Converting monsters from Dungeon Magazine

[Shade]

For ability scores, the shivhad from Frostburn is of similar size and shape (as close as you'll get to this bizarro anatomy ). Here are its ability scores:

Str 32, Dex 15, Con 23, Int 21, Wis 14, Cha 12.

The physical ability scores could be comparable, but their Int scores differ by 7 points, so mental scores probably won't be similiar.

 

[Shade]

Prioritizing.

 

[BOZ]

For ability scores, the shivhad from Frostburn is of similar size and shape (as close as you'll get to this bizarro anatomy ). Here are its ability scores:

Str 32, Dex 15, Con 23, Int 21, Wis 14, Cha 12.

The physical ability scores could be comparable, but their Int scores differ by 7 points, so mental scores probably won't be similiar.

it’s… Bizarro!

I guess the physical scores are fine (maybe we can give/take up to 5 on each). And yes, the mental stats do need to change.

“A draknor cannot be magically controlled and, since its thought processes are so alien, it is immune to all forms of mental attack. Treat it as if it had a 25 wisdom on Table 5, page 17 of the 2nd Edition Player's Handbook.”

This passage can be taken literally to mean that it should have a Wis of 25, but given the phrasing I’d say it means rather that the creature would be immune to the following: “cause fear, charm person, command, friends, hypnotism, forget, hold person, ray of enfeeblement, scare, fear, charm monster, confusion, emotion, fumble, suggestion, chaos, feeblemind, hold monster, magic jar, quest, geas, mass suggestion, rod of rulership, antipathy/sympathy, death spell, and mass charm” or, in other words, simply mind-affecting effects.

A Cha of 12 might actually be fine, though.

 

[Shade]

I agree with the immunity to mind-affecting abilities rather than actual Wisdom of 25.

It strikes me as stronger, but less hardy, than the shivhad. So maybe increase the Str and decrease the Con. Dex is useful for its heat ray, so maybe a slight increase?

Perhaps: Str 35, Dex 17, Con 21, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 12?

 

[BOZ]

I agree with the immunity to mind-affecting abilities rather than actual Wisdom of 25.

It strikes me as stronger, but less hardy, than the shivhad. So maybe increase the Str and decrease the Con. Dex is useful for its heat ray, so maybe a slight increase?

Perhaps: Str 35, Dex 17, Con 21, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 12?

that’s all fine by me.

Let’s have a look at everything else that’s not specifically flavor text:

In the larval stage, a draknor is 55' wide, 40' long, and about 25' high, not
including the several dozen feeding tendrils that trail beneath. These tendrils can reach amazing lengths, up to a mile long at times. A draknor larva cannot move from its lair and thus has no movement rate. Its feeding tendrils, however, can slither like snakes at a movement rate of 15 and can burrow through solid rock at a movement rate of 9. This burrowing is achieved by melting the stone with the draknor's intense heat.

The draknor supports itself with 12 rock-hard extensions that attach to nearby cave walls.

A draknor's shell is the consistency of stone; attacks against its main body, suport tentacles, or lizardlike arms and claws are against AC -7. Its four dorsal tentacles are somewhat softer; they have an armor class of -1. It is the draknor's feeding tendrils and the gap between its two shells that are the softest; here the draknor is only AC 2.

If a tentacle hits, it constricts its target for 2-12 hp damage per round, with no to-hit roll necessary in subsequent rounds. Breaking free requires a strength of at least 22 or the severing of the tentacle. Each tentacle has 30 hp in addition to the body's total. Instead of constricting a target, or if its claws hit a being of size L or smaller with a number four or more over the number needed to hit, the draknor pops the victim into its mouth. Swallowed PCs take 10-100 hp damage per round due to both acid and heat, and can escape only by doing 50 hp damage to the draknor's interior, which is AC 2. If this is done, the victim is spit up immediately.

Fire and heat heal the draknor for a number of hit points equal to the attack's normal damage, up to the creature's maximum hit points.

It is immune to and reflects mind blast as well.

