Converting Monsters from Dungeon Magazine

[Shade]

Updated.

So, for the transparent body, are we giving it a flat Spot DC, or one modified by distance like the original text?

Due to its transparent body, a windigo is 95% invisible whle standing still and 50% invisible while moving. At distances greater than fifty feet a windigo is completely invisible. It uses this power as well as its ghostly silence to stalk prey.

A creature can generally notice the presence of an active invisible creature within 30 feet with a DC 20 Spot check. The observer gains a hunch that “something’s there” but can’t see it or target it accurately with an attack. A creature who is holding still is very hard to notice (DC 30). An inanimate object, an unliving creature holding still, or a completely immobile creature is even harder to spot (DC 40). It’s practically impossible (+20 DC) to pinpoint an invisible creature’s location with a Spot check, and even if a character succeeds on such a check, the invisible creature still benefits from total concealment (50% miss chance).

I'm thinking we should modify this...

Natural Invisibility (Su): This ability is constant, allowing a stalker to remain invisible even when attacking. This ability is inherent and not subject to the invisibility purge spell.

Something like this, perhaps?

Transparent Body (Su): Due to its transparent body, a windigo is nearly invisible. At distances greater than 50 feet, a windigo is completely invisible. Within 50 feet, treat the windigo as invisible, except Spot checks to notice its presence, target it, or pinpoint its location are made with a +2 circumstance bonus. A windigo within 50 feet gains concealment (rather than total concealment). This ability is constant, allowing a windigo to remain nearly invisible even when attacking. This ability is inherent and not subject to the invisibility purge spell.

 

[Cleon]

Updated.

So, for the transparent body, are we giving it a flat Spot DC, or one modified by distance like the original text?

Well Spot checks are penalized by distance (-1 per 10 feet) according to the SRD, so I'd just use a flat DC.

Transparent Body (Su): Due to its transparent body, a windigo is nearly invisible. At distances greater than 50 feet, a windigo is completely invisible. Within 50 feet, treat the windigo as invisible, except Spot checks to notice its presence, target it, or pinpoint its location are made with a +2 circumstance bonus. A windigo within 50 feet gains concealment (rather than total concealment). This ability is constant, allowing a windigo to remain nearly invisible even when attacking. This ability is inherent and not subject to the invisibility purge spell.

At first, I was thinking of modifying the Gelatinous Cube's ability:

Transparent (Ex): Gelatinous cubes are hard to see, even under ideal conditions, and it takes a DC 15 Spot check to notice one. Creatures who fail to notice a cube and walk into it are automatically engulfed.

However, rereading the description some form of "near-invisibility" seems more appropriate. I'm thinking we should cadge some of the text from the Invisibility Special Ability and the Invisibility note in the Hide skill:

Also, I think it should be an (Ex) ability rather than a (Su).

In other words, I prefer the following:

Transparent Body (Ex): Due to its transparent body, a windigo is very hard to see, even under ideal conditions. At distances greater than 50 feet, a windigo is invisible. Within 50 feet, a creature can notice the presence of an active windigo with a DC 15 Spot check. A windigo that is moving gains a +15 bonus on Hide checks, one that is immobile gains a +30 bonus to Hide checks. A windigo within 50 feet gains concealment (rather than total concealment) against attackers that notice it. This ability is constant, a windigo remains nearly invisible even when attacking. This transparency is an innate property of the windigo's flesh, so is not subject to the invisibility purge spell.

 

[Shade]

That'll work.

Updated.

Should we add Common to their languages for more effective taunting?

 

[Cleon]

That'll work.

Updated.

I suppose we'd better modify the environmental body and skinstealing now...

Environmental Body (Ex): A windigo can form a physical body for itself out of leaves, dirt, rocks or any other small loose objects lying in its vicinity. While in this form, the windigo loses its incorporeal subtype and its transparent body special quality, but it gains two claw attacks that deal 1d6 damage each, a natural armor bonus, and a Strength score of 15. Forming an environmental body requires a move action; the windigo can revert to its natural incorporeal form as a swift action. The natural armor bonus of the body depends on the hardness of its materials, according to the following table:

Skinstealing (Ex): If a windigo personally kills a humanoid within one size category of its own size, it can steal that humanoid's skin as a full-round action. A windigo wearing a stolen skin takes on its victim's appearance, voice, and physical abilities as per the alternate form special ability. It loses its incorporeal subtype and transparent body special quality. The windigo is effectively disguised as the individual whose skin it has stolen (with a +10 bonus on its Disguise checks). A windigo can wear a stolen skin for up to 1 hour, whereupon the skin starts to rip and fray, returning the windigo to its true form. A windigo cannot take off a stolen skin without tearing and ruining it.

Might as well mention it in Transparent Body while we're at it...

Transparent Body (Ex): Due to its transparent body, a windigo is very hard to see, even under ideal conditions. At distances greater than 50 feet, a windigo is invisible. Within 50 feet, a creature can notice the presence of an active windigo with a DC 15 Spot check. A windigo that is moving gains a +15 bonus on Hide checks, one that is immobile gains a +30 bonus to Hide checks. A windigo within 50 feet gains concealment (rather than total concealment) against attackers that notice it. This ability is constant, allowing a windigo to remain nearly invisible even when attacking. This transparency is an innate property of the windigo's flesh, so is not subject to the invisibility purge spell. A windigo loses its transparent body when it uses its skinstealing and environmental body special abilities.

Should we add Common to their languages for more effective taunting?

Yes, adding Common makes sense.

 

[Shade]

Updated. Anything left?

 

[Mortis]

Anything left?

Well it's not much but Transparent Body is between parts of the Mosquito Swarm entry, move it to the line after the Mosquito Swarm's skills and it will be fine.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

Well it's not much but Transparent Body is between parts of the Mosquito Swarm entry, move it to the line after the Mosquito Swarm's skills and it will be fine.

Good catch! Fixed.

 

[Cleon]

Good catch! Fixed.

We seem to be missing the "typical environmental body" statistics that are mentioned in the ability's description.

i.e. adding the following:

Environmental Body (Ex): A windigo can form a physical body for itself out of leaves, dirt, rocks or any other small loose objects lying in its vicinity. While in this form, the windigo loses its incorporeal subtype and its transparent body special quality, but it gains two claw attacks that deal 1d6 damage each, a natural armor bonus, and a Strength score of 15. Forming an environmental body requires a move action; the windigo can revert to its natural incorporeal form as a swift action. The natural armor bonus of the body depends on the hardness of its materials, according to the following table:

+0 NA Snow/Dust
+1 NA Leaves/Grass
+2 NA Wood
+3 NA Sand/Earth/Soil
+4 NA Stone
+5 NA Metal

Typically, a windigo will form an environmental body out of sand or soil, giving it the following statistics (those not listed are the same as the windigo's incorporeal form).

Medium Outsider (Air, Chaotic, Evil, Native)
Armor Class: 18 (+5 Dex, +3 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+9
Attack: Claw +9 melee (1d6+2)
Full Attack: Two claws +9 melee (1d6+2)
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 21, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 17, Cha 16
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., environmental body, fatal claustrophobia, incorporeal traits, skinstealing, summon mosquito swarm

 

[Shade]

Updated.

 

[Cleon]

Updated.

I believe we're done with them.

When are we doing the Slithering Hoard and other missing Oozes?