Converting Forgotten Realms monsters

[Cleon]

Black Burner Rough Draft

Black Burner
Tiny Animal
Hit Dice: 1/4d8 (1 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: Swim 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+2 size, +3 Dex), touch 15, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-12
Attack: Slam +5 melee (1d4-4)
Full Attack: Slam +5 melee (1d4-4)
Space/Reach: 2 1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Flammable
Special Qualities: Blindsight 120 ft., hold breath, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Listen +?*, Spot +?*, Swim +?
Feats: Weapon Finesse
Environment: Cold aquatic
Organization: Solitary, pair, or school (3-12)
Challenge Rating: ?
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: ?
Level Adjustment: —

Description

Combat

Blindsight (Ex): Black burners can "see" by emitting high-frequency sounds, inaudible to most other creatures, that allow them to locate objects and creatures within 120 feet. A silence spell negates this and forces the black burner to rely on its vision, which is approximately as good as a human’s.

Flammable (Ex): ?

Hold Breath (Ex): A black burner can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to [6 × or 8 × ?] its Constitution score before it risks drowning.

Skills: A black burner has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

*A black burner has a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Listen checks. These bonuses are lost if its blindsight is negated.

 

[Cleon]

That sounds about right.

To jazz it up a bit, perhaps the oil makes it flammable, even in water. To take that a step further, make a swarm of 'em, and once they catch fire give them additional fire damage until they die.

Not 100% sure about having them burn underwater napalm-style.

Also, since a black burner corpse burns for 3-12 hours with the equivalent heat of a small campfire, they should do additional fire damage after they die, too.

 

[freyar]

Maybe the water can soak into them and extinguish them once they die. But I think we need the napalm burning just to spice these up a little. Otherwise, they're really just flavor and not a monster.

 

[Shade]

You know, I've just realized the water in the bloatfish's bladder remains liquid even when the fish is frozen. It must contain some sort of antifreeze!

I think I'd like to point that out in the entry, and mention its "unique body chemistry".

How about changing the text to:

A bloatfish is a raylike fish found in cold waters. It is highly prized by fishermen, for in addition to its savory flesh, its balloon-like organ is filled with water which remains fresh and liquid, even if the bloatfish is frozen solid, due to the fish's unique body chemistry. A bloatfish corpse holds fresh water equivalent to a waterskin, a small hole can be punctured in the fish and the water sipped freely. Sages speculate that bloatfish were engineered to be living waterskins, but no definitive proof supports such claims.

Sounds good! I'll updated the entry.

I've asked this question several times already, but do we have 3E stats for a seal, officially or otherwise?

Yes, in Frostburn and Stormwrack. Also, FWIW, there's a sea lion in Stormwrack too.

Not 100% sure about having them burn underwater napalm-style.

Also, since a black burner corpse burns for 3-12 hours with the equivalent heat of a small campfire, they should do additional fire damage after they die, too.

Yes, it should. Good point.

Maybe the water can soak into them and extinguish them once they die. But I think we need the napalm burning just to spice these up a little. Otherwise, they're really just flavor and not a monster.

Agreed wholeheartedly.

 

[Cleon]

Maybe the water can soak into them and extinguish them once they die. But I think we need the napalm burning just to spice these up a little. Otherwise, they're really just flavor and not a monster.

Well I don't mind that, not every living thing in AD&D has to be a monster.

They could be the pigeons or the mice of the Great Glacier.

Besides, statting up a swarm of the doesn't gibe with me. If you really want a "D&D use" for them, maybe they make good aquatic familiars?

 

[freyar]

I don't require them to be a swarm, but I would like them to be able to burn in water. I mean, I imagine most fish or seals will burn at least a little after you kill them and let them dry out, even if not as long as one of these.

 

[Cleon]

I don't require them to be a swarm, but I would like them to be able to burn in water. I mean, I imagine most fish or seals will burn at least a little after you kill them and let them dry out, even if not as long as one of these.

Erm, I'm not sure how that's relevant. Most living things will burn if you dry them out.

Besides, how are they supposed to catch fire (let along dry out!) when they're swimming about in the water?

Oh, and what about the familiar idea I suggested earlier?

 

[Shade]

I don't mind these as familiars, but they seem rather limited in their usefulness for the majority of spellcasters. <shrug>

 

[freyar]

Erm, I'm not sure how that's relevant. Most living things will burn if you dry them out.

Besides, how are they supposed to catch fire (let along dry out!) when they're swimming about in the water?

Oh, and what about the familiar idea I suggested earlier?

I just meant that, if we don't have them burn while swimming (if lit properly, of course!), then they're not so much different than other living critters.

 

[Cleon]

I just meant that, if we don't have them burn while swimming (if lit properly, of course!), then they're not so much different than other living critters.

Well why not just make them more-or-less regular living critters. Not everything's a special snowflake, you know.

I don't mind them being flammable, but them attacking while burning underwater is extrapolating way too far.

I'd rather the oil just gives them some resistance to cold and makes them flammable in air, like the original text says.