As promised, tournament officials have released official information regarding one of the 100th anniversary creatures!  For those budding Creators, this will give you an example of what the tournament mages are looking for, both in ability balance, and creation description.

These particular creatures are  modified gnoll skeletons, crafted by the renowned necromancer Talon Kurg.  Here is an excerpt from the opening ceremonies from the 100th tournament, the first reveal of his talonite renders:

“Our last competing Creator is well known throughout the capital for his innovation in the use of undead servants in maintaining the city, but he has stepped well out of his mold with his newest creations.  I give to you, Talon Kurg and his Talonite Renders!”

                A necromancer clad in dark robes appears atop the final stage in a flash of red light.  Slowly he raises his arms towards the heavens and the ground seems to shudder in response.  Without warning two forms burst from the arena floor, clawing their way free of the entombing earth with adamantine claws and moving swiftly to their master’s sides.  Streaks of metal can be seen lacing through the bones of the two modified gnoll skeletons, their eyes alight with a malevolent red glow.

Talonite Render                                                        CR 5

XP 1,600

LE Medium Undead

Init +7; Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9

DEFENSE

hp 53 (6d8 + 5)AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +4 natural, +1 dodge)

Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +5

Defensive Abilities Channel Resistance +4; DR 5/adamantine;

Immune Acid, Undead Traits

OFFENSE

Melee 2 adamantine claws +9 (1d8 + 5)Speed 30 ft.

Special Attacks Rend (2 claws, 1d8+7)

STATISTICS

Base Atk +4; CMB +9; CMB 23Str 20, Dex 17, Con –, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 10

Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes

Skills Acrobatics +7, Climb +11, Intimidate +5,

Knowledge (nature) +2, Perception +9, Sense Motive +5,

Stealth +11

Languages: Common, Gnoll

Renders serve their creator until destruction, their will bound by the necromantic magic that brought them into being.  These fierce creatures are typically used as guards or enforcers of their master’s will.  Their intelligence allows them to follow complex commands given to them by their creator, and they will carry them out without fail, or be destroyed in the attempt.Description:  Talonite renders are created from the bones of deceased gnolls.  Their bones are laced with adamantine, giving them a silvery sheen to accompany the spark of cunning intellect in their eyeless sockets.  They are named for the deadly claws fused to their hands made of the same metal that reinforces their bones.

Construction:

Materials:

• A corpse of a recently slain gnoll hunter (preferably a ranger)
• Powdered adamantine (3,000 gp)
• Custom forged adamantine claws (3,000 gp each)
• Potent mineral acid

Spells Required:

• Protection from Energy: Acid – Provides the creature’s immunity to Acid as well as preserves the bones during creation.
• Create Undead – Provides the animating force for the creature and imbues it with its cunning and intelligence. The use of this spell also ties the creature to the will of its creator.

Special Processes:

• The flesh will be eaten off of the bones through the use of a mixture of mineral acid and adamantine powder. In this way the acid will clean and bleach the bones of the gnoll and embed the adamantine powder into the bones themselves, strengthening them and making them less brittle.  This improves upon a normal skeleton’s damage reduction.
• Created within the boundaries of a desecrate spell, imbuing the creature with negative energy and giving it its channel resistance.
• Adamantine claws will be fused to the skeleton’s hands, providing it with a devastating natural attack that can damage even the hardiest of constructs.

Other Construction Requirements:

• Caster Level 11^th
• Cost: 9,000 gp in adamantine, an onyx valued at at least 125 gp and 1,000 gp of miscellaneous materials