Monster Manual V introduced a set of creatures known as "Elemental Mages": a group of ogres with abilities based on the elements of D&D.
Unfortunately, they only provided the stat blocks for THREE of the four energies. Does it make any sense? Of course not. They won't even consider placing up a Water Mage as a web enhancement.
So to be a completionist and to make everyone someone decently satisfied with a full complement of Elemental Mages, I've submitted here a homebrew version of the Water Mage.
This has given me an idea for an Ice Mage, but then again, just simply take the Fire Mage and change everything to Cold...probably add in Icewalker ability while you're at it, too.
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KEN-CHIN
Large Giant (Water)
Hit Dice: 10d8+50 (95 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), swim 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (-1 size, +2 Dexterity, +8 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+16
Attack: Masterwork Large greatsword +12 melee (3d6+7) or slam +11 melee (1d4+5) or gore +11 melee (1d8+5)
Full Attack: Masterwork Large greatsword +12/+7 melee (3d6+7) or 2 slams +11 melee (1d4+5), gore +11 melee (1d8+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Drowning aura, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, fast healing 5, shared strength
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +5, Will +5
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 14, Con 21, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 14
Skills: Handle Animal +6, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (nature) +6, Listen +8, Search +8, Spot +8, Swim +20
Feats: Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Power Attack
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary or gang
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +5
Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day---obscuring mist; 2/day---control water. Caster level 10th. These abilities can be used at will if within 60 ft. of two different types of elemental mages (ken-kuni, ken-li, and ken-sun).
Drowning Aura (Su): A ken-chin gives off a 5-foot radius emanation of suffocating drowning, imbuing its surroundings with a watery glint and deadly threat for creatures that breathe. All breathing creatures within 5 feet of a drowned are treated as if beneath water in terms of also being able to breathe. The drowning aura accelerates the process of drowning.
Normally, a creature can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to twice its Constitution score before it begins to drown. Within the drowning aura, a creature can only hold its breath if it makes a DC 10 Constitution check every round. Each round the DC increases by 1. When the character finally fails its Constitution check, it begins to drown. In the first round, it falls unconscious (0 hit points). In the following round, it drps to -1 hit points and is dying. In the third round, if still in the drowning aura, it drowns.
A ken-chin can suppress this ability at will.
Elemental magi are immune to this ability.
Shared Strength (Su): When a ken-chin is within 60 feet of one or more elemental mages and must make a saving throw, it uses the highest save bonus among the group.
Skills: A ken-chin can move through water at its swim speed without making Swim checks. It has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. A ken-chin can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
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Homebrew Notes
Ok, as for what went into my head when I was creating this, I started off by comparing all the abilities, ability scores, feats, and skills for the Elemental Mages.
I first noticed the HD ranges---from 8, to 12, to 17. The CR went from 8, to 10, to 13. So I decided to make my water mage 10 HD and CR 9.
After filling in all the blanks, it was time to settle on its ability scores. The total modifier of the Ken-Kuni had +15 and the Ken-Li had +19. So I went with +17 for the Ken-Chin. I decided to keep its Strength similar to the Ken-Li, Dexterity a little lower than the Ken-Li, Constitution about the same, but made it more Intelligent and Charismatic than the Ken-Kuni and Ken-Li. I used the Ken-Sun as my benchmark.
Next was the subtype. Aquatic or Water? Looking over both, the Water subtype made more sense.
Then I moved on to what unique set of abilities should I give it? Well, I obviously gave it a Swim speed of 50 ft., seemed good enough.
I gave it the drowning aura based off the Drowned undead in Monster Manual 3, but reduced the radius to 5 ft., like the Ken-Li's.
Spell-like abilities was the only other one I could come up with. I used what I thought would fit the Ken-Chin based off of the spells from the Water Domain.
Now every Elemental Mage has one of their unique abilities increase in power whenever two other mage's are around. The Ken-Kuni's earthquake tremor, and the Ken-Li's and Ken-Sun's breath weapon. I decided to do that with the Ken-Chin's spell-like abilities. They became At Will abilities whenever two are around.
The feats I kept similar to the others: Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush (to represent a wave of water slamming you), Improved Initiative (wanted it to react quickly) and Cleave.
As for the skills, I also compared it to the other elemental mages. I boosted its Swim speed high, since I figure this would be its strong point.
It's Shared Strength ability is an ability all Elemental Mage's share.
As for fast healing, all elemental mages have it. I left it at fast healing 5, like the Ken-Kuni instead of fast healing 10 like the Ken-Li's due to the CR differences.
