Converting Al-Qadim creatures
- Thread starter Shade
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Cleon
Legend
I'd rather continue with the rest of the MC12 Tasked Genies.
As for the updated Artist Genie, it's looking good apart from one niggle:
600 to 800 pounds seems awfully heavy for a 7 foot tall humanoid.
I'd suggest 200-400 pounds to cover a range from "athletic" to "obese".
Shade
Monster Junkie
Sounds good. I'll fix it.
Here's the next one...
Genie, Tasked, Guardian
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: High (14)
TREASURE: F,G,Z
ALIGNMENT: Lawful
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -4
MOVEMENT: 15
HIT DICE: 14
THAC0: 7
NO. OF ATTACKS: 4
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10/1-10/1-10/1-10 or by weapon +8 (x4)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 25%
SIZE: L (10’ tall)
MORALE: Fanatical (17-18)
LEVEL/XP VALUE: 13,000
Guardian genies are powerful spirits sworn to defend specific items and locations tirelessly and without fail. They were once efreet, but have been reshaped to be both sleepless and loyal to the exact wording of their oath.
Guardian tasked genies have one face which watches forward and another which watches backward. They have dark red skin as thick as rhinoceros hide and are completely bald. They have four powerfully muscled arms, which make them formidable in combat. A typical guardian genie stands 10’ tall and weighs 2,700 pounds. Guardian genies do not wear armor, as their thick hide and magical nature make them very difficult to hit, and armor would merely slow them down. Some of their masters, however, occasionally give them protective magical items, which they are expected to use.
Combat: Guardian tasked genies move with inhuman speed despite their bulk, gaining a -4 initiative modifier in all forms of combat (although their initiative result never drops below 0). They target spell-casters before all others. Guardian genies are able to wield weapons in all four hands simultaneously without penalty. They can engage and attack up to four opponents at once, though they usually concentrate their attention on just one or two. Their preferred weapons are scimitars, cutlasses, great scimitars, and throwing axes and daggers. When using weapons they gain all the benefits of a Strength ability of 20.
The hearing of guardian genies is acute enough to pick up a feather falling onto a stone at a hundred paces; this, combined with their 360-degree vision, makes them impossible to surprise. Guardian genies never sleep.
Due to their innate magical ability, guardian genies can use each of the following spell-like powers twice per day: shout, alarm, silence (15’ radius), detect invisibility, guards and wards, wyvern watch, and sepia snake sigil. They can employ blade barrier once per day.
Guardian tasked genies are unaffected by all illusion/ phantasm and enchantment/charm spells. All other magic ffects them normally if it overcomes their magic resistance.
Guardian genies can breathe a cloud of green fire 30’ in diameter directly in front of themselves once per day. The cloud of fire causes 14d6 points of damage to those caught in its area of effect, with a save allowed versus breath weapon for half damage. The cloud resembles the fiery breath of the fire eaters sometimes seen in the suqs and bazaars of Zakhara.
Guardian genies have a 20% chance to possess powers in addition to the ones listed above and a 30% chance to have powers that simply replace 1-4 of the above powers. Examples might include flight, detect lie, the ability to shape glyphs of warding or explosive runes, hold portal, dimension door, and other abilities that might be expected to help a guardian.
Habitat/Society: Guardian tasked genies are solitary creatures and dislike social interaction. They speak in very clipped sentences if required to, but they do not encourage questioning. In fact, they are completely humorless about their tasks, following out their routines and procedures with methodical precision. They are perfectly willing to describe what they are guarding and who commanded them to guard it, though they will not tell anyone about what they can do to prevent its theft. (One of the conditions of their service is that they be told everything about the items left in their care.) Guardian genies will not guard living creatures. Guardian genies cannot be bribed and will attack any creature that attempts to do so.
Guardian tasked genies have no love of death and violence, although they are more than competent at dealing out both. If possible, they will use threats and warnings rather than immediately resorting to magical or physical combat.
Guardian tasked genies serve for limited periods of time; when their tour of duty at a given site is up, their services must be renegotiated. Since their contracts are typically for 101 or 1001 years, their former masters are often not around to renew their arrangements.
