Converting First Edition monsters from DRAGON magazine

[Shade]

RavinRay posted this in another thread. We can modify this for the hammer golem:

Tunneling (Ex): Li lungs can burrow through solid stone at a speed of 5 feet.

As I mentioned above, hammer golems (at least those with two picks) should be able to burrow through rock at their burrow speed. Ability or flavor text? Should we allow those with only one pick to burrow through rock at half burrow speed?

 

[Mortis]

Tunneling (Ex): Li lungs can burrow through solid stone at a speed of 5 feet.

As I mentioned above, hammer golems (at least those with two picks) should be able to burrow through rock at their burrow speed. Ability or flavor text? Should we allow those with only one pick to burrow through rock at half burrow speed?

Do we need to clarify whether or not the tunnel remains or collapses behind the golem?

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

Borrowed this from RavinRay's suggestion in the true dragons thread...

Tunneling (Ex): A hammer golem can burrow through solid stone at a speed of 5 feet, leaving behind an intact tunnel. A hammer golem designed for mining (with picks for both hands) can tunnel at its burrow speed.

Look good?

 

[Shade]

Updated.

All done?

 

[Mortis]

All done?

Looks like it.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

Koodjanuk
Created by Roger Moore
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -2
MOVE: 21”/42”
HIT DICE: 8 + (1-4)
% IN LAIR: 5%
TREASURE TYPE: G, T, X
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 or 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-12 or 4-16/4-16
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spell use
SPECIAL DEFENSES: + 2 or better weapon to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%
INTELLIGENCE: Genius
ALIGNMENT: Neutral good
SIZE: L (30’ wingspan)
PSIONIC ABILITY: 80-110
Attack/Defense Modes: All/All
EXPERIENCE POINT VALUE: 3800 + 12/HP

The koodjanuk is a creature from one of the Upper Planes, possibly Elysium. It is encountered on the Prime Material Plane in subarctic or arctic conditions and makes its lair on mountain peaks. Koodjanuks are sometimes worshipped by tribesmen in these cold climates, and are loved for their beneficial nature. They appear to be large birds of prey, with white-feathered bodies, black heads, and great hooked beaks.

Koodjanuks use Clerical spells at the 12th level of ability. They may use seven 1st-level spells, six 2nd-level spells, five 3rd, four 4th, three 5th, two 6th, and one 7th-level spell per day; these should be rolled up randomly by the DM. When approaching a party of adventurers, these creatures will Detect alignment automatically on the members, checking a maximum of one character per round unless there are fairly large parties involved, Good-aligned characters with any injuries will be touched by the koodjanuk, who can Cure wounds by touch as if an 8th-level Paladin had laid hands on that character (i.e., 16 points of damage may be cured per touch). The koodjanuk can do this three times a day, and may also decide to use some of its regular curative spells if it has any that day. A koodjanuk cannot use the reversed (and usually evil) forms of its spells, such as Darkness or Cause wounds.

Koodjanuks ignore neutrals, neither harming or helping them (though they might give directions and advice). Evil beings, however, will usually be attacked physically (beak attack if on the ground or claw attack if in the air). magically (with Flame strike, Insect plague, or the like, if available), or psionically (if the Evil beings it fights are psionic). There is a 5% chance that upon meeting a Good-aligned character, the koodjanuk will offer him/her a gift of some kind, possibly a small amount of money, and on rare occasions a magic item that the character can use.

Koodjanuks are on excellent terms with the other beings of the Upper Planes (such as titans, ki-rin, lammasu, and the like), and there is a 15% chance that they will be found with these beings if encountered randomly in a cold climate. They have been known to serve on occasion as intermediaries between Good-aligned characters and their deities.

From Dragon Magazine #44 (1980)

 

[freyar]

Outsider, clearly. Cold subtype?

Spellcasting (Su): Koodjanuks cast spells as 12th level clerics (which stacks with any actual cleric levels). Like good-aligned clerics, they may not cast spells with the evil descriptor.

Healing touch (Su): A koodjanuk may heal any character of 2d8 (+cha bonus?) hit points of damage by touch up to 3x/day. This ability is the equivalent of a X level spell.

How's that for a start? Also, where did the bit about psionics all of a sudden come from? Should we just ditch that?

 

[Shade]

Outsider, clearly. Cold subtype?

Funny, I was thinking Magical Beast (extraplanar) like the lammasu, shedu, and ki-rin.

Spellcasting (Su): Koodjanuks cast spells as 12th level clerics (which stacks with any actual cleric levels). Like good-aligned clerics, they may not cast spells with the evil descriptor.

That sounds about right.

[

Healing touch (Su): A koodjanuk may heal any character of 2d8 (+cha bonus?) hit points of damage by touch up to 3x/day. This ability is the equivalent of a X level spell.

We could probably just use lay on hands (like the guardinals).

How's that for a start? Also, where did the bit about psionics all of a sudden come from? Should we just ditch that?

Nah. Let's do a "psionic kookjanuk" sidebar which swaps out the cleric spellcastering with psion manifestation.

 

[freyar]

Funny, I was thinking Magical Beast (extraplanar) like the lammasu, shedu, and ki-rin.
...
We could probably just use lay on hands (like the guardinals).
...
Nah. Let's do a "psionic koodjanuk" sidebar which swaps out the cleric spellcastering with psion manifestation.

Actually, that all sounds good. What actually makes the difference between an outsider and a Magical Beast (extraplanar) flavorwise, anyway? Also, I'm not so happy with the cold subtype, but I wouldn't mind good potentially.

 

[Shade]

No real clear difference. It seems like outsiders are more often the embodiments of their plane, while the extraplanar magical beasts just happen to reside there.

Giant eagles, dire eagles, dire vultures, hippogriffs, and giant owls have 20 foot wingspans. A griffon has a 25 foot wingspan. All are size Large. A roc has an 80 foot wingspan and is Gargantuan. I'm thinking Large for these creatures as well.

Ability scores of comparable creatures:

Lammasu (L): Str 23, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha 14
Shedu (L): Str 19, Dex 11, Con 17, Int 22, Wis 18, Cha 16
Ki-rin (H): Str 26, Dex 18, Con 20, Int 19, Wis 21, Cha 23
Giant Eagle (L): Str 18, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10
Giant Owl (L): Str 18, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10
Griffon (L): Str 18, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 5, Wis 13, Cha 8
Hippogriff (L): Str 18, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 8

Genius intelligence converts to 17-18. It should have high Wis and Cha for its cleric and psion powers.

So maybe Str 18, Dex 16, Con 17, Int 18, Wis 19, Cha 18?