Converting monsters from Tales From The Infinite Staircase

[Cleon]

I think I meant to say that Eschew Materials should be a bonus feat. Or else they could have spell components stached away in the lake.

Okay, I don't mind doing that. It would make it easier to switch in a Psionic version since psionic powers don't generally require Material components.

We're still having Spell Penetration as the substitute feat, right?

The psionics bit is just because these and the whole valgoss business just feel psionic.

Well if you really want to add a Psionic Slaiyith subentry I'd pitch in.

It doesn't hurt as an option I guess, although I still don't see any justification in the original text.

I don't think I'd try to stat up anything about the masters since we don't have anything. We could just mention them in the background as advanced slaiyith.

Yeah, we could just mention them in the background info. We might include some outline as to what is required to qualify as a "Master Slaiyith" able to gift a Slaiyith Symbiont with a Slaiyith Gift. Perhaps 24+ HD or a caster/manifester level of 16th or higher? The latter obviously requires the Slaiyith advance by a character class (e.g. gaining 7 levels of sorcerer) which suggests we may want to add "or by character class" to the Advancement.

Speaking of background, any ideas?

Not right now, no.

I'm about ready to call it a day as far as Enworld haunting goes. Maybe next time!

 

[freyar]

Yeah, let's make Eschew Materials a bonus and replace it with Spell Penetration.

OK, if we do a psionic version, does manifesting as a 9th level psion sound right? That's 72 points, 19 powers known with max level of 5. Following the usual level progression, that's 5 at 1st, 4 at 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, and 2 at 5th.
1st -- control light, detect psionics, far hand, missive, sense link ???

I'd be happy with that for the Master Slaiyith.

 

[Cleon]

Yeah, let's make Eschew Materials a bonus and replace it with Spell Penetration.

Okay then.

Updating the Slaiyith Working Draft.

OK, if we do a psionic version, does manifesting as a 9th level psion sound right? That's 72 points, 19 powers known with max level of 5. Following the usual level progression, that's 5 at 1st, 4 at 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, and 2 at 5th.

You're forgetting the 18 Bonus Power Points it receives from its class level and Intelligence 18.

Okay, so we're talking 19 powers and something like:

Psionic Slaiyiths​

A psionic slaiyith differs from the standard slaiyith in the following ways:​

Special Attacks: Blood drain, improved grab, psionic powers, quickness​

Feats: Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Power Penetration, Psionic Endowment​

​

Psionic Powers: A psionic slaiyith manifests powers as a psion of 9th level.​

​

Typical Psionic Powers Known (power points 90; save DC 14 + power level)​

1st—???, ??? (DC 15) [minimum of 5 powers, max of 19];​

2nd—???, ??? (DC 16) [maximum of 14 powers];​

3rd—???, ??? (DC 17) [maximum of 10 powers];​

4th—???, ??? (DC 18) [maximum of 6 powers];​

5th—???, ???ᴬ (DC 19) [maximum of 2 powers].​

ᴬ power can be Augmented.​

The save DCs are Intelligence-based.​

What about discipline? If we're limiting it to one discipline that'll SERIOUSLY restrict its power selection and won't let us mimic its original sorcerer spell list. I'm inclined to fudge the issue and not list a discipline, like with the Blue in the SRD:

Psionic Powers:
The blue described here is a 1st-level psion.
 Typical Psion Powers Known (power points 3*; save DC 13 + power level):
 1st—inertial armor, mind thrust (DC 14), psionic charm (DC 14).
 Manifester level 1st. The save DCs are Intelligence-based.
 *The blue shown here has already manifested inertial armor; its reserve is normally 4 power points.

Although it's worth noting that the SRD example of a Blue would be a Telepath following standard Psion rules since psionic charm is from the Telepath list.

Okay, the Slaiyith has:

0—arcane mark, detect poison, dancing lights, detect magic, ghost sound (DC 14), mage hand, read magic, resistance;​

1st—charm person (DC 16), expeditious retreat, magic missile, shield; true strike;​

2nd—eagle's splendor, invisibility, acid arrow, web (DC 16);​

3rd—dispel magic, hold person (DC 18), major image (DC 17);​

4th—dimension door, fear (DC 18).​

Which is fourteen spells and eight cantrips, so we've got more power slots than spell slots to fill.

Let's start by figuring out correspondences:

Cantrips​

arcane mark => power (level)?​

detect poison => power (level)?​

dancing lights => control light (psion 1)​

detect magic => detect psionics (psion 1)​

ghost sound => create sound (psion 1)​

mage hand => far handᴬ (psion 1)?​

read magic => power (level)?​

resistance => defensive precognitionᴬ (psion 1) OR empty mindᴬ (psion 1)?​

1st Level Spells​

charm person => psionic charmᴬ (telepath 1)​

expeditious retreat => burst (nomad 1)​

magic missile => mind thrustᴬ (psion 1)​

shield => force screenᴬ (psion 1)​

true strike => offensive precognitionᴬ (psion 1)​

2nd Level Spells​

eagle's splendor => animal affinityᴬ (egoist 2)​

invisibility => cloud mind (psion 2) OR concealing amorpha (psion 2) OR chameleon (egoist 2)?​

acid arrow => energy rayᴬ (psion 2) OR dissolving touchᴬ (psychic warrior 2)? OR exhalation of the black dragonᴬ (psychic warrior 3)?​

web => entangling ectoplasmᴬ (psion 1)​

3rd Level Spells​

dispel magic => dispel psionicsᴬ (psion 3)​

hold person => psionic blastᴬ (psion 3)?​

major image => false sensory input (telepath 3)?​

4th Level Spells​

dimension door => psionic dimension doorᴬ (level)?​

fear => power (level)?​

5th Level Spells​

spell? => power (level)?​

​

ᴬ power can be Augmented.​

The blue powers seem pretty good matches to the spells, the red powers are unmatched or I find them a bit unsatisfactory.

