Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[Shade]

OK, thanks to help from Eridanis and Echohawk, we're good to go.

SHADOW PANTHER
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate Plains and mountains
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Pack
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Low (5-7)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil
No. APPEARING: 2-7
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVEMENT: 15
HIT DICE: 6
THAC0: 15
No. of ATTACKS: 3 or 5
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-3/1-3/1-8, 1-3/1-3
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Constriction
SPECIAL DEFENCES: Hide in shadows
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: L (10'-12' long)
MORALE: Elite (13-14)
XP VALUE: 650

As one might guess by their name, shadow panthers are the deepest black. Also known as "mountain ghosts," these predators are greatly feared by those who dwell near them. A shadow panther looks very much like a displacer beast, with several distinctions: the creature's six legs are evenly-spaced along its torso (whereas displacer beasts have two front legs and four hind lefs); the two tentacles growing from its forward shoulder blades lack the displacer beast's horny ridges, instead tapering to a single bony hook; and the male possesses an almost leonine black mane of shaggy hair around its head and neck. Many sages believe the shadow panther to be an evolutionary link between the displacer beast and the wemic, a view supported by the fact that the creature has a second hip joint at its middle set of legs, allowing it to raise its upper torso and travel on its rear two sets of legs in a wemic-like fashion.

Combat: A shadow panther attack primarily with its teeth and foreclaws; if backed into a corner, it can rear up on its hind legs and attack with its middle claws also. Each claw attack causes 1-3 hp damage, and the creature bites for 1-8 hp damage. In addition, it can use its tentacles to restrain particularly difficult prey. A tentacle attack strikes at -2 to hit; if successful, all further attacks that round are made at +2 to hit. The victim must make a successful Strength check in order to break free of the shadow panther's tentacle the following round. The tentacles are sensitive, so shadow panthers do not use them in combat unless absolutely necessary. They are, however, often used to carry cubs on their backs when fleeing, or to drag away slain prey to devour it in the safety of their lairs.

Because of their dark color, shadow panthers have an innate ability to hide in shadows. They use this ability to sneak up on prey, and also to escape if they find themselves overpowered by a stronger foe. While their ability to hide in shadows necessarily depends upon the terrain and lighting, shadow panthers have an overall success rate of about 75%.

Habitat/Society: Shadow panthers live in small packs, with a dominant male, his mate, their children, and his siblings. They are savage yet show an intelligence beyond that of their animal nature. In any case, the pack works remarkable well together using teamwork to corner and trap prey with deadly effectiveness.

Ecology: Most of the shadow panthers' time is spet in their mountain habitat, where they lair in hidden caves. They are exceptional climbers, using their hooked tentacles to find the narrowest of purchases. Their agility allows them to prey upon mountain goats and sheep, which make up their primary food source. They do not seem to fear humans or demihumans and have been known to attack not only livestock but also farmers.

The pelts of shadow panthers are prized because of their rich, sleek fur and ink-black coloration. A shadow panther skin in good condition can sell for as much as 3,000 gold pieces . A cloak made of shadow panther fur can add 5% to a rogue's hide in shadows ability but does not allow someone without the ability to hide in shadows.

So far, all attempts as domesticating shadow panther young have failed. The cubs seem to savage to train, and -- worse yet -- shadow panthers have an uncanny ability to track others of their kind. Even if the rest of a newborn cub's pack is slain and the cub is taken to be raised as a guard beast, before too long, a shadow panther "strike team" hunts the creature down to rescue it, slaying its captors if possible. Such cubs are then adopted into the new pack and raised as one of their own.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #251 (1998).

 

[Cleon]

These look pretty straightforward.

Take a Leopard, Lion or Tiger and make it a 6 HD magical beast.

Add a couple of tentacle secondary attacks with Improved Grab and maybe Constrict.

Maybe add a Shadow Blend type power.

Ability score wise they're more intelligent, so I'd add 4 to a original big cat's Int and Charisma.

The original's 1-8/1-3/1-3 attacks are a match to a Jaguar (which is between a Lion and a Leopard). A jaguar's a Large animal in 2E AD&D as is the shadow panther, so I'm thinking we base it on the SRD Lion's stats.

Lion: Str 21, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6, +3 NA
Shadow Panther: Str 21, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 10

That would make it something like:

Shadow Panther
Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 6d10+12 (45 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+19
Attack: Claw +10 melee (1d3+5)
Full Attack: 2 claws +10 melee (1d3+5), bite +8 melee (1d8+2), 2 tentacles +8 melee (1d3+2)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Constrict 1d3+5, improved grab, rake 1d3+2, pounce
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, shadow blend?
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +3
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: 9 points
Feats: Multiattack plus 2 other feats

 

[Cleon]

The only other special ability I can see is "shadow panthers have an uncanny ability to track others of their kind" used to find and rescue captured cubs.

Since this is a mysterious "uncanny" power I'm thinking about making it psionic rather than magical. Probably something like.

Scry Shadow Panther (Ps): Shadow panthers have an uncanny ability to sense other shadow panthers. As a full-round action a shadow panther can sense the presence of all other shadow panthers within a radius of 100 miles, with additional full-round actions it can focus on a single panther within range and determine more information about it - its identity on its first round, its approximate age and health on the second round (cub or adult; healthy, diseased or dying) and its general circumstances on the third round (contented, entangled, trapped, stressed et cetera). On the fourth round and subsequent round of focused scrying the shadow panther can view the target panther's surrounding as if it were using the psionic power clairvoyant sense. A shadow panther will automatically sense when another panther is using scry shadow panther to sense them. This ability is considered a 5th level psionic power with a manifestation level of 15th.

