Thursday, November 8, 2007

Hunter Stats


d20 statistics for Half Life: Episode 2's Hunters. Fairly self-explanatory.

Hunter
Size/Type: Large Living Construct
Hit Dice: 10d10+30 (84 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares)
Armor Class: 23 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +11 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+18
Attack: Slam +14 melee (2d6+7) or Flechettes +9 ranged (
30' range, 1d6+2d6 force)
Full Attack: Slam +14 melee (2d6+7) or Flechettes +9 ranged (30' range, 1d6+2d6 force)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Flechettes
Special Qualities: Living Construct traits, damage reduction 10/adamantine, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, spell resistance 20
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 17, Cha 4
Skills: Intimidate +11, Jump +19, Listen +10, Search +16, Spot +16, Survival +17 (+19 following tracks)
Feats: Awesome Blow, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Track
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or pack (2-3)
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment:

Hunters are a type of bioengineered Combine shock troop, typically deployed in harsh terrain and heavily forested environments innavigable for a standard Strider unit. Standing about 8 feet tall, they travel on three quadruple-jointed legs and see via two bioluminescent, vertically aligned blue eyeports. Much swifter and more agile than a Strider, their tripedal configuration also allows for lateral movement, jumping and dodging. Hunters communicate among themselves in a their own language, which consists largely of grunts, roars and growls. They weigh roughly 600 pounds.

Combat
Hunters typically begin combat by hanging back and attempting to pick their targets off with flechettes from a distance. If their target is evasive or too close, the Hunter may lower its 'head' module and charge like a bull, either butting the target away into terminal range of their flechettes or knocking them down to fall victim to their deadly foot talons. Observation of their ‘body language’ and vocalizations during battle has led to speculation that they may well experience frustration if they’re unable to quickly dispatch their targets.

Flechettes (Ex)
A Hunter's primary weapon is a dual barreled flechette launcher, which fires two-pronged darts in rapid salvos from its eyeports. Upon striking a target, the darts explode, dealing an additional 2d6 force damage to anything within a 5-foot radius. Those not hit by the darts can make a DC 18 reflex save for half damage. The save DC is constitution-based.

Skills
A hunter has a +4 racial bonus on Intimidate, Search, and Spot checks.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's kind of depressing that you've posted links to your blog on /tg/ so much and still have 0 comments across the board.

Some good ideas here, although I'm not entirely sure that the explosive flechettes constitute force damage.

Overall however, this is a very solid design for a baddy, and I may just be tempted into using it. Thanks.

Dagda (Brooks Harrel) said...

My impulse was to have the "combine energy" effects in half life 2 that disintegrates the body (Ooh, should probably add a note about that) be force damage. You know, pulse rifle alternate fire, supercharged gravity gun, etc. Any suggestions for an alternative?

Anonymous said...

I hadn't stopped to consider putting the flechettes into the same category as the alt fire, though it does make perfectly good sense.

My only real issue with the force damage thing is that it allows it to deal damage to incorporeal creatures normally, and I'm not sure thats the way to go, as (and I may very well be wrong here) disintegrate can effect force walls and the like, but doesn't automatically effect incorporeal creatures like magic missile does.

(Sweet Jesus that was a terrible sentence. I'm sorry I wrote it.)

Anyway, I'm not quite sure of a solution. People may assume unnamed damage (Like you take with shield other) to be physical, and apply damage reduction that they shouldn't. The cheap cop-out solution would be to make up a new energy type, but in my humble opinion, that's lame. Force as I see it is the best way to go if you wish to stay in the realm of existing damage as it is nigh unresistable, which makes sense. I'll ponder on it a bit, if I come up with anything, I'll let ya know.

Anonymous said...

Also, you're like 111 posts behind your mission statement. Get fucking cracking.

Dagda (Brooks Harrel) said...

Few things to keep in mind:
-The darts themselves are physical, and thus not about to strike unmanifested ghosts; nor would hunters have any way to perceive them.
-It's far from infeasible that the combine's unique body-annhilating energy could affect parallel/overlapping dimensions.
-This stat block is designed to fit within the existing D&D cosmology. After all, I doubt the combine spends much time making sure their forces have decent spell resistance.

As for the pledge: No kidding. We'll see if I can manage to accelerate some this holiday season; I certainly have plenty of material lying around half-typed.

Anonymous said...

There's no listed range increment for the flechettes.

Dagda (Brooks Harrel) said...

Corrected, thanks.