Converting Creatures from Other Campaign Settings

[freyar]

Looks great!

 

[Shade]

Sweet! This one has been patiently awaiting its turn...

Deathglow Moths
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Forest/mountain
FREQUENCY: Very Rare
ORGANIZATION: Pack
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Nocturnal
DIET: Carnivores
INTELLIGENCE: Animal (1)
TREASURE: Incidental
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
No. APPEARING: 1d20
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVEMENT: 6, Fl 12 (C)
HIT DICE: 2
THAC0: 19
No. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACKS: 1d4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
SIZE: S (3') across
MORALE: Steady (11)
XP VALUE: 175

Deathglow moths are a magical mutation, similar to the owlbear and the stirge. These moths have a 3' wingspan, the typical feathery antennae, and a translucent abdomen. Their coloration varies from a brown, bark-colored body and wings the color of tree moss to an almost albino species that matches the bark of birch trees. Regardless of the body and wing coloration, when a deathglow moth goes hunting at night, its abdomen glows a sickly yellow-green; males tend to have a greener tint while in females yellow predominates.

Combat: Deathglow moths fly from their secluded roosts high in the largest trees the region has to offer artd flutter their way along, looking for suitable prey. The deathglow moth only attacks from the air. Its small mouth causes only 1d4 points of damage, but that is not the worst damage a deathglow moth can inflict. Every round that a creature is within 10' of the deathglow moth's abdomen, the creature must save vs. Death Magic or lose 1d3 points of Strength. If a character's Strength falls below zero, the character dies, and the death glow moth settles in to feed. Lost Strength can be recovered at the rate of one point per hour of rest. Feeding moths are easy to slay for their glow is extinguished. Their deadly glow dies when they do and cannot be harvested by intrepid hunters.

Habitat/Society: Deathglow moths live only in the deepest forests and highest mountains of Jakandor, where packs of the flying creatures attack everything from birds to small mammals such as rabbits, and if it is hungry enough even humans. These creatures live in colony roosts like bats. These roosts are usually at least 30' above the forest floor. Deathglow moths instinctively seek out a tree that matches its camouflage pattern on which to roost.

While not a natural creature, deathglow moths occupy an admissible role in its habitat. Its relatively low speed allows faster flying creatures to escape, and its deathglow affects the sickest or the weakest target first, thus helping to thin populations allowing the healthier specimens to survive and propagate the species.

Ecology: While the deathglow moth is far from the largest or the fastest predator in forest or mountainous regions, its unique ability protects it from most predators. Little is known of the lifespan of a death glow moth, and even less is known of the creature's procreative habits. It is surmised that deathglow moths and its eggs and larvae are immune to the detrimental effect of the creature's deathglow.

Charonti scholars have raised many questions over the abundance of so many creatures that seem to have been magically evolved from a natural creature. The presence of purely magical beasts such as the bulette or the leucrotta is to be expected in a place where magical energy is existent. Some scholars speculate that the Wasting Plague may have triggered some latent factor in these creatures, which, over the intervening centuries, created the creatures of today. If this hypothesis is true, it begs a question: Did the Worldender Plague destroy the ancient Charonti, or was/there a latent element in the Charonti ancestors' bodies that the Wasting Plague merely awakened? And is that element still with them?

Originally appeared in Jakandor, Land of Legend (1998).

 

[freyar]

Small magical beast, then?

Keep Str drain or switch to Con? I've noticed sometimes these older monsters use Str rather than Con (like the giant mosquito, I think).

 

[Shade]

Downsizing a beacon moth (Huge) to Small yields...

Str -3, Dex 25, Con 4, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 16

OK, so maybe that doesn't work so well!

Let's try a gloomwing (L) to Small...

Str -1, Dex 20, Con 7, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10

OK, still no good.

How about increasing a giant fly (T) to Small...

Str 5, Dex 17, Con 10, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 2

That seems a bit more on-track. With a Dex modifier of +3, and a size modifier of +1, that translates its AC perfectly. Assuming Cha-based for the deathglow effect, Cha needs to be at least decent.

Thoughts?

 

[freyar]

Let's up Cha to 14 but drop Str to 3?

 

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

Every round that a creature is within 10' of the deathglow moth's abdomen, the creature must save vs. Death Magic or lose 1d3 points of Strength. If a character's Strength falls below zero, the character dies, and the death glow moth settles in to feed. Lost Strength can be recovered at the rate of one point per hour of rest. Feeding moths are easy to slay for their glow is extinguished. Their deadly glow dies when they do and cannot be harvested by intrepid hunters.

How's this?

Deathglow (Su): A deathglow moth's abdomen continuously glows with a sickly light. All creatures within a 10-foot radius must succeed on a DC X Fortitude save or take 1d3 points of Strength damage. A creature reduced to Strength 0 by a deathglow moth dies. The save DC is Charisma-based.

 

[freyar]

That works, but dying from dropping to 0 Str is weird (though similar things have popped up here and there). What do you think about switching to Con damage? As I mentioned above, the original text for the giant mosquitos had them damaging Str, but we changed that to Con damage as well.

 

[Shade]

That works, but dying from dropping to 0 Str is weird (though similar things have popped up here and there). What do you think about switching to Con damage? As I mentioned above, the original text for the giant mosquitos had them damaging Str, but we changed that to Con damage as well.

I'm fine with switching to Con, but I lifted the dying at Str 0 bit directly from the shadow, so there is precedence.

 

[freyar]

Ehh, let's stick with Str. If there's actually one in the SRD...

 

[Shade]

Updated.

INTELLIGENCE: Animal (1)

Wanna give them Int 1 rather than mindless? They are magical beasts, after all, and could really use Ability Focus for their sole trick.

TREASURE: Incidental

None? I suppose we could mention the incidental bits in the flavor text.

Their coloration varies from a brown, bark-colored body and wings the color of tree moss to an almost albino species that matches the bark of birch trees.

Deathglow moths instinctively seek out a tree that matches its camouflage pattern on which to roost.

Racial bonus on Hide checks in trees, except when deathglow is activated?