Converting Creatures from Other Campaign Settings

[Cleon]

Good ideas all around. Updated.

How does this look for the tri-beam writeup?

Tri-beams (Su): A beholder pilot can channel its eye rays through the sentinel's trident to produce a magical tri-beam once per round as a free action. These three black beams of negative energy may be targeted at a single creature within 60 feet. A successful hit deals 6d6+3 points of negative energy damage (a successful Will save halves the damage). Additionally, a creature damaged by the tri-beam must succeed on a Fortitude save or fall unconscious for x rounds. The save DCs are equal to 10 + 1/2 sentinel's Hit Dice + Cha modifier of beholder pilot (18 + Cha modifier of beholder pilot for a typical sentinel).

Since undead are powered by negative energy, a tri-ray cures such a creature of a like amount of damage, rather than harming it. A tri-beam follows all the rules for a ray (see Aiming a Spell, page 175 of the Player's Handbook).

I'd prefer it to be a standard action or an attack instead of a free action. The original says it "The Sentinel points the weapon and projects three beams of black energy at its chosen target", not that it can go tri-beaming while skewering opponents with its trident.

The range is also short - the original was 60 yards, so I'd make it either 180 feet or 200 feet depending on whether I want to round it up.

Finally, I'd rather make it force damage rather than negative energy. If it healed Undead you'd think that would be mentioned in the description.

Oh, and there's no mention of reduced damage on a save, so I'd leave the save to just cover the consciousness save, which should last 1d4 round according to the original description.

Put all that together and you get something like:

Tri-beams (Su): A beholder pilot can channel its eye rays through the sentinel's trident to produce a magical tri-beam as a standard action. These three black beams of energy may be targeted at a single creature within 180 feet. A successful hit deals 6d6+3 points of force damage. Additionally, a creature damaged by the tri-beam must succeed on a Fortitude save or fall unconscious for 1d4 rounds. A tri-beam follows all the rules for a ray (see Aiming a Spell, page 175 of the Player's Handbook). The save DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 sentinel's Hit Dice + Cha modifier of the beholder pilot (18 + Cha modifier of beholder pilot for a typical sentinel).

 

[Shade]

Nice catch on the action and the range. Standard and 180 feet works for me.

I'd like to stick with negative energy, though, since as we discussed upthread, nearly all beholderkin have some sort of inflict ray, which explains the negative energy. Not many have a force effect.

Besides, it would be kinda fun for a sentinel to heal their death tyrant and kasharin allies.

 

[Cleon]

Nice catch on the action and the range. Standard and 180 feet works for me.

I'd like to stick with negative energy, though, since as we discussed upthread, nearly all beholderkin have some sort of inflict ray, which explains the negative energy. Not many have a force effect.

Besides, it would be kinda fun for a sentinel to heal their death tyrant and kasharin allies.

I'm happy making it negative energy so long as the action & range are "fixed".

 

[Shade]

Updated.

Do we need to make an ability describing the piloting, or just explain the process in the flavor text?

Do we need Construction, or can we handwave it since only beholders should be building them?

 

[Cleon]

Updated.

Do we need to make an ability describing the piloting, or just explain the process in the flavor text?

I'd make it a "Beholder Pilot" special quality, since so many of its other SAs and SQs depend on it.

How about:

Beholder Pilot (Ex): A sentinel golem is normally inert, it only animates when a beholder or beholder-kin enters its helmet to operate it. A Sentinel golem can hold a single beholder up to one size smaller than the golem. While operating the golem the beholder loses the use of its magical powers, which are used to power the golem in a fashion similar to how a spelljammer helm powers a spelljamming ship. Powering the golem is as tiring as walking, so a beholder that operates a sentinel golem for longer than 8 hours must start making Fortitude saves every hour (DC 10, +2 per extra hour), take 1d6 nonlethal damage per failure (see Forced March under Overland Movement).

Do we need Construction, or can we handwave it since only beholders should be building them?

According to the original text its only arcane who know the secrets of their construction, so I'd be fine with leaving it out.

 

[Shade]

Let's leave out the bit about the Spelljammer helm (since that isn't core), but the rest looks good!

Updated.

Organization: Solitary?

Challenge Rating: x

Advancement: x

Suggestions on HD vs. size cutoff to become greater version?

 

[Cleon]

Let's leave out the bit about the Spelljammer helm (since that isn't core), but the rest looks good!

Updated.

Organization: Solitary?

Well the original was "NO. APPEARING: 1" so that's the closest fit.

Although I do like the idea of adding "gang (2-4)" for when teams of beholder-kin are set to perform heavy labour or guard key sites using sentinels. Come to think of it, Watchers come in gangs of 1-4 and so do Iron Golems, so let's add a gang:

Organization: Solitary or gang (2-4)

Challenge Rating: x

CR12? They're in-between an Iron Golem and Stone Golem. They do have weaker spell-defenses, but the balance that with a nasty ranged attack.

Advancement: x

Suggestions on HD vs. size cutoff to become greater version?

I7-23 HD (Huge); 24-48 (Gargantuan) ? Based on the Iron Golem?

 

[Shade]

All good. Updated.

Do we want them to become greater version immediately upon becoming Gargantuan, or at a higher HD threshold?

 

[freyar]

Looks good, I think. Let's have them become greater at Gargantuan. That seems simplest.

 

[Shade]

Updated. Finished?