Converting monsters from Second Edition Monstrous Compendiums

[freyar]

Hmmm, maybe I'll do that "anti-dragon" stat block once the basic one is finished.

What about a longsword/shortsword combo?

I've not had much chance to post this past week (between travel and internet connectivity issues both on the road and at work), but I'll get back to posting and updating this thing soon. I'm determined to get this one finished by June!

 

[Cleon]

Hmmm, maybe I'll do that "anti-dragon" stat block once the basic one is finished.

Good oh!

What about a longsword/shortsword combo?

I was thinking of keeping the weapons the same to cut down on feat duplication, but consider it isn't a fighter (so doesn't get fighter bonus feats or access to Weapon Specialization feats) that isn't so big an issue.

So I guess longsword/shortsword is fine.

I've not had much chance to post this past week (between travel and internet connectivity issues both on the road and at work), but I'll get back to posting and updating this thing soon. I'm determined to get this one finished by June!

Well it's nice to be optimistic...

 

[freyar]

Updated.

I put in the longsword/short sword combo, the special abilities you suggested (I agreed with them and picked Improved Weapon Throwing as a special one), and went ahead with full plate armor to save time. I can change that if you object strenuously.

Skills, feats, and spells are next. Suggestions?

 

[Cleon]

Updated.

I put in the longsword/short sword combo, the special abilities you suggested (I agreed with them and picked Improved Weapon Throwing as a special one), and went ahead with full plate armor to save time. I can change that if you object strenuously.

Skills, feats, and spells are next. Suggestions?

Well it doesn't have the Dex for Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, so I guess we could go for Improved Critical (longsword), Weapon Focus (longsword) and Power Attack.

Maybe Stand Still to try to prevent a dragon they're in melee with from running (it might work, since Dragons have poor Dex so Ref tends to be their worse save).

That's four.

Hold on, he's an unholy undead knight so ought to be good on a steed.

Mounted Combat and Mounted Archery then.

Put together, that's:

Feats: Improved Critical (longsword), Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Stand Still, Weapon Focus (longsword)

 

[freyar]

I'm fine with those feats, as long as we add a composite longbow to go with Mounted Archery.

Speaking of weapons (and armor), should we make any of it magic or at least masterwork?

OK, skills that are ranger, paladin, and blackguard class skills have a max of 16 ranks. However, we only have enough paladin/blackguard ranks available to max out 3 such skills. I propose going with 16 ranks in Concentration, Ride, and either Heal or Handle Animal (probably Heal). Then we still have 20 ranger ranks left (max 5 per skill). I think I would put 5 ranks each in Listen and Spot, 3 in Use Rope, 3 in Survival, and 4 cross-class in Know (arcana) (for a bonus of +2).

What do you think?

 

[Cleon]

I'm fine with those feats, as long as we add a composite longbow to go with Mounted Archery.

Sure, although Mounted Archery will also apply to its Improved Weapon Throwing I was thinking we'd give him a mighty bow as well.

Speaking of weapons (and armor), should we make any of it magic or at least masterwork?

I was presuming he'd have gear worth the standard treasure value of a 13th level NPC - i.e. 35,000 gp.

OK, skills that are ranger, paladin, and blackguard class skills have a max of 16 ranks. However, we only have enough paladin/blackguard ranks available to max out 3 such skills. I propose going with 16 ranks in Concentration, Ride, and either Heal or Handle Animal (probably Heal).

Concentration will come in handy for casting its Blackguard spells and true strike SLA, so it makes sense to max that out.

It seems funny having an Undead with the Heal skill, but it's rules-legal to use Heal on an Undead, plus it'll have learned most of the Heal ranks while still alive.

That said, he'd have uses for Handle Animal too, for training various hunting and riding beasts. If we give it 5+ ranks that also grants a +2 bonus to Wild Empathy, for a total bonus of +10.

We could max out Concentration and Ride and split the remaining points evenly, for 8 ranks in Handle Animal and Heal.

Then we still have 20 ranger ranks left (max 5 per skill). I think I would put 5 ranks each in Listen and Spot, 3 in Use Rope, 3 in Survival, and 4 cross-class in Know (arcana) (for a bonus of +2).

Hold on, he needs 5 ranks in Hide and 2 in Knowledge (religion) as prerequisites for being a Blackguard.

