Converting Al-Qadim creatures

[Shade]

Updated.

I'm not sure about the wallcrawling, as they're already rather feature-rich for their power level.

Environment: Any urban?

Organization: Solitary or guild (2-4)?

Challenge Rating: 2? They are far better than a 1st-level PC rogue.

Treasure: Standard?

Alignment: Usually lawful evil?

Advancement: By character class (favored class: rogue)?

Level Adjustment: By the Savage Species method, they seem about +6 or +7

 

[freyar]

I like how it looks, and I like all your suggestions there.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

A tatalla stands just over 2 feet tall and weighs x pounds.

Tatalla speak Midani with a guttural intonation, perverting the natural beauty of the language. They also know the languages of similar creatures, such as imps and quasits, and they can communicate with bats and rats.

Tatalla speak Abyssal, Common, and Infernal?

A tatalla can also summon 1d100 normal bats or rats for aid. These arrive in 1d4 rounds. While the tatalla waits for aid, it scurries about trying to hide from and dodge its attackers. The rats or bats leave when the tatalla dies or releases them.

The entry is missing this. Did we decide upon summon swarm as an SLA or a summon ability like many demons and devils?

Tatalla reside only in urban areas, where their services are often desired, and where they are never far from vermin to aid them in their tasks. On rare occasions, they can track a victim across great tracts of land, traveling at night under the cover of darkness. They have an unerring tracking sense once they have been assigned to a victim. Though the victim may elude the tatalla for a time, the tenacious creature eventually catches up.

Should we add Track as a bonus feat and throw a few ranks (and racial bonus) in Survival? Or maybe something like locate creature?

 

[freyar]

I'd give them Track and a +4 to +8 racial bonus in Survival, rather than another magic ability.

I have this vague idea we were going to mimic the vampire ability:
Children of the Night (Su): Vampires command the lesser creatures of the world and once per day can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or a pack of 3d6 wolves as a standard action. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might summon other creatures of similar power.) These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the vampire for up to 1 hour.
... dropping the wolves and reducing to 1 swarm for the rats and bats.

Languages are ok. I'd just guess at around 7-10 lb from the lightest halflings.

 

[Cleon]

Updated.

I'm not sure about the wallcrawling, as they're already rather feature-rich for their power level.

The wallcrawling was merely a suggestion. So long as they have Climb I'm happy.

Environment: Any urban?

Organization: Solitary or guild (2-4)?

In Habitat/Society the original monster has the following text:

"A guild typically has 4d20 members. One tatalla is the guild master and has approval over all contracts entered into by the guild, as well as the ability to assign any of the guild members to a given task. The guildmaster has 3+3 Hit Dice and a THAC0 of 17, and it uses any magical items the guild may have in its treasury."

That means the 1-4 number has to be a smaller unit, I suggest calling it a "cell", making the organisation:

Organization: Solitary, cell (2-4) or guild (4-80 plus 1 guildmaster with X+ character levels)

Challenge Rating: 2? They are far better than a 1st-level PC rogue.

Treasure: Standard?

Alignment: Usually lawful evil?

Advancement: By character class (favored class: rogue)?

Level Adjustment: By the Savage Species method, they seem about +6 or +7

That all seems reasonable except for the LA, which seems awful high. Something like +3 or +4 would suit me better.

 

[Shade]

I'd give them Track and a +4 to +8 racial bonus in Survival, rather than another magic ability.

I can go for that. Cleon?

I have this vague idea we were going to mimic the vampire ability:
Children of the Night (Su): Vampires command the lesser creatures of the world and once per day can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or a pack of 3d6 wolves as a standard action. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might summon other creatures of similar power.) These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the vampire for up to 1 hour.
... dropping the wolves and reducing to 1 swarm for the rats and bats.

Like so?

Call Rats and Bats (Su): Once per day, a tatalla can call forth 1 rat swarm or 1 bat swarm. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the tatalla for up to 1 hour.

Languages are ok. I'd just guess at around 7-10 lb from the lightest halflings.

That works.

That all seems reasonable except for the LA, which seems awful high. Something like +3 or +4 would suit me better.

That makes them far too desirable as PC rogues:

• +8 Dex
• +1d6 sneak attack
• Deadly venom
• evasion
• hide in plain sight
• improved uncanny dodge
• trapfinding
• trap sense +2
• Weapon Finesse (B)
• +4 racial bonus on Disable Device, Listen, Open Lock, Sleight of Hand, Tumble checks
• +8 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks

Considering all the rogue stuff would stack with normal rogue abilities...YIKES. That almost makes me want to go with an LA of "—", as that is almost unplayably good for a PC!

 

[freyar]

Well, I can compromise with LA: -.

 

[Cleon]

I can go for that. Cleon?

Hmm, since it's "Unerring" that suggests something more than a plain old racial bonus.

Call Rats and Bats (Su): Once per day, a tatalla can call forth 1 rat swarm or 1 bat swarm. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the tatalla for up to 1 hour.

Fine by me.

That makes them far too desirable as PC rogues:

Make it Level Adjustment "—" then.

 

[Shade]

Hmm, since it's "Unerring" that suggests something more than a plain old racial bonus.

How about locate creature as a 1/day SLA? Or turn it into a Su ability?

 

[freyar]

Well, since we've stopped them becoming PCs, I'd say just go with the SLA.