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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11716 Posts |
 Posted - 02 Dec 2005 : 16:02:02
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Ok, I'm starting up an underdark campaign. I challenged my players to come up with some unique ideas for their characters... and one of them has an idea that I think it just extremely interesting. As a result, I'm inclined to help him out, but I want to stay within the rules because I know to stray threatens to unbalance (after all, the powers of a rust monster are nice).
His idea is this. He's a gold dwarf who is abhorrent of the raping of the earth done by his fellow dwarves. He wants to become a druid (we're still working out of which deity, but Talos makes the most sense) who has been cast out of dwarven society for these views. Taking up the crystal dwarven waraxe from the psionic duergar that he slew in a raid and the dragonhide armor stolen from an old tomb, he fled from the Great Rift. Eventually, he gained a companion in the form of a rust monster, which he now rides around. With the rust monsters ability to "return iron to the earth", he sees this aberration as a symbol of his god's favor.
The problem he has is this: A rust monster can't be a druid's companion because its not an animal... its an aberration. A paladin could get the mount, but the character is not paladinic. To go blackguard requires the person to go rogue and fighter mostly. If he took it as a wizard's familiar, I'm thinking the level of the character would be very high.
Finally, I brought up the idea of it being a cohort. In order to do this though, it will need class levels.. and we both agreed even putting barbarian class levels on a rust monster sounds cheesy.
Anyway, looking for ideas.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4686 Posts |
Posted - 02 Dec 2005 : 16:44:38
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Well as I read it a Rust Monster is not Int enough to be a cohort.
However if you want to look at class lecels I would think ranger would be better then barbarian (of course could not use weapons, but things like Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (geography), Move Silently, Search, Spot and Survival would be useful as class skills.
It might be better to bend rules to let Rust Monster be an Animal Compainion then have it as a Cohort. After all a Rust Monster has the Int of an animal. Because of special attack would reduce to some extend normal benefits an AC gets (perhaps take away the Bonus HD). |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11716 Posts |
Posted - 02 Dec 2005 : 17:06:38
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<<Well as I read it a Rust Monster is not Int enough to be a cohort.
Oh, yeah, we had discussed that too. It would have to be awakened (per the spell).... but now that I'm looking, only animals and trees can be awakened. Makes sense, you wouldn't want your oozes and whatnot getting awakened.
Now we're looking at halfling outrider as a template. If anyone knows of any underground mounted classes, let me know. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11716 Posts |
Posted - 02 Dec 2005 : 17:10:40
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| hmmm, actually vermin keeper in underdark is very close. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Arivia
Great Reader
Canada
2965 Posts |
Posted - 03 Dec 2005 : 07:20:12
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
The problem he has is this: A rust monster can't be a druid's companion because its not an animal... its an aberration. A paladin could get the mount, but the character is not paladinic. To go blackguard requires the person to go rogue and fighter mostly. If he took it as a wizard's familiar, I'm thinking the level of the character would be very high.
Finally, I brought up the idea of it being a cohort. In order to do this though, it will need class levels.. and we both agreed even putting barbarian class levels on a rust monster sounds cheesy.
Anyway, looking for ideas.
Firstly, there are pre-existing feats allowing druids to take things other than animals as companions, although offhand I can't think of any ones except the ones in the ECS(or is it Races of Eberron? Whatever.)
Secondly, the rust monster wouldn't need to have class levels to be a cohort-see page 199 of the DMG. |
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Crennen FaerieBane
Master of Realmslore
USA
1378 Posts |
Posted - 03 Dec 2005 : 15:15:36
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Why would you want an Intelligent Rust Monster? It would just eat all of your weapons when it was hungry, because it would understand them as we do food. Interesting what an awakening spell can do.
