Converting "generic setting" second edition monsters

[Echohawk]

If I’m missing any monsters from this list or if any of these have appeared elsewhere already, feel free to inform me.

Hey Boz,

Here are a few more loose monsters from 2nd Edition products that I don't think have been converted yet. Some of these might be on the other conversion threads though -- I didn't check those.

Complete Psionics Handbook (PHBR5)
Cerebral Parasite, p116 (might also be in the Planescape thread?)
Vagabond, p122

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
Baba Yaga, p61 (but I'm sure I've seen a conversion somewhere already)

I, Tyrant
Beholder Mount, Patroller, 81

Guide to Hell
Devil, Mezzikim, p63 (might also be in the Planescape thread)

Vortex of Madness and Other Planar Perils
Leonis's Automata, Flyer, p46
Leonis's Automata, Juggernaut, p46
Leonis's Automata, Organ Gun, p46 (these might also be in the Planescape thread)

 

[BOZ]

thanks Echohawk. I don’t mind a little overlap here and there.

There is precedent for "deal enough damage to kill the creature" to escape.

true, but for this once I was considering the possibility of, since the original description says the victims cannot escape, of leaving it at that. Perhaps there is a magical reason, or the stomach is lined with adamantine or something. However, if this is unfair, I can always go with the standard line and just make the damage needed to escape be respectfully high.

I prefer the former.

oh, so no instant death effects for you eh?

 

[Knight Otu]

I think Shade was actually saying that there are creatures where you can only escape if it is killed. Not that I could name any.

I also prefer the former.

 

[BOZ]

well fine then, energy drain it is.

and i didn't catch shade's meaning the first time around, assuming that is what he meant. if so shade, which creature(s) set the aforementioned precedent?

 

[Shade]

Knight is right.

One such critter is the ice toad from OA and more recently, Frostburn:

"A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing weapon to kill the toad from the inside (AC 13)."

 

[BOZ]

Now that is wicked awesome.

Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures inside an apodalypse’s interior gain X negative level(s) each round. The DC is X for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. The save DC is (Charisma)-based. For each such negative level bestowed, the apodalypse gains X temporary hit points.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an apodalypse must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can try to swallow the foe the following round.

Swallow Whole (Ex): An apodalypse can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of Large or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent is subject to the creature’s energy drain. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to kill the apodalypse from the inside (AC X).
An apodalypse’s interior can hold 2 Large, 8 Medium, 32 Small, 128 Tiny, or 512 Diminutive or smaller opponents.


there is also this to contend with:
“The creature has four secondary attacks from the various limbs, claws, fins, and mouths of its stolen mishmash of a body. The creature is large enough to bite one foe and direct its subsidiary attacks against two additional prey.”

Each “extra limb” does 1d8 base damage regardless of the type. This should be simple to solve. Essentially, the poddy has 4 random attacks each round from a slam, claw, bite, tail slap, sting, gore, tentacle, wing, blah blah etc. the only real difference between them is the type of damage dealt.


As for the progeny, it has an entirely different sort of attack form:

“On a successful bite attack, progeny hang on and begin to burrow into the victim toward the spinal column automatically inflicting 1d4+2 hit points per round. If left unmolested, burrowing progeny reach their goal within 1d4+2 rounds, whereupon the insipid creatures automatically paralyze their hosts. This allows a progeny to begin the process of subsumption; it attempts to digest and then replace both the spinal column and lower brain stem of a victim. The process of subsumption requires 6 full rounds and inflicts 2d4+2 hit points per round upon the victim.

Progeny which are successfully Turned while subsuming a victim's spinal column are permanently destroyed. Applying a burning torch (or applying something similarly harmful) to a burrowing progeny inflicts 1d6 hit points per round on both it and its victim, but better a few burns than to allow the progeny to complete its activities.”

