Converting monsters from Dragon magazine
- Thread starter Shade
- Start date
Cleon
Hero
So are we skipping the Description and Background for the powered lizardfolk, right?
I'd be OK having some of the SRD text:
A tailed reptilian humanoid the height of a tall human.
A lizardfolk is usually 6 to 7 feet tall with green, gray, or brown scales and a tail 3 to 4 feet long. They can weigh 200 to 250 pounds.
Lizardfolk speak Draconic.
Oh, and I realized there's some grammatical errors in the current version's Tactics:
A powered lizardfolk are even less organized but occasionally attack in small groups with their powered or non-powered kinfolk. They generally attack in a frothing frenzy of claws and teeth. A powered lizardfolk usually doesn't bother carrying a shield, and those that do often forget to use them. They prefer to wield their clubs two-handed.
It should either be:
Tactics #2
A powered lizardfolk is even less organized but occasionally attacks in small groups with its powered or non-powered kinfolk. They generally attack in a frothing frenzy of claws and teeth. A powered lizardfolk usually doesn't bother carrying a shield, and those that do often forget to use them. They prefer to wield their clubs two-handed.
A powered lizardfolk is even less organized but occasionally attacks in small groups with its powered or non-powered kinfolk. They generally attack in a frothing frenzy of claws and teeth. A powered lizardfolk usually doesn't bother carrying a shield, and those that do often forget to use them. They prefer to wield their clubs two-handed.
Or (more consistently with the SRD lizardfolk Tactics) use an all plural presentation.
How about:
Tactics #3
Powered lizardfolk are even less organized but occasionally fight in small groups with powered or non-powered kinfolk; they generally attack in a frothing frenzy of claws and teeth. Powered lizardfolk usually don't bother carrying shields, and those that do often forget to use them. They prefer to wield their clubs two-handed.
Powered lizardfolk are even less organized but occasionally fight in small groups with powered or non-powered kinfolk; they generally attack in a frothing frenzy of claws and teeth. Powered lizardfolk usually don't bother carrying shields, and those that do often forget to use them. They prefer to wield their clubs two-handed.
I like the version #3 better. Shall I put it in the Working Draft?
Cleon
Hero
Updating the Powered Creature and the Powerslug.
Yes, I think they're done.
[EDIT] Upon reflection, I've added the sentence "A creature fully infested by a powerslug gains the powered creature template" to the powerslug. [/EDIT]
Last edited:
abe ray
Explorer
I thought we we’re doing the lich blood or another creature from that article?Looks good on a quick glance! Only 14 months!
I think we had some ideas for the next monsters in this thread. What about the Ihagnim?
Cleon
Hero
I thought we we’re doing the lich blood or another creature from that article?
Looks good on a quick glance! Only 14 months!
I think we had some ideas for the next monsters in this thread. What about the Ihagnim?
I'd rather do the Ihagnim, if only because we referred to it in a previous conversion.
Cleon
Hero
Here you go…
IHAGNIM
FREQUENCY: Rare on Astral Plane; unknown elsewhere
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 0
MOVE: 8″ to 16″ (see below)
HIT DICE: 8-16
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: See below
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1-4 tentacles
DAMAGE/ATTACK: See below
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Dissolving; bag of devouring lure; multiple attacks; “swallowing” whole
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Spell and psionic immunities; blunt weapons do ½ damage
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Average to exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: L (8′-16′ diameter)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VII to X/1975 + l0/hp to 13100 + 20/hp
(Note: See DRAGON® Magazine #67 for more information on the Astral Plane and the nature of movement and combat in that environment).
Ihagnim are among the very few known creatures that normally inhabit the Astral Plane. Being native to this plane, they experience normal feelings of hunger (unlike visitors from other planes) and have developed special talents for getting their food.
An ihagnim appears to be a large, plastic amoeba with a translucent body. It is difficult to see against the background of the Astral Plane and sighting distances to it are reduced to 10% of the normal range. The surface of an ihagnim is generally smooth, though it is capable of forming large tentacles to reach out and catch its prey. An ihagnim moves through astral space by mental concentration, like all other astral creatures (10 yards per round per point of intelligence, which in this case equates to hit dice).
