Converting First Edition Monsters

[Cleon]

Excellent!

So do you have any preferences for what next to do with this thread?

 

[freyar]

As you've noticed, I don't have a ton of time to post . So I think it's best if we let threads rest unless we have a specific critter queued up to go in one of our themed batches.

 

[Cleon]

As you've noticed, I don't have a ton of time to post . So I think it's best if we let threads rest unless we have a specific critter queued up to go in one of our themed batches.

I suspected you'd say that.

I don't mind letting things rest for a while.

 

[Cleon]

Didn't we do a conversion of the Pungi Ray on this thread?

I was updating my lists and when I added our "Sea Bat" conversion of the Giant Manta Ray to my Ray file I couldn't find a Creature Catalog version of the Pungi.

I know there's a Vaults of Pandius version, but could have sworn we did our own.

If not, is anyone game to do a conversion?

 

[freyar]

It's not in the CC according to the most recent version of Echohawk's index, and I know we haven't done it since then. So we could go ahead and do that!

 

[Cleon]

It's not in the CC according to the most recent version of Echohawk's index, and I know we haven't done it since then. So we could go ahead and do that!

Here goes then!

Here's the most complete version from the 2nd Edition AD&D MC1. There's also a 1-line condensed version in the "Fish" entry of the 2E Monstrous Manual, but it doesn't have anything that isn't in the following:

Ray CLIMATE/TERRAIN: FREQUENCY: ORGANIZATION: ACTIVITY CYCLE: DIET: INTELLIGENCE: TREASURE: ALIGNMENT: NO. APPEARING: ARMOR CLASS: MOVEMENT: HIT DICE: THAC0: NO. OF ATTACKS: DAMAGE/ATTACK: SPECIAL ATTACKS: SPECIAL DEFENSES: MAGIC RESISTANCE: SIZE: MORALE: XP VALUE:

Pungi Shallow tropical waters Rare Solitary Day Carnivore Non- (0) Nil Neutral 1-3 7 Sw 12 4 17 1-12 1-4 each See below Nil Nil L (15′ wingspan) Unsteady (5) 975

Rays, also known as sea bats, are native to warm tropical shallow waters. They are broad, flat creatures, with eyes on the upper, dark colored surface of their body and the mouth and gills on the lighter underbelly. Their pectoral fins are huge, which gives them a batlike appearance, and they use their short tail as a rudder. They feed on mollusks and crustaceans and only rarely attack humans, with the exception of the malevolent ixitxachitl. These long, flat creatures bury themselves in the silt and sand of the sea floor in order to surprise their prey.

Pungi Ray
The tropical pungi rays conceal themselves in the sand of the ocean floor with their terrible back spines protruding. Their spines are greenish or brown, resembling plant growth so closely as to be 90% undistinguishable from normal seaweed. Pungi rays are 15 feet across and 6 feet long. Their back spines are in a 3 foot by 4 foot area, with one spine per square foot (12 in total). Any creature stepping on a pungi spine must save versus poison or die instantly. A footstep on a pungi ray equals one attack; if a creature fell on a pungi ray it would suffer 2-8 spinal attacks. If a pungi ray is attacked it will try to swim away.

Originally found in MC1 - Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989).

The following is the 1st edition AD&D version:

RAY FREQUENCY: NO. APPEARING: ARMOR CLASS: MOVE: HIT DICE: %IN LAIR: TREASURE TYPE: NO. OF ATTACKS: DAMAGE/ATTACK : SPECIAL ATTACKS: SPECIAL DEFENSES: MAGIC RESISTANCE: INTELLIGENCE: ALIGNMENT SIZE: PSIONIC ABILITY: Attack/Defense Modes:

Pungi Rare 1-3 7 12” 4 0% Nil 1 to 12 1-4 each See below Nil Standard Non- Neutral L Nil Nil

Pungi Ray: Another of the tropical rays, the pungi is found only in relatively shallow bottoms. The creatures conceal themselves in the sand, with their terrible back spines protruding. These spines are greenish or brown, resembling plant growth so closely as to be 90% indistinguishable from normal seaweed. Pungi rays are some 15′ across and 6′ or so long. Their back spines are in an area of 3′ by 4′, with an average of 1 such spine per square foot, or 12 spines altogether. The spines vary from 1′ to 2′ in length. Any creature landing on a spine must save versus poison or be killed instantly. A footstep upon a pungi ray will equal 1 attack; if a human fell across a pungi ray he would suffer from 2-8 spine attacks. If a pungi ray is attacked it will try to escape by flight.

