Converting Epic Level Beings

[Mortis]

All done?

I'd say so.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Mortis]

I've just seen which two conversions are next in the queue (unless Shade springs a surprise on us) and boy they should be fun.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

I've just seen which two conversions are next in the queue (unless Shade springs a surprise on us) and boy they should be fun.

I'll find something to "hold us over" until you get back.

 

[Shade]

Here's one.

Feng Huang
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any land
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVE TIME: Any
DIET: Herbivore
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional (16)
TREASURE: B, H, U, Z
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -4
MOVEMENT: 12, Fl 48
HIT DICE: 22
THAC0: 7
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10/1-10/3-18
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
SIZE: G (100')
MORALE: Fanatic (17)
XP VALUE: 24,000

The feng huang, also known as the oriental phoenix, is perhaps the most magnificent of all feathered creatures. It is aloof, arrogant, and self-absorbed, fully cognizant of its own great beauty and awesome power.

The feng huang resembles a normal phoenix, but it has a shorter bill and neck, and larger wings. It averages 100 feet long from bill to tail, with a wingspan nearly twice the length of its body. It has a finned tail like that of a fish and a multi-colored crown. Its feathers are blue, red, green, yellow, and orange. Black and white stripes run the length of its belly. Feng huang can speak all human languages as well as those of all feathered creatures. Their voices sound like flutes.

Combat: Feng huang prefer to avoid combat, but are extremely aggressive if attacked. Though they can attack with their beak and front claws in the same round, feng huang prefer to attack with spells. They can cast fireballs twice per round and flame lightning once per round, but must make successful "to hit" rolls. The fireballs cause 2d10 hit points of damage and are +4 to hit. Flame lighting is a bolt of fire 50 feet long that inflicts 3d10 hit points of damage. The feng huang's most destructive attack is fire storm, which it can cast twice per day. The fire storm affects an area 1 mile square and 100 yards high, as if cast by a 20th level wizard. It can also cast fire quench twice per day affecting an area twice the size of its fire storm. It can cast affect normal fires, control temperature in a 100-foot radius, animate fire once per round; fire shield, fire seeds, heat metal, produce fire, pyrotechnics, fire rain, all three times per day; wall of fire, melt metal, incendiary cloud. all once per day. All spells are cast at 20th level. It can plane shift and turn invisible at will.

It automatically detects charms, evil, magic and alignment an continually radiates protection from evil in a 100-foot radius. The feng huang can spread its wings to dispel illusion or dispel magic.

It can be hit only by + 3 or better weapons. Its dance expels and drives away evil spirits as a 40th level caster, and this is effective against all but the most powerful of entities, such as one contained in an artifact or relic. If reduced to 0 hit points or less, its remains convert to a jade-like egg from which a new feng huang arises in 3d10 days.

Habitat/Society: Feng huang rarely appear in the Prime Material plane, making their lairs in alternate planes of existence, usually far away from other creatures. They build elaborate nests of spun gold and silver in the tops of gigantic wu t'ung, ornamental trees with bell-shaped white and brown flowers. Feng huang love treasure, especially gem stones of all kinds. Female feng huang lay one egg annually, but there is only a 1% chance that any given egg will hatch.

The appearance of a feng huang is variously associated with good fortune and disaster, owing to the creature's unpredictable nature. Tales are told of feng lung guiding lost ships to safe ports, then setting the ports afire before returning to their home planes. In the Prime Material plane, feng lung are equally at home in any climate, since they are unaffected by changes in temperature or weather.

Ecology: Feng lung are strict herbivores. They especially enjoy the seeds of wu t'ung flowers as well as stalks of ripe bamboo. They prefer to drink sweet water, such as fruit juices or streams flavored with honey. Their feathers are used in religious ceremonies of primitive cultures, though they are also coveted by collectors. Their eggs are the favorite food of certain spirit folk. Feng lung are also sought by the desperately ill, as they can cure diseases of any type with a touch of their wings. However, this effect is only produced if the feng lung so wills it, and they are usually reluctant to do so unless first offered a great treasure (at least 50,000 ch'ien in gold or gems).

Originally appeared in Test of the Samurai (1989)

 

[Shade]

Increasing a phoenix to Gargantuan yields the following:

+13 natural
Full Attack: 2 claws (3d6+12/19-20) or bite +23 melee (4d6+12)
Abilities: Str 34, Dex 14, Con 23, Int 18, Wis 17, Cha 21

Look good?

 

[freyar]

I think that looks good. What's the atk bonus on the claws?

Special abilities are going to be fun with this one!

 

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

I listed all the phoenix's SA and SD, but some may not apply here.

Feng huang can speak all human languages as well as those of all feathered creatures. Their voices sound like flutes.

Telepathy (Su): A phoenix can communicate telepathically with any nonavian creature within 60 feet. It can also speak normally with any avians.

Feng huang prefer to avoid combat, but are extremely aggressive if attacked. Though they can attack with their beak and front claws in the same round, feng huang prefer to attack with spells.

Change the full attack line to "and" rather than "or"?

