Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[freyar]

The man-bird light-mouth is really weird. 9 buttocks?

Stick to 4HD? The +1 suggests a decent Con, maybe 14-17ish. Tanar'ri or not? I kind of think generic demon.

 

[Shade]

The man-bird light-mouth is really weird. 9 buttocks?

Once again proving that real-world mythology is weirder than anything D&D can come up with on its own.

That reminds me of an old South Park episode where the Dr.Moreau-like guy offers to "put a few more asses on that swine of yours."

Stick to 4HD? The +1 suggests a decent Con, maybe 14-17ish. Tanar'ri or not? I kind of think generic demon.

Well, "also as per normal demons" would seem to hint at tanar'ri traits, if not the subtype.

 

[Cleon]

Well, "also as per normal demons" would seem to hint at tanar'ri traits, if not the subtype.

Okay, so we're doing an Evil Outsider bird-man chemosit/geteit first, and then do the Nandi bear/hyena version, which could be treated as a particularly nasty Magical Beast?

Going by the write-up it's a very minor demon, no nastier than a Dretch. It doesn't even have any resistance to mundane weapons!

I don't think it's a Tanar'ri, just one of the innumerable other CE creatures that go bump in the night.

Some of its stats seem pretty obvious:

Medium sized Outsider (Evil, Chaotic), but is it Extraplanar or Natural. Presumably Extraplanar if it really is a demon.

For 'demon defences" I suppose a Dretch's are a good start - Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/cold iron or good, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to electricity and poison, resistance to acid 10, cold 10 and fire 10, plus throw in spell resistance of 12 or so for the original's 10% MR. Might toss out the immunity to electricity.

I'm tempted to give it at-will flare as a Spell-Like Ability, so it can use its "shining mouth" to dazzle its victims, plus maybe some other light-power.

Its 2-7 damage claw and 1-6 damage bite suggests the claw is its primary attack.

Do we give it a full attack of bite or claw like the original, or bite and claw? I'd prefer bite and claw, it's got little enough going for it as it is.

Now, what ability scores to give it? I'm thinking something around a gargoyle's stats and mental stats, except with a good Dex and average-ish Con and a Dretch's 11 Charisma rather than a gargoyle's 7. I imagine it as an agile but not exceptionally tough flier. That works out about:

Str 14, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 11, Cha 11

Not spectacular, it's definitely near the bottom of the demonic pecking order.

 

[freyar]

Agreed, definitely pretty minor. Though, with that line Shade pointed out, maybe it should be a tannar'ri. Also, absolutely extraplanar.

If we don't keep the tannar'ri subtype, resistances probably only 5 for the low HD. DR looks fine.

Something like flare as an Su from the light, I think, not a Sp, but it's a good idea.

Bite and claw, definitely.

Abilities look fine.

 

[demiurge1138]

I think we can think of this as a tanar'ri, albeit a weak one.

 

[Cleon]

Agreed, definitely pretty minor. Though, with that line Shade pointed out, maybe it should be a tannar'ri. Also, absolutely extraplanar.

If we don't keep the tannar'ri subtype, resistances probably only 5 for the low HD. DR looks fine.

Something like flare as an Su from the light, I think, not a Sp, but it's a good idea.

Bite and claw, definitely.

Abilities look fine.

Making its mouth-glow a Supernatural ability is a good idea (gives out light like a bullseye lantern, can use flare at-will? maybe quickened 3/day?)

I'm fine either way on the Tanar'ri / nameless fiend question, I'll leave it up to you lot. I don't fancy a dretch's immunity to lightning though, it just feels wrong.

So far we've got:

Chemosit
Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Evil)
Hit Dice: 4d8+8 (26 hp)
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+6
Attack: Claw +6 melee (1d6+2)
Full Attack: Claw +6 melee (1d6+2) and bite +1 melee (1d6+2)
Space/Reach: 5ft./5ft.
Special Attacks: Mouth-lamp
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/cold iron or good, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to poison, resistance to acid 10, cold 10 and fire 10, spell resistance 12
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +4
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 11, Cha 11
Feats: 2
Skills: 42 skill points (i.e. 6 skills maxed to 7)

Hmm, what other obvious stats are their?

Speed 20 ft. on land, plus fly 70 ft., with good manoeuvrability?
Environment of Warm forest or Abyss?
Feats of Ability Focus (mouth lamp) and Flyby Attack?
Skills should probably include Hide & Move Silently for stealth and Listen & Spot for general perception, if it's used as a scout & spy Bluff, Survival, Search and Sense Motive would be useful. I'm thinking it would have a good racial bonus to Spot since its part bird. Maybe it's part owl, and has a good bonus to Listen too!

Since it can talk it'll need languages as well. The SRD demons' Abyssal, Celestial and Draconic seem inappropriate, how about Abyssal, Common and either Draconic or Sylvan?

Oh, and the description says "The chemosit can see all hidden or invisible beings within 60’." That suggests it either has see invisibility as a special quality plus a really impressive Spot skill or 60 foot blindsight as a Special Quality.

It reads more like blindsight to me.

 

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

Let's stick with the "demon standard" of spell resistance equal to CR+8, as well as standard demon languages.

See invisibility (and true seeing) are rather common "special visions" for evil outsiders, so let's go the see invisibility, rather than blindsight, route.

For the "mouth-lamp", I like the concept of it functioning as flare, and I could see it always being a free action, since it sounds like it is always "on" as long as it simply opens its mouth.

I definitely agree with the racial bonus to Listen and Spot (since it is "Never surprised"). Probably Improved Initiative as a bonus feat as well.

 

[freyar]

Agreed to Listen/Spot and Imp Init as a bonus feat. See invisibility is also what I thought.

Maybe this for the mouth lamp?

"Mouth-Lamp" (Su): The open mouth of a chemosit sheds light as a bullseye lantern (clear illumination in a 60 ft cone and shadowy illumination in a 120 ft cone). The chemosit may suppress or resume this illumination as a free action by closing or opening its mouth. Creatures within the area of clear illumination when the chemosit first opens its mouth must make a DC X Fortitude save or be dazzled for 1 minute. The save DC is Constitution-based.

 

[Shade]

I like it. Updated.

Skills: 6 at 7 ranks
Cleon suggested Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival. I'm fine with all those, but would probably drop Sense Motive as they strike me more as observers and relayers of messengers than actual diplomats/interpreters of messages.

Feats: Improved Initiative (B), 2 more
Cleon suggested Ability Focus (mouth lamp) and Flyby Attack.

 

[freyar]

I agree with dropping Sense Motive, and the rest seems great!

Are we going to give them summon tanar'ri? If so, something pretty weak, like 1 dretch at 35% or something.

CR 3 at most, I guess.

200 lb?