Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[freyar]

OK, how about Spot 5;10;18, Listen 2;5;9 ?

For feats, I'll suggest Alertness, Weapon Focus (stamp); Snatch, Endurance, Power Attack; Improved Bull Rush, Awesome Blow, Improved Overrun, Stand Still.

 

[Cleon]

OK, how about Spot 5;10;18, Listen 2;5;9 ?

For feats, I'll suggest Alertness, Weapon Focus (stamp); Snatch, Endurance, Power Attack; Improved Bull Rush, Awesome Blow, Improved Overrun, Stand Still.

Looks good.

Updating the Working Draft.

Looks like we've only got Challenge Rating left.

 

[freyar]

The juvenile feels like CR 4, although the hp are a bit low.

Similarly, the adult looks better than t-rex despite the low hp, so maybe CR 9. Seems reasonable compared to the dragon turtle.

Don't know about the elder. It's got a big bag of hp and pretty good attacks, but there aren't many good analogous creatures. Maybe golems are a good comparison. So maybe CR 15-16. Similar to the greater stone golem?

 

[Cleon]

The juvenile feels like CR 4, although the hp are a bit low.

Similarly, the adult looks better than t-rex despite the low hp, so maybe CR 9. Seems reasonable compared to the dragon turtle.

Don't know about the elder. It's got a big bag of hp and pretty good attacks, but there aren't many good analogous creatures. Maybe golems are a good comparison. So maybe CR 15-16. Similar to the greater stone golem?

An area-of-effect stunning attack and Trample are worth a good deal, so Challenge Rating 4 & 9 for the Juvenile and Elder seems appropriate. However, 16 feels a little too high for the Elder. How about CR 4/9/15 for the Baby/Grownup/Elder?

Hmm, you may be on to something about the low hit points. Perhaps we should increase the Constitution across the board?

A Triceratops has Con 25 and is the same Huge size as an adult Quakedancer and has roughly the same AC and damage. It is CR 9 but has 4 more HD than an adult Quakedancer, but the 'dancer has the advantage of its stunning and swallow whole attacks, plus the better BAB and HD of being a magical beast.

What do you think of adding a +4 to all the Constitution scores, for Con 19/25/31. That would give it Hit Dice of 4d10+16 (38 hp)/12d10+84 (150 hp)/24d10+240 (372 hp).

 

[freyar]

I'd be fine with boosting Con, but then I think the elder one gets very hp-heavy. How about we boost to CR 16 with the higher Con?

 

[Cleon]

I'd be fine with boosting Con, but then I think the elder one gets very hp-heavy. How about we boost to CR 16 with the higher Con?

I'm not sure about CR16. Is it really as nasty as a Planetar or Nightwalker?

It'd be trivial for a high-level party to keep their distance and missile or spell it to death. It doesn't have greater teleport like a Planetar does, or the ability to cast spells as a 17th level cleric!

The CR 16 Nightwalker's a bit of a close match. The Elder may have almost twice as many HP as a Nightwalker, but its defenses are pretty mediocre apart from its Fort save.

I'm still preferring CR 15 for it, and I'm starting to wonder whether that might be a bit generous.

Anyhow, I'll update the Working Drafts' Constitutions and leave the Elder's CR with a red question.

 

[freyar]

Keeping at distance only works if they realize it's a sufficient threat just to kill it right away. Plus the dancing DC is 30, which a Con 20 level 15 barbarian (for example) is only going to make about 1/4 of the time (unless they took Great Fort). Let's say CR 15 if you're worried about pumping it up too much.

 

[Cleon]

Keeping at distance only works if they realize it's a sufficient threat just to kill it right away. Plus the dancing DC is 30, which a Con 20 level 15 barbarian (for example) is only going to make about 1/4 of the time (unless they took Great Fort). Let's say CR 15 if you're worried about pumping it up too much.

Come to think of it, what spells are effective at removing/resisting stunning?

The iron body spell (8th level) gives immunity to stunning amongst other advantages.

You can't just polymorph (4th level) into a vegepygmy and gain the Plant type's immunity to stuns, since that spell doesn't grant special qualities.

Arguably, a polymorph any object (8th level) would do the job.

Is there a spell lower level than heal (6th level) that can remove a stun? None of the restoration spells affect stunning.

Hmm, if it takes an 8th level spell to neutralize the threat of stunning maybe we should make it CR 16. Let's see what the other guys think...

Oh, here's a thought - perhaps we should change Quakedancing to a (Su) effect so it can be neutralized by a Bard's countersong ability?

 

[freyar]

The description doesn't make it sound Su. I'd rather leave it Ex and bump the CR to 16.

 

[Cleon]

The description doesn't make it sound Su. I'd rather leave it Ex and bump the CR to 16.

Quite, but the germane question is do you like the idea of Bards being able to countersing the Quakedance? We could easily leave it (Ex) and add a note that Bardic countersinging can neutralize it.