Converting Oriental Adventures creatures

[freyar]

I went back and looked at the seawolf again; the attack is basically the same as the choker's, which is called "Constrict." So let's just leave the name.

Hey, since the veils are ranged weapons, shouldn't Entangle Weapon be a ranged touch? Or should we make them melee attacks with exceptional reach?

Here's a draft ability for the Seven Veils:

Strangling Veils (Ex): The Veiled Maidens can make a touch attack with a veil against an opponent that is denied its Dex bonus to AC. If the attack succeeds, the opponent is considered grappled and takes 1d8 hp of damage per round from strangulation. The veil always wraps the victim's throat, so the victim cannot breathe, speak, or cast spells with verbal components. The victim, however, can escape by succeeding at a DC X grapple check. The Veiled Maidens is not considered grappled. The save DC is X-based.

Maybe Str-based?

 

[Cleon]

I went back and looked at the seawolf again; the attack is basically the same as the choker's, which is called "Constrict." So let's just leave the name.

Hey, since the veils are ranged weapons, shouldn't Entangle Weapon be a ranged touch? Or should we make them melee attacks with exceptional reach?

They have the same properties as a whip, which includes "treated as a melee weapon with 15-foot reach". I just forgot to change the stats.

Come to think of it, perhaps we should include that passage in the Steel Cloth SA?

Here's a draft ability for the Seven Veils:

Strangling Veils (Ex): The Veiled Maidens can make a touch attack with a veil against an opponent that is denied its Dex bonus to AC. If the attack succeeds, the opponent is considered grappled and takes 1d8 hp of damage per round from strangulation. The veil always wraps the victim's throat, so the victim cannot breathe, speak, or cast spells with verbal components. The victim, however, can escape by succeeding at a DC X grapple check. The Veiled Maidens is not considered grappled. The save DC is X-based.

Maybe Str-based?

I'd have the damage add 1.5 times its Strength bonus like a two-handed weapon, since that's how garroting weapons work.

For the escape difficulty, it should work like escaping the Entangle Weapon ability. Indeed, I'd just refer the reader to that ability.

How about:

Strangling Veil (Ex): A Veiled Maidens can make a special entangling attack against an opponent who is denied its Dex bonus to AC. This works like the entangle weapon ability (see above), except that if the attack succeeds, the veil wraps the opponent's throat instead of binding a weapon. The victim is unable to breathe, speak, or cast spells with verbal components while being strangled and takes 1d8+3 damage per round. The opponent can escape a strangling veil using the same procedure as escaping the Veiled Maidens' entangle weapon ability.

 

[freyar]

That extra line in Steel Cloth would be helpful, as would a change to the stats.

Your Strangling Veil is fine if you capitalize Entangle Weapon.

 

[Cleon]

That extra line in Steel Cloth would be helpful, as would a change to the stats.

Your Strangling Veil is fine if you capitalize Entangle Weapon.

That's all agreeable...

Updating the Veiled Maidens Working Draft.

That only leaves Stunning Blow unconverted from their original martial manoeuvres.

The 3E equivalent to that is the Stunning Fist feat, so the easy solution is just giving them that feat, or we could give them a special attack with similar effects.

 

[freyar]

If you're satisfied with it only working for the unarmed strike, let's just give them/it the feat.

EDIT: we need a speed! 30 ft?

 

[Cleon]

If you're satisfied with it only working for the unarmed strike, let's just give them/it the feat.

I'm fine with just using the feat. It's got plenty of tricks with its veil already.

The original Veiled Maidens got "stun touch" as a martial art manoeuvre for their "soft martial arts using the hands", so I'm reasonably confident they couldn't use it with a weapon.

Here's the original text from the Vital Area martial manoeuvres in 1E Oriental Adventures (1985):

Stunning Touch: With a light slap of his fingers in the correct place, the character can stun and daze his opponent. This can be done in place of a normal attack and causes no damage. A normal to hit roll must be made. If successful, the victim is allowed a saving throw vs. paralyzation. If this is failed, the victim is stunned for 1d4 rounds, unable to take any action. However, should the to hit roll fail or the saving throw be passed, the attack has no effect.​

That certainly looks like an unarmed strike in 3E terms.

