Converting monsters from Tales From The Infinite Staircase

[Cleon]

Shall we take on the Dark Dweller next?

Sure.

The original stats are in the linked post above, and the Cleon Homebrew hopefully provides enough information about the nature of that entity that I don't have to transcribe chunks of text from the adventure.

EDIT: Adding a link to the Cleon Special Dark Dweller so it's on the same page as the next post.

 

[Cleon]

Dark Dweller
Size Type
Hit Dice: d+ ( hp)
Initiative: +–
Speed: ft. ( squares)
Armor Class: 1 (+– size, Dex, + natural), touch 1, flat-footed 1
Base Attack/Grapple: +/+
Attack: X + melee (d+); or Z + ranged (d+)
Full Attack: X + melee (d+) and Y + melee (d+); or Z + ranged (d+)
Space/Reach: ft./ ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: —
Saves: Fort +, Ref +, Will +
Abilities: Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
Skills: Skill
Feats: Feat, Bonusᴮ
Environment: Any/Temperate/Cold/Warm aquatic/plains/deserts/forests//hills/marshes/mountains/tundra/underground/[A Plane]
e.g. Cold or temperate plains and forests
Organization: Solitary or ()
Challenge Rating: #
Treasure: None/Standard/% coins, % goods and % items/Double/Triple
Alignment: Always/Usually/Often lawful/neutral/chaotic good/evil/neutral
Advancement: – HD () or by character class
Level Adjustment: —/+#

Description.

Background.

Combat
Tactics.

COMBAT
Tactics.

Ability (Ex/Su/Sp/Ps): .


Skills: .

Originally appeared in Tales From the Infinite Staircase (1998) in Tale 3: Lord of the Worms

 

[freyar]

I'm ok with starting with your homebrew but think we can probably cut some of the abilities. For example, I think that the Scouring doesn't need to be an ability of the portion but could be flavor text. Also, is the wall of tendrils in the adventure text somewhere?

 

[Cleon]

I'm ok with starting with your homebrew but think we can probably cut some of the abilities. For example, I think that the Scouring doesn't need to be an ability of the portion but could be flavor text. Also, is the wall of tendrils in the adventure text somewhere?

Yes.

Once the Dark Dweller grabs a character, it uses its remaining tentacles to create a ropy wall to keep any other characters from entering the hole. Those wishing to break through must hack away the remaining hit points of that portion of the Dweller.

The adventure's text describing the Dark Dweller encounter was rather long and wordy so I didn't include it in the Homebrew version I posted.

Might email or PM you a transcription of it later.

 

[freyar]

Oof, I've gotten behind.

Let's start with the basics. Huge Outsider is good. I agree it would have the native subtype on Maelost, but don't statblocks usually give the Material Plane subtype?

HD and physical abilities seem reasonable for a tendril/portion. But it's really part of an epic kind of beastie. What would you say to boosting the mental stats?

 

[Cleon]

Oof, I've gotten behind.

Let's start with the basics. Huge Outsider is good. I agree it would have the native subtype on Maelost, but don't statblocks usually give the Material Plane subtype?

By that argument wouldn't every conversion of a Maelost creature we do have the Extraplanar subtype? Most of them never leave their home plane anyway,

Also, although the demiplane of Maelost is floating around the Ethereal Plane in its own spatial bubble, Tales from The Infinite Staircase says Planar Magic treats it as being Prime Material.

Tales from The Infinite Staircase, Page 44

Maelost does not affect spells or spellcasting in any way—even clerics cast spells as though on the Prime Material Plane (that is, at their full levels).​

That said, I mainly gave the Dweller the Native subtype because, while it is an unfathomable entity the size of a small moon, the adventure's flavour text calls it "another sort of life" which suggests it has at least some biological processes equivalent to normal Prime Material creatures (in a "It's life, Jim, but not as we know it") like needing to eat or otherwise metabolize matter to sustain its flesh.

It didn't feel like the embodiment of a pure (or impure) spirit like a regular Outsider.

HD and physical abilities seem reasonable for a tendril/portion. But it's really part of an epic kind of beastie.

Upon reflection, I was being extremely conservative with at least one of the physical ability scores. The original adventure says the Dark Dweller's tendrils pull and hold characters with 25 Strength.

That's Strength 25 in AD&D terms, which is Titan strength or the highest the standard Str stat goes, exceeding even the strength of giants, the standard AD&D giants going from Str 19 Hill Giants to Str 24 Storm Giants.

In third edition, a Titan has Strength 43.

That seems a bit extreme though.

What would you say to boosting the mental stats?

Sure, why not.

 

[Oryan77]

Hey guys! I just wanted to pop in and let you know that I do still keep up with this thread even if I have not contributed much. I think it's fantastic that you guys are still working on this stuff. 3.5e will never die!

My game has been out of commission for way too long now, but I have a new group starting soon and I plan to run sections of Tales from the Infinite Staircase again. These conversions definitely still get used.

 

[Cleon]

Hey guys! I just wanted to pop in and let you know that I do still keep up with this thread even if I have not contributed much. I think it's fantastic that you guys are still working on this stuff. 3.5e will never die!

My game has been out of commission for way too long now, but I have a new group starting soon and I plan to run sections of Tales from the Infinite Staircase again. These conversions definitely still get used.

Hiya Oryan! It's been a while since you've visited this neck of the woods.

Freyar's been busy so the 3.5 collaborative stuff has been going at a snail's pace, but you're welcome to join in whenever it suits you.

Or if you want to be a little more up-to-date there's always the Fifth Edition conversions here.