Converting Creatures from Other Campaign Settings

[freyar]

I'd even though a little about faint, so moderate is good with me.

 

[Cleon]

I'd even though a little about faint, so moderate is good with me.

Well the rage spell is 2nd-3rd level, which creates a faint magic aura. The death shade seems to create a barbarian-level rage which as higher bonuses, so presumably it ought to be moderate.

 

[Shade]

Moderate it is!

Updated.

 

[freyar]

Well, then, anyone have a good idea about the rage?

 

[Shade]

How about the trilloch's rage upthread?

 

[Cleon]

How about the trilloch's rage upthread?

I agree, the Trilloch's Control Rage is a good foundation:

Control Rage (Sp): A trilloch can inspire rage (as a rage spell, but with a DC 18 Will save allowed to negate the effect) in all living creatures within 180 feet at will. Each creature gains a +4 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution, a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, and a -4 penalty to AC. This effect is otherwise identical to a barbarian's rage ability, except that the subjects aren't fatigued at the end of the rage. If a creature has the rage ability and its bonuses when raging are greater than those given here, it can use the other bonuses instead. The save DC is Charisma-based. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect.

An affected creature can end its rage by making a DC 19 Will save. The trilloch can end the rage for any number of creatures prematurely, without affecting other raging creatures. It can also end a rage caused by any other effect, such as a barbarian's rage ability, and in that case the barbarian would become fatigued. A trilloch always ends the rage for a creature who has gone beyond its normal hit points and into those granted by the rage, likely killing it.

This effect lasts for as long as the trilloch concentrates on it, plus 1 round per Hit Die of the creature.

We can cut out some the text and I'm thinking it will only get a "partial will save".

Something like this:

Inspire Rage (Su): A death shade can fill its host with a violent fury, giving the host a +4 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution, a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, and a -4 penalty to AC. A raging death shade host will run amok, randomly attacking everything it comes upon. If its target is a friend or ally it can redirect its attacks against another object, like a wall or enemy, if it succeeds at a DC X Will save. This effect is otherwise identical to a barbarian's rage ability, except that the subjects aren't fatigued at the end of the rage. If a creature has the rage ability and its bonuses when raging are greater than those given here, it uses those other bonuses instead. The save DC is Charisma-based. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect.

 

[Shade]

That looks pretty good!

Updated.

The death shade absorbs 1 energy level for every hit die of an opponent killed within a 10' radius, and can store up to 40 energy levels at one time.

The death shade and its host become catatonic when stored energy levels are at zero. The host and shade may remain catatonic for as many days as the host has Con points; after that, both host and shade die. If a lifeform comes within 10 feet of a catatonic host, the death shade rouses the host in 1d3 rounds in a berserk rage to kill the creature for its energy. After the rage subsides, the host must make a save vs. paralyzation or have permanent brain damage (subtract 1d3 points from the host's Intelligence).

How do we want to handle these "energy levels"? Give it something akin to energy drain, but only usable upon a dying creature? Some combination of death knell and energy drain?

Death shades reproduce as a by-product of feeding. After a death shade has absorbed life force from the death of 40 hit dice or levels of creatures within a 24-hour period, it splits into two death shades with 20 energy levels each. The second shade immediately transfers to any creature within 20'. If it can't make the transfer within 5 rounds, the second death shade dies.

Do we need an ability writeup for this, or will flavor text suffice?

Death shades have a basic telepathy which can only identify the presence of one death shade to another. Thus, death shades can detect each other's presence in a 20 foot radius and, if given a choice of targets during "feeding," will attack an uninfested creature before an infested host body.

Once again, an ability or simplify like so? "Death shades cannot speak, but can communicate telepathically with one another."

 

[freyar]

I'd make it like death knell, but granting the death shade something like a positive level (but without benefits?). Or introduce a new "counter" for them. This is similar to what we did for blood warriors (I think) and the transient golem.

Probably flavor on the reproduction, though I wouldn't mind an ability. Definitely put the telepathy in the language line like that.

 

[Cleon]

How do we want to handle these "energy levels"? Give it something akin to energy drain, but only usable upon a dying creature? Some combination of death knell and energy drain?

Do we need an ability writeup for this, or will flavor text suffice?

Once again, an ability or simplify like so? "Death shades cannot speak, but can communicate telepathically with one another."

I'd make it like death knell, but granting the death shade something like a positive level (but without benefits?). Or introduce a new "counter" for them. This is similar to what we did for blood warriors (I think) and the transient golem.

Probably flavor on the reproduction, though I wouldn't mind an ability. Definitely put the telepathy in the language line like that.

I'd prefer something like the energy drain approach.

Death Drain (Su): A death shade can drain the life force from a dying creature. It must hit the creature with a touch attack or one of its host's natural attacks. The dying creature is drained of 1 energy level and must succeed at a DC X Fortitude save or die. For every drained level the death shade gains 1 positive energy level for 24 hours. If a death shade gains Y positive energy levels it loses the positive energy levels and reproduces by splitting into two. One death shade remains in the host, the second death shade must quickly find its own host or die.

 

[freyar]

Hmm, I think I'd have a few quibbles with that, but it's a good start.
1) The original ability doesn't kill the creature, just draws energy from a dying one. (This is a problem with death knell, too.)
2) It should work out to a 10 ft radius.
3) I'm not sure that it should get a concrete benefit (though I'm not against that per se), but it needs to be dependent on having a positive level all the time.

How's this work?

Death Drain (Su): A death shade drains the life force from a dying creature. For every creature (HD of creature?) that dies within 10 ft of the death shade's host, the death shade gains 1 positive level for 24 hours. If a death shade gains Y positive levels, it reproduces by splitting into two, with each death shade retaining Y/2 positive levels. One death shade remains in the host, but the second death shade must quickly find its own host or die. Additionally, a death shade is dependent on positive levels; if it has no positive levels, both the death shade and host fall unconscious. Each day that the host is unconscious, the host/death shade must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 plus the number of days unconscious after the first) or both host and death shade die. If a creature comes within 10 ft of an unconscious death shade and host, the death shade rouses the host in a controlled rage and must kill the creature to drain its energy or die in X rounds. If the death shade gains a positive level, both it and the host survive, but the host must make a DC Z Fortitude/Will? save or take 1d3 points of Intelligence drain. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Some of that is pretty much taken from the original write-up, and some is modified. I'm not married to the specific mechanics, but I'd like to see that basic flavor retained.