Converting monsters from First Edition modules
- Thread starter BOZ
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BOZ
Creature Cataloguer
ok, here's a new one for this thread. dug this odd feller up, not sure what to do with it. whee!! 
Ba'atun
FREQUENCY: Very Rare
NO. APPEARING: 8-64 plus leaders
ARMOUR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 9"/21" (MC:C)
HIT DICE: 2+1/variable
%IN LAIR: 10%
TREASURE TYPE: E, Q (x5)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6/1-4/1-4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENCES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Average to genius
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Evil
SIZE: M (519" tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/defense modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: Variable
History: From where the ba'atun first came no one is sure. Some claimed they were demons made from snow, while others thought they were exiles, banished from a frozen parallel world. What little is known to a few erudite sages, is that several millenia ago they arrived in the Cloudscape Mountains with their constant companions - death and destruction. For a brief period it looked as though the mountains and surrounding lands would fall to their onslaught. An alliance between the aarakocra, the cloud giants and the arch-mage Devral halted the ba'atun attacks and succeeded in imprisoning their leader Yesorkh Pahyeh (see From the Dark Past - page 2). During the following centuries the days of the ba'atun terror were forgotten. Now they have returned, and are once again preparing to spread their evil.
Appearance: Ba'atun have large white, bat-like wings. Their fur is an icy blue colour and they have red rumps. Facially, ba'atun resemble baboons with long snouts and sharp fanged teeth set in red maws. Their eyes are bright blue and red rimmed. The ba'atun have their own language and are not normally able to speak anything else (alignment tongue excepted).
Attacks: Ba'atun bite with their sharp vicious teeth (1-6) and rend with their dirty claws (1-4/1-4). They are not able to attack more than one target per round. When attacking, ba'atun emit a loud piercing and chilling screech which affects all creatures within 60 feet. Creatures hearing the screech must save vs. Spells at +4 or be struck by fear and unable to take any offensive actions for I round. Each round that the screeching lasts, characters must make a successful saving throw (before initiative is determined) to be able to act. Only one saving throw per round is required, no matter how many ba'atun there are.
Ba'atun make all saving throws vs. cold attacks at +2, and take either half or no damage from such attacks. They are allowed a saving throw against ice storm spells, with success resulting in half damage. Against fire attacks, ba'atun have a penalty of -2 to saying throws.
Organisation: Ba'atun are organised into squads of 8, each led by a 3 hit dice wing sergeant. Two squads form a flight (led by a flight leader), and two flights make up a swarm (led by a swarm leader).
Flight leaders have an armour class of 3, and 5 hit dice. A flight leader's strength and skill gives him a +1 bonus to damage on all attacks. A flight leader carries a sling and three web stones, which, upon hitting a creature or surface, create small sticky webs in a five-foot-diameter area (similar to a web spell, see PHB p72, but needing no anchor points, duration 3 turns). Once per day, a flight leader can fire shards of ice from his hand, at a creature up to 5" away. The shards cause 2d8 points of damage (make a saving throw vs. Breath for half damage).
Swarm leaders have 7 hit dice, armour class 1, and a +2 bonus on to hit and damage rolls. A swarm leader usually carries 1-3 ice javelins, which are considered to be +2 weapons for purposes of creatures hit only by magical weapons, and which do 1d6 points of damage against small creatures and 1d8 against large. In addition, a successful hit causes the weapon to explode in a volley of icy splinters which inflict an extra 2d8 points of damage to all within 10 feet of the blast (make a saving throw vs. Breath for half damage; creatures wearing magical armour take half or no damage).
As well as being able to fire shards of ice from their hands (cf. flight leaders), swarm leaders have the ability, once per day, to create a ray of cold. The ray is a cone 50 feet long and 20 wide at the base, and causes 3d8 points of damage to all creatures within it. A successful saving throw vs. Breath results in half damage.
Ba'atun clerics: A ba'atun lair will usually have a temple where bloody rites are celebrated regularly by a ba'atun high priest. The high priest has the abilities of a 7th level cleric and can create a ray of cold and ice shards once per day (see above). In addition to the high priest, there will be a 4th level priest and 2-5 2nd level acolytes (2+1 HD). Ba'atun clerics shave their heads, exposing the pink skin beneath. They also colour their bodies with blood-red ochre to intimidate their enemies.
