Converting Planescape monsters
Cleon
Legend
We just settled on the Armor Classes, during which we revised the ACs of the previous two Quasi-Elementals:
I guess that the next item on our agenda is their "Void Storm" special attack. Assuming that's the name we want to use.
The 2E version has:
A vacuum quasielemental can ram foes with its shapeless body, inflicting 1d4 points of damage plus 1 additional point per Hit Die (6, 9, or 12). But more importantly, it also draws any surrounding air into itself. An area of 60 feet around the creature is treated as though a continual gust of wind spell blew toward the quasielemental. Any air-breathing sod within the area automatically suffers 1d4 points of damage per round — the monster literally sucks the breath away from him. (‘Course, this doesn’t apply on an airless void like the Quasiplane of Vacuum.)
If in a confined space, a vacuum quasielemental can reduce a 60-foot cube of air to a vacuum within a single round. However, it can maintain the airless state for only 10 rounds; it must then stop and rest for an hour before using this power again.
While the earlier 1E version has:
Vacuum quasi-elementals suck in any and all surrounding air, seeking to reduce any area of confinement to the the same level of airlessness as their native plane. In the Prime Material plane, the region within 60′ of a Vacuum quasi-elemental has the effects of a gust of wind spell blowing toward the quasi-elemental. A Vacuum quasi-elemental can reduce a 60′ × 60′ area to vacuum in a single round. Those within an area so vacated of air suffer the effects of being in the plane of Vacuum (no loss of pressure or temperature, only the absence of air itself). In addition, those caught within this range who require air for survival suffer 1-4 hp damage per round in addition to any attacks made by the creature.
In regions of abundant air (such as the Prime Material plane), Vacuum quasi-elementals can cause their air-removal effects for 10 rounds at most, after which they cannot do so again for one hour. When overwhelmed by air, these quasi-elementals become spherical in shape, and their armor class increases to AC –4. They may still attack normally (ramming a target with their forcelike bodies), but cannot use their special attack.
Note that in both cases, the Vacuum Quasi can use this attack and make physical attacks at the same time. It's not a one-or-the-other deal like the Whirlwind & Vortex special attacks of the Air & Water Elementals.
Cleon
Legend
It's mot automatic-in-an-atmosphere in the original - they had to deliberately turn it on, and it only lasted a maximum of 10 rounds. It also gave them an AC boost if they reached that maximum duration, at least in the 1E version.
Cleon
Legend
Sure, "regions of abundant air" such as the Prime Material Plane. Meaning most places were the PCs can breathe.
If they didn't have conscious control over it, they'd spend the first 10 rounds of their day sucking air and then be unable to do it for the next 24 hours.
That doesn't seem terribly useful.
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
Well, assuming the PCs have magic to travel to the quasielemental plane of vacuum, it should function all the time. But your point is fair enough. Maybe something like
Void Storm (Su): A vacuum quasi-elemental can suck all air within the listed diameter into itself. This process creates a wind of strength listed and deals the listed damage to all breathing creatures in the void storm as air is ripped from them. In regions of mostly vacuum, there is no limit to this ability, but a vacuum quasi-elemental can only use this ability for 10 rounds/day in regions of abundant air such as the Prime Material Plane.
Void Storm (Su): A vacuum quasi-elemental can suck all air within the listed diameter into itself. This process creates a wind of strength listed and deals the listed damage to all breathing creatures in the void storm as air is ripped from them. In regions of mostly vacuum, there is no limit to this ability, but a vacuum quasi-elemental can only use this ability for 10 rounds/day in regions of abundant air such as the Prime Material Plane.
Cleon
Legend
Where are you getting the idea this attack is effective in areas without any atmosphere? The original MC entry says "‘Course, this doesn’t apply on an airless void like the Quasiplane of Vacuum."
If there's no air, there's nothing to create the winds.
The original description suggests that if the atmosphere is thin it can still create the winds and doesn't get "filled up" with air, but that's quite different for it doing anything when there's no atmosphere at all.
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
There's no restriction against its use in Vacuum in the 1E version, and I'd say it's necessary for it to "to reduce any area of confinement to the the same level of airlessness as their native plane." On the other hand, the mechanics I wrote don't specify one way or the other, and I'm not married to either interpretation.
Cleon
Legend
The 1E version presupposes the encounter is on the Prime Material Plane in an area with an atmosphere and it specifies that the gust of wind effect is caused by it sucking in the surrounding air. How can it possibly do that if there's no air to suck?
Besides, the 2E explanation that "this doesn’t apply on an airless void like the Quasiplane of Vacuum" makes it quite clear the ability does not works in a vacuum!
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