Converting Monsters from Dungeon Magazine

[Shade]

That sounds about right. Retain the berserk from the other three puppets?

 

[Cleon]

That sounds about right. Retain the berserk from the other three puppets?

Sure, why not. Shall we keep the immunity to electricity as well?

I'd drop the Dex a lot to account for the poor AC.

That would give us something like this:

Puppet, Zombie
Small Construct
Hit Dice: 1d10+10 (15 hp)
Initiative: -3
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 13 (+1 size, -3 Dex, +5 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-3
Attack: Slam +2 melee (1d6+1)
Full Attack: 2 slams +2 melee (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: ---
Special Qualities: Berserk, construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to electricity, low-light vision, tomb tainted
Saves: Fort +0, Ref -3, Will +0
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 5, Con -, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 14
Skills: ---
Feats: ---
Environment: Any land
Organization: Solitary, pair, or gang (3-4)
Challenge Rating: 1?
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: ---
Level Adjustment: ---

Berserk (Ex): When a zombie puppet enters combat, there is a cumulative 1% chance each round that its elemental spirit breaks free and the golem goes berserk. The uncontrolled puppet goes on a rampage, attacking the nearest living creature or smashing some object smaller than itself if no creature is within reach, then moving on to spread more destruction. The puppet's creator, if within 60 feet, can try to regain control by speaking firmly and persuasively to the puppet, which requires a DC 19 Charisma check. It takes 1 minute of inactivity by the puppet to reset the puppet's berserk chance to 0%

 

[Shade]

I'm assuming the "Int 6" is a typo, since they're mindless.

I'll add 'em to Homebrews.

Do we want to give 'em anything else, or are these essentially done already?

 

[Cleon]

I'm assuming the "Int 6" is a typo, since they're mindless.

More like "forgot to cut it out after copy-n-pasting the Stun Puppet".

I'll add 'em to Homebrews.

Do we want to give 'em anything else, or are these essentially done already?

I was thinking of increasing the speed to 30 ft., since the original had Move 12, but apart from that they look finished to me.

 

[Shade]

Speed boosted.

Here's the next not-that-much-to-it creature...

Undead Trophy Heads (12): INT 0; AL N; AC 8; MV 0; HD 1/2; hp 2 each; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1-2; MR nil; SZ S; ML special; XP 15.

The heads are attached to the walls and have little range of movement. They attack with horns, antlers, or teeth. They are immune to sleep, charm, hold, and cold-based spells. They never check morale.

Jerretiere uses her animate dead ability to animate the trophy heads lining the walls. Although the heads have little value as attacking monsters, PCs witnessing the animated heads must make a horror check.

Originally appeared in Dungeon Magazine #64 (1997).

 

[Cleon]

Not much to go here.

Immobile, tiny half-hit dice undead with a bite attack and some kind of fear special attack.

Heck, if they're Tiny and immobile the PCs would have to walk into their square to bite them. Let's either increase their Reach or make them Small.

 

[Shade]

To make 'em more intersting, we could allow them to fly, and just assume these are "tethered".

Imagine a far less deadly vargouille...

 

[Cleon]

To make 'em more intersting, we could allow them to fly, and just assume these are "tethered".

Imagine a far less deadly vargouille...

OK by me.

How's this for a start:

Undead Trophy Head
Small Undead
Hit Dice: ½d12 (3 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: Fly 30 ft. (6 squares)(perfect)
Armor Class: 13 (+1 size, +2 Dex) touch 13, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-6
Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d6-2)
Full Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d6-2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: "Horrifying Appearance"
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., flight, undead traits
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +2
Abilities: Str 7, Dex 15, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 14
Skills: —
Feats: Weapon Finesse (B)
Environment: Any?
Organization: ?
Challenge Rating: 1/3?
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil?
Advancement: 2 HD (Small); 3 HD (Medium) ?
Level Adjustment: —

Combat

Flight (Su): An undead trophy head can cease or resume flight as a free action. A head that loses this ability falls and can perform only a single action (either a move action or an attack action) each round.

 

[Shade]

That's a good start.

Since it only has one gimmick, I'd prefer the "horror check" be worse than simply shaken. How about panicked for 1d4+4 rounds?

I'd like to note in the combat section that some have gore attacks instead of bites, since that was noted in the brief original writeup.

 

[Cleon]

That's a good start.

Since it only has one gimmick, I'd prefer the "horror check" be worse than simply shaken. How about panicked for 1d4+4 rounds?

Certainly we need to boost it. I was thinking frightened/unfazed or panicked/shaken depending on saves and whether the opponent has more HD than the head.

Alternatively, we could make it cumulative - save each round or be shaken, then frightened, then panicked, effects last until X rounds after leaving the area of effect.

I favour the former.

I'd like to note in the combat section that some have gore attacks instead of bites, since that was noted in the brief original writeup.

Me too!