Converting Al-Qadim creatures

[Number 6]

We'll need to add immunity to light spells and effects and emotion-affecting spells and effects:
"A dazzle is immune to light-generating and emotion-affecting spells and effects, except the sun-sparkle gaze of the opinicus."

How would we state that? Just as is?

Regarding the Opinicus, do we wait until we work out the opinicus and note how their gaze effects al-Jahar, or add it in the al-Jahar details?


How about this for the Description text:

This winged humanoid looks as though it were composed of sparkling white motes of light. Its genderless form and waves of almost invisible desert heat give the creature an otherworldly appearance.

Al-Jahar, also known as dazzles, hide among the population of cities. They feed upon the base emotions of intelligent creatures. Al-Jahar may generate these emotions through magic as well as mundane means. If the al-Jahar is careful, it can prey on the same people for years without them ever realizing the truth. Smaller towns usually recognize much more quickly that something is amiss, and drive the creatures away.

Al-Jahar often claims a territory, like a dockside tavern where fights are common and easy to incite. Other al-Jahar are not welcome in this territory, and may be attacked if they intrude.

Typically, al-Jahar use Change Shape to appear as a beautiful human or elven woman, though they are not limited to these forms. The al-Jahar may further disguise themselves through Bluff and Disguise skill checks.

While the creature prefers to avoid direct combat, al-Jahar may seek out brawls or even encourage others to fight, for that generates a number of strong emotions on which it may feed.

If discovered, an al-Jahar attempts a fast escape, often returning to its true form so it may fly away. If pressed, it will fight with its claws and Spell-Like Abilities.

Little is known of these creatures' origins. They might be associated with ancient cities or long abandoned desert lands, possibly claiming summoned from nether regions in lost rites. Al-Jahar do not seem to breed, and it is suspected that there is a limited number of them in existence.

Al-Jahar dislike good creatures, in particular they hate and fear opinicus.

Al-Qadim Campaigns:
Usually found in Huzuz, al-Jahar may appear in any thriving metropolis. Scholars believe they might be a remnant from the Haunted Lands or the Ruined Kingdoms. Alternatively, these previous city-states and lost kingdoms might have summoned al-Jahar using spells now forgotten or forbidden by Enlightenment.

We might want to whittle that down a bit.

 

[Shade]

I'd suggest limiting it to charms, compulsions, and spells and effects with the light descriptor. "Emotion-affecting spells" leaves far too much to interpretation for my tastes.

That flavor text is a nice start!

 

[Cleon]

We'll need to add immunity to light spells and effects and emotion-affecting spells and effects:
"A dazzle is immune to light-generating and emotion-affecting spells and effects, except the sun-sparkle gaze of the opinicus."

How would we state that? Just as is?

Regarding the Opinicus, do we wait until we work out the opinicus and note how their gaze effects al-Jahar, or add it in the al-Jahar details?

Seems a bit too special-case for me. I'd rather have something like immunity to light-based attacks except those that have a special effect against Evil Outsiders, which affect it normally, and then give our Opinicus conversion such a gaze attack. (when we get around to converting it!)

 

[Cleon]

This winged humanoid looks as though it were composed of sparkling white motes of light. Its genderless form and waves of almost invisible desert heat give the creature an otherworldly appearance.

The "waves of almost invisible desert heat" bit reads a bit oddly. I know it's in the original but they don't have any heat-based abilities. How about:

This winged humanoid looks as though it were composed of sparkling white motes of light. Its genderless form wavers like a heat-mirage, giving the creature an otherworldly appearance.

Al-Jahar, also known as dazzles, hide among the population of cities. They feed upon the base emotions of intelligent creatures. Al-Jahar may generate these emotions through magic as well as mundane means. If the al-Jahar is careful, it can prey on the same people for years without them ever realizing the truth. Smaller towns usually recognize much more quickly that something is amiss, and drive the creatures away.

Al-Jahar often claims a territory, like a dockside tavern where fights are common and easy to incite. Other al-Jahar are not welcome in this territory, and may be attacked if they intrude.

Typically, al-Jahar use Change Shape to appear as a beautiful human or elven woman, though they are not limited to these forms. The al-Jahar may further disguise themselves through Bluff and Disguise skill checks.

While the creature prefers to avoid direct combat, al-Jahar may seek out brawls or even encourage others to fight, for that generates a number of strong emotions on which it may feed.

If discovered, an al-Jahar attempts a fast escape, often returning to its true form so it may fly away. If pressed, it will fight with its claws and Spell-Like Abilities.

