Converting Monsters from Polyhedron Magazine

[freyar]

Can someone with MMV post that ability?

 

[Shade]

Locust Dart (Ex): Once per day, a banshrae can fire a special dart. An opponent struck by this dart is sickened for 1 round and takes 2d6 points of damage as locusts emerge from its body (Fortitude DC 20 negates). The locusts form a swarm that obyes the banshrae's commands for 2d6 rounds before dispersing. The save DC is Constitution-based.

There's also this...

Exude Bloodfiend Swarm (Su): As a standard action, a hullathoin can send forthe a swarm of bloodfiend locusts to attack its foes (see the description of the bloodfiend locust in the Fiend Folio). Swarms of these creatures live in the hullathoin's pus-filled sores. They do not attack the hullathoin or its undead minions.

And this...

Larva Swarm (Ex): As a full-round action, a brood keeper can lift the plates of chitin on its back, releasing a brood keeper larva swarm. The brood keeper larva swarm can act immediately. Until its next action, the brood keeper takes a -5 penalty to Armor Class. Brood keepers are immune to a brood keeper larva swarm's distraction and swarm attacks. A brood keeper can call its larva swarm back as a free action, but it is a full-round action to accept them back into its carapace, during which time the brood keeper takes a -5 penalty to Armor Class. Releasing or accepting its larva swarm provokes attacks of opportunity.

A brood keeper can keep only one brood of larvae in its back. Should the larva swarm be damaged so much that it disperses, a brood keeper gives birth to another batch of larvae in 1 month. If the brood keeper has not done so already, it automatically releases its brood of larvae when it dies.

 

[freyar]

Hmm, lets go with something like this:

Birthing Curse (Su): X times/day, a hippo composite mummy may point to a creature within 30 ft?. The target must make a DC X Fortitude save or immediately take 1d4? hp damage as a scorpion swarm begins to grow inside him. The victim takes 1d4 hp damage per round for 1d4 rounds on the composite mummy's initiative, and, on the following round, a scorpion swarm bursts forth, doing 2d6 hp of damage and proceeding to attack all creatures in the area except for composite mummies.

 

[Shade]

That's a good start. I could see increasing the damage a bit, or even swithing to Con damage.

Shall we limit it to remove curse/break enchantment to stop the "gestation"?

 

[demiurge1138]

Agreed to increased damage (2d6 a round?), remove curse stopping it. How about making the victim sickened each round taking damage, and sickened for a round even if they pass?

 

[Cleon]

Looks OK to me. I am thinking it should only work on living creatures though. Making it Con damage works for me, too.

Say, something like:

Birthing Curse (Su): X times/day, a hippo composite mummy may point to a living creature within X ft? and impregnate them with a scorpion swarm. If the target fails a DC X Fortitude they take 1d4 Con damage per round for 1d4 rounds on the composite mummy's initiative, as the scorpion swarm hatches and devours their flesh. On the final round the scorpion swarm bursts forth, doing an additional 2d6 hit points of damage to the target, and then proceeds to attack all creatures in the area except for composite mummies.
​

If we just want it to do plain hp damage, how about:

Birthing Curse (Su): X times/day, a hippo composite mummy may point to a living creature within X ft? and impregnate them with a scorpion swarm. If the target fails a DC X Fortitude they take 2d6 hit points damage per round for 1d4 rounds on the composite mummy's initiative, as the scorpion swarm hatches and devours their flesh. On the final round the scorpion swarm bursts forth, doing double damage (4d6) to the target, and then proceeds to attack all creatures in the area except for composite mummies.
​

I agree about it needing remove curse or break enchantment to cure/stop, like Mummy Rot and Mummy Scourge does.

The proposed 30 foot range seems too short to me, I'd prefer 100 feet. The Mummy has 16 HD, and a Close-Range spell from a 16th level caster has a range of 105 feet.

Maybe also increase the caster level check for the remove curse/break enchantment to 25 or 26, since this is the hippopotamus mummy's schtick and it only gets to do it a few times a day?

 

[freyar]

Just thinking, should the victim only get the one save or a save each round to negate the damage?

We could do 60 ft or maybe 100 ft range, and we can certainly negotiate over the X/day.

Agreed to remove curse/break enchantment, unsure about CL required.

I could do Con damage and potentially sickened.

 

[demiurge1138]

Only one save, 100 feet, once per day, remove curse/break enchantment.

 

[Cleon]

Only one save, 100 feet, once per day, remove curse/break enchantment.

OK by me.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

Skills: 5 at 19 ranks

Organization: Solitary, x (1-2 plus 2-4 mummies), herd (1-2 plus x-x hippopotami plus 2-4 mummies), or divine council (3d4 composite mummies of various types)

Hippopotamus composite mummies stand x feet tall and weigh x pounds.