Converting monsters from Dungeon Magazine

[BOZ]

Is that guy related to the wyste?

Filby's got your answer. but it was a good question. However, given the far removal of the appearances of the two creatures? I doubt the respective designers were thinking of each other.

Bebiliths, among others, can Rend Armor:

Rend Armor (Ex): If a bebilith hits with both claw attacks, it pulls apart any armor worn by its foe. This attack deals 4d6+18 points of damage to the opponent's armor. Creatures not wearing armor are unaffected by this special attack. Armor reduced to 0 hit points is destroyed. Damaged armor may be repaired with a successful Craft (armorsmithing) check.

cool, thanks, I didn't even think of that.

Although you've got fast healing listed on the SQ line, I think regeneration is more appropriate.

I don't see using regeneration for the t. The descriptions sounds much more like fast healing.

"If injured but not slain, the tyrannabyss can regenerate 1 hp per turn in seawater."

I'm with the Knight on this one. though it may need a description, since it only works underwater.

Don't forget the paralysis effect. Also, the stinger should propably also be added to the special attacks line, if it can only be used once every three rounds (we had that discussion recently, but how long did rounds last back then?).

even worse, these are not AD&D rounds, since this was a Basic(?) D&D creature, so I have no idea.

"The sting can only be used once; then, 3 turns are required for it to be rearmed."

I'll tell you this much though; in AD&D, a "turn" meant 10 rounds. I don't know how D&D ruled that. So, if it takes 30 rounds to rearm, then it is only a once-per-combat attack.

I may start a thread in the D&D Rules forum for some issues we're having with this guy.

 

[Knight Otu]

Filby's got your answer.

but it was a good question. However, given the far removal of the appearances of the two creatures? I doubt the respective designers were thinking of each other.

Propably. But that doesn't prevent them from being related. Think dwarf and azer.

I'm with the Knight on this one.

though it may need a description, since it only works underwater.

Bit like the mephit:

Fast Healing (Ex): A water mephit heals only if it is exposed to rain or submerged up to its waist in water.

Now we only need to know how long a turn was supposed to be.

 

[Shade]

Good catch on the mephit. I'm still not convinced fast healing is appropriate, since its healing was far from fast in previous editions (once per 10 minutes!). It is more akin to a ring of regeneration.

Add my vote to those who don't think it's related to the wyste.

 

[BOZ]

"Its circular mouth is lined with rasping teeth. If its prey is hit by both clawed tentacles (1d4 hp damage each), it is drawn up against this orifice for an automatic 1d6 hp damage per round of contact. This mouth can rasp through armor at a rate equal in rounds to the difference between the AC and 10. For example, chain mail (AC 5) requires 5 rounds before actual damage to the victim results, while plate mail (AC 3) requires 7 rounds. If the victim breaks away before it takes any personal injury, damage to the armor still takes place."

Rend Armor (Ex): If a tyrannabyss hits with both claw attacks, it pulls apart any armor worn by its foe. This attack deals (4d6+18) points of damage to the opponent?s armor. Creatures not wearing armor are unaffected by this special attack. Armor reduced to 0 hit points is destroyed. Damaged armor may be repaired with a successful Craft (armorsmithing) check.

I think the rend armor attack is close, but not quite on. For the bebilith, you have a creature ripping apart armor (not damaging the character), but here, you have a sawing mouth that grinds through the armor to get at the character underneath. Therefore, we probably need an improved grab combo, with the rend armor. If no armor is worn, or the armor is destroyed, then the character takes the bite damage instead.


As for fast healing, I'm not going to worry about it saying any old stupid 1 hp per turn, and assume that mean a round instead.

Fast Healing (Ex): A tyrannabyss heals only if it is submerged in seawater.


"Below the mouth of the tyrannabyss is its primary hunting weapon, an elongating tube that can fire a barbed sting to a range of 10'. Its sting paralyzes (saving throw applicable) its prey and the tube is retracted to draw its victim within range of its tentacles. If the saving throw is made, victims with a strength of 15 or better can resist the pulling tube, but take 1 hp damage per round due to the lacerations from the barbed sting. The sting can only be used once; then, 3 turns are required for it to be rearmed."

For the moment, I'm not going to worry about how long it takes to reload. We can resolve that later. For starters, I looked at an old 3.0 conversion here on ENworld (done by Southern Oracle, who still posts from time to time): http://66.34.111.89/Eric/conversions/tyrannabyss.rtf and found something that we can hopefully adapt:

SA -- stinger: The stinger can be fired a maximum of 15 feet and has a range increment of 5 feet. It causes 1d4+3 damage and delivers a paralytic poison. The tyrannabyss takes 3 rounds to retract the stinger, allowing an opposed Str check each round to break free. Anyone breaking free suffers an additional 1 damage from the barb tearing free. When completely reeled in, a victim is subject to automatic bite attacks. The stinger tentacle has AC 14 and can take 8 points of slashing damage before being severed.
SA -- paralysis (ex): Anyone struck by the stinger must make a successful Fortitude save (DC 16) or be paralyzed for 2d6 rounds.


