Converting Epic Level Beings

[Shade]

Yeah, pretty much.

 

[Clifford]

Ok so what next?

Cliff

 

[BOZ]

i'm officially no longer afraid to pile on Hit Dice. but, it needs to be an appropriate amount. for now, let's leave the number open. i'll get back to that later. i've settled on CR 20 being appropriate. i don't think he should be unkillable, because:

If Cerberus is ever killed, Hades simply allows him to leave the underworld and journey back to the land of the living.

here are his two special attacks as i originally wrote them, once upon a time:

Poison Spittle (Su): Cerberus can spit forth a stream of poison from his middle head if he chooses not to bite with it. The spit is Contact poison with a range of 30', Fortitude save (DC 26); initial damage 3d6 Constitution, secondary damage instant death.

Petrifying Gaze (Su): Once per round, Cerberus can turn all three of his heads to face a mortal opponent and turn his gaze upon his victim. The victim must make a Will saving throw (DC 26) or be turned to stone permanently.

Each head bites for 3-30 points; the middle head spews forth a powerful poisonous spittle up to 30' which kills on contact (no saving throw); the collective gaze of all 3 heads turns mortals to stone (one per round, saving throw applies). It attacks as a 16+ hit dice monster. Cerberus may only use one attack form per head per round. The creature regenerates 5 points per melee round.

Cerberus has three heads, each of which can bite in combat. If the middle head opts not to bite, it spews a stream of poison spittle to a range of 30’, causing death on contact (save versus death to negate). The collective stare of all three heads turns any mortal to stone (save versus petrification to negate).

let's work on these two powers for the moment, and come back to the HD issues later.

 

[Shade]

i'm officially no longer afraid to pile on Hit Dice. but, it needs to be an appropriate amount. for now, let's leave the number open. i'll get back to that later. i've settled on CR 20 being appropriate.

It's about time you came around.

i don't think he should be unkillable, because:

That's plausible.

here are his two special attacks as i originally wrote them, once upon a time:

Poison Spittle (Su): Cerberus can spit forth a stream of poison from his middle head if he chooses not to bite with it. The spit is Contact poison with a range of 30', Fortitude save (DC 26); initial damage 3d6 Constitution, secondary damage instant death.

Petrifying Gaze (Su): Once per round, Cerberus can turn all three of his heads to face a mortal opponent and turn his gaze upon his victim. The victim must make a Will saving throw (DC 26) or be turned to stone permanently.

let's work on these two powers for the moment, and come back to the HD issues later.

Does this help?

Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 34, initial damage paralysis, secondary damage 1d6 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Spit (Ex): A greater ssvaklor can spit a concentrated glob of its poison at a target. It makes a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 30 feet. If it hits, the poison is a contact poison but its effects are otherwise identical to those of its poison bite.

Here's the medusa's petrifiying gaze. it looks like Fort rather than Will.

Petrifying Gaze (Su): Turn to stone permanently, 30 feet, Fortitude DC 15 negates. The save DC is Charisma-based.

We can borrow from this if you want to force him to "aim" his gaze:

Domination (Su): A vampire spawn can crush an opponent’s will just by looking onto his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the vampire must take a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone the vampire targets must succeed on a DC 14 Will save or fall instantly under the vampire’s influence as though by a dominate person spell from a 5thlevel caster. The ability has a range of 30 feet. The save DC is Charisma-based.

 

[BOZ]

How's this?

Poison (Ex): Contact, Fortitude DC X, initial and secondary damage 3d6 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Spit (Ex): Cerberus can spit a stream of powerful poisonous spittle from his middle head at a target. He makes a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 30 feet.


I don't know that aiming the gaze is necessary; how's this?

Petrifying Gaze (Su): Turn to stone permanently, 30? feet, Fortitude DC X negates. The save DC is Charisma-based. Cerberus must gaze at a single target using all three of his heads. He cannot use his gaze attack if he makes a spit attack or bite attack with at least one of his heads.

 

[Shade]

I think those will work.

 

[BOZ]

good deal.

how about ability scores for our CR 20 puppy? these are the scores i had set for him way back when and are entirely subject to change:
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 16, Con 20, Int 24, Wis 30, Cha 20
(for comparison, ToH's version had: Str 36, Dex 24, Con 31, Int 25, Wis 25, Cha 24)


This ability needs a bit of clarification:

Eternal Vigilance (Su): Due to his master Hades' magics, Cerberus is unmatched in his guardianship ability. He cannot be magicked away from his post by any force, nor can he be tricked away by any means, magical or otherwise. Spells designed to move him or enchant him into leaving simply do not work, and any nonmagical attempts at deception are immediately shown to him for what they are.

