Converting Creatures from Other Campaign Settings

[freyar]

Sure!

 

[Cleon]

Sure!

Okay then!

These are a bit complicated to explain since they're not a standard monster. Island of War has a whole chapter explaining the rules that govern them. Rather than typing out the whole thing, I'll give an outline and quote the relevant bits as we need them.

A guardian juggernaut is a 30 foot tall totem statue that can be turned into a remote-controlled magical mecha. In Island of War they are created by a "barbaric" race of humans called Knorr to defend their clan. There are three types of Guardian Juggernaut. Wood, Stone and Wicker.

To animate the juggernaut, a cleric casts a special spell upon the pilot (called a "helmsman"), who must stand within a "circle of control" circle inside a ritual tent. The helmsman's consciousness then joins with the juggernaut and animates it, causing the juggernaut to move in synchrony with the helmsman's.

The resulting monster combines the helmsman's combat statistics with its own. i.e. a Wooden Juggernaut has Hit Dice of 5d10 which it combines with the helmsman's HD. It has a few special attacks derived from its size - sweeping away enemies or crushing them underfoot.

A guardian juggernaut can be equipped with magic items by storing them inside the statue and having the helmsman wield specially carved wooden duplicates of the item from inside the "circle of control".

 

[freyar]

Hmmmm. Should we think of these as magic items along the lines of the infamous apparatus (of the crab/Kwalish)? Well, let's proceed maybe along the lines of the servants of Phlegamor --- mindless constructs that use the mental stats of their "drivers."

 

[Cleon]

Hmmmm. Should we think of these as magic items along the lines of the infamous apparatus (of the crab/Kwalish)? Well, let's proceed maybe along the lines of the servants of Phlegamor --- mindless constructs that use the mental stats of their "drivers."

I don't think it's just their mental stats. IIRC the "combination" also uses the pilot's Dexterity and it adds the pilot's HP to its own. I can't remember whether they use a derivative of the pilot's Strength, but it seems likely.

In many ways the SRD template that matches them best is the "hybrid" version of a Lycanthrope.

Oh, and the Juggernaut also uses the pilot's personal AC (including whatever armour bonus they have) plus its own "juggernaut bonus". It doesn't even need to be magic armour, just whatever the pilot happens to be wearing during the Guardian Juggernaut animation ritual.

In 3E terms, the "juggernaut AC bonus" presumably translates into a combination of natural armour, size penalty and Dex adjustment.

 

[freyar]

I'll have to read the information you sent. I get the feeling these are going to be quite complicated.

 

[Cleon]

I'll have to read the information you sent. I get the feeling these are going to be quite complicated.

I can wait...

 

[freyar]

Whew, these are complicated. We have our work cut out for us! First question, I guess, and I'm of two minds: template or some weird kind of construct? Or magic item?

 

[Cleon]

Whew, these are complicated. We have our work cut out for us! First question, I guess, and I'm of two minds: template or some weird kind of construct? Or magic item?

I'd go for the first two - a template that involves a weird kind of construct.

Basically, I was thinking of using the same approach as the Lycanthrope super-template, except that instead of permanently combining a humanoid and animal, it temporarily combines a humanoid and a construct.

As for the magic item question, technically they're more component or Focus Items for a spell, since they only animate during the duration of the create guardian spell. The guardian statue is only good for 1d4 years, after which create guardian won't animate it. I believe the statue can be animated on multiple occasions during those years, although the text isn't explicit on that point.

 

[freyar]

I think I'd take that approach as well. And I'd put in construction requirements for the actual construct part, with create guardian as sort of a special final requirement.

Anyway, which one first? The wooden one?

 

[Cleon]

I think I'd take that approach as well. And I'd put in construction requirements for the actual construct part, with create guardian as sort of a special final requirement.

Anyway, which one first? The wooden one?

Might as well do them in the same order as the AD&D source - Wood (the "basic model"), then Stone, then Wicker.

Do we combine the three into the same template with sub-entries for each, or give the Wooden version the full template treatment and "as wood plus these changes" templates for the other two?

The Stone version is basically "the same but a bit slower and tougher", while the Wicker has additional special abilities.

I'm inclined towards the single template approach, at least to begin with.

Might as well post a bare-bones working draft to start us off.