Converting Planescape monsters

[freyar]

I don't think there really is. The benefit of Flyby Attack seems to be the reduced prerequisite burden. Anyway, since these should already have Flyby, let's give them Imp Flyby rather than Spring Attack, just for the novelty of it.S

 

[Cleon]

I don't think there really is. The benefit of Flyby Attack seems to be the reduced prerequisite burden. Anyway, since these should already have Flyby, let's give them Imp Flyby rather than Spring Attack, just for the novelty of it.S

Sounds good!

Hmm, I just realized the Elder size is missing Dodge, which I need to reinstate. I'll cut the Blind-Fight to make the feats add up. We could cut Cleave, but that's a standard Elemental feat around that size, plus the next size up has Great Cleave:

That'd make it:

Small: Flyby Attack, Improved Initiativeᴮ, Weapon Finesseᴮ

Medium: Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiativeᴮ, Weapon Finesseᴮ

Large: Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiativeᴮ, Weapon Finesseᴮ

Huge: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiativeᴮ, Weapon Finesseᴮ, Mobility, Weapon Finesseᴮ

Greater: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiativeᴮ, Iron Will, Mobility, Power Attack, Weapon Finesseᴮ

Elder: Alertness, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Flyby Attack, Improved Initiativeᴮ, Iron Will, Mobility, Power Attack, Weapon Finesseᴮ

Monolith: Alertness, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Great Cleave, Improved Critical (slam), Improved Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack, Iron Will, Mobility, Power Attack

Does that look OK to you?

 

[freyar]

Looks ok!

You have any ideas for flavor text? Tactics would presumably be to void storm and slam while flying by. Oh, don't forget the slam attack bonus.

 

[Cleon]

Looks ok!

Updating Vacuum Quasi-Elemental.

You have any ideas for flavor text? Tactics would presumably be to void storm and slam while flying by.

Not really, although it ought to be pretty straightforward to rework some extracts of the original text.

Oh, don't forget the slam attack bonus.

Updating Vacuum Quasi-Elemental.

To what slam attack bonus are you referring? It already includes Weapon Finesse, and we haven't given them Weapon Focus (slam).

Speaking of Weapon Finesse, the Huge size in the feat proposal has Weapon Finesseᴮ twice. I removed the duplicate when adding it to the Working Draft.

EDIT: Oh, of course, you meant putting in the numbers for the "+?? melee" in the Attack and Full Attack lines. I was planning on doing that.

 

[freyar]

I did in fact mean putting in the numbers.

Do we want to do anything with this?

Air-based spells (such as gust of wind) cast by a wizard or priest of a level higher than the quasielemental’s total Hit Dice slay the creature if it fails a saving throw versus death magic.
...
Air-using spells can destroy a Vacuum quasi-elemental only if the level of the caster (or hit dice of the monster) is greater than that of the Vacuum quasi-elemental. If attacked in such a fashion, the Vacuum quasi-elemental is allowed a saving throw vs. death magic; if this succeeds, it is unharmed by the attack. If the saving throw fails, the Vacuum quasi-elemental is destroyed. A gust of wind cast by a 1st-level magic-user has no effect on a 6-HD Vacuum quasi-elemental, but a 7-HD djinn could destroy it.

I think I'd use a CL check or straight spell level rather than caster level, but what do you think?

 

[Cleon]

I did in fact mean putting in the numbers.

Do we want to do anything with this?

I think I'd use a CL check or straight spell level rather than caster level, but what do you think?

Hmm, I guess we should - most of the Quasis have an elemental weakness of some kind.

I don't like the CL check idea, since it could result in a much lower level caster getting lucky and killing the Vacuum Quasi.

I'd be OK just making it CL, but having it linked to spell level is tempting too. I guess we could do both (e.g. spell level plus half caster level).

Maybe adapt the Salt Quasis susceptibility to water?

Susceptibility to Air (Ex): If a vacuum quasi-elemental is hit by a spell with the Air descriptor whose spell level plus half its caster level is equal to or greater than the vacuum quasi-elemental's Hit Dice, the quasi-elemental must succeed at a Fortitude save (using the spell's DC) or be destroyed.

I cut out the Salt's +50% damage from Water bit (which'd be "A vacuum quasi-elemental takes half again as much damage (+50%) when injured by an air-based attack.").

 

[freyar]

Hmmm. This is getting a little fiddly. I think I'd prefer just caster level (or just spell level). Then you only have to worry about casters of level equal to the quasielemental.

 

[Cleon]

Hmmm. This is getting a little fiddly. I think I'd prefer just caster level (or just spell level). Then you only have to worry about casters of level equal to the quasielemental.

Caster level would be closest to the original.

 

[freyar]

Let's go with the ability you wrote but using caster level.

Tactics: Vacuum quasi-elementals are usually quite hostile to strangers, flying past and attacking with slams. The presence of an atmosphere seems to enrage them, and they typically use the full duration of their void storm as soon as they are exposed to sufficient air.

 

[Cleon]

Let's go with the ability you wrote but using caster level.

Like so?

Susceptibility to Air (Ex): If a vacuum quasi-elemental is hit by a spell with the Air descriptor whose caster level is equal to or greater than the vacuum quasi-elemental's Hit Dice, the quasi-elemental must succeed at a Fortitude save (using the spell's DC) or be destroyed.

I guess that'll work, although I am tempted to make it some kind of damage instead so a Vacuum Monolith won't get one-shotted by a wind wall. Like, say, Con damage of 2d6 plus Con damage.

e.g.:

Susceptibility to Air (Ex): If a vacuum quasi-elemental is hit by a spell with the Air descriptor whose caster level is equal to or greater than the vacuum quasi-elemental's Hit Dice, the quasi-elemental must succeed at a Fortitude save (using the spell's DC) or take Constitution damage equal to 2d6 plus the level of the spell.

Tactics: Vacuum quasi-elementals are usually quite hostile to strangers, flying past and attacking with slams. The presence of an atmosphere seems to enrage them, and they typically use the full duration of their void storm as soon as they are exposed to sufficient air.

That'd mean they wouldn't have any rounds of Void Storm left to use against PCs unless they were arrived from the Emptiness only a few rounds before the adventurers appeared at the scene.

I'd prefer the tactics to allow the option for them to save up some rounds of Void Storm.