Converting Creatures from Other Campaign Settings

[Shade]

Updated.

Chaos sentinels

Cavern of Firebirth
This cavern contains a vent that extends through the bedrock of Krynn right into the realms of Chaos. Through this aperture, the chaos minions reach into this cave.

The vent lies at the back of the cavern. Any characters looking into the cavern see a shimmering, fiery glow, and feel intense heat against their skins. If they move closer, they become subject to savage attacks by fiery beings -- sentinels of chaos that swarm out of the vent and attack until they are killed.

Chaos sentinels (7): AC 4; MV 12; HD 3; hp 15; THAC0 16; #AT 1; Dmg 1–8 fire; SA each wound continues to burn (1–6 dmg/round until doused by water or magic; SZ M (5’); ML fanatic (18); Int semi (3); AL CE; XP 175 each.

Originally appeared in Seeds of Chaos (1998).


Based on the module's Wikipedia entry, and my vague recollections of the novels pertaining to the Chaos Wars, I think these should be outsiders rather than elementals.

 

[Cleon]

Updated.

Chaos sentinels

Cavern of Firebirth
This cavern contains a vent that extends through the bedrock of Krynn right into the realms of Chaos. Through this aperture, the chaos minions reach into this cave.

The vent lies at the back of the cavern. Any characters looking into the cavern see a shimmering, fiery glow, and feel intense heat against their skins. If they move closer, they become subject to savage attacks by fiery beings -- sentinels of chaos that swarm out of the vent and attack until they are killed.

Chaos sentinels (7): AC 4; MV 12; HD 3; hp 15; THAC0 16; #AT 1; Dmg 1–8 fire; SA each wound continues to burn (1–6 dmg/round until doused by water or magic; SZ M (5’); ML fanatic (18); Int semi (3); AL CE; XP 175 each.

Originally appeared in Seeds of Chaos (1998).


Based on the module's Wikipedia entry, and my vague recollections of the novels pertaining to the Chaos Wars, I think these should be outsiders rather than elementals.

Yes, we might as well make them Outsiders otherwise they'd be just another minor variation on a Medium Elemental.

Presumably they'll have the Chaos subtype, but will they be Evil as well? From what I remember of Krynn, creatures from the Chaos realm are usually malign.

 

[Shade]

Presumably they'll have the Chaos subtype, but will they be Evil as well? From what I remember of Krynn, creatures from the Chaos realm are usually malign.

Yes, my recollections are the same, and they've got CE as their listed alignment, so the Evil subtype seems appropriate.

 

[Cleon]

Yes, my recollections are the same, and they've got CE as their listed alignment, so the Evil subtype seems appropriate.

Time for a Working Draft. We can use most of the Fire Phantom for them, methinks.

 

[Cleon]

Chaos Sentinel
Medium Outsider (Chaos, Evil, Fire, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 3d8+3 (16 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (+3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+4
Attack: Slam +6 melee (1d8+1 plus 1d6 fire)
Full Attack: Slam +6 melee (1d8+1 plus 1d6 fire)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Burn
Special Qualities: Blindsense 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., hide in flames, immunity to fire, vulnerability to cold
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +3
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 11
Skills: Hide +9*, Listen +12, Spot +12, Tumble +9
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative (B), Weapon Finesse (B)
Environment: A chaotic evil-aligned plane
Organization: Solitary or pack (2-12)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 4-9 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —


This fiery being, roughly the size of a human, is formed from opaque flames. Its shape constantly changes. One second it has the form of a mundane animal or humanoid, the next it is a bizarre chimeric creature.

Chaos sentinels are minor entities native to the Chaotic outer planes. Most are minions of powerful beings of Chaos. A chaos sentinel is usually encountered guarding some object or place. The thing they guard may be assigned to them by some master, or the sentinel may have picked it themselves. Chaos sentinels have a powerful desire to guard something, regardless of its value, and they may stand sentinel over items or locations they appear to have picked at random.

A chaos sentinel's shape is as changeable as a flame. It constantly shifts between shapes, ranging from mundane animals and objects to strange monstrous forms, but always formed out of "living fire" - a 3-legged octopus one second, an elf the next, then it looks like a two-headed giant duck or a man-eating wardrobe.

A chaos sentinel's height varies depending on its form, but it averages 5 feet tall. It weighs about 24 pounds.

Chaos sentinels speak Abyssal and Ignan.

COMBAT

A chaos sentinel usually hides in a large fire near whatever it is guarding. As soon as an unauthorized creature approaches its charge, the sentinel charges out and attacks the intruder with blows of its fiery appendages. Chaos sentinels habitually fight to the death.

A chaos sentinel's natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as chaotic-aligned and evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Burn (Ex): A chaos sentinel's slam attack deals bludgeoning damage plus fire damage from the sentinel's flaming body. Those hit by a chaos sentinel's slam attack also must succeed on a DC 12 Reflex save or catch on fire. The flame burns for 1d4 rounds. A burning creature can take a move action to put out the flame. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Creatures hitting a chaos sentinel with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take fire damage as though hit by the sentinel's attack, and also catch on fire unless they succeed on a Reflex save.

Hide in Flames (Ex): A chaos sentinel becomes nearly invisible within a source of fire. If a fire of at least its size is nearby, a chaos sentinel can use the Hide skill even while being observed. Additionally, it gains a +12 racial bonus on Hide checks made within a fire.

Skills: A chaos sentinel has a +4 racial bonus to Listen checks and Spot checks.

*When within a fire source a chaos sentinel has a +12 racial bonus on Hide checks from its Hide in Flames special ability.

 

[Cleon]

The original encounter suggests the explorers could not see the chaos sentinels in the flaming rift, suggesting they are able to Hide In Flames. Maybe even be effectively invisible when in a fire.

The original description gives no indication what they look like.

How about instead of a boring-old fiery humanoid, the chaos sentinels shape is as changeable as a flame. It constantly shifts between shapes, ranging from mundane animals and objects to strange monstrous forms, but always formed out of "living fire" - a 3-legged octopus one second, an elf the next, then it looks like a two-headed giant duck or a man-eating wardrobe. That would go well with their Chaos nature.

Oh, and since they're sentinels they ought to he good at watching out for intruders. I'm thinking racial bonus to Listen and Spot, and possible Blindsense or see invisible.

 

[Shade]

I'll agree with all that.

I could even seeing giving them fast healing while in flames, like a fire mephit.

 

[Cleon]

I'll agree with all that.

I could even seeing giving them fast healing while in flames, like a fire mephit.

So what mechanics do you fancy?

Hide bonus or invisibility when in flames?

Racial bonus to Listen and Spot, Blindsense and/or see invisible?

 

[Shade]

We can reuse this:

Hide in Flames (Ex): A fiery face becomes nearly invisible within a source of fire. If a fire of at least its size is nearby, a fiery face can use the Hide skill even while being observed. Additionally, it gains a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks made within a fire.

Racial bonuses are good.

I slightly prefer blindsense to see invisibility, but could be convinced otherwise.

 

[Cleon]

We can reuse this:

Hide in Flames (Ex): A fiery face becomes nearly invisible within a source of fire. If a fire of at least its size is nearby, a fiery face can use the Hide skill even while being observed. Additionally, it gains a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks made within a fire.

Racial bonuses are good.

I slightly prefer blindsense to see invisibility, but could be convinced otherwise.

That version of Hide in Flames looks good to me. Do we want to keep the +8 bonus or increase it a bit?

30 ft. range for the Blindsense, same as a Sahuagin?