Converting monsters from Imagine Magazine

[Shade]

Updated.

Sounds good. Shall we mine the chromatic dragons for more ideas?

We'll also need to figure out the ego scores for the individual items, then determine how they stack when combined.

 

[freyar]

You're right, the stacking egos are interesting. Perhaps they stack for forcing the possessor to follow the special purpose only? This is almost like a weird set power by itself.

I don't know if there's anything in MIC about it, but I don't think the extra set powers should also increase the egos.

Yes, let's mine the chromatics for more. I was thinking that a breath weapon 1/day or 2/week or something might be nice at 4 items, but I can't figure out what would be a good energy type.

 

[Shade]

We could note which items contribute which energy types, and randomly determine between the number of items possessed which energy type appears.

Discern location and find the path from the red's list of SLAs make perfect sense for fulfilling the items' goal of finding the remaining items and merging.

The blue's illusion spells and the plant spells from the green dragon aren't represented. Darkness and insect plague from the black might also be appropriate.

 

[freyar]

All these sound good, but we might be getting too many here. Perhaps let's drop the breath weapon, since it's a little problematic anyway. What about this?
2 items - 1/day ventriloquism, darkness
3 items - 1/day plant growth
4 items - 1/week discern location

 

[Shade]

I like that, except plant growth just doesn't seem that useful in achieving its goals. Since the green's other abilities are fairly well-represented already (via the venom lance), maybe veil or mirage arcana from the blue (which could help throw pursuers off its tracks) and/or damage reduction (to help explain the scaling DR during the transformation to Taumet)?

 

[freyar]

1/day mirage arcana and DR 5/whatever it should be? Sure!

 

[Shade]

Sounds good.

Here's how Ego is measured...
Each +1 of item’s enhancement bonus 1
Each +1 of bonus for special abilities 1
Each lesser power 1
Each greater power 2
Special purpose (and dedicated power) 4
Telepathic ability 2
Read languages ability 1
Read magic ability 1
Each +1 of Intelligence bonus 1
Each +1 of Wisdom bonus 1
Each +1 of Charisma bonus 1

So it looks like...
Fire claws = 33
White shield = 30
Venom lance = 30
Cloak of clouds = 25
Wyrmhelm = 22

Actually stacking them seems brutally unfair, so how about using the highest score among the items worn, with a +2 bonus for each additional item?

 

[freyar]

That works for me. And, again, probably they only "cooperate" for the special purpose.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

Should we note what happens when two item-controlled "hosts" come into contact? Would the Taumet simply order one to hand over the relics to the other, or would they "duke it out" to determine the more worthy host?

 

[freyar]

Depends on the alignment of the item in charge for each host? Lawful ones will attempt Intimidation or Diplomacy; chaotic evil ones will coerce their host to fight -- to the victor go the relics.

Typos: "item's" instead of "items" in the Ego stacking line. Let's just set all the CLs to 20. And you have "help" instead of "helm" in the Wyrmhelm description.

Once that's done, should we work on the Taumet itself or the transformation next?