5E: Converting Monsters from White Dwarf Magazine for Fifth Edition

[Cleon]

Incidentally, we might be better off focusing on finishing off one or two White Dwarf conversion at a time rather than having a pile of them bubbling in the pot at the same time.

So much for focusing on one or two conversions!

 

[Casimir Liber]

Right - I agree with the stat changes and have done. Forgot about hte adamantine thing and have added. Also skills added.

Read the stories - which has been good to embellish teh description - funny as Shadows in the Moonlight also has large grey man-ape in it (which is where Albie Fiore might have got the idea of adding the nandie-bear and/or nandie)

I also read the The Pool of the Black One - creatures there seem to have a totally diferent biology - they are a troop of black humanoids that live in a cave with a green pool where they petrify and keep their victims. They seem to play a flute which makes their victims dance and might have some other effects. Worth making a mini-scenario. Their dscription is very similar to those in the first novella.

Anyway, shadow dancer attached and demon lord anonymised. Input and leads are very valuable.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Well - I left the cold resistance in for the Guien Deeko as it mentioned "northern tribes"

 

[Cleon]

Right - I agree with the stat changes and have done. Forgot about hte adamantine thing and have added.

Looks nice!

Last night I remembered a tweak I forgot to mention.

Gu'en-Deeko Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

Nandie-Bear Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.

The original monster has Movement 18″, so is 150% the Move 12″ of a standard-issue humanoid.

The current version has Speed 60 ft., or 200% the Speed 30 ft. of a standard-issue humanoid.

In 3E & 5E creatures with Move 18 in AD&D tend to have 40 ft. or 50 ft. speeds, so I'd consider knocking ten or twenty feet off that sixty.

I'll have a look at the Description to see if I can think of any suggestions.

 

[Cleon]

Well - I left the cold resistance in for the Guien Deeko as it mentioned "northern tribes"

A lot of things are "Northern" (like the 9th Doctor) and don't take half damage from the cold!

If a Polar Bear doesn't have Damage Resistance cold, why add it to the Gu'en-Deeko?

 

[Cleon]

The original monster has Movement 18″, so is 150% the Move 12″ of a standard-issue humanoid.

The current version has Speed 60 ft., or 200% the Speed 30 ft. of a standard-issue humanoid.

In 3E & 5E creatures with Move 18 in AD&D tend to have 40 ft. or 50 ft. speeds, so I'd consider knocking ten or twenty feet off that sixty.

Oh, thought of something else!

I guess the 40 ft. Climb is because the original could "Climb as a 10th level thief" but thieves in AD&D like 5E didn't have an actual Climb speed, they were just skilled at "Climbing" (i.e. they had double proficiency in Athletics in 5E terms).

Incidentally, I've already given it Double Prof in both Athletics (Str) and Performance (Cha) so it's got +5 in its skills across the board.

How about giving them some perks from the Acrobat Rogue Archetype and dropping the Climb speed?

Speed 50 ft.

• Acrobatic Moves. Non-magical difficult terrain does not cost a shadow dancer extra movement.
• Second-Story Work. Climbing does not cost a shadow dancer extra movement. In addition, when a shadow dancer make a running jump, the distance it covers increases by a number of feet equal to its Dexterity modifier.

Hmm, I think we can combine those and simplify it a bit:

Elegant Acrobat. Climbing and non-magical difficult terrain does not cost a shadow dancer extra movement. In addition, when a shadow dancer make a running jump, the distance it covers increases by 5 feet.​

I was tempted to toss in the Dancer Rogue Archetype but decided that was going too far!

I'll have a look at the Description to see if I can think of any suggestions.

Let's see, Version 3 has this for a Description:

Of Fiendish origin, shadow dancers are from an unknown plane of evil. When dormant, they take the form of a 12-foot high ebon statue of a tall lithe humanoid with delicate vaguely hawklike features and an unearthly dark beauty. When struck by moonlight they become active; their facial features become more demonic with fanged moths and glowing red eyes, and their hands are armed with sharp claws.​

​

Once active, they seek to shed the blood of sentient, preferably human-like creature. They move rapidly with a elegant, skipping gait, and enjoy dancing and cavorting in the night air when not hunting for prey.​

Regarding The Pool of the Black One.

