Converting Psionic Creatures

Cleon · Jun 23, 2010

freyar said:
Unfortunately, they can't take Hostile Mind because they have psi-like abilities. Maybe Hold the Line or just Power Attack?

Power Attack doesn't feel quite right to me.

I'd prefer Stand Still over Hold the Line.

Oh, and I don't like Mental Leap.

Firstly, they don't sound like jumpers to me. Secondly, per the RAW a creature must have at least one psionic power points to attain a psionic focus. The sugo has Psi-like abilities but we haven't given it any power points, so how does it expend a psionic power to make a Mental Leap?

Shade · Jun 23, 2010

Yeah, the whole psionic focus bit is a bit confusing. I found a passage that seemed to imply that monsters with psi-like abilities are considered to be psionically focused, but upon a re-read I think I was mistaken.

There is this, though:

Creatures with access to psi-like abilities can use the feats Empower Spell-Like Ability and Quicken Spell-Like Ability.

These feats can be used only on psi-like abilities that do not have increased effects due to augmentation. Furthermore, the creature can empower only a psi-like ability with a level less than or equal to half its manifester level (round down) minus 2, and can quicken only a psi-like ability with a level less than or equal to half its manifester level (round down) minus 4. For example, a creature that uses its psi-like abilities as an 8th-level manifester can empower only psi-like abilities that duplicate powers of 2nd level or lower and cannot quicken any of its psi-like abilities.

Cleon · Jun 24, 2010

Shade said:
Yeah, the whole psionic focus bit is a bit confusing. I found a passage that seemed to imply that monsters with psi-like abilities are considered to be psionically focused, but upon a re-read I think I was mistaken.

There is this, though:

Hmm, it's 7th level manifestation means it can only empower a 1st level power which does not have increased effects due to augmentation? It doesn't seem to have any such power.

For that matter, how many psionic powers with variable effect do not have augmentation? I can't think of any offhand.

freyar · Jun 24, 2010

Well, Stand Still is a good choice. Since we can't come up with much else and because they "lurk in the mud," how about Skill Focus (Hide)?

Cleon · Jun 27, 2010

freyar said:
Well, Stand Still is a good choice. Since we can't come up with much else and because they "lurk in the mud," how about Skill Focus (Hide)?

I'd rather go for a racial bonus on Hide than spend a feat on it.

Maybe something not directly useful in combat but thematically appropriate, like Endurance, Rapid Metabolism or Track?

freyar · Jun 28, 2010

Rapid Metabolism would be fine.

Shade · Jun 29, 2010

Updated.

How much of a racial bonus shall we apply to Hide? Should it increase while immobile?

Cleon · Jun 29, 2010

Shade said:
Updated.

How much of a racial bonus shall we apply to Hide? Should it increase while immobile?

The AD&D version has a 4 in 6 chance of surprise, suggesting they're pretty good at it.

I was wondering about giving them an additional bonus when submerged, like a crocodile gets, although they've already got a pretty impressive bonus.

Oh heck, why not. Something like:

*A sugo gains a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks when in swampy terrain. Further, a sugo can submerge itself in mud or water until only its eye is left showing, gaining a +10 cover bonus on Hide checks.

Shade · Jun 29, 2010

Updated.

Organization: Solitary?

Challenge Rating: 10-11?

Treasure: None?

Advancement: 15-20 HD (Large); 21-39 HD (Huge); 40-42 HD (Gargantuan)?
Most demons get Huge at 15-20 HD. I thought it would be fun to allow these to get to Gargantuan.

A sugo is x feet long/in diameter, with tentacles reaching lengths of 7 to 8 feet. A typical specimen weighs x pounds.

Sugos speak Abyssal?

Cleon · Jun 29, 2010

Shade said:
Updated.

Organization: Solitary?

Challenge Rating: 10-11?

Treasure: None?

Solitary and no treasure are good.

Challenge Rating 11 seems about right. I suspect you'd have to playtest one of these a bit to tell how nasty they really are.

Shade said:
Advancement: 15-20 HD (Large); 21-39 HD (Huge); 40-42 HD (Gargantuan)?
Most demons get Huge at 15-20 HD. I thought it would be fun to allow these to get to Gargantuan.

I like the notion of them Advancing to Gargantuan but would prefer a bit more HD spread at that size.

Maybe give them the same HD maximum as a Kraken?

15-20 HD (Large); 21-40 HD (Huge); 41-60 HD (Gargantuan)

Shade said:
A sugo is x feet long/in diameter, with tentacles reaching lengths of 7 to 8 feet. A typical specimen weighs x pounds.

Sugos speak Abyssal?

I'd have them speak Infernal as well as Abyssal, since they've turned to Law and their isn't an SRD Lawful Outsider language.

As for their size, we have no clue as to how big their disc-shaped body is. They're the only one of the monsters in Dragon 47's "Creatures From Elsewhere" article that lacks an illustration. So for want of anything better shall we say their bodies are 5-7 feet in diameter and a foot to a cubit thick, with 7-8 foot tentacles about 6 inches thick. A back of an envelope calculation suggests such a creature should weigh somewhere around 1500-3000 pounds.

That would give a description something like:

A single red eye glares from the center of a flattened disc of mud-brown flesh with eight tentacles radiating around its rim. Each tentacle is longer than a man and ends in a grey sucker cup.

A typical sugo has a body 5 to 7 feet in diameter and tentacles 7 or 8 foot long, it weighs around 1500 to 3000 pounds.