D&D 3E/3.5 Converting monsters from Mayfair Games Role Aids product line

[freyar]

Force Fields (Ex): The guardian droid is equipped with a low-level force field, which provides a +4? deflection bonus to AC. This option increases the droid's CR by +1.

 

[Cleon]

Force Fields (Ex): The guardian droid is equipped with a low-level force field, which provides a +4? deflection bonus to AC. This option increases the droid's CR by +1.

Hmm, there are other approaches we could use for force fields, such as DR or "ablative" HPs or a combination of the two (such as are used in d20 Star Wars, for example).

Is there an "official" d20 approach? I might check the d20 Modern rules before deciding...

 

[Cleon]

Hmm, there are other approaches we could use for force fields, such as DR or "ablative" HPs or a combination of the two (such as are used in d20 Star Wars, for example).

Is there an "official" d20 approach? I might check the d20 Modern rules before deciding...

Okay, the d20 Future portion of the rules includes personal Force Field in the equipment list that provide Damage Reduction - either DR 5/– or DR 10/– depending on how costly the system is.

The Personal Force Field is just one of several appropriate defensive gadgets:

Energy Shield: The energy shield is a potent defense mechanism that protects the user from dangerous energy.

An energy shield grants its wearer one of the following types of energy resistance, as determined by the wearer upon activation: cold resistance 5, electricity resistance 5, fire resistance 5, or sonic/ concussion resistance 5. As a move action, the wearer can adjust the shield to provide a different type of energy resistance, selected from the list above.

Force Field, Personal: The most reliable and powerful personal defense mechanism in the Energy Age, the personal force field projects a defensive bubble around a single Medium-size or smaller character or item. The personal force field comes in two varieties, one that provides a DR of 5/— and another that provides DR 10/—. The device contains a power pack that provides up to 2 hours of use. A power backpack may be used to extend this duration to 8 hours.

Jetpack: A jetpack consists of a backpack and fuel cells capable of producing powered flight for up to 2 hours. A character equipped with a jetpack can fly at a speed of 60 feet (good maneuverability). Replacement fuel cells have a purchase DC of 10.

Grappling Tether: Replacing duracable and the grappling tag, the grappling tether is another application of gravity technology put to practical use. The grappling tether is a beam of pure gravity energy, up to 200 feet in length, fired from a metal tube. At the end of the tether is an anchor of intense gravity. When the anchor touches a solid object, it latches on with a grip that can only be broken by an equally strong anti-gravity force.

While the tube is held with the anchor attached to an object, the user can retract the tether to either pull the object to her (if the object is smaller in mass than the character), or pull herself to the object (if the object is greater in mass than the user, or the anchor is attached to a wall, ceiling, or other fixed surface). The anchor is released with a simple push of a button.

Matter Shield: Designed to protect off-world miners from micrometeorites and the debris of mining explosions, matter shields were quickly adapted for military and law enforcement use.

The matter shield grants its wearer DR 5/— against ballistic, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing attacks.

Photon Shield: The photon shield is a technology loosely based on the light-bending properties of black holes. By using controlled gravity waves to create millions of microscopic black holes around the user, the photon shield bends light renders him invisible.

A photon shield can cover a Medium-size or smaller creature or a Huge or smaller object. It grants a +40 equipment bonus on Hide checks if the subject is standing still, or a +20 equipment bonus if the subject is moving. Pinpointing the location of a character wearing a photon shield that isn’t attempting to hide requires a Spot check (DC 40 if the character is not moving, DC 20 if he or she is moving). Additionally, a character wearing a photon shield gains total concealment (50% miss chance) against attacks, even if the attackers correctly pinpoint its fighting space.

Piercing Visor: The piercing visor allows a person to see through solid objects. Through a combination motion-sensor data, gravity fluctuations, ambient light penetration, x-rays and ultraviolet light, heat and infrared signatures, sound waves and sonar, and other sensory inputs, the visor creates an accurate computer-rendered image of what lies beyond intervening objects. Any character wearing a piercing visor may, as an attack action, activate the visor’s sensors and see through a wall, floor, object, or creature at a range of up to 100 feet.

