Converting Creatures from Other Campaign Settings

[Cleon]

Mmm, golem with crunchy beholder filling! I think we're going to have to bump the attacks, though, as they don't sound like much right now.

They do seem a bit wimpy compared to a beholder. We'll have to do something about that AC 4 as well, it's pretty pathetic compared to a standard AD&D Beholder's AC 0/2/7 or an Iron Golem's AC3.

Hmm, that gives me an idea - there's nothing here saying they can't be animated by the lesser breeds of beholder as well as the "full beholders". Perhaps operating these golems is a guard duty performed by Watchers or Directors? That would justify it as a "combat boost" to the occupant.

Here's another thing, how does a 6' diameter beholder fit inside the helmet of one of these things? Even for an 18-foot tall humanoid suit of armour it would appear to have a ridiculously large head! Does the helmet have some kind of shrinking-function?

Oh, and speaking of that helmet, there's something about the line "A device in this chamber functions something like a spelljamming helm, turning the magic powers of the beholder pilot into motive force" that really, really makes me want to have this thing be able to fly like a spelljammer (or a beholder, even).

 

[Cleon]

Let's start talking stats.

While the original might say "Large" these are definitely Huge Constructs in 3E terms. That also helps explain how a Large Aberration can fit inside one.

I'd like to keep the 16 Hit Dice of the original and base its stats on a slightly weaker SRD Iron Golem.

Compared to an AD&D Iron Golem it has the same speed, 3/4 the hit points and does 1/2 the damage, its AC is a point lower. The original's Str 23 is the same as a Cloud Giant.

So, give it the SRD Cloud Giant's Str and an Iron Golem's speed & abilities?

Make its AC 2 less than the SRD Iron Golem's AC30?

I'm also thinking since it wields a weapon (the trident) we can give it an iterative full attack. That will help even out its damage. The tri-beams appear to be a ranged touch like an eye-ray, so I think they need to go in the attack line as well.

That would make it something like:

Golem, Sentinel
Huge Construct
Hit Dice: 16d10+40 (128 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 20 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class: 28 (-2 size, -1 Dex, +21 natural), touch 7, flat-footed 28
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+32
Attack: Trident +22 melee (3d6+18) or tri-beam +11 ranged touch (6d6+3?)
Full Attack: Trident +22/+17/+2 melee (3d6+18) or 3 tri-beams +11 ranged touch (6d6+3?)
Special Attacks: Tri-beams
Special Qualities: All-around vision? [like a beholder], construct traits, DR Y/magic?, darkvision 60 ft., spell immunity, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +5
Abilities: Str 35, Dex 9, Con -, Int -*, Wis -*, Cha -* [* use pilot beholder's mental abilities]
Skills: —
Feats: —

What do you think?

 

[freyar]

That's a reasonable start, and it might fit with the template idea. Flight is good with me, too.

 

[Shade]

Agreed. I like where this is heading.

 

[Cleon]

Agreed. I like where this is heading.

Me too!

So we all seem to be OK with the Flight, so I'll un-red that.

What damage do you fancy for the tri-beams? The original did 2d6+1, but that seems way to weak.

Comparing it to the slam attacks, each tri-beam did a point less than the original's slam attacks (2d8), which now averages roughly three times that damage once the +18 bonus from the golem's strength is factored in.

Shall we triple the tri-beam's damage as well, to 6d6+3 apiece?

I'll red that into post #712.

 

[freyar]

Well, the beams should certainly be powerful, or else why would beholders have these? Let's not forget that they require a save or cause unconsciousness, too. I could even see using disintegrate as a baseline for the beam.

 

[Shade]

Perhaps not disintegrate, due to the unconsiousness. The "black rays" almost suggest negative energy, which would fit in with the beholder's inflict moderate wounds.

Tripling the damage may be OK, but if we're allowing something like a gauth to pilot one, it might be a bit too effective.

 

[freyar]

Hmmph. Should we tie it to the HD of the beholderkin pilot in some way?

 

[Shade]

If we treat the golem as a separate creature, it's probably not an issue, as its CR will be fixed, and the beholder(kin) pilot will have its own CR.

I looked through the list of beholderkin, and it appears that most have some form of negative energy ray, which could "power" the golem's tri-beam.

 

[freyar]

Ok, I still wasn't sure if we're doing a template or monster.

It might make sense that "real" beholders force lesser beholderkin to pilot these things, anyway, in which case a monster treatment could make more sense. We'd just need to decide on the overall power level.