Converting Greyhawk monsters

[freyar]

Yes, I'd be in favor of increasing the master's psychic blast to 5th-level equivalent.

Do you have any thoughts on the background? I feel like we had some, but I'm not sure how much of that was setting-specific.

 

[Cleon]

Yes, I'd be in favor of increasing the master's psychic blast to 5th-level equivalent.

Updating the Monarch Scorpion Working Draft.

Do you have any thoughts on the background? I feel like we had some, but I'm not sure how much of that was setting-specific.

We had a few things we wanted to mention like the master creating deserts and attracting/enlarging/creating scorpions but I don't remember us getting down to specifics.

Give me a bit of time and I might whip something up.

 

[freyar]

Maybe we should start with the regular monarchs. Cunning predators with a cruel streak? Usually apex predators but sometimes in service to a master?

 

[Cleon]

Maybe we should start with the regular monarchs. Cunning predators with a cruel streak? Usually apex predators but sometimes in service to a master?

Yes, we might as well discuss the background for both at the same time.

Don't forget we were going to stat up the scorpion crown - I'm thinking we can put that in an In Greyhawk subentry.

 

[freyar]

That makes sense. Do you have any other ideas for the background?

Yes, we definitely want to write up the crown, but I was thinking we'd do that later also.

 

[Cleon]

That makes sense. Do you have any other ideas for the background?

Yes, we definitely want to write up the crown, but I was thinking we'd do that later also.

I'm not feeling very inspired, but how's this for a start:

Monarch scorpions are normal monstrous scorpions who have been magically altered to grant them enormous size and devastating psionic powers. They have been imbued with a profound hatred of humanoid life and an instinct for cunning ambushes and cruelty.

Many monarch scorpions live alone or with monstrous scorpion "pets" or manscorpion "allies", but they are able to breed true and occasionally form mated pairs or small families. These ravenous creatures can have a terribly impact on desert ecologies and societies, devouring more animals and people than their territory can replace. Monarch scorpions are often forced to relocate or resort to cannibalism after eating or frightening away most of the animal life in their territory.

A typical monarch scorpion is about 25 feet long, including 9 feet of tail, and weighs 4,000 to 6,000 pounds.


The length and weight were back-extrapolated from various size and weight references of the Emperor Scorpion (Pandinus imperator) I found on the interwebs.

For the master version I'd think they'd normally be somewhat larger. Since it's Strength is 4 points higher, or half the normal +8 for a size category increase, I think it'd be reasonable to assume it's about 50% longer in each dimension:

A master scorpion is typically 35 to 40 feet long, including 13 feet of tail, and weighs 13,000 to 20,000 pounds.

 

[freyar]

That all looks good to me, though I think you want to change "terribly impact" to "terrible impact."

I'm not sure what to say for the master scorpions. If we're doing the masters as underbars rather than separate entries, perhaps just "Master scorpions are larger and more powerful monarch scorpions with the ability to control other scorpions and scorpion-like creatures." If they're going to be separate entries, how about mostly repeating your text for the monarchs with more emphasis on control rather than "alliance"?

 

[Cleon]

That all looks good to me, though I think you want to change "terribly impact" to "terrible impact."

It was just a terrible typo. I think I used "terribly damaging impact" in an earlier draft then decided the "damaging" was superfluous.

Updating the Monarch Scorpion Working Draft.

I'm not sure what to say for the master scorpions. If we're doing the masters as underbars rather than separate entries, perhaps just "Master scorpions are larger and more powerful monarch scorpions with the ability to control other scorpions and scorpion-like creatures." If they're going to be separate entries, how about mostly repeating your text for the monarchs with more emphasis on control rather than "alliance"?

I'm leaning towards separate entries.

Anyhow I'm not feeling up to rewording the background text for the Master version so it'll have to be done another day.

 

[freyar]

Sorry I've been AWOL, just a difficult couple of weeks.

Let's take a shot at the background text for the Master:

Master scorpions are monstrous scorpions with enormous size and devastating psionic powers, including control over all scorpion-kind. They are born with a profound hatred of humanoid life and an instinct for cunning ambushes and cruelty.

Master scorpions sometimes live alone but more often with a retinue of master scorpion or scorpionfolk servants. While these ravenous creatures can have a terrible impact on desert ecologies and societies, devouring more animals and people than their territory can replace, they are usually wise enough to target the devastation on humanoid civilizations that provide a great deal of prey. Master scorpions usually only need to relocate due to a shortage of food if they have destroyed a small city-state.

A typical master scorpion is about 25 feet long, including 9 feet of tail, and weighs 4,000 to 6,000 pounds.

 

[Cleon]

Sorry I've been AWOL, just a difficult couple of weeks.

Let's take a shot at the background text for the Master:

Master scorpions are monstrous scorpions with enormous size and devastating psionic powers, including control over all scorpion-kind. They are born with a profound hatred of humanoid life and an instinct for cunning ambushes and cruelty.

Master scorpions sometimes live alone but more often with a retinue of master scorpion or scorpionfolk servants. While these ravenous creatures can have a terrible impact on desert ecologies and societies, devouring more animals and people than their territory can replace, they are usually wise enough to target the devastation on humanoid civilizations that provide a great deal of prey. Master scorpions usually only need to relocate due to a shortage of food if they have destroyed a small city-state.

A typical master scorpion is about 25 feet long, including 9 feet of tail, and weighs 4,000 to 6,000 pounds.

How's this:

Master scorpions are similar to monarch scorpions, but they are larger, stronger and smarter, with even more powerful psionic abilities. They have the same innate hatred of humanoids as monarch scorpions and share their instinct for ambushes and cruelty, traits only made worse by the master scorpions' greater intelligence.

These monsters earned their name from their ability to control other scorpions and scorpion-like creatures. They also have a mysterious ability to either attract scorpion monsters into their territory or somehow create such creatures - possibly by transforming normal scorpions into monstrous scorpions or monarch scorpions. There are legends of master scorpions turning lush lands into scorpion-filled deserts or cursing a city's inhabitants to turn into scorpionfolk.

Only one master scorpion will be found in any given territory. Either these creatures kill or drive away any rivals they sense, or whatever phenomena creates them can only sustain one master scorpion at a time. A master scorpion rarely lives alone, however. It usually has a retinue of other scorpion creatures to serve it. These attendants usually include monarch scorpions, scorpionfolk, and various sizes of monstrous scorpion.

A master scorpion is typically 35 to 40 feet long, including 13 feet of tail, and weighs 13,000 to 20,000 pounds.