Converting monsters from Tales From The Infinite Staircase

[Cleon]

Well, I agree that lesser planar ally would actually be fun but may be too ambiguous. I guess let's go with summon monster IV since we've decided he doesn't really like to get involved in melee.

I can go along with that.

Updating the Hanim Worm Lord.

So many good choices for the remaining 5th level spell. But maybe we should stick for the simple mass cure light wounds. That or maybe wall of stone. What do you prefer?

Well mass cure light is serviceable but not exactly interesting. I could see wall of stone being used to build platforms for Hanim settlements, bridges and other conveniences so that is more tempting to me.

Let's see, I can see Zophiel being the type to impose mark of justice to enforce his commands and break enchantment and true seeing are always handy. (He doesn't have any way to see invisible at the moment which is an argument for true seeing)

So I'd go for wall of stone or one of the three above spells. What's your preference?

 

[freyar]

Let's go with wall of stone. Like you suggest, it has good community uses.

We still need some arcane spells. How about water breathing at 3rd level? Don't they live somewhere with a lot of water? And maybe baleful polymorph at 5th level? Not sure why, it just sounds appropriate to me.

 

[Cleon]

Let's go with wall of stone. Like you suggest, it has good community uses.

Updating the Hanim Worm Lord.

We still need some arcane spells. How about water breathing at 3rd level? Don't they live somewhere with a lot of water? And maybe baleful polymorph at 5th level? Not sure why, it just sounds appropriate to me.

EVERYWHERE on Maelost is near a body of water. Unfortunately the water is evil and wants to kill them and only the Hanim's deal with the Slaiyiths protects them.

That makes water breathing unlikely. The Valgoss-Slaiyith pact may protect Zophiel, but if he keeps diving into ponds his fellow Hanim would likely think he's crazy or in league with the Taker of Life.

Maybe hold person, major image or stinking cloud?

The baleful polymorph is good. The Worm Lord seems the type to turn his enemies into slugs.

 

[freyar]

Oh right, darn it! So many details on everything to remember. Let's go with stinking cloud since he already has hold person as a cleric spell.

Thoughts on skills?

 

[Cleon]

Oh right, darn it! So many details on everything to remember. Let's go with stinking cloud since he already has hold person as a cleric spell.

Updating the Hanim Worm Lord.

Hold on, we're short by three Wizard cantrips!

Hmm, ghost sound, mage hand, read magic?

Thoughts on skills?

Hadn't thought about it much.

We need the Knowledge prereqs for Mystic Theurge - arcana 6 ranks and religion 6 ranks.

Better figure out the SPs first:

• Cleric (18/36 SPs)[3/6 × (2+4)]
  Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int)
• Wizard (36/18 SPs)[6/3 × (2+4)]
  Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int)
• Mystic Theurge (36 SPs)[6 × (2+4)]
  Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int)

OK, so we've got 90 Skill Points to play with.

We need to decide which class he got his first level in since the initial class will have 36 SPs (either Cleric or Wizard) and the other class will have 18 SPs.

I'd go for Cleric as the initial class since the skill list includes Diplomacy which he'll have many uses for.

 

[freyar]

Those cantrips will work.

Yeah, I'll agree with going cleric first.
How about Concentration 15, Craft (alchemy) 9, Decipher Script 9, Diplomacy 6, Heal 6, Know (religion) 9, Know (arcana) 9 [3 of these come from 6 cross-class cleric points before attaining Mystic Theurge], Know (the planes) 9, Spellcraft 15 ?
You may want to check my work that it's possible to get these ranks by building up in order, Mystic Theurge last.

 

[Cleon]

Those cantrips will work.

Updating the Hanim Worm Lord.

How about Concentration 15, Craft (alchemy) 9, Decipher Script 9, Diplomacy 6, Heal 6, Know (religion) 9, Know (arcana) 9 [3 of these come from 6 cross-class cleric points before attaining Mystic Theurge], Know (the planes) 9, Spellcraft 15 ?

