Converting monsters from Imagine Magazine

[freyar]

Yeah, I agree. Another try:

Possession (Su): As a result of the gebbeth's incorporeal touch attack, the gebbeth can merge its body with a creature (as part of the attack action). This ability is similar to a magic jar spell (caster level 10th or the gebbeth’s Hit Dice, whichever is higher), except that it does not require a receptacle and as noted below. The target can resist the attack with a successful Will save (DC 15 + gebbeth’s Cha modifier). A creature that successfully saves is immune to that same gebbeth’s possession for 24 hours. If the save fails, the gebbeth vanishes into the target’s body and takes control of it, losing the incorporeal subtype.

Unlike the magic jar spell, the gebbeth can use all the target's special abilities (Ex, Su, and Sp included) and can access the target's skills and feats. If the target is a spell caster, the gebbeth can use any spells that the victim has prepared at the time of possession; the gebbeth can also cast and prepare arcane spells as normal for the victim. If the body is reduced to 0hp, the possessed creature dies and the gebbeth becomes incorporeal again. In addition, the gebbeth can be forced out of the possessed creature by a successful dismissal or banishment spell or similar magic.

Ability Drain (Su): A gebbeth in possession of a body has a touch attack, as well. The victim must make a Will save (DC 15 + gebbeth’s Cha modifier) or suffer 1 point of either Int or Con drain (gebbeth's choice). When either Int or Con is reduced to 0 by this drain, the victim dies.

 

[dhaga]

The Possession text looks much more complete now
Any ideas for Unnerving Fade? Do the features return, or does the victim need to suffer through life faceless? Victim loses true sight, gains Blindsight instead? Not sure how breathing or eating would work...

I'm all for flavor, but I think the victim should get his facial features back if the gebbeth is driven out. Maybe they could slowly fade back in. That's creepy...

 

[freyar]

Yeah, got interrupted in the middle of that last post and just haven't had much chance to get back to conversions. Anyway, updating:

Unnerving Fade (Su): When in stress (as determined by the DM, for example when wounded), there is a 1 in 6 chance per round (cumulative) that the possessed creature's features will fade. At the end of three rounds, the face will be completely blank. Anyone observing this fading is affected as if by a doom spell (CL 3rd, DC 18) (The DC is 10+1/2 HD + Cha modifier). The gebbeth has no control over this ability. When the gebbeth is no longer under stress, or if it is driven from the possessed body, the facial appearance returns to normal over a three round period.

 

[Shade]

Updated in Homebrews.

 

[freyar]

Great! I'll work on some flavor text this evening; I think we've got the signature abilities down pretty well. I suppose there's the possibility of DR, immunities, and/or resistances, but we're mostly done I think.

 

[freyar]

Time to sit and work on the flavor text, finally:

The madman lunges at you, his face a rictus of pain from the wounds you've inflicted. Suddenly, all of his facial features blur and start to fade away...

The gebbeth is a malevolent outsider native to X, which enters the material plane only as a result of powerful, but misguided, magic. Any time a summoning spell or a spell used to create or animate undead is used, there is a chance that a gebbeth can be released, at which point it attempts to possess the mage who inadvertently summoned it. If that is not possible, the gebbeth will not hesitate to possess someone else in order to cause mayhem, though they often become obsessed with possessing their summoner.

In its incorporeal form, a gebbeth appears to be a shadow, but it is not undead.

Edit: X should be one of the more chaotic of the NE planes (or more N of the CE planes).

 

[Shade]

We could just go with "a nonlawful, evil plane" for X.

 

[freyar]

We could just go with "a nonlawful, evil plane" for X.

Sounds fine to me.

Noticed that the DCs for possession and unnerving fade are off. Let's make the possession DC Cha based, just 10+1/2 HD + Cha mod. And following that formula, the unnerving fade DC should be 20.

Feats and skills?

 

[Shade]

Updated in Homebrews.

For feats, I'd go with Ability Focus (possession), Flyby Attack, and either Iron Will or Improved Critical (incorporeal touch).

For skills, at the very least, I'd say Bluff, Disguise, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (the planes), Listen, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot.

 

[freyar]

For feats, I'd go with Ability Focus (possession), Flyby Attack, and either Iron Will or Improved Critical (incorporeal touch).

For skills, at the very least, I'd say Bluff, Disguise, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (the planes), Listen, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot.

Since the only damage from the incorporeal touch is possession, let's go with Iron Will. Ability Focus and Flyby Attack sound ok, too.

The max ranks in each skill is 11, so maxing those out still leaves us with 43 by your count. I'd also give it Spellcraft, Use Magic Device, and Concentration at max, which leaves 10 more ranks to spread around. Something like Hide or Intimidate?