Converting First Edition monsters from DRAGON magazine

[Shade]

Something like:

Mammal Companions (Ex): An urisk may have up to 4 mammal companions at a time. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the urisk on its adventures as appropriate for its kind. A mammal companion is completely typical for its kind. The urisk may select any mammal of Large or smaller size.

An urisk can handle its mammal companion as a free action, or push it as a move action, even if it doesn’t have any ranks in the Handle Animal skill. The urisk gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and Handle Animal checks made regarding a mammal companion.

I'm thinking we should give it ranks in Handle Animal and the wild empathy ability.

 

[BOZ]

Something like:

Mammal Companions (Ex): An urisk may have up to 4 mammal companions at a time. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the urisk on its adventures as appropriate for its kind. A mammal companion is completely typical for its kind. The urisk may select any mammal of Large or smaller size.

An urisk can handle its mammal companion as a free action, or push it as a move action, even if it doesn’t have any ranks in the Handle Animal skill. The urisk gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and Handle Animal checks made regarding a mammal companion.

wicked awesome.

I think we can call it animal companion though, and make it clear that all are mammals.

The only real problem is that you left off a way to gain new companions. Let me add that in:

Animal Companion (Sp?): A urisk may have up to 4 animal companions at a time. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the urisk on its adventures as appropriate for its kind. An animal companion is completely typical for its kind. A urisk may select any creature of the animal type of Large or smaller size, and all of its animal companions must be mammals. There is no limit on the number of Hit Dice of mammals that may serve as companions for a urisk.

If a urisk releases one of its companions from service, it may gain a new one using its special charm ability. This charm can also replace an animal companion that has perished. A urisk may use this power four times per day, but cannot gain a new animal companion if it already has four in its service. This power functions as the charm animal spell, except that the effect lasts until the urisk releases the animal, or the urisk or animal dies.

A urisk can handle one of its animal companions as a free action, or push it as a move action. The urisk gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and Handle Animal checks made regarding an animal companion. The animal companion will obey the urisk’s commands completely, even if it must risk its own life to do so (though it will not obey suicidal or obviously harmful orders).

I'm thinking we should give it ranks in Handle Animal and the wild empathy ability.

definitely on both.

Wild Empathy (Ex): This power works like the druid’s wild empathy class feature, except that the urisk has a +X racial bonus on the check. (and, probably, some synergy from Handle Animal!)

Maybe also give it speak with animals at will as a spell-like?

 

[Shade]

Good catch, and nice revision.

Speak with animals at will sounds good, too.

 

[BOZ]

Some bits from the original article:

Intimately familiar with the terrain it inhabits, a urisk can hide well enough to become invisible to the casual observer.

A urisk may also cast warp wood at the 12th level of ability three times per day, and may pass without trace for up to one hour a day in any terrain. *(and speak with animals at will)

A variant species very much like the urisk, called the lubin, averages 2½’ in height and is black-furred; but otherwise similar to the urisk. Lubins inhabit forests and fields and cast charm person spells up to three times a day, rather than charm mammal. Lubins may also speak with animals as they please, but do not have companions as urisks do.

* looking closely at this last paragraph, it seems that we should cap out the maximum HD of an animal companion at 6-HD. So, it could theoretically have 4 companions with 6-HD, which is still pretty decent.

For random determination of a given urisk’s companion when encountered, use Appendix L: Conjured Animals in the Dungeon Masters Guide, rolling a d6 to see which hit-dice category each of the 1-4 companions is and rolling percentile dice to determine exactly which animal is present. All companions of a urisk will be completely at ease with one another and can work in complete harmony, even if this is not normally likely (due to the powerful charm upon them).

 

[Shade]

Intimately familiar with the terrain it inhabits, a urisk can hide well enough to become invisible to the casual observer.

Perhaps borrow this?

Camouflage (Ex): A ranger of 13th level or higher can use the Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain, even if the terrain doesn’t grant cover or concealment.

and this?
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): While in any sort of natural terrain, a ranger of 17th level or higher can use the Hide skill even while being observed.

A urisk may also cast warp wood at the 12th level of ability three times per day, and may pass without trace for up to one hour a day in any terrain. *(and speak with animals at will)

Spell-Like Abilities: At will--speak with animals; 3/day--warp wood (DC X). Caster level 12th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

As for the other, I see several options:

Trackless Step (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a druid leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. She may choose to leave a trail if so desired.

-or-

Pass Without Trace (Su): A urisk may pass without trace (as the spell) for up to one hour a day in any terrain. The duration does not need to be continous.

A variant species very much like the urisk, called the lubin, averages 2½’ in height and is black-furred; but otherwise similar to the urisk. Lubins inhabit forests and fields and cast charm person spells up to three times a day, rather than charm mammal. Lubins may also speak with animals as they please, but do not have companions as urisks do.

These guys should have a lower CR.

* looking closely at this last paragraph, it seems that we should cap out the maximum HD of an animal companion at 6-HD. So, it could theoretically have 4 companions with 6-HD, which is still pretty decent.

Indeed.

For random determination of a given urisk’s companion when encountered, use Appendix L: Conjured Animals in the Dungeon Masters Guide, rolling a d6 to see which hit-dice category each of the 1-4 companions is and rolling percentile dice to determine exactly which animal is present. All companions of a urisk will be completely at ease with one another and can work in complete harmony, even if this is not normally likely (due to the powerful charm upon them).

This is probably not needed, but we could work some of it into the mammal companions ability.

 

[BOZ]

Perhaps borrow this?

Camouflage (Ex): A ranger of 13th level or higher can use the Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain, even if the terrain doesn?t grant cover or concealment.

and this?
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): While in any sort of natural terrain, a ranger of 17th level or higher can use the Hide skill even while being observed.

perhaps combine the two?

?Nature Hide? (Ex): A urisk can use the Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain, even if the terrain doesn?t grant cover or concealment, and can use the Hide skill even while being observed.

As for the other, I see several options:

Trackless Step (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a druid leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. She may choose to leave a trail if so desired.

-or-

Pass Without Trace (Su): A urisk may pass without trace (as the spell) for up to one hour a day in any terrain. The duration does not need to be continous.

I prefer the latter.

These guys should have a lower CR.

yeah, maybe lower by 1. should it be enough to just give them charm person as a spell-like ability 3/day?

?Lubins inhabit forests and fields and cast charm person spells up to three times a day, rather than charm mammal. Lubins may also speak with animals as they please, but do not have companions as urisks do.?

 

[Shade]

perhaps combine the two?

?Nature Hide? (Ex): A urisk can use the Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain, even if the terrain doesn?t grant cover or concealment, and can use the Hide skill even while being observed.

Looks good. Perhaps "Natural Stealth" for the ability's name?

I prefer the latter.

Cool.

yeah, maybe lower by 1. should it be enough to just give them charm person as a spell-like ability 3/day?

I think that should suffice.

 

[BOZ]

Cool. Posting in homebrews.

 

[Shade]

Lookin' good.

Just a note to remember the +4 bonus to Jump checks for its fast land speed.

We should probably work on ability scores before proceeding.

I think it should have high Dex and Cha, decent Wis, and low to average Str.

Perhaps something like: Str 9, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 15?

 

[BOZ]

those scores sound good...