Huh? Clerics have Knowledge (arcana) as a class skill not cross-class. I'd put those 3 stray SPs into Diplomacy.

As Mystic Theurge has Sense Motive, I fancy putting a few ranks in that. Probably shave off a few ranks from Craft (alchemy) and/or Know (the planes) to pay for it.

So how about:

• Cleric (36 SPs)[6 × (2+4)]
  Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int)
• Wizard (18 SPs)[3 × (2+4)]
  Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int)
• Mystic Theurge (36 SPs)[6 × (2+4)]
  Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int)

Concentration 15 SPs Cleric 5/Wizard 3/Theurge 7
Craft (alchemy) 7 SPs Cleric 3/Wizard 2/Theurge 2
Decipher Script 7 SPs Wizard 3/Theurge 4
Diplomacy 9 SPs Cleric 9
Heal 6 SPs Cleric 6
Know (arcana) 9 SPs Cleric 3/Wizard 2/Theurge 4
Know (religion) 9 SPs Cleric 3/Wizard 2/Theurge 4
Know (the planes) 6 SPs Cleric 3/Wizard 3
Sense Motive 7 SPs Theurge 7
Spellcraft 15 SPs Cleric 4/Wizard 3/Theurge 8

Total 90 SPs

 

[Cleon]

Actually, I'm not sure about the Craft (alchemy) or Decipher Script. Could easily sacrifice one or both to improve some other skill.

 

[freyar]

Ugh, geez, I just misread the SRD.

Well, I like the skills you have well enough. I'd be ok with shifting some ranks out of Craft (alchemy) and/or Decipher Script, but there's not much else I'd necessarily like to move them into. Know (the planes) would be good, but it's cross class for the Theurge.

 

[Cleon]

Well, I like the skills you have well enough. I'd be ok with shifting some ranks out of Craft (alchemy) and/or Decipher Script, but there's not much else I'd necessarily like to move them into. Know (the planes) would be good, but it's cross class for the Theurge.

How much is "some ranks"? We've got 14 to play with in Craft (alchemy) and Decipher Script. Of the two, the Decipher Script seems more extraneous but I can see us getting rid of some or all the SPs from both.

Maelost doesn't seem to have much to do with other planes so I'm not convinced the Worm Lord would invest as much in Know (the planes) as other Knowledge skills.

Also, being cross-class for Mystic Theurges doesn't matter much as it can be brought with Cleric or Wizard SPs where it's a class skill.

As for what skills to improve/add, in no particular order I'd go for Heal, Sense Motive and some ranks in Know (local) and Know (nature). Indeed, either of those Knowledge Skills looks as relevant to me as Know (planes) would.

Oh, I noticed I listed Know (arcane) and Know (religion) SPs wrong. I meant them to be Cleric 3/Wizard 3/Theurge 3 not Cleric 3/Wizard 2/Theurge 4 as it needs 6 ranks to qualify for Mystic Theurge, with the difference coming from the Wizard and Theurge SPs in Decipher Script. The distribution should be:

Concentration 15 SPs Cleric 5/Wizard 3/Theurge 7
Craft (alchemy) 7 SPs Cleric 3/Theurge 4
Decipher Script 7 SPs Wizard 3/Theurge 4
Diplomacy 9 SPs Cleric 9
Heal 6 SPs Cleric 6
Know (arcana) 9 SPs Cleric 3/Wizard 3/Theurge 3
Know (religion) 9 SPs Cleric 3/Wizard 3/Theurge 3
Know (the planes) 6 SPs Cleric 3/Wizard 3
Sense Motive 7 SPs Theurge 7
Spellcraft 15 SPs Cleric 4/Wizard 3/Theurge 8

Total 90 SPs

Let me think about it for a while…

Heck, let's just use the above skills. Just can't be bothered monkey around with them further as the advantages don't seem worth the effort.