There are two major organs within an ihagnim’s body; one is the nucleus, containing the brain and other organs, and the other is the stomach (having a volume of 30 cubic feet). The nucleus is capable of manufacturing a special organ that has a transplanar link to the stomach; this organ looks remarkably like a bag or sack and radiates magic if this is checked for. Ihagnim can cause their baglike organs to plane shift across to the Prime Material Plane, where curious humans or other creatures find them and believe them to be bags of holding (since the bag connects directly to the stomach, simulating an extra-dimensional space). Some ihagnim have a special lure in their stomachs that resembles a cluster of beans or a small fuzzy ball, thus causing the unwary users of the bag to confuse it with other sorts of magical sacks. Those who are familiar with such devices call them bags of devouring, see the description of that item in the DMG.
Ihagnim reproduce by fission. A newly created ihagnim has 8 HD and 57 hp, an intelligence of 8, and a movement allowance of 8″ in astral space (80 yds./round). It is capable of detecting any living creatures within 240 yards and is aware of their exact locations, and as soon as it finds such creatures it will make directly for them to attack. The ihagnim will lash out at its prey with 1-4 tentacles each round; a tentacle can reach out to a distance of up to twice as far as the ihagnim’s body diameter (thus an 8 HD monster, 8′ across, can reach out to 16′). If a tentacle hits an opponent, it wraps around it and pulls it toward the monster’s body. A victim has a chance of pulling free from the tentacle equal to his chance of pulling free of a bag of devouring (i.e., a 25% base chance, plus 5% for every point of the figure’s strength bonus on damage; a man with 18/00 strength has a 55% chance of pulling free). If the opponent pulls away, the ihagnim may roll to attack the same figure on the next round if that target is still within range. Those who are dragged to the ihagnim’s body are transferred to the stomach in the same round, where digestion by powerful acids begins. A character will be fully digested on the following round, and will not be recoverable by any means.
The only way to avoid being digested is to expose the stomach lining to some sort of poison, which (if it doesn’t kill the ihagnim) will cause it to “spit out” its stomach contents immediately. This could only be done on the round in which the ihagnim is trying to digest its meal; if the attempt to introduce poison fails (the character has no poison potions or misses an attack against the AC 0 stomach wall with a poisoned dagger), the character is lost. Afterward, there is a 5% chance per turn that the ihagnim will “spit out” any nondigestible items (armor, weapons, equipment, etc.).
Ihagnim can eat any number of creatures at one “sitting,” subject to the rules below. For every 100 lbs. of living material consumed by an ihagnim, the ihagnim gains 1 hit point. For every 8 hp gained, the ihagnim gains another effective hit die (57-64 hp = 8 HD, 65-72 hp = 9 HD, and so on up to 121-128 hp = 16 HD). Thus, an 8 HD (57 hp) ihagnim that eats a 112 lb. figure gains a point to 58 hp; after eating an 88 lb. figure on the following round, it gains another point to 59 hp (carrying over the excess weight amount from the previous feeding). Once an ihagnim reaches a total of 128 hp, it will begin to divide into two smaller ihagnim, each with 8 HD and 57 hp. This process takes 5-10 rounds; the creature cannot move during that time.
The number of hit dice an ihagnim possesses is equal to its diameter in feet, its intelligence score, and its movement rate in tens of yards per round. Thus, a 16 HD ihagnim that undergoes fission will produce two smaller ihagnim that move at half the speed of the original one (8″ instead of 16″). The thick, plasticlike bodies of ihagnim reduce all damage taken by blunt weapons to one-half of its original amount; sharpedged weapons do normal damage. All ihagnim are immune to haste, slow, paralysis, hold, or charm attacks. Fire-based spells do half-damage; cold spells do normal damage and render the creature unable to attack (though it can still move) for 1-4 rounds thereafter. Psionic attacks do not affect ihagnim, and they cannot communicate with any creature, except each other.
