Converting Monsters from Polyhedron Magazine

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Sounds good. Updated. That takes care of the mosses.

Moving on...

Plantman (Malatran Mold Man)
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Tropical/Swamps, moist jungle
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Tribe
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Average (8-10)
TREASURE: O, P
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
NO. APPEARING: 6-24 or 30-300
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVEMENT: 12
HIT DICE: 1 to 12
THAC0: By HD
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4 + 1/level or by weapon
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: Medium/Large (4'-9')
MORALE: Average (8-10)
XP VALUE: Variable

Malatran plant men are medium to large sized, bipedal fungus creatures. They have sharp, thorn-like claws, and leaf-like tendrils form a fringe on their shoulders, abdomens, and limbs. A topknot of these tendrils sits at the apex of the plantman's head.

Malatran plantmen have brown skin and green tendrils. They are 4 feet tall, plus 1/2-foot per Hit Die. Although they do not have a spoken language, they communicate by sign language and vocalized cries, and can learn to understand Nubari and other languages (by lip reading) at the cost of a proficiency slot. Other hero characters can learn to understand (but not speak) the "Plantman language" at the cost of a proficiency slot.

Combat: Parties of plantmen hunt near their lairs. In the forest, plantmen blend in to their surroundings giving them the same ability to move silently and hide in shadows as rangers of their level. Plantmen will attack any form of animal life for food. Malatran plantmen will use their natural camouflage capabilities to ambush opponents.

Half of the plantmen in a group have 1 or 2 HD, while 25% have 3 or 4 HD. The rest are 5 or 6 HD (equal chances). For every 50 plantmen, there is a sub chief with 7 or 8 HD and 1d4+1 bodyguards of 5 HD each. Each tribe of plantmen is led by a chief with 10 HD and 2d4 bodyguards with 6 HD each. Half of the plantmen encountered carry spears, while the others use clubs or go without weapons (equal chances).

Chiefs can also attack with spores; victims must make a saving throw vs. poison or be paralyzed, dying in 5d4 minutes unless treated by a cure disease spell. Victims who die in this manner are reborn 1d4+20 hours later as plantmen with 6 HD. These individuals become the chief's bodyguards.

Plantmen larger than 7' tall suffer damage as large creatures but also gain the benefit of wielding two-handed weapons with one hand. They are immune to charm and electrical attacks, except for charm plants, and take half damage from waterbased attacks. Fire-based attacks cause double damage and require plantmen to make a saving throw vs. paralyzation or flee for 1d6 rounds before another save can be attempted. Player character plantmen can be fighters, rangers, wizards, priests, fighter/priests, or fighter/wizards. All plantmen heroes can move silently and hide in shadows as rangers when in forest terrain. Preserving the forest and natural habitat of plantmen is the primary reason that some plant men adventure and become Malatran heroes. Spell-casting plantmen are unable to use fire- or cold-based spells. Further, their healing spells are ineffective on animal-based life forms.

Habitat/Society: Plantmen form primitive, settled tribes. Theil lairs are usually found in the undrebrush of warm forests and jungles, though some tribes have lairs in underground places as well. Tribes are very territorial.

Plantmen co-exist well with plant and fungus life. They often use shriekers to guard their lairs, and plant men native to the lair can pass by those shriekers unnoticed. Russet plant is usually found in the vicinity of a plantman lair as well.

New Malatran plantmen are created by russet mold, by their leaders' spore attacks, or by budding from their leaders. Leaders are 10+ HD (and therefore non-adventuring) plantmen and can only bud if food is plentiful. Plantmen heroes are too young to bud new plantmen.

Plantmen have been known to associate with myconids, which view them as rustic cousins.

Ecology: Plantmen live by scavenging and hunting. They will eat meat in any condition, from fresh to carrion. In times of great need, they have been known to eat other plantmen, though they seldom attack members of their own or an allied tribe.

Plantmen can suffer from dehydration when adventuring outside of very moist, swampy areas. They must wet themselves twice a day or lose two Constitution points per missed bath. Lost Constitution points are regained at the rate of two points per bath. A waterskin provides enough water for a single wetting.

Originally appeared in Polyhedron #121 (1996).

Here's a web summary with a picture:
RPGA Living Jungle
 

Mosses look good, I think.

Malatran "plantfolk": Start at 1 HD, advancing by HD to 12 (Large at 8-12) or by character class?
 


Yeah, I think there are a few more special abilities for the Malatrans, but you're right. Physical stats and natural armor should probably be the same (Str 11, Dex 14, Con 11). These are a little more intelligent, so maybe boost mental stats to Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 11?
 

Yeah, I think there are a few more special abilities for the Malatrans, but you're right. Physical stats and natural armor should probably be the same (Str 11, Dex 14, Con 11). These are a little more intelligent, so maybe boost mental stats to Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 11?

Hmm, one major difference between Vegepygmies and the Malatrans is that the latter get "+1 damage per level". I fancy keeping that trait, which means they'll have Str 12 or 13, +2 for every additional hit dice, or just Str 11+2*HD.

