Converting Monsters from Polyhedron Magazine

[Shade]

Let's definitely drop Great Fortitude, since, as indicated in another conversion, it's nigh-useless for undead. In fact, I'd recommend we go pick a better feat for the croc mummy in it's place. I wonder why they wasted the regular mummy's feat slot on it.

I'm fine with ditching Weapon Focus as well.

 

[freyar]

Maybe Weapon Focus or Imp Crit for the bite on the croc mummy. Something for that big bite!

For our hippo friend, how about the feats Ability Focus (mummy scourge), Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun?

 

[Shade]

Those work for me. Any objections?

 

[Cleon]

Those work for me. Any objections?

No objections.

I'm doing an alternate take on these Mummies already, with the righteous might type Might of the Gods SQ I described earlier, so I'll just give my version of the Hippo Mummy those feats as boni, and you can give those feats to this version.

 

[demiurge1138]

The hippo feats sound good so far (although we might want to hold a slot open if we give it an ability to create swarms in people for Ability Focus), and I like Imp. Crit (bite) for the crocodile mummy's last feat.

 

[Shade]

Sounds good, and we can shift the Ability Focus from mummy scourge to the "swarm birth" ability if we wish.

Speaking of that, do we want it to work like a slaad's egg, where it injects something first, or more like a curse effect?

There was a corrupt spell in Dragon #300 called searing seed which was a close range effect allowing a Fort save.

 

[freyar]

Both options have some appeal. But I think it should be gruesome. I suppose if it's a short-term (curse and a few rounds later birth swarm), then I like the curse option. But if gestation is going to take a day or two or more, then implantation seems better.

 

[Shade]

I favor the short-term approach. Disease-causing monsters often seem so anticlimatic otherwise.

 

[freyar]

Then let's go for a curse. Maybe on a failed save, the victim takes X hp damage per round for 1d4 rounds, then a swarm of something bursts out doing XdX damage and attacking everything?

 

[demiurge1138]

Agreed to curse.The banshrae in MMV has an ability with locust swarms that might be a good place to look for precedent.