Converting Al-Qadim creatures

[Number 6]

Builder genies don’t care what they build; waterwheels or mosques with a dozen minarets receive equal care and planning. In all cases, builder genies will demand the longest-lasting and most expensive materials. Due to these stringent demands, the cost of a building designed or built by a builder genie will be four times the normal cost. It will have twice the strength and twice the useful life of a normal building.

Do we want to do anything with this? Perhaps the hardness and/or hit points of buildings they create are doubled?

Should we list this as a special ability... perhaps Genie Crafted Structures (Su). This could be the case with any construction a Builder Genie works on providing it costs four times the normal amount.

Maybe it also requires something else. Regardless, it is then considered to be Magically Treated

Magically Treated:
The Break DC gets +20, the Hardness is doubled, and Hit Points doubled or an additional 50 Hit Points (whichever is greater).

...and Magically Delicious.

 

[Cleon]

Magically Treated:
The Break DC gets +20, the Hardness is doubled, and Hit Points doubled or an additional 50 Hit Points (whichever is greater).

That seems an awful lot. Looking at the SRD stats for obstacles, if you apply those figures to a stone wall (hardness 8, 90 hp, Break 35) you get (hardness 16, 180 hp, Break 55) - that's tougher than a mithral wall (hardness 15, 90 hp, Break 46)! That seems way too much.

I was thinking more the difference between "standard masonry" and "masonry, reinforced", which has the same hardness but double hit points and +10 Break DC, combined with the difference between masonry and "masonry, superior", which has a +5 Climb DC.

So how about something like:

Genie-Built (Ex): Any edifice constructed by a builder genie costs four times the standard price, but has double hit points and its Break and Climb DCs are 10 points higher than normal. (e.g. a genie-built 1 foot thick masonry wall has 180 hp, Break DC 45 and Climb DC 25 instead of the 90 hp, Break DC 35 and Climb DC 15 of normal masonry)

 

[Cleon]

I'm comfortable with cutting it, as I think Cleon's shortened version is plenty adequate.

Updated.

A builder genie is 7 feet tall and weighs x pounds.

I'd think it'd weigh as much as a dao, however much that is.

 

[Number 6]

That seems an awful lot. Looking at the SRD stats for obstacles, if you apply those figures to a stone wall (hardness 8, 90 hp, Break 35) you get (hardness 16, 180 hp, Break 55) - that's tougher than a mithral wall (hardness 15, 90 hp, Break 46)! That seems way too much.

Perhaps, but certainly Builder Genies ought to be able to make Magically Treated walls and structures... there's a specific cost for it (which is actually 1500 gp per 10'x10' section of wall). It's reasonable to allow them to make magically treated walls considering their specialty.

 

[Shade]

So how about something like:

Genie-Built (Ex): Any edifice constructed by a builder genie costs four times the standard price, but has double hit points and its Break and Climb DCs are 10 points higher than normal. (e.g. a genie-built 1 foot thick masonry wall has 180 hp, Break DC 45 and Climb DC 25 instead of the 90 hp, Break DC 35 and Climb DC 15 of normal masonry)

Yeah, that seems more believable.

...and Magically Delicious.

But that has merit!

I'd think it'd weigh as much as a dao, however much that is.

Your guess is as good as mine. (No weight is given).

Here are the only genies with weights given:
A djinni is about 10-1/2 feet tall and weighs about 1,000 pounds.
An efreeti stands about 12 feet tall and weighs about 2,000 pounds.
A qorrashi is about 10-1/2 feet tall and weighs about 1,000 pounds.

 

[Number 6]

Here are the only genies with weights given:
A djinni is about 10-1/2 feet tall and weighs about 1,000 pounds.
An efreeti stands about 12 feet tall and weighs about 2,000 pounds.
A qorrashi is about 10-1/2 feet tall and weighs about 1,000 pounds.

I have a listing for Dao that says they range from 8 to 11 feet tall and 500 to 1500 pounds.

Unfortunately, I don't know if that's from the MC13 entry, another source, or speculation.

We could estimate the weight of Builder Genies by using the size adjustments from the 3rd edition versions of the Enlarge/Reduce spells. I believe the multiplier for weight was simply the multiplier for height squared.

If we used Djinni proportions, the Builder Genie might weigh about 450 pounds. Efreeti proportions would make it about 650 to 700 pounds.

Unless my math is effed up... which is certainly possible.

 

[freyar]

On the whole construction thing, couldn't builder genies make magical construction the same way any other builder can?

Let's go with 500-800 lb.

 

[Number 6]

On the whole construction thing, couldn't builder genies make magical construction the same way any other builder can?

It seems reasonable... we might want to consider an extra Feat for Craft Wondrous Item (as required for Magically Treated structures) or swap out the Skill Focus with Craft Wondrous Item.

 

[Shade]

OK, you guys have lost me.

Are we sticking with Genie-built, and also giving it Craft Wondrous Item? Or are is the feat intended to replace the ability?

 

[Number 6]

OK, you guys have lost me.

Are we sticking with Genie-built, and also giving it Craft Wondrous Item? Or are is the feat intended to replace the ability?

They would be independent of each other, Shade.

The genie-building would be as described by you and Cleon. In addition, builder genies ought to be able to build magical walls and structures as listed in the SRD.

Magically Treated Walls: These walls are stronger than average, with a greater hardness, more hit points, and a higher break DC. Magic can usually double the hardness and hit points and can add up to 20 to the break DC. A magically treated wall also gains a saving throw against spells that could affect it, with the save bonus equaling 2 + one-half the caster level of the magic reinforcing the wall. Creating a magic wall requires the Craft Wondrous Item feat and the expenditure of 1,500 gp for each 10 foot-by-10-foot wall section.

There might be a reason for not letting a builder genie have this option... but if any spellcaster with Craft Wondrous Items can do it, surely a Tasked Genie well-suited to building and architecture should.