Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[freyar]

Hmmm, yes, let's just go with "once the Con check is reduced to DC 5 or lower." That should take care of Weak Heart (with appropriate changes to POWER!).

I think Powerful Temper seems ok.

What do you want to do for the sample?

 

[Cleon]

Hmmm, yes, let's just go with "once the Con check is reduced to DC 5 or lower." That should take care of Weak Heart (with appropriate changes to POWER!).

Agreed.

I think Powerful Temper seems ok.

Upon reflection, I'll change the "the character must succeed at a Wisdom check or lose their temper" to "the creature must succeed at a Wisdom check or lose their temper" for the sake of consistency.

Updating Powered Creature Working Draft.

Better make the same character => creature update for the Powerslug Working Draft too.

What do you want to do for the sample?

Some aggressive creature that's native to swamps I suppose. Or warm forests. Or both.

Here's some possibilities:

Swamps: Black Dragon, Crocodile, Lizardfolk, Pyrohrdra.
Forests: Couatl, Criosphinx, Digester, Girallon, Manticore.
Swamps & Forests: Green Hag, Megaraptor, Tyrannosaurus.

Any of those tickle your fancy?

 

[Cleon]

Hold on, where's the Powerslug's background info & tactics.

Did we decide on those and I forget to edit them in?

…No, we just haven't done it yet.

 

[freyar]

The update is good.

Let's do a powered lizardfolk, I think.

Tactics: Due to their lack of combat abilities, powerslugs typically stay hidden except around sleeping creatures, which they then infest.

 

[Cleon]

The update is good.

Let's do a powered lizardfolk, I think.

That'll be fairly straighforward so I'll just slap it into the Powered Creature Working Draft.

Tactics: Due to their lack of combat abilities, powerslugs typically stay hidden except around sleeping creatures, which they then infest.

Seems a bit clunky. How about:

A powerslug has no means to directly injure opponents, so stays hidden and tries to sneak up to creatures it can infest. The slug spends most of its time phased, so if an enemy notices it they'll have a hard time injuring the creature.

Threatened powerslugs instinctively head for cover, ideally water clogged with mud and dense undergrowth, but are so slow they are unlikely to outrun any pursuit.

 

[Cleon]

That'll be fairly straighforward so I'll just slap it into the Powered Creature Working Draft.

Done. I tweaked the tactics a bit to reflect its more frenzied nature (i.e. they usually don't carry a shield and just attack in a blizzard of claws, fangs and 2H club blows).

Tweaked the wording of the SQs to change a bunch of "host" and "creatures" to "powered lizardfolk" so it doesn't read funny.

Oh, and I double-checked the skills:

Balance 2S+Dex4+4R–2 Jump 2S+Str5+4R–2 Swim 1S+Str5+4R–4

 

[freyar]

Your tactics look good to me!
And I think the sample lizardfolk looks fine. Do you want a description and background for the template and sample? I'm inclined to skip for the sample at least. For the template, I think I might just go with something like, "A powered creature is one that has been infested by a powerslug. They appear to be normal members of their species, but they are prone to emotional instability and violent frenzies."

 

[Cleon]

Your tactics look good to me!

Updated the Powerslug with tactics.

We've still got the background fluff to do for it, remember.

And I think the sample lizardfolk looks fine. Do you want a description and background for the template and sample? I'm inclined to skip for the sample at least. For the template, I think I might just go with something like, "A powered creature is one that has been infested by a powerslug. They appear to be normal members of their species, but they are prone to emotional instability and violent frenzies."

I'd rather have a brief description about them bulging with muscles and exaggeratedly energetic, plus maybe something about them seeming a bit "twitchy" and unusually hostile.

 

[freyar]

Hmmm....
"A powered creature is one that has been infested by a powerslug. They appear to be normal members of their species but bulging with exaggerated musculature. They seem hyperactive, jittery, and unusually suspicious."

Actually, would it make sense to give Powered Creatures an SQ where their initial attitude is a step worse than usual or something?

 

[Cleon]

"A powered creature is one that has been infested by a powerslug. They appear to be normal members of their species but bulging with exaggerated musculature. They seem hyperactive, jittery, and unusually suspicious."

Aren't you mixing the Description and the Background there?

Actually, would it make sense to give Powered Creatures an SQ where their initial attitude is a step worse than usual or something?

Not sure I'd go as far as making it an actual Special Quality. Maybe mention the possibility in the Description?

Hmm…

The creature bulges with exaggerated musculature and seems unusually agitated, jittering with nervous energy.​

​

A powered creature is a warm-blooded creature that has been infested by a powerslug. They are unusually suspicious and aggressive, so their initial attitude towards beings they encounter is usually at least one step worse than is normal for their species (i.e. if a creature of its kind is normally Indifferent, a powered creature is usually Unfriendly and may be Hostile).​

Plus we still need a Background for the Powerslug itself.

How about:

A powerslug is a very rare parasite found in bogs, tropical swamps and jungles. The slime exuded by the slug is anesthetic: creatures may see or hear a powerslug crawl upon their skin but they will never feel it. Powerslugs can phase themselves away from the Prime Material Plane to become intangible while remaining visible. While useful for avoiding threats this serves a more sinister purpose. Once the slug finds a warm-blooded creature it uses its phasing to enter their body and parasitize them. Powerslugs never share hosts no matter how large they might be; a slug will not enter a creature if their bloodstream tastes of another powerslug's infestation.​

​

Powerslugs feed off adrenaline and similar chemicals. A slug fastens onto its host's adrenal gland and forces it to go into overdrive. The flood of chemicals enhances the host's muscles and nervous system, causing them to become far stronger and more agile than is natural as their muscles swell and their movements grow more energetic. Unfortunately, this increased performance comes with a price. The host becomes increasingly aggressive and violent, eventually fighting to the death at the slightest slight or setback. Even worse, the unnatural development of their body puts such a strain on their cardiac system that most victims of a powerslug suffer fatal heart attacks within a few months of infestation. If the host dies the slug just phases out of the corpse to seek new prey.​

​

Druids despise powerslugs for the devastation that creatures infected by these magical pests do to their environment: an outbreak of powerslugs is usually accompanied by a spate of savage animal attacks. Some brutal individuals or cultures actually seek out powerslug infection for the crude physical power it provides, not caring for the risk of heart attacks and senseless violence.​

I thought about adding a paragraph about powerslug reproduction, but there's nothing in the original article about how they do it. My best guess is.

Like many gastropods, powerslugs are hermaphrodites. Unlike most they never mate with each other, but fertilize their own eggs while remaining inside their victim. When the slug senses it is in a warm and humid environment suitable for their development, the eggs are laid in a phased condition to exit the host.​

So shall I add the above, despite it being entirely of my invention?