Originally appeared in Monster Manual (Gary Gygax, 1977).

There's also an original D&D version in the Blackmoor Supplement (1975) and another version in Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar (1996), but I don't have either of those sources immediately to hand.

Still, I might dig them out just to see if there's any useful extra data in them.

 

[freyar]

OK, so start with a sea bat, add poisonous spines, and adjust?

 

[Cleon]

OK, so start with a sea bat, add poisonous spines, and adjust?

They're nothing like the size of a Sea Bat. I'd think the SRD Manta Ray would make a better base creature.

 

[Cleon]

I'm going to start a Working Draft with the Manta Ray copy-pasted for the "base creature", if only to get this conversion moving.

 

[Cleon]

Pungi Ray Working Draft

Pungi Ray
Large Animal (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 4d8 (18 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: Swim 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 13 (-1 size, +4 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+9
Attack: Spines +4 melee (1d12+2 plus poison)
Full Attack: Spines +4 melee (1d12+2 plus poison) and ram -1 melee* (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison, spines
Special Qualities: Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +2
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Hide –1* (+7 on sea floor, +17 if buried), Listen +7, Spot +6, Swim +10
Feats: Alertness, Skill Focus (Hide)
Environment: Warm aquatic
Organization: Solitary or school (2-5)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 5-8 HD (Large); 9-12 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

A mottled-green ray at least twice as wide as a human is tall. A dozen or so spines that resemble stalks of seaweed protrude from its back.

Pungi rays live in shallow tropical waters, where they conceal themselves in the silt and seaweed of the seabed. They widely feared for the deadly poison in their iron-hard back spines. Most pungi rays have a dozen or so spines, but exceptional specimens may have up to thirty or more.

A pungi ray lying on the sea floor is exceptionally well camouflaged, and many creatures have stepped upon their venomous spines before noticing the threat. Pungi rays prefer to eat molluscs and crustaceans, but may feed on any creature that falls victim to their venom.

A typical pungi ray is 6 feet long, excluding its tail, and 15 feet wide from tip-to-tip of its broad pectoral fins. Their back spines normally cover a 3-foot by 4-foot area. They generally weigh about 2,000 to 3,000 pounds.

Combat
A pungi ray hides itself in the silt of the sea floor and waits for prey to pierce themselves on its poison spines. Once it spikes a victim, it prefers to keep its distance and let its poison do its work. A pungi ray will try to swim away if attacked, but if forced into a fight it defends itself with its spines and ram attacks.

Poison (Ex): A pungi ray's spines are poisonous. Injury, Fortitude DC 14, initial and secondary damage 1d8 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.

Spines (Ex): Any creature striking a pungi ray with handheld weapons or natural weapons takes 1d12* points of piercing damage from the ray's spines and is exposed to the ray's poison. Note that weapons with exceptional reach, such as longspears, do not endanger their users in this way.

A creature that steps on a pungi ray will have their feet pierced by its spines, taking 1d12* points of piercing damage plus exposure to the ray's poison. In addition, the creature has its land speed reduced by one-half due to the wound. This movement penalty lasts for 24 hours, or until the creature is successfully treated with a DC 15 Heal check, or until it receives at least 1 point of magical curing.

A pungi ray can also use its spines to make a grapple attack or melee attack, dealing 1d12+2* piercing damage plus poison.

*Pungi rays add their Constitution modifier to the damage its spines inflict to opponents who strike or step upon them. A pungi ray adds its Strength modifier to grapple and melee attacks with its spines.

Skills: A pungi ray has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

*A pungi ray has a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks when in areas of seaweed or lying on the sea floor. Further, a pungi ray can bury itself in silt or mud with only its eyes showing, gaining a +10 cover bonus on Hide checks.

Vampire Pungi Rays
The common pungi ray presented above has a more dangerous magical relative, the vampire pungi ray.

Note: This conversion is based on the AD&D pungi ray. The earliest version of the pungi ray from Original D&D's Supplement II - Blackmoor (1975) is converted as the vampire pungi ray.

Originally found in Monster Manual (Gary Gygax, 1977).