Converting Al-Qadim creatures

[Cleon]

I think they're done once Shade updates them.

In my opinion the Opinicuses look pretty optimised.

I'll give them a double check just to be sure.

 

[Shade]

Crypt Servant
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Tombs
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary or staff
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: None
INTELLIGENCE: Low (5-7)
TREASURE: See below
ALIGNMENT: Lawful neutral
NO. APPEARING: 1-20
ARMOR CLASS: (missing)
MOVEMENT: 12
HIT DICE: 6
THAC0: 15
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4/1-4 or by weapon
SPECIAL ATTACKS: None
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Spell immunities, immune to piercing weapons
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: M (4-7 ft. tall)
MORALE: Fearless (20)
XP VALUE: 650

From the Ruined Kingdoms of Nog and Kadar came rumors, and finally proof, of this special form of undead created to serve their masters for an eternity Since the method for creating them was uncovered, crypt servants have been created for more modern tombs as well.

Crypt servants appear as corpses, usually desiccated, and usually human, though elves, dwarves, and other races are not unknown. They are usually dressed in the livery of their master, the person buried in the tomb they serve. Many, especially those more recently created, bear mamluk tattoos.

Crypt servants speak the language of their master in dry, slithery voices.

Combat: Though created to serve their master in all ways after death, crypt servants are usually encountered while defending their master’s tomb and possessions from desecration. A solitary crypt servant or the crypt servant nearest the tomb’s entrance acts as a guard. Intruders are challenged verbally by the guard; most require a certain verbal command or a visible sign of the family of their master. Intruders who do not respond properly are attacked.

Intruders who make it past a guardian crypt servant will not be challenged by other crypt servants unless they disturb the master’s possessions. Anyone who disturbs the body of the master is attacked regardless of any commands or signs they offer to deter the crypt servants.

Crypt servants who engage in combat call to other crypt servants in the tomb. Despite the quiet nature of the creature’s voice, all the crypt servants in a tomb respond in 1d6 rounds.

Many crypt servants are provided with weapons of some sort; they attack with their fists if they are not. They attack in a mindless fury, concentrating on the last person to cause a disturbance to their master or their master’s possessions.

Like other undead, crypt servants are immune to charm, hold, and sleep spells.

Habitat/Society: Though it is possible to create a crypt servant from any dead body, volunteers are usually preferred; many ancient crypt servants actually volunteered for their posts, wishing to serve their masters in death as in life. Mamluks sometimes volunteer in modern times.

Crypt servants care for their deceased master and all the rooms and possessions in the tomb. Small tombs have only one crypt servant, while grand tombs of wealthy and powerful individuals may have several. Crypt servants clean and repair the tombs, polish valuables, light candles, and guard the tomb from intruders. At first, they are fervent in their need to serve, but as years-and centuries-pass, they take longer breaks between activity, sometimes standing motionless for days or even years before becoming active again.

Because of their similar purpose and method of creation, crypt servants are sometimes associated with the crypt thing (found in the MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM. appendix for the GREYHAWK® campaign setting). The spells to create each are similar and probably have the same roots. If the crypt thing is available for the DM.s campaign, one may be found as the leader of a group of crypt servants.

Ecology: A crypt servant has no proper ecological niche. It neither adds to or detracts from its environment, except to occasionally eliminate intruders and other vermin.

Create Crypt Servant
7th level Wizard or Priest spell (necromantic)
Range: Touch
Casting Time: 1 turn
Components: V, S
Area of Effect: 1 corpse
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None

This spell animates a corpse as a crypt servant. The corpse must be in reasonably good condition; many are prepared in advance of their master.s death. The spell must be cast in the tomb the creature is to serve. A successful dispel magic ends the crypt servant’s animation, and the reverse of the create crypt thing spell, destroy crypt thing, will also annihilate a crypt servant if it fails a saving throw vs. death magic.

Originally appeared in City of Delights (1993).

 

[Cleon]

I've pulled out my City of Delights boxed set and Crypt Servants have Armor Class 5.

These seem pretty straight forward.

There's no mention of turning - are these things immune to being turned?

Maybe they're Deathless, not Undead?

Base it on a Ghast, boost the HD, halve the Int and Cha, drop the Dex, switch claws for slams and drop the bite attack.

Crypt Servant
Medium Undead [or Deathless]

Hit Dice: 6d12 (39 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+1 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+6
Attack: Slam +6 melee (1d4+3)
Full Attack: 2 slams +6 melee (1d4+3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to turning?, undead traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +6
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 13, Con —, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 8
Skills: 18
Feats: 3
Environment: Underground (tombs and crypts)
Organization: ?
Challenge Rating: ?
Treasure: None?
Alignment: Always lawful neutral
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —

 

[Shade]

No to deathless.

