Converting Forgotten Realms monsters

[Shade]

Originally Posted by freyar

Sounds like a good idea. So they take +50% damage from crits or something? Or the crit multiplier is treated as being 1 higher?

How about something like this?

Weak Spot (Ex): A haundar has several weak spots in its armored shell. As a result, a successful critical hit with a slashing or piercing weapon is treated as if its multiplier were one higher. (Thus, a longsword would deal triple damage, and a greataxe quadruple).

Originally Posted by freyar

Revisiting the armor:
I feel like I've seen somewhere (but don't see it in the SRD) that dragonhide armor doesn't take damage from the dragon's associated energy type. If I'm not delusional, should we then say that haundar armor doesn't take damage from acid?

I believe that was a specific variant, possibly from Dragon Magazine. You might also be thinking of the original text from the swamp giants. Regardless, I'm fine with throwing in some acid resistance.

[freyar]

I like the weak spots!

I'm ambivalent about the armor. Maybe I'm thinking of dragoncraft items or something, but I don't think we necessarily need to make this armor better than dragonhide. Functionally equivalent is good for me if it is for everyone else.

[Shade]

Updated.

Challenge Rating: 12? (The similar 21-HD Greater Seryulin is only CR 10, but it has lower damage output)

Advancement: 21-40 HD (Gargantuan); 41-60 HD (Colossal)?

A haundar is 30 feet long and weighs x pounds.

[Knightfall]

Originally Posted by Shade

How about something like this?

Weak Spot (Ex): A haundar has several weak spots in its armored shell. As a result, a successful critical hit with a slashing or piercing weapon is treated as if its multiplier were one higher. (Thus, a longsword would deal triple damage, and a greataxe quadruple).

That's an excellent idea.

[freyar]

Originally Posted by Shade

Updated.

Challenge Rating: 12? (The similar 21-HD Greater Seryulin is only CR 10, but it has lower damage output)

Advancement: 21-40 HD (Gargantuan); 41-60 HD (Colossal)?

A haundar is 30 feet long and weighs x pounds.

That all sounds good. Uhh, 25000 lb? (Between remorhaz and purple worm.)

[Shade]

Updated. Are we finished?

[freyar]

Looks good, but I'm a little sad you left out the bit about hatchlings eating their parent.

[Shade]

Egads! We can't leave that out.

Fixed.

[freyar]

Originally Posted by Shade

Egads! We can't leave that out.

Fixed.

Excellent! That bit of flavor was just too good to lose.

[Shade]

Haun
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Arctic ice pack and glaciers
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Brood
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Night
DIET: Scavenger
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional (15-16)
TREASURE: Nil, W
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic (evil)
NO. APPEARING: 2-5 (1-4 + 1)
ARMOR CLASS: 10
MOVEMENT: 6
HIT DICE: ½ (1-4 hp)
THAC0: 20
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Psionics
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Psionics
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: S (4' long)
MORALE: Average (8)
XP VALUE: 175

PSIONIC STRENGTH*:
Level Dis/Sci/Dev Attack/Defense Score PSPs
3 2/2/7 II/M- = Int 120
Psychokenesis--Sciences: telekinesis. Devotions: animate objects, inertial barrier.
Telepathy-Sciences: mindlink. Devotions: aversion (to worms) contact, inflict pain, invisibility, repugnance.
(*) For use with the Complete Psionics Handbook; non-psionic alternatives are given in the Combat Section.

Hauns are chaotic ice worms with mental powers. They often parasite haundars (q.v.) which they use to travel outside their frozen tunnel lairs.

A haun looks like a furry gray maggot with occasional purple or black warts. Its small, slimy face is devoid of hair, and features two tiny black eyes and a mouth with serrated teeth. This fat worm undulates and jiggles like gelatin in order to move. Its internal organs create constant waves and swells visible underneath its skin. A haun often produces slight hums, growls, clicks, snaps, pops, and other chattering sounds, depending on its humor, which are its primary communication method. It can also use its psionic mindlink ability to communicate quietly.

A haun is only capable of a slow slither. However, once per turn it can compress its body, and release enough energy to leap up or forward. In this manner, it can leap forward up to 18 feet (3d6 feet) or upward up to 9 feet (1d6 +3 feet). A haun can burrow through ice at half its normal slithering speed.

