Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[freyar]

Looks fine at a glance, so let's wrap it up.

[demiurge1138]

Should we give them a name they call themselves, rather than just the "x devil"-esque cursed crimson crawler? My vote is for shambari or shamban, something derived from their patron/predecessor. Beyond that, I think we're good.

[Shade]

Great idea! I'll add it.

[freyar]

I like Shambari, if we're taking votes.

[Shade]

Agreed here.

And now another outsider from my favorite under-utilized plane (Pandemonium)...

MAPMAKER
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 0
MOVE: 15”/25”
HIT DICE: 7+7
% IN LAIR: 20%
TREASURE TYPE: U (but never potions, rods, staves or wands, and always maps; scrolls (1-4) 70%)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10 (mouth); 1-6 (tail) and 1-4 (mapmaker’s stick)
SPECIAL ATTACKS +1 to hit; +3 damage; paralyzation, mild insanity
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Cannot be confused; surprises on a 1-3
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 15%
INTELLIGENCE: Very
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic (tends towards evil)
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: 170/170
Attack/Defense modes: C + Psychic Pandemonium (detailed below),F, G, H

A Mapmaker looks like an overgrown weasel at distances of 20 feet or more; however, up close it is obviously quite different. It has scaled skin like a lizard; it has a long tail, a humpback and it stands on two legs. It has an Elizabethan-type ruff about its neck, multi-faceted flashing eyes, a strange protruding “sucker mouth,” rubbery arms and a webbed hollow in its back.

Mapmakers come from the plane of Pandemonium, and are quite common there. They have a passion for maps, and are never encountered without one. The maps are not necessarily accurate, and often they are totally false, describing non-existent places. They are very detailed and beautiful, however, Mapmakers value their maps more than they do gold.

A mapmaker’s primary attack is accomplished by spreading its wings. This causes its entire body to turn metallic and glow with darting, scintillating colors. Any creature within 12” viewing the mapmaker in this state must make a saving throw vs. paralyzation a -2 on the die. Creatures getting a 4 or less on the die (before modification) turn schizoid until a Heal, Restoration, Limited wish or Wish is used. The paralyzation lasts for the number on the die plus 5 rounds.

NOTE: Magical devices will not negate or prevent this effect.

The sucker mouth extends out 2”, and the tail is barbed. The mapmaker will try to use its tail to draw prey to its mouth (it can drag prey a distance of 5 feet on a “to hit” roll of 18 or more). Hits on the mapmaker’s ruff do half damage, while hits on the hump do 1½ times normal damage. Mapmakers’ ruffs scintillate harmlessly when removed from the body; they are very strong and might be worth something to a jeweler or cobbler.

Mapmakers have their own language, and all their maps are written in it. Map makers smell strongly of hay.
Mapmakers love to steal a party’s map so the party will be lost. When stealing maps, the creatures’ senses are heightened and they have 8th-level Thief abilities, A new magic item is included with this monster: the Mapmaker’s stick (it can mark anything, including human flesh; thus, the 1-4 damage pts.)

PSYCHIC PANDEMONIUM: This psionic attack mode attacks exactly like a Mind Thrust, but it may only be defended against with Tower of Iron Will, and then takes double pts. from the defender.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #47 (1981).

[demiurge1138]

These guys are... weird. Turn schizoid? Opens its wings to turn metallic? Elizabethan ruff?

[Cleon]

Originally Posted by demiurge1138

These guys are... weird. Turn schizoid? Opens its wings to turn metallic? Elizabethan ruff?

Of course they are weird, they're from Pandemonium!

Hmm, looks like we'll have trouble with the special abilities, but let's do the easy stuff.

Medium Outsider (Chaotic)

7 Hit Dice.

I'm thinking a very good Dex, pretty good Con, Int around 12, Cha probably pretty high. Something like:

Str 15, Dex 20, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 17

Moves at 40 ft or flies at 70 ft (average or poor manoeuvrability?)

[Shade]

They are odd indeed.

Added to Homebrews with those ability scores.

