Converting Monsters from Polyhedron Magazine

[Shade]

Whether Spell Focus can be applied to SLAs is an ongoing debate, but the latest version does seem to indicate no.

I'm fine with either replacing those feats or noting in the Spell School Mastery ability that they may apply those benefits to their spell-like abilities.

How high of a deflection bonus shall we grant them? Equal to their Cha (+7)?

 

[freyar]

Hmmm, I could go either way. Maybe give them Quicken or Empower SLA on two particular SLAs for each kind? Probably easier to modify the Spell School Mastery ability just to say that they can take feats as if they are actually casting spells.

Maybe 2xCha. Just equal to Cha would only give them AC 14, which seems very low.

 

[Shade]

Hmmm, I could go either way. Maybe give them Quicken or Empower SLA on two particular SLAs for each kind? Probably easier to modify the Spell School Mastery ability just to say that they can take feats as if they are actually casting spells.

Since it only gets each spell 1/day, the Quicken or Empower SLA would be mostly wasted. So let's go with the latter option.

Maybe 2xCha. Just equal to Cha would only give them AC 14, which seems very low.

Sounds good.

 

[freyar]

I think we're finally getting somewhere. What else do these need?

 

[Shade]

Let's work on the "living gate" part next.

The most important fact about MagiStars is that they are also "living gates" through the Sphere to the Phlogiston. Since they are immobile, spacefarers needn't hunt for a gate. Convincing a MagiStar to allow your ship to pass through the gate is another matter entirely.

A disrupted MagiStar cannot be used as a gate.

Whenever a MagiStar is brought to 0 hp, it is incapacitated for 1d6 hours, during which time the gate will function. Otherwise, a MagiStar can prevent a ship from using its gate, by using its flares. Also, MagiStars serve only as one-way gates. Since none exist on the exterior of the Spheres, it is impossible to use a MagiStar to pass from the Phlogiston into a Sphere.

Habitat/Society: Solitary beings, MagiStars are philosophers, contemplating the movements of the worlds beneath them and how their magic school has effected events on those worlds. They are intensely interested in planetside events involving their school of magic; large battles, mysteries uncovered or solved, new items or spells created, etc. This is a source of pride for them, and may make negotiations for passage with them easier.

As residents living on the crystal sphere, MagiStars are also "living gates" to the Phlogiston. MagiStars can communicate with spacefarers via telepathy. Passage through the MagiStar may be purchased, but the price usually involves some magic item, spell, scroll, etc., related to the MagiStar's school. This item is then consumed by the MagiStar.

Once contact has been established, and if the MagiStar is inclined to negotiate, it may temporarily suspend its random magical effects and flares. Ships desiring passage generally stand a better chance of gaining passage if they can lure a specialist mage of the appropriate school to negotiate with the MagiStar; this is not always an easy thing to do.

Here's a rough draft...

Living Gate (Su): A magistar serves as a one-way portal to another plane. Each magistar is tied to a single plane, and cannot change the destination. Any creature or object of the magistar's size or smaller can pass through the portal, but only if the magistar allows it to do so. Magistars generally require payment of a magic item or a piece of arcane lore related to the magistar's school as payment for passage. A wizard specialized in the same school of magic as the magistar can often negotiate a reduced rate of passage.

If a magistar is reduced to 0 hit points, it continues to function as a portal, but can no longer prevent passage. Travelers may freely pass through the living gate until the magistar revives (see rejuvenation, below).

 

[freyar]

This I like. Think we can use the personality section to tie the magistar's school to planar alignment? There are 8 schools and 8 non-neutral alignments.

 

[Shade]

Interesting idea.

 

[Shade]

As each MagiStar is the embodiment of one school of magic, their personalities exemplify the types of mages that choose to specialize in that school. Most MagiStars are relatively secretive about their specific school of magic, as it is the key to their personalities, and is their prime point of pride.

Abjuration MagiStars consider themselves to be sensible, solid, and cautious in their dealings with other races. To many of the spacefaring races, they come across as cowardly, even paranoid. This personality trait can be used to the spacefarers' advantage, but the advantage must not be overly pressed, for if abjuration MagiStars feel too threatened, they could panic, and blindly attack the ship with flares and any appropriate spells. Once they do panic, it is all but impossible to calm them down (especially since most ships can't take that kind of punishment for too long).

Links to chaotic good plane?

Conjuration MagiStars have explosive personalities. They are short-tempered, overbearing, and often insulting to "lesser" creatures. Spacefarers must be prepared with scrolls or other conjuration-related magical items in order to appease their host and potential transport for their disturbance. Another thing spacefarers hoping to use the conjuration MagiStar's gate must possess is the ability to fawn and grovel convincingly.

Links to chaotic evil plane?

Divination MagiStars are introspective, careful negotiators. They seldom seek more than information in exchange for passage. They do have the annoying habit of following any passage agreement they make to the letter. Space-farers must be masters of a carefully worded turn of phrase.

Links to lawful good plane?

Enchantment MagiStars are self-centered and extremely vain. They are often over-confident when dealing with others. Spacefarers must be willing to sing the praises of any enchantment MagiStars if they wish passage. These MagiStars especially enjoy the talents of any bards aboard the ship desiring passage. But woe to the bard who sings off-key or even misses a single note while regaling the MagiStar of its virtues. Obviously, playing to their vanity is the key to success when dealing with these MagiStars.

Links to chaotic neutral plane?

Illusion MagiStars are very secretive, not very willing to give passage, unless the price involves some important secrets. They enjoy negotiating with allusions to some deep, dark, secret, making cryptic references to events or people unknown to the passengers of the ship desiring passage, forcing the ship's occupants to solve some puzzle or win a riddle contest to win passage.

Links to neutral good plane?

Invocation MagiStars are greedy and acquisitive. Their spell selection allows them to be very confident whenever contact with spacefarers takes place. They will sometimes resort to extortion and threats of violence if they do not find the price for passage offered to be substantial enough.

Links to lawful evil plane?

Necromantic MagiStars are, naturally, very interested in death. They will take every opportunity to view it up close. Not much more needs to be said here, except that just about the only thing these MagiStars are good for is to eliminate some foe if said foe was to venture to within the MagiStar's range of effect.

Links to neutral evil plane?

Transmutation MagiStars are ready to converse with any passersby, and may not stop for months or years, holding a ship "dead" with its magical effects and flares. They are not unreasonable negotiators as long as the ship's passengers are willing to listen to the latest events on the third world of that system's latest fashions, the MagiStar's latest ideas on the theory of transmutation, or the story of the last passersby this MagiStar talked to (they still may be there), etc.

Links to lawful neutral plane?

 

[freyar]

That all sounds pretty reasonable to me! Nearly done?

 

[Shade]

Updated. We're finally getting close!

Telepathy x feet (or 1 mile)?

Environment: Any?

Challenge Rating: 15? (They can theoretically use multiple 9th-level spells)

Treasure: No coins; no goods; triple items (all associated with magistar's school of magic)?

Alignment: Usually neutral?

Advancement: 15-28 HD (Gargantuan); 29-42 (Colossal); 43+ (Colossal+)?

A magistar is 50 feet in diameter, but is virtually weightless?