Converting "generic setting" Second Edition monsters

[Cleon]

Shall we tackle the "solidify" ability first, then?

They seem to have three phases of existence - ethereal, incorporeal and solid.

That would give us something like this:

Manifestation (Su): A spectral wizard normally dwells on the Ethereal Plane where, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. However, a spectral wizard can partially or fully manifest on the Material Plane. It takes 1 move action for a spectral wizard to partially manifest, 1 full-round action to fully manifest. It takes the spectral twice as long to manifest in areas of bright light, such as daylight or a continual flame spell.

A spectral wizard has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes. Manifested spectral wizards can be attacked by foes from either the Material or Ethereal Planes, but are somewhat protected by incorporeality.

When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plane, but they work normally against ethereal targets.

A partially manifested spectral wizard becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. It can pass through solid objects at will, and has an incorporeal touch attack. Its incorporeality protects it from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane. Its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A partially manifested spectral wizard's touch spells don't work on nonethereal targets.

A fully manifested spectral wizard has assumed physical substance on the Material Plane. Fully manifest spectral wizards have no incorporeal touch attack, but can manipulate material objects, wield weapons and cast spells just like a material creature. It is not incorporeal to foes on the Material Plane, but is incorporeal to foes on the Ethereal Plane. Its spells affect targets on the Material Plane and Ethereal Plane normally, except its touch spells only work on material targets, they have no affect on ethereal targets.

A manifested spectral wizard always moves silently.

 

[Shade]

Fantastic! Added to Homebrews.

 

[Cleon]

Fantastic! Added to Homebrews.

Glad you like it! I was hoping to cut the word count down, but my attempts just made it confusing.

I can see a few changes we need:

Attack: A spectral wizard retains all the attacks of the base creature, attacks relying on physical contact only affect creatures on the Material plane when the spectral is fully manifest (see manifestation). It gains an incorporeal touch attack (see numbing touch) which it can only uses when it manifests.

Full Attack: A spectral wizard retains all the attacks of the base creature, attacks relying on physical contact only affect creatures on the Material plane when the spectral is fully manifest (see manifestation). It gains an incorporeal touch attack (see numbing touch) which it can only uses when it manifests.

Damage: A spectral wizard retains the base creature's damage values, but usually can only damage ethereal creatures with these attacks. It can use the base creature's damage values against nonethereal opponents when it fully manifest (see manifestation). It has an incorporeal touch attack that does XdX damage and causes numbness (see numbing touch), but can only be used when the spectral wizard manifests.

 

[freyar]

Hey, do ghosts and these spectral wizards use ethereal material components? Does the ethereal copy of whatever they're carrying at death count?

I don't like a fully manifested spectral wizard always moving silently, since it's not incorporeal anymore. Did I miss something in the original text?

 

[Cleon]

Hey, do ghosts and these spectral wizards use ethereal material components? Does the ethereal copy of whatever they're carrying at death count?

Presumably they do, since even standard ghosts use ethereal equipment.

I don't like a fully manifested spectral wizard always moving silently, since it's not incorporeal anymore. Did I miss something in the original text?

No, I just liked it that way.

My interpretation is that a fully manifest spectral wizard isn't solid per se, and is probably still floating about like a ghost, so will remain spookily silent.

 

[freyar]

Since it has physical substance, I'd like it to be able to make sound. Probably should gain a land speed as well as the flight speed in fully manifested/solid form, too, I think.

 

[Cleon]

Since it has physical substance, I'd like it to be able to make sound. Probably should gain a land speed as well as the flight speed in fully manifested/solid form, too, I think.

But they can make sound.

Surely a Ghost's "always moves silently" just means they automatically succeed at Move Silently checks?

A manifested Ghost (or Spectral Wizard) can talk, clap, sing or play ghostly instruments to its heart's content.

 

[Shade]

Per the Special Abilities descriptions:

Incorporeal creatures are inaudible unless they decide to make noise.

 

[Cleon]

Per the Special Abilities descriptions:

Quite.

Hold on, Shade - or at least something that looks like Shade - is agreeing with me against Freyar.

Does this mean the Greater Doppleganger I sent to aid my takeover of the Enworld monster conversion board has finally had some success?

 

[Shade]

Hold on, Shade - or at least something that looks like Shade - is agreeing with me against Freyar.

Does this mean the Greater Doppleganger I sent to aid my takeover of the Enworld monster conversion board has finally had some success?

What do you mean, master...er, mister?