Mystical Milking Cow (Magical Beast and Domestic Cow stats, PEACH)

[LOTRfan]

Finnbhennach
Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 3d10+3 (19 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 11 (-1 size, +2 natural), touch 9, flatfooted 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+11
Attack: Gore +1 melee (1d8+2)
Full Attack: Gore +1 melee (1d8+2)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: -----
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., Invigorating Milk, Scent
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 6
Skills: Listen +5, Spot +5
Feats: Alertness, Endurance
Environment: Temperate Plains
Organization: Herd (1 plus 5-29 cows or bison)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -----

Amidst the herd of large white and black cows, a single pale cow with a slight greenish hue can be seen. She is surrounded by calves, both her own offspring and the offspring of other cows, who are gathering around to drink from her udders.

Finnbhennachs are a magical breed of cow known to bring good luck to any farmer lucky enough to own one. Though they are identical to a domesticated cow in terms of size and shape, the pale green color of their hide betrays their supernatural nature. Some say that finnbhennachs are the cows of the faeries, but these creatures have no real connection with fey creatures. In the wild, these creatures are usually found within herds of other species of bovine. Finnbhennachs often feed not only their own offspring, but occasionally offspring from other cows as well, making the herd as a whole healthy and thriving. The milk of these creatures enhance the natural abilities of the consumer, whether by making them stronger, more agile, or even more observant or intelligent.

Any herd usually has no more than one finnbhennach and her offspring at any time. When a calf reaches breeding age, she will leave her mother’s heard and join another. The male offspring of finnbhennach pairings are born the same bovine species as the father. Farmers who are somehow able to have a finnbhennach of their own tend to separate calves from her, collecting the milk to be sold as potions and good luck charms.

Combat
A finnbhennach is a horrible combatant, one that is not even proficient with its own natural weapon (taking both a -5 penalty to attack rolls and only adding 1/2 it's strength modifier to the damage roll). Finnbhennachs require protection from either their herd or their owners.

Invigorating Milk (Su): Every 6d4 hours, a Finnbhennach lactates enough to produce two quarts of milk. This milk has minor magical properties, and when consumed acts like a potion. Drinking a pint of this milk bestows a +1 enhancement bonus to one of the drinker’s ability scores (roll a d6 die to determine what ability the milk is keyed to before milking the cow, and both quarts grant the bonus to the same score). If more than one dose is consumed, the enhancement bonuses do not stack. This milk cannot be used to grant a creature that doesn’t normally have an ability score a point in that ability score, nor can it be used to bring a creature with animal intelligence above 2. This effect lasts for 1d4 hours, and pints of Finnbhennach milk sell for about 100 gp. A Finnbhennach always produces milk, regardless of whether it has offspring or not.

[LOTRfan]

Domestic Cow
Large Animal
Hit Dice: 3d8+3 (15 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 11 (-1 size, +2 natural), touch 9, flatfooted 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+10
Attack: Gore +0 melee (1d8+2)
Full Attack: Gore +0 melee (1d8+2)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Stampede
Special Qualities: Lowlight vision, Scent
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 1, Wis 10, Cha 7
Skills: Listen +5, Spot +5
Feats: Alertness, Endurance
Environment: Temperate Plains
Organization: Herd (6-29)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -----

These domesticated herd animals are more or less completely harmless, unless they are startled. Cows come in a variety of breeds, but are usually used as a food source or as beasts of burden. Cows can weigh anything between 1200-1800 pounds, and are usually longer than 8 feet in length.

Combat
Cows are not bright and very easily started, and are more likely to run than actually fight. Cows are not proficient with their natural weapons, taking both a -5 penalty to attack rolls and only adding 1/2 their strength modifier to their damage rolls.

Stampede (Ex): A frightened herd of cows flees as a group in a random direction (but always away from the perceived source of danger). They literally run over anything or Large size or smaller that gets in their way, dealing 1d10 points of damage for each five cows in the herd (DC 15 Reflex save for half damage). The save DC is Strength base.

[Debihuman]

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these! Okay, it's been a while since I've gotten that excited about a homebrew. But these are just perfect for my Angelic Dairymaids!

Can we talk magical butters now?

Debby

[LOTRfan]

Wow, I'm glad you like it.

I'm reading over your Dairymaid Angels now, actually. Very cool creatures. So essentially consuming the butter grants the person eating it the effects of a spell?