Ecology: In some ways, guardian tasked genies are frustrated creatures, for they can never finish a task and go on to do something else as craftsmen genies of various kinds can. They are required by their nature to be constantly vigilant. No genie will touch a treasure guarded by the tasked guardian genies, though they may advise others how a guarded treasure might be taken.
Originally appeared in Monstrous Compendium Al-Qadim Appendix (1992).
Here's the next one...
Genie, Tasked, Guardian
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: High (14)
TREASURE: F,G,Z
ALIGNMENT: Lawful
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -4
MOVEMENT: 15
HIT DICE: 14
THAC0: 7
NO. OF ATTACKS: 4
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10/1-10/1-10/1-10 or by weapon +8 (x4)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 25%
SIZE: L (10’ tall)
MORALE: Fanatical (17-18)
LEVEL/XP VALUE: 13,000
Guardian genies are powerful spirits sworn to defend specific items and locations tirelessly and without fail. They were once efreet, but have been reshaped to be both sleepless and loyal to the exact wording of their oath.
Guardian tasked genies have one face which watches forward and another which watches backward. They have dark red skin as thick as rhinoceros hide and are completely bald. They have four powerfully muscled arms, which make them formidable in combat. A typical guardian genie stands 10’ tall and weighs 2,700 pounds. Guardian genies do not wear armor, as their thick hide and magical nature make them very difficult to hit, and armor would merely slow them down. Some of their masters, however, occasionally give them protective magical items, which they are expected to use.
Combat: Guardian tasked genies move with inhuman speed despite their bulk, gaining a -4 initiative modifier in all forms of combat (although their initiative result never drops below 0). They target spell-casters before all others. Guardian genies are able to wield weapons in all four hands simultaneously without penalty. They can engage and attack up to four opponents at once, though they usually concentrate their attention on just one or two. Their preferred weapons are scimitars, cutlasses, great scimitars, and throwing axes and daggers. When using weapons they gain all the benefits of a Strength ability of 20.
The hearing of guardian genies is acute enough to pick up a feather falling onto a stone at a hundred paces; this, combined with their 360-degree vision, makes them impossible to surprise. Guardian genies never sleep.
Due to their innate magical ability, guardian genies can use each of the following spell-like powers twice per day: shout, alarm, silence (15’ radius), detect invisibility, guards and wards, wyvern watch, and sepia snake sigil. They can employ blade barrier once per day.
Guardian tasked genies are unaffected by all illusion/ phantasm and enchantment/charm spells. All other magic ffects them normally if it overcomes their magic resistance.
Guardian genies can breathe a cloud of green fire 30’ in diameter directly in front of themselves once per day. The cloud of fire causes 14d6 points of damage to those caught in its area of effect, with a save allowed versus breath weapon for half damage. The cloud resembles the fiery breath of the fire eaters sometimes seen in the suqs and bazaars of Zakhara.
Guardian genies have a 20% chance to possess powers in addition to the ones listed above and a 30% chance to have powers that simply replace 1-4 of the above powers. Examples might include flight, detect lie, the ability to shape glyphs of warding or explosive runes, hold portal, dimension door, and other abilities that might be expected to help a guardian.
Habitat/Society: Guardian tasked genies are solitary creatures and dislike social interaction. They speak in very clipped sentences if required to, but they do not encourage questioning. In fact, they are completely humorless about their tasks, following out their routines and procedures with methodical precision. They are perfectly willing to describe what they are guarding and who commanded them to guard it, though they will not tell anyone about what they can do to prevent its theft. (One of the conditions of their service is that they be told everything about the items left in their care.) Guardian genies will not guard living creatures. Guardian genies cannot be bribed and will attack any creature that attempts to do so.
Guardian tasked genies have no love of death and violence, although they are more than competent at dealing out both. If possible, they will use threats and warnings rather than immediately resorting to magical or physical combat.
Guardian tasked genies serve for limited periods of time; when their tour of duty at a given site is up, their services must be renegotiated. Since their contracts are typically for 101 or 1001 years, their former masters are often not around to renew their arrangements.
