Special Conversion Thread: Finishing off giants and their kin

[Shade]

But of course!

Firegaunt
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any temperate, subtropical, tropical
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: See below
INELLIGENCE: Low (5)
TREASURE: E
ALIGNMENT: Laweful evil
NO. APPEARING: 1-2
ARMOR CLASS: -1
MOVEMENT: 12
HIT DICE: 16
THAC0: 5
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d10+10 or by weapon (2-24+10)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Burning touch, Hurling rocks for 2-24 (2d12)
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Impervious to fire, +2 or better weapon to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
SIZE: H (18’ tall)
MORALE: Champion (16)
XP VALUE: 15,000

Firegaunts are undead fire giants who have deteriorated spectacularly. Their jaws jut out in a pronounced muzzle, giving them a vaguely baboonlike appearance. They also give off a sulfuric stench. Their eyes and tongues have completely rotted away, and small portions of flesh on their body and limbs have decomposed and vanished. Out of these holes pour tongues of flame several feet in length, while what remains of their physical bodies is covered with rippling tongues of flame. The overall effect is quite horrifying. Some of these undead giants still wear the same armor they wore in life, though holes have melted through it in those places where the tongues of flame erupt from their decaying bodies.

Combat: With or without their armor, firgaunts always armor class -1. Their undead nature has increased their Strength due to an influx of energy from the Negative Material Plane, while at the same time reducing their decreased Dexterity. They can hurl boulders to a distance of 250 yards that cause 2d12 hp damage per boulder that hits, but they can no longer catch boulders. Their great Strength also means that they inflict 1d10+10 hp damage with their bare hands alone, while a weapon enables them to inflict 2d12+10 hp damage per blow. In addition, their fiery nature means that any creature they touch with their bare hands must save vs. spell or suffer 2d20 hp damage from burning (half that if the saving throw is made.) Possessions on the burned victim must save vs. magical fire or be destroyed. Anyone killed by a firegaunt is immolated in flames and reduced to ash; only a resurrection spell or more powerful magic can restore victims slain in this manner.

Firegaunts are immune to all fire-based attacks. Water- and cold-based attacks inflict double damage, and holy water inflicts 2-8 hp damage per vial splashed on the monster. Mind -affecting magic, sleep, hold, paralyzation, and poison attacks are all usesless against these creatures, but raise dead spell slays a firegaunt instantly. Sunlight doesn’t bother them, partially because they are already adapted to constant light from the flames shooting out of them, and partly because of the continuous shade each creature’s cloud of smoke provides. Thus, these undead can come out an any time, day or night, though night attacks are the most spectacular.

Habitat/Society: Firegautns are loners, with no more than two of these creatures ever dwelling together. Indeed, with flames in their sockets instead of eyes, they seem incapable of admiring familiar or beautiful sights, although the never have trouble finding their victims during an attack. Firegaunts often go on long, seemingly aimless rampages, burning and slaying everything in their path, including their former kinsmen.

Ecology: Firegeaunts tend to burn everyting in sight. Though initially destructive, this burning often promotes new growth in forests or grasslands, which in turn provides more nourishment to the local herbivores, upon whom the local carnivores feed. Firegaunts themselves have no need of food, being sustained entirely by energy from the Negative Material Plane. Their body parts are useful in any fire-based magical research. Immersing a bottle in fireguant’s internal fires for an unspecified period of time is said to be one means of producing an eversmoking bottle.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #254 (1998).

[freyar]

Hmm, increased natural armor, burn like a fire elemental, boosted abilties and rock throwing. Fire subtype. Anything else, really?

[demiurge1138]

I kind of want to give them a secondary bite attack, based on their baboonish muzzle, but aside from that textual divergence, what you said sounded pretty good. Note that the burn does damage to items as well. A fire shield type effect, perhaps, with a rider akin to the frostbrittle ability?

[freyar]

The bite sounds amusing the way you describe it, so let's go for it.

Hmm, just use burn, but let it catch equipment on fire on a failed save? Actually, can normal burn catch equipment (ie, clothing) on fire? That's sort of vague. I guess RAW, it doesn't, but still.

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

For the frostbrittle equivalent, why not just borrow this?

Melt Weapons (Ex): Any metal weapon that strikes a magmin must succeed on a DC 12 Fortitude save or melt away into slag. The save DC is Constitution-based.

[freyar]

Ah, melt weapons is perfect!

Any other special abilities we want?

[demiurge1138]

Melt weapons absolutely works.

[Shade]

Updated.

We've probably got enough special abilities, unless you want to do anything with this...

They also give off a sulfuric stench.

Or this...

Water- and cold-based attacks inflict double damage, and holy water inflicts 2-8 hp damage per vial splashed on the monster.

Vulnerability to water like the scorched one?

Or this...

Sunlight doesn’t bother them, partially because they are already adapted to constant light from the flames shooting out of them, and partly because of the continuous shade each creature’s cloud of smoke provides. Thus, these undead can come out an any time, day or night, though night attacks are the most spectacular.

Sheds light like a continual flame spell? Some form of smoke effects?

Originally Posted by Smoke Effects

A character who breathes heavy smoke must make a Fortitude save each round (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or spend that round choking and coughing. A character who chokes for 2 consecutive rounds takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage.

Smoke obscures vision, giving concealment (20% miss chance) to characters within it.

[Leopold]

these remind me of those golems from Hellboy, the ones that had a firey glow to them and gave off wisps of smoke.

I like the smoke effects and give them double damage when hit with water spells and the like.

[freyar]

Let's say vulnerability to water again. They also shed light like a torch, and creatures within 5 (10?) ft are subject to smoke effects (should we give it concealment?).

[demiurge1138]

I'm alright with ignoring the smoke, but I like them giving off light and the water vulnerability.

[Shade]

On further thought, let's drop the smoke effects, since the original included it only as mentioning for keeping sunlight off of them, not for an actual combat benefit.

Updated.

Skills: 4 at 19 ranks
Fire giants have Climb, Craft (any one), Intimidate, Jump, Spot

Feats: 6
Fire giants have Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Power Attack

[demiurge1138]

Drop Improved Overrun, add Multiattack for the bite?

[Leopold]

I like multiattack. Is Iron Will valid? Are these things more int undead and resistant than any other feat?

[freyar]

There's no reason undead can't take Iron Will.

[Shade]

Updated.

CR 11?

Firegaunts are about 12 feet tall and weigh about x pounds. (Fire giants weigh 7,000 pounds, but these are "gaunt" and partially composed of fire).

[freyar]

CR 11 is ok.

I also agree with making them lighter. 5000 lb? Or even down to 4000?

[Shade]

Updated.

Since we once again are dealing with undead without the ability to create spawn, we'll need to provide an explanation for their existence.

[freyar]

Fire giants that are frozen to death might spontaneously combust?

[Shade]

Good call.

Updated.

Time for the next one?