Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[Cleon]

For the attacks, the original says they usually use clubs or morningstars. The morningstar seems more interesting, so how about we go for that?

I've got Morningstar in the working draft, but upon reflection how about switching it to Greatclub?

That's a common Giant weapon.

After further thought, let's keep the Morningstar as that matches the Fachan's 2d6 weapon damage.

A Greatclub is 2d8 damage at Large size, which is the weapon damage of an AD&D Hill Giant not the Fachan.

 

[Cleon]

Updated the Greater Fachan Working Draft with all of the above, including lowering Strength to 19.

 

[Cleon]

We could include that in its Strange Anatomy but we've already developed a fine solution for the ENworld Creature Catalog:

​

Monodextrous (Ex): A nasnas may wield two-handed melee weapons in its single hand with no penalty. It applies one and one-half times its Strength bonus as normal for two-handed weapons. When wielding a one-handed melee weapon, a nasnas treats it as if wielded two-handed, allowing it to apply the additional half of its Strength bonus. A nasnas wielding a double weapon always treats the weapon as if it were wielded one-handed.​

Just remembered there were some issues with the Nasnas conversion:

In Zakhara
In the Al-Qadim campaign setting, many stone maidens speak Midani rather than Common.

Can you spot any problems?

 

[freyar]

Those updates are good. There is still a copy/pasted cyclopskin in the Monocular Vision description, though.

To answer the question mark in the working draft, Strange Anatomy seems reasonable.

Hmmm, you mean aside from the fact that Nasnas can't speak? Did we do those two conversions at the same time?

 

[Cleon]

Those updates are good. There is still a copy/pasted cyclopskin in the Monocular Vision description, though.

To answer the question mark in the working draft, Strange Anatomy seems reasonable.

Have corrected/updated the Greater Fachan Working Draft.

Also struck the question mark from the "Temperate hills and mountains" Environment.

Is 2d4 rock damage OK for you?

Hmmm, you mean aside from the fact that Nasnas can't speak? Did we do those two conversions at the same time?

Presumably it's another copy/pasted error.

From what I remember, the Stone Maiden was converted on the CC's Al-Qadim thread just before the Nasnas.

Anyhow, I'll change the In Zakhara text to " In the Al-Qadim campaign setting, many nasnas understand Midani rather than Common."

 

[freyar]

2d4 for the rock damage is ok.

Skills: how about 4 for Spot and Listen and 3 for Jump?

 

[Cleon]

2d4 for the rock damage is ok.

Will remove the magenta question in the next update.

Skills: how about 4 for Spot and Listen and 3 for Jump?

Putting ranks in Jump is unnecessary.

The original flavour text says they "sometimes making leaps as great as 10 feet in distance and clearing over 6 feet in height."

A 6 foot High Jump has a 24 Jump DC, so I gave the Greater Fachan a +10 racial bonus to Jump, which makes Jump +14 with its Strength 18 and allow it to always clear 6 feet by taking 10 on the skill check.

After doing that I realized an issue. DC 24 is enough for a 24 foot Long Jump, while the above text says the long jump clears "as great as 10 feet".

I propose changing the Skill description from the current:

A greater fachan has a +10 racial bonus to Jump checks. It can always choose to take 10 on a Jump check, even if distracted or endangered. A greater fachan's Jump DC is not doubled if it does not get a running start, it can even jump backwards from standing still without the DC doubling.

To:

A greater fachan has a +10 racial bonus to Jump checks. It can always choose to take 10 on a Jump check, even if distracted or endangered. A greater fachan's Jump DC is not doubled when it makes high jumps without a running start, even if it jumps backwards from standing still.
​

As for the skill ranks, I would divide them between Climb, Listen and Spot like an Ogre.

Maybe 3 ranks in Climb for +7 and four apiece in Listen and Spot for +4, plus whatever racial bonus to Listen we give for the "exceptional hearing" that allows them to hear an approaching horseman from up to 5 miles away.*

The RAW says hearing something five miles away has a –2640 DC modifier to Listen which is patently ridiculous.

However, the AD&D Great Cats mostly have "surprised only on a 1" like the Fachan. We could borrow numbers from the SRD versions of those. The Leopard has +6 Listen and Spot, the Lion +5 in both and the Tiger a measly +3. Which isn't very impressive, honestly.

Heck, let's just give it a +4 racial bonus to Listen.

*Which is odd, since you'd think the fachan would hear the horse not the man.