Converting Monsters from Dungeon Magazine

[demiurge1138]

I'm thinking Large due to The Golden Voyage of Sinbad.

In our exceptions, do we want to say that fire causes the wooden lady to emit smoke like a smokestick? The radius-per-damage is clunky, especially in the modern, 5ft-centric D&Dscape.

 

[Shade]

Good idea. Simple, yet effective.

 

[Cleon]

I'm thinking Large due to The Golden Voyage of Sinbad.

In our exceptions, do we want to say that fire causes the wooden lady to emit smoke like a smokestick? The radius-per-damage is clunky, especially in the modern, 5ft-centric D&Dscape.

I agree with it being Large since it's a "full-sized golem", and using a smokestick for when it's set alight is a great idea.

What shall we do with it statwise?

HP and AC it's roughly equivalent to a Stone Golem, but it has very low HD. The damage from its two slam attacks is impressive too - better than an AD&D Flesh Golem.

I think we'd should consider upping its Hit Dice. Maybe 12 HD, nicely between a Flesh's 9 HD and a Stone's 14 HD?

 

[demiurge1138]

Slotting it in between a flesh golem and a stone golem works for me, but only if we give it some manner of special attack--all golems except flesh have one, and this as written now is just a beat-stick.

How about DR 5/slashing and adamantine?

 

[freyar]

Perhaps it leaves splinters that do hp damage for some period of time? Or Dex damage or something?

The rest looks pretty good. I can get on board with 12HD and the proposed DR. I like the smokestick. Let's not forget a shrinking ability also (this is like a golem amulet/figurine of wondrous power or an amber amulet of vermin!).

 

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

I borrowed the plant growth effect from the 3.5 wood golem. Although it is far more effective than the original writeup, the wood golem is much lower HD and gets that benefit.

I upped the damage to 2d8, like a flesh golem. Do we want to go to 2d10 like a stone golem, or maybe find something in the middle like 3d6?

Suggested natural armor? A wood golem is +8 natural. The Thayan golem, also made of wood, is +11. Flesh is +10, stone +18.

The splintering ideas seems worth pursuing.

Give the organization a nautical name, like "fleet" or "armada" for more than 1?

 

[freyar]

Agreed to the enhanced effects from plant growth. Either 2d8 or 3d6 damage is ok, and I'd pick +10 or +11 natural. I like "armada"!

Oh, and there's an "eals" in the fire attack part of Immunity to Magic.

 

[Shade]

Fixed the "eals" to "deals", as intended.

 

[demiurge1138]

Splinters like a howler's quills appeal.

 

[Shade]

Great idea!

Let's "woodenize" this...

Quills (Ex): A howler’s neck bristles with long quills. While biting, the creature thrashes about, striking with 1d4 of them. An opponent hit by a howler’s quill attack must succeed on a DC 16 Reflex save or have the quill break off in his or her flesh. Lodged quills impose a –1 penalty on attacks, saves, and checks per quill. The save DC is Dexterity-based.

A quill can be removed safely with a DC 20 Heal check; otherwise, removing a quill deals an extra 1d6 points of damage.