Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[Cleon]

Priest of Ythog-Nthlei

This is a bit bare-bones, but it's a start.

Most of it pretty much follows the original text, but it's worth noting that the ability scores of "Str 20, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 19, Wis 17, Cha 17" are a Mind Flayer's plus a size increase to Large. It just seemed appropriate.

I'm wondering about changing the Type to Outsider and maybe tweaking the HD or the AC up a bit. Especially the AC, since AC 17 seems too fragile.

Remember this adventure features rooms with two Sentinel Eidolons (CR 14 each, so a EL 16 encounter) and an Aspect of Ythog-Nthlei (CR 18). There's also an encounter with an Ice Devil and two Horned Devils (CR 13 plus two CR 9, for EL 14). Those are the three toughest encounters I could find with a quick skim through. The Priest encounter

Four of these critters shouldn't be too much of a pushover, although as I suggested earlier they might have been weakened by their long imprisonment or perhaps by being unable to use their "eldritch powers" when encountered because they're using them to break their boss out of prison.

I guess it might help if we decide what EL the encounter ought to be and reverse-calculating the individual CR of the Priest. i.e. if it's an EL 13 then each Priest of Ythog-Nthlei ought to be CR 9.

 

[abe ray]

How are we coming along?


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[Cleon]

How are we coming along?

Only as far as the rough outline in the Priest of Ythog-Nthlei Working Draft.

I'm OK keeping the 7 HD and leaving it to the individual DM to decide whether they want to up the CR.

Still think they need some kind of "priest powers" ability.

 

[Big Mac]

They are somehow able to break the enchantment binding Ythog-Nthlei which indicates some sort of magical ability. However, there's no mention of any spellcasting ability explanation as to how they break Ythog-Nthlei's binding.

So what gives? If they're "priests" do they have the ability to perform "miracles" for their Dark Lord? Do they have spellcasting powers but expended it all breaking the Binding? Do they have unique magical abilities that aren't fast enough for use in the middle of combat?

The fact that their binding-breaking ceremony is only interrupted by their death suggests it might be a supernatural ability rather than a spell.

My friend AuldDragon has been updating DMGR4 Monster Mythology deities to the Faiths & Avatars style format, for part of his Monster Mythology Update Project. I wonder if he has any idea what sort of deity King Ythog-Nthlei and his priests might serve.

 

[Cleon]

My friend AuldDragon has been updating DMGR4 Monster Mythology deities to the Faiths & Avatars style format, for part of his Monster Mythology Update Project. I wonder if he has any idea what sort of deity King Ythog-Nthlei and his priests might serve.

The priests in question serve Ythog-Nthlei, who is some kind of Cthulhu-type eldritch abomination in the original scenario.

We kind-of interpreted Ythog-Nthlei as roughly equivalent to a demon prince or arch devil in status, since those entities also have cults and are (somehow) able to grant spells, although they're not strictly speaking gods.

 

[abe ray]

Anyone ever try to convert the creatures from dragon magazine #141 yet?


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[Cleon]

Anyone ever try to convert the creatures from dragon magazine #141 yet?

All the Dragon Bestiary entries in that issue already have 3E conversions in the Creature Catalog - the Black Troll, Caiveh, Cynamolgus, Diurge, Jor & Rock Troll.

The Cynamolgus, Jor and both Trolls only have 3.0 conversions, but the others have 3.5 stats in the CC.

 

[freyar]

Sorry for the long absence, the thread-bumping made me miss this one.

I'm kind of thinking we should make these a bit more powerful, maybe more like CR 10 to 12 each to make the EL more comparable to the other tough encounters in that adventure. So that would argue for increasing the HD also. And I think I'd give them cleric casting and let them use it. Otherwise, I agree with what we have so far, including keeping them Aberrations.

 

[Cleon]

Sorry for the long absence, the thread-bumping made me miss this one.

I'm kind of thinking we should make these a bit more powerful, maybe more like CR 10 to 12 each to make the EL more comparable to the other tough encounters in that adventure. So that would argue for increasing the HD also. And I think I'd give them cleric casting and let them use it. Otherwise, I agree with what we have so far, including keeping them Aberrations.

So maybe double the Hit Dice to 14 and add cleric casting?

I'd also suggest giving them some kind of epic group spellcasting ability and maybe cleric Domain abilities. Perhaps the Evil Domain for the +1 CL and the Madness Domain for its spellcasting benefit and thematic appropriateness?

Although I'm wondering about giving them special abilities similar to the aforementioned Domain powers rather than the actual Domain powers, so (a) the abilities are on the page rather than the DM having to look them up and (b) we can tweak them to be even nastier!

 

[freyar]

HD 14 plus cleric casting sounds good. Let's give them spells from the Evil and Madness (and maybe Destruction?) domains, but I think I'd rather re-write the powers to be stronger. Plus epic group casting. We could probably borrow some mechanics from the goatlings, too, now that I think of it.

We could borrow the derro's madness ability for all/part of the revised Madness domain power. But the main thing I really like is an insight bonus of some kind. Thoughts?