Converting Monsters from Polyhedron Magazine

[Shade]

These aren't terribly exciting, as written. We could probably just make 'em a template to add to a mummy that gives it a bite attack equal to the appropriate animal.

If we want to get creative, though, we could give them some "totem" characteristics of the grafted animal. Perhaps some cunning-related ability for the jackal, added durability for the hippo, stealth and/or grapple for the crocodile, and so on...

 

[Cleon]

These aren't terribly exciting, as written. We could probably just make 'em a template to add to a mummy that gives it a bite attack equal to the appropriate animal.

If we want to get creative, though, we could give them some "totem" characteristics of the grafted animal. Perhaps some cunning-related ability for the jackal, added durability for the hippo, stealth and/or grapple for the crocodile, and so on...

Yes, they do need jazzing up, they have identical stats to standard mummies apart from having 2 or 3 attacks and dying if you ressurrect them, which does make them nastier but not terribly interesting.

I'd prefer to use these bare-bone stats as an inspiration for three new monsters. We could certainly slap on some animal-based SA/SQ. I also feel they're mummies sacred to animal gods like ancient Egypt's Sobek (crocodile-headed god), Anubis (jackal-headed god) and Taweret (hippopotamus-headed goddess) so maybe we could add some thematically appropriate supernatural/spell-like powers.

Oh, and I'm thinking we should give them some turn resistance, probably +2 like a spectre.

It'll be easier doing them all at once, although I'd like to keep their final stats separate.

So to begin with, I think they should have at least the 8 hit dice of a standard SRD Mummy, and give them strong differentiation in their stats.

Hmm, we may want to make the Hippo and Croc-Mummies both Large size as well to partially justify their higher stats (after all, they're likely a cross between a Huge hippopotamus or giant crocodile and a Medium human).

The Hippo-Mummy could have incredible Strength, Say Str 30 like an elephant, so it has 2 slams doing 1d6+10 as its primary attacks and a 2d6+5 damage bite as a secondary attack. All with added mummy rot, obviously. That way it has 2 slams that each do the same damage as a standard mummy (1d6+10 in 3E, 1-12 in AD&D).

The Crocodile-Mummy could have incredible Toughness. Maybe give it a higher DR than a standard mummy's 5/-? It could also be stronger than a standard mummy, just not as much as the Hippo. Say, Str 27 but with sharp claws instead of the hippo-mummy's slams, giving it two 1d8+8 claws and a 2d6+4 bite?

The Jackal-Mummy has the lowest damage so let's say it's only as strong as a regular Mummy and is only Medium sized. It is armed with an ankh, I guess we could treat that as a battle axe (1d8+7 damage) plus a bite for, say, 1d8+3 damage? It needs something to bring it up to par with the other two mummies - some kind of magical powers? We could make it faster (or give it a normal Mummy's speed and say one of its abilities is an expeditious retreat SLA).

 

[Shade]

As a huge Lost fan, Taweret is near and dear to my heart.

For the jackal mummy, we might appropriate and alter the following jackal lord ability...

Curse of the Jackal (Su): Once per day, a jackal lord can make a gaze attack against a single opponent within 30 feet. If the target fails a Will save (DC 20), it is transformed into a jackal (use the statistics for the dog in the Monster Manual). The effect is as baleful polymorph, but with a permanent duration. A jackal lord can reverse this effect by gazing upon an individual that was cursed by itself or by some other jackal lord, but doing so counts as its use of the ability for that day. Otherwise, only a limited wish, miracle, or wish can restore the victim.

Since Anubis is the god associated with mummification and the afterlife, perhaps the jackal headed mummy should be the toughest of the bunch?

If we want to get really crazy, we could give the hippo mummy something that ties into Taweret's fertility...like a curse where the victim gives birth to a scorpion swarm.

 

[demiurge1138]

The jackal mummy should be LN, more associated with guarding and protecting the dead rather than just killing people. The crocodile mummy can certainly be meaner, but might have water-based powers, due to Sobek's dominion over the Nile. For the hippo mummy, I like the idea of them being twisted fertility things--perhaps they cannot injure a pregnant woman? Perhaps they appear to avenge deeds done against expecting mothers?

 

[Cleon]

As a huge Lost fan, Taweret is near and dear to my heart.

For the jackal mummy, we might appropriate and alter the following jackal lord ability...

Curse of the Jackal (Su): *SNIP*

That looks good to me. I was also thinking of clerical powers for the Jackal Mummy, maybe including rebuke undead. Perhaps a spell-like ability to create Undead from the tomb-robbers it has dealt with, turning them into zombies, wights or actual mummies?

The jackal mummy should be LN, more associated with guarding and protecting the dead rather than just killing people. The crocodile mummy can certainly be meaner, but might have water-based powers, due to Sobek's dominion over the Nile. For the hippo mummy, I like the idea of them being twisted fertility things--perhaps they cannot injure a pregnant woman? Perhaps they appear to avenge deeds done against expecting mothers?

I'd rather keep them all Evil like the originals. The Jackal Mummy doesn't have to be a nice guardian of the dead.

I was wondering about water powers for the Croc-Mummy and Hippo-Mummy as well. They look like they should make a nice couple.

Unfortunately there aren't many water-based spells or powers in the SRD. We could give them something like control Water, water walk, fog cloud, the ability to summon a hippopotamus, giant crocodile or water elementals (1 Large or 1d4+2 Medium?) or the ability to create a whirlpool like an H20 elemental.

Oh, and we should give them a Swim speed, obviously.

 

[freyar]

Hmm, interesting ideas.

Regarding alignment: if we're going to associate them explicitly with the Egyptian gods, let's make the jackals LN. Otherwise, keep them LE.

 

[Cleon]

Hmm, interesting ideas.

Regarding alignment: if we're going to associate them explicitly with the Egyptian gods, let's make the jackals LN. Otherwise, keep them LE.

Rather than having them explicitly Egyptian, I'd rather make them pseudo-Egyptian to honour D&D's grand olde tradition of sinister lost ancient desert civilizations that just coincidentally are crammed with pyramids, mummies, sphinxes and animal-headed deities.

So put me down for Lawful Evil jackal mummies.

 

[Shade]

Let's go "lawful" with the jackal-heads, and come up with both neutral and evil variations.

Set is often depicted (at least in D&D) as jackal-headed, so that supports the evil aspect.

 

[freyar]

Let's go "lawful" with the jackal-heads, and come up with both neutral and evil variations.

Set is often depicted (at least in D&D) as jackal-headed, so that supports the evil aspect.

That seems eminently reasonable.

 

[Shade]

I assume we're doing these as monsters rather than templates, correct?

We might look to the greater mummy template in DD&G for inspiration, though, as it is primarily associated with the Pharaonic patheon.