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Cannot be confused; surprises on a 1-3

Immunity to confusion and insanity? Improved Init as bonus feat, and possible racial bonus on Hide/Move Silently?

PSIONIC ABILITY: 170/170
Attack/Defense modes: C + Psychic Pandemonium (detailed below), F, G, H

PSYCHIC PANDEMONIUM: This psionic attack mode attacks exactly like a Mind Thrust, but it may only be defended against with Tower of Iron Will, and then takes double pts. from the defender.

C. Ego Whip
F. Mind Blank
G. Thought Shield
H. Mental Barrier

So, for the psionic version, it's easy. We'll need to come up with some equivalencies for a nonpsionic version.

A mapmaker’s primary attack is accomplished by spreading its wings. This causes its entire body to turn metallic and glow with darting, scintillating colors. Any creature within 12” viewing the mapmaker in this state must make a saving throw vs. paralyzation a -2 on the die. Creatures getting a 4 or less on the die (before modification) turn schizoid until a Heal, Restoration, Limited wish or Wish is used. The paralyzation lasts for the number on the die plus 5 rounds.

NOTE: Magical devices will not negate or prevent this effect.

Scintillating pattern would probably suffice in this case, but if we want to stick with paralysis/insanity rather than unconsciousness/stunning/confusion, we can do so.

The sucker mouth extends out 2”, and the tail is barbed. The mapmaker will try to use its tail to draw prey to its mouth (it can drag prey a distance of 5 feet on a “to hit” roll of 18 or more).

This seems to imply extended reach with its tail. We could follow the roper/cave fisher/bonespear drag approach, or simplify it to improved grab with tail, then free bite against grappled foe. I think I'd prefer the latter.

Hits on the mapmaker’s ruff do half damage, while hits on the hump do 1½ times normal damage. Mapmakers’ ruffs scintillate harmlessly when removed from the body; they are very strong and might be worth something to a jeweler or cobbler.

This is a bit odd, and doesn't have a good 3x equivalent.

Mapmakers have their own language, and all their maps are written in it.

I'd recommend giving them telepathy, common to most outsiders, so they can communicate with others. This would still preserve the difficulty in reading their language.

Mapmakers love to steal a party’s map so the party will be lost. When stealing maps, the creatures’ senses are heightened and they have 8th-level Thief abilities.

At the very least, they should get good ranks and maybe a racial bonus in Sleight of Hand. I could see giving them uncanny dodge and/or evasion as well.

A new magic item is included with this monster: the Mapmaker’s stick (it can mark anything, including human flesh; thus, the 1-4 damage pts.)

So would this weapon require a touch attack?

[Cleon]

Originally Posted by Shade

Immunity to confusion and insanity? Improved Init as bonus feat, and possible racial bonus on Hide/Move Silently?

I'll say yes to all of those.

Originally Posted by Shade

Scintillating pattern would probably suffice in this case, but if we want to stick with paralysis/insanity rather than unconsciousness/stunning/confusion, we can do so.

As far as I'm concerned the paralysis/insanity appearance is its main shtick, so I think we should keep it.

Originally Posted by Shade

This seems to imply extended reach with its tail. We could follow the roper/cave fisher/bonespear drag approach, or simplify it to improved grab with tail, then free bite against grappled foe. I think I'd prefer the latter.

It is rather oddly worded. The sucker mouth extends 2" - that's a 20 feet Reach in 3E terms. If it drags prey into mouth-reach with its tail the latter would have to be longer. That seems rather odd, there's no mention of the thing having a 20'+ tail. Maybe it telescopes out, like its sucker mouth.

So do we give it a 20 foot Reach tail and a standard reach bite attack, or both tail and bite with super-reach?

I lean towards the Roper drag-closer model, but would be alright with the Improved Grab / free bite if that's what our colleagues prefer.

I think we'd better drop the vulnerable ruff / resilient hump bit.

Originally Posted by Shade

I'd recommend giving them telepathy, common to most outsiders, so they can communicate with others. This would still preserve the difficulty in reading their language.

At the very least, they should get good ranks and maybe a racial bonus in Sleight of Hand. I could see giving them uncanny dodge and/or evasion as well.