Anyone entering the Astral Plane in possession of a bag of devouring will attract the ihagnim who made it within 1-12 turns as an extra encounter. Destroying a bag of devouring does no harm to the ihagnim, except to cause the nucleus to start manufacturing another bag, which will be completed in 1-4 weeks. An ihagnim may have only one such bag at any time.
When encountered, there is a 10% chance that an ihagnim will have various treasures contained in its stomach, put there by someone on the Prime Material Plane who thinks he or she is filling a bag of holding. The usual amounts of treasure found can be determined as follows:
30% chance of 100-400 gp
40 % chance of 200-800 ep
50% chance of 200-1200 sp
30% chance of 1-4 jewels
10% chance of 1-2 small magical items (potion, scroll, misc.)
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #89 (“Creature Catalog”, September 1984) accredited to Roger Moore.
Cleon
Hero
Ihagnim
Large Aberration (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 8d8+ (hp)
Initiative: +–
Speed: Fly ## ft. (perfect)( squares)[only on Astral plane?]
Armor Class: 20? (–1 size, +– Dex, + natural), touch 1, flat-footed 1
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+8
Attack: Tentacle +3 melee touch (grapple)
Full Attack: Four tentacles +3 melee touch (grapple)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. (15 ft. with tentacles)
Special Attacks: Devour, extraplanar lure, improved grab
Special Qualities: Damage reduction #/bludgeoning, darkvision 60 ft.?, fire resistance ##, immunities (haste, slow, hold, paralysis and all mind-affecting powers), sensitivity to cold, vulnerability to gravity
Saves: Fort +2+, Ref +2+, Will +5+
Abilities: Str [6/7?], Dex , Con , Int 8, Wis , Cha
Skills: Skill [11 SPs]
Feats: Feat, Feat, Feat, Bonusᴮ
Environment: Astral Plane
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: #
Treasure: [Incidental]
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 9–16 HD (Large)[see below]
Level Adjustment: —
Description.
Background.
Combat
Tactics.
Devour (Su): An ihagnim can try to devour a grabbed opponent its own size or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. Once devoured, the opponent is consumed in 1 round. The ihagnim destroys the victim's body and prevents any form of raising or resurrection that requires part of the corpse. There is a 50% chance that a wish, miracle, or true resurrection spell can restore a devoured victim to life. Check once for each destroyed creature. If the check fails, the creature cannot be brought back to life by mortal magic. Devoured creatures are considered to be grappled and trapped within the ihagnim's body. They have one round to escape or kill the ihagnim before being consumed, and can only use light slashing or piercing weapons to attack its interior (AC 20).
[Increase in HP/HD as it feeds.].
An ihagnim's interior can hold 1 Large, 4 Medium, 16 Small, 64 Tiny, or 256 Diminutive or smaller opponents, or up to 30 cubic feet of material.
Extraplanar Lure (Su): .
Immunities (Ex): .
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an ihagnim must hit with a tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can attempt to devour its foe the following round.
Sensitivity to Cold (Ex): .
Vulnerability to Gravity (Ex): .
Skills: .
Advanced Ihagnim
???
Large Aberration (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 8d8+ (hp)
Initiative: +–
Speed: Fly ## ft. (perfect)( squares)[only on Astral plane?]
Armor Class: 20? (–1 size, +– Dex, + natural), touch 1, flat-footed 1
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+8
Attack: Tentacle +3 melee touch (grapple)
Full Attack: Four tentacles +3 melee touch (grapple)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. (15 ft. with tentacles)
Special Attacks: Devour, extraplanar lure, improved grab
Special Qualities: Damage reduction #/bludgeoning, darkvision 60 ft.?, fire resistance ##, immunities (haste, slow, hold, paralysis and all mind-affecting powers), sensitivity to cold, vulnerability to gravity
Saves: Fort +2+, Ref +2+, Will +5+
Abilities: Str [6/7?], Dex , Con , Int 8, Wis , Cha
Skills: Skill [11 SPs]
Feats: Feat, Feat, Feat, Bonusᴮ
Environment: Astral Plane
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: #
Treasure: [Incidental]
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 9–16 HD (Large)[see below]
Level Adjustment: —
Description.
