Converting Monsters from Polyhedron Magazine

[Cleon]

Cocoadaemon/Chocodeva
Conjuration/Summoning [See Text]
Level: Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 3 hours
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: One cocoademon or chocodeva
Duration: Permanent until dispelled
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

With this spell, the chef creates a 10" tall daemon- or angel-like creature made of chocolate, which can obey simple instructions from its creator (such as carrying light objects, stealing a small item, sounding an alarm in case of an unexpected visit, etc.). The cocoademon is of low intelligence and, though loyal to its summoner, it likes practical jokes and causing mischief (but hates hot temperatures). Chocodevas, in contrast, are merry but take a protective attitude toward their summoners. The material component is 3 pounds of chocolate.

Given that they're built by outsiders, we have no need for construction requirements, agreed? (Just like the retriever.) I think they're done.

We need to add a variable alignment descriptor in the text to explain the "[See Text]" behind the Conjuration/Summoning.

I'd also put a price on the material components, which should probably be broken out.

e.g.:

Material Components: Three pounds of the finest chocolate flavored with rare spices, costing X gold pieces.

Related to that component, we should change "the chef creates" since it's a Conjuration/Summoning spell not a Conjuration/Creation - unless you want to change it to a Conjuration/Creation spell, like shambler or mordenkainen's faithful hound.

Could we make it a Summoning AND a Creation spell? There's only one SRD spell with two Subschools, namely gate, and that is an OR not an AND, as it has a descriptor of "Conjuration (Creation or Calling)".

Hmm, that doesn't make much sense - if these critters originate from the outer planes, we should keep the Summoning and reword it so "the caster conjures a 10" tall daemon or angel-like creature made of chocolate".

Also, I'm not that keen on the description of the chocodevas.

How about "Chocodevas, in contrast, are merry beings with a protective attitude toward their summoners, but they tend to nag creatures whose behavior they consider immoral."

Putting it together...

Cocoadaemon/Chocodeva
Conjuration/Summoning (Evil or Good [See Text])
Level: Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 3 hours
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: One cocoademon or chocodeva
Duration: Permanent until dispelled
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

With this spell, the caster conjures a 10" tall daemon- or angel-like creature made of chocolate, which can obey simple instructions from its creator (such as carrying light objects, stealing a small item, sounding an alarm in case of an unexpected visit, etc.). The cocoademon is of low intelligence and, though loyal to its summoner, it likes practical jokes and causing mischief (but hates hot temperatures). Chocodevas, in contrast, are merry beings with a protective attitude toward their summoners, but they tend to nag creatures whose behavior they consider immoral.

The cocoadaemon/chocodeva spell is an Evil spell when used to summon a cocoadaemon and a Good spell when used to summon a chocodeva.

Material Components: Three pounds of the finest chocolate flavored with rare spices, costing X gold pieces.

 

[freyar]

Yes! I just remembered about the alignment descriptors. How many gp do you want it to cost? 1000 gp, similar to homunculus creation cost?

This looks pretty good to me now.

 

[Cleon]

Yes! I just remembered about the alignment descriptors. How many gp do you want it to cost? 1000 gp, similar to homunculus creation cost?

This looks pretty good to me now.

I was thinking more 500 gp, but I guess making it 1,000 gp like the Homunculus makes sense since they're of similar usefulness.

Do we want it to have an XP cost too?

Does it require a specially prepared kitchen to produce, like a Homunculus needs a lab/workroom, or just a focal item - like, say, a silver chocolate mold in the shape of whatever creature is to be conjured?

 

[freyar]

As it's a spell instead of construction requirements, I'd say no to the special kitchen, and I think the 3 lb of fine chocolate for a material component should be fine instead of a focus.

I'm waffling on the XP cost, but I think no. The yugoloth would want them to have some cost (to make it less obvious that they're a loss leader) but not a heavy one, so gp but no XP cost makes sense to me.

 

[Cleon]

As it's a spell instead of construction requirements, I'd say no to the special kitchen, and I think the 3 lb of fine chocolate for a material component should be fine instead of a focus.

I'm waffling on the XP cost, but I think no. The yugoloth would want them to have some cost (to make it less obvious that they're a loss leader) but not a heavy one, so gp but no XP cost makes sense to me.

I don't mind dropping the kitchen and XP requirement, since it's a Summoning rather than a Creation spell, but I like the idea of the mold.

 

[freyar]

The mold is flavor-licious for sure. If you want both M and F components, how about each costs 500 gp?

