Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[Cleon]

That all sounds good. Updated.

Suggested skills and feats for the nonpsionic version? Maybe just take the Autohypnosis ranks and pop 'em into Balance or Jump, and change Psicraft to Spellcraft?

Well there's no rule saying you can't give a nonpsionic creature Autohypnosis, as far as I'm aware, but I'd be just as happy switching them to something else.

Hmm, since they've already got decent mods in Balance and Jump, how about 3 points in Tumbling for Tumbling +4?

EDIT: As for the non-psionic feats, the closest match to Psionic Body is plain old Toughness, although that's pretty dull. I'd like Endurance or Great Fortitude better.

How about Empower Spell-Like Ability for either heat metal or magic missile for the "offensive" feat?

 

[freyar]

I'm fine with Tumble. Let's go with Endurance and Empower (magic missile) (I think the PLAs and SLAs need to be written in, though).

 

[Shade]

Updated.

 

[freyar]

Standard treasure? Or half, since they're lower-class citizens?

CR 4 or maybe a weak 5?

 

[Shade]

Half-standard and CR 5 seem appropriate.

 

[Cleon]

Half-standard and CR 5 seem appropriate.

Yes, that seems reasonable.

Do we want to give them a Level Adjustment as well?

If we do it'll be something pretty high (+4 or +5?) since they've got good stats, SR and SLA/PLAs.

 

[Shade]

Yeah, it looks like a +5 by my count.

I noticed we forgot this important ability:

Once per day, each tzakandi may spit a glob of acid, a form of the substance illithid tentacles exude when burrowing through the cranium, that causes 2d8 points of damage (save vs. poison for half) on contact before becoming inert. Their aim is good enough to allow them to hit the eyes of their opponents on an attack roll at least three points better than needed. If successful, the victim not only suffers damage but is also effectively blinded for 1d6 rounds.

 

[Cleon]

Yeah, it looks like a +5 by my count.

That seems a trifle high but I can live with it. LA is pretty much a black art, anyhow.

As for the acid spit, it looks like it could do with being simplified for the 3E version.

1/day ranged touch doing 2d8 acid, with a Reflex save to avoid 1d6 rounds of blindness?

 

[freyar]

How about 1/day ranged touch for 2d8 acid with 1d6 rounds blindness on a critical hit?

 

[Shade]

How's this?

Acid Spit (Ex): Once per day, a tzakandi can spit a ball of caustic saliva with a range of 30 feet, as a ranged touch attack. This attack deals 2d8 points of acid damage on a successful hit. On a successful critical hit, the target is also blinded for 1d6 rounds unless it succeeds on a DC X Fortitude save. The save DC is Constitution-based.