Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[Cleon]

Feats seem right.

Concentration, Craft (mapmaking), Decipher Script, Forgery, Hide, Knowledge (the planes), Move Silently, Sleight of Hand might be good for the first 8. Knowledge (geography) would be thematic, but I don't know if it makes sense since they're extraplanar.

Well while it seems plausible that they'd know a lot about terrain from gathering all these maps, the description does say the maps they make are often inaccurate or totally false, so they may not know any geography at all!

Overall, I think I'd give them Spot instead.

I think I like often evil a little better than usually, but I can go either way.

I agree, they seem to lean toward Neutral so Often Evil should be enough.

 

[demiurge1138]

CR 7 seems appropriate. They lack the babau's suite of energy immunities and resistances and have worse SR, but they've got some nasty offensive punch and the deflective frill.

 

[Cleon]

CR 7 seems appropriate. They lack the babau's suite of energy immunities and resistances and have worse SR, but they've got some nasty offensive punch and the deflective frill.

Yes, I think 7 will do. Originally I was thinking 6-7, since there are CR6 creatures (such as a Wyvern) which are arguably deadlier up close.

They don't do much straight-up damage compared to some CR6 monsters, but they have several ranged "save or suck" special attacks, plus they've got better defences (especially Saves) and they can fly (which is a not inconsiderable combat boost in itself). That's worth an extra Challenge Rating.

What do we have left to do?

 

[Shade]

Updated.

I believe we're finished.

 

[Cleon]

Updated.

I believe we're finished.

I thought we had a couple of odds & ends, like height & weight, to work out, but I see it's already got those.

We could add a little bit to the Mapmaker's Stick description. I'm guessing the "proprietary" means only Mapmaker's can use it, but I think you should make that explicit otherwise PC's will exploit it, being PCs. Or let PCs use it, and give it a market value & CL.

 

[Shade]

That was what I was getting at, but I agree it needs to be more explicit.

So, do we make it a function of the mapmaker itself, allowing it to essentially turn any stick it is currently holding into a mapmaker's stick? Or do we make it an actual rod, giving it the CL, market price, and so forth?

 

[freyar]

Making it a function of the mapmaker would be kind of traditional, but I don't see PCs running into so many of these as to make it a big problem if we make the sticks into actual rods. Do we have precedents for rods that act as touch attacks?

 

[Shade]

Withering: A rod of withering acts as a +1 light mace that deals no hit point damage. Instead, the wielder deals 1d4 points of Strength damage and 1d4 points of Constitution damage to any creature she touches with the rod (by making a melee touch attack). If she scores a critical hit, the damage from that hit is permanent ability drain. In either case, the defender negates the effect with a DC 17 Fortitude save.

Strong necromancy; CL 13th; Craft Rod, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, contagion; Price 25,000 gp.

 

[demiurge1138]

Make it an actual rod, but only creatures with the Chaos subtype can use it without making a UMD check.

 

[Shade]

How's this?

Mapmaker’s Stick: This magic rod has a glowing point. It can etch any substance, including flesh. A mapmaker's stick acts as a +1 light mace that deals 1d4 points of damage to anything it touches, ignoring hardness and damage reduction of all kinds. If used as a weapon, it requires a melee touch attack. Marks left behind by a mapmaker's stick may be removed with an erase spell. Healing spells restore the damage, but do not remove the marks. A mapmaker's stick only functions for creatures with the Chaotic subtype (or those who succeed on a Use Magic Device check to emulate the Chaotic subtype).

Moderate transmutation; CL 10th; Craft Rod, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, arcane mark, erase, creator must have the Chaotic subtype; Price 5,000 gp.