Background.
Combat
Tactics.
Devour (Su): An ihagnim can try to devour a grabbed opponent its own size or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. Once devoured, the opponent is consumed in 1 round. The ihagnim destroys the victim's body and prevents any form of raising or resurrection that requires part of the corpse. There is a 50% chance that a wish, miracle, or true resurrection spell can restore a devoured victim to life. Check once for each destroyed creature. If the check fails, the creature cannot be brought back to life by mortal magic. Devoured creatures are considered to be grappled and trapped within the ihagnim's body. They have one round to escape or kill the ihagnim before being consumed, and can only use light slashing or piercing weapons to attack its interior (AC 20).
[Increase in HP/HD as it feeds.].
An ihagnim's interior can hold 1 Large, 4 Medium, 16 Small, 64 Tiny, or 256 Diminutive or smaller opponents, or up to 30 cubic feet of material.
Extraplanar Lure (Su): .
Immunities (Ex): .
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an ihagnim must hit with a tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can attempt to devour its foe the following round.
Sensitivity to Cold (Ex): .
Vulnerability to Gravity (Ex): .
Skills: .
Advanced Ihagnim
???
Last edited:
Cleon
Hero
Okay then, let's rough out some basics.
To begin with, it seems prudent to refer to the 3E version of the bag of devouring, since that serves as the "feeding orifice" of an Ihagnim:
That seems like it'd serve as the basis for some kind of Devouring special attack. The bag of devouring uses grapple mechanics to determine whether it's devouring works, so I'm tempted to tweak the monster stats so the starting version has the same +8 grapple modifier as the bag.
However, it'll likely be an Ooze or an Aberration, which both have BAB equal to ¾ total Hit Dice, which is +6 for 8 HD. Add +4 for its Large size makes +10, so it'll only have grapple +8 if its Strength modifier were –2.
Strength 6 or 7 seems rather feeble, plus it'd give it a pretty lousy melee attack. Although I guess it could be a melee touch attack to grab its victims, which would.
It'd seem better to limit it to a number of creatures of a certain size, as is used for Swallow Whole. Maybe it can devour 1 Medium creature at a time?
To begin with, it seems prudent to refer to the 3E version of the bag of devouring, since that serves as the "feeding orifice" of an Ihagnim:
SRD said:
That seems like it'd serve as the basis for some kind of Devouring special attack. The bag of devouring uses grapple mechanics to determine whether it's devouring works, so I'm tempted to tweak the monster stats so the starting version has the same +8 grapple modifier as the bag.
However, it'll likely be an Ooze or an Aberration, which both have BAB equal to ¾ total Hit Dice, which is +6 for 8 HD. Add +4 for its Large size makes +10, so it'll only have grapple +8 if its Strength modifier were –2.
Strength 6 or 7 seems rather feeble, plus it'd give it a pretty lousy melee attack. Although I guess it could be a melee touch attack to grab its victims, which would.
Large Aberration or Ooze
Hit Dice: 8d#+# (## hp) [8d10 if Ooze, 8d8 if Aberration]
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+8
Attack: Tentacle +3 melee touch (grapple)
Full Attack: [Two? Four?] tentacles +3 melee touch (grapple)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./ 5 ft. (15 ft. with tentacles)
Special Attacks: Devouring, improved grab
Abilities: Str 6 or 7
Guess we could make it so the extraplanar application of Devouring is considered Medium sized as a bag of devouring itself is 2 foot by 4 foot, (or just give it a –4 circumstance penalty?). Then if the Ihagnim has Strength 14 or 15 it could have a +12 grapple as a Large ooze, and +8 grapple when devouring. If the tentacles had a regular melee attack, that'd be:
As Above, Except
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+12 (+8 when devouring)
Attack: Tentacle +7 melee (grapple)
Full Attack: [Two? Four?] tentacles +7 melee (grapple)
Abilities: Str 14 or 15
A point worth mentioning is a bag of holding type I has a maximum contents limit of 250 pounds as well as the 30 cubic feet volume limit. That weight is way too low for that volume. 250 lbs is roughly the weight of 4 cubic feet of water, and 30 cubic feet of water would be around 1,875 lbs or just under a ton.It'd seem better to limit it to a number of creatures of a certain size, as is used for Swallow Whole. Maybe it can devour 1 Medium creature at a time?
