Converting Planescape monsters

freyar said:

Seems like a good place to start!

Click to expand...

Here goes nothing…

Mineral Quasi-Elemental Working Draft

Quasi-Elemental, Positive, Mineral

Mineral Quasi-Elemental, Small
Small Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (+1 size, +8 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/–1
Attack: Slam +4 melee (1d6+4)
Full Attack: Slam +4 melee (1d6+4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Push
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., earth glide, elemental traits, fast healing 1, immunity to petrification and paralysis, merge, positive adaptation, vulnerable to acid
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +0
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +2, Spot +2
Feats: Power Attack
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Mineral (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: Special (see text)
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 2 HD (Small)
Level Adjustment: —

Mineral Quasi-Elemental, Medium
Medium Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 3d8+9 (22 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 20 (+0 Dex, +10 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+6
Attack: Slam +6 melee (1d8+6)
Full Attack: Slam +6 melee (1d8+6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Push
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., earth glide, elemental traits, fast healing 2, immunity to petrification and paralysis, merge, positive adaptation, vulnerable to acid
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +1
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +3, Spot +3
Feats: Cleave, Power Attack
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Mineral (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Special (see text)
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 4–5 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —

Mineral Quasi-Elemental, Large
Large Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 6d8+24 (51 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 22 (–1 size, +1 Dex, +12 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 21
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+14
Attack: Slam +9 melee (2d8+6)
Full Attack: 2 slams +9 melee (2d8+6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Push
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/–, darkvision 60 ft., earth glide, elemental traits, fast healing 3, immunity to petrification and paralysis, merge, positive adaptation, vulnerable to acid
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +2
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 12, Con 19, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +4, Spot +5
Feats: Cleave, Great Cleave, Power Attack
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Mineral (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: Special (see text)
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 7–11 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: —

Mineral Quasi-Elemental, Huge
Huge Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 12d8+60 (114 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 23 (–2 size, +2 Dex, +13 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 21
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+25
Attack: Slam +15 melee (2d10+8)
Full Attack: 2 slams +15 melee (2d10+8)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Push
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/–, darkvision 60 ft., earth glide, elemental traits, fast healing 4, immunity to petrification and paralysis, merge, positive adaptation, vulnerable to acid
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 14, Con 21, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +9, Spot +10
Feats: Alertness, Cleave, Great Cleave, Iron Will, Power Attack
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Mineral (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: Special (see text)
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 13–17 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

Mineral Quasi-Elemental, Greater
Huge Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 18d8+90 (171 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 25 (–2 size, +2 Dex, +15 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 23
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+30
Attack: Slam +20 melee (2d10+9)
Full Attack: 2 slams +20 melee (2d10+9)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Push
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/–, darkvision 60 ft., earth glide, elemental traits, fast healing 4, immunity to petrification and paralysis, merge, positive adaptation, vulnerable to acid
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +8, Will +8
Abilities: Str 28, Dex 14, Con 21, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +12, Spot +13
Feats: Alertness, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Power Attack
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Mineral (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: Special (see text)
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 19–23 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

Mineral Quasi-Elemental, Elder
Huge Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 24d8+120 (228 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 27 (–2 size, +2 Dex, +17 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 25
Base Attack/Grapple: +18/+36
Attack: Slam +26 melee (2d10+10/19-20)
Full Attack: 2 slams +26 melee (2d10+10/19-20)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Push
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/–, darkvision 60 ft., earth glide, elemental traits, fast healing 4, immunity to petrification and paralysis, merge, positive adaptation, vulnerable to acid
Saves: Fort +19, Ref +11, Will +10
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 14, Con 21, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +15, Spot +16
Feats: Alertness, Awesome Blow, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (slam), Improves Sunder, Iron Will, Power Attack
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Mineral (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: Special (see text)
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 25–48 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

