Converting monsters from Imagine Magazine
demiurge1138
Inventor of Super-Toast
Looks good to me. Print it, call it a day, move onto the next one.
Demiurge out.
Demiurge out.
Shade
Monster Junkie
Will do!
Segben
Freq: Very rare
# App: 1-3
AC: 7
Move: 18"
HD: 2+2
% in Lair: 10%
Treasure type: nil
# Att: 1 or 2
Dmg/Att: hooves 1-3, bite 1-4 + special
SA: see below
SD: see below
MR: standard
Int: Low
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Size: S (3 ft. at shoulder)
Psionics: nil
Level/XP Value: III/120 + 3/hp
The Segben is similar in appearance to a hornless goat, with glowing eyes and large ears. It exudes a sickening charnel smell which requires any character coming with 5 feet of the beast to save vs. poison or attack at -1 for 2-8 turns through nauseas.
Segben are destroyed by sunlight, and generally hide in the darkest recesses of the forest until dusk, when they appear under the floor of a house where someone lies gravely ill or dying. They can sense the smell of death at a distance of up to a mile, and will seize any opportunity to make off with an unguarded corpse. They are not known to frequent graveyards, however, apparently preferring to move in immediately after death.
If surprised in their feast Segben will usually flee, fighting only if cornered or if the odds are heavily in their favour. They can attack by lashing out with their small forehooves, but their most feared attack is their bite--if they successfully bite any victim, or even its shadow, the victim must make a System Shock roll or die immediately.
Although they have a number of ghoulish characteristics, Segben are not undead and are not affected by holy symbols or the like.
From Imagine Magazine #25 (1985)
Segben
Freq: Very rare
# App: 1-3
AC: 7
Move: 18"
HD: 2+2
% in Lair: 10%
Treasure type: nil
# Att: 1 or 2
Dmg/Att: hooves 1-3, bite 1-4 + special
SA: see below
SD: see below
MR: standard
Int: Low
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Size: S (3 ft. at shoulder)
Psionics: nil
Level/XP Value: III/120 + 3/hp
The Segben is similar in appearance to a hornless goat, with glowing eyes and large ears. It exudes a sickening charnel smell which requires any character coming with 5 feet of the beast to save vs. poison or attack at -1 for 2-8 turns through nauseas.
Segben are destroyed by sunlight, and generally hide in the darkest recesses of the forest until dusk, when they appear under the floor of a house where someone lies gravely ill or dying. They can sense the smell of death at a distance of up to a mile, and will seize any opportunity to make off with an unguarded corpse. They are not known to frequent graveyards, however, apparently preferring to move in immediately after death.
If surprised in their feast Segben will usually flee, fighting only if cornered or if the odds are heavily in their favour. They can attack by lashing out with their small forehooves, but their most feared attack is their bite--if they successfully bite any victim, or even its shadow, the victim must make a System Shock roll or die immediately.
Although they have a number of ghoulish characteristics, Segben are not undead and are not affected by holy symbols or the like.
From Imagine Magazine #25 (1985)
GrayLinnorm
Explorer
Magical beast?
If the segben only needs to bite a victim's shadow, the bite could be a touch attack.
Sunlight vulnerability like a vampire.
If the segben only needs to bite a victim's shadow, the bite could be a touch attack.
Sunlight vulnerability like a vampire.
GrayLinnorm
Explorer
Death Bite (Su?): Anyone bitten by a segben must make a Fortitude saving throw or die. The segben only needs to bite the victim's shadow (make a touch attack) to use the death bite. The save DC is constitution-based.
Charnel Stench (Ex): Anyone within five feet of a segben must make a Fortitude saving throw or be nauseated for 20-80 minutes. The save DC is constitution-based.
Dangerous Denizens offers these ability scores:
Goat: Str 8, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 1, Wis 11, Cha 5
Trained Pack Goat: Str 11, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 1, Wis 11, Cha 5
Since it has a plus in its Hit Dice, Constitution could be higher.
Charnel Stench (Ex): Anyone within five feet of a segben must make a Fortitude saving throw or be nauseated for 20-80 minutes. The save DC is constitution-based.
Dangerous Denizens offers these ability scores:
Goat: Str 8, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 1, Wis 11, Cha 5
Trained Pack Goat: Str 11, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 1, Wis 11, Cha 5
Since it has a plus in its Hit Dice, Constitution could be higher.
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
Sounds about right. If there's a goat somewhere, we could base the physical abilities on that. Otherwise, a dog might be close with Str 13, Dex 17, Con 15. Int is Low (what's that, 4-7?), and I'd guess Wis should be 10ish. The bite is probably a Cha-based DC, so it should have a reasonable Cha, say 12-15?
demiurge1138
Inventor of Super-Toast
I'm pretty concerned with the save-or-die bite. Seems like it should be attached to something with a much higher CR than 2+2 HD would normally mean for our conversion process. Especially if it's a touch attack!
Demiurge out.
Demiurge out.
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
Hmm, I missed the post with the goat stats. I'd say let's go with the higher Con, so Con 12-13. How about Str 8, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 12?
Regarding the bite: I don't think death from a bite is any worse than a cockatrice. Raise dead is actually a lower-level spell than stone to flesh. So maybe let's keep the Fort DC down (avoid ability focus, for example), and I think we're ok w/CR 2. We can also make the touch attack a little less potent and reserve death only for an actual melee attack.
Regarding the bite: I don't think death from a bite is any worse than a cockatrice. Raise dead is actually a lower-level spell than stone to flesh. So maybe let's keep the Fort DC down (avoid ability focus, for example), and I think we're ok w/CR 2. We can also make the touch attack a little less potent and reserve death only for an actual melee attack.
Shade
Monster Junkie
demiurge1138 said:
I tend to agree, and do see this point...
freyar said:
...stone to flesh only has a chance at level loss, while raise dead is a guarantee.
The catoblepas has a ranged touch death effect at CR 6, though, so it needn't be much higher CR.
Also, if we limit it to only being able to kill by biting the shadow, total darkness would prevent the effect from occurring. Since full sunlight would destroy it, that leaves only shadowy illumination in which it can be used.
Thoughts?
