Converting monsters from the second edition Monstrous Compendiums

[BOZ]

Excellent. I was thinking "Parental Guardian", but yours is much better.

you know what’s even better? Fierce Guardian.

I got it from alchemist's fire.

We should probably mention a range on it.

good choice – much like alchemist’s fire, we have a sticky burning substance. As for a range, there is none given in the text, so maybe 60 feet or 100 feet?

Lookin' good. The normal DC to "stay in the saddle" is DC 5, so we could just state that they take a -10 penalty instead, for the same net result.

Like so? “If the target is mounted, it also loses its Dex bonus to Ride checks, and must make a Ride check with a –10 penalty to stay mounted.”

That's cool. I've never understood how something could resist magic missles, but not other force effects, but c'est la vie.

well, here’s the thing… I don’t want it to be “immune to force effects” since this makes it sound like it could run through a wall of force, for example. Let’s try this on for size:

Immune to Force Damage (Ex): A fire falcon takes no damage from force effects, such as a magic missile generated by a spell or spell-like ability.

African or European?

so its maximum flight range is about that important?

That's all the other birds of prey have, even though they can see great distances, so I think it should suffice.

fair enough.

That's 180 squares for you minatures-using folks.

good thing most people have maps that big.

 

[Shade]

you know what’s even better? Fierce Guardian.

Yeah!

good choice – much like alchemist’s fire, we have a sticky burning substance. As for a range, there is none given in the text, so maybe 60 feet or 100 feet?

60 should suffice.

Like so? “If the target is mounted, it also loses its Dex bonus to Ride checks, and must make a Ride check with a –10 penalty to stay mounted.”

Indeed.

well, here’s the thing… I don’t want it to be “immune to force effects” since this makes it sound like it could run through a wall of force, for example. Let’s try this on for size:

Immune to Force Damage (Ex): A fire falcon takes no damage from force effects, such as a magic missile generated by a spell or spell-like ability.

Good point. That should cover it.

so its maximum flight range is about that important?

Methinks.

 

[BOZ]

Good deal. Posting in homebrews... really just need to work on the flavor text.

 

[Shade]

Attack: Claw +2 melee (1d4-3)

Skills: (assuming 4 ranks of spot): Hide +16, Jump -15, Spot +14

LA: +2 (cohort)?

Familar: 5th-level wizard (as Small elementals) or 7th-level (as mephits)? I'm thinking its closer to a mephit.

CR 1? The critter is physically weak, but it has nice mobility and the fire attack is potent.

 

[BOZ]

Familar: 5th-level wizard (as Small elementals) or 7th-level (as mephits)? I'm thinking its closer to a mephit.

I'm thinking it's a bit closer to the small elemental than to a mephit. i basically agree with the rest of that though.

 

[Shade]

Fair enough.

 

[BOZ]

Flavor text:

This is a small, russet-colored raptor. It appears to be a normal bird of prey, otherwise.

The fire falcon is a small carnivorous bird that lives in distant, unsettled areas. It prefers to be left in peace by larger creatures, including humanoids. Fire falcons tend to form small flocks of 3 or 4 families, and all the birds in a flock will protect the young of any other falcon. They build their nest high up on mountains if possible, or will hidden among tufts of tundra grass or in a desert mesa. They like to line their nests with shiny objects, which fascinate them.

A fire falcon is 8 inches in length, with a wingspan of 2 ½ feet, (and weighs about X pounds).

COMBAT
Fire falcons prey on small creatures such as rabbits, rodents, and other smaller birds, which can be dispatched with their normal attacks. These raptors are not aggressive, but will always attack to drive off larger intruders. Anything bigger than a fire falcon is attacked with their flame spheres at first.

If this tactic proves unsuccessful, the falcon will attack, providing the intruders continue approaching while there are young in the nest. If necessary, the fire falcon will rake with its talons and use its bite and wing attacks. It directs these attacks at the opponent's face and hair, preferring targets with long, flowing hair over those fully clad in metal.

 

[Shade]

I'd drop the ", otherwise" from the italicized description. The rest of the flavor text looks good.

I found that a peregrine falcon ranges from 15-18 inches with a wing span of 37-43 inches. The
male peregrine falcon weighs 20-26 ounces, and the female weighs 30-45 ounces.

Since this fella is shorter with a smaller wingspan, I'd imagine it would weigh only about a pound.

 

[BOZ]

Cool. updating in homebrews. How do we calculate the training times and such?

 

[Shade]

Cool. updating in homebrews. How do we calculate the training times and such?

According to the Handle Animal skill, but the DC is 5 higher. Otherwise, it looks like the training times are the same.