Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

Cleon

Legend

• Sep 29, 2010

• #91

Shade said:

I'm content with a straight monster here.

The Wis and Cha should be higher. It's smarter than a ghast, which has Wis 14, Cha 16. Since its Int is 2 higher, I'd suggest doing the same with the other mental scores.

Thus...

Str 10, Dex 17, Con --, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 18

Acceptable?

Click to expand...

I was thinking these things have some parallels with arcane spellcasters (they had weapon skills as a wizard and some could cast spells), so could have Int as their highest stat.

Or, to look at it another way, they're more brain than instinct.

We could meet halfway:

Str 10, Dex 17, Con --, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 16 ?

 

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Shade

Monster Junkie

• Sep 29, 2010

• #92

I can live with that.

Added the basics to Homebrews.

 

freyar

Extradimensional Explorer

• Oct 2, 2010

• #93

Wasn't Cha going to be 16?

Well, I'd have preferred a template, I think, but I can make due with a monster. However, I think spellcasting at CL 7th should be part of the standard monster, not an underbar, because "visceraiths are formed only when the powerful yearning for life is combined with a wizard’s use of magic." I'd also like to make them have innate wizard casting, though I'm not opposed to a "sorcerer visceraith" underbar.

 

Cleon

Legend

• Oct 3, 2010

• #94

freyar said:

Wasn't Cha going to be 16?

Well, I'd have preferred a template, I think, but I can make due with a monster. However, I think spellcasting at CL 7th should be part of the standard monster, not an underbar, because "visceraiths are formed only when the powerful yearning for life is combined with a wizard’s use of magic." I'd also like to make them have innate wizard casting, though I'm not opposed to a "sorcerer visceraith" underbar.

Click to expand...

Great minds think alike, I was going to suggest giving them all arcane spellcasting too.

I also prefer wizard casting as the default, since that easily explains Visceraiths who don't use spells - they're just ones who have lost their spell books.

 

Shade

Monster Junkie

• Oct 4, 2010

• #95

freyar said:

Wasn't Cha going to be 16?

Click to expand...

Not as far as I can tell. Are you recommending a Cha reduction?

Spells: A visceraith casts spells as a 7th-level wizard.

Typical Wizard Spells Prepared (4/5/4/3/1; save DC 13 + spell level):
0—x;
1st—x;
2nd—x;
3rd—x;
4th—x.

 

freyar

Extradimensional Explorer

• Oct 6, 2010

• #96

Well, for a Wizard caster, I'd prefer Int to be as high as Cha at least.

 

Shade

Monster Junkie

• Oct 6, 2010

• #97

Fair enough. I'll lower the Cha to match Int.

 

Cleon

Legend

• Oct 7, 2010

• #98

Shade said:

Fair enough. I'll lower the Cha to match Int.

Click to expand...

Str 10, Dex 17, Con —, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 16 are fine by me.

How about this for the spells:

0—detect magic, ghost sound, mage hand, resistance;
1st—chill touch, color spray, expeditious retreat, magic missile, silent image;
2nd—ghoul touch, invisibility, touch of idiocy, spectral hand;
3rd—gaseous form, stinking cloud, vampiric touch;
4th—black tentacles.

 

Shade

Monster Junkie

• Oct 7, 2010

• #99

That list looks good! Updated.

Ready for the "wear skeleton" ability?

 

freyar

Extradimensional Explorer

• Oct 7, 2010

• #100

If we don't mind deviating from the original version, I wouldn't mind increasing Int and Cha both to 18.

As for wear skeleton, yup, I'm ready. Seems like it should grant a +5 natural armor bonus. Maybe the visceraith should only have a land speed if wearing a skeleton, too. And, finally, some skeletons grant bite or claw attacks. If that sounds right, I'll write it up.