We'd better take the Know (religion) out of its Paladin budget (cutting Handle Animal & Heal by 1 rank each).

I don't like the cross-class Knowledge (arcana), so I'd use those ranger SPs for Hide.

I'd also rather cut the points in Use Rope and put them in Survival. Methinks it'd be using Survival to track dragons with its ranger training a lot more than it'd be tying knots!

That'd result in:

Paladin/Blackguard/Ranger Ranks (48 SPs): Concentration 16, Knowledge (religion) 2, Handle Animal 7, Heal 7, Ride 16

Ranger Ranks (20 SPs): Hide 5, Listen 5, Spot 5, Survival 5

=>

Total Ranks (68 SPs): Concentration 16, Knowledge (religion) 2, Handle Animal 7, Heal 7, Hide 5, Listen 5, Ride 16, Spot 5, Survival 5

=>

Skills: Concentration +16, Knowledge (religion) +3, Handle Animal +13, Heal +9, Hide +0* (+6 without armor penalty), Listen +7, Ride +19, Spot +7, Survival +5

Don't forget the +2 to Wild Empathy for the Handle Animal ranks.

The +19 in Ride means our sample Undead Dragon Slayer will always make the DC 20 check to control its mount in battle.

 

[freyar]

Updated

OK, I think the only thing remaining in the sample's stats is equipment, specifically enhancements to weapons and armor as well as other magic items. First off, though, do all the numbers look right to you?

 

[Cleon]

Updated

OK, I think the only thing remaining in the sample's stats is equipment, specifically enhancements to weapons and armor as well as other magic items. First off, though, do all the numbers look right to you?

Hold on a mo...

The speed line should be "20 ft. (4 squares, base speed 30 ft.)"

The attack lines are missing the effects of Weapon Focus (longsword) and Improved Critical (longsword), plus the shortsword gets full strength bonus to damage when used as a standard attack.

Hold on a second. A ranger can only use Combat Style when in light armor or less, it won't be able to use its TWF bonus feat when in plate armor! That gives him a -4/-8 weapon penalty, so we'd better rethink...

It'd seem easiest to just make him a sword & board fighter who uses a shield and longsword or a two-handed weapon user, since that would require the least messing around with the stats, e.g:

Sword & Board Option:
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares, base speed 30 ft.)
Armor Class: 21 (+1 Dex, +8 full plate, +2 darkwood heavy shield), touch 11, flat-footed 20
Attack: longsword +19 melee (1d8+5/17-20) or composite longbow (+5 Str) +14 ranged (1d8+5/×3)
Full Attack: longsword +19/+14/+9 melee (1d8+5/17-20) or composite longbow (+5 Str) +14/+9/+4 ranged (1d8+5/×3)

Two-Handed Weapon Option:
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares, base speed 30 ft.)
Attack: greatsword +19 melee (2d6+7/17-20) or composite longbow (+5 Str) +14 ranged (1d8+5/×3)
Full Attack: longsword +19/+14/+9 melee (2d6+7/17-20) or composite longbow (+5 Str) +14/+9/+4 ranged (1d8+5/×3)

Alternatively, we could give him elven chain instead of plate armor so he qualifies for the Ranger's TWF:

Ranger TWF Option:
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (+1 Dex, +5 elven chain), touch 11, flat-footed 16
Attack: longsword +19 melee (1d8+5/17-20) or short sword +18 melee (1d6+5/19-20) or composite longbow (+5 Str) +14 ranged (1d8+5/×3)
Full Attack: longsword +17/+12/+7 melee (1d8+5/17-20) and short sword +16 melee (1d6+2/19-20) or composite longbow (+5 Str) +14/+9/+4 ranged (1d8+5/×3)

I'd prefer either of the first two options, since I don't fancy reducing his AC so much. I'll leave which one up to you.

 

[freyar]

Hmm, I'm mostly just posting quickly to keep this from falling off the first forum page.

But would it maybe make sense to switch to a ranged type fighter instead?

 

[Cleon]

Hmm, I'm mostly just posting quickly to keep this from falling off the first forum page.

But would it maybe make sense to switch to a ranged type fighter instead?

Maybe, but I thought we'd already decided on TWF.