Converting monsters from the second edition Monstrous Compendiums

[Shade]

Rain Linnorm
Huge Dragon
Hit Dice: 10d12+x (x hp)
Initiative: +x
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares), fly 100 ft. (good), swim 30 ft.
AC: x (-2 size, +x natural), touch x, flat-footed x
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+x
Attack: Bite +x melee (2d6+x)
Full Attack: Bite +x melee (2d6+x) and 2 claws +x melee (2d8+x) and tail slap +x melee (2d6+x)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, crush 2d8+x, spell-like abilities, spells
Special Qualities: Blindsense 60 ft., damage reduction x, immunity to disease, paralysis, and sleep, keen senses, spell resistance CR+11
Saves: Fort +x, Ref +x, Will +x
Abilities: Str x, Dex x, Con x, Int x, Wis x, Cha x
Skills: x
Feats: 4 (Flyby Attack, Multiattack, Snatch, 1 more?)
Environment: Any (non-arid?) land
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: x
Treasure: Standard?
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Huge); 21-30 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: -

Rain linnorms speak Draconic and Abyssal.

 

[Minicol]

This thread continues my idea of “cooperative conversions” started in this thread, converting a series of monsters from similar sources. For this thread, we will be focusing on monsters that )

Woah ! Thank you man ! Much appreciated. nothing like a good monster to cheer you up after the death of a DRAGON...

 

[BOZ]

no problem, of course.

 

[Mortis]

Talking of linnorms, looks like the stygian linnorm is in Dungeon 149.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

Breath Weapon/Special Abilities: The rain linnorm's breath is a stream of boiling water 3 feet wide and 90 feet long (saving throw for half damage applies). A rain linnorm casts spells at a level equal to 8 plus the dragon's combat modifier.

Breath Weapon/Special Abilities: A rain linnorm's breath is a stream of boiling water 3' wide at the linnorm's mouth and 90' long. Creatures struck must save vs. breath for half damage. A rain linnorm casts spells at 8th level, adjusted by combat modifiers.

90 foot line and fire damage?

Rain linnorms are born invulnerable to electrical attacks, and they gain abilities as they age: very young - create food and water (twice per day); young - plant growth and entangle (three times per day each); juvenile - call lightning (twice per day); young adult - lightning bolt (twice per day) and water breathing (at will); adult - control winds (twice per day); mature adult - moonbeam and rainbow (each three times per day); old - immune to missile weapons and transmute dust to water (three times per day); very old - immune to nonmagical blunt weapons, weather summoning (twice per day); venerable - immune to nonmagical edged weapons, conjure water elemental (twice per day); wyrm - regenerate 10 hp/round, control weather (once per day); great wyrm - regenerate 20 hp/round, wind walk (once per day).

Rain linnorms are born invulnerable to electrical attacks. As they age, they gain additional abilities: very young - create food and water (twice a day); young - plant growth and entangle (each three times a day); juvenile - call lightning (twice a day); young adult - lightning bolt (twice a day), water breathing (at will); adult - control winds (twice a day); mature adult - moonbeam and rainbow (each three times a day); old - immune to missile weapons and transmute dust to water (three times a day); very old - immune to nonmagical blunt weapons, weather summoning (twice a day); venerable - immune to nonmagical edged weapons, conjure water elemental (twice a day); wyrm - regenerate 10 hp/round, control weather (once a day); great wyrm - regenerate 20 hp/round, wind walk (once a day).

Immunity to electricity seems a no-brainer. DR/magic and bludgeoning or slashing?

None of the other linnorms have regeneration or fast healing. Should we keep that?

At will -- control winds, water breathing (or just the water breathing special ability?)
3/day -- entangle, plant growth
2/day -- call lightning, create food and water, lightning bolt,
1/day -- control weather, wind walk

Moonbeam, rainbow, transmute dust to water, weather summoning, and conjure water elemental will all need replacements (or be dropped)

 

[GrayLinnorm]

None of the other linnorms had regeneration in 2e either. Keep it.

As for conjure water elemental, give it a summon monster/nature's ally spell of appropriate power and just say it can only summon water elementals.

 

[Mortis]

90 foot line and fire damage?

Or acid? I'm sort of thinking acid rain

Either would work though.

Immunity to electricity seems a no-brainer.

Indeed

DR/magic and bludgeoning or slashing?

Well at different age categories it gains immunity to blunt and edged weapons so maybe it should be DR/magic and piercing?

None of the other linnorms have regeneration or fast healing. Should we keep that?

Of course

or just the water breathing special ability?

Yes

Moonbeam, rainbow, transmute dust to water, weather summoning, and conjure water elemental will all need replacements (or be dropped)

Quench seems a reasonable replacement.
What did rainbow do? There is a rainbow spell is Dragon 321 (322?) or perhaps rainbow pattern?
There's also a moonbeam spell in the FRCS book which we could possibly refer to.

I agree with GrayLinnorm about summoning water elementals.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

None of the other linnorms had regeneration in 2e either. Keep it.

Good point. Will do!

As for conjure water elemental, give it a summon monster/nature's ally spell of appropriate power and just say it can only summon water elementals.

Fair enough.

Or acid? I'm sort of thinking acid rain

We could do half acid/half fire as well.

Well at different age categories it gains immunity to blunt and edged weapons so maybe it should be DR/magic and piercing?

Ah, but look again...it gets immunity to nonmagical blunt and edged weapons (thus, DR/magic), but gains immunity to all missile weapons (which usually translates to DR/bludgeoning or slashing).

Quench seems a reasonable replacement.
What did rainbow do? There is a rainbow spell is Dragon 321 (322?) or perhaps rainbow pattern?
There's also a moonbeam spell in the FRCS book which we could possibly refer to.

Quench seems reasonable.

The rainbow spell in Dragon creates an actual bow that can be fired. Not really useful for a linnorm. Maybe go with rainbow pattern?

I think we can drop moonbeam. It's really only useful against lycanthropes.

 

[Mortis]

Ah, but look again...it gets immunity to nonmagical blunt and edged weapons (thus, DR/magic), but gains immunity to all missile weapons (which usually translates to DR/bludgeoning or slashing).

For missile weapons give it a permanent protection from normal missiles.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

For missile weapons give it a permanent protection from normal missiles.

But nowadays, all that gets you is damage reduction 10/magic against ranged weapons. Might as well just simplify to DR/magic across the board (like the other linnorms), eh?