The 30 tendrils that trail under the draknor's body tap into heat reserves (usually pools of magma, but any continual source of great heat will do). Each tendril takes 10 hp damage to sever. If all the tendrils are severed, the draknor will no longer have a method of consuming heat and will die of starvation in about two weeks. As long as at least one of the tentacles is even partially intact, the draknor will regenerate all damage at the rate of 3 hp per round. For every 10 tentacles severed, the number of hit points regenerated per round decreases by one.

A draknor has two ways to attack assailants at long range. First, it can send a burrowing tentacle through the rocky ground under a target, causing a minor, localized earthquake that knocks teh target down on a successful hit. The victim must also save vs. paralyzation or be stunned for 2-5 rounds. The draknor can attack up to three targets per round in this fashion.

Second, in any round that it is not swallowing something, a draknor can choose to forego its regeneration and spew the heat from its mouth at any one target. This heat takes the form of a ruby-red ray that is 1' wide and up to 200' long. If this attack hits, the target must save vs. breath weapon or take 5-60 (5d12) hp damage (half damage if the save is made). Although the draknor is not damaged by its own heat ray, neither can it heal itself by striking itself with this ray.

 

[Shade]

In the larval stage, a draknor is 55' wide, 40' long, and about 25' high, not including the several dozen feeding tendrils that trail beneath. These tendrils can reach amazing lengths, up to a mile long at times. A draknor larva cannot move from its lair and thus has no movement rate. Its feeding tendrils, however, can slither like snakes at a movement rate of 15 and can burrow through solid rock at a movement rate of 9. This burrowing is achieved by melting the stone with the draknor's intense heat.

Is there any precedent for a creature that doesn't move, but its parts do?

The draknor supports itself with 12 rock-hard extensions that attach to nearby cave walls.

If nothing else, this should provide stability (+4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped). The bonus should probably be much higher, or simply state that they are immovable.

A draknor's shell is the consistency of stone; attacks against its main body, suport tentacles, or lizardlike arms and claws are against AC -7. Its four dorsal tentacles are somewhat softer; they have an armor class of -1. It is the draknor's feeding tendrils and the gap between its two shells that are the softest; here the draknor is only AC 2.

Having a different DC for tentacles is easy. The gap is a bit trickier, since there are no called shots in 3.5.

If a tentacle hits, it constricts its target for 2-12 hp damage per round, with no to-hit roll necessary in subsequent rounds. Breaking free requires a strength of at least 22 or the severing of the tentacle. Each tentacle has 30 hp in addition to the body's total. Instead of constricting a target, or if its claws hit a being of size L or smaller with a number four or more over the number needed to hit, the draknor pops the victim into its mouth. Swallowed PCs take 10-100 hp damage per round due to both acid and heat, and can escape only by doing 50 hp damage to the draknor's interior, which is AC 2. If this is done, the victim is spit up immediately.

Improved Grab, constrict, and swallow whole. Tentacle severing should be dealt with like the roper or kraken.

Fire and heat heal the draknor for a number of hit points equal to the attack's normal damage, up to the creature's maximum hit points.

Fire Healing (Su): A magical attack that deals fire damage heals 1 point of damage for each point of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the draknor to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. A draknor gets no saving throw against fire effects.

It is immune to and reflects mind blast as well.

Immunity to mind-affecting abilities will cover the immune part, but for the reflection, we'll need to add an ability.

The 30 tendrils that trail under the draknor's body tap into heat reserves (usually pools of magma, but any continual source of great heat will do). Each tendril takes 10 hp damage to sever. If all the tendrils are severed, the draknor will no longer have a method of consuming heat and will die of starvation in about two weeks. As long as at least one of the tentacles is even partially intact, the draknor will regenerate all damage at the rate of 3 hp per round. For every 10 tentacles severed, the number of hit points regenerated per round decreases by one.

We can borrow from the roper for tendril-severing.

Fast Healing (Ex): A draknor heals 3 points of damage per round as long as one of its tendrils is attached to a source of continual heat (such as magma). If 10 or more of its tentacles are severed, its fast healing is reduced to 2, and if 20 or more are severed, it is reduced to 1. A draknor does not benefit from its fast healing in any round in which it uses its heat ray.

