Converting monsters from Second Edition Monstrous Compendiums

[demiurge1138]

The chain lightning breath weapon sounds like it could be fun. Classic Monsters Revisted, the Paizo book, has a Sense Fear feat, which I think we could tweak. The relevant text (stolen from my Pathfinder thread...)


Feats The Scent of Fear feat allows the koblak to track by scent and pinpoint creatures by scent within 30 feet. In addition, it gains a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls against shaken or frightened opponents and can detect them at twice normal Scent range. It gains a +2 bonus on all Will saves when within 120 feet of a shaken or frightened opponent, and cannot be caught flat-footed by any shaken or frightened opponent. This feat first appeared in Pathfinder Chronicles: Classic Monsters Revisited

 

[freyar]

Ahh, I like both those ideas! Nice.

 

[Shade]

Chain Lightning (Su): Once very 1d4+1 rounds, a thunder child can release a blast of chain lightning from its eyes. The bolt deals xd6 points of electricity damage to a primary target within 60 feet. After it strikes, lightning can arc to a number of secondary targets equal to the thunder child's Hit Dice (maximum 20). Each target can attempt a DC X Reflex saving throw for half damage. The thunder child chooses secondary targets as it likes, but they must all be within 30 feet of the primary target, and no target can be struck more than once. The thunder child can choose to affect fewer secondary targets than the maximum. The secondary bolts each strike one target and deal half as much damage as the primary one did (rounded down). The save DC is Charisma-based.

Smell Fear (Su): A thunder child can track by scent and pinpoint creatures by scent within 30 feet. In addition, it gains a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls against shaken, frightened, or panicked opponents and can detect them at four times the normal scent range. It gains a +2 bonus on all Will saves when within 120 feet of a shaken, frightened, or panicked opponent, and cannot be caught flat-footed by any shaken, frightened, or panicked opponent.

 

[demiurge1138]

Looks pretty good.

 

[freyar]

Agreed. But compared to the chain lightning SLA (at CL 7, 7d6 damage and 680 ft range), it's a touch weak. I'd suggest either increasing the range (120 ft?), putting primary target damage higher (8d6?) or both.

 

[Shade]

That's why I left the damage "xd6".

Keep in mind they can use that once every 1d4 rounds, so we don't want it to be too devastating.

I could see 8d6 and possibly 120 feet, though.

 

[freyar]

I guess my point was that 7/day was almost unlimited per a single combat anyway, so it's not gaining much by getting a 1d4+1 recharge time. Anyway, if demiurge agrees to 8d6 and 120 ft, I think we're ok. They will probably be pretty decent for 7HD.

 

[demiurge1138]

8d6 is fine by me. Ditto the range.

 

[Shade]

Updated (including the gaseous form, sound imitation, and unearthly grace mentioned farther upthread).

Time for the tough ability...

The most ingenious manner in which a thunder child attacks is by subtle, psychological ways. During violent storms, thunder children delight in loosening doors and windows, banging shutters, flinging small outdoor objects about, and doing other things which heighten their victims’ unease over the storm. The victims’ fear is what feeds the thunder children.

Any round in which a thunder child attempts to frighten its victim, the victim must save vs. paralyzation. Failure indicates that the victim is overcome with fright, and loses one point of Wisdom, drained by the thunder child. When the victim’s Wisdom reaches 0, he/she dies of fright, unless he/she makes a successful save vs. death magic. Victims who survive can regain their Wisdom points at a rate of one every 12 hours.

 

[demiurge1138]

Model it like a howler's Wisdom damage, but have any creature that fails a save for Wisdom damage have to make another save or be shaken for 1 hour.