Converting Monsters from Dungeon Magazine

[Cleon]

Yes, go ahead, Shade.

Or, here's a start:

Skinstealing (Ex): A windigo swarm can wear the skin of a Small, Medium, or Large dead creature. Any attack against the host deals half damage to the windigo as well. When a windigo steals the skin of a dead creature, it can restore animation to the creature and control its movements, effectively transforming it into a zombie (?) of the appropriate size for as long as the windigo wears its skin.

Need something about kicking it out, etc.

Surely the point of the procedure is to disguise itself as its victim. If it effectively transforming its victim into a zombie, then its victim looks like an undead and won't be fooling many people!

 

[freyar]

Yes, I was worried about that myself.

Skinstealing (Ex): A windigo can wear the skin of a Small, Medium, or Large dead creature. Any attack against the host deals half damage to the windigo as well. When a windigo steals the skin of a dead creature, it can restore animation to the creature and control its movements, acting as if the alternate form ability. However, after 1 hour?, the body begins to disintegrate, so the windigo cannot impersonate that creature again.

 

[Cleon]

Yes, I was worried about that myself.

Skinstealing (Ex): A windigo can wear the skin of a Small, Medium, or Large dead creature. Any attack against the host deals half damage to the windigo as well. When a windigo steals the skin of a dead creature, it can restore animation to the creature and control its movements, acting as if the alternate form ability. However, after 1 hour?, the body begins to disintegrate, so the windigo cannot impersonate that creature again.

There's nothing in the original about the windigo taking reduced damage while inside a skin, it's basically just like polymorph.

Oh, and it can only steal the skin of humanoids, and it must personally kill the victim.

Something like this...

Skinstealing (Ex): A windigo can wear the skin of a humanoid within one size category of its own size, taking on that humanoid's form and physical abilities as per the Alternate Form special ability. The windigo must personally kill a victim in order to steal its skin. A windigo can wear a stolen skin for up to 1 hour, whereupon the skin starts to rip and fray, returning the windigo to its true form. A windigo cannot take off a stolen skin without tearing and ruining it.

 

[Shade]

Something like this...

Skinstealing (Ex): A windigo can wear the skin of a humanoid within one size category of its own size, taking on that humanoid's form and physical abilities as per the Alternate Form special ability. The windigo must personally kill a victim in order to steal its skin. A windigo can wear a stolen skin for up to 1 hour, whereupon the skin starts to rip and fray, returning the windigo to its true form. A windigo cannot take off a stolen skin without tearing and ruining it.

This looks pretty good!

 

[Cleon]

This looks pretty good!

I suppose we'd better add a bit about the windigo being able to disguise itself in the stolen skin, with a bonus to Disguise checks.

Revising...

Skinstealing (Ex): A windigo can wear the skin of a humanoid within one size category of its own size, taking on that humanoid's form and physical abilities as per the Alternate Form special ability. The windigo must personally kill a victim in order to steal its skin. While wearing a stolen skin, the windigo gains the voice and appearance of its victim and can disguise itself as the victim (with a +10 bonus on its Disguise checks). A windigo can wear a stolen skin for up to 1 hour, whereupon the skin starts to rip and fray, returning the windigo to its true form. A windigo cannot take off a stolen skin without tearing and ruining it.

I think that covers everything, shall we shift it into the Homebrew?

 

[freyar]

Alternate Form already includes the Disguise bonus. From the SRD: "The creature is effectively camouflaged as a creature of its new form, and it gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks if it uses this ability to create a disguise."

 

[Cleon]

Alternate Form already includes the Disguise bonus. From the SRD: "The creature is effectively camouflaged as a creature of its new form, and it gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks if it uses this ability to create a disguise."

I was under the impression Alternate Form allowed a creature to disguise itself as an average creature of that type, not imitate a specific individual. Isn't it similar to an alter self spell in that regards, were "you are effectively disguised as an average member of the new form’s race".

e.g. plain vanilla Alternate Form would permit a windigo to disguise itself as an "average human" rather than "Joe the Hunter who mysteriously vanished a few hours ago".

Let's see, Alternate Form says the creature assumes "one or more specific alternate forms"and "the creature is effectively camouflaged as a creature of its new form", but makes no mention as to whether it can duplicate specific individuals.

Besides, we said the Skinstealing allows the windigo to take on the form and physical abilities of the victim, without saying it gives any of the other changes from Alternate Form (size, Disguise, natural armour, natural weapons, extraordinary special attacks).

Hmm, we could make that explicit...

Skinstealing (Ex) #1: If a windigo personally kills a humanoid within one size category of its own size, it can steal that humanoid's skin [as a full-round action?]. A windigo wearing a stolen skin takes on its victim's appearance, voice, size, and physical ability scores in a similar manner to the Alternate Form special ability. The windigo is effectively disguised as the individual whose skin it has stolen (with a +10 bonus on its Disguise checks). It gains none of the other benefits of Alternate Form. A windigo can wear a stolen skin for up to 1 hour, whereupon the skin starts to rip and fray, returning the windigo to its true form. A windigo cannot take off a stolen skin without tearing and ruining it.
​

However, I prefer keeping the natural armour, weapons, et cetera of Alternative Form, since that's closer to polymorph which the original description quoted in describing this ability...

Skinstealing (Ex) #2: If a windigo personally kills a humanoid within one size category of its own size, it can steal that humanoid's skin [as a full-round action?]. A windigo wearing a stolen skin takes on its victim's appearance, voice, and physical abilities as per the Alternate Form special ability. The windigo is effectively disguised as the individual whose skin it has stolen (with a +10 bonus on its Disguise checks). A windigo can wear a stolen skin for up to 1 hour, whereupon the skin starts to rip and fray, returning the windigo to its true form. A windigo cannot take off a stolen skin without tearing and ruining it.
​

Yes, I definitely prefer version #2.

 

[freyar]

Hmm, I was going to suggest Change Shape if we didn't want to alter the physical abilities, but I notice that Change Shape doesn't say anything about natural armor. Anyone know how natural armor would work for Change Shape?

Anyway, alternative #2 seems a bit better to me than #1.

 

[Cleon]

Hmm, I was going to suggest Change Shape if we didn't want to alter the physical abilities, but I notice that Change Shape doesn't say anything about natural armor. Anyone know how natural armor would work for Change Shape?

Since it doesn't say it changes, presumably it remains unchanged.

Anyway, alternative #2 seems a bit better to me than #1.

Anyhow, the original version says it works like AD&D's polymorph other, which include most of the creatures abilities, including AC, attacks, most special attacks, et cetera.

So, I'm OK keeping it Alternate Form.

So, is there anything you'd like to change or add to #2?

 

[freyar]

It seems ok as is.