That would give a base Malatran Str 13, Dex 14, Con 11?

As for the mental stats, I'm divided as to the Wis 12, they've already got excellent physical stats and are supposed to be a PC-worthy race. I'd just give them Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 10.

I'll copy-and-paste the creature catalogue version of the vegepygmy into this thread and insert pointers for a few obvious changes.

Increase size to Medium, 7+ HD moldmen are size Large.
Base Hit Dice drops to 1 (with corresponding changes)
Tweak its natural armour up one to compensate for it losing its AC bonus for being Small.
Add vulnerablility to fire and fear fire to special qualities, remove immunity to piercing.
Chiefs (HD 10+) have a spore attack.

What do we do about the half-damage from water? Some kind of special quality?
 
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Added to Homebrews. I boosted Str and Con slightly since they are a size larger than the vegepygmies.

In the forest, plantmen blend in to their surroundings giving them the same ability to move silently and hide in shadows as rangers of their level. Plantmen will attack any form of animal life for food. Malatran plantmen will use their natural camouflage capabilities to ambush opponents.

Chiefs can also attack with spores; victims must make a saving throw vs. poison or be paralyzed, dying in 5d4 minutes unless treated by a cure disease spell. Victims who die in this manner are reborn 1d4+20 hours later as plantmen with 6 HD. These individuals become the chief's bodyguards.

It sounds like chiefs should either be a sidebar or have their own statblock.

Plantmen larger than 7' tall suffer damage as large creatures but also gain the benefit of wielding two-handed weapons with one hand.

Wield oversized weapons, or just write this off due to old editions not really using weapon size rules?

They are immune to charm and electrical attacks, except for charm plants, and take half damage from waterbased attacks.

Plants are already immune to mind-affecting spells or abilities, so the first part is covered. Immunity to electricity is a no-brainer. What about the water-based attack bit?

Fire-based attacks cause double damage and require plantmen to make a saving throw vs. paralyzation or flee for 1d6 rounds before another save can be attempted.

Vulnerability to fire and maybe a Will save (DC = damage dealt) or become panicked if damaged by fire?

All plantmen heroes can move silently and hide in shadows as rangers when in forest terrain.

Racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks in forest terrain?

Give 'em this ranger ability?

Camouflage (Ex): A ranger of 13th level or higher can use the Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain, even if the terrain doesn’t grant cover or concealment.

Plantmen can suffer from dehydration when adventuring outside of very moist, swampy areas. They must wet themselves twice a day or lose two Constitution points per missed bath. Lost Constitution points are regained at the rate of two points per bath. A waterskin provides enough water for a single wetting.

Some variation of the sahuagin's water-dependent ability?
 

Cleon - your post arrived in the long time it took me to complete mine. It looks like you noticed many of the same things, so I think we're on the right track. ;)
 

Cleon - your post arrived in the long time it took me to complete mine. It looks like you noticed many of the same things, so I think we're on the right track. ;)

Yes, I noticed that to. Great minds think alike, and all that.

Added to Homebrews. I boosted Str and Con slightly since they are a size larger than the vegepygmies.

I wouldn't boost Con myself. I'm imagining these plantmen as being taller and slimmer than Vegepygmies, but no tougher.

It sounds like chiefs should either be a sidebar or have their own statblock.

I was going to propose giving the Chiefs a subentry similar to a Stone Giant Elder, and adding another subentry for "Plantmen Spellcasters".

Wield oversized weapons, or just write this off due to old editions not really using weapon size rules?

As for the over 7' plantmen being struck as Large, I'd just make them Large monsters at 7-12 HD. I was thinking of giving them a non-standard Advancement scheme.

Plants are already immune to mind-affecting spells or abilities, so the first part is covered. Immunity to electricity is a no-brainer. What about the water-based attack bit?

I'm sorely tempted to take away most of the Plant immunities (namely immunity to poison, paralysis, polymorph, stun and critical hits) and just leave them immunity to mind-affecting spells (except charm plant) and sleep. The main reason for this is that these are supposed to be a playable race, and a PC-race with all those immunities would have too high a level adjustment. Imagine it a vegetable equivalent of a warforged, a Plant-type monster that isn't invulnerable to half the conditions it's likely to face when adventuring.

Racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks in forest terrain?

Give 'em this ranger ability?

Camouflage (Ex): A ranger of 13th level or higher can use the Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain, even if the terrain doesn’t grant cover or concealment.

Regarding racial skill bonuses, my original thought was just giving them the same as a Vegepygmy (+4 to Hide, Listen, Move Silently and Spot) but I think I like your suggestion of just Hide & MS better.

I don't think I'd bother with camouflage, if they're in a forest there's already plenty of cover.

Some variation of the sahuagin's water-dependent ability?

Sounds good to me.

Anyhow, I've roughed out my ideas and I'll post the stats next.
 

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