Let's see, that's …eighteen powers. First impressions is that the above is overloaded with low-level powers so I'm inclined to substitute some of them, such as burst, which is a pretty useless power compared to the rest.

Will we be giving it any 5th-level powers? I'm thinking we might as well!

What do you think?

 

[freyar]

I like the blue matches pretty well, so let's just pick those. I think I like concealing amorpha for invisibility. I'd definitely like to get a couple of 5th level powers in there. What do you like for those? Maybe psionic true seeing and something like psychic crush?

 

[Cleon]

I like the blue matches pretty well, so let's just pick those. I think I like concealing amorpha for invisibility. I'd definitely like to get a couple of 5th level powers in there. What do you like for those? Maybe psionic true seeing and something like psychic crush?

Let's see, that'd makes:

Typical Psionic Powers Known (power points 90; save DC 14 + power level)​

1st—burst, control light, create sound, defensive precognitionᴬ, detect psionics, entangling ectoplasmᴬ, far handᴬ, force screenᴬ, mind thrustᴬ, offensive precognitionᴬ, psionic charmᴬ [11 powers; minimum of 5 powers, max of 19];​

2nd—animal affinityᴬ, concealing amorpha, energy rayᴬ [3 powers; maximum of 14 powers];​

3rd—dispel psionicsᴬ, false sensory input [2 powers; maximum of 10 powers];​

4th—psionic dimension doorᴬ [1 power; maximum of 6 powers];​

5th—psionic true seeing, psychic crushᴬ [2 powers; maximum of 2 powers].​

ᴬ power can be Augmented.​

​

Which is the target of 19.

Still think it's overloaded with 1st-level powers.

Would you be game to swap the control light and create sound for a more useful 3rd or 4th-level powers?

I'm thinking false sensory input would be a good pick as a 3rd level spell as it's an "illusory" style power like the two it replaces.

Tempting 4th-level picks include correspond, detect remote viewing, psionic dominateᴬ, empathic feedbackᴬ, psionic freedom of movement, intellect fortressᴬ and mindwipeᴬ.

Which one to go for depends on whether we aim for aggressive, defensive, or utility.

 

[freyar]

Agreed. I also like false sensory input. Of your 4th level choices, I think I'd go with psionic dominate. That sounds about right for a creature that considers most other sentients as beneath notice.

 

[Cleon]

Agreed. I also like false sensory input. Of your 4th level choices, I think I'd go with psionic dominate. That sounds about right for a creature that considers most other sentients as beneath notice.

Dang it!

I forgot I'd already put false sensory input in the 3rd level powers, so we need another one.

Hmm, mental barrier, psionic blast,hostile empathic transfer or one of the energy attacks (bolt, burst, cone, retort or wall)?

The original monster had fear on its spell list, but I'm having trouble finding an equivalent on the psionics list. After much comparison, the closest I could find is aversion, so I'll pencil in that for the time being.

I'm also thinking we should "upgrade" the entangling ectoplasm toectoplasmic cocoon (so it immobilizes like web rather than simply entangling) and the concealing amorpha to greater concealing amorpha (so it grants total concealment like invisibility).

1st—burst, defensive precognitionᴬ, detect psionics, far handᴬ, force screenᴬ, mind thrustᴬ, offensive precognitionᴬ, psionic charmᴬ [8 powers; minimum of 5 powers, max of 19];​

2nd—animal affinityᴬ, aversionᴬ, energy rayᴬ [3 powers; maximum of 14 powers];​

3rd—greater concealing amorpha, dispel psionicsᴬ, ectoplasmic cocoonᴬ, false sensory input [4 powers; maximum of 10 powers];​

4th—psionic dimension doorᴬ, psionic dominateᴬ [2 powers; maximum of 6 powers];​

5th—psionic true seeing, psychic crushᴬ [2 powers; maximum of 2 powers].​

That's 19 powers.

Since we've decided to not restrict its psion powers by Discipline I'm thinking we should acknowledge that in the text.

Like so:

Psionic Powers: A psionic slaiyith manifests powers as a psion of 9th level but is able to choose powers from any discipline as well as psychic warrior powers. The save DCs are Intelligence-based.​

​

Typical Psionic Powers Known (power points 90; save DC 14 + power level)​

1st—burst, defensive precognitionᴬ, detect psionics, far handᴬ, force screenᴬ, mind thrustᴬ, offensive precognitionᴬ, psionic charmᴬ;​

2nd—animal affinityᴬ, aversionᴬ, energy rayᴬ;​

3rd—greater concealing amorpha, dispel psionicsᴬ, ectoplasmic cocoonᴬ, false sensory input;​

4th—psionic dimension doorᴬ, psionic dominateᴬ;​

5th—psionic true seeing, psychic crushᴬ.​

ᴬ power can be Augmented.​

Does that look OK to you?

 

[freyar]

I think that works fine, unless you want to shift any more powers from 1st level to 3rd or 4th. I'm pretty content with that, though.

 

[Cleon]

I think that works fine, unless you want to shift any more powers from 1st level to 3rd or 4th. I'm pretty content with that, though.

I'm okay with it as-is unless there's a power you particularly want to add to the Psionic Slaiyith.

Updating the Slaiyith Working Draft.

EDIT: Okay, I think we're done apart from the flavour.

We need a background text that's at least slightly more elaborate than "Background."

Don't think it needs an In Maelost entry. Demons don't have an "In the Abyss" entry after all.

 

[freyar]

Well, the original monster entry really doesn't give us much to work with, but I thought the hanim text kind of implies that we can call them "hidden masters of Maelost" or something like that. They consider themselves as much above humanoids as we are above insects or something.