I say it should be split up a bit into immunity to mind-affecting effects, and a big bonus to Sense Motive (+10 at least). Any magical effect that would teleport him or move him from his current location would automatically fail unless he allowed it.


Maybe he also could also have some doggie-like stuff such as a Trip attack and the ability to track by scent.

 

[Shade]

Updating a dire wolf to Huge yields...

Abilities: Str 33, Dex 13, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10

Updating a Nessian warhound to Huge yields...

Str 34, Dex 12, Con 24, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 6

The mivilorn elite demon warmount (already size Huge) has...

Str 35, Dex 11, Con 30, Int 4, Wis 17, Cha 12

The multiheaded creature template suggests adding +2 Con per additional head.

Taking all this into consideration, I'd recommend:

Str 33-35+, Dex 11-13, Con 25-34, Int 11-14+ (based on very to high from past sources), Wis 17+, Cha 12+

Summarizing the abilities we already gave it:

Blindsight, immunity to petrification and poison. resistance to acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, and fire 10, scent

Petrifying Gaze (Su): Turn to stone permanently, 30? feet, Fortitude DC X negates. The save DC is Charisma-based. Cerberus must gaze at a single target using all three of his heads. He cannot use his gaze attack if he makes a spit attack or bite attack with at least one of his heads.

Poison (Ex): Contact, Fortitude DC X, initial and secondary damage 3d6 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Rend (Ex): If a gorynych hits with two bite attacks, it latches onto the opponent's body and tears the victim apart like a wishbone. This attack automatically deals an extra 4d8+13 points of damage.

Spit (Ex): Cerberus can spit a stream of powerful poisonous spittle from his middle head at a target. He makes a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 30 feet.

Other good doggy abilities:

Trip (Ex): A dire wolf that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip its opponent (+11 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the dire wolf.

Skills: Dogs have a +4 racial bonus on Jump checks. *Dogs have a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.

 

[Shade]

This ability needs a bit of clarification:

Eternal Vigilance (Su): Due to his master Hades' magics, Cerberus is unmatched in his guardianship ability. He cannot be magicked away from his post by any force, nor can he be tricked away by any means, magical or otherwise. Spells designed to move him or enchant him into leaving simply do not work, and any nonmagical attempts at deception are immediately shown to him for what they are.

I say it should be split up a bit into immunity to mind-affecting effects, and a big bonus to Sense Motive (+10 at least). Any magical effect that would teleport him or move him from his current location would automatically fail unless he allowed it.

This might be a good start, from a template in a past issue of Dragon:

Bonded Area (Ex): The glyph guardian is mystically made a part of its guardian domain and as such is physically incapable of leaving it. The DM must define this area before the encounter begins. The area could be as small as a single room or as large as an entire castle complex, but it can be no larger than an area that can be encompassed in a 1,000-foot-diameter sphere.

The glyph guardian cannot step out of its bonded area for any reason, nor can it be forcibly removed by any magical means; all such attempts fail. Not even the glyph guardian's creator can order it beyond the area it was created to guard. It is possible to use physical means, such as pushing the glyph guardian out the area, but the glyph guardian teleports (see below) or simply walks back in as soon as it is able if it cannot use its teleport ability. Should it be impossible for it to enter or stay in the bonded area (the room it is bonded to is filled with stone, the floor has been replaced by a pit, and so on) the glyph guardian loses the glyph guardian template and becomes a normal golem under the command of its creator.

 

[BOZ]

Updating a dire wolf to Huge yields...

Abilities: Str 33, Dex 13, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10

Updating a Nessian warhound to Huge yields...

Str 34, Dex 12, Con 24, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 6

The mivilorn elite demon warmount (already size Huge) has...

Str 35, Dex 11, Con 30, Int 4, Wis 17, Cha 12

The multiheaded creature template suggests adding +2 Con per additional head.

Taking all this into consideration, I'd recommend:

Str 33-35+, Dex 11-13, Con 25-34, Int 11-14+ (based on very to high from past sources), Wis 17+, Cha 12+

i'm going to give him Str 36 and Con 34, and stick with my original Dex of 16. those mental stats seem kind of low - and for epic critters, we usually cut some slack on the old Int score designations since the chart only went as high as 25.

how about this?

Eternal Vigilance (Su): Cerberus cannot be forcibly moved or removed by any magical means; all such attempts fail. It is possible to use physical means to move him, such as pushing him, but he simply walks back to his post as soon as he is able.