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Converting Monsters from Polyhedron Magazine
- Thread starter Shade
- Start date
Cleon
Legend
Hold on, I've come up with another quibble.
The description says "A mummified giant, half again as tall as a human" that was all right for the shorter hippopotamus-headed version, but the jackal and typhonic ones are 12 feet tall.
Shouldn't we change it to "twice as tall as a human"?
Shade
Monster Junkie
Kobalts
AD&D(R) game statistics
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 20-80 males (plus others; see below)
ARMOR CLASS: 8 (leather equivalent)
MOVE: 9"
HIT DICE: 3 (4 hp minimum; note Heightened Constitution bonus to hp)
% IN LAIR: 60%
TREASURE TYPE: D; see below
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (2 with bows, more with technological items)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type; bite for 1-2
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Magic and/or technological items; some have mutational attacks
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Magic and/or technological items; radiation and poison resistance
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Lawful neutral
SIZE: S (3 1/2' tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: No true psionics, but may possess psionic-like mutations
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: III/110+4/hp base value (high intelligence and poison/radiation resistance); note that some individuals may have missile weapons, weapons doing great damage, or other magical! mutational enchancements that will raise their base x.p. value
In the most ancient archives may be found references to a powerful arch-mage who located an unusual alternate universe. Creatures of strange design roamed this world; the landscape was devastated by fire and war. The arch-mage summoned an army of goblins, ores, and allied monsters, armed them with the best weapons and equipment, set off into that forsaken land to make war upon its inhabitants, and found an empire from which to raid other worlds and planes. None of that host returned; the army was destroyed by savage beasts with incredible powers and by a sickness that could not be cured. Subsequent authorities now believe that the only survivors were the smallest creatures who were best able to hide deep in the earth and adapt to the new land.
Those authorities were correct. The only survivors of this raid were kobolds, and the new land wrought its changes on them in return for their survival. Now calling themselves kobalts, these creatures have picked up a number of beneficial mutations from the radiation in their environment. Their Infravision allows them to see any heated body at up to 60 meters (66 yards) at night or in darkness of any kind. They may detect the slight warmth that plants emit and find places on the ground where beings rested within the last hour; this latter ability allows them to track parties at night with 90% accuracy. However, their daylight vision has worsened, and they are -2 to hit opponents in direct sunlight. They are blinded for 1-4 melee rounds by sudden and close heat flashes (such as laser shots, Fireballs, lightning, or explosions), within 60 meters of them in a dark environment. When using heat-producing technological weapons or anticipating the use of same by opponents, kobalts wear protective goggles or helmet visors that reduce their Infravision to 30 meters, but that completely prevent blindness.
Kobalts have a tough, leathery scaled skin with a deep cobalt-blue color. Heightened Constitution gives kobalts an 18 resistance vs. radiation and poison in the GAMMA WORLD(R) game universe, and a save vs. poison in the AD&D(R) game worlds of 02. Their Heightened Intelligence gives them average mental strength (equivalent to wisdom) of 14, and an average intelligence of 15; they add 4 points to die rolls when learning to use an artifact. They have an average physical strength of 12 (normal kobolds have a 9). Prolonged experience in underground living makes them 75% likely to detect slopes, 60% likely to tell new construction, and 50% likely to know the approximate depth underground and the direction of travel.
One kobalt in 20 (male or female) has developed the Planar Travel mutation, which links the GAMMA WORLD game universe with one AD&D game universe (that of the current campaign). The kobalt casting this psionic-like power may send up to 40 kobalts, including himself, between the two universes once a week; returning to the universe left behind is equally simple. Kobalts with this power are regarded as holy by their clan and usually travel with the clan leader.
The leader of a kobalt clan has 21-24 hit points and a retinue of guards (3-12) with 15-20 hit points each, protecting both him and the planar-traveling kobalts (PTKs). Another 4-16 guards with the same hit point range as above will be assigned as lair guards, crewing positions near the entrances. These guards are in addition to the other kobalts encountered. The kobalt leader, PTKs, and guards are often equipped with heavier sorts of technological or magical armor. If the weapons they use permit it, they will use small shields to improve their armor class. The leader of a kobalt clan possesses 1-3 technological artifacts from the table below and also uses magical weapons, if they exist in the treasure hoard and are of the right size. Distributed among the rest of the guards and the PTKs will be 2-16 other technological devices with 1-4 energy cells per device if required. The leader and PTKs always get the best weapons. There is a 15% chance that a colony of kobalts will possess a robotic or automotive device of some kind.
