Converting Forgotten Realms monsters

[demiurge1138]

The illustration for a bi-nou I have in my 2nd Edition Monstrous Compendium Annual (Vol 2) gives them honest arms, with spindly fingers. So claws or slams.

 

[freyar]

Claws, I think, based on the sound of that illustration.

 

[Shade]

Claws it is!

Appearing as craggy columns with two short, jagged arms ending in spiky claws, bi-nou look like stalagmites. Their shapes render them practically invisible in a cavern filled with natural rocky outcroppings, stalactites, and stalagmites.

Camouflage, or high Hide bonus in underground natural environs?

The bi-nou communicate telepathically in their own language and in drow, as they possess neither mouths nor vocal cords.

Suggested telepathy range? The usual 60 feet, or 80 feet like their blindsight?

Bi-nou often attack first with their innate spell abilities. Each of the following spells is usable once a day as if cast by a 10th-level wizard: slow, dig, stone shape, and wall of stone.

Here's a conversion of dig we did earlier...

Dig (Su): Three times per day, a group of two or more scavenger spirits can supernaturally unearth coffins or clear the way to buried tombs. This functions as a move earth spell, with the following differences. Each round that the scavenger spirits maintain concentration, they can move a 10-foot cube of earth, and they may maintain concentration for as many rounds as their combined hit dice. Unlike the move earth spell, the scavenger spirits' dig ability may form tunnels. Caster level 4th. This is the equivalent of an 3rd-level spell.

When foes are within striking range of a bi-nou, it strikes with two jagged limbs. If both limbs strike the same creature, the bi-nou snares the opponent and squeezes it against its rocky body. The creature suffers an additional ld8 points of damage per round until it frees itself with a successful bend bars/lift gates roll, the bi-nou is killed, or it suffocates.

Constrict damage equals claw damage?

Although bi-nou have natural magic resistance, certain spells can be deadly to them. Passwall stuns them for ld4 rounds instead of having its normal effect, and rock to mud slays them instantly. Stone shape operates as a heal spell, restoring all but ld4 of a bi-nou's hit points.

Keep these as is?

 

[demiurge1138]

The all but 1d4 thing for the heal should be dropped, as that's not what heal does anymore. Other than that, the spell vulnerabilities look good.

 

[freyar]

Agreed with demiurge on the spells.

Hide bonus, boost both telepathy to 100 ft and blindsight to 120 ft to be more normal, constrict equals claw (or should we call it something else?), dig as written but only one bi-nou needed (not two or more).

 

[Shade]

Updated.

Borrow this from the underdark landwyrm?

*They have a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks when in rocky, underground environments. This bonus on Hide checks increases to +8 when the landwyrm is immobile.

 

[freyar]

That works! Should we boost to +8/+12, or do you think that's enough already?

 

[Shade]

Let's figure out feats and skills, and see if they need the added boost.

Skills: 24
Hide (obviously), what else?

Feats: 2

 

[freyar]

Hide, Spot, maybe Climb? Given their flavor text, I wonder if they should have a racial penalty to Listen or the deaf SQ.

 

[Shade]

Look closer.