| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 02 Dec 2005 : 16:02:02
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. |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Alisttair |
Posted - 17 Dec 2010 : 15:29:00
Rust Monster as a Ranger beast companion for the 4E Beastmaster ranger build might actually make such a character useable. |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 17 Dec 2010 : 14:52:14
I'd imagine the recalcitrant little bugger would happily charge an armed and armoured fighter, the more exotic metal he carries the better. Though a kid with a stick would make it scamper away and hide.
I wonder if it would be smart enough to realize what sorts of metals (everbright, artifacts, etc) are indigestible, at least after encountering them before. I wonder if you could hold the creature at bay by just dropping something metal (like an armoured opponent) and a handful of colourful coins in a nice quiet place away from the fighting. It's not like a rust monster has an insatiable appetite for more metal than it can eat at once. |
| MalariaMoon |
Posted - 17 Dec 2010 : 14:37:15
It sounds like a great idea; the character backstory happily justifies such an unusual companion. I don't think you should worry about finding a particular character build to make it viable, just bend the rules a little.
Although there's certainly a balance issue to consier, the DM can easily balance things by ensuring the rust monter is a recalcitrant little bugger, a serial devourer of fellow PCs armour or utterly cowardly in battle (yet eager to snuffle up the broken arms and armour once the dust has settled). As the PCs progress in level, you can hand over more control to the player.
Good luck to you! |
| Gavinfoxx |
Posted - 16 Dec 2010 : 00:54:27
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! |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 15 Dec 2010 : 02:02:52
I've got tons of 3E and 3.5E, but not that book. I'll add it to my endless shopping list ... |
| Gavinfoxx |
Posted - 15 Dec 2010 : 01:48:13
Everbright and Blueshine were made better in the most recent version, in the Magic Item Compendium, a 3.5e source. |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 15 Dec 2010 : 01:31:04
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. |
| Gavinfoxx |
Posted - 14 Dec 2010 : 04:07:25
*whistles*
http://rustyandco.com/
Thank me later! =D |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 11:16:34
IIRC, blueshine and everbright will prevent rusting, even from a rust monster. |
| Alystra Illianniis |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 06:31:27
So use stone walls..... |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 06:25:26
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. |
| Bane of the Harpers |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 06:24:52
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.
|
| Fellfire |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 06:12:08
indeed, now you just need some bladeling blood |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 06:09:12
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 ... |
| Alystra Illianniis |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 05:34:10
Sure, why not? It's like "No-Go" for cats and dogs- but for rust monsters. And the Aurumvoarax was quite the fun beastie, too. I used one a couple of times, and my Moon/drow bit-, er wiz/assassin Morganna killed one once. A nice haul off of the hide and body parts. |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 05:30:54
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? |
| Fellfire |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 05:06:42
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. |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 04:59:37
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. |
| Fellfire |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 04:16:43
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? |
| Diffan |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 04:03:49
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. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 04:03:37
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... |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 13 Dec 2010 : 02:59:41
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. |
| Fletcher |
Posted - 06 Dec 2005 : 22:37:26
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. |
| George Krashos |
Posted - 06 Dec 2005 : 22:30:16
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
|
| sleyvas |
Posted - 06 Dec 2005 : 21:42:26
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>). |
| warlockco |
Posted - 04 Dec 2005 : 06:29:06
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.  |
| scererar |
Posted - 04 Dec 2005 : 04:48:41
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 . |
| warlockco |
Posted - 03 Dec 2005 : 17:14:13
Using Lords of Madness of a sort of guideline, I would allow an Aberration Animal Companion after taking these two feats and prereqs: Aberration Blood and Aberration Wild Shape. |
| Crennen FaerieBane |
Posted - 03 Dec 2005 : 15:15:36
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 |
| Arivia |
Posted - 03 Dec 2005 : 07:20:12
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. |