Females will be found in a kobalt colony, equaling 50 % of the male population. Young kobalts are equal in number to about 10% of the adult males. 2-20 heavily protected eggs will also be found in the colony. Except for a few remarkable females who work through the hierarchy to become guards or are hatched with the Planar Travel mutation, most females and young are noncombative unless the colony is attacked. In battle, the non-guard males and females will carry an assortment of weapons including hand axes, short swords, daggers, short composite bows, javelins, and slings. Missile weapons will not exceed 50 % of an armed force, unless it is a raiding party in which everyone has a missile weapon and a hand-to-hand weapon. These fighters will usually carry a small, light shield of plastic or wood.
Kobalts have been encountered so infrequently in magic-oriented universes that they will likely be thought of as bluedyed kobolds. They use extreme care in planning any raids in the AD&D or GAMMA WORLD game universes, gathering intelligence through agents they can implicitly trust. Colonies of kobalts will go on raids into the AD&D game universe as infrequently as once a year, but the careful planning and the power of their technological weapons has allowed them to amass a class D treasure (see Monster Manual) and between 1000-8000 domars. Note that if an artifact from the GAMMA WORLD game is rolled up that none of the kobalts can use (such as a suit of man-sized Powered Assault Armor), it will be stored in the colony anyway and used for trading purposes. Kobalts enjoy bargaining as much as they do raiding, and do it more frequently, too. They use their financial resources to purchase more magical and technological equipment for their clan and to fortify their lairs. Kobalts have little desire to gain territory in either the AD&D or GAMMA WORLD game universes, preferring to remain virtually unknown and keep a low profile.
If confronting what appears to be a relatively weak party, the kobalts will demand all magical/technological items be turned over to them and will take a healthy cut of the party's money as well. Stronger parties are likely to be ambushed, but kobalts are not stupid and will avoid encounters with very tough adventurers, except through third parties. Kobalts have a heroic mythos, having completely dissociated themselves from their old lawful evil religion, and will only rarely surrender. Kobalts are incredibly brave under the most trying circumstances, a positive result of their long battle to survive in their hostile homeworld. They are equally able to operate as merchants or bandits as suits them best.
If encountered in the AD&D game, kobalts will have the hit points and "to hit" probabilities of 3 hit-dice monsters.
If found in the GAMMA WORLD game, they will have the hit points of 4 hit-dice (6-sided) monsters. While the type of hit dice changes from world to world, from 8sided to 6-sided, the hit point range is about the same. The hit points of an individual kobalt do not change when passing from one universe to the next. When using ranged weapons, kobalts use the appropriate attack tables for weapon type in the GAMMA WORLD game; in an AD&D game world, ranged weapons are treated as missile fire with appropriate penalties to hit at lh and 2h range distances. See tire "Mutants and Magic" section of the Dungeon Master's Guide for further information on integrating the AD&D and GAMMA WORLD game systems.
Any kobalt has a 1% chance of having an extra random mutation. If the mutation is beneficial, the kobalt may become a sergeant, guard, or leader.
Technological artifact table for kobalts
01-40 Pistol, random type
41-65 Energy weapon, random type
66-90 Grenade, random type
91-00 Any other artifact except robotic or automotive device.
Originally appeared in Polyhedron #18 (1984).
AD&D(R) game statistics
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 20-80 males (plus others; see below)
ARMOR CLASS: 8 (leather equivalent)
MOVE: 9"
HIT DICE: 3 (4 hp minimum; note Heightened Constitution bonus to hp)
% IN LAIR: 60%
TREASURE TYPE: D; see below
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (2 with bows, more with technological items)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type; bite for 1-2
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Magic and/or technological items; some have mutational attacks
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Magic and/or technological items; radiation and poison resistance
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Lawful neutral
SIZE: S (3 1/2' tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: No true psionics, but may possess psionic-like mutations
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: III/110+4/hp base value (high intelligence and poison/radiation resistance); note that some individuals may have missile weapons, weapons doing great damage, or other magical! mutational enchancements that will raise their base x.p. value
In the most ancient archives may be found references to a powerful arch-mage who located an unusual alternate universe. Creatures of strange design roamed this world; the landscape was devastated by fire and war. The arch-mage summoned an army of goblins, ores, and allied monsters, armed them with the best weapons and equipment, set off into that forsaken land to make war upon its inhabitants, and found an empire from which to raid other worlds and planes. None of that host returned; the army was destroyed by savage beasts with incredible powers and by a sickness that could not be cured. Subsequent authorities now believe that the only survivors were the smallest creatures who were best able to hide deep in the earth and adapt to the new land.