"It has the ability to assume the coloration of its surroundings and its boneless body can squeeze through openings considerably smaller than its body size. It cannot squeeze under doors or through small cracks. If a man can crawl through an opening, so can a tyrannabyss."

And from the same conversion:

SQ -- camouflage (ex): This grants the tyrannabyss a +4 circumstance bonus to Hide checks.
SQ -- contraction (ex): The tyrannabyss has no bones or solid organs and is able to squeeze itself through openings much smaller than its apparent size. As a general rule, if a Medium-size or larger creature is able to fit through an opening, so is the tyrannabyss.

 

[Shade]

Fast healing it is. I surrender.

As for camouflage, it now is rolled into the Skills line unless it is an active, magical or psionic ability (like the yuan-ti).

More on the rest later.

 

[BOZ]

As for camouflage, it now is rolled into the Skills line unless it is an active, magical or psionic ability (like the yuan-ti).

right - as I was fervently reminded while working on MG: Marsh and Aquatic with you all.

borrowing a bit from our Trog friends:

Skills: A tyrannabyss has the ability to assume the coloration of its surroundings, providing a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks.

More on the rest later.

I?ll be waiting; no hurry.

 

[Shade]

I think the rend armor attack is close, but not quite on. For the bebilith, you have a creature ripping apart armor (not damaging the character), but here, you have a sawing mouth that grinds through the armor to get at the character underneath. Therefore, we probably need an improved grab combo, with the rend armor. If no armor is worn, or the armor is destroyed, then the character takes the bite damage instead.

I agree. Doing damage to the armor each round should emulate what they originally intended. The armor's hardness should account for the AC differences listed.

"Below the mouth of the tyrannabyss is its primary hunting weapon, an elongating tube that can fire a barbed sting to a range of 10'. Its sting paralyzes (saving throw applicable) its prey and the tube is retracted to draw its victim within range of its tentacles. If the saving throw is made, victims with a strength of 15 or better can resist the pulling tube, but take 1 hp damage per round due to the lacerations from the barbed sting. The sting can only be used once; then, 3 turns are required for it to be rearmed."

For the moment, I'm not going to worry about how long it takes to reload. We can resolve that later. For starters, I looked at an old 3.0 conversion here on ENworld (done by Southern Oracle, who still posts from time to time): http://66.34.111.89/Eric/conversions/tyrannabyss.rtf and found something that we can hopefully adapt:

SA -- stinger: The stinger can be fired a maximum of 15 feet and has a range increment of 5 feet. It causes 1d4+3 damage and delivers a paralytic poison. The tyrannabyss takes 3 rounds to retract the stinger, allowing an opposed Str check each round to break free. Anyone breaking free suffers an additional 1 damage from the barb tearing free. When completely reeled in, a victim is subject to automatic bite attacks. The stinger tentacle has AC 14 and can take 8 points of slashing damage before being severed.
SA -- paralysis (ex): Anyone struck by the stinger must make a successful Fortitude save (DC 16) or be paralyzed for 2d6 rounds.

How about modifiy the bonespears's abilities a bit:

Attach (Ex): If a bonespear hits with a horn attack, the horn buries itself in its target, held in place by numerous barbs on the horn's surface. EAch round thereafter that a creature remains impaled by a horn, it takes additional horn damage automatically and incurs a cumulative -1 circumstance penalty on attack rolls, saves, and skill checks. On the bonespear's turn in subsequent rounds, it attempts to drag its prey closer (see below).
A single attack with a slashing weapon against a tendon (made as an attempt to sunder a weapon) that deals at least 15 points of damage severs a horn from its tendon. A creature impaled by a severed horn takes 1d6 points of damage per round automatically until the horn is removed. Removing a horn (a full-round action) deals 2d8 points of damage to the victim, but if the character removing the horn makes a successful Heal check (DC 20), this damage is reduced to 1d4 points.

Drag: After spearing a victim, a bonespear attempts to drag the victim closer on the bonespear's turn in each subsequent round. This activity resembles the bull rush maneuver, except that the bonespear drags its victim 10 feet closer +1 foot for each point by which its Strength check exceeds the victim's. The bonespear gains a +4 bonus on its drag check if it is set in its immobile stance. Against a Medium victim, the bonespear's Strength modifier is +10, or +14 if it is set in its stance.

A bonespear can draw in a creature from a distance of 10 feet or less and bite with a +4 bonus on its attack roll in the same round.

Horns (Ex): Most encounters with a bonespear begin when it fires its two horns. If a horn misses its intended target, it is quickly reeled in. Reeling in a horn is a full-round action. Each horn has a range of 60 feet (no range increment). A bonespear will always try to hit a single target with both horns, but is capable of attaching to two different targets at the same time.

"It has the ability to assume the coloration of its surroundings and its boneless body can squeeze through openings considerably smaller than its body size. It cannot squeeze under doors or through small cracks. If a man can crawl through an opening, so can a tyrannabyss."

