Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[freyar]

We could go down to 900 lb if you want.

Deathwatch always on makes a lot of sense.

[demiurge1138]

I like both 900 pounds and deathwatch.

[Shade]

updated.

Anything else before moving on?

[freyar]

I'm ready for the next one.

[demiurge1138]

It should be "ranged" touch attacks, not "range", but other than that, I think we're good to go.

[Shade]

Fixed, and next!

Chemosit
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 9./24.
HIT DICE: 4 + 1
% IN LAIR: 20%
TREASURE TYPE: Special
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite or 1 claw
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6 or 2-7
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Never surprised; also as per normal demons
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 10%
INTELLIGENCE: Low
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
LEVEL/XP VALUE: V/245 + 5/hp

An aggressive, fearless, speech-using, carnivorous minor demon. The chemosit can see all hidden or invisible beings within 60’, and its mouth emits light equal to a continual light spell. It is likely that a powerful sorcerer could make use of a chemosit for attacking his enemies, carrying messages, and so forth.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #122 (1987).

I found some mythological information here:
Chemosit, Africa's Bigfoot

[demiurge1138]

Chemosit is another name for the dreaded Nandi bear, a creature that prefers to eat human brains and is something like a bear, something like a baboon and something like a hyena. We could keep it a demon, but we should incorporate more Nandi bear mythology (the brain eating, the physical appearance [which we aren't given]). Maybe strip out the cone of light coming from its mouth--never heard that in any of the original legends. It even specifically only hunts on moonless nights.

[Shade]

Here's some more text and the illo from the article...

Mode's surprise might have been even greater had he met the chemosit of East Africa. The chemosit is described as part human and part bird. It has one leg and nine buttocks. Its red mouth shines like a lamp at night. Whatever else it may be, the chemosit is unquestionably a new being in distinct visual form. Not only that, but the name chemosit is also given to an animal that seems to be an amalgam of ape and hyena. (We will meet this second manifestation of the chemosit later in this article.)

And later...

Conventional zoological wisdom tells us that there are no bears in Africa. What, then, is the nandi -- a marauder that has harassed East African shepherds for centuries? Lacking other terms of reference, Africans who have encountered the nandi say it looks like an overgrown hyena. But when photographs of bears are shown to these witnesses, they invariably change their mind. Indeed, one variant of the chemosit is the duba, whose name is Arabic for "bear." Although it is a huge, fearsome creature, the nandi/duba appears to confine its depredations to domestic animals.

The chemosit, also called the getiet, is an altogether different case. As mentioned earlier, there are two versions of the chemosit. The half-man, half-bird monster mentioned in the introduction is more of a demon than a natural creature. The other version is a rapacious predator that seems part-hyena, part ape, and 100% deadly. Entire villages have reportedly fled the fury of the chemosit, which has the unsavory habit of tearing off the tops of its victims' skulls and dining on the exposed brain. In its own way, this second version of the chemosit may be even more demonic than the first.

Here's the getiet...

GETIET
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1 (10% of 1-4)
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 12”
HIT DICE: 5 +2
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: D (only in lairs with
more than one getiet)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite and 2 claws
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-9/1-6/1-6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Crushing
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Surprised on a 1
(1d6)
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Average
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
LEVEL/XP VALUE: V/300 + 6/hp

A fearless, aggressive, speech-using maneater. This ugly and obnoxious beast kills for pleasure, and a single individual may attack an entire village and its people. If both claw attacks hit a single victim, the getiet may crush the victim, doing an additional 2-8 hp damage. The getiet is disliked even by other monsters, as it will attack anything -- though it is not as stupid as a dingonek. A getiet may ambush its victims (though it generally dislikes being subtle), and it often harasses larger monsters simply for the pleasure of seeing their frustration.

[demiurge1138]

OK, so the one with the light is the man-bird thing. Interesting. So we'll convert them both?

[Shade]

Indeed. Sure, let's do 'em both. And we'll make sure to note in the getiere entry that it is called by other names.

[freyar]

The man-bird light-mouth is really weird. 9 buttocks?

Stick to 4HD? The +1 suggests a decent Con, maybe 14-17ish. Tanar'ri or not? I kind of think generic demon.

[Shade]

Originally Posted by freyar

The man-bird light-mouth is really weird. 9 buttocks?

Once again proving that real-world mythology is weirder than anything D&D can come up with on its own.

That reminds me of an old South Park episode where the Dr.Moreau-like guy offers to "put a few more asses on that swine of yours."

Originally Posted by freyar

Stick to 4HD? The +1 suggests a decent Con, maybe 14-17ish. Tanar'ri or not? I kind of think generic demon.

Well, "also as per normal demons" would seem to hint at tanar'ri traits, if not the subtype.

[Cleon]

Originally Posted by Shade

Well, "also as per normal demons" would seem to hint at tanar'ri traits, if not the subtype.

Okay, so we're doing an Evil Outsider bird-man chemosit/geteit first, and then do the Nandi bear/hyena version, which could be treated as a particularly nasty Magical Beast?

Going by the write-up it's a very minor demon, no nastier than a Dretch. It doesn't even have any resistance to mundane weapons!

I don't think it's a Tanar'ri, just one of the innumerable other CE creatures that go bump in the night.

Some of its stats seem pretty obvious:

Medium sized Outsider (Evil, Chaotic), but is it Extraplanar or Natural. Presumably Extraplanar if it really is a demon.