Little is known of these creatures' origins. They might be associated with ancient cities or long abandoned desert lands, possibly claiming summoned from nether regions in lost rites. Al-Jahar do not seem to breed, and it is suspected that there is a limited number of them in existence.

Al-Jahar dislike good creatures, in particular they hate and fear opinicus.

The bit in red looks like it belongs in their Tactics entry.

I think we can trim it down a bit, how about this:

This winged humanoid looks as though it were composed of sparkling white motes of light. Its genderless form wavers like a heat-mirage, giving the creature an otherworldly appearance.

Al-jahar, also known as dazzles, are evil shapechangers who feed upon the base emotions of intelligent creatures. They usually take on the shape of a beautiful human or elven woman. Their origins are unclear: some say they hail from desolate wastes that were once cursed kingdoms, others believe them fiends summoned by some forgotten rite. Dazzles do not appear to age or breed, so there may be a limited number of them.

Al-jahar prefer living in cities, since they are more likely to be discovered in small towns. They stake out territories were violence and lust are commonplace and easy to incite, such as dockside taverns. Al-jahar are highly territorial loners, they may attack other al-jahar who trespass onto their territory.

These monsters are sometimes encountered in ruins (often settlements ruined by the al-jahar itself). They try to persuade visitors to transport them to an inhabited area.

Al-jahar dislike good creatures, they particularly hate and fear opinicus.

Al-jahar speaks Common and Elven.

Combat
Al-jahar try to avoid combat by masquerading as a harmless civilian, such as a beautiful woman or beggar. They then use their intrigue and spell-like abilities to incite others to violence or debauchery in order to feed off their base emotions.

Threatened al-jahar attempt to flee, remaining in humanoid disguise were possible, or flying away if their true form is discovered. A hard pressed al-jahar will fight with its talons and magical powers.
​

Al-Qadim Campaigns:
Usually found in Huzuz, al-Jahar may appear in any thriving metropolis. Scholars believe they might be a remnant from the Haunted Lands or the Ruined Kingdoms. Alternatively, these previous city-states and lost kingdoms might have summoned al-Jahar using spells now forgotten or forbidden by Enlightenment.

That looks OK to me.

 

[Number 6]

I like your rewrite... and the description text works better.

You might want to move references to the Haunted Lands and the Ruined Kingdoms out of the general write up and only leave them in the Al-Qadim notes.

 

[Cleon]

I like your rewrite... and the description text works better.

You might want to move references to the Haunted Lands and the Ruined Kingdoms out of the general write up and only leave them in the Al-Qadim notes.

Yes, didn't I mention I thought it was redundant? ... Oh, no I see I left that thought out.

I'll change it to "some say they hail from desolate wastes that were once cursed kingdoms".

EDIT: Oh, and I also wondered whether "shimmers" isn't better than "wavers" in the description's "Its genderless form wavers like a heat-mirage". Do you think it'd be an improvement?

 

[Number 6]

...Oh, and I also wondered whether "shimmers" isn't better than "wavers" in the description's "Its genderless form wavers like a heat-mirage". Do you think it'd be an improvement?

Not an earth-shattering improvement, but yeah... shimmer works better.

When I say the description out loud, 'wavers' makes me think the thing is signing legal documents.

 

[Number 6]

Seems a bit too special-case for me. I'd rather have something like immunity to light-based attacks except those that have a special effect against Evil Outsiders, which affect it normally, and then give our Opinicus conversion such a gaze attack.

We might as well use your exact phrasing. That sounds good.

...(when we get around to converting it!)

If we continue with the Pasari Niml and Tatalla we might as well finish off the monsters appendix from City of Delights and include the Opinicus.

I'd suggest limiting it to charms, compulsions, and spells and effects with the light descriptor. "Emotion-affecting spells" leaves far too much to interpretation for my tastes.

Either that or simply make it immune to fear spells and effects. I think most of the other emotion spells grant bonuses.

Hmmm... I kind of like expanding this immunity to charms & compulsions.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

Challenge Rating: 4?

Treasure: Standard?

Advancement: 6-15 HD (Medium)?

Level Adjustment: +6?

Al-jahar stand 5 to 7 feet tall and weigh x to x pounds.

 

[Cleon]

Hmmm... I kind of like expanding this immunity to charms & compulsions.

I prefer immunity to charms and fear. Compulsions include spells which clearly have little or nothing to do with emotion, such as modify memory and feeblemind.