Last edited:
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
I'd forgotten we were going to do a bag of devouring monster!
I'm thinking aberration for these.
Since the bag is a free-floating organ, I'm fine with giving it a different grapple modifier than the main body, so I like your second option. I'm not even sure we need to make the bag's devouring attack an SA of the monster, since it's got it's own stats as a hazard-like item. I do agree that the digestion effects need to be the same as the bag's, though. It should be able to devour 1 Medium or maybe 1 Large critter at a time.
I'm thinking we should have a base Int score and put a note about advancement.
I'm thinking aberration for these.
Since the bag is a free-floating organ, I'm fine with giving it a different grapple modifier than the main body, so I like your second option. I'm not even sure we need to make the bag's devouring attack an SA of the monster, since it's got it's own stats as a hazard-like item. I do agree that the digestion effects need to be the same as the bag's, though. It should be able to devour 1 Medium or maybe 1 Large critter at a time.
I'm thinking we should have a base Int score and put a note about advancement.
Cleon
Hero
I couldn't make up my mind between Aberration and Ooze, so I'll agree to Aberration. At least they have a higher tendency to have an Intelligence score!
Updating the Ihagnim.
Well I was partially thinking that I didn't want it to devour creatures held by it's tentacles-pseudopods too easily since it's basically a death sentence unless the victim can escape on the next round, which would be rather difficult.
The stomach should have the same volume as a bag of devouring, since that's what the interior of the bag literally is. It'd make little point for it to be a different size! I'd be fine having the creature being able to Devour creatures up to Large size on the Astral Plane, since the limiting factor is the size of the bag's mouth.
An Ihagnim can devour multiple creatures simultaneously, since it can stuff one victim into its body per tentacle it possesses and it has up to four tentacle attacks.
So how about 1 Large creature and the usual exponential progression? (4 Medium, 16 Small, 64 Tiny et cetera).
Speaking of tentacles, the original monster could attack with 1-4 of them so presumably its Full Attack is with four tentacles. Can it attack the same creature with more than one of them? Can its tentacles be cut off? If so, they need hit points. Since they're spontaneously created pseudopods it can presumably reform a tentacle very quickly if it is damaged or severed, so I suppose damage to a tentacle must all be on the same round or in a single hit to sunder one and it repairs itself the next round (although the main body of the creature might take half damage).
Come to think of it, if the Ihagnim takes a round or two to pull its victim into "devouring range" that might address many of my concerns about it not devouring the entire party in a round. Perhaps it needs to make contested checks to slowly draws its victims closer, like a Roper's tentacles?
Cleon
Hero
After rereading the monster description above I remembered a more important reason why I wanted the main monster's grapple modifiers to match.
The original text says "A victim has a chance of pulling free from the tentacle equal to his chance of pulling free of a bag of devouring," which to me says it should employ the same numbers as the 3E bag of devouring, which uses a +8 grapple to determine if a victim gets devoured.
I think the easiest solution is to make it unusually weak. The thing spends its whole existence floating in the Astral Void and moves itself with its mind, so it has little need for muscles.
Updating the Ihagnim with both possibilities until we can agree on one.
Last edited:
Cleon
Hero
Oh, I'm wondering whether an Ihagnim can move, attack or even survive on the surface of a normal Prime Material world.