C-Fb |
Still rockin' the Fey'ri style. |
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warlockco
Master of Realmslore
USA
1695 Posts |
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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2005 : 04:48:41
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I can see the future now...... an adventuring party running around in their undergarments, because the rust monster companion needed a midnight snack. I can see this as leading to some interesting encounters though  . |
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warlockco
Master of Realmslore
USA
1695 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2005 : 06:29:06
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quote:
Originally posted by scererar
I can see the future now...... an adventuring party running around in their undergarments, because the rust monster companion needed a midnight snack. I can see this as leading to some interesting encounters though .
LOL, I do like the example in Arms and Equipment of Dwarves wearing Non-Metal Armor, riding Large Rust Mosnters as a special cavalry unit. Even it if isn't a very effective unit, just imagine the fear it will strike in the heart of any other force facing it.  |
News of the Weird
D20 System Reference Document
D20 Modern System Reference Document
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11716 Posts |
Posted - 06 Dec 2005 : 21:42:26
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| Thank you, Eberron Campaign setting Beast Totem and Totem Companion were basically the same concept. I'm thinking a cockatrice and a rust monster are comparable creatures (cockatrice is small creature but has petrification... which is maybe a little better than the rust ability <though rusting things can be quite useful in breaking through doors, I foresee>). |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6648 Posts |
Posted - 06 Dec 2005 : 22:30:16
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Of course, you could take a totally different tack and have the 'rust monster' actually be a former dwarf companion of his who fell afoul of some nasty drow magic and was transformed into a rust monster. Hence it is intelligent, can have class levels belonging to the former friend and function like an NPC - in other words under your control, not the player's (which may prevent some potential campaign abuses ...). Just a few random thoughts ...
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Fletcher
Learned Scribe
USA
299 Posts |
Posted - 06 Dec 2005 : 22:37:26
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
Ok, I'm starting up an underdark campaign. I challenged my players to come up with some unique ideas for their characters... and one of them has an idea that I think it just extremely interesting. As a result, I'm inclined to help him out, but I want to stay within the rules because I know to stray threatens to unbalance (after all, the powers of a rust monster are nice).
His idea is this. He's a gold dwarf who is abhorrent of the raping of the earth done by his fellow dwarves. He wants to become a druid (we're still working out of which deity, but Talos makes the most sense) who has been cast out of dwarven society for these views. Taking up the crystal dwarven waraxe from the psionic duergar that he slew in a raid and the dragonhide armor stolen from an old tomb, he fled from the Great Rift. Eventually, he gained a companion in the form of a rust monster, which he now rides around. With the rust monsters ability to "return iron to the earth", he sees this aberration as a symbol of his god's favor.
The problem he has is this: A rust monster can't be a druid's companion because its not an animal... its an aberration. A paladin could get the mount, but the character is not paladinic. To go blackguard requires the person to go rogue and fighter mostly. If he took it as a wizard's familiar, I'm thinking the level of the character would be very high.
Finally, I brought up the idea of it being a cohort. In order to do this though, it will need class levels.. and we both agreed even putting barbarian class levels on a rust monster sounds cheesy.
Anyway, looking for ideas.
Have your player take a feat to enable him to have a monstrous companion.
Or for kicks, allow it.
If it becomes a problem, and is being abused by your players...you can always kill it. |
Run faster! The Kobolds are catching up! |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7974 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 02:59:41
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I'll dust this one off.
I have an NPC Wild Mage who's (inadvertently) summoned up rust monsters several times as random surge results. Seeing this thread makes me contemplate the possibility of a rust monster familiar. Quite a boon for a mage - he's got hardly any metal on his person anyways and his familiar functions as quite a fighter deterrent.
Rules aside for the moment, is this too blatantly powerful or still within reasonable limits? As fantastic as a rust monster is, I see it being generally less potent than an imp, quasit, or faerie/pseudo-dragon. Plus these beasts are a bit stupid, using gold coins as "Scooby snacks" seems not unlikely. They also don't seem as noxious as most other aberrations (unless you're an armoured fighter, lol).
(My question has nothing to do with the OP's dwarven druid character.)
