Converting Monsters from Polyhedron Magazine

[Shade]

Let's compare them to the other two scorpionfolk...

Scorpionfolk (MM2): Large, 12 HD, Str 19, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 15, poison 1d4 Dex/1d4 Dex, trample, SLAs.

Stinger (MoF): Large, 4 HD, Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 12, poison 1d6 Str/1d6 Str, bolthole magic.

 

[freyar]

Well, these are Medium and bipedal for one difference. Skorpio poison sounds like Con damage (because it's deadly), but I wouldn't go any higher than 1d6/1d6, maybe even less. They should have quite high Dex and some natural armor. I don't like the "every 3 minute" limit on the tail attacks, but I could see a 1d4 round "recharge time" for the poison, I guess. Also: monstrous humanoid?

 

[Cleon]

Well, these are Medium and bipedal for one difference. Skorpio poison sounds like Con damage (because it's deadly), but I wouldn't go any higher than 1d6/1d6, maybe even less. They should have quite high Dex and some natural armor. I don't like the "every 3 minute" limit on the tail attacks, but I could see a 1d4 round "recharge time" for the poison, I guess. Also: monstrous humanoid?

That's pretty well my thinking too, a 3HD Medium Monstrous Humanoid with a sting attack, high Dex and good natural armour.

The once per 3 rounds sting is peculiar, I'd just give it a regular secondary sting attack but with less potent venom, say 1d4/1d4 Con.

I'd be very tempted to give it a Weapon Finesse bonus feat which only applies to its sting.

So, what stats? I'm thinking something like: Str 13, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 10, +6 natural armour.

How shall we interpret its "surprised only on a 1", some combination of tremorsense and racial bonuses to Spot?

 

[freyar]

I might even increase Dex and drop Str/Con a little, but what you have is pretty good. Not sure I'd go above average for Wis, though.

I could see the less powerful poison. Maybe even 1/1d4 if it can use it every round.

Usually we handle surprise through Spot as well as initiative (Dex helps with that already). Tremorsense is a possibility thematically, but I'm not sure if it's a little too much for these.

 

[Cleon]

I might even increase Dex and drop Str/Con a little, but what you have is pretty good. Not sure I'd go above average for Wis, though.

Well Dex 18 seems plenty high to me. The Strength is the same as a Hobgoblin or Medium-sized Monstrous Scorpion, which seems right to me.

I got the Con and Wis by just averaging the Scorpionfolk and Stinger.

There's an argument for giving it a higher Con. The Monstrous Scorpion, Hobgob, Stinger and Aranea all have Con 14, and this creature has a high natural armour which could go well with an excellent Con, so we could twitch the Con up to 15.

I'm not bothered about the Wis, 10 or 12 both work for me.

I could see the less powerful poison. Maybe even 1/1d4 if it can use it every round.

A Medium Monstrous Scorpion has 1d3/1d3 Con poison, what about that?

Oh, and how much damage shall the stinger do? Assuming it's the 1-6 damage in the "DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon/1-6" that's more than 2nd ed AD&D giant scorpions and manscorpions, which had 1-4 damage stings, so it looks like the 3E version deserves 1d6 damage tailstings.

Usually we handle surprise through Spot as well as initiative (Dex helps with that already). Tremorsense is a possibility thematically, but I'm not sure if it's a little too much for these.

So a +4 or so racial bonus to Listen and Spot and no tremorsense?

 

[freyar]

1d3/1d3 Con would work for the poison.

+4 racial Spot/Listen is good if Shade agrees, sure.

Abilities aren't a big deal for me, either.

 

[Leopold]

I'm interested in the abilities mostly as this creature can be considered a PC with ECLs. Low enough HD, a few special abilties here and there, and it's suitable to be converted over.

I like the Weapon Finesse (tail) and 1d4 rounds per use like a breath weapon for it's poison sting, but still give teh tail some damage.

Pass on tremorsense, buff up their skills and call it a day. This one won't be too hard.

 

[demiurge1138]

Weapon Finesse across the board for me. Using the poison damage from Medium scorpions makes good sense. Not a big fan of tremorsense for these guys.

 

[Shade]

Great stuff! Added to Homebrews.

I dislike the "Weapon Finesse for 1 attack only", as that is the old way of doing things. Let's just give 'em non-finessable weapons in the statblock, and achieve the same result without an uneccessary exception.

I also dislike the "recharge method" for the poison. I agree with the lesser 1 Con/1d3 Con usable every round.

I think the +6 natural armor is a bit high. I know the straight conversion yields AC 20, but that's awfully high for their probable CR. Medium monstrous scorpions have a +4, and I'd be comfortable with that. Thoughts?

 

[Leopold]

+4 Natural Armor is fine.

The 1d3 con damage attack every round is sufficent. I'd like the sting to do some sort of damage even if it fails.

Other feat: Endurance. Hardy lil critters who live in the desert.