Converting Monsters from Polyhedron Magazine

[Shade]

How's this?

Electricity Damage (Su): The touch of a grave watcher's tentacle deals 1d8 points of electricity damage. Additionally, it deals 1d4(?) points of electricity damage to all creatures adjacent to the target that are wearing metal armor or wielding metal weapons.

 

[demiurge1138]

Looks pretty good to me.

Demiurge out.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

Its AC tranlates to 22. We have a +5 Dex bonus currently. We still need to account for 7 points. A deflection bonus seems more appropriate than natural armor in this case. We could give it a deflection bonus equal to 5 + its Cha modifier, which would yield +7 for a typical grave watcher. Sound OK?

Damage reduction 5/bludgeoning?

Skills: 40 (or 5 at 8 ranks)

Feats: 2

Challenge Rating: x

Treasure: It said none, but I'm betting most gravesites have at least incidental treasure. Go with standard?

Alignment: Always(?) neutral

Advancement: x

A grave watcher stands 5 to 6 feet tall and weighs x pounds.

Grave watchers speak x.

A grave watcher can be summoned using a X spell.

 

[freyar]

Electricity damage looks good with 1d4 "splash" damage.

The deflection bonus sounds good. DR is good. Maybe half standard treasure, but let's note in the flavor text that it's incidental. Always neutral.

Advancement: 6-16 HD (Medium) is what it looks like.

100-125 lb? I went kind of light but don't have much of an opinion.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

For skills, how about: Knowledge (the planes) 8, Listen 8, Search 8, Sense Motive 8, Spot 8?

For feats, how about Ability Focus (mesmerizing lights), Weapon Finesse?

For the languages, we could borrow from another inhabitant of their home plane, the trilloch, and go with "Grave watchers cannot speak, but they understand all spoken languages."

Also, we really need to add this ability, common among Negative Energy Plane creatures:

Negative Energy Affinity (Ex): The grave watcher is affected by cure spells and inflict spells as if it were an undead creature.


CR 4? They are hard to hit and have hefty resistances, plus can render those that see them nearly helpless.

 

[freyar]

Given that they always have max hp to start, I'd consider them to be effectively a higher HD critter. I'd say CR 5-6. What do you think?

The rest looks good.

 

[Shade]

Let's go with CR 5, since they can, at best, deal out 8 points of electricity damage per round. They'd rock in a mixed encounter, though, since they can fascinate other creatures while their allies pound on them.

How about this for summoning them?

A grave watcher is treated as an outsider for purposes of planar ally and planar binding spells.

 

[freyar]

That sounds like a good idea. Though who knows what they'll want in return!

 

[Shade]

No kidding!

Updated.

Work complete?

 

[demiurge1138]

Looks good to me.

Demiurge out.