SUMMARY OF BA'ATUN ATTACKS
________________________________________________ICE SHARDS_________COLD RAY_______WEB STONES_______ICE JAVELIN
TYPE_____________THAC0__DAMAGE____________AC__(Range/AofE/Dmg)_(Cone size/Dmg) (Range/AofE/Drtn)__(Range/Dmg)
normal ba'atun___16_____1d6/1d4/1d4________4_______---______________---______________---______________---
wing sergeant____16_____1d6/1d4/1d4________4_______---______________---______________---______________---
flight leader____15_____1d6+1/1d4+1/1d4+1__3__5"/5 feet/2d8_________---_______16'/5'diam./3 turns_____---
swarm leader_____11_____1d6+2/1d4+2/1d4+2__1__5”/5 feet/2d8____50' x 20'/3d8_________---___________6"/ld6+2d8
_________________________________________________________________________________________________(ice splinters)
Ba'atun
FREQUENCY: Very Rare
NO. APPEARING: 8-64 plus leaders
ARMOUR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 9"/21" (MC:C)
HIT DICE: 2+1/variable
%IN LAIR: 10%
TREASURE TYPE: E, Q (x5)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6/1-4/1-4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENCES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Average to genius
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Evil
SIZE: M (519" tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/defense modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: Variable
History: From where the ba'atun first came no one is sure. Some claimed they were demons made from snow, while others thought they were exiles, banished from a frozen parallel world. What little is known to a few erudite sages, is that several millenia ago they arrived in the Cloudscape Mountains with their constant companions - death and destruction. For a brief period it looked as though the mountains and surrounding lands would fall to their onslaught. An alliance between the aarakocra, the cloud giants and the arch-mage Devral halted the ba'atun attacks and succeeded in imprisoning their leader Yesorkh Pahyeh (see From the Dark Past - page 2). During the following centuries the days of the ba'atun terror were forgotten. Now they have returned, and are once again preparing to spread their evil.
Appearance: Ba'atun have large white, bat-like wings. Their fur is an icy blue colour and they have red rumps. Facially, ba'atun resemble baboons with long snouts and sharp fanged teeth set in red maws. Their eyes are bright blue and red rimmed. The ba'atun have their own language and are not normally able to speak anything else (alignment tongue excepted).
Attacks: Ba'atun bite with their sharp vicious teeth (1-6) and rend with their dirty claws (1-4/1-4). They are not able to attack more than one target per round. When attacking, ba'atun emit a loud piercing and chilling screech which affects all creatures within 60 feet. Creatures hearing the screech must save vs. Spells at +4 or be struck by fear and unable to take any offensive actions for I round. Each round that the screeching lasts, characters must make a successful saving throw (before initiative is determined) to be able to act. Only one saving throw per round is required, no matter how many ba'atun there are.
Ba'atun make all saving throws vs. cold attacks at +2, and take either half or no damage from such attacks. They are allowed a saving throw against ice storm spells, with success resulting in half damage. Against fire attacks, ba'atun have a penalty of -2 to saying throws.
Organisation: Ba'atun are organised into squads of 8, each led by a 3 hit dice wing sergeant. Two squads form a flight (led by a flight leader), and two flights make up a swarm (led by a swarm leader).
Flight leaders have an armour class of 3, and 5 hit dice. A flight leader's strength and skill gives him a +1 bonus to damage on all attacks. A flight leader carries a sling and three web stones, which, upon hitting a creature or surface, create small sticky webs in a five-foot-diameter area (similar to a web spell, see PHB p72, but needing no anchor points, duration 3 turns). Once per day, a flight leader can fire shards of ice from his hand, at a creature up to 5" away. The shards cause 2d8 points of damage (make a saving throw vs. Breath for half damage).
Swarm leaders have 7 hit dice, armour class 1, and a +2 bonus on to hit and damage rolls. A swarm leader usually carries 1-3 ice javelins, which are considered to be +2 weapons for purposes of creatures hit only by magical weapons, and which do 1d6 points of damage against small creatures and 1d8 against large. In addition, a successful hit causes the weapon to explode in a volley of icy splinters which inflict an extra 2d8 points of damage to all within 10 feet of the blast (make a saving throw vs. Breath for half damage; creatures wearing magical armour take half or no damage).
As well as being able to fire shards of ice from their hands (cf. flight leaders), swarm leaders have the ability, once per day, to create a ray of cold. The ray is a cone 50 feet long and 20 wide at the base, and causes 3d8 points of damage to all creatures within it. A successful saving throw vs. Breath results in half damage.
Ba'atun clerics: A ba'atun lair will usually have a temple where bloody rites are celebrated regularly by a ba'atun high priest. The high priest has the abilities of a 7th level cleric and can create a ray of cold and ice shards once per day (see above). In addition to the high priest, there will be a 4th level priest and 2-5 2nd level acolytes (2+1 HD). Ba'atun clerics shave their heads, exposing the pink skin beneath. They also colour their bodies with blood-red ochre to intimidate their enemies.
