Converting Epic Level Creatures

[Cleon]

I'd say definitely with the rod of lordly might. It functions as 4 different magic weapons, after all!

I would suggest giving it a power boost. The other Generals have +5 weapons that decapitate on criticals or shoot meteor swarms, and I think the Monkey General should have something of similar power.

How about it functions as a mundane rod of lordly might in anyone else's hands, but when wielded by General Monkey it's a +5 weapon with a different property for each weapon?

Maybe it can be a +5 thundering light mace or quarterstaff, +5 flaming longsword, a +5 frost battleaxe or a +5 keen spear/shortspear/longspear ?

I'd also have the rod's 1/day SLAs of hold, fear and vampire-touch have a higher DC/effectiveness when used by Monkey, and maybe make them usable more often.

The two abilities look pretty good, though I think we need an effective spell level for the cloud trapeze. I'd suggest 9th, given the whole 1000 creatures bit.

Cloud-Trapezing 1000 creatures sounds more like an Epic Spell to me.

Not unreasonable, considering they are 29th level casters.

The original text says, "They have the spell casting ability of a 29th-level wu jen and know all spells of that class." Do we want to stick to the usual spells known or give them an SA to know all sorc/wiz spells?

Knows All Spells. You know you want to.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

I would suggest giving it a power boost. The other Generals have +5 weapons that decapitate on criticals or shoot meteor swarms, and I think the Monkey General should have something of similar power.

How about it functions as a mundane rod of lordly might in anyone else's hands, but when wielded by General Monkey it's a +5 weapon with a different property for each weapon?

Maybe it can be a +5 thundering light mace or quarterstaff, +5 flaming longsword, a +5 frost battleaxe or a +5 keen spear/shortspear/longspear ?

I'd also have the rod's 1/day SLAs of hold, fear and vampire-touch have a higher DC/effectiveness when used by Monkey, and maybe make them usable more often.



Cloud-Trapezing 1000 creatures sounds more like an Epic Spell to me.

Not unreasonable, considering they are 29th level casters.



Knows All Spells. You know you want to.

The Epic Level Handbook has a rod of epic might. Would that work?

 

[freyar]

I think the rod of epic might will work nicely, though we might need to boost the weapons of the other generals in that case.

Epic Spell for cloud trapeze is fine. And I like Knows All Spells, but I'm not sure Shade does.

 

[Shade]

Shade does.

It won't need to be a separate ability. In the past when we've done such things, we've simply added a note to the spells ability. Something like:

"Spells: General Monkey can cast arcane spells as a 29th-level sorcerer. He knows all spells from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. He may also cast spells from the Air, Earth, Fire, and Water domains as arcane spells, and is considered to know all such spells. The save DCs are Charisma-based. "

Great call on the rod of epic might! I support boosting the others' to epic weapons as well to keep the field level.

Cloud trapeze does sound like an epic level spell equivalent.

 

[freyar]

So do we use the mace form of the rod as the "default weapon"?

Comparing to all the angels we did a while back, his natural armor should be in the +10 to +12 range. Besides that, I'm not too worried exactly where.

Sneak Attack +15d6 like a 29th level rogue? Or +10d6 like a 20th level rogue? I guess we've already agreed on the latter...

DR 10, maybe, though the regen sort of makes it redundant.

 

[Cleon]

So do we use the mace form of the rod as the "default weapon"?

Epic Rod is a perfect fit! We certainly need to boost the other's weapons to match.

The +6 heavy mace seems the weakest of the options, I'd go for the +10 longspear myself.

Comparing to all the angels we did a while back, his natural armor should be in the +10 to +12 range. Besides that, I'm not too worried exactly where.

Since he's a lowish-level Epic monster I think Monkey should have an AC in the upper 40s. A +12 NA would only give him AC 41.

Maybe +19 NA like a Planetar, for AC 48?

Sneak Attack +15d6 like a 29th level rogue? Or +10d6 like a 20th level rogue? I guess we've already agreed on the latter...

How about having him sneak attack at a level equal to his hit dice - 24th level rogue for +13d6 ?

DR 10, maybe, though the regen sort of makes it redundant.

I'd go for DR 15.

Solars have DR 15/epic and evil and are in more-or-less the same power grade as the Monkey General.

 

[freyar]

The solar has only AC 35, so I'd rather stick to the lower 40s. DR 15 is ok, though.

 

[Cleon]

The solar has only AC 35, so I'd rather stick to the lower 40s. DR 15 is ok, though.

I was basing my target AC on some of the human-shaped Epic Level Monsters, since I reckon the Monkey General will end up with a CR in the upper 20s, it being a 29th level spell-caster and all.

e.g.:

Hunefer - CR 25, AC 52, HD50d12
Lavawight - CR 23, AC 46, HD 32d12
LeShay - CR 28, AC 52, HD50d6+650
Winterwight - CR 23, AC 46, HD 32d12
Worm That Walks - CR 26, AC 47, HD 23d8+49 (23rd level Wizard)

Going by those numbers I reckoned the Monkey General ought to have an AC around the same level as The Worm, Winterwight and Lavawight.

 

[freyar]

Well, it's maybe not a bad comparison to the worm that walks. Ok, how about aiming for AC 46?

 

[Cleon]

Well, it's maybe not a bad comparison to the worm that walks. Ok, how about aiming for AC 46?

I'd think it's a fair bit tougher than a Worm that Walks - 6 more spellcasting levels, Outsider BAB and saves, and its role as a "super magic ninja" would suggest it should be tougher in defense than a Worm which I think would follow the traditional spellcaster tactic of keeping their distance and chucking spells.

That makes me feel an Armour Class a bit higher than the Worm is in order, something like AC 48-50.