Converting Creatures from Other Campaign Settings

Cleon · Dec 21, 2010

freyar said:
When did we agree to change them? I'm so confused.

I can't recall exactly when, the proposal shifted between 4 HD/4 attacks and 2 HD/2 attacks before settling on 4 HD/2 attacks.

It's more germane (plus less confusing) to address the most recent proposal(s) for Absorb Corpse. What do you think of the one in my previous post?

freyar · Dec 22, 2010

We need to specify how long it takes to absorb a corpse (is it supposed to be automatic and instantaneous?) and merge two lost souls. I think I'd go with a move action to absorb and a full round to merge. Also, since I'm not sure we're following standard advancement with the different sizes, does it make sense to use the italicized sentence?

Absorb Corpse (Su): If a lost soul kills a humanoid or monstrous humanoid it can merge the body with its own flesh as a move action. For every victim it absorbs in this fashion, the lost soul gains 1 HD; for every 2 HD it advances, it gains an additional claw attack, and its fast healing increases by 1 point. A lost soul receives all the normal improvements for advancing its hit dice (increased skills, feats, size etc) when it gains hit dice by absorbing corpses or merging with another lost soul.

Absorbed victims cannot be returned to life with a raise dead or resurrection spell without first destroying the Lost Soul it has become part of, although it can be brought back to life with a wish or true resurrection (this removes the HD, attack and fast healing advancement the absorbed victim gave the lost soul).

Two or more lost souls can absorb each other, merging together into a single lost soul as a full-round action. The Hit Dice of the resulting monster equals the sum of the individual lost souls' HD.

Shade · Dec 22, 2010

I think the following change will satisfy my hesitation with this approach...

Absorb Corpse (Su): If a lost soul kills a humanoid or monstrous humanoid it can merge the body with its own flesh as a move action. For every victim it absorbs in this fashion, the lost soul gains 1 HD; for every 2 HD it advances, it gains an additional claw attack, and its fast healing increases by 1 point. A lost soul gains no additional benefits (such as skills or feats) until it reaches the next size category.

Absorbed victims cannot be returned to life with a raise dead or resurrection spell without first destroying the lost soul it has joined, although it can be brought back to life with a wish or true resurrection (this removes the HD, attack and fast healing advancement the absorbed victim gave the lost soul).

Two or more lost souls can absorb each other, merging together into a single lost soul as a full-round action. The Hit Dice of the resulting monster equals the sum of the individual lost souls' HD.

Are we sticking with 8 HD and 12 HD as the size change thresholds?

Cleon · Dec 22, 2010

Shade said:
I think the following change will satisfy my hesitation with this approach...

Absorb Corpse (Su): If a lost soul kills a humanoid or monstrous humanoid it can merge the body with its own flesh as a move action. For every victim it absorbs in this fashion, the lost soul gains 1 HD; for every 2 HD it advances, it gains an additional claw attack, and its fast healing increases by 1 point. A lost soul gains no additional benefits (such as skills or feats) until it reaches the next size category.

Oh I like that fix, it'll make them a lot easier to adjudicate.

Shade said:
Are we sticking with 8 HD and 12 HD as the size change thresholds?

I thought we were going for something based on 2HD per square of Space.

e.g.
Large - 8 HD
Huge - 18 HD (16 HD for more standard Advancement)
Gargantuan - 32 HD
Colossal - 72 HD (64 HD for more standard Advancement)

Shade · Dec 23, 2010

Updated.

A few issues...

Fast healing is out of control! We need to either cap it, cut out advancement past Gargantuan, or come up with a new formula. I don't think it should ever go above 20. Personally, I'd rather just have the fast healing increase at the size increase. Something like Medium=2, Large=4, Huge=6, Gargantuan=8, Colossal=10.

Should damage dice and reach go up for the natural attacks? Theoretically, the arms and mouths and other bits absorbed aren't any bigger than normal, so I'm thinking "no". It already gains damage boosts from its increased Strength.

I'd still like to start the Medium at 4 HD. If you insist upon 2 HD, I want the # of attacks progression changed so it remains at 4 attacks at Large (and not limiting it to 1 attack at 2 HD).

Cleon · Dec 28, 2010

Shade said:
Updated.

A few issues...

Fast healing is out of control! We need to either cap it, cut out advancement past Gargantuan, or come up with a new formula. I don't think it should ever go above 20. Personally, I'd rather just have the fast healing increase at the size increase. Something like Medium=2, Large=4, Huge=6, Gargantuan=8, Colossal=10.