 

[Shade]

there is also this to contend with:
“The creature has four secondary attacks from the various limbs, claws, fins, and mouths of its stolen mishmash of a body. The creature is large enough to bite one foe and direct its subsidiary attacks against two additional prey.”

Each “extra limb” does 1d8 base damage regardless of the type. This should be simple to solve. Essentially, the poddy has 4 random attacks each round from a slam, claw, bite, tail slap, sting, gore, tentacle, wing, blah blah etc. the only real difference between them is the type of damage dealt.

Yeah, that sounds about right. Perhaps a table with a random list of attack forms and the type of damage dealt?

As for the progeny, it has an entirely different sort of attack form:

“On a successful bite attack, progeny hang on and begin to burrow into the victim toward the spinal column automatically inflicting 1d4+2 hit points per round. If left unmolested, burrowing progeny reach their goal within 1d4+2 rounds, whereupon the insipid creatures automatically paralyze their hosts. This allows a progeny to begin the process of subsumption; it attempts to digest and then replace both the spinal column and lower brain stem of a victim. The process of subsumption requires 6 full rounds and inflicts 2d4+2 hit points per round upon the victim.

Progeny which are successfully Turned while subsuming a victim's spinal column are permanently destroyed. Applying a burning torch (or applying something similarly harmful) to a burrowing progeny inflicts 1d6 hit points per round on both it and its victim, but better a few burns than to allow the progeny to complete its activities.”

I know I've seen a creature like this. Got it...the hoard scarab from Draconomicon.

Burrow (Ex): If a hoard scarab hits a Small or larger living creature with a bite attack (or if a hoard scarab swarm hits with its swarm attack), on its next turn it can attempt to burrow into the target's flesh. The target may attempt a Reflex save (DC 11 for an individual scarab, or DC 14 for a swarm) to prevent the hoard scarab from burrowing in (a helpless creature can't prevent the burrowing). If the save fails, each round thereafter the target takes 1d2 points of Constitution damage (from an individual scarab) or 2d4 points of Constitution damage (from a swarm of scarabs).

A hoard scarab doesn't leave a target until the target is dead. Once a hoard scarab has burrowed into its target, it can be destroyed by any effect that would cure a disease, such as remove disease or heal. (A single spell eliminates all burrowing hoard scarabs, though it gives no protection against further burrowings.)

Creatures with immunity to disease, as well as those with a natural armor bonus (including enhancement) of +3 or better, are immune to a hoard scarab's burrowing attack.

 

[Alzrius]

BOZ, you mentioned over on the other thread about this that you hadn't seen the new monster in Against the Giants: The Liberation of Geoff (which, admittedly, is a GH product, but still). The monster is the Horag, and is found on page 91. Horags are the result of a crossbreeding between an ogre and a hill giant.

 

[BOZ]

Yeah, that sounds about right. Perhaps a table with a random list of attack forms and the type of damage dealt?

I could swear I've seen something like this somewhere before. I kind of prefer to avoid random lists. Let me give this a start:

"Extra Limbs (Ex): An apodalypse has a multitude of appendages on its body stolen from previous victims it has incorporated into its body. It may use up to four of these at random in any given round, which usually consists of a slam, claw, bite, sting, gore, tentacle, tail slap, or wing. Each such attack form deals 1d8 points of damage of the appropriate type."

I know I've seen a creature like this. Got it...the hoard scarab from Draconomicon.

Burrow (Ex): If a hoard scarab hits a Small or larger living creature with a bite attack (or if a hoard scarab swarm hits with its swarm attack), on its next turn it can attempt to burrow into the target's flesh. The target may attempt a Reflex save (DC 11 for an individual scarab, or DC 14 for a swarm) to prevent the hoard scarab from burrowing in (a helpless creature can't prevent the burrowing). If the save fails, each round thereafter the target takes 1d2 points of Constitution damage (from an individual scarab) or 2d4 points of Constitution damage (from a swarm of scarabs).

