemind gains the highest Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma score among all the bodies. In addition, the hivemind creature gains a +1 bonus to an ability score of its choice for every 4 members it contains. Base creatures without an Intelligence score are considered to have Intelligence 0 for this purpose. A hivemind whose Intelligence score increases above 0 is no more immune to mind-affecting effects.

Feats: Each body in the hivemind retains their own feats, but every member is considered to possess the same teamwork feats possessed by any other member. If one or more members of the hivemind are able to use spells or spell-like abilities, all members gain Conduit Casting as a bonus feat, without having to meet its prerequisites.

Skills: For every skill in which any of the hivemind’s members have ranks in, each body in the hivemind gains the higher skill ranks possessed among all members, though applying their own individual bonuses to the skill.

Languages: A hivemind speaks all the languages that its members know, and may learn new languages depending on its collective Intelligence score.