[Admiral Squish]

I like it, but +1 ability mods are usually a bad idea. I would suggest making it a +1 luck bonus to a bunch of rolls, like a luck stone.

[LOTRfan]

Ah, can I ask why it is usually considered bad? I mean, I'm not saying that I won't change it, but I'm sort of curious. I understand that it's sort of useless if it provides a +1 enhancement bonus to an even ability score, but is that the only reason?

[Admiral Squish]

Ah, can I ask why it is usually considered bad? I mean, I'm not saying that I won't change it, but I'm sort of curious. I understand that it's sort of useless if it provides a +1 enhancement bonus to an even ability score, but is that the only reason?

Well, on one hand, a +1 is only useful if you have an odd number in that score, which is relatively rare. It doesn't seem like it'd be impressive enough that it would even register as 'lucky' to a commoner. On the other hand, an enterprising player could get that +1 to an odd-numbered score and get a lot of mileage out of it.

[DracoDei]

Can I quote the mundane cows with credit and a link in my megathread for "organ undead" (see signature and extended signature)? When I make said thread I mean....I always said that since size is the only important criterion for the source creature for most of them that livestock are the best sources.

If that is a problem I assume link is acceptable?

Also with only one natural weapon, I think it is +6 damage for the gore. Could maybe justify dropping the die size for horns being bred smaller or even list smaller strength effect with the nonproficiency thing. Maybe turn the combination into a special quality.

[LOTRfan]

Eh, I may change it, but I'm not sure yet. I'll think about it. I mean, I guess it becomes problematic if the players purchase one, but seeing as how a farmer would be making quite a lot for each time it was milked, I would imagine that they are quite expensive.

Actually, that's my mistake. I forgot that creatures with one natural weapon get 1-1/2 their strength modifier. I'll fix it shortly. And sure, feel free to use/link it.

[Debihuman]

Attack is BAB 3 + Str modifier +4 -1 size for a total of +6 as well.

The way to keep the damage down is to say (under combat) that its gore attack is always treated as a secondary attack and adds only half its Strength bonus to damage. See Pony as an example.

Debby

[DracoDei]

Though they are identical to a domesticated cow in terms of size and shape, the pale green color of their hide betray their supernatural nature.

"betrays" I believe.

A finnbhennach is a horrible combatant, ones that are not even proficient with their own natural weapons

"Finnbhennach are horrible combatants," and "weapon"
OR
"one that is not even proficient with its own natural weapon"

Invigorating Milk (Su): Every 6d4 hours, a Finnbhennach lactates enough to produce two quarts of milk. This milk has minor magical properties, and when consumed acts like a potion. Drinking a pint of this milk bestows a +1 enhancement bonus to one of the drinker’s ability scores (roll a d6 die to determine what ability the milk is keyed to before milking the cow).

Does this vary with each quart? (Probably not)
With each milking? Possible.
With each Finnbhennach? Possible, would effect the value, but I can't say if positively (more reliable), or negatively (if you drink 2 quarts, you are probably going to get bonuses to two different stats).

If more than one dose is consumed, the enhancement bonuses do not stack.

This is usually the case, unless you mean that you can't have two different stats effected at the same time by such milk. In the latter case you need to say so more explicitly.

IThis milk cannot be used to grant a creature that doesn’t normally have an ability score a point in that ability score,

I would THINK this would usually be the case, and if not, then it should be.

nor can it be used to bring a creature with animal intelligence above 2.

This, OTOH, is definitely a good piece of bringing RAW closer to RAI. In other words, this should ALSO be the case near universally (Awaken obviously should be an exception).

This effect lasts for 1d4 hours, and pints of Finnbhennach milk sell for about 100 gp.

Check this against potion prices, and noting that cost of the material components for Identify to figure out which stat it effects is nominally 100 GP. You could sell them in pairs I guess...

The beast itself still needs a market value, which can be calculated based on the average number of spell effects it can produce per day... and then adjusted for various factors, such as the fact that it may spoil, although depending on reading, Purify Food and Drink may extend that. Another factor is that it is much more vulnerable and less portable in and of itself than a magic item that produces similar effects. And, of course, how it is randomized.

[LOTRfan]

I fixed the grammar mistakes you mentioned, and also specified that the quarts produced by a single milking are keyed to the same score. I know that identify costs 100 gp, but I figured since you could potentially make 400 gp off of it, the 300 gp profit would still be enough.

As for pricing, that'll be another story... I'll start working on that.

