2nd-level Monster Conversions

Revised substantially, with several new varieties (including the swarm of mephits) here.

MEPHITS

Mephits are small winged figures from the Elemental Chaos. Smaller than a halfling or gnome, mephits are often composed largely of one substance or another, though some are a strange mixture of materials. They tend to be short-lived, and some say that the Elemental Chaos actually generates mephits spontaneously.

STEAM MEPHIT--- Level 2 Artillery
Small elemental humanoid (fire, water)--- XP 125
---
Initiative +4; Senses Perception +0
HP 29; Bloodied 14
AC 14; Fortitude 12; Reflex 16; Will 11
Resist fire 10
Speed 4, fly 6
---
[Melee basic] Claw (standard; at will) Fire: +7 vs. AC; 1d6-2 damage plus 1d6 fire damage.

[Ranged] Scalding Splash (standard; at will) Fire, Water: Range 5; +7 vs. Reflex; 1d10+3 fire damage (from scalding water).

Steam Cloud (minor; recharges when first bloodied) Water: The steam mephit gives off a mass of steam that obscures vision. Close burst 2; creates a zone within which all creatures gain concealment.
---
Alignment evil; Languages Primordial
Str 6; Dex 17; Wis 9
Con 11; Int 10; Cha 9



MUD MEPHIT--- Level 2 Brute
Small elemental humanoid (earth, water)--- XP 125
---
Initiative +1; Senses Perception +0
HP 48; Bloodied 24
AC 14; Fortitude 16; Reflex 12; Will 11
Speed 4
---
[Melee basic] Mud Strike (standard; at will): +5 vs. AC; 2d6+3 damage, plus target is slowed (save ends).

[Melee] Stifling Strike (standard; encounter): +5 vs. AC; 3d8+3 damage, plus target is immobilized (first save: target is slowed; second save ends).
---
Alignment evil; Languages Primordial
Str 14; Dex 11; Wis 9
Con 18; Int 7; Cha 9


SALT MEPHIT--- Level 2 Controller
Small elemental humanoid (earth, water)--- XP 125
---
Initiative +1; Senses Perception +0
HP 38; Bloodied 19
AC 16; Fortitude 14; Reflex 14; Will 14
Speed 4
---
[Melee basic] Salty Claw (standard; at will): +7 vs. AC; 1d6+3 damage (1d6+8 if target is bloodied).

[Area] Salt Detonation (standard; recharge 5 6): Burst 3 within 9; +4 vs. Fortitude; Hit: 1d10+3 damage (2d10+3 against a bloodied opponent). Effect: Creates a zone of difficult terrain that lasts until cleared away.
---
Alignment evil; Languages Primordial
Str 14; Dex 11; Wis 9
Con 14; Int 13; Cha 13

GOATMAN EXECUTIONER--- Level 2 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid--- XP 125
---
Initiative +3; Senses Perception +3
HP 41; Bloodied 20
AC 18; Fortitude 15; Reflex 14; Will 14
Speed 6
---
[Melee basic] Greataxe (standard; at will) Weapon: +9 vs. AC; 1d12+3; 1d12+15 on a critical hit.

Chortling Taunt (minor; at will): Targets an enemy within 4; automatic hit; the target is marked until the end of the goatman’s next turn.
---
Alignment chaotic evil; Languages Ibixian
Skills Intimidate +8
Str 17; Dex 11; Wis 14
Con 17; Int 14; Cha 15
---
Equipment chain mail armor, greataxe


GOATMAN CHAMPION--- Level 16 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid--- XP 1400
---
Initiative +15; Senses Perception +10
HP 156; Bloodied 78
AC 32; Fortitude 30; Reflex 28; Will 27
Speed 8
---
[Melee basic] Greataxe (standard; at will) Weapon: +23 vs. AC; 1d12+7; 1d12+19 on a critical hit.

[Ranged basic] Longbow (standard; at will) Weapon: +21 vs. AC; 1d10+7 damage.

[Melee] Sweeping Blow (standard; at will) Weapon: Requires greataxe; the goatman champion makes one greataxe attack against two adjacent opponents. +23 vs. AC; 1d12+7; 1d12+19 on a critical hit.