I also read the The Pool of the Black One - creatures there seem to have a totally diferent biology - they are a troop of black humanoids that live in a cave with a green pool where they petrify and keep their victims. They seem to play a flute which makes their victims dance and might have some other effects. Worth making a mini-scenario. Their dscription is very similar to those in the first novella.

I was thinking the beings in that story resemble the Dancers in some aspects:

a) they are inhumanly tall (the "Iron Shadows" were presumably the same height as the men they used to be).
b) the are demonic or demon-like creatures of some kind, not cursed humans.
c) they capture humans to sacrifice in their circular "sanctum" for some dark purpose. The Iron Shadows just attacked.

It's more behaviour than biology.

The strongest match to Shadows in the Moonlight is the "turning into statues" deal.

Anyhow, here goes my stab at a Description:

Inhumanly tall and slim creatures of fiendish origin, an inactive shadow dancer is indistinguishable from a ebon statue of unearthly dark beauty. These "12 foot tall statues" move when touched by moonlight, walking with an elegant skipping gait as if they were dancing. Active shadow dancers become demonic-looking; their hawk-like face reveal flame-red eyes and a fanged mouth, and their hands are armed with sharp claws.​

​

 Blood Under the Moon. Shadow dancers are always based in a demonic shrine dedicated to some Dark Lord of the lower planes whom they serve. When frozen in statue form they are nigh-indestructible. When animated by moonlight they set out to shed humanoid blood for their master. Shadow dancers prefer to capture living victims to kill in their lair, which will have some ghastly device for this purpose, such as a manacle-equipped altar to their lord. Once their unholy sacrifice is complete, the ebon fiends celebrate by dancing and exulting in the moonlit night.​

​

(Originally appeared in White Dwarf Magazine #18 (Apr/May 1980) as part of "The Halls of Tizun Thane" by Albie Fiore.)​

I think that covers everything we need.

 

[Cleon]

Dancing Grace. Climbing and non-magical difficult terrain does not cost a shadow dancer extra movement. In addition, when a shadow dancer make a running jump, the distance it covers increases by 5 feet.

 Blood Under the Moon. Shadow dancers are always based in a demonic shrine dedicated to some Dark Lord of the lower planes whom they serve. When frozen in statue form they are nigh-indestructible. When animated by moonlight they set out to shed humanoid blood for their master. Shadow dancers prefer to capture living victims to kill in their lair, which will have some ghastly device for this purpose, such as a manacle-equipped altar to their lord. Once their unholy sacrifice is complete, the ebon fiends celebrate by dancing and cavorting in the night air.

While out for lunch today I came up with some alternative phrases I preferred "Elegant Acrobat" and "dancing and exulting in the moonlit night."

The former because the original text used "elegant" as a descriptor twice, plus I realized "Dancing Grace" could mean many things, while "Acrobat" was clearer as to the ability's function.

The latter because "cavorting" is (a) a sort of dancing and (b) sounds a trifle twee compared to "exulting".

I'll edit in those changes.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Okay - have incorporated changes. DnDBeyond doesn't like the name "Shadow Dancer" as there is an NPC called Shadow Dancer on file

 

[Casimir Liber]

Incorporated Gu'en Deeko changes. Also changed nandie-bear speed as suggested

 

[Cleon]

Okay - have incorporated changes.

It doesn't have the change to its Speed (removing the Climb speed and reducing the ground speed by 10 or 20).

i.e. instead of Speed 60 ft., climb 40 ft. the proposed change was:

Speed 40 ft.

or

Speed 50 ft.

Of the two, I'd lean towards the 50 ft.

If you want to keep a Climb speed than the Elegant Acrobat ability would need a slight tweak, since that assumes it does not have a Climb speed. Using a Climb speed does not cost extra movement when climbing, the extra movement cost is for Strength (Athletics) climbing.

DnDBeyond doesn't like the name "Shadow Dancer" as there is an NPC called Shadow Dancer on file

So will we need to rename them then?