Taint-blessed (3.5e Template)
 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
 | |||||||||
|
Rate this article Discuss this article | |||||||||
Taint-blessed creature
Some creatures, upon touching taint, become chosen of good.
Taint-blessed creatures are anomalies. No one knows really how, but instead of becoming more and more corrupted by the taint, it make them better people, in the common sense. Despite their fiendish heritage, they are crusaders of good. This dual nature grants them even more powers, in part because both sides want to use them at any cost.
Some (rare) Taint-blessed creatures are celestials, but most are depraved mortals or simply fiends or undead that somehow changed taint in a positive thing. If a Taint-blessed creature ever loosed its taint, it would loose this template as well. To be precise, the very taint of such a creature is corrupted, thus changing into a strange mixture of Good and Evil.
This process is almost unseen. The only reason it can happen in the first place is because of the exchange that takes place between someone and its own taint : the taint feeds on its holder, and this holder feeds on the taint. When the taint touchs a pure soul through its holder, it mutes in a subtle way. If such a soul is frequented for a long period of time, the taint is permanently altered, and these changes are transmited to the holder via the link they share. Even fiends and unminded undeads can be affected this way if the correct conditions are reunited.
Taint-blessed creatures looks exactly as the base creature, but in some cases, monstruous features appear over its body. In any way, its appearance is lighter, at least when people take attention to it.
Creating a Taint-blessed creature
Taint-blessed is an acquired template which may be added to any creature with a taint score (including Undeads, creatures with the Evil subtype and taint elementals) (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
A Taint-blessed creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type
Unless the base creature is an undead, its type becomes Outsider and it gains the following subtypes : Altered, Evil, and Native (if it has the Extraplanar subtype, it loses it). If the base creature is an undead, it becomes an undead (Altered outsider, Evil). You must recalculate its BAB, Saves and skill points in both cases as an outsider, including those coming from class levels. Hit Dices are unchanged. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice
Hit Dices are unchanged, but the Taint-blessed creature has the maximum hit points per Hit Dices. Its dual nature gives it an almost divine toughness.
Speed
A Taint-blessed creature gains a +10ft alteration bonus to its speed (with all modes of travel). It stacks with other permanent bonuses of the same type, if any, but not with temporary ones.
Special Attacks
The Taint-blessed creature retains all of the base creature special attacks, and gains the following :
Strike of Taint (Su): The taint in the Taint-blessed creature is, to say, corrupted, and it can transmit this corruption to other tainted creatures. Once per day, a Taint-blessed creature can make a normal melee attack to deal extra damage. This damage is equal to its corruption score up to that of the foe, OR its depravity score up to that of the foe. Other Taint-blessed creatures are immune to this attack.
Special Qualities
The Taint-blessed creature retains most of the base creature special qualities. It loses the Single Action Only special quality. It gains darkvision out to 60 feet (as any Outsider). If it already has it, it doesn't stack. It also gains the following :
Aligned aura: The Taint-blessed creature has an Evil aura as an outsider with the same amount of HD. It also has a Good aura as a cleric with a level equal to its HD.
Saving throws
Don't forget to recalculate the saving throws as an outsider (1/2 HD +2, rounded down), including those coming from class levels.
Abilities
Because of its otherworldly behaviors, the Strength and Dexterity of the Taint-blessed creature both increase by +2. Furthermore, it has at least 3 in intelligence, even if the base creature had no intelligence score.
Skills
An Taint-blessed creature gains skill points as an outsider and has skill points equal to (8 + Int modifier) x (HD + 3). You must include class levels in this calculation. Treat skills from the base creature’s list as class skills, and other skills as cross-class.
Feats
The taint-blessed creature may ignore alignment restrictions when it selects Taint feats. It gains bonus feats if it has a high enough taint score, as said below.
Taint
A Taint-blessed creature no longer gains depravity. Instead, its depravity score is threated as being one half its charisma score +2, except if the base creature is innately tainted, in which case we use the highest value. In fact, the taint released its grip on the creature mind, its only remain being its desire for good deeds. It does gains bonus feats provided by a high depravity.
However, a Taint-blessed creature acquires corruption as the base creature. Instead of normal ill effects, it may choose to suffers a penalty to charisma and charisma-based skill checks. This penalty is of -2 for a mild corruption, -4 for a moderate corruption and -6 for a severe corruption. It gains bonus feats as the base creature, and if its corruption is high enough, it may die of it.
Organization
Typically with good creatures or other Taint-blessed creatures.
Challenge Rating
+2
Treasure
Normal or as the base creature, whichever is higher.
Alignment
Always Good (Loyal, Neutral or Chaotic).
Advancement
Per character class or as the base creature.
Level Adjustment
Some of the Taint-blessed abilities are gestalt-like instead of really new. Consider this template as one of the allowed classes and then add +2 as a LA. Otherwise, —.
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Monsters → Templates