A draknor has two ways to attack assailants at long range. First, it can send a burrowing tentacle through the rocky ground under a target, causing a minor, localized earthquake that knocks teh target down on a successful hit. The victim must also save vs. paralyzation or be stunned for 2-5 rounds. The draknor can attack up to three targets per round in this fashion.

Earthquake Strike (Ex): A draknor can send a burrowing tentacle through the rocky ground under a target, causing a minor, localized earthquake that knocks the target prone on a successful hit. The victim must also succeed on a DC X Fortitude(?) save or be stunned for 1d4+1 rounds. The draknor can attack up to three targets per round in this fashion.

Second, in any round that it is not swallowing something, a draknor can choose to forego its regeneration and spew the heat from its mouth at any one target. This heat takes the form of a ruby-red ray that is 1' wide and up to 200' long. If this attack hits, the target must save vs. breath weapon or take 5-60 (5d12) hp damage (half damage if the save is made). Although the draknor is not damaged by its own heat ray, neither can it heal itself by striking itself with this ray.

Heat Ray (Ex): A draknor may forego its fast healing for the round, instead spewing the heat it channels into a ruby-red ray. This ray has a maximum range of 200 feet with no range increments, and the target takes 5d12 points of fire damage (Reflex DC X halves). The draknor cannot heal itself with its heat ray. The save DC is Constitution(?)-based.

 

[BOZ]

In the larval stage, a draknor is 55' wide, 40' long, and about 25' high, not including the several dozen feeding tendrils that trail beneath. These tendrils can reach amazing lengths, up to a mile long at times. A draknor larva cannot move from its lair and thus has no movement rate. Its feeding tendrils, however, can slither like snakes at a movement rate of 15 and can burrow through solid rock at a movement rate of 9. This burrowing is achieved by melting the stone with the draknor's intense heat.

Is there any precedent for a creature that doesn't move, but its parts do?

the Presence? I don’t know. I’d say the mile-long tendrils are likely coiled up next to the draknor’s body in huge piles when not being used, and can travel (you’d be thinking of the tips as the parts that are moving, I guess) fairly quickly along the ground or burrowing.

If nothing else, this should provide stability (+4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped). The bonus should probably be much higher, or simply state that they are immovable.

Meh?

Immoveable (Ex): A draknor anchors itself to the cave walls of its lair using 12 rock-hard extensions. This renders a draknor immune to bull rush and trip attacks.

Having a different DC for tentacles is easy. The gap is a bit trickier, since there are no called shots in 3.5.

DC or AC?

Improved Grab, constrict, and swallow whole. Tentacle severing should be dealt with like the roper or kraken.

a bit sloppy, but how does this look for now?

An opponent can attack a draknor’s tentacles with a sunder attempt as if they were weapons. A draknor’s tentacles have 30 hit points each. If a draknor is currently grappling a target with the tentacle that is being attacked, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the opponent making the sunder attempt. Severing one of a draknor’s tentacles deals 15 points of damage to the creature. A draknor usually withdraws from combat if it loses (X) tentacles. The creature regrows severed limbs in (X) days.

Constrict (Ex): A draknor deals 2d6+X points of damage with a successful grapple check.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a draknor must hit with its claw or tentacle attack. 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 constrict if grappling with a tentacle. If grappling with a claw, the draknor transfers the opponent to its mouth and can attempt to swallow the foe in the following round.

Swallow Whole (Ex): A draknor can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of Huge or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. The swallowed creature takes X points of crushing damage plus X points of acid damage and X points of fire damage per round from the draknor’s gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 50? points of damage to the draknor’s gut (AC X). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out.

Fire Healing (Su): A magical attack that deals fire damage heals 1 point of damage for each point of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the draknor to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. A draknor gets no saving throw against fire effects.

sounds good, but does it need to be a magical attack? Let me reexamine the flavor text… it’s very possible that this ability and the one below need to be rolled into one…

Immunity to mind-affecting abilities will cover the immune part, but for the reflection, we'll need to add an ability.

OK.

