Converting Greyhawk monsters

Cleon · Jun 30, 2009

demiurge1138 said:
I like blindsense. Alternatively, if they do have blindsight, the ooze should be seeping through the eye sockets of the corpse-y shell.

Great minds think alike, that's what I've given the Gelatinous Giant I'm working, slime-drooling eyeless sockets and blindsight.

I didn't want to suggest it for the Graymen because there's no mention of eyelessness in the description. My imagination portrays them as having eyes which are dead, grey-white orbs with little black pupils and bleached out irises, in the grand tradition of shambling zombie-style monsters.

Cleon · Jun 30, 2009

Cleon said:
Great minds think alike, that's what I've given the Gelatinous Giant I'm working, slime-drooling eyeless sockets and blindsight

My homebrew Ochre Ogre and Gelatinous Giant are practically finished, but I'll hold off posting them until we're done with the Greyman. There may be some ideas I want to steal for them.

Shade · Jun 30, 2009

Let's go with blindsight 30 feet and the oozing eyesockets.

Updated.

With blindsight, we'll no longer need Spot or Listen. Suggested replacement skill(s)?

Does the Advancement line cover a good spread of "base humanoids"?

demiurge1138 · Jun 30, 2009

Advancement looks good.

How about three ranks each in Climb and Swim? Helps them with their "implacable killers" vibe.

Shade · Jun 30, 2009

That'll do.

Organization: Solitary or x (2–x)

Challenge Rating: 3? They seem roughly as deadly as a tin or wood golem. While they lack immunity to magic, the "gray ooze" surprise seems to counteract that. Of course, the gray ooze is CR 4, so should we just make them CR 4?

A typical greyman stands 6 feet tall and weighs x pounds.

freyar · Jul 1, 2009

If the oozes aren't treated separately (like a summoned monster), it's probably best to make these a toughish CR 4.

Solitary or troop (2-12)? Or platoon or something?

850 lb, including the ooze?

Cleon · Jul 1, 2009

I like Climb, Swim and Blindsense and will steal the idea.

Advancement the same as a Gray Ooze works better for me, then the ooze inside can have the same HD as the grayman: 4-6 (Medium); 7-9 (Large).

As for CR, it should include the CR4 gray ooze, so either a strong 4 or a weak 5. It feels more like a 4 to me.

I came up with an organisation of 2-12 too, it just feels right as the original encounter is with seven graymen.

850 pounds seems awful heavy but I guess its OK. I arbitrarily halved the ooze's weight to 350 lbs, Lyzandred must have put them on a diet. :angel:

Should we have a note as to how to Construct a grayman, and how to control one? Maybe they can go berserk like a flesh golem, and it one goes loony it triggers berserkness in others?

Shade · Jul 1, 2009

CR 4, 850 pounds, and platoon (2-12) works for me.

You know, the same advancement as the gray ooze does make sense. While it might be fun to have real big ones, they'd have to contain multiple oozes, which would require much more work. Plus, the "ooze surprise" would be merely an afterthought at much higher CRs.

Definitely yes to construction, and I could see adding frenzy. Anyone else?

Updated.