Ecology: In some ways, guardian tasked genies are frustrated creatures, for they can never finish a task and go on to do something else as craftsmen genies of various kinds can. They are required by their nature to be constantly vigilant. No genie will touch a treasure guarded by the tasked guardian genies, though they may advise others how a guarded treasure might be taken.
Originally appeared in Monstrous Compendium Al-Qadim Appendix (1992).
They ought to be stronger, more dexterous, and hardier than efreet... but do we dare give them a +10 natural armor? Perhaps a Deflection bonus to their Armor Class? I've only seen those bonuses occasionally, and don't quite remember if Deflection bonuses are only for certain types of creatures.
Maybe bigger damage dice. Certainly they ought to have the Improved Initiative and Multiattack feats, possibly Alertness but we can easily devote a nice chuck of the Skill Ranks to Listen, Search, and Spot as well as racial bonuses.
They ought to get the benefit of something like Ubiquitous Vision, possibly as a supernatural ability:
...In effect, you have a 360-degree sphere of sight, allowing you a perfect view of creatures that might otherwise flank you. Thus, flanking opponents gain no bonus on their attack rolls, and rogues are denied their sneak attack ability because you do not lose your Dexterity bonus (but they may still sneak attack you if you are caught flat-footed). Your Spot and Search checks gain a +4 enhancement bonus. Concurrently, you take a -4 penalty on saves against all gaze attacks during the power’s duration.
Hit Points 119 (14d10 +42)
Initiative +8
Speed 40'
Armor Class 22 (-1 size, +5 Dex, +8 natural)
Base Attack / Grapple +14 / +25
Attack slam +20 (2d6 +7) or weapon +20 (by weapon); Full Attack four slams +20 (2d6 +7) or four weapons +20 (by weapon)
SR 25
Str 24, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 12
Feats Improved Initiative, Multiattack, plus others
The additional or alternative powers might get odd... perhaps we should spell out some additional/alternative powers with more details. Is it worth the extra work?
Maybe bigger damage dice. Certainly they ought to have the Improved Initiative and Multiattack feats, possibly Alertness but we can easily devote a nice chuck of the Skill Ranks to Listen, Search, and Spot as well as racial bonuses.
They ought to get the benefit of something like Ubiquitous Vision, possibly as a supernatural ability:
...In effect, you have a 360-degree sphere of sight, allowing you a perfect view of creatures that might otherwise flank you. Thus, flanking opponents gain no bonus on their attack rolls, and rogues are denied their sneak attack ability because you do not lose your Dexterity bonus (but they may still sneak attack you if you are caught flat-footed). Your Spot and Search checks gain a +4 enhancement bonus. Concurrently, you take a -4 penalty on saves against all gaze attacks during the power’s duration.
Hit Points 119 (14d10 +42)
Initiative +8
Speed 40'
Armor Class 22 (-1 size, +5 Dex, +8 natural)
Base Attack / Grapple +14 / +25
Attack slam +20 (2d6 +7) or weapon +20 (by weapon); Full Attack four slams +20 (2d6 +7) or four weapons +20 (by weapon)
SR 25
Str 24, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 12
Feats Improved Initiative, Multiattack, plus others
The additional or alternative powers might get odd... perhaps we should spell out some additional/alternative powers with more details. Is it worth the extra work?
Cleon
Legend
Yes we should dare! These things ought to be really nasty in a fight. They've got to fight off PCs, remember.
They're as Strong as AD&D Stone Giants (Str 20, but Str 27 in 3E) and their -4 surprise adjustment is the same as for AD&D Dex 19-20 if I remember rightly.
A rhinoceros has a +7 NA bonus in 3E doesn't it? I'd like to add on another bonus for the "magical nature make them very difficult to hit"?
So I'm thinking:
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 15, +7 NA, +4 deflection
Deflect Attacks (Su): A guardian genie gains a +4 deflection bonus to its AC if it is not wearing any armour.
Djinn and Efreet get Improved Initiative as a bonus feat, so I reckon the Guardian Genie ought to as well.
