Converting Monsters from Polyhedron Magazine

[freyar]

Well, I meant before we got into the Zee Chefs, but anyway....

I guess we'll proceed when we have a homebrew or draft or whatever.

 

[Cleon]

Well, I meant before we got into the Zee Chefs, but anyway....

I guess we'll proceed when we have a homebrew or draft or whatever.

*Sigh*

No rest for the perfectly innocent. Those player characters were dead when I checked the dungeon.

Guess I can start it off...

 

[Cleon]

Emezon Working Draft

Amazon, Emezon (Template)
A handsome but timid seeming male humanoid.

In any society where amazon cultures thrive, one is likely to find the emezon. Whereas amazons are paragons of female warrior culture, emezons are exemplars of male domesticity. Emezons normally serve as cooks, nannies, and decorators for the amazons of their tribe.

Emezons stay as far removed from battle as they can. Only on the rarest of occasions are emezons pressed into guard duty. Most of the time, they simply fight with whatever improvised weapons can be found, and only after unleashing a pitiful wail.

Amazons treat the emezons of their tribe well, and award the best among them with a trophy each month to encourage excellence.

Creating an Emezon
"Emezon" is a template that can be added to any humanoid male (referred to hereafter as the "base creature").

An emezon uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type: Same as the base creature.

Hit Dice: Same as the base creature.

Speed: Same as the base creature.

Armor Class: Same as the base creature.

Attack: Same as the base creature.

Full Attack: Same as the base creature.

Damage: Same as the base creature.

Special Attacks: An emezon retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains the pitiful wail special attack described below.

Pitiful Wail (Su): As a standard action, an emezon can moan and cry woefully. All humanoids (other than amazons) within a 60-foot spread must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 plus half racial hit dice plus Charisma bonus) or become captivated. This is a sonic mind-affecting charm effect. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same emezon's wail for 24 hours.

A captivated victim is charmed (as the charm monster spell, except that the victim's attitude toward the emezon is adjusted to helpful) and moves toward the emezon, taking the most direct route available. If the path leads into a dangerous area (through flame, off a cliff, or the like), that creature gets a second saving throw. A victim within reach of the emezon stop moving and tries to comfort and protect the distressed emezon, but will fight in self-defense if attacked. The effects of a pitiful wail continues for as long as the emezon wails and for 1 round thereafter. A bard's countersong ability allows the captivated creature to attempt a new Will save.

Special Qualities: Same as the base creature.

Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str -2, Cha +2. Same as the base creature.

Skills: Same as the base creature.

Feats: Same as the base creature.

Environment: Any, usually same as base creature.
Organization: Organization: Solitary, family (1-4 plus 1 amazons and 0-4 children), settlement (10-20 plus 5-40 children and 1 cleric, adept or wizard of 1st-2nd level; plus 10-20 amazons and 1 amazon leader of 5th-6th level) or clan (30-100 plus 60-200 non-combatants, 2-5 clerics, adepts, or wizards of 2nd-8th level, and 1 cleric or wizard of 7th-12th level; plus 30-100 amazons, 4-8 amazon leaders of 5th-6th level, 1 amazon captain of 7th-8th level, and 1 amazon queen of 9th-12th level)
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature.
Treasure: Standard.
Alignment: Same as the base creature.
Advancement: By character class.
Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +1.

Sample Emezon
The following sample creature has gained the amazon template.

Emezon Domestic
1st level human expert
Medium Humanoid
Hit Dice: 1d6 (3 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 11 (+1 padded), touch 10, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-2
Attack: Light mace -2 melee (1d6-2)
Full Attack: Light mace -2 melee (1d6-2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Pitiful wail
Special Qualities: —
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +3
Abilities: Str 6, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 9, Wis 13, Cha 14
Skills: Craft (any 1) +6, Diplomacy +6, Heal +5*, Profession (any 1) +5, Sense Motive +5
*Heal skill does not include a use of his Healer's Kit.
Feats: Skill Focus (Craft)
Environment: Any land
Organization: Organization: Solitary, family (1-4 plus 1 amazons and 0-4 children), settlement (10-20 plus 5-40 children and 1 cleric, adept or wizard of 1st-2nd level; plus 10-20 amazons and 1 amazon leader of 5th-6th level) or clan (30-100 plus 60-200 non-combatants, 2-5 clerics, adepts, or wizards of 2nd-8th level, and 1 cleric or wizard of 7th-12th level; plus 30-100 amazons, 4-8 amazon leaders of 5th-6th level, 1 amazon captain of 7th-8th level, and 1 amazon queen of 9th-12th level)
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +1

This emezon is a non-elite human male 1st level expert with the following ability scores before racial and template adjustments: Str 8, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 9, Wis 13, Cha 12.

Equipment: Leather armor, light mace, healer's kit.

COMBAT

Pitiful Wail (Su): DC 12.

Zee Chefs
Emezon clerics can select a special cleric domain, the Culinary Domain, which is detailed below. An emezon cleric with the Culinary Domain belongs to an order called zee chefs, who practice a curious food-related religion. An emezon cleric has access to two of the following domains: Artifice, Community, Culinary and Protection.

Culinary Domain
Any conjuration (creation) spell used to create food or drink will have the number of creatures it can nourish increased by one-half.

Culinary Domain Spells
1 goodberry
2 aid
3 create food and water
4 cocoadaemon
5 fabricate*
6 heroes' feast
7 true creation*
8 mage's magnificent mansion
9 iron body
* These spells can only create food and drink.

Originally appeared in Polyhedron Newszine #23 (April/March 1985)

 

[Cleon]

I'm wondering whether we should limit pitiful wail to affecting only humanoids, giants, and possibly monstrous humanoid.

It doesn't feel right for it to work against man-eating inhuman monsters.

 

[Shade]

I'm wondering whether we should limit pitiful wail to affecting only humanoids, giants, and possibly monstrous humanoid.

It doesn't feel right for it to work against man-eating inhuman monsters.

I'd be happy to limit to only humanoids. I'd really rather leave off giants. Giant cares not for puny humanoid! GIANT SMASH!

 

[Cleon]

I'd be happy to limit to only humanoids. I'd really rather leave off giants. Giant cares not for puny humanoid! GIANT SMASH!

If we don't include Monstrous Humanoids shouldn't we cut out the reference to Harpies and Sirens being immune, since Harpies are Monstrous Humanoids?

 

[Shade]

If we don't include Monstrous Humanoids shouldn't we cut out the reference to Harpies and Sirens being immune, since Harpies are Monstrous Humanoids?

Absolutely!

 

[Cleon]

Absolutely!

I've updated the Working Draft with the following:

Pitiful Wail (Su): As a standard action, an emezon can moan and cry woefully. All humanoids (other than amazons) within a 60-foot spread must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 plus half racial hit dice plus Charisma bonus) or become captivated. This is a sonic mind-affecting charm effect. A humanoid creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same emezon's wail for 24 hours.

 

[Shade]

I've updated the Working Draft with the following:

Pitiful Wail (Su): As a standard action, an emezon can moan and cry woefully. All humanoids (other than amazons) within a 60-foot spread must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 plus half racial hit dice plus Charisma bonus) or become captivated. This is a sonic mind-affecting charm effect. A humanoid creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same emezon's wail for 24 hours.

You can leave off the second red "humanoid" since you've already established earlier in the ability that only humanoids can be affected.

 

[Cleon]

You can leave off the second red "humanoid" since you've already established earlier in the ability that only humanoids can be affected.

As you like. I'll change it to "a creature".

Updating the Working Draft.