 

[Cleon]

The mold is flavor-licious for sure. If you want both M and F components, how about each costs 500 gp?

That works out to a similar cost to the Homunculus, except without the XP, so I'm fine.

Do we want to include the +2000 gp per additional Hit Dice that the Homunculus has? It seems a bit much, so I'd be fine reducing it to 1,000 gold per HD?

Personally I wouldn't bother, since conjuration spells don't usually allow for the summoning of advanced versions of a monster.

So, how about this to finish off the chococritters (Note that I've tweaked the summoning spell's description a bit in the draft below):

Cocoadaemon

A foot-tall creature seemingly molded from tantalizing milky chocolate. It has the form of an obese humanoid with little horns, a forked tail, and an expression of leering cunning. A pair of ridiculously small batlike wings sprout from its shoulders, but these appendages seem purely ornamental.

A cocoadaemon is an extraplanar construct formed from living chocolate. According to myth, cocoadaemons were created by a yugoloth lord to tempt non-evil casters with their chocolatey deliciousness. A solar then developed a construct with similar attributes and the Angel subtype to oppose the cocoadaemon, the chocodeva. If a spellcaster summons both a chocodeva and a cocoadaemon, the two constructs will take every opportunity to insult the other while seeking to persuade the caster towards their ethical point of view, usually while sitting on their summoner's shoulders.

Like other extraplanar constructs, such as retrievers, cocoadaemons and chocodevas are built by outsiders, not constructed by mortals. They can be summoned to the Material Plane by the cocoadaemon/chocodeva spell (see below).

A cocoadaemon is typically a foot tall and weighs 3 pounds.

Cocoadaemons speak Common, Abyssal, Celestial and Infernal.

* * *
​

Chocodeva

A foot-tall creature seemingly molded from delectable dark chocolate. It has the form of an rotund humanoid wearing a toga-like garment, a halo, and an expression of blissful contentment. A pair of ridiculously small feathery wings sprout from its shoulders, but these appendages seem purely ornamental.

A chocodeva is an extraplanar construct formed from living chocolate that strives to encourage mortals to do good works. Emezon legend says they were invented by a solar to counter the corrupting influence of evil chocolate beings called cocoadaemons. If a spellcaster summons both a chocodeva and a cocoadaemon, the two constructs will take every opportunity to insult the other while seeking to persuade the caster towards their ethical point of view, usually while sitting on their summoner's shoulders.

Like other extraplanar constructs, such as retrievers, cocoadaemons and chocodevas are built by outsiders, not constructed by mortals. They can be summoned to the Material Plane by the cocoadaemon/chocodeva spell (see below).

A chocodeva is typically a foot tall and weighs 3 pounds.

Chocodevas speak Common, Abyssal, Celestial and Infernal.

* * *
​

Cocoadaemon/Chocodeva
Conjuration/Summoning (Evil or Good [See Text])
Level: Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M, F
Casting Time: 3 hours
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: One cocoadaemon or chocodeva
Duration: Permanent until dispelled
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

With this spell, the caster conjures a foot tall daemon- or angel-like creature made of chocolate, which can obey simple instructions from its creator (such as carrying light objects, stealing a small item, sounding an alarm in case of an unexpected visit, etc.). Cocoadaemons are of low intelligence and, though loyal to their summoner, they like practical jokes and causing mischief (but hate hot temperatures). Chocodevas, in contrast, are merry beings with a protective attitude toward their summoners, although they tend to nag creatures whose behavior they consider immoral.

The cocoadaemon/chocodeva spell is an Evil spell when used to summon a cocoadaemon and a Good spell when used to summon a chocodeva.

Material Component: Three pounds of the finest chocolate flavored with rare spices, costing 500 gold pieces.

Focus: A silver chocolate mold costing 500 gold pieces. To summon a cocoadaemon the mold must be in the shape of an evil outsider, a chocodeva requires a mold shaped like a good outsider.

Shall I add the above to the Cocoadaemon Working Draft and Chocodeva Working Draft.

 

[freyar]

Excellent! Please do, and let's call it a day.

 

[Cleon]

Excellent! Please do, and let's call it a day.

It's a period of eighty six thousand and four hundred IS seconds!

 

[Cleon]

I'm just prepping the Emezon for uploading to the CC and noticed we haven't finalized the cleric domains for Zee Chef.

Currently it's got "An emezon cleric has access to two of the following domains: Culinary, X, Y, or Z. [Charm?, Community?, Protection?, Magic?, Liberation? Artifice?]"

Any preferences?