Incidentally while the 1st edition AD&D monk in the Player's Handbook came with a stunning "open hand" attack as a class ability, the Oriental Adventures monk we're dealing with got a free martial art style and could pick and choose its martial manoeuvres - one of which was Stunning Touch.

EDIT: we need a speed! 30 ft?

The original monster has a 17" speed, the same as a 3rd level monk.

In 3E, a third level monk gets an unarmed speed bonus of +10 ft. from their Fast Movement ability, while an 8th level monk gets +20 ft.

That would indicate either 40 ft. or 50 ft. for our conversion.

I'd go for whichever of those you prefer, although we'd better add mention of Fast Movement in the Martial Artistry special ability.

e.g.:

Speed: 40 ft. (with fast movement, base speed 30 ft.)
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., evasion, fast movement, immune to turning, multiple bodies, multiple perspectives, special weakness - veil, rejuvenation, undead traits, unholy toughness

Martial Artistry (Ex): The Veiled Maidens possesses the bonus feats, evasion, fast movement and unarmed strike abilities of a 3rd-level monk. Furthermore, the Veiled Maidens possesses the base attack bonus and base saving throw bonuses of a monk of a level equal to its Hit Dice.

Speed: 50 ft. (with fast movement, base speed 30 ft.)
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., evasion, fast movement, immune to turning, multiple bodies, multiple perspectives, special weakness - veil, rejuvenation, undead traits, unholy toughness

Martial Artistry (Ex): The Veiled Maidens possesses the bonus feats, evasion and unarmed strike abilities of a 3rd-level monk. Furthermore, the Veiled Maidens possesses the base attack bonus, base saving throw bonuses and fast movement ability of a monk of a level equal to its Hit Dice.

 

[Cleon]

Come to think of it, should we include special ability description for Evasion and Fast Movement?

e.g.:

Evasion (Ex): If a Veiled Maidens makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, it instead takes no damage. A Veiled Maidens' body that is helpless or wearing medium or heavy armor can not use evasion.

Fast Movement (Ex): The Veiled Maidens gains an enhancement bonus to its speed. A Veiled Maidens' body that is in armor or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.

I suppose we ought to, just out of completeness.

 

[freyar]

40 ft speed, like a 3rd level monk.

If we're writing out Evasion and Fast Movement, I think I'd leave their listing out of Martial Artistry. It seems redundant as is. And, honestly, we can just set the base speed as we like, so we don't even need Fast Movement unless we care about the restrictions on the speed.

 

[Cleon]

40 ft speed, like a 3rd level monk.

If we're writing out Evasion and Fast Movement, I think I'd leave their listing out of Martial Artistry. It seems redundant as is. And, honestly, we can just set the base speed as we like, so we don't even need Fast Movement unless we care about the restrictions on the speed.

So shall we use the first of the two options and forget about writing out the Evasion and Fast Movement?

e.g.

Speed: 40 ft. (with fast movement, base speed 30 ft.)
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., evasion, fast movement, immune to turning, multiple bodies, multiple perspectives, special weakness - veil, rejuvenation, undead traits, unholy toughness

Martial Artistry (Ex): The Veiled Maidens possesses the bonus feats, evasion, fast movement and unarmed strike abilities of a 3rd-level monk. Furthermore, the Veiled Maidens possesses the base attack bonus and base saving throw bonuses of a monk of a level equal to its Hit Dice.

 

[freyar]

I like what you have with 2 small changes:

List Martial Artistry under the SQs. I think you meant to do that.
Don't list evasion and fast movement separately under the SQs, since they're part of Martial Artistry. I guess I'm not as much of a stickler on this point.

Skills: Balance, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Tumble, Use Rope ????