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Converting Planescape monsters

Cleon

Legend
Before I update, any ideas about the weight?

They're man-sized, but not always man-shaped, so I would think something like 150 to 250 pounds would be OK.

Actually, didn't we decide that the alignment should be "always lawful, often good" rather than "often neutral"?

If I recall accurately, we went for neutral because of their "if in doubt, kill the intruder" ethos.

Tactics: A busen will never attack without warning, instead always challenging potential opponents and providing them an opportunity to explain themselves. The busen the proceeds to a more thorough questioning and examination; those deemed satisfactory are allowed to proceed. However, any creature that attacks a busen or demonstrates clearly evil tendencies is met with force.

In combat, a busen uses its malleable form to adjust tactics as necessary, changing weapons as needed to affect any given opponent, although an individual busen may have a favored form for its weaponlike protrusions It will resort to its whirling frenzy only when both the busen and its opponents are all sorely wounded.

Most of that first paragraph could go in Background rather than its Combat tactics.

The original text says that buseni will do their best to kill any creature that attacks them. We need to work that in there somehow.
 

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freyar

Extradimensional Explorer
What about the line I had "However, any creature that attacks a busen or demonstrates clearly evil tendencies is met with force."?
 

Cleon

Legend
What about the line I had "However, any creature that attacks a busen or demonstrates clearly evil tendencies is met with force."?

That doesn't necessarily involve lethality. They could be forcibly restraining or expelling the intruders instead of killing them.
 

freyar

Extradimensional Explorer
"However, any creature that attacks a busen or demonstrates clearly evil tendencies is met with lethal force."?
 

Cleon

Legend
"However, any creature that attacks a busen or demonstrates clearly evil tendencies is met with lethal force."?

Better.

I'd rather most of the first paragraph go in the background text, and I don't like the "never attack without warning" bit - I'd prefer to have it so their normal behaviour is to challenge and interrogate intruders, but leave it open to them ambushing obvious evil menaces such as demons without warning.

COMBAT
Any creature that attacks a busen or demonstrates a clearly evil nature is met with lethal force. Buseni use malleable form to adjust their tactics and weapon-like protrusions to best affect their opponent, although individual busen may have a favored form for its weapon-protrusions. A sorely endangered busen will resort to its whirling frenzy attack.
 


Cleon

Legend
Updated.

You seem to have some thoughts on the flavor, so do you care to write up something?

Not really, but I can whip something up...

A humanoid figure with glistening skin like seamless black leather. Its face is as smooth and featureless as a pool of oil. Strange ridges run across its limbs, skull, and torso, almost breaking through its skin.

The buseni are fearsome-looking outsiders that guard many of the routes to the second layer of Arcadia. A busen's default form is the jet-black humanoid described above, but they have malleable bodies which take on whatever shape best suits their mission. A busen patrolling a broad mountain pass might be a slavering wolf-thing, one guarding a sinkhole down to a tunnel could be a sucker-pawed crawler with enormous bat-like ears. Buseni have no bones, their skeletons are odd ridges that are just barely restrained from projecting through their skin. A busen can jut a pair of these ridges out from its flesh and use these protrusions as weapons.

In their normal duties, buseni wait in some dark spot until someone tries to pass them without permission. They then suddenly step into view and display their weapon-protrusions. Buseni do their utmost to kill any intruder who reacts to this warning display by attacking. If intruders try to parley, the buseni telepathically interrogate them as to their purpose in trying to enter Arcadia, then demand the intruder remove all their possessions (including weapons, clothes, and even jewelery) while the buseni examine them. The buseni then use Sense Motive to determine their trustworthiness, only allowing creatures to pass if they assess them to be non-evil.

The buseni are lawful creatures with no tolerance of evil, who would sooner die than allow an evil creature pass by on their watch. Their function as sentries is obvious, and they obey orders assigning them to specific guard missions, but who (or what) does the ordering is unknown. The origins of buseni are equally mysterious, since they do not appear to be formed from petitioners or breed like normal creatures. Some sages believe they are spawned from the plane of Arcadia itself.

A busen's malleable form generally remains around 6 feet in length or height. It weighs around 200 pounds.

Buseni communicate telepathically. They could form a mouth and speak, but their regular missions give them no cause to. Buseni are fully familiar with the Abyssal, Celestial, Draconic and Infernal languages.
 
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Cleon

Legend
I was also thinking we should have something related to this in the background:

Planes of Law said:
Busen skins are prized in Acheron and Baator, often fetching ridiculously high prices in open bidding. The skin stretches and doesn’t tear, and it’s excellent clothing material for those who find stealth a necessity. A busen skin, if properly crafted, adds 25% to a rogue’s chance to hide in shadows. Of course, any creature caught wearing one of these skins in Arcadia – or spied wearing one by a native of Arcadia (even if said native is traveling elsewhere) – is usually immediately attacked. Some sort of reparation is always demanded, even if it might lead to the death of the creature demanding it.

I just haven't decided how to trim it down.
 

freyar

Extradimensional Explorer
How about this?

Due to its extreme flexibility and dark coloration, busen skin is highly valued in the lower planes. However, wearing a busen skin in the upper planes is an invitation for trouble --- it usually provokes attacks on sight and never fails to elicit a demand for reparations.
 

Cleon

Legend
How about this?

Due to its extreme flexibility and dark coloration, busen skin is highly valued in the lower planes. However, wearing a busen skin in the upper planes is an invitation for trouble --- it usually provokes attacks on sight and never fails to elicit a demand for reparations.

How about...

Busen skin can be used to make leather clothing of extraordinary durability which fetch a high price in the lower planes. Wearing such garments in the presence of creatures affiliated with Arcadia is sure to provoke attacks, challenges, or demands for reparation.
 

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