Mineral Quasi-Elemental, Monolith
Gargantuan Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 36d8+255 (417 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 30 (–4 size, +1 Dex, +23 natural), touch 7, flat-footed 29
Base Attack/Grapple: +27/+54
Attack: Slam +39 melee (6d8+15/19-20)
Full Attack: 2 slams +39 melee (6d8+15/19-20)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./20 ft.
Special Attacks: Push
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 15/–, darkvision 60 ft., earth glide, elemental traits, fast healing 5, immunity to petrification and paralysis, merge, positive adaptation, vulnerable to acid
Saves: Fort +27, Ref +14, Will +16
Abilities: Str 40, Dex 14, Con 24, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 17
Skills: Listen +23, Spot +24
Feats: Alertness, Awesome Blow, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (slam), Improved Natural Attack (slam), Improves Sunder, Iron Will, Power Attack, Snatch, Weapon Focus (slam)
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Mineral (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 17
Treasure: Special (see text)
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 37–54 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: —

A living mass of many sorts of metal and precious stone fused into the rough shape of a creature. It moves by growing its body into new shapes, slowly morphing from a jeweled dragon to an obsidian dragon-centaur with four beryl mushrooms for a head, then rearing up as a multi-faceted crystal knight on a metallic charger with lacey mica wings. There seems no limit to the strange forms the sparkling minerals and ores of its body can grow into.

Mineral quasi-elementals inhabit the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Mineral, which is formed from the junction of the Positive Energy Plane and the Elemental Plane of Earth. These creatures are hostile to intruders, who they assume are visiting their plane to plunder its boundless mineral wealth, and particularly despise beings that eat minerals such as xorn or delvers.

If a mineral quasi-elemental's body is killed precious ores and uncut gems can be removed from its corpse. The value of these remains is equal to the standard treasure value of the quasi-elemental's Challenge Rating, but the raw stones and ores are fairly bulky. Each 20 gold pieces worth weighs 1 pound. This treasure cannot by collected by summoning and slaying a mineral quasi-elemental, since a summoned creature vanishes if it's killed.

Mineral quasi-elementals frequently gather into groups to patrol their native plane to protect its glittering wonders from extraplanar looters. When they need to make political decisions they sometime merge together into mountainous congresses. The quasi-elemental lord Crystalle proclaims itself to be their prince, but only a few mineral quasi-elementals accept that being's suzerainty.

A mineral quasi-elemental can grow its body into the shape of any conceivable living creature, although its shape has no effect on its statistics. A mineral quasi-elemental has the same weight and average height as an earth elemental of the same size. Its specific height and length may vary from round-to-round as its grows from one shape to another.

COMBAT
A mineral quasi-elemental simply moves up to its enemies, via Earth Glide if possible, and smashes its opponents with whatever limbs its current shape possesses. If it has any mineral quasi-elemental allies of the same size, they will try to Merge at the first opportunity.

Mineral quasi-elementals tend to be too guileless to use hit-and-run tactics that exploit their fast healing abilities. Most simply slam away until either their opponent falls or they do.

Earth Glide (Ex): A mineral quasi-elemental can glide through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other signs of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing a burrowing mineral quasi-elemental flings the elemental back 30 feet, stunning the creature for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save.

Fast Healing (Ex): A mineral quasi-elemental's fast healing ability only functions when it is in contact with a mass of inanimate matter (earth, rock, soil, et cetera) that weighs at least as much as the quasi-elemental itself.

Merge (Su): Two mineral quasi-elemental of the same size can merge together into a single being as a standard action. The resulting merged creature has the statistics of a mineral quasi-elemental one category higher than the component mineral quasi-elementals (e.g. two Huge mineral quasi-elementals merge into a greater mineral quasi-elemental), with the following alterations. Mineral quasi-elementals are capable of merging multiple times. Each merger must be between two creatures of the same size, but each creature can be either a normal mineral quasi-elemental or a merged mineral quasi-elemental. The Hit Dice of the resulting creature equals the sum of the HD of all the component mineral quasi-elementals. The fast healing and number of slam attacks do not stack over multiple mergings, but are always double the value that would be possessed by a mineral quasi-elemental of the final merged creature's size. Thus, an elder mineral quasi-elemental former from sixteen Medium mineral quasi-elementals merged together has four slam attacks and fast healing 8.

The merged creature can separate into its component mineral quasi-elementals as a swift action. Any damage it has taken will be divided as evenly as possible between the component creatures.

The merged creature is considered to be a single creature for the purpose of effects that target a specific number of targets, such as charm monster, but it is only considered a single creature as long as it is merged. If the merged creature separates any ongoing effects will only continue if they are able to affect all the mineral quasi-elementals it was formed from.

