Converting Planescape monsters

[Oryan77]

There you go.

I wrote up all the mechanical aspects I'd worked out but there didn't seem much point adding the flavour text, background or tactics.

That's great! Thanks a lot, that'll work just fine.

 

[Cleon]

That's great! Thanks a lot, that'll work just fine.

Glad to be of help.

 

[freyar]

I'm actually pretty happy with Cleon's homebrew as a working draft for these creatures. I'd make the following changes:
1) Change "warforged" in the last line of Living Figment Construct.
2) Remove "shadow" from the 7th bullet point of Living Figment Construct.
3) I would probably make the illusory form incorporeal.
4) I might still make the AC 10+size modifier in illusory form.

So should we answer some of those questions and do the description and background?

 

[Cleon]

I'm actually pretty happy with Cleon's homebrew as a working draft for these creatures. I'd make the following changes:
1) Change "warforged" in the last line of Living Figment Construct.
2) Remove "shadow" from the 7th bullet point of Living Figment Construct.
3) I would probably make the illusory form incorporeal.
4) I might still make the AC 10+size modifier in illusory form.

So should we answer some of those questions and do the description and background?

I'm fine with #1 and #2 and have updated the Figment Working Draft accordingly.

I'm not in favour of #3 and #4. They just make them more complicated mechanically to run and there isn't any miss chance/etherealness or the like mentioned in the original mechanics.

Care to start on the description and background stuff?

 

[freyar]

I can live with that. Illusions and incorporeality are always a bit weird to me --- the illusions aren't there, so you can't really strike them, but you can sure "hit" them without a miss chance, etc.

How about tactics?
Astral figments choose to attack their most gullible opponents first, hoping to gain material form via their Demand Credence ability. Once they gain material form, astral figments use rudimentary pack tactics, but they are clever enough to adjust their appendages to do effective damage against their opponents.

Incidentally, I think the appendages SA is missing a word. Shouldn't it be "nd inflict whatever type of damage (slashing, piercing and/or crushing) the astral figment wants"?

 

[Cleon]

I can live with that. Illusions and incorporeality are always a bit weird to me --- the illusions aren't there, so you can't really strike them, but you can sure "hit" them without a miss chance, etc.

How about tactics?
Astral figments choose to attack their most gullible opponents first, hoping to gain material form via their Demand Credence ability. Once they gain material form, astral figments use rudimentary pack tactics, but they are clever enough to adjust their appendages to do effective damage against their opponents.

Astral figments open combat by attacking opponents with their Demand Credence ability in the hope of gaining material form. They prioritize gullible looking opponents who are more likely to fail a Will save against Demand Credence. If the figments gain material form they fight until destroyed. Astral figments use pack tactics and are clever enough to adjust their appendages to forms that more effectively damage their opponents.

Incidentally, I think the appendages SA is missing a word. Shouldn't it be "nd inflict whatever type of damage (slashing, piercing and/or crushing) the astral figment wants"?

Odd, I was sure there was a "desires" at the end there.

Updating the Figment Working Draft.

 

[freyar]

Looks good to me.

Description: Black, shadow-like creatures in all types of monstrous shapes.

 

[Cleon]

Looks good to me.

Updating the Figment Working Draft.

Description: Black, shadow-like creatures in all types of monstrous shapes.

Hmm…

An entity of solid darkness as if a creature's shadow had gained life and substance of its own. Its outline is constantly in flux but is approximately humanoid, but the head and limbs are monstrous, lethal appendages for rending or crushing opponents.

I thought about mentioning something like "bestial jaws, ravaging claws, coiling tentacles, cutting blades." in the description of the appendages but upon reflection it seemed better leaving it vague.

 

[freyar]

Looks good to me!

Background: should we say that they are creations of an unstable magical mind or perhaps an artifact? I wouldn't give them construction requirements, so that ought to change the background a bit.

 

[Cleon]

Looks good to me!

Updating the Figment Working Draft.

Background: should we say that they are creations of an unstable magical mind or perhaps an artifact? I wouldn't give them construction requirements, so that ought to change the background a bit.

I agree they oughtn't to have a construction entry.

The original creatures were "literally, figments of Tomin’s imagination made real by the powers of his addle-coved mind" but he also has a "cloak of figments" and a couple of abilities that a human fighter shouldn't possess - immunity to charm and illusion spells plus magic resistance.

We could leave it vague as to what precisely they are and stat up the cloak of figments as a minor artifact that can conjure them at will. We could give the cloak the additional abilities of granting its wearer spell resistance plus immunity to mind-affecting spells (or Enchantment & Illusion spells?), although it also has the unfortunate side-effect of rendering them insane.

Maybe have the conjure figments ability only be usable by an insane wearer?