Converting monsters from Imagine Magazine

[freyar]

Seems to me that this shouldn't be intelligent but more like a key to a lock. As such, I'm not sure there's much to add to this.

I just had a silly image of the Taumet relics/Taumet as one of those Transformers sets where you put 5 or 6 together to make the giant Transformer.

 

[Shade]

Yeah, it's probably more like the Book of Vile Darkness.

It is a bit like Devastator. I once tried to come up with a template for combining multiple creatures into one to achieve a similar goal...but I was never satisfied with the results.

 

[freyar]

BoVD is a nice idea! So -- hp damage if a nonevil character handles it, some greater penalty if they read it (perhaps they are attacked by some kind of evil dragon?). Hmmm.

 

[Shade]

I'd say "nonevil or not currently in possession of Taumet relics".

Maybe it should send out a "distress beacon" to all the Taumet relics if someone tries to read it?

 

[freyar]

Nice idea. Alerts them to try to dominate their wielders? I kind of like the idea of summoning some kind of dragonish creature, too.

 

[Shade]

Sounds good. 'tis a damn shame the scalamagdrion isn't open content.

 

[freyar]

Sounds good. 'tis a damn shame the scalamagdrion isn't open content.

I was actually thinking the same thing. Perhaps we can find a suitable dragon in the CC and put in a sidebar for people with Magic of Faerun?

 

[Shade]

Nothing currently in the Creature Catalogue seems appropriate, although our in-progress false lindworm might work nicely. It has ties to chromatic dragons, is probably a mid-range CR, and is fairly straightforward.

 

[demiurge1138]

Let's go for that, then. Cross promotion FTW.

 

[Shade]

Summarizing...

The Taumet Codex: This tome appears well-worn, burnt, and partially destroyed. Over the years, portions of the book have been lost (perhaps intentionally), and it has been rebound.

The Taumet Codex is an evil minor artifact whose purpose is to assist the Taumet Relics into forming the Taumet. The tome describes the relics and some of their powers, but hides the fact that they are intelligent and seek to take control of their bearers.

The last stained and partial section of the Codex concerns the creation of the Taumet, and is little more than a phonetic speech (in an unintelligible, forgotten tongue) to be read out in the presence of the wearer of the relics. "The Taumet", says the text, "will then be released upon the World and all its kindred." Anyone in possession of the complete set of Taumet relics is forced to read this passage, and will begin the transformation into the Taumet.

A nonevil creature not currently in possession of one or more of the Taumet relics suffers xdx points of damage each round the Codex is handled. Should the same creature attempt to read the Codex, a false lindworm (of random color) is instantly summoned and attacks the reader. The false lindworm fights until either it or the reader is destroyed. Should the reader survive, and attempt to read from the tome again, another false lindworm is called.