Reflect Mind Blast (Su): If a draknor is hit by a mind blast ability, it can turn the mind blast back upon the creature attacking it. Instead of a 60-foot cone, this attack manifests as a line that strikes only the creature that attacked with the mind blast.

Should we keep the same DC, or increase it to the draknor’s level?

We can borrow from the roper for tendril-severing.

ah, damn. I don’t feel like rewriting that part again… remind me to do it later.

Fast Healing (Ex): A draknor heals 3 points of damage per round as long as one of its tendrils is attached to a source of continual heat (such as magma). If 10 or more of its tentacles are severed, its fast healing is reduced to 2, and if 20 or more are severed, it is reduced to 1. A draknor does not benefit from its fast healing in any round in which it uses its heat ray.

see my comment above.

Earthquake Strike (Ex): A draknor can send a burrowing tentacle through the rocky ground under a target, causing a minor, localized earthquake that knocks the target prone on a successful hit. The victim must also succeed on a DC X Fortitude(?) save or be stunned for 1d4+1 rounds. The draknor can attack up to three targets per round in this fashion.

Heat Ray (Ex): A draknor may forego its fast healing for the round, instead spewing the heat it channels into a ruby-red ray. This ray has a maximum range of 200 feet with no range increments, and the target takes 5d12 points of fire damage (Reflex DC X halves). The draknor cannot heal itself with its heat ray. The save DC is Constitution(?)-based.

I need a break. We’ll keep these two as-is, provisionally, and change them as needed based on the changes made to things above.

 

[Shade]

the Presence? I don’t know. I’d say the mile-long tendrils are likely coiled up next to the draknor’s body in huge piles when not being used, and can travel (you’d be thinking of the tips as the parts that are moving, I guess) fairly quickly along the ground or burrowing.

So, do we give it a movement rate of 0 ft.? Do we add the movement rate of the burrowing tentacles to the speed line, or mention it in the combat section? Do we list "up to one mile" on the space/reach line for burrowing tentacles?

Meh?

Immoveable (Ex): A draknor anchors itself to the cave walls of its lair using 12 rock-hard extensions. This renders a draknor immune to bull rush and trip attacks.

Perfecto!

DC or AC?

Well, Hell's bells, it's AC/DC.

Yeah, I meant AC.

a bit sloppy, but how does this look for now?

An opponent can attack a draknor’s tentacles with a sunder attempt as if they were weapons. A draknor’s tentacles have 30 hit points each. If a draknor is currently grappling a target with the tentacle that is being attacked, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the opponent making the sunder attempt. Severing one of a draknor’s tentacles deals 15 points of damage to the creature. A draknor usually withdraws from combat if it loses (X) tentacles. The creature regrows severed limbs in (X) days.

Constrict (Ex): A draknor deals 2d6+X points of damage with a successful grapple check.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a draknor must hit with its claw or tentacle attack. 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 constrict if grappling with a tentacle. If grappling with a claw, the draknor transfers the opponent to its mouth and can attempt to swallow the foe in the following round.

Swallow Whole (Ex): A draknor can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of Huge or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. The swallowed creature takes X points of crushing damage plus X points of acid damage and X points of fire damage per round from the draknor’s gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 50? points of damage to the draknor’s gut (AC X). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out.

Lookin' good. I'll revisit it once it hits homebrews, as I too, need a break.

sounds good, but does it need to be a magical attack? Let me reexamine the flavor text… it’s very possible that this ability and the one below need to be rolled into one…

Dunno.

OK.

Reflect Mind Blast (Su): If a draknor is hit by a mind blast ability, it can turn the mind blast back upon the creature attacking it. Instead of a 60-foot cone, this attack manifests as a line that strikes only the creature that attacked with the mind blast.

Cool! I like the "line instead of a cone" bit.

Should we keep the same DC, or increase it to the draknor’s level?

Hmmm...probably same DC. That seems to be the norm for reflected stuff.

ah, damn. I don’t feel like rewriting that part again… remind me to do it later.

Will do.

see my comment above.

Gotcha.

I need a break. We’ll keep these two as-is, provisionally, and change them as needed based on the changes made to things above.

