Converting Al-Qadim creatures

[Cleon]

I suppose the hp loss could work, although I'd favor this approach from other symbionts (replacing Int with Con in the example below):

Mind Feeding (Su): A cerebral hood survives by consuming its host's mental energy. This deals 1 point of Intelligence damage each day the hood remains attached. Ordinarily, the host regains 1 point of lost Intelligence each night, just before the cerebral hood drains a new point, keeping the host at an equilibrium point of -1 to its Intelligence. When the cerebral hood uses its mind blast, however, it deals extra Intelligence damage, so overuse of that special attack can eventually destroy the host's mind.

Don't mind the approach, but the implementation is a bit problematic. What's to stop the wearer using lesser restoration or the like to heal the ability damage? Wouldn't it be better as a penalty?

 

[freyar]

Is there a problem with letting people burn restoration spells?

 

[Number 6]

Is there a problem with letting people burn restoration spells?

Lesser Restoration seems like a reasonably cheap way to avoid the drawbacks.

 

[Cleon]

Lesser Restoration seems like a reasonably cheap way to avoid the drawbacks.

Exactly. It's too cheap. All you need is a 1/day item of lesser restoration (10800 gp according to the SRD's Magic Item cost guidelines) and it has no effect.

Come to think of it, it also means the turban imposes no penalty on creatures immune to Constitution damage. I think we'd better say it only enhances living creatures whose Con (or HPs, if we go that route) it can feed on.

 

[Number 6]

Exactly. It's too cheap. All you need is a 1/day item of lesser restoration (10800 gp according to the SRD's Magic Item cost guidelines) and it has no effect.

Come to think of it, it also means the turban imposes no penalty on creatures immune to Constitution damage. I think we'd better say it only enhances living creatures whose Con (or HPs, if we go that route) it can feed on.

That's the main reason I believe it needs to have an ongoing penalty... the turban should not drain or do damage, but the mechanism should be a temporary reduction in total hit points.

Perhaps ten total points or 1 per caster level.

Such a penalty should last for a minimum of one day after the turban is removed (or as Cleon suggested, until the thing dies).

We might also want to require that the turban's advantages do not take effect until the wearer has bonded with it for at least a day.

Come to think of it, a wizard might make himself suspicious if he wears the turban all the time, even when sleeping. Other wizards who know about these turbans might consider drastic measures to get the turban for themselves. I don't know if we want to consider further options... I've gotta think about this some more.

 

[Cleon]

That's the main reason I believe it needs to have an ongoing penalty... the turban should not drain or do damage, but the mechanism should be a temporary reduction in total hit points.

Perhaps ten total points or 1 per caster level.

Such a penalty should last for a minimum of one day after the turban is removed (or as Cleon suggested, until the thing dies).

We might also want to require that the turban's advantages do not take effect until the wearer has bonded with it for at least a day.

I'd be happier with a hit point penalty than a Con penalty, but might go along with the latter.

Come to think of it, a wizard might make himself suspicious if he wears the turban all the time, even when sleeping. Other wizards who know about these turbans might consider drastic measures to get the turban for themselves. I don't know if we want to consider further options... I've gotta think about this some more.

The turban seems to be able to change its appearance, so it could look like a headscarf, bandana, cloth cap, nightcap et cetera to avoid suspicion.

 

[freyar]

If you insist, a Con penalty or maybe say its damage that can't be removed (like negative levels when bearing wrong-alignment items of various types). But we're also not talking about an amazing benefit, either, if you want to cost it out. A 1/day lesser restoration item removes 1d4 Con damage, which might on average only get you a 1st level spell and 1 point of SR. Since a 1st level pearl of power is only worth 1000 gp and I don't think the SR is worth that much, you'd be taking on a big cost to get rid of the Con damage.

I'd like to hear Shade's thoughts on this.

 

[Cleon]

If you insist, a Con penalty or maybe say its damage that can't be removed (like negative levels when bearing wrong-alignment items of various types). But we're also not talking about an amazing benefit, either, if you want to cost it out. A 1/day lesser restoration item removes 1d4 Con damage, which might on average only get you a 1st level spell and 1 point of SR. Since a 1st level pearl of power is only worth 1000 gp and I don't think the SR is worth that much, you'd be taking on a big cost to get rid of the Con damage.

I'd like to hear Shade's thoughts on this.

Yes, I agree we might as well wait to see what Shade's view is.

 

[Shade]

I prefer Con damage. I don't mind the use of lesser restoration, etc. daily to counteract it. It is still using up some resources, and as freyar points out, the benefit isn't that grand.

I think the ability damage approach works just fine with the illithid symbionts, so I'm happy to support that method.

 

[Cleon]

I prefer Con damage. I don't mind the use of lesser restoration, etc. daily to counteract it. It is still using up some resources, and as freyar points out, the benefit isn't that grand.

I think the ability damage approach works just fine with the illithid symbionts, so I'm happy to support that method.

I do prefer a HP penalty (then a Con penalty), but might go along with Con damage if the costs balanced.

At "full power" of one spell from 1st to 5th level an equivalent collection of pearls of power would cost 55,000 gp. It also gives SR (at some level). That suggests its worth at least six times more than a 10,800 gp item of 1/day lesser restoration.

Also, having it do 1 Con/spell level is also problematic because it requires the wearer to have magical healing to avoid death from cumulative Con damage. The original appears to drain life energy at the same rate its host recovers it, so their hit points remain static.