Converting monsters from First Edition modules

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Much better. Also Leopold, octopus do have an independant tentacle attack, so that isn't very applicable as a reference point.
 

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I can't believe these have gone unconverted so long!

Guardian Daemon
FREQUENCY: Very rare
INO. APPEARING: 1-3
ARMOUR CLASS: 1
MOVE: 9" (but see below)
HIT DICE: 8
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: See below
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6/1 - 12/1- 12
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENCES:See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Very
ALl GNM ENT: Neutral
S I2 E : Variable
PSlONlC ABILITY: Nil
LEVEL1X.P. VALUE: V11/1,275 + IO per hitpoint

These daemons vary in size and form - examples encountered have resembled type I I or type IV demons, large bears and wild cats. They are summoned by evil high priests to guard treasure and though their movement for melee purposes is 9' they are constrained never to leave the treasure they guard, unless released by the summoner. Despite their variation in size and form they always exhibit certain characteristics in common:

a) immunity to charm, hold, sleep, polymorph and fear;

b) immunity to non-magical weapons and to magical weapons with a bonus less than +2;

c) ability to speak and understand all languages; and

d) ability to breathe fire in a cone 30' long with a IO' base diameter inflicting 5-30 hit points of damage (saving throw will halve damage).

In melee the daemon attacks with a bite for 1-6 hit points of damage and two claws, each inflicting 1-1 2 hit points of damage, since they are unable to use their breath weapon on a target within IO'. The nature of their summoning usually (80%) leaves them invulnerable to one other particular form of attack (e.g. fire or swords) in addition to those specified above.

Guardian daemons have no treasure of their own (on the Prime Material Plane -they may well own treasure in their natural home) and will always be guarding the treasure of their summoner, so treasure must be determined by reference to the summoner. In that treasure there will usually be at least one clerical scroll and/or a magical device of clerical nature.

Originally appeared in Fiend Folio (1981).

Here's the 2e Monstrous Manual version...

Yugoloth, Guardian
Least Lesser Greater
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any Any Any
FREQUENCY: Rare Very rare Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary Solitary Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any Any Any
DIET: Nil Nil Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Average (8-10) Very (11-12) High (13-14)
TREASURE: See below See below See below
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Neutral (evil) Neutral (evil)
NO. APPEARING: 1 1 1
ARMOR CLASS: 3 1 -1
MOVEMENT: 9 9 9, Fl 9 (D)
HIT DICE: 6 8 10
THAC0: 15 13 11
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3 3 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4/1-10/1-10 1-6/1-12/1-12 1-10/1-12/1-12
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below See below See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below See below See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil Nil 25%
SIZE: Variable Variable L (9' tall)
MORALE: Elite (14) Champion (16) Fanatic (18)
XP VALUE: 2,000 4,000 11,000

These yugoloths are summoned by evil wizards or priests to guard something of importance. Yugoloth guardians always defend their charge with great ferocity.

There are three types of yugoloth guardians -- least, lesser, and greater. The least and lesser yugoloth guardians vary in size and form, often being horned and frog-like (least) or ape- or boar-like (lesser). Greater yugoloth guardians always appear as gigantic, winged bears with ram horns protruding from their foreheads, and eagle talons for hands.

yugoloths guardian have the ability to speak all languages.

Combat: yugoloth guardians can breath fire three times per day in a cone 30 feet long with a 10-foot base diameter. Damage depends upon the type of daemon breathing. Least and lesser yugoloths cause 3d6 and 5d6 points of damage, respectively, while greater yugoloths inflict 7d6 points per breath attack. A successful saving throw vs. breath weapon reduces damage by half. Yugoloth guardians never use their fire breath if the fire might damage whatever they are assigned to protect.

All yugoloth guardians are immune to charm, hold, sleep, polymorph, and fear spells. Lesser and greater yugoloths are also impervious to weapons with less than a +2 bonus. Many of these creatures are invulnerable to one or more additional forms of attack (e.g., sword, cold, fire, electricity).

Habitat/Society: Yugoloth guardians must remain at all times within 90 yards of the object they have been summoned to protect. Within this 90-yard radius, yugoloth guardians prefer to remain at a distance in battle, using their breath weapon to maximum advantage.

Ecology: Summoning a guardian daemon is a dangerous affair. There is a 10% chance for each level the summoner is over 7th level of having his request for a guardian daemon granted (maximum chance of 90%). Conversely, if the summoning fails, there is a 30% chance (-2% per level of the summoner over 10th) that the daemon takes offense and gates in to slay the spellcaster.

Least Yugoloth
These creatures are often summoned to protect treasures valued at less than 25,000 gold pieces. Least yugoloths have a 50% chance of being immune to one additional type of attack.

Lesser Yugoloth
Lesser yugoloths are usually found guarding treasures of 25,000 gold pieces or more. They have a 80% chance of being impervious to one additional attack form.

Greater Yugoloth
These yugoloths are dispatched only to protect objects of exceedingly great value. Greater yugoloth guardians are resistant to magic (25%) and are always immune to two additional forms of attack. They can make a suggestion, as the spell, once per round, even when engaged in combat.
 

Yugoloth Traits: A yugoloth possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
—Immunity to acid and poison.
—Resistance to cold 10, electricity 10, and fire 10.
—Summon (Sp): Yugoloths share the ability to summon others of their kind (the success chance and type of yugoloth summoned are noted in each monster description). Summoning a yugoloth poses a serious risk. There is a 25% chance that a summoned yugoloth turns on its summoner, attacking immediately (and hoping for a reward from whatever was threatening the first yugoloth).
—Yugoloths can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.
Except where otherwise noted, yugoloths speak Abyssal, Draconic, and Infernal.

Here are the ability scores of similar-HD yugoloths...

Canoloth (6 HD, M): Str 19, Dex 10, Con 19, Int 5, Wis 17, Cha 12
Dergholoth (8 HD, L): Str 20, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 14
Echinoloth (8 HD, L): Str 22, Dex 13, Con 20, Int 6, Wis 8, Cha 11
Piscoloth (9 HD, M): Str 19, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 14
Marraenoloth (10 HD, M): Str 13, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 10
Mezzoloth (10 HD, M): Str 16, Dex 12, Con 21, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 14

I’d recommend we make the least Small, the lesser Medium, and the greater Large. Int 9, 11, 13 respectively?
 

Wow, lots of awesome recently! :D

I agree with your recommendations. Probably these should have pretty decent physical stats, too, Str for the melee attacks and Con for the breath weapon.
 


What are they called in the ToH? I can't tell from the contents listed through the CC page. But anyway, I'm game to do them if Shade is.
 

They're listed as "Guardian Daemon", separate from the standard Daemon entry.

I'm using an older (re: pre-4e) version of Echohawk's index, so it was still on the unconverted pile.

Still, I'm fine with doing our own version of them. I'm a sucker for all things fiendish. :)
 

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