Converting Creatures from Other Campaign Settings

[Cleon]

I can't say I'm in favor of making a lot of wholesale changes to this. I'd rather just stick to changing the few issues we identified previously, like the specific weaknesses.

Agreed, I'm reluctant to change the drow vampire template beyond some minor tweaks, since we'd already signed off on it under the late lamented Shade.

I would be happier adding an "In Ravenloft" subslug to give it the different weaknesses and special attack, then we can leave most of the original template intact.

 

[Cleon]

Updated it again. It now does 1 CON drain with each slam, and heals hp equal to the amount of slam damage dealt. Also increased the turning resistance per age category.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B40cI_sKPOVNdzBmQko5bzJTLUU/view?usp=sharing

You don't need the "permanent" or "permanently" since Ability Drain is always permanent - they cut the necessity to quote temporary/permanent on ability damaging attacks in the transition from D&D 3.0 to D&D 3.5.

 

[freyar]

Agreed, I'm reluctant to change the drow vampire template beyond some minor tweaks, since we'd already signed off on it under the late lamented Shade.

I would be happier adding an "In Ravenloft" subslug to give it the different weaknesses and special attack, then we can leave most of the original template intact.

That seems like a good approach. Did we get all of those sorted out yet?

 

[kevin_video]

You don't need the "permanent" or "permanently" since Ability Drain is always permanent - they cut the necessity to quote temporary/permanent on ability damaging attacks in the transition from D&D 3.0 to D&D 3.5.

Hmm. Denizens seems to have not gotten that memo.

 

[Cleon]

Hmm. Denizens seems to have not gotten that memo.

I've noticed errors in quite a few of the Denizens creatures.

There are sometimes more problems in the Denizens of Dread version of a monster than the Denizens of Darkness one due to the monster being improperly upgrading from 3.0 to 3.5, but some others just have basic numerical errors.

Picking an example at random, the Bone Golem in Denizens of Dread is missing its Construct bonus hit points (A 3.5 addition), it has a +3 Dex bonus to Init and AC despite its Dex 15 only giving it +2, its Reflex save is too low because it's missing its Dex bonus, plus it has two too few feats (3 instead of 5), and three too many skill points (19 instead of 16).

 

[Cleon]

That seems like a good approach. Did we get all of those sorted out yet?

No, I think we just made a list of what they all were.

 

[kevin_video]

I've noticed errors in quite a few of the Denizens creatures.

There are sometimes more problems in the Denizens of Dread version of a monster than the Denizens of Darkness one due to the monster being improperly upgrading from 3.0 to 3.5, but some others just have basic numerical errors.

Picking an example at random, the Bone Golem in Denizens of Dread is missing its Construct bonus hit points (A 3.5 addition), it has a +3 Dex bonus to Init and AC despite its Dex 15 only giving it +2, its Reflex save is too low because it's missing its Dex bonus, plus it has two too few feats (3 instead of 5), and three too many skill points (19 instead of 16).

Oh good, so I'm not the only one who saw that then. That's a relief. I figured something wasn't right with those. Started to wonder if they were somehow exceptions/special, but the flesh golem always confused me because it shouldn't be like that.

 

[freyar]

I'm not keen on the immunity to holy water bit - it seems rather counterintuitive for something that can be killed by a waterfall. There's no mention of them recoiling from holy symbols or mirrors, so we may want to consider cutting those out f the Weaknesses.

We should probably also cut the "repulsed by garlic" bit out as well, since it's rock salt these vampires don't like.

Anyhow, it appears we've got.
* repulsed by rock salt (maybe have it recoil from "strongly presented salt" like a ordinary vampire flinches from garlic?)
* cannot cross a line of salt.
* injured by waterfall water - which can destroy them if immersed.
* can be destroyed by binding them with silver followed by cremation.
* highly vulnerable to light - including spells such as light. Stops regeneration, direct sunlight destroys immediately, moonlight damages like sunlight damages standard vampires.

OK, the first two in the list can be taken care of by replacing the garlic/holy symbol paragraph with

Drow vampires cannot tolerate the salt and are unable to cross a line of salt. Similarly, they recoil from a strongly presented lump of rock salt. These things don’t harm the vampire—they merely keep it at bay. A recoiling vampire must stay at least 5 feet away from a creature holding the salt and cannot touch or make melee attacks against the creature holding the item for the rest of the encounter. Holding a vampire at bay takes a standard action.

The cremation point should probably be tied up with the stake of salt:

Driving a rock salt stake through a drow vampire’s heart instantly slays the monster. However, it returns to life if the stake is removed, unless the body is destroyed. A popular tactic is to bind the drow vampire's body with silver thread and then to burn the monster until it is entirely reduced to ash.

 

[Cleon]

Oh good, so I'm not the only one who saw that then. That's a relief. I figured something wasn't right with those. Started to wonder if they were somehow exceptions/special, but the flesh golem always confused me because it shouldn't be like that.

What I find odd about the Denizens of Dread Flesh Golem is the saves - they converted all four of the golems from Ravenloft MC III for that book and decided to give three of them good Fort and Will saves (the Mist, Snow & Wax Golems), but they didn't give those improved saves to the Dread Flesh Golem - which to me seems the most appropriate one to have higher Fort and Will saves than a regular golem, being sort of "alive" and (sometimes) animated by a soul.

I'd have no problem with them giving Dread Golems good Fort and Will saves if they'd given them it as a special quality, but it's just sloppy not including a reason for the Mist, Snow & Wax's higher saves.

 

[Cleon]

Drow vampires cannot tolerate the salt and are unable to cross a line of salt.

"cannot tolerate the salt"?

Also, should we give some reason to bind them in silver? Maybe they can't assume poison-gas form when so bound, so are unable to simply waft away?