They can cast fireballs twice per round and flame lightning once per round, but must make successful "to hit" rolls. The fireballs cause 2d10 hit points of damage and are +4 to hit. Flame lighting is a bolt of fire 50 feet long that inflicts 3d10 hit points of damage.

Unique supernatural abilities rather than spell-likes?

The feng huang's most destructive attack is fire storm, which it can cast twice per
day. The fire storm affects an area 1 mile square and 100 yards high, as if cast by a 20th level wizard. It can also cast fire quench twice per day affecting an area twice the size of its fire storm. It can cast affect normal fires, control temperature in a 100-foot radius, animate fire once per round; fire shield, fire seeds, heat metal, produce fire, pyrotechnics, fire rain, all three times per day; wall of fire, melt metal, incendiary cloud. all once per day. All spells are cast at 20th level. It can plane shift and turn invisible at will.

It automatically detects charms, evil, magic and alignment an continually radiates protection from evil in a 100-foot radius. The feng huang can spread its wings to dispel illusion or dispel magic.

Phoenix Spell-Like Abilities: At will--blindness/deafness (DC 17), blink, blur, color spray (DC 16), cure light wounds (DC 16), dancing lights, death ward, find the path, find traps, fire seeds (using its own blood rather than holly berries as a material component; no acorn grenades, DC 21), heal (DC 21), invisibility, misdirection (DC 17), neutralize poison, produce flame, remove fear, remove curse, see invisibility; 1/day--incendiary cloud (DC 23), reincarnate, pyrotechnics (DC 17), summon nature's ally IX, veil (DC 21), wall of fire. Caster level 20th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

After 10 rounds of ritual and preparation--dismissal (DC 20), dispel evil (DC 19), dispel magic. Caster level 40th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

The following abilities are always active on the phoenix's person, as the spells (caster level 20th); detect evil, detect magic, protection from evil. They can be dispelled, but the phoenix can reactivate them as a free action.

It can be hit only by + 3 or better weapons.

A phoenix has damage reduction 15/magic and cold iron.

Its dance expels and drives away evil spirits as a 40th level caster, and this is effective against all but the most powerful of entities, such as one contained in an artifact or relic. If reduced to 0 hit points or less, its remains convert to a jade-like egg from which a new feng huang arises in 3d10 days.

Immolation (Su): When it knows that death is near, a phoenix immolates itself as a full-round action. This produces a cloud of flame in a 20-foot-high, 15-foot-radius spread. Each creature in the area takes 40d6 points of damage (Reflex DC 22 half). Half of this damage is fire; the rest results directly from divine power and is therefore not subject to reduction by protection from elements (fire), fire shield (chill shield), or similar magic. This action kills the original phoenix and produces a new one, fully grown and unharmed, from the ashes. This new bird arrives at the end of the round. The save DC is Constitution-based.

 

[freyar]

Telepathy (Su): A phoenix can communicate telepathically with any nonavian creature within 60 feet. It can also speak normally with any avians.

I'd like something more like
Tongues (Su): All angels can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level equal to angel’s Hit Dice). This ability is always active.

Change the full attack line to "and" rather than "or"?

Sure.

Unique supernatural abilities rather than spell-likes?

I think so, yes. We'll need to figure out exactly what we want these to do, also.

Seems like we also need to modify the SLAs a bit from the phoenix.

A phoenix has damage reduction 15/magic and cold iron.

Do you want to bump that up to epic and cold iron or just increase the DR to 20?

Immolation (Su): When it knows that death is near, a phoenix immolates itself as a full-round action. This produces a cloud of flame in a 20-foot-high, 15-foot-radius spread. Each creature in the area takes 40d6 points of damage (Reflex DC 22 half). Half of this damage is fire; the rest results directly from divine power and is therefore not subject to reduction by protection from elements (fire), fire shield (chill shield), or similar magic. This action kills the original phoenix and produces a new one, fully grown and unharmed, from the ashes. This new bird arrives at the end of the round. The save DC is Constitution-based.

The original does not have the big fire storm bit. How about:

Rebirth (Su): When a feng huang is reduced to 0 hp, it does not die. Instead, its body disappears in a flash of (harmless) flame and smoke, replaced by a jade-like egg. The egg hatches into a feng huang in 3d10 days, which then magically grows to maturity in one day.

 

[Shade]

I'd like something more like
Tongues (Su): All angels can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level equal to angel’s Hit Dice). This ability is always active.

Hmmm...since it could only speak "all human languages", I'm not sure I like going the tongues route. Maybe give it Common, Dwarven, Elven, and Undercommon, as well as its "speak with avians"?

Do you want to bump that up to epic and cold iron or just increase the DR to 20?

Epic. DR x/magic is almost worthless at low levels, and guaranteed worthless at epic levels.

The original does not have the big fire storm bit. How about:

Rebirth (Su): When a feng huang is reduced to 0 hp, it does not die. Instead, its body disappears in a flash of (harmless) flame and smoke, replaced by a jade-like egg. The egg hatches into a feng huang in 3d10 days, which then magically grows to maturity in one day.

I like it.

 

[freyar]

What about tongues limited to avian and humanoid (human) intelligent creatures?