The visor can penetrate 6 inches of metal (except lead, which it cannot see through) and 1 foot of other materials, including concrete, wood, and plaster.

Projectile Deflector: A defensive item that is in many ways the predecessor to the personal shield, the projectile deflector generates a field of gravity-altering energy around its user. Often worn as a belt or other piece of jewelry, the device actually bends the path of incoming high-speed projectiles, making the target harder to hit. The projectile deflector grants a +4 equipment bonus to Defense against ranged attacks. Melee attacks are unaffected by this device.

Of those, the "Photon Shield" is the most amusing considering the, ah, practical considerations of surrounding oneself with millions of microscopic black holes...

I'm leaning towards adding the Jetpack and the Personal Force Field options and calling it a day.

 

[freyar]

They already have DR 5/adamantine, so the DR 5/- version of the force field isn't that much better at CR 4 (or 5). I think I'd prefer the Projectile Deflector or the Jetpack (with no time limit restrictions or maybe 2 hr/day). CR +1 for both, I guess.

 

[Cleon]

They already have DR 5/adamantine, so the DR 5/- version of the force field isn't that much better at CR 4 (or 5). I think I'd prefer the Projectile Deflector or the Jetpack (with no time limit restrictions or maybe 2 hr/day). CR +1 for both, I guess.

Dang it, I forgot DR doesn't stack.

Well, obviously we'd have to give it the 10-point version to justify the higher CR. I prefer that to the Projectile Deflector.

As for the Jetpack, I guess I'd be OK with it being able to use it for more than 2 hours a day but I'd like there to be some kind of restriction to it. Hmm...

Maybe it has to stop every 2 hours for the system to cool down?

Or perhaps using the Jet Pack is energy intensive and consumes the droid's power reserves quickly? Maybe "jet power" burns power at twice the "normal power" rate.

 

[freyar]

OK, I can agree with the DR 10/- version of the force field for CR +1.

I was also wondering about tying the Jet Pack to the power reserves. But burning power at twice normal means it can charge up and then fly for 5 days straight! That doesn't seem like enough. What about the following?

Jetpack: A jetpack is capable of producing powered flight at a speed of 60 feet (good maneuverability).. Each hour's flight uses one day's worth of battery power at normal power operation; a droid operating at low power, emergency power, or standby power is unable to fly.

 

[Cleon]

OK, I can agree with the DR 10/- version of the force field for CR +1.

I was also wondering about tying the Jet Pack to the power reserves. But burning power at twice normal means it can charge up and then fly for 5 days straight! That doesn't seem like enough. What about the following?

Jetpack: A jetpack is capable of producing powered flight at a speed of 60 feet (good maneuverability).. Each hour's flight uses one day's worth of battery power at normal power operation; a droid operating at low power, emergency power, or standby power is unable to fly.

Yes, that ratio would work fine, though I would like to tweak the wording slightly:

Jetpack: A jetpack-equipped droid is capable of powered flight at a speed of 60 feet (good maneuverability). Each hour's flight consumes one day's worth of battery power at normal power operation; a droid operating at low power, emergency power, or standby power is unable to fly.

However, I'd still like to reference the d20 modern's 2 hour limit for a jetpack. How about:

An operating jetpack generates an excessive amount of heat. It normally takes as long for a flight-heated jetpack to cool down as the duration of its flight. If the jetpack accumulates heat equal to 2 hours of flight, the jetpack overheats and must shut down for at least 10 minutes of cooling before it can fly again. Unusual conditions may cause a jetpack to heat up or cool down at a faster or slower rate.

 

[Knightfall]

Glad to see you guys are still work on this stuff.

 

[Cleon]

Glad to see you guys are still work on this stuff.

Well we're still grinding away, but it's going very slowly.

 

[Knightfall]

Well we're still grinding away, but it's going very slowly.

Well, I'll be checking in once in a while since I stated the thread and it always appears in the list when I click the My Threads option. Right now, I'm looking through all the previous pages.