Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[Cleon]

Should we expand bleeding wounds to cover the bite, or maybe some variation of the clay golem's cursed wound ability?

Well the description would suggest bleeding wounds at X damage per round until a cure wounds spell or Heal check is made to stop it. There's nothing to suggest a Clay Golem's ability to prevent wounds healing.

Organizaton: Solitary or x (2-15) [the latter being only on their home plane]

What's the collective noun for a group of Appolyon's? A mortality of Appolyon's? A fatality? A mortuary?

Apollyon speak x in harsh voices, but rarely do so.

For some reason I imagine them as having a tongues-like ability to speak the language of all mortal beings, although all they usually have to say is "you're going to die".

Add Knowledge to their skills?

But what kind of Knowledge, Knowledge (religion), since that covers undead and funerary practices?

So, how about its other skills.

Spot, Listen and Search?

Survival, to track down those fated to die?

Intimidate and Sense Motive? These things are likely to be scary and difficult to mislead.

That's seven skills, which still leaves us two. Are Appolyon's sneaky? If they are death which creeps up unawares we could add Move Silently and Hide.

So, put those all together and we get 18 ranks apiece in:

Knowledge (religion), Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, Survival

Will that do?

Immunity to fear effects?

That seems reasonable.

 

[demiurge1138]

Feats, feats... how do Ability Focus (death ray), Combat Expertise, Flyby Attack, Improved Critical (claw), Multiattack, Track sound?

 

[freyar]

Languages, skills, and feats all seem good to me.

 

[Cleon]

Feats, feats... how do Ability Focus (death ray), Combat Expertise, Flyby Attack, Improved Critical (claw), Multiattack, Track sound?

Those look fine to me. At first I wasn't so sure about Combat Expertise, but it will help compensate for the Apollyon's mediocre AC.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

Anyone else up for tongues? Cleon's got me convinced.

Environment: Home plane of a death deity?

Challenge Rating: 14

Advancement: 16-30 HD (Large); 31-45 HD (Huge)?

An apollyon stands 10 feet tall and weighs x pounds.

 

[freyar]

Tongues makes sense to me, as long as no one objects.

The rest sounds fine. Environment could included Material, but that's already noted in the flavor.

1000 lb, similar to hill giants?

 

[freyar]

Double post!

 

[Shade]

That'll probably work. Although they are described as "gaunt", and are a bit shorter than hill giants, they do have massive wings.

 

[demiurge1138]

I'd say CR 15. They've got lots o' hit points. I'd also suggest including their death ray in their attacks line--it is a ranged touch attack, right?

 

[Shade]

Updated.

Thinking about these fellas last night, perhaps we could add a continuous deathwatch ability to jazz 'em up a tad?