Those authorities were correct. The only survivors of this raid were kobolds, and the new land wrought its changes on them in return for their survival. Now calling themselves kobalts, these creatures have picked up a number of beneficial mutations from the radiation in their environment. Their Infravision allows them to see any heated body at up to 60 meters (66 yards) at night or in darkness of any kind. They may detect the slight warmth that plants emit and find places on the ground where beings rested within the last hour; this latter ability allows them to track parties at night with 90% accuracy. However, their daylight vision has worsened, and they are -2 to hit opponents in direct sunlight. They are blinded for 1-4 melee rounds by sudden and close heat flashes (such as laser shots, Fireballs, lightning, or explosions), within 60 meters of them in a dark environment. When using heat-producing technological weapons or anticipating the use of same by opponents, kobalts wear protective goggles or helmet visors that reduce their Infravision to 30 meters, but that completely prevent blindness.
Kobalts have a tough, leathery scaled skin with a deep cobalt-blue color. Heightened Constitution gives kobalts an 18 resistance vs. radiation and poison in the GAMMA WORLD(R) game universe, and a save vs. poison in the AD&D(R) game worlds of 02. Their Heightened Intelligence gives them average mental strength (equivalent to wisdom) of 14, and an average intelligence of 15; they add 4 points to die rolls when learning to use an artifact. They have an average physical strength of 12 (normal kobolds have a 9). Prolonged experience in underground living makes them 75% likely to detect slopes, 60% likely to tell new construction, and 50% likely to know the approximate depth underground and the direction of travel.
One kobalt in 20 (male or female) has developed the Planar Travel mutation, which links the GAMMA WORLD game universe with one AD&D game universe (that of the current campaign). The kobalt casting this psionic-like power may send up to 40 kobalts, including himself, between the two universes once a week; returning to the universe left behind is equally simple. Kobalts with this power are regarded as holy by their clan and usually travel with the clan leader.
The leader of a kobalt clan has 21-24 hit points and a retinue of guards (3-12) with 15-20 hit points each, protecting both him and the planar-traveling kobalts (PTKs). Another 4-16 guards with the same hit point range as above will be assigned as lair guards, crewing positions near the entrances. These guards are in addition to the other kobalts encountered. The kobalt leader, PTKs, and guards are often equipped with heavier sorts of technological or magical armor. If the weapons they use permit it, they will use small shields to improve their armor class. The leader of a kobalt clan possesses 1-3 technological artifacts from the table below and also uses magical weapons, if they exist in the treasure hoard and are of the right size. Distributed among the rest of the guards and the PTKs will be 2-16 other technological devices with 1-4 energy cells per device if required. The leader and PTKs always get the best weapons. There is a 15% chance that a colony of kobalts will possess a robotic or automotive device of some kind.
Females will be found in a kobalt colony, equaling 50 % of the male population. Young kobalts are equal in number to about 10% of the adult males. 2-20 heavily protected eggs will also be found in the colony. Except for a few remarkable females who work through the hierarchy to become guards or are hatched with the Planar Travel mutation, most females and young are noncombative unless the colony is attacked. In battle, the non-guard males and females will carry an assortment of weapons including hand axes, short swords, daggers, short composite bows, javelins, and slings. Missile weapons will not exceed 50 % of an armed force, unless it is a raiding party in which everyone has a missile weapon and a hand-to-hand weapon. These fighters will usually carry a small, light shield of plastic or wood.
Kobalts have been encountered so infrequently in magic-oriented universes that they will likely be thought of as bluedyed kobolds. They use extreme care in planning any raids in the AD&D or GAMMA WORLD game universes, gathering intelligence through agents they can implicitly trust. Colonies of kobalts will go on raids into the AD&D game universe as infrequently as once a year, but the careful planning and the power of their technological weapons has allowed them to amass a class D treasure (see Monster Manual) and between 1000-8000 domars. Note that if an artifact from the GAMMA WORLD game is rolled up that none of the kobalts can use (such as a suit of man-sized Powered Assault Armor), it will be stored in the colony anyway and used for trading purposes. Kobalts enjoy bargaining as much as they do raiding, and do it more frequently, too. They use their financial resources to purchase more magical and technological equipment for their clan and to fortify their lairs. Kobalts have little desire to gain territory in either the AD&D or GAMMA WORLD game universes, preferring to remain virtually unknown and keep a low profile.
