Converting monsters from the second edition Monstrous Compendiums

[Shade]

Here are my suggestions, based on the fact that they "take great joy in bending others to their will", and that they "have been known to charm or enslave other creatures just to help them acquire more treasure", and of course their association with fire.

0 – arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, flare, ghost sound, light, read magic, touch of fatigue;
1st – burning hands, charm person, expeditious retreat, magic missle, shield;
2nd – hypnotic pattern, pyrotechnics, resist energy, scorching ray, shatter;
3rd – dispel magic, displacement, fireball, protection from energy;
4th – charm person, confusion, fire shield, wall of fire;
5th – dominate person, feeblemind, hold monster, prying eyes;
6th – disintegrate, eyebite, true seeing;
7th – delayed blast fireball, greater teleport, prismatic spray;
8th – incendiary cloud, sunburst;
9th – meteor swarm.

 

[BOZ]

did you mean to include spells that are already on the spell-likes list?

 

[Shade]

Yep, it was intentional. Since none of those were "at will", I figured being able to cast more wouldn't hurt. Plus, this way it could metamagic some if we give it metamagic feats.

 

[BOZ]

sure then, your list will do. DMs can alter it at will, of course.

 

[Shade]

But of course. I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[BOZ]

not that you could help it if someone wanted to, anyway.

 

[BOZ]

For skills, these are common to linnorms in MM2: Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Listen, Search, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim

And common feats: Alertness, Flyby Attack, Multiattack, Snatch (plus gray and corpse tearer had Power Attack and Quicken Spell-Like Ability, and corpse tearer also had Cleave and Enlarge Spell.)

That’s a starting point.

Also, the Revision booklet gave corpse tearer Awesome Blow (I should watch how I phrase that) and Improved Bull Rush and added some of the above mentioned ones to other linnorms.

 

[Shade]

For skills, these are common to linnorms in MM2: Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Listen, Search, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim

And common feats: Alertness, Flyby Attack, Multiattack, Snatch (plus gray and corpse tearer had Power Attack and Quicken Spell-Like Ability, and corpse tearer also had Cleave and Enlarge Spell.)

That’s a starting point.

Also, the Revision booklet gave corpse tearer Awesome Blow (I should watch how I phrase that) and Improved Bull Rush and added some of the above mentioned ones to other linnorms.

And swamp linnorm's got all the above skills and Knowledge (nature). Its feats are Ability Focus (breath weapon), Alertness, Cleave, Flyby Attack, Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (poison), and Snatch.

So I'm pulling for: Ability Focus (breath weapon), Cleave, Flyby Attack, Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (either flame strike, wall of fire, or fireball), and Snatch.

 

[Shade]

Oh yeah, and skill ranks: Bluff 23, Concentration 23, Diplomacy 0, Hide 23, Intimidate 23, Knowledge (arcana) 23, Listen 23, Search 23, Sense Motive 23, Spellcraft 23, Spot 23, Swim 0. (The Diplomacy and Intimidate skill modifiers for the other linnorms that have it seem to come mostly from Cha bonus and synergy; Swim is mostly Str bonus and +8 for having a Swim speed.)

Corpse tearer appears to have maxxed out Hide, considering his heinous size modifier and Dex penalty, he's still got +18.

 

[BOZ]

you want to give this one a hide skill? and keep in mind, i'm not giving it a swim speed, so if you want a swim skill we should give it some ranks.