Converting Al-Qadim creatures

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Shade

Monster Junkie
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-16/2-16 or by weapon type +9

Slayer genies are massive genies with four arms and dark, polished skin and are usually naked to the waist. Two of their hands are human; the other two resemble lion’s paws with ivory claws.

In melee, they attack either with their terrible claws or with a melee weapon in either normal hand (at no penalty). Their enormous Strength gives them a +9 damage bonus when using melee weapons. Slayer genies prefer scimitars, axes, cleaving polearms, morning stars, and maces. Slayer genies will use missile weapons in unusual circumstances. They suffer no penalty for using such weapons instead of their usual melee weapons.

It's a bit misleading, but it sounds like they usually fight with weapons in their "human" hands and makes natural attacks with its lion paws. However, nothing seems to suggest they can't wield weapons at least partially in their pawed hands.

Either way, we should retain the guardian genie's Multiweapon Fighting text (similar to the marilith).

Str works out to be 2 higher than the guardian genie. Int is the same, so we can probably keep the mental scores the same. AC is 2 less, but nothing indicates them being less graceful, so I'd prefer to keep Dex the same and just lower natural armor by 2.

So...Str 28, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 15?

Slayer genies prefer to kill their targets quietly, and they are extremely well-equipped to do so, either by magical or physical means. They can cast blindness, silence 15’ radius, darkness, improved invisibility, ventriloquism, misdirection, assume gaseous form, polymorph self, and dimension door. If they reveal their true form they can cause fear in creatures of 3 Hit Dice or less.

Polymorph self becomes the typical change shape ability of genies.

At will for the other SLAs, or move a few to 3/day?

Frightful presence?
 

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freyar

Extradimensional Explorer
It's strange that the Int is so high, given this quote:
When tasked genies are driven mad they become tasked slayer genies, genies unable to stay sane after long labor at the same task. They seek release in bloodshed, and they retain only a limited cunning.
If we're not comfortable decreasing Int, I'd like to decrease Wis and/or Cha. Ideally, I'd drop Int to something like 9 and reduce Wis and Cha to the 11-13 range.

What I'd like to do with the fighting is an SA so that they can multiweapon fight with their two hands and also have 2 claw attacks (at no penalty).

Most of the other SLAs can be 3/day probably. Agreed to frightful presence, though there may be some alternative fear effect someone likes better.
 

Shade

Monster Junkie
Wisdom loss is often tied to insanity in 3e, so I'd be fine with reducing Wis.

I'd like to keep Int where it's at, though, as they are supposed to be quite Knowledgeable, and are smart enough to avoid detection with their kills.

Cha seems decent as well, as it sound like they are both excellent conversationalists and good at intimidation.
 


Cleon

Legend
Ready for the next one?

Not quite, I think the flavour text of the Herdmen Genie needs a little work.

Firstly, there's an extraneous bit in the tactics entry that we've folded into the Herd Animal Empathy:

Herdsman genies fight only in self-defense or in defense of their herds. They excel at mounted combat and mounted archery, preferring tactics that keep their opponents away from their herds and the slower members of their groups. If that is unsuccessful they may, in desperation, attempt to stampede the herd into their opponents. (If a group saving throw versus spell fails for the herd, the entire herd stampedes as directed).

Secondly, they don't have a weight listed - 150 to 175 pounds?

Thirdly, the description seems awfully long. Could we apply a bit of judicious trimming?

How about this, which is slightly re-arranged and has had about a sixth of the words cut out:
Herdsman tasked genies, as their name implies, live to tend herds of animals. Their lives are completely centered around the welfare of their herds, and they are entirely willing to disobey their masters if ordered to take a herd into danger.

Although often solitary, herdsman genies gather in groups when the size of their herds requires it. All groups of herdsman genies are extremely mobile. They know when a given area has been thoroughly grazed and will move on, but have little regard for the artificial boundaries of kingdoms' borders or farmers' fences. This unwillingness to acknowledge settled authority often leads to conflict, they moderate this tendency if their master specifically admonishes them about it.

Herdsman genies tend to push out competing nongenie herdsmen and predators which might threaten their herds. If they feel threatened, they may stealthily force march their animals an entire night’s travel with no ill effect on either themselves or their animals.

Herdsman tasked genies are sociable creatures. They love to race, whether on foot or mounted, and often hold running contests. Some races are made more difficult by stampeding a herd behind the runners. Camel and horse races are also common, as well as mounted sports that can last all day, with complex rules and scoring systems. Males also enjoy wagering and haggling, while young females prefer roping, branding, shearing, and trick riding contests to mounted team sports.

Herdsman genies feed upon the blood of their charges, which is carefully drained so as not to weaken the animal and must be drunk immediately. They also drink milk and make it into various cheeses, curds, yogurts and fermented liquors.

Some groups of herdsman tasked genies adopt the religions of nearby humanoids, and are zealous in their new faith. These groups will try to convert others they meet, and they don't mind forcing the convert to make up his mind.
 

Cleon

Legend
Goodie! I've been looking forward to these fellows.

It's a bit misleading, but it sounds like they usually fight with weapons in their "human" hands and makes natural attacks with its lion paws. However, nothing seems to suggest they can't wield weapons at least partially in their pawed hands.

Just to add to the confusion their illustration shows a slayer genie wielding a weapon with each left arm, one of which (the lower-left arm) looks like the ivory-clawed lion's paw, while its lower-right arm ends in an empty lion's paw. You can't see how its upper-right arm ends in the picture.

Either way, we should retain the guardian genie's Multiweapon Fighting text (similar to the marilith).

Str works out to be 2 higher than the guardian genie. Int is the same, so we can probably keep the mental scores the same. AC is 2 less, but nothing indicates them being less graceful, so I'd prefer to keep Dex the same and just lower natural armor by 2.

So...Str 28, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 15?

Polymorph self becomes the typical change shape ability of genies

That all looks good to me.

At will for the other SLAs, or move a few to 3/day?

I'd go for at-will for them all, none are particularly overpowered for a creature of its likely CR.

Spell-Like Abilities: At-will: blindness/deafness, silence, darkness, greater invisibility, minor image, gaseous form, and dimension door ?

Frightful presence?

Definitely.

How about reworking the Derro's insanity SQ for them, to represent their madness?
 

Cleon

Legend
Wisdom loss is often tied to insanity in 3e, so I'd be fine with reducing Wis.

I'd like to keep Int where it's at, though, as they are supposed to be quite Knowledgeable, and are smart enough to avoid detection with their kills.

Cha seems decent as well, as it sound like they are both excellent conversationalists and good at intimidation.

I'd rather keep the Int high too. The flavour text is contradictory, since there's a lot about how they plot the best way to slay their victims and see all living things as puzzles, the solution to which is murder!
 

freyar

Extradimensional Explorer
Ahh, I missed the at will bit somehow. Yes, let's keep the SLAs at will.

Madness per the derro goes well with the reduced Wis. Perhaps using wish or miracle to remove the madness would turn them back into guardians?
 

Cleon

Legend
Ahh, I missed the at will bit somehow. Yes, let's keep the SLAs at will.

Madness per the derro goes well with the reduced Wis. Perhaps using wish or miracle to remove the madness would turn them back into guardians?

I agree with the idea of their being a way to "un slayer" these genie in principle but would rather leave it undefined, maybe hint that it involves a quest connected to whatever drove the Slayer mad in the first place.

Oh, and it's not just Guardian Genies, any kind of Tasked Genie can become a Slayer. I remember reading somewhere that Artist Genies are prone to becoming particularly nasty Slayers - maybe they're very "creative" in how they kill?
 


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