And from the same conversion:

SQ -- contraction (ex): The tyrannabyss has no bones or solid organs and is able to squeeze itself through openings much smaller than its apparent size. As a general rule, if a Medium-size or larger creature is able to fit through an opening, so is the tyrannabyss.

It sounds kinda like amorphous ability of oozes. I could've sworn that amorphous was an ability, but I can't find any critters that have it. Regardless, I think we can polish us what you posted as follows:

Semi-amorphous (Ex): The tyrannabyss has no bones or solid organs and is able to squeeze itself through openings much smaller than its apparent size. Treat the tyrannabyss as a creature two size categories smaller for purposes of determining what hampers movement and when squeezing (see Player's Handbook, page 148).

Note: I couldn't find the squeezing rules in the SRD, but I'll bet they're in there somewhere.

 

[Knight Otu]

Note: I couldn't find the squeezing rules in the SRD, but I'll bet they're in there somewhere.

Combat II.

Squeezing: In some cases, you may have to squeeze into or through an area that isn’t as wide as the space you take up. You can squeeze through or into a space that is at least half as wide as your normal space. Each move into or through a narrow space counts as if it were 2 squares, and while squeezed in a narrow space you take a –4 penalty on attack rolls and a –4 penalty to AC.

Since it normally works off the space of the creature: 1/3? 1/4?

 

[BOZ]

I agree. Doing damage to the armor each round should emulate what they originally intended. The armor's hardness should account for the AC differences listed.

you’re right about that – this guy’s mouth is like a can opener. How’s this for a starter:

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a tyrannabyss must hit with both tentacle attacks. 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 rend the character’s armor.

Rend Armor (Ex): On a successful grapple check, a tyrannabyss pulls a character to its mouth and rips apart any armor worn by its foe. This attack deals (4d6+18) points of damage to the opponent’s armor. Creatures not wearing armor are unaffected by this special attack. Armor reduced to 0 hit points is destroyed. Damaged armor may be repaired with a successful Craft (armorsmithing) check. (If the character’s armor is destroyed, or the character is not wearing any armor, the damage is instead done to the character?)

How about modifiy the bonespears's abilities a bit:

Might as well mix this up with the more current roper rules, too:

Drag (Ex): If a tyrannabyss hits with a stinger attack, the stinger buries itself in its target, held in place by numerous barbs on the stinger's surface. Each round thereafter that a creature remains impaled by a stinger, it takes additional stinger damage automatically and incurs a cumulative -1 circumstance penalty on attack rolls, saves, and skill checks.

After impaling a victim, a tyrannabyss drags the opponent 10 feet closer each subsequent round (provoking no attack of opportunity) unless that creature breaks free, which requires a DC X Escape Artist check or a DC X Strength check. The check DCs are Strength-based, and the Escape Artist DC includes a +4 racial bonus. Either way, the stinger breaks off in the victim and the victim remains impaled. A tyrannabyss can draw in a creature within 10 feet of itself and bite with a +4 attack bonus in the same round.

The stinger has 10 hit points and can be attacked by making a successful sunder attempt. However, attacking a tyrannabyss’s stinger does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If the stinger is currently attached to a target, the tyrannabyss takes a –4 penalty on its opposed attack roll to resist the sunder attempt. Severing the stinger deals no damage to a tyrannabyss, but the victim remains impaled by the severed stinger.

A creature impaled by a broken stinger takes (1d6) points of damage per round automatically until the stinger is removed. Removing a stinger (a full-round action) deals (2d8) points of damage to the victim, but if the character removing the stinger makes a successful Heal check (DC 20), this damage is reduced to (1d4) points.

A tyrannabyss can draw in a creature and make tentacle rake attacks with a +4 bonus on its attack roll in the same round. It takes (X rounds) to rearm the stinger; in the meantime, the tyrannabyss cannot use this attack again.


Stinger (Ex): Most encounters with a tyrannabyss begin when it fires its barbed stinger. If a stinger misses its intended target, it is quickly reeled in. Reeling in the stinger is a full-round action. The stinger has a range of 10 feet (no range increment).

Paralysis (Ex): Living creatures hit by a tyrannabyss’ stinger must succeed on a DC X Fortitude save or be paralyzed (for X rounds).

It sounds kinda like amorphous ability of oozes. I could've sworn that amorphous was an ability, but I can't find any critters that have it. Regardless, I think we can polish us what you posted as follows:

Boneless (Ex): The tyrannabyss has no bones or solid organs and is able to squeeze itself through openings much smaller than its apparent size. Treat the tyrannabyss as a creature two size categories smaller for purposes of determining what hampers movement and when squeezing (see Player's Handbook, page 148).

Note: I couldn't find the squeezing rules in the SRD, but I'll bet they're in there somewhere.

that is absolutely perfect. if it’s not in the SRD, then I guess we do need the PHB reference.

 

[Knight Otu]

that is absolutely perfect. if it’s not in the SRD, then I guess we do need the PHB reference.

*coughpreviouspostcough*