Those stats may be a bit high. Crypt things occasionally act as their leaders and their stats are only Str 10, Dex 16, Con -, Int 11, Wis 15, Cha 13. With only 1-4 damage, it doesn't really imply high Str.

A crypt thing has this:

Turn Resistance (Ex): While within 50 feet of the location or object it guards, a crypt thing is treated as an undead with 4 more Hit Dice than it actually has for the purpose of turn, rebuke, command, or bolster attempts.

We could use something like that, since the text mentions they are tied to crypt things.

A crypt thing also has +4 turn resistance. Maybe +2 for these things?

 

[Number 6]

The one thing that makes me think Deathless is the fact that targets may willingly jump in the saddle. That might be a social issue and not related to the end result in any way.

Is that worth looking at?

 

[Shade]

Lichdom (and few other undead types) are also voluntarily.

I tend to prefer to avoid deathless unless something clearly can't be undead because 1) it isn't core/in the SRD and 2) the CC database doesn't have a Deathless entry, so all the deathless text has to be repeated within the creature's entry.

 

[Number 6]

However, the willingness to become a lich is not a sacrifice for service, more suicide for the gaining of massive power. The Crypt Servant volunteers seem more like the Egyptian slaves who willingly die and get buried with their king to serve in eternity.

Regardless, your point about repeating the Deathless text (and that it isn't a core Creature Type) is a pretty convincing reason not to make these guys Deathless.

 

[Cleon]

No to deathless.

I don't mind them being Neutral Undead, just threw out Deathless as a possibility.

Those stats may be a bit high. Crypt things occasionally act as their leaders and their stats are only Str 10, Dex 16, Con -, Int 11, Wis 15, Cha 13. With only 1-4 damage, it doesn't really imply high Str.

I just based them on a ghast's stats. An AD&D ghast does 1-4 damage with its hands too.

I think the reason the Crypt Things are leaders is not because they're stronger but because they're smarter. These servants are pretty dumb, with Int 6 and Cha 8 they need someonething with some brains to tell them what to do.

Strength 17 doesn't seem too high for a 6 Hit Dice undead that only has physical attacks. It's the same Str modifier as a Ghast or Vampire Spawn, and they're hardly high in the undead pecking order and have fewer HD than the servant.

I'd be willing to consider reducing the Wisdom to 12. I left in the ghast's Wis 14 because I thought that they'd need keen senses since they act as tomb guards and lookouts.

A crypt thing has this:

Turn Resistance (Ex): While within 50 feet of the location or object it guards, a crypt thing is treated as an undead with 4 more Hit Dice than it actually has for the purpose of turn, rebuke, command, or bolster attempts.

We could use something like that, since the text mentions they are tied to crypt things.

A crypt thing also has +4 turn resistance. Maybe +2 for these things?

+2 turn resistance with a +4 bonus when within their crypt? That's fine by me.

Actually, the above is rather confusing - is the Crypt Thing +4 turn resistance in its crypt, or +4 outside its crypt and +8 inside? Inquiring minds would like to know.

 

[freyar]

Well, it does seem to me that these should be stronger than crypt things, since the crypt thing has that whole teleport other schtick. But if Str 17 is too much, how about 15? Incidentally, the ToH/CC version of the crypt thing has Str 12, so the increased Str is less of a stretch.

 

[Shade]

Strength 17 doesn't seem too high for a 6 Hit Dice undead that only has physical attacks. It's the same Str modifier as a Ghast or Vampire Spawn, and they're hardly high in the undead pecking order and have fewer HD than the servant.

I'd be willing to consider reducing the Wisdom to 12. I left in the ghast's Wis 14 because I thought that they'd need keen senses since they act as tomb guards and lookouts.

Well, it does seem to me that these should be stronger than crypt things, since the crypt thing has that whole teleport other schtick. But if Str 17 is too much, how about 15? Incidentally, the ToH/CC version of the crypt thing has Str 12, so the increased Str is less of a stretch.

You guys have convinced me to keep the Str at 17. Let's drop the Wis to 13, slightly less than their "betters". We can always give 'em a racial bonus on Listen and/or Spot checks to keep 'em good guardians.

+2 turn resistance with a +4 bonus when within their crypt? That's fine by me.

Actually, the above is rather confusing - is the Crypt Thing +4 turn resistance in its crypt, or +4 outside its crypt and +8 inside? Inquiring minds would like to know.

I take it to be +8, but I could be wrong. We can clarify that in our own writeup.

Updated.

Skills: 18
Listen 9, Spot 9?

Feats: 3

immune to piercing weapons

DR 5/bludgeoning or slashing?

Crypt servants who engage in combat call to other crypt servants in the tomb. Despite the quiet nature of the creature’s voice, all the crypt servants in a tomb respond in 1d6 rounds.

Special ability or flavor text?