Converting monsters from Imagine Magazine

[Shade]

Updated.

Santa is often listed as short, so 6 foot may be pushing it. How about 5-1/2 foot tall (not short by any means, but closer)?

Open Lock got me thinking...should he maybe have knock as a SLA for swifter and easier access?

+5 natural armor?

 

[freyar]

Those suggestions all sound good. So should we swap Open Lock into another Craft skill?

 

[demiurge1138]

I'm at a loss for what other Craft skill he needs. Tinsmithing?

 

[Shade]

I kinda liked the original suggestion of Sleight of Hand. Not for stealing, mind you, but for making a toy suddenly appear in his hand (or maybe Quick Draw makes more sense there...)

 

[demiurge1138]

Let's go for Sleight of Hand. It does definitely include parlor tricks and that sort of magic. Speaking of which, prestidigitation at will?

 

[freyar]

Since we need the skills, let's go with SoH. Or else perhaps another Knowledge --- arcana for magical toymaking? Is knock going to be at will, btw?

 

[Shade]

Let's go for Sleight of Hand. It does definitely include parlor tricks and that sort of magic. Speaking of which, prestidigitation at will?

Sure.

Since we need the skills, let's go with SoH. Or else perhaps another Knowledge --- arcana for magical toymaking? Is knock going to be at will, btw?

Yeah, I think knock at will.

As for magical toymaking...he probably needs something like the item master ability of some of the archfiends to allow him to craft wondrous items without possessing spellcasting.

Here's the ability...

Item Master (Ex): Demogorgon can use any magic item, even spell completion items such as wands or scrolls. He can also create any item or construct as though he had the necessary feats and prerequisite spells or other requirements.

 

[freyar]

Excellent. So that frees up feats, as well!

Skill Focus (Craft [toymaking])?, ...?

For the reindeer, Run might also be a decent feat.

 

[demiurge1138]

Agreed to Item Master.

 

[Shade]

Feats: 8 (1 can be epic)

Skill Focus (Craft [toymaking])?, ...?

Animal Affinity*, Epic Skill Focus (Craft [toymaking]), Improved Initiative, Negotiator, Quick Draw, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (knock), Skill Focus (Craft [toymaking]), Stealthy


*We probably need to give him the Handle Animal skill, as the vehicle rules (from Dragon Magazine #294) for driving sleds relies on that skill.

For example...

Sled: Large vehicle; Handle Animal +2; Spd drawn (clumsy); Overall hp 40 (hardness 5); Overall AC 4; Atk (3d6, ram); Face 15 ft. by 5 ft.; Height 5 ft.; Crew 1; Weight 300 lb.; Cargo 1 ton; Cost 20 gp.
Drawn across ice or snow, the sled is an almost entirely exposed structure. The driver and any passengers gain one-quarter cover behind 1 inch of wood (hp 10, hardness 5). Eight riding dogs can pull the sled over ice or packed snow at a Speed of 40 feet even if it's fully loaded. Unracked snow slows their movement by one-half and deep snow cut it to one-quarter.

Worg Warsled: Huge vehicle; Handle Animal +2; Spd drawn (poor); Overall hp 100 (hardness 7); Overall AC 3; Atk (6d6, ram); Face 15 ft. by 10 ft.; Height 5 ft.; Crew 1 (plus three passengers); Weight 900 lb.; Cargo 700 lbs.; Cost 400 gp.
Goblins in snowy climes use their worg allies to pull massive sleds covered with makeshift armor and spikes. The driver and passengers aboard such a warsled gain threee-quarters cover behind a mix of steel and wood (hp 20, hardness 7). Two worgs abreast pull the sled at a Speed of 35 feet.