Ecology of the Rust Monster. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 13 Dec 2010 03:02:20 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36782 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 04:03:37
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quote:
Originally posted by Arik
I'll dust this one off.
I have an NPC Wild Mage who's (inadvertently) summoned up rust monsters several times as random surge results. Seeing this thread makes me contemplate the possibility of a rust monster familiar. Quite a boon for a mage - he's got hardly any metal on his person anyways and his familiar functions as quite a fighter deterrent.
Rules aside for the moment, is this too blatantly powerful or still within reasonable limits? As fantastic as a rust monster is, I see it being generally less potent than an imp, quasit, or faerie/pseudo-dragon. Plus these beasts are a bit stupid, using gold coins as "Scooby snacks" seems not unlikely. They also don't seem as noxious as most other aberrations (unless you're an armoured fighter, lol).
(My question has nothing to do with the OP's dwarven druid character.)
Ecology of the Rust Monster.
Be really inconvenient if the mage has any adventuring companions, or ever goes into a city... |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Diffan
Great Reader
USA
4430 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 04:03:49
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Pffft, you can buy a Rust-Monster Wand to act as the same thing and they're less than 1,000 gp! I think you have to feed it copper like once a day to keep it alive.
So if you mean to use the Rust Monster familiar to dissolve metal hindges on a locked door or eat through a lock on a lockbox or some arbitrary functions like that then I'd say your better off with just the Wand. If you want it to be worthy in combat and eat through enemies weapons and armor, then I'd say it's as powerful as an Imp/Quasit or Faerie/Pseduo-dragon. Probably a caster level 5 to 7 to obtain the Improved Familiar. And I don't think they're half as bad as the Mephits a wizard can obtain. |
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Fellfire
Master of Realmslore
1965 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 04:16:43
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I think it's a great idea. I love watching my players shriek in terror when faced by the dreaded Rust Monster. I have a Gnome PC of my own with an Aurumvorax companion (picture an 8-legged badger with metallic teeth, claws and coat. From the 2e MM, I can't recall seeing it updated. Anyone? New art would be awesome!). A BA beastie that needs to be fed GP to be kept happy. An expensive little bugger to keep around.
Oh, and I loved the Advanced Rust Monster from that same issue of Dragon that has a cadre of samurai ghosts following him around. What was his name? |
Misanthorpe
Love is a lie. Only hate endures. Light is blinding. Only in darkness do we see clearly.
"Oh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but.. blinding. The shadows betray you because they belong to me." - Bane The Dark Knight Rises
Green Dragonscale Dice Bag by Crystalsidyll - check it out
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Edited by - Fellfire on 13 Dec 2010 04:46:32 |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7974 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 04:59:37
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Well you don't have to feed it gold. Lead, copper, iron, and steel are nutritious enough. The MM description states that rust monsters have a preference for "rare" metals, so a little silver or gold or plat will keep it happy. It'll probably charge straight at mithril and adamants though, rare meteorics or gith silver swords or drow adamantines are probably like catnip.
Are rust monsters smart enough to be trained to not eat certain metal things? Other animals, predatory carnivorous ones, can be trained to not eat smaller pets and people ... even most breeds of halfling can be trained not to steal and backstab. Except for those vicious kender strains which should all be destroyed.
On a semi-related note ... could metallic objects be treated with some kind of surface finish or coating which repels or protects against rust monsters? Some kind of magical polymer or crystal sheathing? It seems very strange to me that monsters with this sort of power apparently aren't part of any mythology and had to wait for Gygax (or whomever) to invent them.
The OD&D and 1E artwork makes rust monsters look like positively joyful cuddly pets. They sort of got more menacing and insectoid-looking with each subsequent edition. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 13 Dec 2010 05:07:42 |
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Fellfire
Master of Realmslore
1965 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 05:06:42
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But the GP's keep her coat so shiny. 
