Converting Creatures from Other Campaign Settings

[Cleon]

Updated.

The conversion turned 2 months old today!

...and here's the Obligatory Typo (TM), in the very first paragraph:

A lost soul is an amalgamation of zombie-like beings in a single entity. Once a lost soul is created, it immediately searches for others of its kind with which to merge, growing ever larger and more dangeorus.
​

It's also got this to sort out:

Incorporeal Lost Souls
Details on changes here.
​

I thought we were doing the incorporeal version as a separate monster, but if you prefer a subentry I'd go something like this:

Incorporeal Lost Souls
Some lost souls are tormented spirits of the dead fused into one being rather than amalgamations of zombie-like undead. An incorporeal lost soul has the following changes:

Add Incorporeal subtype (resulting in a Strength and Grapple modifier of -)

Replace its claw attacks with incorporeal touch attack with the same attack bonus and damage dice but with no strength modifier on the damage.

Replace its Gnaw special attack with the following:

Gnawing Terror (Ex): When a lost soul makes a full attack, it can make additional incorporeal touch attack against opponents affected by its immobilizing terror special attack (see below) that are within its Reach. It can make one attack against each immobilized opponent (+6 touch, 1d6 damage). Lost souls can use gnawing terror against as many opponents as they have incorporeal touch attacks.

Replace its Improved Grab special attack with the following:

Immobilizing Terror (Su): If an incorporeal lost soul hits with its incorporeal touch attack its opponent must succeed at a DC X Will save or be immobilized with fear for 1d4 rounds. A creature suffering from immobilizing terror cannot leave its square under its own power and is vulnerable to the lost souls gnawing terror special attack (see above). The immobile opponent can still fight, but has the frightened condition for the duration of the terror. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Replace its Absorb Corpse special quality with the following:

Absorb Soul (Su): If an incorporeal lost soul kills a humanoid or monstrous humanoid it can add the spirit of the slain creature to its own soul-amalgam 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 incorporeal touch attack. 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 become part of, although they 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 incorporeal 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.

We'll also need to change the feats a bit for the incorporeal version.

 

[freyar]

I'm inclined to go for a separate stat block, but I agree that those are the main changes.

 

[Shade]

I'm inclined to go for a separate stat block, but I agree that those are the main changes.

Yeah, a separate block is probably for the best.

Added to Homebrews.

First, we'll need to decide what to do about Dex, as its melee attacks are going to drop waaaaayyy below those of the corporeal lost soul's with the current Dex scores.

Second, natural armor goes away. The deflection bonus for incorporeal creatures is normally equal to the Cha modifier, so the AC is also going to be far poorer unless we come up with another option (a profane bonus, perhaps?)

As Cleon pointed out, feats will need to change.

 

[freyar]

For the first issue, I'd let the Dex increase --- normal size advancement rules for Dex make less sense for incorporeal critters anyway. That will help with both the attacks and AC. Then I'd be all for adding some profane bonus to both, especially for the bigger ones. Remember that the attack bonus and AC don't need to grow quite as fast since it has touch attacks and a miss chance against most all weapons.

 

[Cleon]

For the first issue, I'd let the Dex increase --- normal size advancement rules for Dex make less sense for incorporeal critters anyway. That will help with both the attacks and AC. Then I'd be all for adding some profane bonus to both, especially for the bigger ones. Remember that the attack bonus and AC don't need to grow quite as fast since it has touch attacks and a miss chance against most all weapons.

I don't fancy increasing the Dex, since I'd like to keep them poorly coordinated masses. Increasing the Cha to boost the deflection bonus would considerable increase their HPs due to their Unholy Toughness, and it doesn't feel right to have the ghostly version take more punishment than the corporeal one.

An easy solution would be giving them a profane bonus to their AC equal to their fast healing, then their AC would come out pretty much the same.

Medium [+1 Cha 2 fast healing]: AC 13 (+3 deflection)
Large [+1 Cha 4 fast healing]: AC 14 (-1 size, +5 deflection)
Huge [+1 Cha 8 fast healing]: AC 17 (-2 size, +9 deflection)
Gargantuan [+1 Cha 12 fast healing]: AC 19 (-4 size, +13 deflection)
Colossal [+1 Cha 16 fast healing]: AC 19 (-8 size, +17 deflection)

 

[Shade]

That's an elegant solution! Let's do that.

I'm still not sure if it's attacks will be good enough, even with them being touch attacks, but I wouldn't want to give 'em that much of a bonus on attack rolls as well. What do you guys think?

 

[Cleon]

That's an elegant solution! Let's do that.

I'm still not sure if it's attacks will be good enough, even with them being touch attacks, but I wouldn't want to give 'em that much of a bonus on attack rolls as well. What do you guys think?

Well, at the moment the touch attacks work out:

Medium: +3 melee touch (1d4)
Large: +5 melee touch (1d6)
Huge: +9 melee touch (1d8)
Gargantuan: +17 melee touch (2d6)
Colossal: +33 melee touch (3d6)

That looks pretty good to me. The Medium sized one's only 4 less than the corporeal version's melee attack, so is better against all but the most lightly armoured foes.

That reminds me, the Gnawing Terror should have "(+3 touch, 1d6 damage)", not "+6 touch". I forgot to recalculate the attack from the zombie lost soul.

 

[freyar]

This works for me, too.

 

[Shade]

Yeah, that's not bad.

 

[Cleon]

Good, we're getting there!

Since they're spectral, shouldn't we change the land speed to flight?

Speed: Fly 20 ft. (4 squares)(perfect)

Once we've reworked the feats the stats should be almost there, so far we've got the following. The Red Feats are the ones we either have to or should change. Unfortunately we're a bit short of good alternative Feats in the SRD. Apart from Lightning Reflexes I couldn't think of any good picks.

Lost Soul, Incorporeal, Medium
Armor Class: 13 (+3 deflection), touch 13, flat-footed 13
Full Attack: 2 incorporeal touches +3 melee (1d4)
Feats: Reckless Offense, Weapon Focus (touch)

Lost Soul, Incorporeal, Large
Armor Class: 14 (-1 size, +5 deflection), touch 14, flat-footed 14
Full Attack: 4 incorporeal touches +5 melee (1d6)
Feats: Power Attack, Reckless Offense, Weapon Focus (touch)

Lost Soul, Incorporeal, Huge
Armor Class: 17 (-2 size, +9 deflection), touch 17, flat-footed 17
Full Attack: 8 incorporeal touches +9 melee (1d8/19-20)
Feats: Awesome Blow, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (touch), Power Attack, Reckless Offense, Weapon Focus (touch)

Lost Soul, Incorporeal, Gargantuan
Armor Class: 19 (-4 size, +13 deflection), touch 19, flat-footed 18
Full Attack: 16 incorporeal touches +17 melee (2d6/19-20)
Feats: Awesome Blow, Cleave, Dire Charge, Epic Toughness, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (claw), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Reckless Offense, Snatch, Weapon Focus (touch)

Lost Soul, Incorporeal, Colossal
Armor Class: 19 (-8 size, +17 deflection), touch 19, flat-footed 19
Full Attack: 32 incorporeal touches +37 melee (3d6/19-20)
Feats: Awesome Blow, Cleave, Dire Charge, Epic Prowess (x4), Epic Toughness (x4), Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (touch), Improved Initiative, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Reckless Offense, Snatch, Stand Still, Weapon Focus (touch)