If confronting what appears to be a relatively weak party, the kobalts will demand all magical/technological items be turned over to them and will take a healthy cut of the party's money as well. Stronger parties are likely to be ambushed, but kobalts are not stupid and will avoid encounters with very tough adventurers, except through third parties. Kobalts have a heroic mythos, having completely dissociated themselves from their old lawful evil religion, and will only rarely surrender. Kobalts are incredibly brave under the most trying circumstances, a positive result of their long battle to survive in their hostile homeworld. They are equally able to operate as merchants or bandits as suits them best.
If encountered in the AD&D game, kobalts will have the hit points and "to hit" probabilities of 3 hit-dice monsters.
If found in the GAMMA WORLD game, they will have the hit points of 4 hit-dice (6-sided) monsters. While the type of hit dice changes from world to world, from 8sided to 6-sided, the hit point range is about the same. The hit points of an individual kobalt do not change when passing from one universe to the next. When using ranged weapons, kobalts use the appropriate attack tables for weapon type in the GAMMA WORLD game; in an AD&D game world, ranged weapons are treated as missile fire with appropriate penalties to hit at lh and 2h range distances. See tire "Mutants and Magic" section of the Dungeon Master's Guide for further information on integrating the AD&D and GAMMA WORLD game systems.
Any kobalt has a 1% chance of having an extra random mutation. If the mutation is beneficial, the kobalt may become a sergeant, guard, or leader.
Technological artifact table for kobalts
01-40 Pistol, random type
41-65 Energy weapon, random type
66-90 Grenade, random type
91-00 Any other artifact except robotic or automotive device.
Originally appeared in Polyhedron #18 (1984).
Cleon
Legend
Hmm, these remind me of a "Super Kobold" monster idea I was playing around with many years ago.
Anyhow, of the choices I think Monstrous Humanoid is the best fit.
Since they're still basically Kobolds they'd remain Small and Reptilian.
We've also got the following:
3 Hit Dice.
Str 12, Int 15, Wis 14.
Their light sensitivity is worse than regular Kobolds. Not sure what to do with that.
Great resistance to mutation (maybe transmutation spells?) and poison.
I like the idea of adding a "mutations table" but it doesn't look like many Kobalts have mutations - 5% have this mass plane shift like power, 1% have some random mutation.
Maybe we should increase those odds a bit, otherwise we won't be having many weirdo blue reptilian dogmen muties for the PCs to meet.
Keep the 5% Planar Traveling but have something like 10-20% of the population be a mutant?
Shade
Monster Junkie
Added the basics to Homebrews.
Perhaps increase to light blindness?
Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds drow for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.
That appeals. +4 bonus to both? Also, a racial bonus on polymorph effects? (While most of the polymorph spells will be covered by transmutation, some special abilities may not be that specific).
Sure. Probably just have a mutation table for all, but have the bulk of the results be "no mutation".
Does this suggest natural armor bonus is +2 (like leather's armor bonus?)
Cleon said:
Perhaps increase to light blindness?
Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds drow for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.
Cleon said:
That appeals. +4 bonus to both? Also, a racial bonus on polymorph effects? (While most of the polymorph spells will be covered by transmutation, some special abilities may not be that specific).
Cleon said:
Sure. Probably just have a mutation table for all, but have the bulk of the results be "no mutation".
Does this suggest natural armor bonus is +2 (like leather's armor bonus?)
Cleon
Legend
Good idea! Let's use that.
So something like:
Resist Mutation and Poison (Ex): A kobalt has a +4 bonus on its saving throws against all transmutation spells and polymorph effects, including body-warping powers such as a chaos beast's corporeal instability power. It also has a +4 bonus on its saving throws against poison, including radiation poisoning.
So, a percentile table with beneficial mutations on the 1-20 results and a "no mutation" on 21-80? That way you can roll 1d20 for a kobalt you know has a mutation.
It suggest to me they're wearing leather armour.
However I am fine with giving them +2 NA. A regular kobold's got +1, and these chaps are supposed to be tougher.
Shade
Monster Junkie
Fantastic!
Yeah, good idea.
Shall we limit the futuristic weapons to an underbar, or incorporate them into the main stats?
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