Cyclops (3.5e Creature)
The smell of libraries is the same everywhere, even here. The bookshelves might be three times as tall as you and the books the size of wagon wheels, but the smell of musty knowledge is still there. The librarian isn't your stereotypical prim lady, however, but a giant that resembles a finely sculpted statue: it's skin is nearly perfectly white, and when it turns to face you, you just glimpse an eye of extraordinary azure color before you remember to turn away. Even the brief glance leaves your head muddled.
| LN Huge giant | |
| Init/Senses | +2/Listen +15, Spot +15 |
| AC | 27, touch 10, flat-footed 25 (–2 size, +2 Dex, +12 natural, +5 mithral breastplate) |
| hp | 161 (17 HD) |
| Fort/Ref/Will | +15/+7/+10 |
| Speed | 50 ft. (10 squares) |
| Melee | masterwork glaive +23/+18/+13 (3d8+18/×3) |
| Ranged | rock +9 ranged (2d8+12) |
| Base Atk/Grp | +12/+32 |
| Abilities | Str 34, Dex 15, Con 21, Int 18, Wis 17, Cha 15 |
| SQ | rock catching, poor depth perception |
| Feats | Blind-Fight, Cleave, Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Power Attack, Short HaftPHB2 |
| Skills | Climb +19, Concentration +6, Craft (any one) +14, Diplomacy +4, Intimidate +12, Listen +15, Sense Motive +9, Spot +15 |
| Advancement | — |
| Addling Gaze (Su) | 1d4 Intelligence damage, range 30 feet, Fortitude DC 20 negates. The save DC is Charisma-based. |
| Rock Throwing (Ex) | The range increment is 140 feet for a cyclops' thrown rocks. |
| Poor Depth Perception (Ex) | Cyclopes have a -4 racial penalty on attack rolls with ranged weapons. |
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| Many seek out cyclopes who practice the arcane arts, for they are the masters of their craft. |
Cyclopes are one of the many races of giants, separated from most of their brothers by their intellect. Cyclopes are racially intelligent, and their intelligence only grows during their around 500 years. The race gets its name from its most obvious feature: cyclopes have a single eye, slightly bigger than an eye would be on a two-eyed creature of the same size. A cyclops always has a brilliantly hued iris, but looking at it is not advised: the gaze of a cyclops saps the intellect of its viewer in rapid succession. Since this works even on others of their race, cyclopes usually live in solitude, coming together only after extended written contact, and make sure to cover their eyes. Adults of both genders are about 16 feet tall and weigh around 5,000 pounds.
Combat
As brilliant creatures, cyclopes are keenly aware of their strengths and weaknesses. The most obvious of the latter is their depth perception, which means cyclopes avoid ranged combat - unless they're truly angered, in which case they let the boulders fly. A cyclops closes the distance to fight with their glaives and to let their gaze devastate opposition. Loss of intelligence isn't much of a problem for a frontline fighter, but cyclopes know to let their gaze linger on wizards. Cyclopes are solitary creatures, and thus rarely fight alongside others of their kind (although exception do exist), but they often have other creatures in their service: either naturally blind creatures, such as subjugated grimlocks and pet yrthaks, or creatures that have willingly blinded themselves to serve the cyclops (permanently or otherwise).
| LN Huge giant | |
| Init/Senses | +2/Listen +26, Spot +26 |
| AC | 24, touch 12, flat-footed 22 (–2 size, +2 Dex, +2 ring of deflection +2, +12 natural) |
| hp | 271 (28 HD) |
| Fort/Ref/Will | +20/+12/+19 |
| Speed | 50 ft. (10 squares) |
| Melee | +1 dancing glaive +28/+23/+18/+13 (3d8+19/×3) |
| Ranged | rock +14 ranged (2d8+12) |
| Base Atk/Grp | +17/+37 |
| Spells Prepared | (CL 11th): 6th—summon monster VI 5th—interposing hand, summon monster V ×2 4th—black tentacles, enervation, fire shield, greater invisibility 0—dancing lights, mending, open/close, read magic |
| Abilities | Str 34, Dex 15, Con 22, Int 20, Wis 17, Cha 15 |
| SQ | rock catching, poor depth perception |
| Feats | Augment Summoning, Blind-Fight, Cleave, Combat Casting, Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Power Attack, Scribe Scroll, Short HaftPHB2, Silent Spell, Spell Focus (conjuration), Spell Penetration, Still Spell |
| Skills | Climb +19, Concentration +18, Craft (bookbinding) +26, Diplomacy +15, Intimidate +23, Listen +26, Sense Motive +20, Spot +26 |
| Advancement | — |
| Possessions | +1 dancing glaive, ring of deflection +2, cloak of resistance +2, potion of resist energy (fire) 20, potion of resist energy (cold) 20 |
| Addling Gaze (Su) | 1d4 Intelligence damage, range 30 feet, Fortitude DC 26 negates. The save DC is Charisma-based. |
| Rock Throwing (Ex) | The range increment is 140 feet for a cyclops' thrown rocks. |
| Poor Depth Perception (Ex) | Cyclopes have a -4 racial penalty on attack rolls with ranged weapons. |
NOTE: The CR of the cyclops librarian has been calculated keeping nonassociated class levels in mind.
Librarian is easily the most respected line of work among cyclopes. Each cyclops keeps a library of at least some prestige if possible, collecting valuable grimoires and tomes during their long life and passing them on as a valuable inheritance. The most powerful and influential cyclopes own vast collections of incredible rarities, and the libraries themselves are more like mazes. Cyclops librarians are invariably skilled wizards.
Combat
Unlike most wizards, cyclops librarians try to get fairly close to their enemies to let their gaze affect them, but only do so when they have their magical defenses up. They fight with genius intellect, using their summoned minions to surround foes so that the cyclops itself will have an easier time laying enemies to waste. They often try to get their hands on dancing weapons, so that they can threaten their enemies on both the mundane and the magical front.
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