Hauns are notorious parasites of the haundar. Haundar are huge slugs that hauns use, literally speaking, as moving fortresses. When one is found, a haun brood attempts to get closer and then leaps on its tail. From there, they can burrow under the haundar’s thick armor. The brood usually carves out a hollow chamber under the thickest part of the armor on the haundar’s back. This is done at no damage to the haundar, since this part of its body is mostly fat. The hauns cut out small slits into the carapace, in the manner of a fortress.

Hauns can spin silk to close off openings, fabricate warm, comfortable cocoons, or store food. Hauns are naturally incapable of making armor or using weapons or objects of any kind. They can, however, psionically animate objects.

Combat: The best hauns can physically do is force an opponent to fall over another haun strategically placed behind him, and try to bite him when on the floor. Hauns cannot bite anything higher than 2 feet above them because of their small size. Once per encounter, however, they may attack someone by leaping. Hauns always try to avoid getting personally caught in a melee. To attack foes, hauns much prefer riding inside their haundars. They direct the huge creatures to crush foes in their way.

As an alternative to psionics, hauns can once a day use shield, invisibility, scare, suggestion, and telekinesis. Otherwise, hauns use their psionic abilities to harm their foes. Initially, they remain invisible, and inflict pain or provoke repugnance among their foes. Otherwise, hauns activate their inertial barrier, and cause aversion while they attempt to flee.

Habitat/Society: Hauns live in tunnel networks in the ice. Several broods can share a large network. They are fiercely independent, and recognize no leader among them. Hauns are prone to incessant palaver and sudden, often short-lived quarrels that may or may not lead to a consensus decision (50% chance at best).

Hauns prey on sha’az (q.v.) eggs because they contain a substance reducing resistance to mental contact. The eggs allow automatic success for psionic contact and mindlink (except on a roll of 20), and so at half the required PSPs (Psionic Strength Points, rounded down) or a period of a week per egg. When inside the haundar, the parasites inject the egg’s contents into the haundar’s blood.

With these eggs, hauns easily establish and maintain a psionic mindlink with haundars and make it understand that if it does not obey, pain will soon follow. Haundar behavior ultimately changes after years of this treatment, and they become totally submissive. Owning a haundar is a status symbol among haun broods.

Ecology: Hauns feed on lichen and rotten flesh. They routinely slither through shallow tunnels, seeking carcasses left by predators.

Originally appeared in Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix (MC11)(1991).

[freyar]

Hmm, magical beast (psionic) or maybe aberration (psionic)? What do you think?

It lists SLAs, but it's not clear to me if these are SLAs as opposed to psionics (ie, non-psionic version) or in addition to psionics. What do you think?

Edit: worth doing a swarm version, too, maybe?

[Shade]

They strike me more as magical beasts.

I got the impression that the SLAs were replacements for psionics, but I could be wrong.

Dunno about swarm...they're pretty big.

[freyar]

I was leaning toward magical beast, as well, so let's do that.
Let's use the SLAs as a "nonpsionic sidebar" or vice versa.

The reason I suggest swarm is that they always seem to come in big groups, but it's certainly not necessary.

[Shade]

Let's figure out ability scores.

Int is Exceptional (15-16). Cha is probably comparable.

The similarly-sized and shaped giant maggot has Str 7, Dex 13, Con 13.

So maybe Str 7, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 16?

[freyar]

Sounds good to me.

Collecting some thoughts:
They've got a burrowing speed at half base. Seems like they also have a 1/day leaping ability. For the psionics, seems like psion manifester levels would be appropriate (as opposed to psi-like abilities). There's also some kind of web ability, but it doesn't seem like they can throw it.

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

[freyar]

Environment, alignment seem right.

Do you prefer PLAs vs psion levels?

Want to make the leap ability partly psionic?

[Shade]

Yeah, I think I prefer PLAs to psion levels, since they are such low-HD.

I think there is another creature with a psionic leap ability...now where was that?

[freyar]

Makes sense, PLA it is.

Yeah, psionic leaping sounds familiar. Was it one of the Dark Sun beasties we did recently (daggoran, maybe)?

[Shade]

Hmmm...not the daggoran.

I noticed the Mental Leap feat, but that is just a +10 bonus on Jump checks.

I suppose we could just create something from scratch.