I don't mind reducing it, but that seems too far. Maybe 2/4/8/12/16?

Shade said:
Should damage dice and reach go up for the natural attacks? Theoretically, the arms and mouths and other bits absorbed aren't any bigger than normal, so I'm thinking "no". It already gains damage boosts from its increased Strength.

I would rather have the dice increase so as to put more variability in the damage. Maybe each attack is actually several "bits" striking simultaneously, or a Colossal Lost Soul's "claw" is actually three or four corpses fused into a bony hand?

Shade said:
I'd still like to start the Medium at 4 HD. If you insist upon 2 HD, I want the # of attacks progression changed so it remains at 4 attacks at Large (and not limiting it to 1 attack at 2 HD).

I'd have the Medium Lost Soul starts at 4 HD with 2 attacks, but say it's formed from two 2 HD "Zombie" wanderers.

freyar · Dec 29, 2010

If we're dropping changes to fast healing, skills, etc, at HD advances, let's just make all changes occur at size increases. Would that work?

I'd prefer the base damage to go up at size increases, too.

Shade · Dec 30, 2010

freyar said:
If we're dropping changes to fast healing, skills, etc, at HD advances, let's just make all changes occur at size increases. Would that work?

I'd prefer the base damage to go up at size increases, too.

I find that appealing.

Updated.

Shall we work on the fear ability now? All it says is that "These groans induce fear in those who hear them."

Do we want to go with frightful presence, a fear aura like a pit fiend, or something else?

EDIT: Actually, this seems the closest...

Bay (Su): When a yeth hound howls or barks, all creatures except other evil outsiders within a 300-foot spread must succeed on a DC 11 Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic mind-affecting fear effect. Whether or not the save is successful, an affected creature is immune to the same hound’s bay for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Cleon · Dec 31, 2010

Shade said:
I find that appealing.

I find it increasing no. of attacks & healing with HD Advancement more appealing.

Shade said:
Shall we work on the fear ability now? All it says is that "These groans induce fear in those who hear them."

Do we want to go with frightful presence, a fear aura like a pit fiend, or something else?

EDIT: Actually, this seems the closest...

Bay (Su): When a yeth hound howls or barks, all creatures except other evil outsiders within a 300-foot spread must succeed on a DC 11 Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic mind-affecting fear effect. Whether or not the save is successful, an affected creature is immune to the same hound’s bay for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Well my best guess it's fear as in the spell, so that Bay SA seems a good fit. Still, it seems rather potent for a 4HD creature, so I would fancy making it HD dependent.

Frightful Groans (Su): Lost souls constantly emit terrifying moans and shrieks, all living creatures within a 300-foot spread must succeed on a DC X Will save or be affected for 2d4 rounds. Affected creatures are shaken if they have at least as many HD as the lost soul, frightened if they have fewer HD than the lost soul, but at least half the lost soul's HD; or panicked if the lost soul has more than twice their HD (e.g. a 6HD lost soul will panic 1-2 HD creatures, frighten 3-5 HD creatures and shaken 6+ HD creatures). This is a sonic mind-affecting fear effect. Whether or not the save is successful, an affected creature is immune to the same soul's frightful groans for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Shade · Jan 4, 2011

Cleon said:
I find it increasing no. of attacks & healing with HD Advancement more appealing.

I'll split the difference with you, and keep attacks advanced by HD.

Cleon said:
Well my best guess it's fear as in the spell, so that Bay SA seems a good fit. Still, it seems rather potent for a 4HD creature, so I would fancy making it HD dependent.

Frightful Groans (Su): Lost souls constantly emit terrifying moans and shrieks, all living creatures within a 300-foot spread must succeed on a DC X Will save or be affected for 2d4 rounds. Affected creatures are shaken if they have at least as many HD as the lost soul, frightened if they have fewer HD than the lost soul, but at least half the lost soul's HD; or panicked if the lost soul has more than twice their HD (e.g. a 6HD lost soul will panic 1-2 HD creatures, frighten 3-5 HD creatures and shaken 6+ HD creatures). This is a sonic mind-affecting fear effect. Whether or not the save is successful, an affected creature is immune to the same soul's frightful groans for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.

That's a good approach. Updated.

Converting Creatures from Other Campaign Settings

Cleon

Legend

freyar

Extradimensional Explorer

Shade

Monster Junkie

Cleon

Legend

Shade

Monster Junkie

Cleon

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freyar

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Shade

Monster Junkie

Cleon

Legend

Shade

Monster Junkie

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