[DracoDei]

I fixed the grammar mistakes you mentioned, and also specified that the quarts produced by a single milking are keyed to the same score. I know that identify costs 100 gp, but I figured since you could potentially make 400 gp off of it, the 300 gp profit would still be enough.

As for pricing, that'll be another story... I'll start working on that.

Ah, mixing quarts and pints makes it confusing. Consider picking one or the other to list both the amount produced and the dosage?

Also, what is the skill check to know if the 6d4 hours have elapsed? Profession(Dairy Farmer) seems the best choice, but what is the DC? This is important as the effect is only consistent for a given milking so just doing it frequently isn't the best choice.

[Debihuman]

Upon looking up dairy cows on google, I found some interesting facts:

Dairy cows are usually milked twice a day. It takes 15 minutes to milk a typical dairy cow by hand. A typical dairy cow in peak milking condition can produce over 6 gallons of milk a day. It takes about 3 gallons of milk to make a pound of butter. There are 32 tablespoon servings in a pound of butter. A stick of butter that weighs 1/4 lb. is 8 servings.

When I was thinking of magical butter, it occurred to me that I should limit the spells that can be imbued because the butter churns of Io can produce 100 lbs. of butter day! Basing it on my holy cows, that would require a herd of at least 50 cows.

Finnbhennach produce a lot less milk than dairy cows so the dairymaid angels would need 200 cows for the same output.

I figure the butters are sold in 1/4 pound sticks or full pound blocks and that the dairymaids can imbue their butter with the following spells: bear’s endurance, bull’s strength and cure light wounds.

Magical butters keep better than regular butter and are less temperature sensitive. It is good for 1 month before it goes rancid and loses its magical properties.

A pound of magical butter costs 500 gp on the Prime Material Plane and half that if bought on Elysium. [This makes the cost per serving on par with the cost of wand]

Butter made from Finnbhennach costs 2,000 gp per pound (there is no discount on Elysium) and a person can only benefit from one serving a day.

What do you think?

Debby

[DracoDei]

I would think that potions would be a better point of comparison for the butters/milks, since you don't have much economy of scale, and you don't need to be a spellcaster to use it.


The Finn-whatevers might be priced closer to the formula for an Eternal Wand than anything potion-based though.

[Debihuman]

I would think that potions would be a better point of comparison for the butters/milks, since you don't have much economy of scale, and you don't need to be a spellcaster to use it.


The Finn-whatevers might be priced closer to the formula for an Eternal Wand than anything potion-based though.

Except that their magic isn't based on a single spell. Their magic is based on the price of an enhancement bonus which is enhancement bonus squared times 1,000 gp. I would say that because the butter's magic isn't permanent, it should be a lot cheaper than that.

Because you get multiple servings of butter from a pound of butter, the cost is cheaper to make as a wand is cheaper to make than potion based on price per charge. A potion of cure light wounds costs 50 gp for a single use. A wand of cure light wounds (50 uses) would cost 750 gp or 15 gp per use.

There are 32 servings in magical butter so the price is cheaper for the butter to compensate. 50/32 is about 1.5. 750/1.5=500.That's how I arrived at the cost of my magical butter.

Technically, a pound of butter with bear's strength would be more expensive since a wand of that costs 4,500 gp and it's a higher level spell. The price of the butter would be 3,000 gp. You get a +4 enhancement that lasts 1 minute.

The problem with the Finnebheach's bonus is that it is only +1 but it lasts for 1d4 hours. It's non-standard so determining its price is more difficult. That's the main reason I don't like ability enhancement as a magical items. Typically, an item that grants an enhancement bonuses to abilities are worth enhancement bonus squared times 1,000 gp (see gloves of dexterity+2 and pricing wondrous items).

However, the price of the milk from the Finnebheach is 100 gp for pint. There are 2 pints in a quart, 4 quarts in a gallon. A pound of butter is 3 gallons. The base price of the milk is 2,400 gp (for 24 servings of milk which can be made into magical butter which yields 32 servings so the price should be 3,750 gp).

It's 3,750 gp if I base the butter strictly off the price of the milk OR it is 2,000 gp if I base the butter just off the price of the enhancement bonus. Since the duration is longer than a minute, I actually think the price for the magical butter should be 3,750 gp per pound.

What do you think?

Debby

[DracoDei]

I had failed to consider the spoilage issue. The lower price makes sense then, although Purify Food and Drink would need to be covered.