Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[freyar]

Ah ha!

[Cleon]

Originally Posted by Shade

I'd recommend retaining the following from the standard imp:

• Damage reduction 5/good or silver (probably change the "or" to an "and")
• Fast healing 2 (probably boost to 3)
• Immunity to poison
• Resistance to fire 5 (probably boost to 10)

Shall we retain the imp's wings/fly speed?

I'd recommend boosting the spell resistance to the devil standard (CR+12)

I agree we should give them some sort of standard attack. Claw, or tail sting like standard imp?

Most of that looks like a good idea to me, with the following caveats:

I would suggest Fast Healing at least 5, since it has 10 Hit Dice to a standard Imp's 3.

Don't like the idea of adding wings & a fly speed. Their description and modus operandi makes me imagine them as looking & acting like a Gremlin in a Warner Bros cartoon.

I'd give them 2 claw attacks, like a Mephit.

[freyar]

Fast healing 5 is fine by me, especially since the regular imp is actually 3HD.

I could go either way on flight, I guess, but I do lean toward no flight since that's the original stats.

Here's fool's gold from a reference list I have:

Fool's Gold (Alteration)
Range: 10’ Components: V, S, M
Duration: 6 turns/lvl Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: 1’ cubic /lvl Saving Throw: Special
Explanation/Description: Copper coins can
temporarily be changed to gold pieces, or brass items
turned to solid gold for the spell duration by means of
this dweomer. Note that a huge amount of copper or
brass can be turned to gold by the spell - assume
4,000gp are equal to a cubic foot for purposes of this
spell. Any creature viewing fools gold is entitled to a
saving throw which must be equal to or less than its
intelligence score, but for every level of the magic-user
the creature must add 1 to his dice score, so it
becomes unlikely that fools gold will be detected if it
was created by a high level caster. If the "gold" is struck
hard by an object of cold-wrought iron, there is a slight
chance it will revert to its natural state, depending on
the material component used to create the "gold": if a
50gp citrine is powdered and sprinkled over the metal
to be changed, the chance that cold iron will return it
to its true nature is 30%; if a 100gp amber stone is
powdered, there is a 25% chance that iron will dispel
the dweomer; if a 500gp topaz is powdered, the
chance drops to 10%; and if a 1 ,000gp oriental
(corundum) topaz is powdered, there is only a 1%
chance that the cold iron will reveal that it is fools gold.

[Cleon]

Originally Posted by freyar

Fast healing 5 is fine by me, especially since the regular imp is actually 3HD.

That was just a typo, I must have hit the wrong key when I aimed for the 3.

EDIT post #162 - delete '5' - insert '3' - SAVE. There you go, I don't know what you're talking about.

[Shade]

Updated.

Shall we make fool's gold a unique illusion SLA, or is there something similar we can reference?

[freyar]

I can't think of any similar ability or spell, though my knowledge is far from encyclopedic. A unique SLA makes sense. Let's also drop most of the cold iron stuff (like all the powdered gems, etc). Here's a draft:

Fool's Gold (Sp): X times/day, an asperim can create an illusion causing up to 4000 copper coins or 80 pounds of brass items to appear to be gold. Anyone who interacts with the fool's gold items receives a DC X Will save to disbelieve the illusion. In addition, if the fool's gold is struck with cold iron, there is a 10%? chance it will revert to its true state. This is the equivalent of a X level spell. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a +X racial bonus.

[Shade]

Looks pretty good. How about allowing an Appraise check in place of the Will save if the viewer has ranks?

[freyar]

Nice idea, sure! You think 1/day, 10%, +2 racial bonus, 2nd or 3rd level spell? The illusion should also expire after a while, say 1 day?

Fool's Gold (Sp): One time/day, an asperim can create an illusion causing up to 4000 copper coins or 80 pounds of brass items to appear to be gold for 24 hours. Anyone who interacts with the fool's gold items receives a DC X Will save to disbelieve the illusion. An Appraise check may be used to substitute for the Will save. In addition, if the fool's gold is struck with cold iron, there is a 10% chance it will revert to its true state. This is the equivalent of a 3rd level spell. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.

[Shade]

24-hour duration sounds good...just enough time to try to spend it.

[demiurge1138]

Not a fan of the 10% chance. Perhaps the touch of cold iron acts like a targeted dispel magic, CL 5th?

[freyar]

Hmm, that seems like a big chance to dispel if this is CL 5. Or are we assuming CL 10 like the other SLAs? If so, that's fine, and we should specify CL.

A bit odd that the original spell seems to be transmutation rather than illusion. Also, FYI, if it's important, the old edition spell is 2nd level.

[demiurge1138]

I was assuming CL 10th for the fool's gold.

[freyar]

Let's try this.

Fool's Gold (Sp): One time/day, an asperim can create an illusion causing up to 4000 copper coins or 80 pounds of brass items to appear to be gold for 24 hours. Anyone who interacts with the fool's gold items receives a DC 21 Will save to disbelieve the illusion. An Appraise check may be used to substitute for the Will save. In addition, striking a piece of fool's gold acts as dispel magic on the illusion (for that piece of metal only) at caster level 5. This is the equivalent of a 3rd level spell. Caster level 10th. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.

[Shade]

Let's go with 2nd-level spell.

Updated.

Asperim have a 70% chance of gating in 1-3 Imps, the only creatures who can stand to be in the company of the Asperim for any length of time.

Like so?

Summon Imps (Sp): Once per day an asperim can attempt to summon 1d3 imps with a 70% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 4th-level spell.

+5 natural armor like the imp?

Skills: 11 at 13 ranks
Bluff, Concentration, Disguise, Perform (comedy), Sleight of Hand...

Feats: 4
Quicken SLA (ventriloquism)?

[freyar]

Shouldn't the fool's gold DC be 19 with a +2 racial bonus? Or do we want to drop that? I worry that the Appraise check will likely beat that DC17 too easily, though.

EDIT:

Summon looks good.

+5 natural is ok with me unless we want to stick to the poor original AC.

Bluff, Concentration, Disguise, Forgery, Knowledge (any one), Listen, Perform (comedy), Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Spot?
I seem to recall a racial penalty to Diplomacy was also in the cards. -8 to overcome that Cha bonus?

Quicken SLA (ventriloquism), Weapon Finesse?, Improved Initiative, Ability Focus (take your pick?)

[demiurge1138]

Weapon Finesse isn't worth it. Empower SLA (mirror image) is, though.

[Shade]

Let's swap Tumble for Spellcraft, since they don't actually cast spells and need the defensive help.

For Ability Focus, how about Forget?

Updated.


CR 8?

Advancement: 11-20 HD (Small)?

In its natural form, an asperim stands x feet tall and weighs about x pounds.

[freyar]

That's all fine. I still think the racial bonus hasn't been added to the fool's gold DC, though we can drop it if you want. Or raise it.

[demiurge1138]

CR 7, I think. They've got some mean SLAs but are squishy. Really squishy.

[RavinRay]

I know that there are variant imps but forgot which book. Realms? Eberron? (It has variant homunculi already.)

Oh, and little sidebar, thanks for briging up Fool's Gold. I wanted that as a SLA for a homebrew pyrite dragon, pyrite being the real fool's gold.