Converting original D&D and Mystara monsters

[Shade]

In that case, let's figure out the 21-HD feats and skills and then we can provide notes for upsizing/downsizing...

Skills: 9 at 24 ranks

Feats: 8 (1 can be epic)
Earth elemental feats: Alertness, Awesome Blow, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (slam), Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Power Attack

[demiurge1138]

Let's not give them any Epic feats. They don't strike me as particularly Epic.

How's about: Awesome Blow, Cleave, Great Cleave, Imp. Bull's Rush, Imp. Crit (slam), Imp. Initiative, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (slam)

[freyar]

Agreed with no epic.

This is why I find it weird for the little ones to use the big ones' feats. A 3HD thing using Awesome Blow?

[Shade]

I think it's kind of fun having low-level critters using some feats that wouldn't normally be available so early.

That being said, we should probably note whether they need to meet the prereqs of the feats to use them. Technically, a Small or Medium creature can't use Awesome Blow, for example.

[freyar]

Yeah, that's basically my point.

If we make them meet the prereqs (using the largest member's feats and skill ranks), I'm happy with it. We could use Awesome Blow as an example -- the small ones meet the feat prereqs but not the size prereqs.

[demiurge1138]

I agree with needing to meet other prereqs. I think Awesome Blow is the only one that gets disqualified that way.

[Shade]

Sounds good.

However, if the horde loses more than 10% of its bodies in a single activity (one battle, for example), the creature either decides to resolve the problem peacefully (by negotiating or fleeing) or calls another horde for assistance.

Skills: 9 at 24 ranks
Concentration, Diplomacy, Jump, Listen, Knowledge (the planes), Search, Sense Motive, Spot, Tumble?

I'm thinking Diplomacy and Tumble to aid in "negotiating or fleeing".

[freyar]

Looks about right!

Since these all have the same Int, we can just say that skills reduce in rank appropriately by HD of largest member, at least when all skills are maxed out.

[Shade]

Yes, that would make scaling easy. Simply add or remove 1 rank per Hit Die added/removed from greatest member.

[freyar]

Want to add that to the collective mind entry?

Let's list the feats in order that they would get them. Let's say: Improved Initiative,
Power Attack, Cleave, Weapon Focus (slam), Improved Bull Rush, Improved Crit (slam), Awesome Blow. Does that work with the prereqs (I didn't check)?

[Shade]

Sounds good, except we lost a feat somewhere. They should have 8.

[freyar]

Hmm, I dropped Great Cleave somehow. Maybe Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Cleave, Weapon Focus (slam), Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Crit (slam), Awesome Blow?

[Shade]

Updated. Whew!

[Shade]

We'll need to figure out AC for each size. Should we just follow the earth elemental (Small = +7, Med = +8, Large = +9, Huge = +11)?

[demiurge1138]

I think we should give the Small less and the Huge more. Have a wider spread.
Small +5
Medium +8
Large +10
Huge +13?