[Melee] Punishing Strike (standard; recharge 5 6) Weapon: +23 vs. AC; 4d12+7 damage and target is knocked prone.

Chortling Taunt (minor; at will): Targets an enemy within 4; automatic hit; the target is marked until the end of the goatman’s next turn.
---
Alignment chaotic evil; Languages Ibixian
Skills Intimidate +8
Str 25; Dex 21; Wis 14
Con 20; Int 14; Cha 19
---
Equipment scale mail armor, greataxe, longbow

EDIT: Revised and expanded here.

DECAPUS--- Level 2 Lurker

The decapus is a strange creature that dwells in the depths of the earth. It is a large, green or purple creature somewhat similar to a ten-tentacled octopus in appearance, with grotesque patches of hair growing on it here and there.

Large aberrant magical beast--- XP 125
---
Initiative +3; Senses Perception +6, darkvision
HP 36; Bloodied 18
AC 16; Fortitude 16; Reflex 14; Will 14
Speed 3, climb 3
---
[Melee basic] Tentacle Slap (standard; at will): Reach 2; +7 vs. AC; 1d6 damage.

[Melee] Flurry of Tentacles (standard; at will): Only with combat advantage; +7 vs. AC; 3d6 damage plus target is grabbed (escape ends).

Phantasmal Lure (minor; at will) Illusion: Burst 3 within 10; +3 vs. Will; Hit: target slides 3 squares; Miss: target slides 1 square.

Distracting Phantasm (minor; recharge 4 5 6) Illusion: Close burst 4; +3 vs. Will; Hit: the decapus is invisible to the target until the beginning of the target’s next turn; Effect: the decapus shifts 3 squares.
---
Alignment Chaotic evil; Languages Common
Skills Arcana +8, Perception +6, Stealth +4
Str 18; Dex 6; Wis 11
Con 18; Int 14; Cha 14

This is my conversion of the lantern archon. Obviously, the 4e archon model is very different from that of previous editions. I mulled the choice of "make it an archon" vs. "make it like it used to be" and decided to go with the latter. Whaddaya think?

ASTRAL LANTERN--- Level 2 Artillery
Tiny immortal animate--- XP 125
---
Initiative +5; Senses Perception +3
HP 30; Bloodied 15
AC 14; Fortitude 13; Reflex 16; Will 14
Resist radiant 10; insubstantial
Speed fly 6 (hover); altitude limit 6
---
[Ranged basic] Beam of Light (standard; at will) Radiant: Range 12; +6 vs. Reflex; 1d8+2 radiant damage, and target is blinded until the end of its next turn.
---
Alignment good; Languages Supernal
Str 2; Dex 18; Wis 14
Con 12; Int 15; Cha 14

EDIT: Given the official bears for 4ed, I shan't bother to update these unless someone requests it.

BEAR, BLACK--- Level 2 Elite Brute
Medium natural beast--- XP 250
---
Initiative +3; Senses Perception +3
HP 90; Bloodied 45
AC 18; Fortitude 18; Reflex 14; Will 14 (plus see Ursine Rage, below)
Saving Throws +2
Speed 6
Action Points 1
---
[Melee basic] Claw (standard; at will): +5 vs. AC; 1d10+3 damage.

[Melee] Double Claw (standard; at will): The black bear makes two claw attacks.

Ursine Rage (immediate reaction; when bloodied): The black bear gains +2 on all defenses until the end of the encounter.
---
Alignment unaligned; Languages -
Str 18; Dex 14; Wis 14
Con 15; Int 2; Cha 6


BEAR, BROWN--- Level 4 Elite Brute
Large natural beast--- XP 350
---
Initiative +4; Senses Perception +4
HP 132; Bloodied 66
AC 18; Fortitude 20; Reflex 16; Will 16
Saving Throws +2
Speed 8
Action Points 1
---
[Melee basic] Claw (standard; at will): +7 vs. AC; 1d8+4 damage.

[Melee] Double Claw (standard; at will): The brown bear makes two claw attacks against the same enemy. If both hit, it makes a secondary attack. Secondary attack: +7 vs. AC; target is grabbed.