I'm thinking it might collapse under its own weight and quickly perish if summoned to a place with Earth-type gravity, since it's adapted to live in free fall on the Astral Plane.
Maybe give it an "Astral Dependency" special quality?
I'm thinking it might collapse under its own weight and quickly perish if summoned to a place with Earth-type gravity, since it's adapted to live in free fall on the Astral Plane.
Maybe give it an "Astral Dependency" special quality?
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
OK, I'm getting a concept of the ihagnim as the ultimate glass cannon monster. It has this great swallow whole devour attack, but it's pretty wimpy. That's why it needs the deceptive extra dimensional organ to eat things.
So I'm happy with the weaker version to get the grapple modifier to match the bag.
I also like the Swallow Whole size progression you have. In principle, it's odd to be able to swallow a critter as large as itself, but its insides are extra dimensional, after all!
What if it takes an extra grapple check to transfer a grabbed victim to its mouth before being able to swallow whole? I don't see any monsters in the SRD like that, but I think we must have done that before. And it's a little simpler than keeping track of dragging.
Oh, and I like the general idea, but what about "Vulnerable to Gravity" rather than "Astral Dependency"?
So I'm happy with the weaker version to get the grapple modifier to match the bag.
I also like the Swallow Whole size progression you have. In principle, it's odd to be able to swallow a critter as large as itself, but its insides are extra dimensional, after all!
What if it takes an extra grapple check to transfer a grabbed victim to its mouth before being able to swallow whole? I don't see any monsters in the SRD like that, but I think we must have done that before. And it's a little simpler than keeping track of dragging.
Oh, and I like the general idea, but what about "Vulnerable to Gravity" rather than "Astral Dependency"?
Cleon
Hero
I imagine the Ihagnim's stomach is on the Astral Plane like the rest of it, it's just elastic and shapeless enough to contain a horse. There are real life animals that can swallow creatures larger and heavier than themselves, such as some deep sea fish (e.g. Lophiiformes, Saccopharyngiformes) and they have skeletons limiting their ability to squeeze prey inside their bodies.
Updating the Ihagnim.
Well it doesn't have a mouth, it's more like an ooze's Engulf attack with it pulling a victim into its body with a tentacle but I was planning on it requiring a grapple check.
I still fancy it having to spend a round or two to drag its victim close enough to its body to "devour" using a mechanism similar to the Roper's strands:
Drag (Ex): If a roper hits with a strand attack, the strand latches onto the opponent’s body. This deals no damage but drags the stuck opponent 10 feet closer each subsequent round (provoking no attack of opportunity) unless that creature breaks free, which requires a DC 23 Escape Artist check or a DC 19 Strength check. The check DCs are Strength-based, and the Escape Artist DC includes a +4 racial bonus. A roper can draw in a creature within 10 feet of itself and bite with a +4 attack bonus in the same round. A strand has 10 hit points and can be attacked by making a successful sunder attempt. However, attacking a roper’s strand does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If the strand is currently attached to a target, the roper takes a -4 penalty on its opposed attack roll to resist the sunder attempt. Severing a strand deals no damage to a roper.
Hmm, if we use a modified version of that we don't need Improved Grab do we?
Should probably change the Special Attack's name to "Pseudopod" or the like and alter the attack lines "Tentacle(s)" to match.
Works for me!
Updating the Ihagnim.
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
Hmmm, I keep thinking of it having a mouth because of the bags.
I'm not seeing Drag for these, though. A roper's strands are 50 ft long vs 15 ft for the ihagnim's tentacles. I'm just thinking that the tentacles get Imp Grab. On a round that they have a critter grappled, they can take a grapple check to start Devouring it, a lot like Swallow Whole when a grapple victim is held in the mouth.
I'm not seeing Drag for these, though. A roper's strands are 50 ft long vs 15 ft for the ihagnim's tentacles. I'm just thinking that the tentacles get Imp Grab. On a round that they have a critter grappled, they can take a grapple check to start Devouring it, a lot like Swallow Whole when a grapple victim is held in the mouth.
Similar Threads