EDIT: Upon reflection, I think it works better if the scrying has an unlimited range as per normal, otherwise those nasty cub-nappers would simply take their victims to an isolated island outside their detection range.

Revising...


Scry Shadow Panther (Ps): Shadow panthers have an uncanny ability to sense other shadow panthers. As a full-round action a shadow panther can sense the presence and identity of all other shadow panthers within a radius of 100 miles. A shadow panther will automatically sense when another panther is using scry shadow panther to sense them.

Furthermore, a shadow panther can focus on any other shadow panther it has ever sensed with scry shadow panther and determine determine more information about it. This second function has an unlimited range, but both shadow panthers must be on the same plane of existence.

Each round of focused scrying requires a full-round action by the panther. On the first round it senses the distance and direction of the other panther; on the second round it senses its approximate age and health (cub or adult; healthy, diseased or dying); and on the third round it senses its general circumstances (contented, entangled, trapped, stressed et cetera). On the fourth and subsequent rounds of focused scrying the shadow panther can view the target panther's surrounding as if it were using the psionic power clairvoyant sense.

This ability is considered a 5th level psionic power with a manifestation level of 15th.

 

[Shade]

Since these are the "missing link" between displacer beasts and wemics, I think we should look to those creatures as the primary informants for stats...

Displacer Beast: Str 18, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 8, +5 NA
Wemic: Str 18, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 9, +4 NA

Compared to 2e displacer beast, Int is 3 better, AC is 1 worse, and physical attacks are much weaker (1d3 vs. 2d4 for the claws). Compared to the 2e wemic, their claws are still weaker (1d3 vs. 1d4), AC is the same, and Int is 3 less.

Thus, I'm suggesting Str 18, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 9, +4 NA

 

[Cleon]

Since these are the "missing link" between displacer beasts and wemics, I think we should look to those creatures as the primary informants for stats...

Displacer Beast: Str 18, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 8, +5 NA
Wemic: Str 18, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 9, +4 NA

Compared to 2e displacer beast, Int is 3 better, AC is 1 worse, and physical attacks are much weaker (1d3 vs. 2d4 for the claws). Compared to the 2e wemic, their claws are still weaker (1d3 vs. 1d4), AC is the same, and Int is 3 less.

Thus, I'm suggesting Str 18, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 9, +4 NA

Don't much care for that. They look much closer to a Displacer Beast than a Wemic, their only Wemic-like ability is being able to rear on their hindlegs and rake with their middle claws.

Dex 13 seems way too low, and it gives it AC14 with your proposed NA bonus and the penalty for being Large. I'd rather cut its NA to give it an AC one point lower than a Displacer.

Also, the AD&D Displacer Beast had the same Intelligence as an AD&D leopard, so I don't care for giving them a near-human degree of cunning. I'd be OK increasing it a point or two, but I'd like to keep it with the "Low Intelligence" 5-7 range.

I'm happy cutting the rough draft's Str from 21 to 19, to give them the same Str bonus as a Displacer Beast put a point higher ability score. Since they're a bit bigger than a DB (10-12 feet vs 8-12 feet) they could be a tad stronger.

So, something like:

Shadow Panther: Str 19, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 9, +4NA

Of course, using the Displacer Beast is a bit naughty, it being closed content and all. A lion'd be much more above-board.

 

[Shade]

I can go for most of that, but I still think the Strength needs to be lower due to the feeble, low-damage claw attacks.

 

[Cleon]

I can go for most of that, but I still think the Strength needs to be lower due to the feeble, low-damage claw attacks.

Don't you think Str 19 is low enough? It's the same Strength bonus as your proposed Str 18, so it just means the slightly larger Shadow Panther can carry a bit more.

Carrying capacity's pretty irrelevant unless they start using armour or equipment or someone is riding them.

Hmm...

 

[freyar]

Been a while since I could look in on this thread... The gu' looks good.

Since the bonus is the same, I think going with Str 19 and Cleon's most recent ability list is fine.

Definitely need Shadow Blend, since they have "hide in shadows" on the special defense line.

Imp grab seems right, and I'll give you rake, but I don't get constrict from the weak, sensitive tentacles at all.

Scrying is interesting, but it seems a bit complicated for something that sounded an awful lot like flavor in the original text. I also think you're extrapolating a lot from the one sentence that's there. Could we cut this down somehow?

 

[Cleon]

Been a while since I could look in on this thread... The gu' looks good.

Since the bonus is the same, I think going with Str 19 and Cleon's most recent ability list is fine.

Definitely need Shadow Blend, since they have "hide in shadows" on the special defense line.

Imp grab seems right, and I'll give you rake, but I don't get constrict from the weak, sensitive tentacles at all.

Yes, I prefer Imp Grab without the Constrict. The original text isn't even clear whether the tentacles do any damage - the 1-3/1-3 in the Damage line could all be its claws.

Scrying is interesting, but it seems a bit complicated for something that sounded an awful lot like flavor in the original text. I also think you're extrapolating a lot from the one sentence that's there. Could we cut this down somehow?

Probably, you know what I'm like.

How about.

Call for Rescue (Su): Shadow panthers have an innate ability to telepathically contact other shadow panthers whenever they are seriously injured or imprisoned. Even newborn cubs possess this power, which is unconscious and automatic. The call will reach the nearest pack of Shadow Panthers (regardless of distance, but they must be on the same plane of existence), who may decide to come to the distressed Shadow Panther's aid. If the call comes from a cub the other Panthers always form a "strike team" to rescue the youngster and adopt it into their pack.

 

[Shade]

Str 19 is fine, and the call to rescue works...as flavor text. Nothing in it really cries out "special ability".

I'll get these kitties Homebrewed shortly.