Converting monsters from Imagine Magazine

[Big Mac]

Thirded. They were simply encountered in their animal form first in the adventure.

So, are we OK then?

Fair enough. So I've gone down a logical dead end. But something isn't right about these guys.

So they have a humanoid form (that perhaps we haven't seen) and the hybrid form is based on a combination of that and mice.

But you are using a dire mouse as the base animal and that doesn't fit in with the rules. We should be using the mouse itself as the base creature (if this is a standard lycanthrope). Looking at this part of the rules, the size of the base creature (the humanoid) is going to be restricted:

"This animal can be any predator, scavenger, or omnivore whose size is within one size category of the base creature’s size (Small, Medium, or Large for a Medium base creature). Lycanthropes can also adopt a hybrid shape that combines features of the base creature and the base animal. A lycanthrope’s hybrid form is the same size as the base animal or the base creature, whichever is larger."​

Given that mice are very small, we should be keeping the size of the base creature (the humanoid) down to make it compatible with the part of the rules that say it has to be within one size category of a mouse.

Given that we want to build the hybrid form out of a dire mouse, I think we really need to find a humanoid creature that is the same size as the dire mouse. This will comply with the part of the rule thas says "the hybrid form is the same size as the base animal or the base creature, whichever is larger".

I'd say we need to work with a small humanoid and a regular mouse to build a hybrid form that resembles a dire mouse.

 

[freyar]

I think the reason we went with the dire mouse is that a true weremouse is really too weak. So we're doing the conversion as were-dire-mice. This is in line with the fact that wererats in the SRD are also really were-dire-rats.

In this case, dire mice are Small. According to the lycanthrope template, the base creature and base animal have to be within one size category. So our base creature (humanoid or giant) can be Tiny, Small, or Medium. For our example, though, I'd love to have a hobbit halfling weremouse.

 

[Shade]

Exactly what freyar said.

Anyone want to provide a sample halfling?

 

[freyar]

Heheh, maybe I'll get to it in my copious spare time tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Shade]

Since the wererat uses a 1st-level warrior, lets just take the sample 1st-level halfling warrior from the MM...

Weremouse, Halfling Form
Small Humanoid (Halfling, Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 plus 1d8 (9 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +2 natural, +3 studded leather, +1 light shield), touch 12, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/–3
Attack: Shortsword +4 melee (1d4/19–20) or light crossbow +3 ranged (1d6/19–20)
Full Attack: Shortsword +4 melee (1d4/19–20) or light crossbow +3 ranged (1d6/19–20)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Halfling traits
Special Qualities: Alternate form, halfling traits, mouse empathy, low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +3
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 8
Skills: Balance +9, Climb +2, Hide +10, Jump +4, Listen +3, Move Silently +13, Swim +8
Feats: Stealthy, Weapon Finesse (B), Weapon Focus (shortsword)
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, pair, family (6–10), or troupe (2–5 plus 5–8 dire mice)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +3

Weremouse, Mouse Form
Small Humanoid (Halfling, Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 plus 1d8 (9 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 18 (+1 size, +4 Dex, +3 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/–5
Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d3-2)
Full Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d3-2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Curse of lycanthropy
Special Qualities: Alternate form, damage reduction 10/silver, mouse empathy, low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +3
Abilities: Str 7, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 8
Skills: Balance +12, Climb +14, Hide +13, Jump +18, Listen +3, Move Silently +16, Swim +12
Feats: Stealthy, Weapon Finesse (B), Weapon Focus (shortsword)
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, pair, family (6–10), or troupe (2–5 plus 5–8 dire mice)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +3

Weremouse, Hybrid Form
Small Humanoid (Halfling, Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 plus 1d8 (9 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+1 size, +4 Dex, +3 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/–7
Attack: Shortsword +7 melee (1d4-2/19–20) or claw +6 melee (1d3-2) or light crossbow +6 ranged (1d6/19–20)
Full Attack: Shortsword +7 melee (1d4-2/19–20) and bite +1 melee (1d4-2); or two claws +6 melee (1d3-2) and bite +1 melee (1d4-2); or light crossbow +6 ranged (1d6/19–20)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Curse of lycanthropy
Special Qualities: Alternate form, damage reduction 10/silver, mouse empathy, low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +3
Abilities: Str 7, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 8
Skills: Balance +12, Climb +6, Hide +13, Jump +8, Listen +3, Move Silently +16, Swim +12
Feats: Stealthy, Weapon Finesse (B), Weapon Focus (shortsword)
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, pair, family (6–10), or troupe (2–5 plus 5–8 dire mice)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +3

Alternate Form (Su): A weremouse can assume a bipedal hybrid form or the form of a dire mouse.

Curse of Lycanthropy (Su): Any humanoid or giant hit by a weremouse's bite attack in animal or hybrid form must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or contract lycanthropy.

Mouse Empathy (Ex): Communicate with mice and dire mice, and +4 racial bonus on Charisma-based checks against mice and dire mice.

Skills: A weremouse in any form has a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks and a +8 racial bonus on Balance, Jump, Move Silently, and Swim checks. A weremouse in rat or hybrid form uses its Dexterity modifier for Climb, Jump, and Swim checks. In mouse form, it has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.

Feats: Weremice gain Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat.

The weremouse presented here is based on a 1st-level halfling warrior who is a natural lycanthrope, using the following base ability scores: Str 11, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8.

 

[freyar]

Ok, ok, you beat me to it! Looks good on a quick glance over...

 

[Shade]

Updated.

Anything else?

 

[freyar]

Looks pretty good from here.

 

[Shade]

China Dolls

Propped against the walls of this chamber are 12 large bags tied with red ribbons; one has a label which reads 'Merry Christmas, Billy' in Common. Each bag contains a very pretty, dark-eyed china doll -- these are the dolls that Nurk wanted Santa Claus to deliver. In the darkness of the bags the dolls are silent and harmless. If exposed to light, the dolls will become animated, attacking with their vicious teeth and knife-like nails. The dolls will continue to attack until they are destroyed or returned to a darkened environment. [...]

12 China Dolls: AC 4; MV 6"; HD 3; hp 20 each; #AT 3; D 1-4/1-3/1-3; SD edged and piercing weapons inflict only 1 point of damage, immune to mind-influencing spells; AL N; S S (3' tall); 80 xp each.

Originally appeared in Imagine Magazine #21 (1984).



Tiny constructs?

DR x/bludgeoning?

Light-Activated (Su): A china doll is activated by light. In areas of even shadowy illumination, a china doll functions normally. If exposed to complete darkness, a china doll reverts to an inanimate state, and is treated as an object with hardness x and x hit points.

Str 10, Dex 18, Con -, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 1?

 

[freyar]

Yes, DR 5, good (hardness 2 just better than glass, hp=normal hp), stats look good.

2 claws and a bite, seems like.

Anything interesting we can think to do with these?