Converting monsters from First Edition modules

[freyar]

What if these things moved at odd intervals, similar to Samara in The Ring or Lancelot in Monty Python and the Holy Grail? You know what I mean, where they seem to just suddenly blink closer (or further)? Maybe allow them to move as if in time stop every other round?

Interesting idea! Not quite sure how to write this one, though.

I think we need to beef them up a bit. For 9 HD undead, they are rather weak. Let's go with the greataxe, and increase the Str a bit to allow for a bit more damage. Say, 17?

Sounds good to me.

AC translates to 20. With no Dex, that's all natural and armor. Since they are skeletal undead, we could stick with the skeleton's +3 natural armor. Since they have no Dex bonus, we could stick 'em in any sort of armor we'd like.

Shall we also give 'em a skeleton's damage reduction 5/bludgeoning and immunity to cold?

DR and cold immunity sound good. As these are knights after all, give them +3 natural armor and half-plate? Alternately, I could see increasing the Dex some. I didn't have a real reason for picking Dex 10.

 

[demiurge1138]

I like the idea of them moving suddenly. Rather than time stop, we could model it on the blink dog's blinking ability (although we can say it's a temporal effect as opposed to a teleportation).

Demiurge out.

 

[Shade]

I found this ability from the temporal drake which seems to capture what I was thinking nicely...

Temporal Slide (Su): The temporal drake can manipulate time as it moves, allowing it to seemingly disappear and reappear elsewhere instantaneously. As a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, the temporal drake moves its current speed (following the normal rules for movement). The temporal drake can use this ability a number of times per day equal to its Constitution bonus (4 for an average temporal drake). It can use this ability only once per round.

 

[freyar]

Sounds good, we can just plug in the names.

How's it looking?

 

[Shade]

Updated.

I changed the number of times it could use temporal slide to Cha-based from Con-based, but it still can't do it seemingly often enough. Should we just restrict it to every other round?

 

[freyar]

Yeah, every other round. These monsters need something, esp given their HD.

 

[demiurge1138]

I say every other round.

Demiurge out.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

Wanna add anything else?

If not, we can move on to feats and skills.

 

[freyar]

These are probably interesting enough for CR 7 or so.

Feats: Weapon Focus (greataxe), Imp Init, Great Fort, Lightning Reflexes?

I'd love some of the rest of the WF feat chain for these, but we'd have to give them an SA to qualify for fighter bonus feats. Want to do that?

 

[demiurge1138]

I like the idea of making them count as fighters for the purposes of feat selection. Not sure why I'm so fond of it, but it seems cool.

Demiurge out.