Converting First Edition monsters from DRAGON magazine

[BOZ]

thanks. i'll be back here before you know it.

 

[Filby]

and yes, as demonstated in the OD&D thread, you can make requests at any time, even when i'm "on vacation" from conversions.

Well... in that case...

When the orpsu is done, any chance you might consider the ursik from the Creature Catalog II? And maybe the variant included in its entry (the vitch I think)?

 

[BOZ]

well, i'll give that one a try if i can get the stupid Dragon archives to work...

 

[BOZ]

Ok, because I?m sure thom is still waiting here even a month later for this fellow?

Don't call it a comeback
I been here for years
Rockin my peers and puttin suckas in fear
Makin the tears rain down like a MON - soon
Listen to the bass go BOOM
Explosion, overpowerin
Over the competition, I'm towerin
Wreckin shop, when I drop these lyrics that'll make you call the cops
Don't you dare stare, you betta move
Don't ever compare
Me to the rest that'll all get sliced and diced
Competition's payin the price

I'm gonna knock you out (HUUUH!!!)
Mama said knock you out (HUUUH!!!)


Bleeding Wound (Ex): The damage an orpsu deals with its natural attacks causes a persistent wound. An injured creature loses 1 additional hit point each round. Multiple wounds result in cumulative hit point loss from bleeding. The continuing hit point loss can be stopped by a successful DC X Heal check (per wound), a cure spell, or a heal spell. A successful Heal check automatically stops the continuing hit point loss as well as restoring hit points.

Blood Drain (Ex): An orpsu can drain blood from a living victim by making a successful touch attack on a helpless victim. On each following round, the orpsu drains blood, dealing (X) points of Constitution damage each round it remains in contact with the victim. If the victim regains movement or if the orpsu is attacked, the orpsu detaches from the victim.

This one may need some work:
Hold Monster/Paralysis (Su?): Once per day, an orpsu can cause a single living being within 60 feet to become motionless. The creature must succeed on a DC X Will save or be helpless and affected as by a hold monster spell for 1d4+1 rounds. If the creature succeeds on the save, it is instead affected as by the slow spell for 1d4+1 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based.

As for the flight, on second thought, the repeated phrase ?natural levitation? suggests that it may be Ex instead of Su. May not even need a writeup.

Telepathy (Su): An orpsu can communicate telepathically with other orpsu, provided they are within 20 feet.

 

[Shade]

MON-soon indeed!

For the flight, it is probably both Ex and does require an additional entry, just like the beholder:

Bleeding Wound/Wounding Heal check DC is usually 15.

Blood drain: 1d4 Con?

Hold Monster/Paralysis: Since hold monster now allows Will saves each round, this could be problematic. Perhaps simply use paralysis?

Flight (Ex): A beholder's body is naturally buoyant. This buoyancy allows it to fly at a speed of 20 feet. This buoyancy also grants it a permanent feather fall effect (as the spell) with personal range.

-LL Cool Shade

 

[BOZ]

Bleeding Wound/Wounding Heal check DC is usually 15.

Except in cases where the damage is supernatural, such as a bearded devil?

Blood drain: 1d4 Con?

Hmm… the original damage being 1-2 hp, then 1d4 Con seems a bit severe. How about just 1d2 Con? Still a lot more damage, but that’s about as low as we can go.

Hold Monster/Paralysis: Since hold monster now allows Will saves each round, this could be problematic. Perhaps simply use paralysis?

Yes, that is a bit problematic – the save DC is low (1HD, Cha 12), so most creatures would break out quickly. Making it simpler then:

Paralysis (Su): Once per day, an orpsu can cause a single living being within 60 feet to become paralyzed. The creature must succeed on a DC 11 Will save or be paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. If the creature succeeds on the save, it is instead affected as by the slow spell for 1d4+1 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Note also, in the original description (if I’m reading that right) characters got a +2 bonus against the save, so the DC is fine being low.

For the flight, it is probably both Ex and does require an additional entry, just like the beholder:

Flight (Ex): A beholder's body is naturally buoyant. This buoyancy allows it to fly at a speed of 20 feet. This buoyancy also grants it a permanent feather fall effect (as the spell) with personal range.

that works. But we’ve got a kite instead of a sphere. How about:

Flight (Ex): An orpsu's body is able to levitate naturally, practically floating on the air and using the flailing of its tail for propulsion. It steers by angling the membranes attached to its horns and tilting its body. This allows the orpsu to fly at a speed of 40 feet, and grants the orpsu a permanent feather fall effect (as the spell) with personal range.

-LL Cool Shade

 

[Shade]

Except in cases where the damage is supernatural, such as a bearded devil?

