Converting First Edition monsters from DRAGON magazine

[BOZ]

any other spell-related ideas, or should we work more on the creature itself first?

 

[Shade]

Since they have such colorful plumage, I incorporated many prismatic spells.

Spells: A tybor can cast arcane spells as a 20th-level sorcerer (6/7/7/7/7/6/6/6/6/6; save DC 14 + spell level). Typical Spells Known:
0 - dancing lights, daze, detect magic, flare, ghost sound, mage hand, light, prestidigitation, read magic;
1st - color spray, feather fall, grease, mage armor, obscuring mist;
2nd - detect thoughts, glitterdust, mirror image, resist energy, shatter;
3rd - displacement, lightning bolt, nondetection, protection from energy;
4th - confustion, greater invisibility, hallucinatory terrain, rainbow pattern;
5th - animal growth, baleful polymorph, hold monster, mirage arcana;
6th - greater dispel magic, mislead, repulsion;
7th - greater teleport, mass invisibility, prismatic spray;
8th - antipathy, maze, prismatic wall;
9th - foresight, mass hold monster, prismatic sphere.
The save DCs are Charisma-based

 

[BOZ]

LOL, ok.

updating...

 

[Shade]

Weight: 300 lbs.? (Googled ostriches and this seems to be in the middle of the listed ranges).

Caster level 10th for spell-likes?

LA: +5
+1 for unbalanced ability scores
+2 for nat armor greater than +5
+1 for casting spells at a caster level higher than its Hit Dice
+1 for spell resistance

 

[BOZ]

how are skills and feats based on your original estimations?

 

[Shade]

Let's see...

Skills: Balance +6, Concentration +15, Hide +10, Jump +40, Knowledge (arcana) +17, Listen +11, Move Silently +10, Spellcraft +19, Spot +11, Tumble +17

Feats: Dodge, Eschew Material Components, Spell Focus (Illusion?), Still Spell

Still Spell spell might not be that helpful...perhaps Spell Penetration instead?

 

[BOZ]

spell pen seems fine - undoubtely, sometimes powerful magic creatures will hunt a tybor, maybe looking for a powerful magical challenge, or its feathers.

 

[Orius]

don't you think it's better to move faster than to take a few months to finish one?

Oh definitely. I remember how long the rakasta conversion took. A quicker pace is much more efficient.

 

[BOZ]

the rakasta conversion took time because there was a lot of disagreement on creature type, mostly.

 

[Orius]

the rakasta conversion took time because there was a lot of disagreement on creature type, mostly.

Mmm, to me it seemed that it was a very very popular monster, and everyone had their ideas of how it should be done. The rakasta had far more input than any other conversion I've seen so far.