Converting Forgotten Realms monsters

[freyar]

Ready!

 

[Shade]

Here are the relevant bits...

Each hive has a queen that fights like a 10 Hit Dice sha’az with 10th-level clerical spellcasting abilities.

A queen lays eight-pound eggs that ensure the survival of the hive. She is the only sha’az capable of casting spells and of making magical objects.

A queen lives several centuries. Occasionally, she engenders another queen who leaves when it is an adult so it may establish another hive. This new hive is a loyal vassal of the motherqueen.

Social status among sha’az depends on how close to the mother-queen one’s hive belongs. There can be many layers of mother-daughter allegiances among sha’az hives. When a queen dies, her drones ritually seal the entrance to her hive. Soon thereafter the mourning hive dies of asphyxiation. Its vassal hives, if any, then become vassals of the oldest related mother-queen.

 

[freyar]

Well, I'd say start with a regular sha'az, add 10 cleric levels (and elite array), the other part of the telepathy bit, the sha'az egg sidebar, and any other SAs we feel like. The rest seems basically like flavor. Simple enough.

 

[demiurge1138]

I dunno. We could make her a 10 HD monstrous humanoid that casts spells as a 10th level cleric (with the spellcasting stacking with any later levels in cleric acquired) and with the Item Mastery ability, letting her use any magical item and giving her some item crafting feats as bonus feats.

 

[Shade]

I dunno. We could make her a 10 HD monstrous humanoid that casts spells as a 10th level cleric (with the spellcasting stacking with any later levels in cleric acquired) and with the Item Mastery ability, letting her use any magical item and giving her some item crafting feats as bonus feats.

I'd prefer this approach. The queens of most hive-based fantasy media are of the "born not made" mold.

 

[Shade]

Assuming we go this route, suggested ability scores?

I'm assuming high Wis and Cha.

We gave the warriors and knights +4 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma atop the nonelite and stardard arrays.

 

[demiurge1138]

Well, for these guys, since they don't have levels, we shouldn't use the elite array. They don't seem to be any larger than the other sha'az, so we shouldn't boost their Strength much or penalize their Dex. And I agree that a high Wis and Cha are appropriate.

 

[Shade]

Drone: Str 11, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 6
Warrior: Str 11, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 6
Knight: Str 15, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 6

How about...

Queen: Str 11, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 16?

 

[demiurge1138]

How about Wis 18 or 20? I'd rather they were wiser than the knights?

 

[freyar]

Wis 20 seems appropriate.

PS. The knight appears to have used the elite array. And maybe not gotten its 4HD +1 to an ability score; the knights kind of confuse me, to be honest, since I thought they really are psychic warriors.