Converting original D&D and Mystara monsters
Cleon
Legend
Might as well go for the goatfolk and their demon god, then.
Although come to think of it, do we have 3E stats for "regular" Mystaran goatfolk?
Cleon
Legend
Yes, I knew of the Vaults of Pandius version, I was wondering whether we'd got our own conversion.
Looking through the Creature Catalog and doing a quick google of General Monster Talk, we don't appear to have a conversion of the Mystaran Goatman, so I guess we'd better add it to the conversion pile. There are AD&D stats for a Goatman in the Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium.
Heard's Goatmen of Kavaja document has four different kinds of Goatmen. Two are original species of goatmen, the Goatling (which seems the same as the Mystaran Goatman) and the Bielgorad (a minotaur-muskox "super warrior" version of the goatling). These are also two hybrids, the Ovinaur (a halfling-goatling centaur) and the Caprine (a dryad-goatling hybrid that resembles an elf-like satyr).
Looks like we might as well convert all of them!
I would do the basic Goatling first and then proceed to the Bielgorad, Caprine and Ovinaur, in that order, then finish off with the Demon Lord Bielgorna, who created both kinds of "purebred" goatmen.
Is that enough of a run-over sentence for you Freyar? I could add a few more commas to it if you like!
Cleon
Legend
Believe it or not, I think that sentence is actually grammatically correct.
So, goatling=Mystaran goatman? Then, yes, let's do that first. We can compare to the Pandius version. Care to post the MC stats?
Here's the Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium goatman.
[FONT="]Goatman
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Mountain
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
ORGANIZATION: Clan
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Day
DIET: Omnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Average (8-10)
TREASURE: M, N, O (Qx10, S, V)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral (evil)
NO. APPEARING: 1d6+4
ARMOUR CLASS: 5 (7)
MOVEMENT: 18
HIT DICE: 2+2
THAC0: 19
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4 (or by weapon)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Surprise, backstab
SPECIAL DEFENCES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: M (5'-6' tall)
MORALE: Unsteady (5-7)
XP VALUE: 175 (270 w/Legacy)
Scout 270 (420 w/Legacy)
Patriarch 650 (975 w/Legacy)
Shaman 975 (1,400 w/Legacy)
[/FONT]A cross between a man and mountain goat, this creature is native to the Black Mountains east of the City-States, but it is becoming more and more common in the Savage Baronies. Smarter than orcs but not as capable as humans, these humanoids still make natural thieves.
Goatmen look like tall, bipedal goats with human arms. They have cloven hooves and powerful lower legs, but their torsos are vaguely humanoid with slender arms jointed like those of humans. The head is that of a mountain goat, with horns growing in a tight curl on each side. Except for the arms, the entire body of a goatman is covered with short, woolly fur ranging in colour from white to black. Their hair grows long and shaggy on the head and down the back, separated into braids with decorative beads and leather strips.
Goatmen have a language with so many different dialects that many of them have trouble communicating with each other. However, most of them know common, speaking with a naturally rough and hoarse voice.
The Red Curse: The Red Curse affects any goatmen who enter the Savage Coast. As they usually come in from the east, goatmen tend to have Legacies from Region 1. Because they require cinnabryl to fight off Affliction, goatmen have been known to be quite ruthless in their efforts to acquire this magical metal.
Combat: Goatmen move with both speed and stealth, allowing them to appear from an unexpected direction (-1 penalty to opponent's surprise roll). In a fight, goatmen rely more on Dexterity than Strength. If a goatman attacks from behind and gains surprise, it is allowed to make a backstab as per the thief special ability. This free attack is made before initiative is rolled. On a rear attack, a goatman gains a +4 bonus to its attack roll and ignores the defender's Armour Class Dexterity adjustment. Most goatmen inflict double damage with this strike, but scouts and goatman leaders inflict triple damage.
Goatmen favour smaller weapons such as daggers, crude short swords, clubs, and maces. A goatman can never wield a two-handed sword or any bow other than a light crossbow. However, goatmen can use firearms. Goatmen also have a natural +1 attack bonus when attacking with a dagger or knife. Very few of them possess qualms about using poison, but it is difficult for them to attain.
Ramming is a natural ability of the goatman, employed in combat only if the conditions are right. Their horns are not suited for goring though incredible strong, and the thick neck muscles of a goatman allow him to absorb incredible amounts of force with no negative effect. Ramming requires a running start and only causes 1d4 points of damage. However, the force of the blow forces the victim to make a Dexterity check with a -6 penalty (if the victim is surprised, no check is allowed). A failed check indicates that the victim is shoved forward 1d10 feet and automatically falls. This attack is most useful when a person is standing within a few feet from the edge of a cliff or very steep slope.
A small number of goatmen (5%) follow a different path from the rest, learning primitive clerical magic. These goatman shamans lose the backstab ability but still use the same weapons as a regular goatman. These shamans are treated as 5th-level priests. With a shaman present, goatman morale increases to Average (8-10).
