Converting Al-Qadim creatures

[Shade]

It might still be more appropriate than all-around vision, though, since as you pointed out earlier, it's probably more supernatural in origin.

Those are good suggestions for the SLAs.

 

[Cleon]

It might still be more appropriate than all-around vision, though, since as you pointed out earlier, it's probably more supernatural in origin.

Those are good suggestions for the SLAs.

I like Number 6's proposals of Ubiquitous Vision.

We could give it sepia snake sigil instead of wyvern watch, although glyph of warding would work in a pinch.

Finally, I'd add alarm so it can monitor areas where it isn't physically present.

As for the feats.

I am tempted to give it Whirlwind Attack as a bonus feat. It probably won't use it much since it already has 4 +20 attacks and a +15 and +10 attack when full attacking. How often will it have enough opponent within Reach to Whirlwind? It probably won't use the feat much against PCs.

However, the original description says they usually attack up to 4 opponents, not everything within reach, so I'll reluctantly drop Whirlwind Attack.

Combat Expertise would be useful, as will Combat Reflexes.

Apart from that, I fancy Hold the Line and our old friends Power Attack and Improved Sunder.

Feats: Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative (B), Improved Sunder, Hold the Line, Power Attack

 

[Number 6]

The guardian genie already has:
2/day - alarm, see invisibility, sepia snake sigil, shout, silence, & guards and wards
1/day - Blade barrier

...at least those are the SLAs from the 2nd-edition version. So it already has alarm and sepia snake sigil.

For possible additional/alternative SLAs we might want to list: fear, glyph of warding (unless we use it as a substitute for wyvern watch), shield other (if ordered to protect a creature or person), repulsion, or status.


Which sourcebook does Hold the Line come from? I'd like to check that out.

 

[Cleon]

The guardian genie already has:
2/day - alarm, see invisibility, sepia snake sigil, shout, silence, & guards and wards
1/day - Blade barrier

...at least those are the SLAs from the 2nd-edition version. So it already has alarm and sepia snake sigil.

For possible additional/alternative SLAs we might want to list: fear, glyph of warding (unless we use it as a substitute for wyvern watch), shield other (if ordered to protect a creature or person), repulsion, or status.

Blast it, I must be going blind. I went to the trouble of looking through the AD&D entry just before I posted that and plain didn't see them.

The AD&D description specifically says "they will not guard living creatures", so I wouldn't give them shield other.

Although I do wonder whether they can bodyguard liches...

Which sourcebook does Hold the Line come from? I'd like to check that out.

I think it might have been The Book of Exalted Deeds, but I'm not sure.

The salient point is Hold the Line is in the SRD, so we can use it freely.

 

[Number 6]

Blast it, I must be going blind. I went to the trouble of looking through the AD&D entry just before I posted that and plain didn't see them.

Apparently the blindness is contagious:

The AD&D description specifically says "they will not guard living creatures", so I wouldn't give them shield other.

D'oh! That's a double-dumbass on me!
lol

...The salient point is Hold the Line is in the SRD, so we can use it freely.

Thanks for the link. That's a damn nice feat... and suits the guardian genie quite well.


While scanning the original details again (meekly)... the green fire breath:
It's once per day and deals quite a lot of damage (14d6)... but it looks like Red Dragons fire breath does a number of dice (d10s) of damage equal to half it's Hit Dice. Should we use this as a guide (and make it 7d6, which averages at 24 points of damage), or say "to Hell with it, these bastards breathe vicious fire!" but only on d6s (14d6, averaging 49 points)?

Considering it is only once per day, I suspect enough folks will want this to be the full 14d6... which seems reasonable.

 

[Shade]

Feats: Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative (B), Improved Sunder, Hold the Line, Power Attack

I like all that except Improved Sunder. Nothing really gives me a "break weapons" vibe with these guys. Weapon Focus (longsword) perhaps? Or, if you're a rat bastard DM like me, how about Improved Critical (longsword)? That gets 'em closer to the scimitar's threat range.

Which sourcebook does Hold the Line come from? I'd like to check that out.

Suprisingly, it comes from the Expanded Psionics Handbook.

While scanning the original details again (meekly)... the green fire breath:
It's once per day and deals quite a lot of damage (14d6)... but it looks like Red Dragons fire breath does a number of dice (d10s) of damage equal to half it's Hit Dice. Should we use this as a guide (and make it 7d6, which averages at 24 points of damage), or say "to Hell with it, these bastards breathe vicious fire!" but only on d6s (14d6, averaging 49 points)?

Considering it is only once per day, I suspect enough folks will want this to be the full 14d6... which seems reasonable.

See "rat bastard DM like me", above.

 

[Cleon]

While scanning the original details again (meekly)... the green fire breath:
It's once per day and deals quite a lot of damage (14d6)... but it looks like Red Dragons fire breath does a number of dice (d10s) of damage equal to half it's Hit Dice. Should we use this as a guide (and make it 7d6, which averages at 24 points of damage), or say "to Hell with it, these bastards breathe vicious fire!" but only on d6s (14d6, averaging 49 points)?

Considering it is only once per day, I suspect enough folks will want this to be the full 14d6... which seems reasonable.

7d6 hardly seems hardly worth its trouble. It does up to 12d6+36 full-attacking with its longswords, which is the equivalent to 21d6 (well, 21.28).

Methinks 1d6 per Hit Dice is quite reasonable.

Breath Weapon (Su): Once a day a guardian genie can breath out a 30 ft. cone of green flames doing 14d6 fire damage (1d6 per Hit Dice it possesses), with a DC 20 Reflex save for half damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

 

[Cleon]

I like all that except Improved Sunder. Nothing really gives me a "break weapons" vibe with these guys. Weapon Focus (longsword) perhaps? Or, if you're a rat bastard DM like me, how about Improved Critical (longsword)? That gets 'em closer to the scimitar's threat range.

Squeek squeek-squeek!

(For the non rat-bastard DMs amongst our readership, that means "Improved Critical is fine by me")

 

[Shade]

Updated.

The hearing of guardian genies is acute enough to pick up a feather falling onto a stone at a hundred paces; this, combined with their 360-degree vision, makes them impossible to surprise.

Add racial bonus on Listen checks?

Guardian tasked genies are unaffected by all illusion/ phantasm and enchantment/charm spells. All other magic ffects them normally if it overcomes their magic resistance.

Add immunity to charms, compulsions, and illusions?

They target spell-casters before all others.

Add detect magic at will?

Guardian genies have a 20% chance to possess powers in addition to the ones listed above and a 30% chance to have powers that simply replace 1-4 of the above powers. Examples might include flight, detect lie, the ability to shape glyphs of warding or explosive runes, hold portal, dimension door, and other abilities that might be expected to help a guardian.

How about just making these standard. Thus, something like...

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—detect magic; 3/day—dimension door, discern lies, fly, hold portal; 2/day—alarm, guards and wards, see invisibility, sepia snake sigil, shout, silence; 1/day—blade barrier, explosive runes, glyph of warding. Caster level xth. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

 

[Number 6]

...and add Spell Resistance at maybe 25.


And perhaps these skills:
Bluff (for combat purposes like Feint) 17, Climb 17, Intimidate 17, Jump 17, Listen 17, Move Silently 17, Sense Motive (again, for combat purposes) 17, Spot 17, Swim 17, Use Rope 17 (for binding captured intruders... if necessary)