Converting Planescape monsters

[freyar]

That sounds reasonable. Here's the relevant info:

Once a mezzikim has successfully possessed a mortal, he is in control of the victim's body entirely. The mezzikim has no access to the memories or abilities of the victim, but can speak and interact normally. The victim's consciousness is aware, but cannot act other than to try to oust the devil using willpower alone. The victim is allowed to make a further saving throw each day, modified by his magical defense (Wisdom) adjustment. Success indicates that the devil was forced out, while failure means he remains in place.

While controlling the victim, the mezzikim can levitate at will. Additionally, he increases the host's Strength by 2, to a maximum of 19. Once per turn, he can spit needles covered with poisonous bile at an opponent within 10 feet. These needles inflict 1d8 damage and the target must save vs. poison or take an additional 1d6+1 damage from the bile. Other than this special attack, the mezzikim can corrupt the body of the host. At any point of the possession, the mezzikim can cause disease on the victim. The devil chooses the potency of the disease, as per the spell. There is also a 25% chance that the disease is contagious.

Mezzikim are difficult to dislodge once in possession of a host. They can be driven out by causing their hit points in damage to the host, but this often kills the victim and is a dangerous proposition at best. The exception to this is holy water, which does damage only the mezzikim. The best way to oust mezzikim is through the spell exorcise, a cleric spell introduced in Chapter 3.

So: +2 Str, contagion SLA, needle attack. Some kind of "share damage" SQ for the mezzikim and host, as well as a description of exorcism.

 

[Shade]

We can probably mine this for ideas...

"Captured one" is an acquired template that can be added to any animal, giant, humanoid, monstrous humanoid, or vermin (referred to hereafter as the base creature) that is the same size or smaller than the dominating raggamoffyn.

Both the raggamoffyn's and the base creature's statistics and special abilities are modified as noted here.

Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to construct. Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.

Hit Dice: A captured one maintains separate hit point totals for each of its two parts.

Initiative: Same as raggamoffyn.

Speed: Same as base creature.

Armor Class: Use either the raggamoffyn natural armor bonus or the base creature's natural armor bonus (if any), whichever is higher.

Attacks: Same as base creature, modified by new ability modifiers.

Damage: Same as base creature.

Special Attacks: The raggamoffyn gains control over all special attacks that the base creature possesses, including spells and spell-like abilities. The raggamoffyn's wrap and improved grab special attacks are unavailable while it controls the host.

Special Qualities: Both the raggamoffyn and the base creature retain any special qualities they had previously.

Senses (Ex): The raggamoffyn sees and hears everything that the base creature is able to.

Shared Damage (Ex): An attack on a captured one deals half its damage to the raggamoffyn and half to the dominated creature.

Saves: A captured one uses the raggamoffyn's base Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saves.

Abilities: A captured one uses the Constitution, Intelligence, and Charisma scores of the base creature and the Strength, Dexterity, and Wisdom scores of the raggamoffyn.

Skills: Same as base creature.

Feats: Same as base creature.

Environment: Same as raggamoffyn.
Organization: Solitary, pair, or gang (3-4).
Challenge Rating: Same as base creature +2.
Treasure: Standard.
Alignment: Same as raggamoffyn.
Advancement: Same as base creature.
Level Adjustment: -.

 

[freyar]

I was thinking about that, too. It's probably a pretty good baseline. We'll need to modify the ability bit, of course, and I think I'd like the possessed creature to be able to use the mezzikim's skills and feats, also.

 

[demiurge1138]

Agreed to allowing the use of skills and feats. We may want to make the boost to Str a little higher--+2 Str was a lot back in 2e, but not so much anymore.

 

[freyar]

+4 to Str then? Compared to the captured one, perhaps the mezzikim-possessed should just use the base creature's init (rather than the mezzikim's).

 

[demiurge1138]

Agreed to +4 Str. Is that initiative or Int you were going for there?

 

[freyar]

Initiative. Note that the captured one uses the ragamoffyn's initiative, and I don't think that's right for the mezzikim.

 

[Shade]

Updated mezzikim entry to include the template.

For armor class, should the mezzikim's deflection bonus become natural armor bonus for the ridden creature, using it if higher than its own? Or should it gain the mezzikim's deflection bonus atop its natural armor?

 

[freyar]

Looks good so far. Here are my suggestions.

Armor Class: Use either the mezzikim's deflection bonus or the base creature's deflection bonus (if any), whichever is higher.

Special Attacks: The mezzikim gains control over all special attacks that the base creature possesses, including spells and spell-like abilities, as well as retaining its own special attacks. In addition, the mezzikim gains the use of contagion X times/day as a spell-like ability (DC X, caster level 6th), which it may use against its host or other creatures.

 

[demiurge1138]

I like the idea of the deflection bonus becoming a natural armor bonus--I'm seeing the mezzakim ridden as scaly and deformed by the possessing spirit.