Using their fast movement and stealth, goatmen usually make a coordinated effort to take advantage of their backstab ability. Sometimes, a small group appears ahead of the victims to make noise and draw attention away from the goatmen coming up from behind. If victory is not assured after the first few rounds of fighting, the goatman leader will call for a retreat. A second attack will proceed much like the first, but with a stronger diversionary force. The third attack will almost always be a normal battle, with no surprises. A goatman leader will not usually commit his people to a fight unless they possess overwhelming numbers.
Special Abilities: Powerful lower legs, sharp hooves, and incredible balance allow goatmen to traverse steep mountain terrain with no detriment to their Movement Rate. At times, they can leap five feet straight up. Goatmen move at half their normal Movement Rate when moving through swampy or marshy ground.
Habitat/Society: Goatmen are natives of the Black Mountains that lay to the east of the City-States. They live in small communities formed around a family patriarch or matriarch, numbering anywhere from 20 to 50 members per clan. The one patriarch (or matriarch) is considered a 5th-level thief, though 1 out of every 10 goatmen is likely to be of similar experience. Another 3 of every 10 are considered 3rd-level thieves (scouts), and 1 of every 20 is a clan shaman. These numbers hold fairly true whether encountering a goatman clan or a travelling band.
Clans might lay claim to a particular mountain valley or summit, controlling the terrain for several miles in any direction, but they always remain ready to move should game get too scarce to feed them or a neighbouring clan too powerful to deal with. The clans are fierce rivals, often fighting over borders. In hard times, one clan might try to raid another, but generally the weaker clan moves on to a better location before this happens.
Goatmen try to live near caves, which they use for emergency shelter or a common meeting place. They build simple stone dwellings for each mated couple and their immediate family, usually with a heavy thatch roof. Goatmen raise crops but do not tend them very well; they also hunt for wild game. Occasionally a clan will keep pigs and horses for food.
Evening meals are often a community event, with the patriarch deciding who should supply food and a clan shaman leading the festivities. Goatmen play a variety of simple instruments, and their music is very enthusiastic if not exactly beautiful. They love to sing and dance and will often build up a huge bonfire to supply light for their revelry, which can last well into the night.
In the face of deprivation, the clans sometimes put their differences aside to work together. This usually results in a large raiding force that comes down out of the Black Mountains to attack farms and villages of the eastern City-States, or perhaps the nation of Hule. Currently, under the leadership of Gr'anth Mountainwalker (9th-level thief, 5th-level shaman), several clans are waging a merciless guerrilla war to rid the hills northwest of Zvornik of all goblins.
At times, small bands of goatmen and even individuals enter the lands of the Savage Coast, seeking work, fortune, and mischief. Goatmen are rare in the Savage Baronies, and are very rare east of Renardy. Their reputation precedes them, so goatmen are not particularly welcome, except by those who are in need of such unscrupulous sorts. However, goatmen are not persecuted except in the Baronía de Narvaez where they are thought to be "spawns of fiends." Goatmen also have a natural dislike for dogs, straining relations with the lupins of Renardy.
Legends: An ancient tale tells of a wealthy mountain city called Bielagul, which was once ruled by goatmen. When it fell, due to either outside invasion or the disfavour of the Immortals, the goatmen were scattered throughout the Black Mountains.
Over the years, adventurers have returned from the Black Mountains with tales of the ruins of a grand city they discovered. Organized searches have met with little success over the years, however.
The goatmen devoutly believe in the existence of this city, and several clans think that the city is near their territory. Gr'anth Mountainwalker, current warleader of the clans, claims to have visited the city and promises to return the goatmen to it one day. Many think that the City-State of Zvornik has promised to aid Gr'anth in this cause in return for clearing out the nearby goblins. Even if such a promise were made, it seems likely that Zvornik will abandon any ties to this barbarous race once the goblins are eradicated.
Ecology: In large numbers, goatmen strain any environment. They overhunt regions and their farming methods leach away the soil's nutrients. They fight against any race that appears weak and, often, among themselves. The only qualities that the goatmen have to offer other races are their roguish skills.
Often, goatmen are also hunted for their value to alchemists and wizards. The tongue of a goatman can be made into a philtre of glibness, and a special assortment of muscles from the arms and legs can be enchanted and formed into bracers of dexterity. Other parts of these creatures are also reported to have special uses the inner ear workings having to do with superior balance, and their horn with various armour spells.
Cleon
Legend
Believe it or not, I think that sentence is actually grammatically correct.
I was aiming for a horribly overrun sentence, not a horribly ungrammatical one.
Hmm, comparing Heard's Goatlings to the Mystaran Goatmen, a goatling is a lot more "occult". They've got spell-like abilities and some of them are literally immortal. Also, a basic goatling fights as a 3rd level fighter (including hp), so they've got 1 more Hit Dice than a Goatman.
I haven't finished reading the pdf, but the Goatlings don't seem to be natural thieves like the Goatmen.
So, that suggests we've got another Goat-race...
"Goatling" - Original breed; Outsider, some Native, originals Extraplanar immortals?
"Goatfolk?" - Mountain rogues; 2 HD Monstrous Humanoid?
Caprine - Elfish goat-satyr; Monstrous Humanoid?
Ovinaur - halfling-capricentaur; Monstrous Humanoid?
Bielgorad - Muskox-minotaur warrior slaves of Bielgorna; Outsider?
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