Interesting...yet the nycaloth went back to the stock 15. Weird. I guess we can do whatever we'd prefer in this case.

Hmm… the original damage being 1-2 hp, then 1d4 Con seems a bit severe. How about just 1d2 Con? Still a lot more damage, but that’s about as low as we can go.

Agreed, although we could go lower to simply 1 point.

Yes, that is a bit problematic – the save DC is low (1HD, Cha 12), so most creatures would break out quickly. Making it simpler then:

Paralysis (Su): Once per day, an orpsu can cause a single living being within 60 feet to become paralyzed. The creature must succeed on a DC 11 Will save or be paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. If the creature succeeds on the save, it is instead affected as by the slow spell for 1d4+1 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Note also, in the original description (if I’m reading that right) characters got a +2 bonus against the save, so the DC is fine being low.

Excellent.

that works. But we’ve got a kite instead of a sphere. How about_:

Flight (Ex): An orpsu's body is able to levitate naturally, practically floating on the air and using the flailing of its tail for propulsion. It steers by angling the membranes attached to its horns and tilting its body. This allows the orpsu to fly at a speed of 40 feet, and grants the orpsu a permanent feather fall effect (as the spell) with personal range.

Perfecto.

 

[BOZ]

Interesting...yet the nycaloth went back to the stock 15. Weird. I guess we can do whatever we'd prefer in this case.

and I would prefer to keep it simple, in this case, and stick with 15.

Agreed, although we could go lower to simply 1 point.

yes. Indeed.

will come up with the flavor text in the near future.

In the meantime, posting in homebrews…

 

[Shade]

A few thoughts...

An orpsu is at a disadvantage if knocked out of the air, and therefore instinctively swoops down to strike targets at an angle, as it passes - so only one side of its body menaces prey, and only one horn (either the front horn - or, if it misses, the angled, dragging rear horn) can strike an intended target per swoop (in addition to the orpsu’s fangs). A horn attack does 1d4 + 3 damage.

This implies to me that the orpsu should have Flyby Attack, and that its Attack line should be the horn attack. I'd recommend adding Flyby Attack and making Toughness a bonus feat.

Orpsu live in mated pairs, producing litters of 1-4 live, instantly-active and hungry young (1-1 HD, attacks: 2-5/1-2) every three summers. Offspring remain with their parents to form a family “swarm,” which grows with the passing years and litters until the swarm numbers more than a dozen - whereupon 1-3 of the oldest, original offspring form mated pairs and fly off to find new (orpsu-less) hunting territory, and there found a swarm of their own.

Organization: “hunting swarm” (4-12 – usually 6 or 7)

Based on this, I'd recommend the following organization line.

Organization: Pair, family (2 orpsus plus 1-4 young), hunting swarm (6-7), or family swarm (4-12 plus 1-4 young).

Mention the young stats in the descriptive text as a reduced stat block. Something like:

Young Orpsu: Tiny aberration; CR X; HD 1/2d8 (2 hp); AC 15 (touch 15, flat-footed 12); Base Atk/Grp +0/-8; Atk +1 melee (1d4-1, horn); Full Atk +1 melee (1d4, horn) and -4 melee (1d2-1, fang slash); Space/Reach 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.; Sv Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +3; Str 8, Dex 17, Con 10; Int 6; Wis 12; Cha 12;
Skills and Feats; Skills, Flyby Attack.

 

[BOZ]

This implies to me that the orpsu should have Flyby Attack, and that its Attack line should be the horn attack. I'd recommend adding Flyby Attack and making Toughness a bonus feat.

excellent idea. and every hit causes bleeding wounds, so it wouldn’t take long for a pack of these guys to tear apart a low-level party…

Based on this, I'd recommend the following organization line.

Organization: Pair, family (2 orpsus plus 1-4 young), hunting swarm (6-7), or family swarm (4-12 plus 1-4 young).

Mention the young stats in the descriptive text as a reduced stat block. Something like:

Young Orpsu: Tiny aberration; CR X; HD 1/2d8 (2 hp); AC 15 (touch 15, flat-footed 12); Base Atk/Grp +0/-8; Atk +1 melee (1d4-1, horn); Full Atk +1 melee (1d4, horn) and -4 melee (1d2-1, fang slash); Space/Reach 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.; Sv Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +3; Str 8, Dex 17, Con 10; Int 6; Wis 12; Cha 12;
Skills and Feats; Skills, Flyby Attack.

that all looks good, but I think we’d need to get rid of the word “swarm” since that has very distinct connotations in 3.5. perhaps “hunting pack” and “family flock” or something?