A hoard scarab doesn't leave a target until the target is dead. Once a hoard scarab has burrowed into its target, it can be destroyed by any effect that would cure a disease, such as remove disease or heal. (A single spell eliminates all burrowing hoard scarabs, though it gives no protection against further burrowings.)

Creatures with immunity to disease, as well as those with a natural armor bonus (including enhancement) of +3 or better, are immune to a hoard scarab's burrowing attack.

Creepy. that reminds me of a magic item from previous editions which was much nastier, the Scarab of Death.

How big was the hoard scarab?

Burrow (Ex): If an apodalypse progeny hits a X-size or larger living creature with a bite attack, on its next turn it can attempt to burrow into the target's flesh. The target may attempt a DC X Reflex save to prevent the progeny from burrowing in (a helpless creature can't prevent the burrowing). If the save fails, each round thereafter the target takes 2d4? points of (Constitution?) damage. The save DC is X-based.

If any damage is dealt to a burrowing progeny, the creature it is burrowing into takes the same amount of damage.

Subsume (Su?): A burrowing apodalypse progeny will reach a creature's spinal column in 1d4+2 rounds, at which point the host will be paralyzed. At this point, the progeny will begin to digest and replace the spinal column and lower brain stem of the victim. The process of subsumption takes 6 full rounds, inflicting 2d6? hit points of damage upon the victim per round. At the end of 6 full rounds, the victim is permanently dead and the progeny takes possession of the body.

Any successful turning attempt on a progeny that is subsuming its host will kill the progeny instantly and end the subsumption.

BOZ, you mentioned over on the other thread about this that you hadn't seen the new monster in Against the Giants: The Liberation of Geoff (which, admittedly, is a GH product, but still). The monster is the Horag, and is found on page 91. Horags are the result of a crossbreeding between an ogre and a hill giant.

OK, I gotcha. I thought I had put this one on my Greyhawk list, but I guess I hadn't.

 

[Shade]

I could swear I've seen something like this somewhere before. I kind of prefer to avoid random lists. Let me give this a start:

"Extra Limbs (Ex): An apodalypse has a multitude of appendages on its body stolen from previous victims it has incorporated into its body. It may use up to four of these at random in any given round, which usually consists of a slam, claw, bite, sting, gore, tentacle, tail slap, or wing. Each such attack form deals 1d8 points of damage of the appropriate type."

While random lists are bad, how else will we determined whether an attack deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage?

Creepy. that reminds me of a magic item from previous editions which was much nastier, the Scarab of Death.

How big was the hoard scarab?

It is Fine (about the size of a coin).

Burrow (Ex): If an apodalypse progeny hits a X-size or larger living creature with a bite attack, on its next turn it can attempt to burrow into the target's flesh. The target may attempt a DC X Reflex save to prevent the progeny from burrowing in (a helpless creature can't prevent the burrowing). If the save fails, each round thereafter the target takes 2d4? points of (Constitution?) damage. The save DC is X-based.

If any damage is dealt to a burrowing progeny, the creature it is burrowing into takes the same amount of damage.

Lookin' good. 2d4 Con sounds appropriate for its size. DC appears to be Con-based for the hoard scarab. I'd recommend reducing the progeny to Tiny, and saying that they can burrow into Medium or larger creatures. A Small creature burrowing into a Medium creature seems a bit farfetched, and if we limit them to affecting larger creatures, it sorta takes the threat away from most characters.

Subsume (Su?): A burrowing apodalypse progeny will reach a creature's spinal column in 1d4+2 rounds, at which point the host will be paralyzed. At this point, the progeny will begin to digest and replace the spinal column and lower brain stem of the victim. The process of subsumption takes 6 full rounds, inflicting 2d6? hit points of damage upon the victim per round. At the end of 6 full rounds, the victim is permanently dead and the progeny takes possession of the body.

Any successful turning attempt on a progeny that is subsuming its host will kill the progeny instantly and end the subsumption.

"Permanently dead"... heh, heh.