Converting First Edition monsters from DRAGON magazine

[Shade]

Looks pretty good, actually. I'd have to go look at my books go guess a price, though. What's the X before evocation?

Faint/moderate/strong, etc.

Those skills look like good choices. I'll see if I can assign some ranks.

 

[freyar]

Faint/moderate/strong, etc.

Those skills look like good choices. I'll see if I can assign some ranks.

I was just going to max out all those skills, choosing either psicraft or spellcraft.

At that CL, shouldn't it probably be strong evocation?

 

[Shade]

Updated.

If a Wirchler is found in its lair in Gehenna, it may have (30% chance) a Firegem.

There are always 1-4 fire opals (the normal gem) in a Wirchler’s lair.

Treasure: No coins; standard goods (fire opals only); no items (unless firegem, see below)?

Craft Firegem (Su): A wirchler can create a firegem as though it had the necessary feats and prerequisite spells or other requirements.

Flight (Ex): A wirchler's body is naturally buoyant. This buoyancy allows it to fly at a speed of 50 feet. This buoyancy also grants it a permanent feather fall effect (as the spell) with personal range.

Feats: Ability Focus (wirching), Iron Will, Multiattack?

Organization: Solitary or wirching (2-10)?

Challenge Rating: 4 (6 w/firegem)?

Advancement: 7-18 HD (Small)?

A wirchler is about 4 feet in diameter and weighs 15 pounds. (It has "almost no density".)

 

[freyar]

That all looks good to me!

 

[Shade]

Summoned via summon monster IV?

 

[freyar]

Summoned via summon monster IV?

Sounds about right. These are basically done, then, huh?

 

[Shade]

Yep. We just need a price for firegems, I think. A gem of seeing is 70,000 gp, and these things have additional powers. A helm of brilliance is fairly close in power, and costs 125,000 gp. Maybe 140,000 gp?

Updated

I added some flavor text to limit the use of the powerful firegems.

 

[Shade]

On second thought, maybe we should make the firegems lack a cost and only be able to be produced by wirchlers, and add a limiter that they may only be used by evil outsiders? Otherwise, that's a potentially game-breaking treasure as a result of a random encounter.

 

[Shade]

Better yet, maybe we should remove incendiary cloud and true seeing, lower the caster level, and state that greater firegems are rumored to exist, created by only the most powerful wirchlers?

 

[freyar]

Better yet, maybe we should remove incendiary cloud and true seeing, lower the caster level, and state that greater firegems are rumored to exist, created by only the most powerful wirchlers?

I think this is actually the way to go. Otherwise, they're going to be game-breaking magic items for such low CR monsters. Should we list the greater firegems also?