Bear’s Spite (immediate reaction; when reduced to 0 hit points): The bear makes an immediate basic melee attack.
---
Alignment unaligned; Languages -
Str 19; Dex 15; Wis 15
Con 16; Int 2; Cha 10

Ratlings are Now updated!

BlackLotus said:

Ratlings are Now updated!

Click to expand...

Sweet!

how bout a Dretch? or 2 - it needs a brute and a minion form.

Here's my nominations. I'm listing the sourse that I took them from, though mostly I was pulling stuuff from the Monstrous Compendium Annuals (some of my favorite 2e monster books), so those are nearly all reprints from something else. Only the last one gave sources. Anyway, I'm trying to check that no one else named some of these, but I might miss one or two. This goes for all the threads (and I'm about to unleash a few). Also, I suppose the Creature Catalogue might be useful for monsters that never officially made it into 3e too.

MCA Volume 1:

Chitine
Earth Weird (you have water weird at 2nd level, so earth weird should probably be the same. Heck, homebrew an air and fire weird too!)
Elemental Vermin
Gnasher
Magebane

MCA Volume 2:

We can't leave out an old classic here:

FLUMPH

(seriously, didn't anyone mention the flumph yet? I didn't see it anywhere level 1-4.)

MCA Volume 3:
Saurials: Finhead, bladeback, flyer. Probably have stats in several FR sources too.

MCA Volume 4:
Bainligor

Mystara Appendix:
Lupin
Rakasta
Tortle

Orius said:

Here's my nominations. I'm listing the sourse that I took them from, though mostly I was pulling stuuff from the Monstrous Compendium Annuals (some of my favorite 2e monster books), so those are nearly all reprints from something else. Only the last one gave sources. Anyway, I'm trying to check that no one else named some of these, but I might miss one or two. This goes for all the threads (and I'm about to unleash a few). Also, I suppose the Creature Catalogue might be useful for monsters that never officially made it into 3e too.

MCA Volume 1:

Chitine
Earth Weird (you have water weird at 2nd level, so earth weird should probably be the same. Heck, homebrew an air and fire weird too!)
Elemental Vermin
Gnasher
Magebane

Click to expand...

Hmm, the earth weird is a good one- but I'm trying to take a policy of "get a cursory set of stats for a large number of monsters, then fill in details later"... and elemental weirds are one of those monsters that I've done a couple of stat blocks for and filed away under "more later".

The chitine is a good'un, though I've borne some criticism for having too many spidery monsters. (Hey, they're hideous goddamn monsters, it's only natural that I'd use them as such! But them, I'm a trifle arachniphobic...) Still, I'll muse on that one.

I'll have to try to find my copy of MCA1 to check out the rest of these to see if I'll do them... I remember 3.x stats for the chitine, but that's it.

Orius said:

MCA Volume 2:

We can't leave out an old classic here:

FLUMPH

Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm amazed that nobody has proposed it before...

Orius said:

MCA Volume 3:
Saurials: Finhead, bladeback, flyer. Probably have stats in several FR sources too.

Click to expand...

No, too Forgotten Realms for my taste. I have plenty of lizard dudes, between, well, lizardfolk, dragonkin, dragonborn, trogs, firenewts, etc. I don't really "get" what makes saurials different from the rest, or what makes them special. I have to pass on that one, sorry.

Orius said:

MCA Volume 4:
Bainligor

Click to expand...

I'll have to dig out my MCA4, too- I remember the name, and I remember liking it, but I can't remember what it is.

Orius said:

Mystara Appendix:
Lupin
Rakasta
Tortle

Click to expand...

Don't have the Mystara MCA. I had it on loan for years, but returned it about a year ago.

Rakasta, to me, are redundant with tabaxi. (Same thing with catfolk- I'll stick to tabaxi, thankyouverymuch, they're a long tradition in my campaign.) This is strictly a matter of personal taste, but imho you can take the tabaxi stats I did and just change the name and you're fine. (I could be wrong- there might be some rakasta/catfolk abilities that I'm unaware of- but even so, that would be easy enough to plug in imho.)

Tortles- ahhh, even sans source material, these guys go on the list!