Converting Planescape monsters

[Cleon]

Updated.

Should we add text to the ability allowing for it to swallow the item in the following round? How long before the crystal is digested (and therefore unrecoverable)?

Well is the crystal as tough as glass or stone? Assuming a typical crystal is 1-inch thick it's either hardness 1 & 1 hit point (glass) or hardness 8 & 15 hp (stone).

I guess glass is a closer fit, in which case the demarax should only need 1 round to break it down to 0 hp for digestion.

 

[Shade]

Sounds good. Updated.

Skills: 8 ranks
Search, Spot?

Feats: 2
Alertness, Skill Focus (Search)?

 

[freyar]

Rather than say it can swallow on the next round, perhaps we should specify it can swallow crystals that have reached its space in the next round.

Skills and feats work for me.

 

[Cleon]

Sounds good. Updated.

Skills: 8 ranks
Search, Spot?

Feats: 2
Alertness, Skill Focus (Search)?

Not sure about the SF Search. Maybe Endurance?

Rather than say it can swallow on the next round, perhaps we should specify it can swallow crystals that have reached its space in the next round.

Skills and feats work for me.

Agreed, except I'd make it a swift action with Reach rather than a free action in its Space.

Revising...

Attract Crystal (Su): As a swift action, a demarax can attract a single object made of magical crystal, such as an eye of charming, ioun stone or dorje. This telekinetic power has a range of 100 ft. and can move an object up to 25 pounds in weight at a speed of 20 feet per round, either across the ground or through the air. A creature can negate this effect on an object in their possession with a successful DC 12 Will save or by spell resistance (a demarax's attract crystal power has a caster level equal to its HD for checks to overcome spell resistance). Once the crystal is within the demarax's reach, the demarax can swallow the crystal the next round as a swift action. A swallowed crystal will be digested (and unrecoverable) after 1 full round. The save DC is Charisma-based.

 

[Shade]

Not sure about the SF Search. Maybe Endurance?

Why not? Their whole existence involves trying to find crystals!

Agreed, except I'd make it a swift action with Reach rather than a free action in its Space.

Revising...

Attract Crystal (Su): As a swift action, a demarax can attract a single object made of magical crystal, such as an eye of charming, ioun stone or dorje. This telekinetic power has a range of 100 ft. and can move an object up to 25 pounds in weight at a speed of 20 feet per round, either across the ground or through the air. A creature can negate this effect on an object in their possession with a successful DC 12 Will save or by spell resistance (a demarax's attract crystal power has a caster level equal to its HD for checks to overcome spell resistance). Once the crystal is within the demarax's reach, the demarax can swallow the crystal the next round as a swift action. A swallowed crystal will be digested (and unrecoverable) after 1 full round. The save DC is Charisma-based.

That seems reasonable.

 

[freyar]

I think I have to stick with SF (Search), too. It leads to a big bonus, but it goes with the flavor.

I also like Attract Crystal.

 

[Shade]

I think I have to stick with SF (Search), too. It leads to a big bonus, but it goes with the flavor.

Thanks to its -2 Int penalty, that bonus ain't so big.

In fact, I'm pilfering a point from Spot and adding it to Search so the modifiers are the same. Plus, the 5th rank in Spot gets it a synergy bonus to Survival for following tracks.

Challenge Rating: 4?

Treasure: See text?

Alignment: Always lawful neutral?

Advancement: 6-10 HD (Medium); 11-15 HD (Large)?

A demarax is 6 feet long and weighs x pounds. The magical energies it consumes can prolong a demarax's lifespan to over 1,000 years. Its movements are always slow and deliberate.

 

[freyar]

That all works for me, but I don't have a good reference for the weight.

 

[Cleon]

Thanks to its -2 Int penalty, that bonus ain't so big.

Quite. Even with SF its Search bonus is pretty pathetic. I'd much rather give it a racial bonus to Search, Spot and Survival checks to find gems (or an enhancement bonus, since it's probably derived from its supernatural Gemsense?).

Then swap SF for Endurance.

Challenge Rating: 4?

They look more like a strong 3 to me, but I can accept 4.

Treasure: See text?

I'd go "Double goods (gems only, see text)" with a mention in flavour about their gem-studded skin.

Alignment: Always lawful neutral?

Advancement: 6-10 HD (Medium); 11-15 HD (Large)?

That looks fine to me.

 

[Cleon]

Sounds good. Updated.

Its Combat section is missing the Magic Missiles entry we decided on:

Magic Missiles (Su): Three times a day, a demarax can fire three energy darts from its eyes with the same effects as a magic missile spell (caster level 5th).