Converting monsters from Tales From The Infinite Staircase

freyar

Extradimensional Explorer
Hmmm, logically I like the base critter in the main stat block, but I'm ok with putting the unswapped Worm Lord in an underbar, I guess. But we then need to take out the majority of the slaiyith gifts, since I don't think the warrior would have all of them. Or else edit the personality swapping gift.
 

log in or register to remove this ad

Cleon

Legend
Hmmm, logically I like the base critter in the main stat block, but I'm ok with putting the unswapped Worm Lord in an underbar, I guess. But we then need to take out the majority of the slaiyith gifts, since I don't think the warrior would have all of them. Or else edit the personality swapping gift.

Dang it, I just noticed that Zophiel in the adventure never uses personality-exchange despite having that slaiyith gift. Presumably he thinks having all 10 gifts is worth the disadvantages of using his feeble original body.

And I quote "Zophiel never transfers his personality to another body, probably because his is the most efficient for his purposes. Ten valgoss have joined with Zophiel’s granting him a great many abilities. He’s a powerful wizard and priest, but generally unpleasant to be near, with all the valgoss hanging out of him, his weak and withered body (from all the lasting damage that the valgoss have inflicted), and the battered and broken wings of flying that he wears on his back."

Well I guess that means we're doing the unswapped version in the main stat block!

Updating Hanim Worm Lord.
 


freyar

Extradimensional Explorer
OK, this works better for me.

But where to start? I guess the low-hanging fruit are the attack and damage bonus for the quarterstaff. +0 in both cases, since this doesn't seem like the kind of character to spend a feat to improve those.

I guess we should give it a familiar, so it has all the wizard SQs. But something pretty basic. A toad seems appropriate for the milieu, and the extra hp would be helpful.

Thoughts on spells? Which kind do you want to tackle first?
 

Cleon

Legend
OK, this works better for me.

But where to start? I guess the low-hanging fruit are the attack and damage bonus for the quarterstaff. +0 in both cases, since this doesn't seem like the kind of character to spend a feat to improve those.

Not quite, it has +1 to attack due to being masterwork.

I guess we should give it a familiar, so it has all the wizard SQs. But something pretty basic. A toad seems appropriate for the milieu, and the extra hp would be helpful.

Yes I can go along with that.

Although the original character did not bother with a familiar so I'd have also been OK leaving it out.

Updating Hanim Worm Lord.

Thoughts on spells? Which kind do you want to tackle first?

I think we should decide on Cleric Domains and the "new spells" first.

I can't recall whether I mentioned it before, but I fancy giving the worm lord a new "Worm Domain" that includes all the new spells from the original adventure.

Here's what the original had in the way of spells:


Priest Spells (6/5/3/2/1): 1st—bless, cure light wounds (x2), faerie fire, light, sanctuary; 2nd—augury, barkskin, dust devil, hold person, summon worms; 3rd—continual light, dispel magic, pyrotechnics; 4th—cure serious wounds, neutralize poison; 5th—curse of the worms

Wizard Spells (4/3/3/2/1): 1st—burrow, charm person, sleep, spook; 2nd blindness, blur, summon swarm; 3rd—fly, flame arrow*, wormwork; 4th—ice storm, stoneskin; 5th—wormtongue

* Spell always cast at maximum efficiency

To further embody his title. Zophiel has created the following spells which he uses himself and has given to other casters among the Hanim. If the PCs spend enough time among these folk, perhaps they, too, can learn these spells and add them to their spellbooks (assuming that they have reached high enough levels for such magic).

BURROW 1st-Level Wizard Spell (Alteration)
Range: 0Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 rd.Casting Time: 1
Area of Effect: The casterSaving Throw: None

For one round, the caster of this spell is able to burrow through the earth at a movement rate of 1—that is to say, he can move 10 yards through the earth. The caster moves like a worm, squirming through the earth (getting very dirty in the process). The earthen path closes behind him as he moves, so no one can follow him.

The caster cannot move through solid or worked stone. The material component for this spell is a small spade.

WORMWORK 3rd-Level Wizard Spell (Conjuration/Summoning)
Range: 100 yds.Components: V, S, M
Duration: SpecialCasting Time: 3
Area of Effect: 1 10′ cube/3 lvlsSaving Throw: None

By means of this spell the caster can summon a horde of magical, voracious worms underground. These worms weaken earth and stone, causing cave-ins, stone walls to collapse, and so forth.

In 3d10 rounds, stone in the affected area is permanently reduced to the consistency of packed earth, and packed earth or natural soil is rendered to the state of loose, tilled earth (it takes 6d10 rounds for stone to be rendered to tilled soil). Upon completion of their work, the worms disperse, joining the natural ecology as best as they can. They pose no direct threat to any other life, eating nothing more than earth and rock.

The area of effect is not vast, but certainly enough to get through a stone wall or to collapse a small cave. The material component of this spell is a living worm.

WORMTONGUE 5th Level Wizard Spell (Alteration)
Range: 50 yds.Components: V, S
Duration: 1 rd./levelCasting Time: 5
Area of Effect: 1 creatureSaving Throw: Neg.

This offensive spell functions much like a curse, transforming the recipient’s tongue into a long worm with a vicious mouth at its end. The affected victim cannot speak while his tongue is so transformed. Immediately upon transformation, the worm pushes itself out of the victim’s mouth and begins attacking him. The worm has a THAC0 of 8, and inflicts 1d4 points damage per bite. The worm has the recipient’s Armor Class and 12 hit points; the recipient of the spell suffers all damage inflicted upon the wormtongue. If the worm is slain by violence, the victim loses the ability to speak for 3d4 days. If the wormtongue is dispelled or the damage inflicted upon it is magical, the long-term loss of speech does not occur.