SUMMARY OF BA'ATUN ATTACKS
________________________________________________ICE SHARDS_________COLD RAY_______WEB STONES_______ICE JAVELIN
TYPE_____________THAC0__DAMAGE____________AC__(Range/AofE/Dmg)_(Cone size/Dmg) (Range/AofE/Drtn)__(Range/Dmg)
normal ba'atun___16_____1d6/1d4/1d4________4_______---______________---______________---______________---
wing sergeant____16_____1d6/1d4/1d4________4_______---______________---______________---______________---
flight leader____15_____1d6+1/1d4+1/1d4+1__3__5"/5 feet/2d8_________---_______16'/5'diam./3 turns_____---
swarm leader_____11_____1d6+2/1d4+2/1d4+2__1__5”/5 feet/2d8____50' x 20'/3d8_________---___________6"/ld6+2d8
_________________________________________________________________________________________________(ice splinters)
Shade
Monster Junkie
Here's how I'd do it:
Ba'atun
Medium Outsider (Evil, Lawful, Native)
Hit Dice: 2d8+0 (0 hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 60 ft. (average)
AC: 16 (+X Dex, +X natural) touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+X
Attack: Bite +X melee (1d6+X)
Full Attack: Bite +X melee (1d6+X) and 2 claws +X melee (1d4+X)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Screech
Special Qualities: Cold immunity, darkvision 60 ft., vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3
Abilities: Str X, Dex X, Con X, Int 10, Wis X, Cha X
Skills: (8+Int mod)x5
Feats: 1
Environment: Cold mountains
Organization: Solitary, squad (8 plus 1 wing sergeant), flight (16 plus 2 wing sergeants, plus flight leader), or swarm (32 plus 4 wing sergeants plus 2 flight leaders plus 1 swarm leader)
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: Standard(?)
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: X
Level Adjustment: X
-------------------------
Ba'atun, Wing Sergeant
Medium Outsider (Evil, Lawful, Native)
Hit Dice: 3d8+0 (0 hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 60 ft. (average)
AC: 16 (+X Dex, +X natural) touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+X
Attack: Bite +X melee (1d6+X)
Full Attack: Bite +X melee (1d6+X) and 2 claws +X melee (1d4+X)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Screech
Special Qualities: Cold immunity, darkvision 60 ft., vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3
Abilities: Str X, Dex X, Con X, Int 12, Wis X, Cha X
Skills: (8+Int mod)x8
Feats: 2
Environment: Cold mountains
Organization: Solitary, squad (8 plus 1 wing sergeant), flight (16 plus 2 wing sergeants, plus flight leader), or swarm (32 plus 4 wing sergeants plus 2 flight leaders plus 1 swarm leader)
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: Standard(?)
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: X
Level Adjustment: X
-------------------------
Ba'atun, Flight Leader
Medium Outsider (Evil, Lawful, Native)
Hit Dice: 5d8+0 (0 hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 60 ft. (average)
AC: 17 (+X Dex, +X natural) touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+X
Attack: Bite +X melee (1d6+X) or sling +X ranged (1d4+X)
Full Attack: Bite +X melee (1d6+X) and 2 claws +X melee (1d4+X) or sling +X ranged (1d4+X)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Ice shards, screech, web stones
Special Qualities: Cold immunity, darkvision 60 ft., vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str X, Dex X, Con X, Int 14, Wis X, Cha X
Skills: (8+Int mod)x8
Feats: 2
Environment: Cold mountains
Organization: Solitary, squad (8 plus 1 wing sergeant), flight (16 plus 2 wing sergeants, plus flight leader), or swarm (32 plus 4 wing sergeants plus 2 flight leaders plus 1 swarm leader)
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: Standard(?)
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: X
Level Adjustment: X
-------------------------
Ba'atun, Swarm Leader
Medium Outsider (Evil, Lawful, Native)
Hit Dice: 7d8+0 (0 hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 60 ft. (average)
AC: 19 (+X Dex, +X natural) touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+X
Attack: Bite +X melee (1d6+X) or ice javelin +X ranged (1d6+X plus ice splinters)
Full Attack: Bite +X melee (1d6+X) and 2 claws +X melee (1d4+X) or ice
javelin +X ranged (1d6+X plus ice splinters)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Cold ray, ice shards, screech
Special Qualities: Cold immunity, darkvision 60 ft., vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str X, Dex X, Con X, Int 16, Wis X, Cha X
Skills: (8+Int mod)x10
Feats: 3
Environment: Cold mountains
Organization: Solitary, squad (8 plus 1 wing sergeant), flight (16 plus 2 wing sergeants, plus flight leader), or swarm (32 plus 4 wing sergeants plus 2 flight leaders plus 1 swarm leader)
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: Standard(?)
