Converting original D&D and Mystara monsters

[Cleon]

Oh, true enough, I forgot that. This thing has a number of moving parts to it. Is the non-artifact part done?

I believe it will be once I add the range update we'd agreed on.

Updating summon coven working draft.

...now it's done.

We're agreed on the artifact, then! What did you mean by something more elaborate?

I haven't worked out all the details, but I was thinking:

1) When the artifact is used as the focus of a summon coven, the gathering power effect has a range of 1 mile per caster level and participating goatlings do not need line of effect to sacrifice their spell-like abilities to the tabernacle.

2) The empowerment pool created by summon coven spell can remains in the artifact for up to 1 month without a spellcaster's concentration. A coven can access this stored pool by casting another summon coven on the artifact. The coven who access the stored pool need not be the same spellcasters as those who stored the empowerment points.

3) If another summon coven is cast on the artifact, the tabernacle's pool will contain either the empowerment pool gathered by the summon coven or the empowerment pool already stored in the artifact, whichever has the most empowerment points. Do not add the empowerment points of both pools together.

 

[freyar]

I can agree with that, I think. I guess I'd add to (2) that the coven (another, non-leader goatling in the coven) casts the spell to be empowered by the Tabernacle simultaneously or something similar.

 

[Cleon]

I can agree with that, I think. I guess I'd add to (2) that the coven (another, non-leader goatling in the coven) casts the spell to be empowered by the Tabernacle simultaneously or something similar.

I'm not sure I follow you.

The summon coven writeup only allows the coven leader to draw power from the summon coven's empowerment pool. If a non-leader coven spellcaster can draw power, it would involve a rewrite of the whole "Gathering Power" portion of the spell. For a start, does that mean they ALL can draw power, simultaneously, or do they all have to agree who's drawing power?

I wouldn't change how the coven draws power from the tabernacle - it's still the leader pulling it out. The main difference is when a coven casts summon coven with the tabernacle of the ram as the focus the empowerment pool in the tabernacle is either the pool "left over" from the previous summon coven or the pool gathered by the current summon coven, whichever is greater.

 

[freyar]

Ahhh, right, I should have read that more carefully. You just want to continue with the "next spell cast" then? I guess that doesn't make much difference given the casting time of summon coven. I'll agree. And I guess that does it for the Tabernacle.

But we need to revisit occultation and binding cage to make sure they work properly with summon coven.

 

[Cleon]

Ahhh, right, I should have read that more carefully. You just want to continue with the "next spell cast" then? I guess that doesn't make much difference given the casting time of summon coven. I'll agree. And I guess that does it for the Tabernacle.

Once we actually write it up at least!

But we need to revisit occultation and binding cage to make sure they work properly with summon coven.

Yes, although I think we were going to do that anyway.

 

[freyar]

If summon coven is cast using this artifact as the focus, the gathering power effect has a range of 1 mile per caster level and participating goatlings do not need line of effect to sacrifice their spell-like abilities to the tabernacle. The pool of empowerment points created by the summon coven spell can remain in the artifact for up to 1 month without a spellcaster's concentration. A coven can access this stored pool by casting another summon coven with this artifact as the focus. The coven who access the stored pool need not be the same spellcasters as those who stored the empowerment points. If another summon coven is cast to gather power using this artifact, the tabernacle's pool will contain either the empowerment pool gathered by the summon coven or the empowerment pool already stored in the artifact, whichever has the most empowerment points. Do not add the empowerment points of both pools together.

 

[Cleon]

If summon coven is cast using this artifact as the focus, the gathering power effect has a range of 1 mile per caster level and participating goatlings do not need line of effect to sacrifice their spell-like abilities to the tabernacle. The pool of empowerment points created by the summon coven spell can remain in the artifact for up to 1 month without a spellcaster's concentration. A coven can access this stored pool by casting another summon coven with this artifact as the focus. The coven who access the stored pool need not be the same spellcasters as those who stored the empowerment points. If another summon coven is cast to gather power using this artifact, the tabernacle's pool will contain either the empowerment pool gathered by the summon coven or the empowerment pool already stored in the artifact, whichever has the most empowerment points. Do not add the empowerment points of both pools together.

I'm thinking we could probably tidy that up a bit, and it needs a description and the protection from evil effect mentioned in Goatmen of Kavaja.

Oh, and we need a weight. If it's designed to be carried by a dozen goatlings it's probably pretty heavy.

Let's see...

Tabernacle of the Ram
The tabernacle of the ram is an artifact that enhances the effectiveness of the summon coven spell. It appears as a massive ebony chest supporting a large glowing silver disc atop its lid. The chest is carved with ram's heads on the sides and gold-plated goatling torsos at each corner. It is set with gilded handles and poles that allow up to a dozen Medium humanoids to carry the tabernacle on their shoulders.

The artifact continually emanates a 30 foot radius protection from evil effect. The silver light from the disc is as bright as a daylight spell (60-foot radius illuminated as full daylight, plus an additional 60-foot radius of dim light).

If summon coven is cast using the tabernacle of the ram as its focus, the spell's gathering power effect has a range of 1 mile per caster level and participating goatlings do not need line of effect to sacrifice their spell-like abilities to the tabernacle. The pool of empowerment points created by a summon coven spell can remain in the tabernacle of the ram for up to 1 month without a spellcaster's concentration. If the artifact already contains an empowerment pool from a previous casting of summon coven, the tabernacle will contain whichever of the pools contains the most empowerment points (the newly gathered pool or the previous pool) and allows the leader of the current summon coven to access this pool. Do not add the empowerment points of both pools together.

Strong abjuration, conjuration, and evocation [good]; caster level 20th; Weight 900 lbs.

 

[Cleon]

Strong abjuration, conjuration, and evocation [good]; caster level 20th; Weight 600 lbs.

The 600 pound weight guesstimate is based on the assumption the tabernacle approximated to a 6-foot by 3-foot by 3-foot box of 1.5 inch thick wood with an extra 50% weight added on for the fittings and carvings.

If it's made of especially dense wood (like actual ebony, which is up to twice as heavy as regular wood) or the "extras" are especially heavy (e.g. four life-sized wooden goatling torsos could weight 300 pounds or more) it could easily weigh up to twice as much.

600 pounds is 50 pounds each if divided among a dozen bearers, which is a Medium load for a biped with a Strength of 8 to 12.

I'd be game to increase it to 900 to 1200 pounds. A typical Goatling has Strength 12, so 900 pounds is still a Medium load when divided among a dozen or them (75 pounds each), and 1200 pounds will be a heavy load (100 pounds each).

 

[freyar]

I think I'd go with 900 lb, but it's not a big deal. Otherwise, I like it!

 

[Cleon]

I think I'd go with 900 lb, but it's not a big deal. Otherwise, I like it!

900 pounds it is then!

Updating Tabernacle of the Ram.

Updating the Goatling Working Draft.