Positive Adaptation (Ex): Mineral quasi-elementals do not exceed their full normal hit points or need to make Fortitude saves due to being in a positive-dominant environment.

Push (Ex): A mineral quasi-elemental can start a bull rush maneuver without provoking an attack of opportunity.

Mineral Quasi-Elemental Encounter Levels
The merge special ability of mineral quasi-elementals means that groups of these creatures have a higher Encounter Level (EL) than would normally be indicated by their numbers and individual Challenge Ratings.

As a rule of thumb, the EL of a group of mineral quasi-elementals is 1 higher than is indicated by Table 3–1: Encounter Numbers in the Dungeon Master's Guide.


The Mineral Quasielemental first appeared in Dragon #125 (1987).

While typing the above, I noticed a few minor errors in the Salt Quasi-Elemental Working Draft.

Firstly, its Negative Adaptation has "Ash quasi-elementals" instead of "Salt quasi-elementals".

Secondly, the Elder Salt Quasi-Elemental's stat block has a misplaced "susceptibility to water" in its Special Attacks line.

Both have been corrected.

Cleon said:

While typing the above, I noticed a few minor errors in the Salt Quasi-Elemental Working Draft.

Click to expand...

However, I've also noticed a more serious problem with the Salt Quasi.

It currently has the same speed as an Ash or Dust Quasi (30 or 40 ft., depending on size), while Salt Quasi-Elementals are SLOW.

They originally had Movement 3, which is even worse than an AD&D Earth Elemental's Movement 6!

I suggest giving them one of the following:

1. The same speed as an SRD Earth Elemental (20 ft. or 30 ft.)
2. The same speed as an SRD Earth Elemental plus the "cannot run" trait
3. A speed one step slower than an SRD Earth Elemental (15 ft. or 20 ft.)

Which do you prefer?

While I'm at it, I will update the Mineral Quasi-Elemental with an Earth Elemental's speed, since the two have the same speed.

While you're pondering the above questions, we should decide on the ability scores and AC of the Mineral Quasi-Elemental.

The original Mineral Quasi had AC 0, 1 point better than the Salt Quasi and 1 point worse than the Dust & Vacuum Quasi.

Its AC is 3 points better than an AD&D Earth Elemental (AC 3).

So we need to give it an AC somewhere between a Salt and a Dust Quasi.

Hmm... I'm suspecting it might be easier to give it a slightly better NA and Dex than an Earth Elemental. Maybe something like:

I'm thinking we'd want to keep the Strength the same as the Salt Quasi-Elemental, since the two Quasis did the same 1d8 + HD damage in AD&D.

Those Quasi-Elementals will be quite useful in the next week! Excellent work guys!

Relic Dice said:

Those Quasi-Elementals will be quite useful in the next week! Excellent work guys!

Click to expand...

Glad to be a help!

For the salt quasi speed, I prefer option 3.

I like your suggestions for Str, Dex, and NA on the mineral. Anything else you'd want to fiddle with on the ability scores?

freyar said:

For the salt quasi speed, I prefer option 3.

Click to expand...

Works for me!

Updating the Salt Quasi-Elemental Working Draft.

freyar said:

I like your suggestions for Str, Dex, and NA on the mineral. Anything else you'd want to fiddle with on the ability scores?

Click to expand...

No, I think the rest of the ability scores are all right as they are. Plus it's problematic to change the Constitution of mental ability scores of these kinds of elemental since those numbers are set for particular sizes/types in the case of the "standard" SRD elementals.

Updating the Mineral Quasi-Elemental Working Draft.

Cleon said:

No, I think the rest of the ability scores are all right as they are. Plus it's problematic to change the Constitution of mental ability scores of these kinds of elemental since those numbers are set for particular sizes/types in the case of the "standard" SRD elementals.

Click to expand...

Upon reflection, I prefer the Mineral Quasis to have exactly the same Con scores as an Earth Elemental rather than one point lower than a Salt Quasi-Elemental, since their regeneration ability suggests they ought to be more robust than Salts.

I incorporated that change while updating the Mineral Quasi-Elemental Working Draft.