Cool. I'm thinking that much of this will be easier to reexamine once it hits Homebrews, so we can see "the big picture".

 

[BOZ]

I think it’s about time to get back to this one, for obvious reasons.

I don’t really want to get on to the other conversions yet, until I hear back from Dragon. I had some questions that I want to see answers for before I get too deeply involved. But, since we were in the process of working on the draknor anyway, why keep it sitting there?

So, do we give it a movement rate of 0 ft.? Do we add the movement rate of the burrowing tentacles to the speed line, or mention it in the combat section? Do we list "up to one mile" on the space/reach line for burrowing tentacles?

the drankor itself should have a speed of 0 ft, assuming it is not capable of moving in and of itself.

The tentacles should probably receive an entry in the combat section as an Ex ability. In this section, it would state that the attacking ends of the tentacles can burrow at a certain rate, and they can move up to one mile from the draknor’s main body.

I would not put “up to one mile” on the reach, simply because people would assume that the draknor can then attack ALL targets within one mile of itself at any time – and that we do not want.

Having a different DC for tentacles is easy. The gap is a bit trickier, since there are no called shots in 3.5.

DC or AC?

Well, Hell's bells, it's AC/DC.

Yeah, I meant AC.

So then what, if anything, would you propose to do about that?

Fire Healing (Su): A magical attack that deals fire damage heals 1 point of damage for each point of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the draknor to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. A draknor gets no saving throw against fire effects.

sounds good, but does it need to be a magical attack? Let me reexamine the flavor text… it’s very possible that this ability and the one below need to be rolled into one…

Dunno.

any further thoughts?

Fast Healing (Ex): A draknor heals 3 points of damage per round as long as one of its tendrils is attached to a source of continual heat (such as magma). If 10 or more of its tentacles are severed, its fast healing is reduced to 2, and if 20 or more are severed, it is reduced to 1. A draknor does not benefit from its fast healing in any round in which it uses its heat ray.

Earthquake Strike (Ex): A draknor can send a burrowing tentacle through the rocky ground under a target, causing a minor, localized earthquake that knocks the target prone on a successful hit. The victim must also succeed on a DC X Fortitude(?) save or be stunned for 1d4+1 rounds. The draknor can attack up to three targets per round in this fashion.

Heat Ray (Ex): A draknor may forego its fast healing for the round, instead spewing the heat it channels into a ruby-red ray. This ray has a maximum range of 200 feet with no range increments, and the target takes 5d12 points of fire damage (Reflex DC X halves). The draknor cannot heal itself with its heat ray. The save DC is Constitution(?)-based.

I don’t have any further thoughts on these at the moment. This guy is a lot of work.

 

[Shade]

the drankor itself should have a speed of 0 ft, assuming it is not capable of moving in and of itself.

The tentacles should probably receive an entry in the combat section as an Ex ability. In this section, it would state that the attacking ends of the tentacles can burrow at a certain rate, and they can move up to one mile from the draknor’s main body.

I would not put “up to one mile” on the reach, simply because people would assume that the draknor can then attack ALL targets within one mile of itself at any time – and that we do not want.

Here's how I think we should do it: The draknor itself is immobile (0 ft. movement). However, it still has a Dex score and can make Reflex saves (even though immobile things usually cannot). Its "heat-seeking", noncombat tentacles still reach up to a mile (since it is necessary for it to survive), but its dorsal, "attack" tendrils have a reach more appropriate for a creature of its size (I'm thinking maybe 50 feet).

So then what, if anything, would you propose to do about that?

We could modify the weak spot ability from our very own great elder wyrm conversion.

Weak Spot (Ex): A confirmed critical hit on a natural 20 with a slashing or piercing weapon allows a creature to take advantage of an elder wyrm’s weak spot (if it remains exposed), increasing the weapon’s damage multiplier by one step (for example, a longsword which has a multiplier of x2 would have a multiplier of x3 against a great elder wyrm’s weak spot).

any further thoughts?

It probably shouldn't be limited to "magical" fire attacks. Any fire damage should suffice.

I don’t have any further thoughts on these at the moment. This guy is a lot of work.

Yeah, but he's worth it.