5E: Converting AD&D Monsters to Fifth Edition

[Casimir Liber]

Added the Description to the Ghuuna. Also changed the darkvision to 90 ft. since I'd forgotten to change it.



Still don't care for the "typically" in the alignment and prefer plain "chaotic evil".

The Claws damage should be 6 (1d4 + 4) not 5 (1d14 + 4).

Apart from that it looks good to go.

tweaked/changed incorporated and now at Ghuuna

 

[Cleon]

tweaked/changed incorporated and now at Ghuuna

Updated the Converting AD&D Monsters to Fifth Edition Index and the Completed Fifth Edition Creatures Index.

 

[Cleon]

Next?

 

[Casimir Liber]

Due to my campaign and intrigues, Mephistopheles plays a big role and am planning on using Adonides (his steward) in a game...so converting from Ed Greenwoods devils in D76

 

[Cleon]

Due to my campaign and intrigues, Mephistopheles plays a big role and am planning on using Adonides (his steward) in a game...so converting from Ed Greenwoods devils in D76

The Dragon Magazine version of Adonides is a little tougher than a 1E Pit Fiend so I'd bump the CR up a little.

For comparison:

	Adonides	Pit Fiend
Armour Class	–2	–3 (one point better)
Hit Dice/Hit Points	121 hp (16+ HD)	13 HD (13-114 hp; average 58.5)
Magic Resistance	70%	65%
Average Damage/Round	25 (1d8 + 8 twice)	16 (1d4+4 plus 1d6+6) or 21 (+2d4 constriction)

 

[Casimir Liber]

Ok happy to buff...

buffed Hit Points 339 (27d10 + 189)

given Vicious Mockery (4d4 psychic damage) as a Bonus Action

 

[Cleon]

Ok happy to buff...

buffed Hit Points 339 (27d10 + 189)

given Vicious Mockery (4d4 psychic damage) as a Bonus Action

Upon reflection, the version you posted already has a bunch of potent abilities a Pit Fiend lacks so is arguably higher than CR 20 already. For a start, it can summon in an Ice Devil once a round, which is a CR 14 critter by itself.

Come to think of it, do high-ranking fiends in 5E have summoning ability like earlier editions? Pit Fiends can't summon allies like they do in 1E to 3E. Perhaps that should be cut out.

What Challenge Rating are you aiming for anyway? Somewhere around 21 or 21? He's not that much higher in the pecking order than a Pit Fiend.

 

[Casimir Liber]

21-22 I guess. I think I overshot as buffs I stuck in shot it up to 24...oops..

ok, if I go hp = 312 (25d10 + 175), and nerf damage a little - Twisted Staff. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d6 + 8) force damage plus 14 (4d6) cold damage (3x /rd) + 10 vicious mockery/rd

comes out at CR 22

 

[Cleon]

21-22 I guess. I think I overshot as buffs I stuck in shot it up to 24...oops..

ok, if I go hp = 312 (25d10 + 175), and nerf damage a little - Twisted Staff. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d6 + 8) force damage plus 14 (4d6) cold damage (3x /rd) + 10 vicious mockery/rd

comes out at CR 22

It should really have "Resistances" rather than "Immunities" in the calculation since (a) you've given it Damage Resistance to bludgeoning/piercing/slashing from nonmagical unsilvered weapons and (b) there's basically zero odds of a CR-appropriate party not having magical weapons.

Even with Damage Resistance when I plug the above numbers in the CR Calculator came out Challenge 23.

Also, I'm not keen on the staff doing such a high proportion of cold damage. A Balor does about 60% more slashing damage than lightning damage with its Longsword.

Speaking of its Twisted Staff, why would it do force damage rather than the normal bludgeoning of a staff? The original monster just does ordinary magic weapon damage augmented by the guy's supernatural strength.

I could get Challenge 21 by reducing the HP to 250 (20d10 + 140) and the DPR to 82-92, say by making the Staff 15 (2d6 + 8) bludgeoning plus 10 (2d8) cold damage for 75 average damage and increasing the Mockery damage to 4d6.

A lot of the issue is the high regeneration rate. A 5E Balor doesn't regenerate, unlike the AD&D version, and you've given Adonides twice as fast a regeneration as a 5E Troll. If it had regeneration 5 or 10 it could have a way higher DPR.

 

[Casimir Liber]

All fiends are doing force damage since Mordenkainens. Happy to drop some cold damage. rejigged stats as suggested. Leaving regen and lower hp. makes it a bit different