Converting Monsters from Polyhedron Magazine

[Shade]

That looks reasonable.

Let's try to come up with some ability scores for these things.

Although not incorporeal, they seem like they'd lack Strength. If they are truly immobile, Dex is probably poor.

The closest thing I can think to compare them to is genius loci.

Genius Loci ability scores: Str 50, Dex 6, Con 50, Int -, Wis 24, Cha 26.

 

[freyar]

Wow, I should really read the epic monster section of the SRD.

So drop Str to 6 like Dex and raise Int to 18-19?

 

[Shade]

That could work. Did we discuss how many HD to raise them?

 

[freyar]

Don't think so. How tough do we want to make them? I'd say 20 HD at the very least. Of course, the original might have had such low HD because of this:

Whenever a MagiStar is brought to 0 hp, it is incapacitated for 1d6 hours, during which time the gate will function.

So maybe there should be some rejuvenation sort of ability? Maybe we should guess a CR and then peg the HD to something a little on the low end for that.

 

[Shade]

I think we may need to take a step back and decide how we'd like to handle these guys.

Since the core rules don't account for space travel or any of the Spelljammer elements, we may need to reimagine them. If we focus on them being "intelligent collections of pure magical energy of any one of the eight schools of magery", we could simply make them free-roaming Gargantuan creatures. We could add a sidebar mentioning that in the Spelljammer setting, MagiStars are immense starlike creatures that provide gateways between the Crystal Spheres and the Phlogiston and leave it for Spelljammer DMs to reconcile that with whatever converted rules they are using.

Thoughts?

 

[freyar]

That's probably a good idea. Though I still prefer Colossal+.

 

[Shade]

Let's stat them up at Gargantuan and go from there.

Unharmed by all physical attacks, including magic weapons, only magic spells can harm them.

Immunity to weapon damage, or really high DR?

As mentioned above, MagiStars' flares possess a degree of physical force, similar to a strong wind on a planet. A MagiStar can produce one flare a melee round, but cannot cast a spell on the same round it uses a flare. Under normal circumstances, the effect of a flare is identical to a gust of wind spell, although, technically, it is not that spell. When a MagiStar wishes to prevent a ship from approaching too closely, it can, once every 10 rounds, amplify this effect to be equal to a wind wall spell. Both of these effects act as if the MagiStar were a 10th-level wizard. Both types of flares have a range of l,500 yards (three tactical hexes).

Dropping ships from the equation, and focusing on this "lesser magistar" we're creating, how about:

Magic Flare (Su): As a standard action, a magistar may release a flare of magical energy. This functions as a gust of wind spell (Fort DC X negates). Once per minute, the magistar can create a flare of greater intensity to create an effect identcal to a wind wall spell. Both effects are caster level 10th. The save DC is Charisma-based.

In addition to these conscious attacks, any spelljamming ship's approach to a MagiStar can cause unpredictable magical effects to take place on board. Some possible effects include: all magic items onboard that are related to the MagiStar's school begin to glow, and continue to do so until the ship moves away; a sudden drop to tactical speed, or a jump to "normal" speed, via the helm; sudden fainting spells (save vs. spells to avoid) for specialist mages of schools opposing the MagiStar's; or a +1 level to any specialist mages of the MagiStar's school for the duration of the mage's stay within the MagiStar's area of effect. Any of these effects can take place when a ship passes within three tactical hexes (1,500 yards) of a MagiStar. All of these random effects should be relatively harmless, serving more as nuisances than as harmful incidents. The DM may choose from the above examples, or may create his own, original, random effects, keeping in mind the idea that these effects should annoy the PCs, not annihilate them.

We could create an aura that functions similar to wild magic, but only pertains to the specific school.

Only two spells affect all MagiStars equally: dispel magic and anti-magic shell. Dispel magic will, if the MagiStar fails a save vs. spells, disrupt the MagiStar for 1d4 rounds. A disrupted MagiStar can cast no spells, but any random effects and flares continue. A disrupted MagiStar cannot be used as a gate. To cause all effects of being near a MagiStar to cease, an anti-magic shell must be cast about the ship, or between the ship and the MagiStar, allowing the ship to leave the area, and it causes all random magical effects and flares to no longer affect that ship.

Vulnerabilities (Ex?): A targeted dispel magic or similar effect prevents the magistar from using any of its spells/SLAs for 1d4 rounds if the caster succeeds on a caster level check (DC X). An antimagic field or similar effect suppresses these abilities (no check needed) as well as all the magistar's other spell-like and supernatural abilties, as normal.

 

[freyar]

Oh, there's precedent for immunity to weapons, isn't there? Let's do that. The flare and vulnerabilities (I think I'd go Su, probably) look good. I'll try to think about the aura tomorrow.

 

[Shade]

Added what we've got so far to Homebrews.

 

[freyar]

Boy, we've got some work to do for these, don't we. Let's start with HD. How about 14? That's still on the low end for Gargantuan, isn't it? I think I'd like to go on the low end and give them some sort of rejuvenation (over the course of hours), since that's what the original text suggests.