SUMMON WORMS 2nd-Level Priest Spell (Conjuration/Summoning)
Sphere: Animal, Summoning
Range: 30 yds.Components: V, S, M
Duration: PermanentCasting Time: 5
Area of Effect: 10′ squareSaving Throw: Special

Upon casting this spell, the priest calls forth a number of normal worms that come up from the earth below and cover an area 10 feet square. The worms remain until they die and desiccate in the sun (if outside), starve, or someone burns/washes/sweeps them away.

Aside from just being repulsive, the worm-covered ground becomes very slippery. Anyone entering the area or in the area of effect when the spell is cast must attempt a saving throw vs. spell. Those who make successful saving throws manage to keep to their feet, but any time another move is made in the area, another saving throw is required. Failure results in a fall, and a successful saving throw (which can be attempted but once a round) is required to stand up again.

The worms do not move appreciably, nor do they obey the caster in any way. The material component for the spell is a small handful of fresh soil.

CURSE OF THE WORMS 5th-Level Priest Spell (Conjuration/Summoning)
Sphere: Animal, Summoning
Range: 30 yds. + 1 yd./levelComponents: V, S, M
Duration: SpecialCasting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: 1 creatureSaving Throw: Special

A horrid variation of slay living (the reverse of raise dead), this spell summons a number of worms into the body of a victim, which then begin to squirm out of every orifice. The victim must make a successful saving throw vs. death magic or die from multiple hemorrhages and suffocation in 1d4 rounds. The worms continue to issue forth during this time and for 1d6 rounds afterward. The victim cannot use spells, magical items, or mental abilities while the worms erupt, but can move, speak, and attack normally. The worms are real in every sense and remain even after the victim is dead. A remove curse or dispel evil spell or successful dispel magic spell cast before the victim dies ends the effect and saves the victim’s life, but the victim still suffers damage as noted below.

Those who successfully make saving throws still suffer 2d8 points of damage from hemorrhaging and choking, and a small number of worms briefly issue forth from the victim’s body.

The material component is a pinch of dust taken from a desiccated worm.
 

freyar

Extradimensional Explorer
Whew, those spells will last us a bit, won't they?

Well, let's get started. Do you have a draft for Burrow? I guess 1st level Sorc/Wiz, Transmutation?
 

Cleon

Legend
Whew, those spells will last us a bit, won't they?

Well, let's get started. Do you have a draft for Burrow? I guess 1st level Sorc/Wiz, Transmutation?

I might have some notes from back when I did some "Cleon Special™" conversions for these creatures but it'll require some digging around my hard-drive(s) to find them.

Since I'm about to go out for a "day on the town" it'll have to wait 'til later.
 

Cleon

Legend
Let's get started this, I'll post these draft spells individually as it'll make it a bit easier to quote them during development.

Burrow
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 1, Worm 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 [swift or immediate?] action
Range: Personal
Targets: You
Duration: 1 round

The caster gains a burrow speed of 15 feet for the spell's duration, writhing through the ground like an earthworm. The burrowing can tunnel through dirt but not rock and does not leave a tunnel behind.

Material Component: A small spade.
 
Last edited:

Cleon

Legend
Summon Worms
Conjuration (Summoning)
Level: Brd 2, Drd 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: One swarm of worms
Duration: Concentration + 2 rounds
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This functions like a summon swarm spell, except it summons a swarm of flesh-eating worms (see Swarm, Carnivorous Worm entry).

Material Component: A handful of fresh soil.
 
Last edited:

Cleon

Legend
Wormwork
Conjuration (Summoning)
Level: Sor/Wiz 3, Worm 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: One 10-ft. cube per three levels
Duration: Special (Concentration, plus see below)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Every round the wormwork spell can work on one 10-foot square of earth or soil for every three caster levels, producing one of the following effects.
  • break up hard ground (i.e. heavy clay, dense rocky earth) into normal earth.
  • soften normal earth into loose soil (see below). If the normal earth is already loose soil the worms will soften it regardless.
  • move soil to create a bank or mound of earth no more than 5 feet high, with a ditch or hole of the same depth appearing in an adjacent 10-foot square where the soil came from.
  • move soil so an existing bank, mound, ditch or hole no more than 5 feet high or deep is shifted up to 10 feet. The feature can be changed in shape while being shifted (i.e. a 10 ft. by 10 ft. pit could be lengthened into a 5 ft. by 20 ft. pit).
During casting, the spellcaster can instruct the worms to work to a particular plan (i.e. "dig a ditch along this path", "soften this area") and the worms will follow this directive until the spell's duration runs out, they are ordered to stop (a free action) or ordered to follow a new plan (a standard action).

If a creature is standing on a square which is being softened by wormwork, they risk being sucked into the churning ground as if it were thick mud. The creature must succeed on a Reflex save or be caught for 1d2 rounds and unable to move, attack, or cast spells. A creature that succeeds on its save can move through the softening ground at half speed, and it can’t run or charge.

Loose soil is not as troublesome if it is not being actively softened by wormwork, but all creatures in the area can move at only half their normal speed and can’t run or charge over the surface.

Special Duration: The effects of a wormwork spell (i.e. loosened soil, excavated earth) are Instantaneous and will remain after the spell duration concludes. The duration ends when the spell performs 1 round of "wormworking" per caster level or the caster's concentration ends.

Material Component: A living earthworm.
 
Last edited:

Remove ads

AD6_gamerati_skyscraper

Remove ads

Recent & Upcoming Releases

Top