Yes, we need Telepathy and Sleight-of-Hand. I'd leave out dodge/evasion though.

Originally Posted by Shade

So would this weapon require a touch attack?

I'm thinking that its a melee touch attack that does 1d4 damage but ignores all Damage Resistance (or ignore all non-epic DR).

[demiurge1138]

I like the scintillating pattern version. Perhaps the mapmaker has some sort of ability where it can make Reflex saves against attack rolls to take half damage, as they strike the deflective ruff instead?

And can we call it a frill? I'm getting a frilled lizard/Jurassic Park dilophosaurus vibe, which sounds a lot better than "Elizabethan ruff".

[Shade]

Originally Posted by demiurge1138

And can we call it a frill? I'm getting a frilled lizard/Jurassic Park dilophosaurus vibe, which sounds a lot better than "Elizabethan ruff".

Hell and yeah!

The other idea sounds interesting as well. Limited to say once per round?

[freyar]

I'm busy for one day, and look at all you guys do! There's a chemosit in the homebrews, by the way.

The Reflex save idea sounds good.

I lean slightly toward paralysis/insanity, but we can describe it more or less as scintillating pattern (or go the other way, my opinion isn't strong).

I don't quite get the reach of the different natural weapons myself.

[demiurge1138]

I do like paralysis/insanity as well, and am currently leaning towards it as more differentiation. I think the tail should have five feet more of reach than its other natural weapons. And 1/round is good for the half damage (melee evasion? deflect blows?)

[Cleon]

Originally Posted by demiurge1138

I like the scintillating pattern version. Perhaps the mapmaker has some sort of ability where it can make Reflex saves against attack rolls to take half damage, as they strike the deflective ruff instead?

And can we call it a frill? I'm getting a frilled lizard/Jurassic Park dilophosaurus vibe, which sounds a lot better than "Elizabethan ruff".

You sir are a scallywag! No gentleman weasel from the more select parts of Pandemonium would disgrace himself by comparing his neck adornments with parts of some vulgar reptile.

I insist we keep the "Elizabethan Ruff" reference, although I will be willing to stoop to the whims of the common crowd and make references to this noble appurtenance as being a "Frill".

[Cleon]

Originally Posted by demiurge1138

I like the scintillating pattern version. Perhaps the mapmaker has some sort of ability where it can make Reflex saves against attack rolls to take half damage, as they strike the deflective ruff instead?

Although I like the suggestion of it having a Reflex save to take half damage from a weapon attack by absorbing them with its ruff.

As for the hump taking 150% damage, maybe we could make the Mapmaker more vulnerable to criticals? Say, it takes an extra crit multiplier, so a x2 crit becomes x3. That's the same 50% markup as the original write-up and is a better fit with 3E rules.

[demiurge1138]

Ah, reminds me of my "impeded fortification" rules from my Mystery Science Theater Monster Project:

Impeded Fortification (Ex): The armor plates of a Metalunan mutant help protect its vulnerable organs, but, ironically, its brain is almost entirely exposed. Critical hits and sneak attacks have a 50% chance of inflicting only normal damage against a mutant, but if they succeed, a critical hit deals an extra multiplier of damage (a greatsword dealing x3 damage, or a pick x5) and a sneak attack deals an extra 2d6 damage.

[freyar]

Impeded Fortification could work, though I think that Ref for 1/2 damage from attacks 1/rd plus vulnerability to crits, as Cleon suggests, is somehow simpler.

[demiurge1138]

Oh, I agree. I was just putting another option on the table/pointing out the similarity.

[Shade]

We did something similar with the great elder wyrm...

Weak Spot (Ex): A confirmed critical hit on a natural 20 with a slashing or piercing weapon allows a creature to take advantage of an elder wyrm’s weak spot (if it remains exposed), increasing the weapon’s damage multiplier by one step (for example, a longsword which has a multiplier of x2 would have a multiplier of x3 against a great elder wyrm’s weak spot).

Just throwing it out there for more inspiration. Take it or leave it.

[freyar]

The weak spot does seem like a nice compromise, too.