I'd just give them a modified form of the Marilith's natural multiweapon ability. It'd be simpler... and nastier.
Combat
Each of a guardian genie’s four arms can wield a melee or throwing weapon without penalty, and the creature can make full iterative attacks with its primary arm.
As for the damage, I'd be fine with giving them 1d8 slams like the SRD efreet or djinn but would rather boost its natural attacks to 1d10 like the original draft.Each of a guardian genie’s four arms can wield a melee or throwing weapon without penalty, and the creature can make full iterative attacks with its primary arm.
Now I know it says they prefer scimitars but I'd rather give them Large longswords, since it'll give 2d6 damage instead of 1d8. Just imagine each longsword is a "cutlass" or "great scimitar".
Oh, and throwing axes for ranged attacks.
That looks good!
So my proposal is something like:
Genie, Tasked, Guardian
Hit Dice: 14d8+42 (105)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 40 ft.
AC: 24 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +4 deflection, +7 natural), touch 17, flat-footed 20
BAB/Grapple: +14/+25
Attack: Longsword +20 (2d6+8/19-20) or slam +20 (1d10+8);
Full Attack: Longsword +20/+15/+10 (2d6+8/19-20) and 3 longswords +20 (2d6+4/19-20); or 4 slams +20 (1d10+8)
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +13, Will +11
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 15
Feats: Improved Initiative (B), plus 5 others
The natural multiweapon ability is perfect... I forgot all about that!
I originally offered the 2d6 damage for Slam as it was a step up on the progression table from the slam of standard genies, but I'd steer away from a 1d10... instead opting for 2d8. Such a powerful combat-centered genie should have a nice average roll of 9 (17 after Strength bonuses) and a minimum of 2 (10 after Strength bonuses).
Thinking of Feats... I don't often like to give creatures and NPCs the Cleave feat, since the heroes (by their nature) don't often die or fall unconscious thus limiting the use of the feat. However, this seems one of those instances when the creature, in my mine, ought to have it... a guardian genie protects his subject mercilessly.
I suggest Power Attack and Cleave... or, alternatively, perhaps Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, and Whirlwind Attack.
Looking at the SLAs:
2/day - alarm, see invisibility, sepia snake sigil, shout, silence, & guards and wards... plus whatever we can make of wyvern watch.
1/day - Blade barrier
About wyvern watch:
I'm leaning toward dumping it in favor of an existing 3rd edition spell.
I originally offered the 2d6 damage for Slam as it was a step up on the progression table from the slam of standard genies, but I'd steer away from a 1d10... instead opting for 2d8. Such a powerful combat-centered genie should have a nice average roll of 9 (17 after Strength bonuses) and a minimum of 2 (10 after Strength bonuses).
Thinking of Feats... I don't often like to give creatures and NPCs the Cleave feat, since the heroes (by their nature) don't often die or fall unconscious thus limiting the use of the feat. However, this seems one of those instances when the creature, in my mine, ought to have it... a guardian genie protects his subject mercilessly.
I suggest Power Attack and Cleave... or, alternatively, perhaps Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, and Whirlwind Attack.
Looking at the SLAs:
2/day - alarm, see invisibility, sepia snake sigil, shout, silence, & guards and wards... plus whatever we can make of wyvern watch.
1/day - Blade barrier
About wyvern watch:
Do we simply make it a Glyph of Warding? Or do we bother to convert it into something?
I'm leaning toward dumping it in favor of an existing 3rd edition spell.
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I couldn't find All-Round Vision, but I remembered it from an earlier version of the psionic power... I thought there was a creature ability for that in the DMG, but couldn't find it on the SRD.
I'm not sure the guardian tasked genie needs additional SLAs from the efreet as it already looks like a powerhouse without adding more... but if you really want to tie the two together perhaps detect magic (at will) and invisibility (3/day) fit well for the alternative powers or additional powers mentioned in the original description.
I'm not sure the guardian tasked genie needs additional SLAs from the efreet as it already looks like a powerhouse without adding more... but if you really want to tie the two together perhaps detect magic (at will) and invisibility (3/day) fit well for the alternative powers or additional powers mentioned in the original description.
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