Converting Monsters from Dungeon Magazine

[Shade]

Let's go with 60 ft. for the "must be within" for the illusions.

I'd like at least 4 ranks in Concentration, since generating their illusions is their prime directive. For the remaining skills, maybe a mix of Spellcraft and Move Silently?

I don't think "supersonic speech" needs to be a SQ...it could easily just be in the usual languages spot. However, I'm not really bothered by it, so if you're in love with the idea, keep it (I'm learning to pick my battles wisely. )

 

[Cleon]

Let's go with 60 ft. for the "must be within" for the illusions.

I was thinking 30 ft., but I'll go for 60 if freyar's fine with it.

I'd like at least 4 ranks in Concentration, since generating their illusions is their prime directive. For the remaining skills, maybe a mix of Spellcraft and Move Silently?

4 Concentration, 2 Spellcraft and 2 Move Silently?

I don't think "supersonic speech" needs to be a SQ...it could easily just be in the usual languages spot. However, I'm not really bothered by it, so if you're in love with the idea, keep it (I'm learning to pick my battles wisely. )

Them's fighting words!

Hold on, them's not fighting words.

Spoilsport.

I prefer it as a Special Quality. I did consider leaving it in the background info language slot, but I felt the DM is more likely to remember it as an SQ.

 

[freyar]

Responding in order:

I think I like 30 ft. These are small thing and probably should be within a smallish distance of each other to "coordinate." As a comparison, cooperating shocker lizards need to be within 20 ft.

Those skills seem fine.

I probably prefer putting the language stuff in the flavor text, but we can keep Cleon happy here.

 

[Cleon]

Responding in order:

I think I like 30 ft. These are small thing and probably should be within a smallish distance of each other to "coordinate." As a comparison, cooperating shocker lizards need to be within 20 ft.

Those skills seem fine.

Updating Working Draft.

I probably prefer putting the language stuff in the flavor text, but we can keep Cleon happy here.

Quite right.

Better not rile me if you knows what's good for you...

 

[freyar]

These don't seem to need much else, but I do have one question. It seems like it takes some time to "set up" the illusion when several spectramice cooperate (unless 1-3 segments is trivial). Should we make it a full-round action or something?

 

[Cleon]

These don't seem to need much else, but I do have one question. It seems like it takes some time to "set up" the illusion when several spectramice cooperate (unless 1-3 segments is trivial). Should we make it a full-round action or something?

The 1-3 segments is described as a "casting time". As a rule of thumb, the majority of 1E AD&D spells have a casting time of 1 segment per level (e.g. magic missile = 1 segment, fireball = 3 segments).

The spectramouse illusions take about the same time to produce as the equivalent spell:

• audible glamer is a 2nd level magic-user spell (2 segments) and a 1st level (1 segment illusionist spell).
• phantasmal force is is a 3rd level magic-user spell (3 segments) and a 1st level (1 segment illusionist spell).
• phantasmal killer is is a 4th level (4 segment illusionist spell).

Looks like they should be standard action spell-like abilities to me.

Oh, and we'll need a caster level for the illusions to. Maybe equal to the number of mice (maximum CL 10th)?

 

[Shade]

Oh, and we'll need a caster level for the illusions to. Maybe equal to the number of mice (maximum CL 10th)?

Sounds great.

Do any of the spells require ongoing Concentration? If so, I think we should note that all mice that particpate in the casting must continue to concentrate to maintain the spell.

 

[Cleon]

Sounds great.

Do any of the spells require ongoing Concentration? If so, I think we should note that all mice that particpate in the casting must continue to concentrate to maintain the spell.

A phantasmal killer spell is instantaneous, but all the image spells have Concentration-based durations.

So, I agree we'd better tweak it. How's this:

Illusions (Sp): Spectramice can create illusions as at-will spell-like abilities. A group of spectramice can cooperate to produce more powerful illusions. To contribute to a cooperative illusion, a spectramouse must be within 30 ft. of all the other spectramice in the group and make a standard action (all the mice must make the same action, usually "cast a spell" or "Concentrate to maintain an active spell"). A cooperative illusion will fail if the number of spectramice contributing to the group is reduced to less than the minimum number required by the spell (see below). The DC of the spell equals 10 plus half the number of spectramice in the group plus the highest Charisma modifier among the contributing spectramice. The spell-like ability can originate from any mouse in the group.

 

[freyar]

Looks pretty good to me, except: shouldn't the DC by 10+highest Cha modifier + spell level since these are Sp instead of Su?

CR 1/2? I feel like it should reflect the potency of the phantasmal killer, but that may not come into play that often.

 

[Cleon]

Looks pretty good to me, except: shouldn't the DC by 10+highest Cha modifier + spell level since these are Sp instead of Su?

Didn't we settle on a number of collaborators based DC like we used for the Misi?

The illusions are supposed to be more powerful the more Spectramice there are involved, which suggests the DC could scale with group size, although that might just be a reference to the availability of more powerful SLAs.

That said, I'd be willing to consider spell level-based saves if Shade prefers them too.

Although if we do use a save DC based on the number of mice we should really cap the DC, otherwise hundred-strong groups of Spectramice will be phantasmal killing everything in sight...

CR 1/2? I feel like it should reflect the potency of the phantasmal killer, but that may not come into play that often.

Hmm, that seems about right. An eight-mouse group able to cast phantasmal killer works out to CR 4, which seems in the right ballpark.