I seem to recall an alchemical substance that repels illithids, I have no idea where from, but if some alchemist can chef that up, I don't see why not. |
Misanthorpe
Love is a lie. Only hate endures. Light is blinding. Only in darkness do we see clearly.
"Oh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but.. blinding. The shadows betray you because they belong to me." - Bane The Dark Knight Rises
Green Dragonscale Dice Bag by Crystalsidyll - check it out
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Edited by - Fellfire on 13 Dec 2010 05:13:27 |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7974 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 05:30:54
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Gold keeps her coat shiny? And a little dwarven steel builds strong teeth and bones?
I suppose iron golems are out of the question for such a mage. Do rust monsters attack metallic dragons? |
[/Ayrik] |
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7974 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 06:09:12
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| I've discovered that 2E planeslore says much about rust monsters (and the strangely associated rust dragons) of metal-strewn Acheron. The metal-fleshed bladeling natives of the plane are seemingly resistant or impervious to this rust, hmmm ... |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 13 Dec 2010 06:09:44 |
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Fellfire
Master of Realmslore
1965 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 06:12:08
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| indeed, now you just need some bladeling blood |
Misanthorpe
Love is a lie. Only hate endures. Light is blinding. Only in darkness do we see clearly.
"Oh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but.. blinding. The shadows betray you because they belong to me." - Bane The Dark Knight Rises
Green Dragonscale Dice Bag by Crystalsidyll - check it out
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Edited by - Fellfire on 13 Dec 2010 06:12:37 |
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Bane of the Harpers
Seeker
Canada
53 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 06:24:52
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In Dungeonscape, you have a Prestige Class called Beastheart Adept that gives a monstrous animal companion to the character. There is a list but I'M sure that as the DM, you can find a way to please your player.
You can usually choose from magical beasts or aberrations.
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7974 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 06:25:26
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lol, funny you should mention that. There'll be something of the sort near Phlan soon enough. I'll set some aside for you.
I wonder if Candlekeep could use a pack of domesticated rust monsters for defense ...
These beasties also seem to be the sort that would have the annoying habit of digging under fences and stuff. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 13 Dec 2010 06:27:23 |
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36782 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 11:16:34
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| IIRC, blueshine and everbright will prevent rusting, even from a rust monster. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Gavinfoxx
Learned Scribe
USA
132 Posts |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7974 Posts |
Posted - 15 Dec 2010 : 01:31:04
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quote:
Big Blue Wooly
IIRC, blueshine and everbright will prevent rusting, even from a rust monster.
Volo's Guide to All Things Magical
... An item treated with blueshine gains a bonus of + 1 on all item saving throws vs. acid and all corrosive effects, from venom to various bloods to ochre jelly secretions to black dragon acid. A blueshine spell also prevents future rusting and purges the metals of all oxidation, causing affected metal to revert to its former state, not merely melting rust away and leaving the item thinner or with gaps and holes ...
... Metals treated with everbright ... become immune to tarnishing and other discoloration, acidic corrosion, and rusting — even that caused by rust monster antennae ...
My interpretation of this is blueshine repairs corrosion and makes metals a little resistant to rusting but does not make them immune to rust monsters. Everbright certainly grants rust monster immunity. Interesting. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 15 Dec 2010 01:32:44 |
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Gavinfoxx
Learned Scribe
USA
132 Posts |
Posted - 15 Dec 2010 : 01:48:13
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| Everbright and Blueshine were made better in the most recent version, in the Magic Item Compendium, a 3.5e source. |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7974 Posts |
Posted - 15 Dec 2010 : 02:02:52
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| I've got tons of 3E and 3.5E, but not that book. I'll add it to my endless shopping list ... |
[/Ayrik] |
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Gavinfoxx
Learned Scribe
USA
132 Posts |
Posted - 16 Dec 2010 : 00:54:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Arik
I've got tons of 3E and 3.5E, but not that book. I'll add it to my endless shopping list ...
That and the Spell Compendium are two of the most important books in 3.5e! |
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Rust Monster as familiar or Companion
