Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[freyar]

We could go down to 900 lb if you want.

Deathwatch always on makes a lot of sense.

 

[demiurge1138]

I like both 900 pounds and deathwatch.

 

[Shade]

updated.

Anything else before moving on?

 

[freyar]

I'm ready for the next one.

 

[demiurge1138]

It should be "ranged" touch attacks, not "range", but other than that, I think we're good to go.

 

[Shade]

Fixed, and next!

Chemosit
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 9./24.
HIT DICE: 4 + 1
% IN LAIR: 20%
TREASURE TYPE: Special
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite or 1 claw
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6 or 2-7
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Never surprised; also as per normal demons
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 10%
INTELLIGENCE: Low
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
LEVEL/XP VALUE: V/245 + 5/hp

An aggressive, fearless, speech-using, carnivorous minor demon. The chemosit can see all hidden or invisible beings within 60’, and its mouth emits light equal to a continual light spell. It is likely that a powerful sorcerer could make use of a chemosit for attacking his enemies, carrying messages, and so forth.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #122 (1987).

I found some mythological information here:
Chemosit, Africa's Bigfoot

 

[demiurge1138]

Chemosit is another name for the dreaded Nandi bear, a creature that prefers to eat human brains and is something like a bear, something like a baboon and something like a hyena. We could keep it a demon, but we should incorporate more Nandi bear mythology (the brain eating, the physical appearance [which we aren't given]). Maybe strip out the cone of light coming from its mouth--never heard that in any of the original legends. It even specifically only hunts on moonless nights.

 

[Shade]

Here's some more text and the illo from the article...

Mode's surprise might have been even greater had he met the chemosit of East Africa. The chemosit is described as part human and part bird. It has one leg and nine buttocks. Its red mouth shines like a lamp at night. Whatever else it may be, the chemosit is unquestionably a new being in distinct visual form. Not only that, but the name chemosit is also given to an animal that seems to be an amalgam of ape and hyena. (We will meet this second manifestation of the chemosit later in this article.)

And later...

Conventional zoological wisdom tells us that there are no bears in Africa. What, then, is the nandi -- a marauder that has harassed East African shepherds for centuries? Lacking other terms of reference, Africans who have encountered the nandi say it looks like an overgrown hyena. But when photographs of bears are shown to these witnesses, they invariably change their mind. Indeed, one variant of the chemosit is the duba, whose name is Arabic for "bear." Although it is a huge, fearsome creature, the nandi/duba appears to confine its depredations to domestic animals.

The chemosit, also called the getiet, is an altogether different case. As mentioned earlier, there are two versions of the chemosit. The half-man, half-bird monster mentioned in the introduction is more of a demon than a natural creature. The other version is a rapacious predator that seems part-hyena, part ape, and 100% deadly. Entire villages have reportedly fled the fury of the chemosit, which has the unsavory habit of tearing off the tops of its victims' skulls and dining on the exposed brain. In its own way, this second version of the chemosit may be even more demonic than the first.

Here's the getiet...

GETIET
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1 (10% of 1-4)
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 12”
HIT DICE: 5 +2
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: D (only in lairs with
more than one getiet)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite and 2 claws
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-9/1-6/1-6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Crushing
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Surprised on a 1
(1d6)
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Average
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
LEVEL/XP VALUE: V/300 + 6/hp

A fearless, aggressive, speech-using maneater. This ugly and obnoxious beast kills for pleasure, and a single individual may attack an entire village and its people. If both claw attacks hit a single victim, the getiet may crush the victim, doing an additional 2-8 hp damage. The getiet is disliked even by other monsters, as it will attack anything -- though it is not as stupid as a dingonek. A getiet may ambush its victims (though it generally dislikes being subtle), and it often harasses larger monsters simply for the pleasure of seeing their frustration.

 

[demiurge1138]

OK, so the one with the light is the man-bird thing. Interesting. So we'll convert them both?

 

[Shade]

Indeed. Sure, let's do 'em both. And we'll make sure to note in the getiere entry that it is called by other names.