Simulacrum

[Storme]

Simulacrum:

Make a simulacrum of a 20th level fighter and you get a 10th level fighter with the feats, abilities, and skills the guy would have if he were 10th level. Simple.

How do you make a sim of an adult green dragon?

Does he retain it's non level based abilities while becoming half HD (which is what you'd do with most monsters without any issues).

Do you pretend that "Half Power" means "Half Age," and treat him like a Very Young dragon (which doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but its still an option)?

Or do you just take everything he has and cut it in half (as you did in AD&D, though this is not how the spell is described)?

ADULT GREEN DRAGON SIM (20HD) Retaining Inherent Abilities:

HD 10d12 +50 (original 10d12 +100)
Breath Weapon: 12d6 (DC 25) (inherent ability...same as original)
Frightful Presence DC 23 (inherent)
AC 27/8/27 (inherent)
DR 5/magic (inherent)
SR 21 (inherent)
Suggestion 3x/day (inherent)
Sorcerer Caster Level: 5 (inherent)

ADULT GREEN DRAGON SIM TREATED AS A VERY YOUNG (half HD of 20) DRAGON:
10d12 +20 (con dropped 6 points)
Breath Weapon: 4d6 (DC 16)
AC 17/10/17 (It is both softer and smaller...hmm)
No Frightful Presence, DR, SR, spell-like abilities, or Sorcerer CL as Very Young.

ADULT GREEN DRAGON SIM DIVIDED BY TWO:
HD 10d12+50
Frightful Presence DC 11
AC 27/8/27 (It is not smaller or less dense...can't justify cutting AC in half logically)
Breath weapon: 6d6, DC 12
Frightful Presence: DC 11
DR 2/magic
SR 10
Caster Level: 2
Suggestion 3x/day

Which is your take? I lean on option one...inherent abilites since this most supports the spell description without rewriting it. This is not an issue with an Ogre, but with a Rakshasa, it is. One friend suggested using Savage Species and assinging "levels" to monsters. I reminded him the book isn't Core and we don't have it. Hehe.

Spell descrition below for those who don't have the book handly.

Storme

 

[Storme]

Simulacrum
Illusion (Shadow)
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: 12 hours
Range: 0 ft.
Effect: One duplicate creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Simulacrum creates an illusory duplicate of any creature. The duplicate creature is partially real and formed from ice or snow. It appears to be the same as the original, but it has only one-half of the real creature’s levels or Hit Dice (and the appropriate hit points, feats, skill ranks, and special abilities for a creature of that level or HD). You can’t create a simulacrum of a creature whose Hit Dice or levels exceed twice your caster level. You must make a Disguise check when you cast the spell to determine how good the likeness is. A creature familiar with the original might detect the ruse with a successful Spot check (opposed by the caster’s Disguise check) or a DC 20 Sense Motive check.

At all times the simulacrum remains under your absolute command. No special telepathic link exists, so command must be exercised in some other manner. A simulacrum has no ability to become more powerful. It cannot increase its level or abilities. If reduced to 0 hit points or otherwise destroyed, it reverts to snow and melts instantly into nothingness. A complex process requiring at least 24 hours, 100 gp per hit point, and a fully equipped magical laboratory can repair damage to a simulacrum.

Material Component
The spell is cast over the rough snow or ice form, and some piece of the creature to be duplicated (hair, nail, or the like) must be placed inside the snow or ice. Additionally, the spell requires powdered ruby worth 100 gp per HD of the simulacrum to be created.

XP Cost
100 XP per HD of the simulacrum to be created (minimum 1,000 XP).

 

[darthkilmor]

and the appropriate hit points, feats, skill ranks, and special abilities for a creature of that level or HD

I think that says it all. half the HD, which works fine for the dragon.

For a rakshasa, cast as a level 3 Sorc instead of 7 (3 HD instead of 7 HD). Change the DR to 10/good OR piercing to more accurately reflect the DR of a comparable creature of that CR. and probably kick the spell resistance down to 23 or so.

I don't think you're going to find anything incredibly hard on how to handle something like that, but that's what I would do, for what its worth.

 

[Storme]

and the appropriate hit points, feats, skill ranks, and special abilities for a creature of that level or HD

For a rakshasa, cast as a level 3 Sorc instead of 7 (3 HD instead of 7 HD). Change the DR to 10/good OR piercing to more accurately reflect the DR of a comparable creature of that CR. and probably kick the spell resistance down to 23 or so.

I don't think you're going to find anything incredibly hard on how to handle something like that, but that's what I would do, for what its worth.

The only problem I see with that regarding the Rakshasa is that DR and SR don't change depending on its level. Again, part of the problem with how the spell is described.

In any case, it doesn't really address the Dragon issue. A dragon's abilities have nothing to do with its HD, but its age. There are no 10 HD Adult Green Dragons, for example, on which to base the spell's effect. I assume your saying, just half all his abilities, which is what I'm leaning toward. I can't agree with arbitrarily altering a Rakshasa's DR to "match those of lower CR." That needlessly over complicates the spell and doesn't really work logically. A 10 HD dragon is vastly more powerful than a typical CR 10 monster (the spell doesn't discuss CR). Same is true for a 7HD Rakshasa.

Still, you bring up some good points.

 

[mvincent]

Does he retain it's non level based abilities while becoming half HD (which is what you'd do with most monsters without any issues).

Yup

Do you pretend that "Half Power" means "Half Age," and treat him like a Very Young dragon (which doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but its still an option)?

Nope (although, it could be a useable quick-n-dirty option to avoid doing math, but the simulacrum should still look like the original dragon's age, else it wouldn't really be a simulacrum).

Or do you just take everything he has and cut it in half (as you did in AD&D, though this is not how the spell is described)?

Nope.

For the easiest way to generate 1/2 HD stats for a monster, download Monsterforge and use the "Override Hit Dice" option (i.e. enter 1/2 their normal HD).

 

[darthkilmor]

The only problem I see with that regarding the Rakshasa is that DR and SR don't change depending on its level. Again, part of the problem with how the spell is described.

In any case, it doesn't really address the Dragon issue. A dragon's abilities have nothing to do with its HD, but its age. There are no 10 HD Adult Green Dragons, for example, on which to base the spell's effect. I assume your saying, just half all his abilities, which is what I'm leaning toward. I can't agree with arbitrarily altering a Rakshasa's DR to "match those of lower CR." That needlessly over complicates the spell and doesn't really work logically. A 10 HD dragon is vastly more powerful than a typical CR 10 monster (the spell doesn't discuss CR). Same is true for a 7HD Rakshasa.

Still, you bring up some good points.

It could be debated that DR 15/good and piercing is not appropriate for a creature of 3 HD.

Rakshasa advance by level but when you create a simulacrum of a normal one you half the HD, so its a bit tricky to really say what abilities should be changed. If you had a Rakshasa Rogue 7, then you could say well, 7 HD and 7 levels, remove all the levels(and rogue abilites that go with it), and thats a normal Rakshasa as a simulacrum. Or do you remove half the levels, or half the HD. What if he had 12 levels? A spell that is sure to case paperwork

A Young Black Dragon is 10-12 HD and is only a CR 5.

In an ideal world, all abilities would have been based off HD or level or whatever, so halving something wouldn't be so hard. Maybe a Rules of the Game: Simulacrum would be nice.