Converting monsters from Tales From The Infinite Staircase

[freyar]

Let's have them use flies with valgoss symbionts, I think. That's slightly more flavorful.

Iron Will is fine for the human feat. Let's just go with Mounted Archery for the second class feat. It fits with Mounted Combat, at least.

Let's give them javelins and the chitin shield as you suggest.

 

[Cleon]

Let's have them use flies with valgoss symbionts, I think. That's slightly more flavorful.

Iron Will is fine for the human feat. Let's just go with Mounted Archery for the second class feat. It fits with Mounted Combat, at least.

Let's give them javelins and the chitin shield as you suggest.

Updating the Hanim Warrior Working Draft with the above.

 

[freyar]

OK, I guess the mechanics on these are done except for the cost of the torag pole. It's probably close to a spiked chain in value, though the materials it's made of might reduce the value. I'd probably go with 20gp just because it's exotic, but 10gp or even less might be a better reflection of its worth.

Tactics: Hanim warriors fight from their giant fly mounts, throwing javelins or extending their torag poles to stay out of reach.

 

[Cleon]

OK, I guess the mechanics on these are done except for the cost of the torag pole. It's probably close to a spiked chain in value, though the materials it's made of might reduce the value. I'd probably go with 20gp just because it's exotic, but 10gp or even less might be a better reflection of its worth.

Well statswise it's pretty much just a light mace with optional Reach which is very weak for an exotic weapon. Spiked chains are better in numerous ways. Its telescoping mechanism must presumably make it a lot more difficult and complicated to make so it ought not to be that cheap as a simple staff or mace. When I think about what must be involved in its manufacture it sounds as or more difficult to craft than a repeating crossbow. Arguably more difficult, since repeating crossbows don't have to work reliably after you repeatedly bash them against an enemy.

So I guess we should just pull a number out of the air and use it. I suppose 20 gp is as good as anything.

Come to think of it, we never got around to saying if an action is required to extend and/or contract a torag pole. I suggest we use the precedent of the 3E rod of lordly might, which can switch between a shortspear and a longspear with the press of a button and "Pushing any of the rod’s buttons is equivalent to drawing a weapon".

So shall we add the sentence "Extending or contracting a torag pole is equivalent to drawing a weapon."

Tactics: Hanim warriors fight from their giant fly mounts, throwing javelins or extending their torag poles to stay out of reach.

Hmm…

Hanim warriors usually fight from their giant fly mounts. They try to stay out of their enemies' reach by throwing javelins or striking with extended torag poles.

 

[freyar]

That all sounds good to me!

Do you have an idea for background to finish this one off? I've gotten horribly behind.

 

[Cleon]

That all sounds good to me!

Updating the Hanim Warrior Working Draft.

The sample creature is missing a description. How would you like:

A sinewy human armed with a curiously segmented pole, a quiver of stone-tipped javelins and a shield that appears to be made from the shell of a giant beetle. Dressed in leather armor, the human's equipment shows no scrap of metal, not even a buckle or pin.

Do you have an idea for background to finish this one off? I've gotten horribly behind.

I don't think the Hanim Warrior needs any more background. The first paragraph of Valgoss Symbionts is enough for our needs.

Just remove the "Background" placeholder before "Hanim warriors normally ride into battle on giant riding flies bonded to their own valgoss symbionts."

 

[freyar]

Looks good! Done with the valgoss now?

 

[Cleon]

Looks good!

Updating the Hanim Warrior Working Draft.

Updating Valgoss Working Draft.

Done with the valgoss now?

That depends on whether you're up for doing a "Hanim Worm Lord" sample creature. The original adventure has a prominent role for a 9th-level wizard/9th-level cleric called Zophiel who enjoyed that title.

Statting him up would be more complicated than the Warrior but someone running the scenario in 3E (i.e. Oryan77) would find it useful.

If you're not interested I'm likely to stat Zophiel up as a Homebrew.

EDIT: Just corrected an error. Zophiel is a 9th/9th level character not a 9th/4th level one. Should we convert him I'd go for Wizard 3/Cleric 3/Mystic Theurge 6.

 

[Cleon]

Updating the Hanim Warrior Working Draft.

Dang it, I just realized we've forgotten the hit point penalty from the Valgoss Host template - that's 4 hit points per symbiont and four symbionts, so the sample creature should have:

Hit Dice: 4d10+12–16 (18 hp)

Hmm… that's an awfully big drop.

Would you have any objection to making it 2 hit points per worm instead? (i.e. 1 per mouth)

Hit Dice: 4d10+12–8 (26 hp)

As an added bonus, that would mean the Hanim Warriors' hit points are the same as the AD&D version!

 

[freyar]

Yes, I'm ok with reducing it to 2hp per worm. 4hp turned out to be a pretty big penalty for a fighter type. And might just kill a low-mid level wizard!

Oh, let's do the Worm Lord. I'm all for that. The Mystic Theurge route you suggest sounds fine to me.