Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[Cleon]

My justification: In previous editions, "or" was never used on Movement lines except for strange cases like this, where the creature had more than one form.

That's a good argument, but without something like "a visceraith without a skeleton can fly at a speed of 9, one with a skeleton walks at speed 12" how can we be sure that's what it means?

Come to think of it, even for multiform creatures that "or" is rather odd. Standard AD&D vampires don't have "or fly" despite having to shapeshift into bats to be able to fly.

Besides, I think it's more fun if the skeleton form can't fly. <shrug>

Contrariwise, I was thinking it'd be more fun if them bones could fly.

 

[Shade]

Freyar, don your gauntlets of tiebreaking.

 

[Cleon]

Freyar, don your gauntlets of tiebreaking.

You're just saying that 'cause he's on your side.

To be honest, it doesn't bother me much either way, so I'll just go along with whichever Freyar prefers.

 

[freyar]

Ok, I mostly just want the naked one not to walk. So, I've always wanted to use this dice roller thingy, so I'll add a d2 below. Remember that you can't edit the dice roll, so I won't be cheating.

 

[Cleon]

Ok, I mostly just want the naked one not to walk. So, I've always wanted to use this dice roller thingy, so I'll add a d2 below. Remember that you can't edit the dice roll, so I won't be cheating.

That d2 sure looks like a d4 to me.

So you want something like:

Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares, with skeleton) or fly 20 ft. (poor, without skeleton)

 

[Shade]

So you want something like:

Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares, with skeleton) or fly 20 ft. (poor, without skeleton)

I'd rather just list the fly speed on the main stats, and leave the ground speed in the wear skeleton writeup. I'll strip the claws off the attack lines as well.

Updated.

The visceraith’s deadliest attack is its bone control ability, which has a range of 60 feet. The target must make a saving throw vs. death magic. If successful, there is no effect, but if the saving throw fails, the chosen bone snaps, resultin gin a compound fracture and 1d6+4 points of damage. The victim is immobilized due to shock, loses 2 hit points per round until the bleeding is stopped, and must make a Constitution check to avoid fainting for 1d12 rounds from the pain. The visceraith can use this attack form four times per day.

I know I've seen this before. In fact, I believe one of my players had a spell like this...

 

[Shade]

Bingo!

It was from one of the Wyrms of the North entries. Scroll down to the bonemelt spell.

 

[Cleon]

Bingo!

It was from one of the Wyrms of the North entries. Scroll down to the bonemelt spell.

So shall we cut that up and use it as the basis for for Su power?

How's this:

Shatter Bone (Su): Four times a day, a visceraith can try to shatter a limb-bone or jaw-bone of a single opponent within 60 ft. Shatter bone can not affect boneless creatures, but can harm creatures whose skeletons are made of chitin rather than bone, such as most Vermin. The opponent must succeed at a DC X Fortitude save or suffer compound fractures in the targeted bone, which does Y damage and imposed the following penalties: a body part with a shattered bone lacks the Strength to hold and carry objects or make attacks, held items are dropped, but worn items are not dropped; if a shattered limb is used for locomotion (for example, a leg), the target's speed drops by three-quarters and Dexterity suffers a -8 circumstance penalty; if a shattered limb is used for manipulation (for example, an arm), the target's Dexterity suffers a -8 circumstance penalty and all spells with somatic components require a Concentration check (minimum DC 15); a target with a shattered jaw bone suffers a -8 circumstance penalty on skills checks requiring speech and all spells with verbal components require a Concentration check (minimum DC 15).

A shattered bone normally takes Z days to heal naturally (half that time if DC 15 Heal checks are used to provide long-term care), but can be instantly cured with a [cure serious wounds?] or stronger healing spell.

The save DC is Charisma-based.

 

[Cleon]

I'd rather just list the fly speed on the main stats, and leave the ground speed in the wear skeleton writeup. I'll strip the claws off the attack lines as well.

Updated.

Shouldn't the claws do 1d4, like a Medium skeleton?

I'm also thinking it wouldn't hurt to include a "mini stat block" with the changes.

A visceraith wearing a skeleton has the following changes to its statistics.

Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+3 Dex, +5 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 15
Attack: Claw +3 melee (1d4)
Full Attack: 2 claws +3 melee (1d4)

 

[Shade]

So shall we cut that up and use it as the basis for for Su power?

How's this:

Shatter Bone (Su): Four times a day, a visceraith can try to shatter a limb-bone or jaw-bone of a single opponent within 60 ft. Shatter bone can not affect boneless creatures, but can harm creatures whose skeletons are made of chitin rather than bone, such as most Vermin. The opponent must succeed at a DC X Fortitude save or suffer compound fractures in the targeted bone, which does Y damage and imposed the following penalties: a body part with a shattered bone lacks the Strength to hold and carry objects or make attacks, held items are dropped, but worn items are not dropped; if a shattered limb is used for locomotion (for example, a leg), the target's speed drops by three-quarters and Dexterity suffers a -8 circumstance penalty; if a shattered limb is used for manipulation (for example, an arm), the target's Dexterity suffers a -8 circumstance penalty and all spells with somatic components require a Concentration check (minimum DC 15); a target with a shattered jaw bone suffers a -8 circumstance penalty on skills checks requiring speech and all spells with verbal components require a Concentration check (minimum DC 15).

A shattered bone normally takes Z days to heal naturally (half that time if DC 15 Heal checks are used to provide long-term care), but can be instantly cured with a [cure serious wounds?] or stronger healing spell.

The save DC is Charisma-based.

Quite nice! I'd make the required healing spell heal, as picking one of the spells on the cure x wounds change feels odd.

Shouldn't the claws do 1d4, like a Medium skeleton?

Indeed. I'll fix it.

I'm also thinking it wouldn't hurt to include a "mini stat block" with the changes.

A visceraith wearing a skeleton has the following changes to its statistics.

Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+3 Dex, +5 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 15
Attack: Claw +3 melee (1d4)
Full Attack: 2 claws +3 melee (1d4)

Yeah, that wouldn't hurt.