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: X
Level Adjustment: X
To account for the "to hit" and damage bonuses for the leaders, we could either give them appropriate Str (12-13 for flight leaders, 14-15 for swarm leaders) or Weapon Focus/Weapon Specialization as bonus feats. I'd vote for the latter, as the Str would leave the normal and sergeants rather weak.
Ba'atun
Medium Outsider (Evil, Lawful, Native)
Hit Dice: 2d8+0 (0 hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 60 ft. (average)
AC: 16 (+X Dex, +X natural) touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+X
Attack: Bite +X melee (1d6+X)
Full Attack: Bite +X melee (1d6+X) and 2 claws +X melee (1d4+X)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Screech
Special Qualities: Cold immunity, darkvision 60 ft., vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3
Abilities: Str X, Dex X, Con X, Int 10, Wis X, Cha X
Skills: (8+Int mod)x5
Feats: 1
Environment: Cold mountains
Organization: Solitary, squad (8 plus 1 wing sergeant), flight (16 plus 2 wing sergeants, plus flight leader), or swarm (32 plus 4 wing sergeants plus 2 flight leaders plus 1 swarm leader)
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: Standard(?)
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: X
Level Adjustment: X
-------------------------
Ba'atun, Wing Sergeant
Medium Outsider (Evil, Lawful, Native)
Hit Dice: 3d8+0 (0 hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 60 ft. (average)
AC: 16 (+X Dex, +X natural) touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+X
Attack: Bite +X melee (1d6+X)
Full Attack: Bite +X melee (1d6+X) and 2 claws +X melee (1d4+X)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Screech
Special Qualities: Cold immunity, darkvision 60 ft., vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3
Abilities: Str X, Dex X, Con X, Int 12, Wis X, Cha X
Skills: (8+Int mod)x8
Feats: 2
Environment: Cold mountains
Organization: Solitary, squad (8 plus 1 wing sergeant), flight (16 plus 2 wing sergeants, plus flight leader), or swarm (32 plus 4 wing sergeants plus 2 flight leaders plus 1 swarm leader)
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: Standard(?)
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: X
Level Adjustment: X
-------------------------
Ba'atun, Flight Leader
Medium Outsider (Evil, Lawful, Native)
Hit Dice: 5d8+0 (0 hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 60 ft. (average)
AC: 17 (+X Dex, +X natural) touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+X
Attack: Bite +X melee (1d6+X) or sling +X ranged (1d4+X)
Full Attack: Bite +X melee (1d6+X) and 2 claws +X melee (1d4+X) or sling +X ranged (1d4+X)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Ice shards, screech, web stones
Special Qualities: Cold immunity, darkvision 60 ft., vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str X, Dex X, Con X, Int 14, Wis X, Cha X
Skills: (8+Int mod)x8
Feats: 2
Environment: Cold mountains
Organization: Solitary, squad (8 plus 1 wing sergeant), flight (16 plus 2 wing sergeants, plus flight leader), or swarm (32 plus 4 wing sergeants plus 2 flight leaders plus 1 swarm leader)
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: Standard(?)
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: X
Level Adjustment: X
-------------------------
Ba'atun, Swarm Leader
Medium Outsider (Evil, Lawful, Native)
Hit Dice: 7d8+0 (0 hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 60 ft. (average)
AC: 19 (+X Dex, +X natural) touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+X
Attack: Bite +X melee (1d6+X) or ice javelin +X ranged (1d6+X plus ice splinters)
Full Attack: Bite +X melee (1d6+X) and 2 claws +X melee (1d4+X) or ice
javelin +X ranged (1d6+X plus ice splinters)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Cold ray, ice shards, screech
Special Qualities: Cold immunity, darkvision 60 ft., vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str X, Dex X, Con X, Int 16, Wis X, Cha X
Skills: (8+Int mod)x10
Feats: 3
Environment: Cold mountains
Organization: Solitary, squad (8 plus 1 wing sergeant), flight (16 plus 2 wing sergeants, plus flight leader), or swarm (32 plus 4 wing sergeants plus 2 flight leaders plus 1 swarm leader)
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: Standard(?)
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: X
Level Adjustment: X
To account for the "to hit" and damage bonuses for the leaders, we could either give them appropriate Str (12-13 for flight leaders, 14-15 for swarm leaders) or Weapon Focus/Weapon Specialization as bonus feats. I'd vote for the latter, as the Str would leave the normal and sergeants rather weak.
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