And there you have it
Unfortunately, they only provided the stat blocks for THREE of the four energies. Does it make any sense? Of course not. They won't even consider placing up a Water Mage as a web enhancement.
So to be a completionist and to make everyone someone decently satisfied with a full complement of Elemental Mages, I've submitted here a homebrew version of the Water Mage.
This has given me an idea for an Ice Mage, but then again, just simply take the Fire Mage and change everything to Cold...probably add in Icewalker ability while you're at it, too.
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KEN-CHIN
Large Giant (Water)
Hit Dice: 10d8+50 (95 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), swim 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (-1 size, +2 Dexterity, +8 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+16
Attack: Masterwork Large greatsword +12 melee (3d6+7) or slam +11 melee (1d4+5) or gore +11 melee (1d8+5)
Full Attack: Masterwork Large greatsword +12/+7 melee (3d6+7) or 2 slams +11 melee (1d4+5), gore +11 melee (1d8+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Drowning aura, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, fast healing 5, shared strength
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +5, Will +5
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 14, Con 21, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 14
Skills: Handle Animal +6, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (nature) +6, Listen +8, Search +8, Spot +8, Swim +20
Feats: Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Power Attack
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary or gang
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +5
Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day---obscuring mist; 2/day---control water. Caster level 10th. These abilities can be used at will if within 60 ft. of two different types of elemental mages (ken-kuni, ken-li, and ken-sun).
Drowning Aura (Su): A ken-chin gives off a 5-foot radius emanation of suffocating drowning, imbuing its surroundings with a watery glint and deadly threat for creatures that breathe. All breathing creatures within 5 feet of a drowned are treated as if beneath water in terms of also being able to breathe. The drowning aura accelerates the process of drowning.
Normally, a creature can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to twice its Constitution score before it begins to drown. Within the drowning aura, a creature can only hold its breath if it makes a DC 10 Constitution check every round. Each round the DC increases by 1. When the character finally fails its Constitution check, it begins to drown. In the first round, it falls unconscious (0 hit points). In the following round, it drps to -1 hit points and is dying. In the third round, if still in the drowning aura, it drowns.
A ken-chin can suppress this ability at will.
Elemental magi are immune to this ability.
Shared Strength (Su): When a ken-chin is within 60 feet of one or more elemental mages and must make a saving throw, it uses the highest save bonus among the group.
Skills: A ken-chin can move through water at its swim speed without making Swim checks. It has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. A ken-chin can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
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Homebrew Notes
Ok, as for what went into my head when I was creating this, I started off by comparing all the abilities, ability scores, feats, and skills for the Elemental Mages.
I first noticed the HD ranges---from 8, to 12, to 17. The CR went from 8, to 10, to 13. So I decided to make my water mage 10 HD and CR 9.
After filling in all the blanks, it was time to settle on its ability scores. The total modifier of the Ken-Kuni had +15 and the Ken-Li had +19. So I went with +17 for the Ken-Chin. I decided to keep its Strength similar to the Ken-Li, Dexterity a little lower than the Ken-Li, Constitution about the same, but made it more Intelligent and Charismatic than the Ken-Kuni and Ken-Li. I used the Ken-Sun as my benchmark.
Next was the subtype. Aquatic or Water? Looking over both, the Water subtype made more sense.
Then I moved on to what unique set of abilities should I give it? Well, I obviously gave it a Swim speed of 50 ft., seemed good enough.
I gave it the drowning aura based off the Drowned undead in Monster Manual 3, but reduced the radius to 5 ft., like the Ken-Li's.
Spell-like abilities was the only other one I could come up with. I used what I thought would fit the Ken-Chin based off of the spells from the Water Domain.
Now every Elemental Mage has one of their unique abilities increase in power whenever two other mage's are around. The Ken-Kuni's earthquake tremor, and the Ken-Li's and Ken-Sun's breath weapon. I decided to do that with the Ken-Chin's spell-like abilities. They became At Will abilities whenever two are around.
The feats I kept similar to the others: Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush (to represent a wave of water slamming you), Improved Initiative (wanted it to react quickly) and Cleave.
As for the skills, I also compared it to the other elemental mages. I boosted its Swim speed high, since I figure this would be its strong point.
It's Shared Strength ability is an ability all Elemental Mage's share.
As for fast healing, all elemental mages have it. I left it at fast healing 5, like the Ken-Kuni instead of fast healing 10 like the Ken-Li's due to the CR differences.
And there you have it