For 'demon defences" I suppose a Dretch's are a good start - Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/cold iron or good, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to electricity and poison, resistance to acid 10, cold 10 and fire 10, plus throw in spell resistance of 12 or so for the original's 10% MR. Might toss out the immunity to electricity.

I'm tempted to give it at-will flare as a Spell-Like Ability, so it can use its "shining mouth" to dazzle its victims, plus maybe some other light-power.

Its 2-7 damage claw and 1-6 damage bite suggests the claw is its primary attack.

Do we give it a full attack of bite or claw like the original, or bite and claw? I'd prefer bite and claw, it's got little enough going for it as it is.

Now, what ability scores to give it? I'm thinking something around a gargoyle's stats and mental stats, except with a good Dex and average-ish Con and a Dretch's 11 Charisma rather than a gargoyle's 7. I imagine it as an agile but not exceptionally tough flier. That works out about:

Str 14, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 11, Cha 11

Not spectacular, it's definitely near the bottom of the demonic pecking order.

[freyar]

Agreed, definitely pretty minor. Though, with that line Shade pointed out, maybe it should be a tannar'ri. Also, absolutely extraplanar.

If we don't keep the tannar'ri subtype, resistances probably only 5 for the low HD. DR looks fine.

Something like flare as an Su from the light, I think, not a Sp, but it's a good idea.

Bite and claw, definitely.

Abilities look fine.

[demiurge1138]

I think we can think of this as a tanar'ri, albeit a weak one.

[Cleon]

Originally Posted by freyar

Agreed, definitely pretty minor. Though, with that line Shade pointed out, maybe it should be a tannar'ri. Also, absolutely extraplanar.

If we don't keep the tannar'ri subtype, resistances probably only 5 for the low HD. DR looks fine.

Something like flare as an Su from the light, I think, not a Sp, but it's a good idea.

Bite and claw, definitely.

Abilities look fine.

Making its mouth-glow a Supernatural ability is a good idea (gives out light like a bullseye lantern, can use flare at-will? maybe quickened 3/day?)

I'm fine either way on the Tanar'ri / nameless fiend question, I'll leave it up to you lot. I don't fancy a dretch's immunity to lightning though, it just feels wrong.

So far we've got:

Chemosit
Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Evil)
Hit Dice: 4d8+8 (26 hp)
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+6
Attack: Claw +6 melee (1d6+2)
Full Attack: Claw +6 melee (1d6+2) and bite +1 melee (1d6+2)
Space/Reach: 5ft./5ft.
Special Attacks: Mouth-lamp
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/cold iron or good, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to poison, resistance to acid 10, cold 10 and fire 10, spell resistance 12
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +4
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 11, Cha 11
Feats: 2
Skills: 42 skill points (i.e. 6 skills maxed to 7)

Hmm, what other obvious stats are their?

Speed 20 ft. on land, plus fly 70 ft., with good manoeuvrability?
Environment of Warm forest or Abyss?
Feats of Ability Focus (mouth lamp) and Flyby Attack?
Skills should probably include Hide & Move Silently for stealth and Listen & Spot for general perception, if it's used as a scout & spy Bluff, Survival, Search and Sense Motive would be useful. I'm thinking it would have a good racial bonus to Spot since its part bird. Maybe it's part owl, and has a good bonus to Listen too!

Since it can talk it'll need languages as well. The SRD demons' Abyssal, Celestial and Draconic seem inappropriate, how about Abyssal, Common and either Draconic or Sylvan?

Oh, and the description says "The chemosit can see all hidden or invisible beings within 60’." That suggests it either has see invisibility as a special quality plus a really impressive Spot skill or 60 foot blindsight as a Special Quality.

It reads more like blindsight to me.

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

Let's stick with the "demon standard" of spell resistance equal to CR+8, as well as standard demon languages.

See invisibility (and true seeing) are rather common "special visions" for evil outsiders, so let's go the see invisibility, rather than blindsight, route.

For the "mouth-lamp", I like the concept of it functioning as flare, and I could see it always being a free action, since it sounds like it is always "on" as long as it simply opens its mouth.

I definitely agree with the racial bonus to Listen and Spot (since it is "Never surprised"). Probably Improved Initiative as a bonus feat as well.

[freyar]

Agreed to Listen/Spot and Imp Init as a bonus feat. See invisibility is also what I thought.

Maybe this for the mouth lamp?

"Mouth-Lamp" (Su): The open mouth of a chemosit sheds light as a bullseye lantern (clear illumination in a 60 ft cone and shadowy illumination in a 120 ft cone). The chemosit may suppress or resume this illumination as a free action by closing or opening its mouth. Creatures within the area of clear illumination when the chemosit first opens its mouth must make a DC X Fortitude save or be dazzled for 1 minute. The save DC is Constitution-based.

[Shade]

I like it. Updated.

Skills: 6 at 7 ranks
Cleon suggested Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival. I'm fine with all those, but would probably drop Sense Motive as they strike me more as observers and relayers of messengers than actual diplomats/interpreters of messages.

Feats: Improved Initiative (B), 2 more
Cleon suggested Ability Focus (mouth lamp) and Flyby Attack.

[freyar]

I agree with dropping Sense Motive, and the rest seems great!

Are we going to give them summon tanar'ri? If so, something pretty weak, like 1 dretch at 35% or something.

CR 3 at most, I guess.

200 lb?