Converting Oriental Adventures creatures

[Cleon]

Pretty good framework, I like it. Which special to do first?

I'd do Special Attacks first. We'll need an Erase special attack, which the gohei can use in all its forms:

Erase (Sp): A gohei p'oh can erase magical or mundane writings from a page or two of paper, parchment, or similar surfaces. This functions just like an erase spell (CL 3rd), except it has a range of 1 foot.
​

As for the form-specific Special Attacks, might as well work on the default "page" form's SAs first - Attach & Suffocate.

Upon reflection, I'll call it Breath Drain instead of Suffocation.

The original description says the p'oh absorbs its victim's breath (e.g. it drains ch'i or "life force") rather than simple suffocation. I'd interpret that as it doing Constitution damage. I thought about making it unholy damage or add to the Paper Ghost's hp like a vampiric touch spell, but Con seems easier.

Attach (Ex): If a gohei p'oh hits with its default form's slam attack, it automatically plasters itself over the opponent's face and begins to draining its victim's breath (see Breath Drain, below). An attached gohei p'oh is effectively grappling its opponent. The gohei p'oh loses its Dexterity bonus to AC and has an AC of 12, but holds on with great tenacity. gohei p'oh have a +12 racial bonus on grapple checks (already figured into the Base Attack/Grapple entry above).[I'll need to adjust its Grapple check to +3]

An attached gohei p'oh can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached gohei p'oh through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the gohei p'oh.

Breath Drain (Ex): A gohei p'oh can drain life force by absorbing a victim's breath, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage in any round when it begins its turn attached to a victim. The gohei p'oh can feed off this drained breath (See Feeding Dependency).​

Hmm, I think I'd also add a "feeding dependency" SQ, something like:

Hungry Paper: Unlike standard constructs, gohei p'oh need to eat. Gohei p'oh feed on writing or life-energy using its Erase and Breath Drain special attacks. A gohei p'oh can eat up to 4 days' worth of "food" before becoming sated; it needs 1 page of writing or 1 point of Constitution to sustain itself for 1 day. The gohei p'oh loses 1 hit point for every day it goes hungry. If it loses all its hit points the gohei p'oh is destroyed. A gohei p'oh can regain hit points lost due to starvation by extra feeding on a 1:1 ration (e.g. if it feeds on 3 pages or Con points it recovers 2 hp).

A gohei p'oh can heal damage at the same rate as a living creature. A gohei p'oh can not heal its injuries while it has hit points lost from starvation. The Heal skill has no effect on gohei p'oh, but a DC15 Craft (origami) or Decipher Script check can provide Long-Term Care to a damaged gohei p'oh, allowing it to recover from damage at twice the normal rate.
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What do you think?

 

[Shade]

FWIW, here's a similar "breath-absorbing" ability...

Steal Breath (Su): As a full-round action, a breathdrinker can attempt to suck the air from the lungs of any helpless creature within reach. The target must make a successful Fortitude saving throw (DC 17) or take 1d6 points of Constitution damage. The target dies when his or her Constitution score reaches 0. The breathdrinker heals 5 points of damage for each point of Constitution the target loses, gaining any excess as temporary hit points. So long as the target remains helpless, the breathdrinker continues to use this attack against that creature every round until it dies.

 

[Cleon]

FWIW, here's a similar "breath-absorbing" ability...

Steal Breath (Su): As a full-round action, a breathdrinker can attempt to suck the air from the lungs of any helpless creature within reach. The target must make a successful Fortitude saving throw (DC 17) or take 1d6 points of Constitution damage. The target dies when his or her Constitution score reaches 0. The breathdrinker heals 5 points of damage for each point of Constitution the target loses, gaining any excess as temporary hit points. So long as the target remains helpless, the breathdrinker continues to use this attack against that creature every round until it dies.

I prefer the blood-drain type approach to the above.

The saving throw and the self-healing of the above don't match the original.

 

[freyar]

Oof, I'd prefer reusing an old ability when possible. Still, I think Cleon's approach fits better, so we should do that.

 

[Cleon]

Oof, I'd prefer reusing an old ability when possible. Still, I think Cleon's approach fits better, so we should do that.

Well it is reusing an old ability, more or less, it's basically a name-change from "Blood Drain" to "Breath Drain".

 

[freyar]

Fair enough.

 

[Cleon]

Fair enough.

Can we agree on it and work on something else, then?

 

[Shade]

Can we agree on it and work on something else, then?

Sure, why not? It's less of an issue than mindless elementals.

 

[Cleon]

Sure, why not? It's less of an issue than mindless elementals.

I'm going to get a mindless elemental past you one of these days.

Updated Working Draft with what we've got so far.

 

[freyar]

Which attack is next?