Converting Forgotten Realms monsters

[Shade]

Resistance to cold 5? Or something less, like 2 or 3?

[freyar]

I'd say resistance 2.

I kind of like the idea of the drone as a commoner, but I'm not sure that penalizes the bite enough. Ehh, what the heck, let's just make them commoners.

[Shade]

Updated.

[freyar]

2 ranks each in Swim and Climb? Dodge?

Advancement: By character class (possibly: or by HD as knight?)

Need +3 natural in the racial writeup.
Favored Class: Fighter?

[demiurge1138]

4 ranks in Intimidate, Alertness for the feat? Alternatively, we could switch the shortspear to a light mace and make the feat Weapon Finesse.

Edit: Freyar snuck in there while I was typing. Since they can fly with good maneuverability, I don't think Climb or Swim are that helpful.

[freyar]

Fair enough about the skills. They don't have great Cha, though, so they're going against grain on Intimidate. That's ok, though.

If the original text doesn't specify the weapon, I'd be fine with switching to a light mace and Weapon Finesse since they're pretty dextrous.

[Shade]

Sha’az are advanced enough to use weapons and shields. They do not wear armor. Warriors commonly use spears, swords, nets, or bows. These warriors are capable of using their bows in midflight, with a -2 attack penalty in addition to other adjustments.

In that case, how about shortsword rather than light mace to achieve Weapon Finesse?

[demiurge1138]

Shortswords are fine by me.

[freyar]

Same here.

[Shade]

Updated.

[freyar]

These look like CR 1 except for the low hp...

Often LN.
Standard Treasure.
Hunting party (3d6 plus one knight) or hive (30-60 plus 1d6 knights plus 1 queen)?

[Shade]

Updated.

Wouldn't they be CR 1/2 as 1st-level warriors?

Determining LA:
+2 for fly speed with maneuverability good or better
+1 for natural armor
+1 for unbalanced ability scores
+1 for poison
+1/2 for resistance to cold (rounded up to 1)
-------------
+6 (I could see rounding it down to +4, though, as the poison is very limited, and the cold resistance is a low amount)


Edit: I just realized we'll need to rework the ability scores, as a first level warrior utilizes the non-elite array: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8.

[demiurge1138]

There are creatures with CR 1 that are 1st level warriors--drow come to mind. And I'd say LA +3--they're going to be fragile. They're about on par with, say, a svirfneblin.

Str 11, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8 before racial mods?

[Shade]

Ahh...drow. Of course.

Updated.

A sha’az is 6 feet tall and weighs x pounds.

Sha’az are literate and use a combination of words, movements, and scents to communicate.

Sha’az speak their own language?

Automatic Languages: Sha’az? Bonus Languages: Common, x.

[demiurge1138]

Any languages commonly used in cold climes in the Realms? Dwarven, Giant, Orc?

[freyar]

Looking at these, as well as the haun and haundar, I can't find which part of the north of Faerun these come from. Given the bit about knight orders in the haundar plating, maybe Damaran as a good language. Uluik or Illuskan could work, too. Giant and Orc also make sense.

Also, about the sha'az eggs, here's the relevant text from the haun entry.

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.

[Shade]

Great suggestions! Updated.

The eggs increase the save DC by 4 for telepathy [mind-affecting] powers and abilities? Or, alternatively, impose a -4 penalty?

Also, we still need this: A sha’az is 6 feet tall and weighs x pounds.

[demiurge1138]

It doesn't look like they do either. It looks more like a cognizance crystal, the PP in which can only be used to power telepathy abilities. However, since a lot of monsters with psi-like abilities don't use PP (I don't remember about the haun specifically), it would make sense to let them boost DCs instead. Why +4, Shade? I think that +2 would be sufficient.

[Shade]

+2 is fine. I was just throwing a random number out there.

[freyar]

Seems from the quoted text more like a -2 penalty on the save (when injected in the haundar, for example), but either way works for me.

Since they're insectile, maybe a bit skinny, so 120-175 lb?