Converting monsters from the second edition Monstrous Compendiums
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BOZ
Creature Cataloguer
finally got some time at the scanner today...
Sea Hermit
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any coastal
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Omnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Genius (17-18)
TREASURE: Nil (H)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 0/3
MOVEMENT: 6, Sw 12
HIT DICE: 10+5
THAC0: 9
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d8/2d8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spell use
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 15%
SIZE: G (40' long)
MORALE: Champion (15-16)
XP VALUE: 8,000
The legendary sea hermit poses a significant danger to the unwary. When first encountered, this creature appears to he nothing more than a lonely, benevolent person living in a huge shell on a deserted beach. It can appear as a human, demihuman, or humanoid, acting the role of a recluse happy to have visitors, and offering travelers shelter within its shell-home. Surprisingly, the shell is indeed large enough, a majestic form spiraling upward into a small tower roughly 20 feet in diameter at the base and rising 30 feet high. The shell is usually white with deep blue and red markings.
This large shell is the creature's natural home. The sea hermit is actuality a creature of the deep - a powerful being from an underwater kingdom who is studying the surface world.
Its natural form is very similar to that of a giant hermit crab. In this natural state, it is 10 feet wide and almost 40 feet long. Large arms ending in huge pincers extend from its body near the front. Its large, black eyes are on stalks, which can be pulled into armored niches for protection, and its two pairs of large feelers can sense heat, motion, and sound. The creature's body is naturally armored in a dark red carapace, and it has six skinny legs that help pull it along the sea bottom and allow it to swim clumsily, dragging the majestic shell along behind it.
The sea hermit can speak several languages, including the common tongue. It can also communicate with most intelligent sea-dwelling creatures.
Combat: The sea hermit rarely attacks while in humanoid form. Occasionally, if it has lured people into its shell, it might attack while they sleep. Normally it prefers to capture specimens live. While in humanoid form, the sea hermit possesses the natural Armor Class of that form. If attacked, the creature will shapechange back to its natural crab form during the first round of combat.
In its crab form, the sea hermit fights with two devastating pincer attacks, each inflicting 2d8 points of damage, Further, if the sea hermit makes a natural attack roll of 19 or 20, the victim must make a successful saving throw vs. death magic or lose a limb (determined randomly). The creature's horny carapace is Armor Class 0 in the front and AC 3 for the softer shell at its rear. If the creature is in its majestic shell with only its front carapace exposed, it is AC 0; the shell is too thick and well armored to break through during the fast-paced action of combat. People trapped within the shell, thinking to strike at the softer armor toward the creature's back, will often find themselves suddenly dealing with several hundred gallons of water as the creature dives under the sea, allowing the seals to break long enough to flood the lower spiral of its shell.
Special Abilities: A sea hermit has a 20% chance to have the use of spells and skills of its previous prey. If so, the number and levels of any spells do not increase as with other spellcasters. Roll 4d10 for the actual number of spells learned previously, then determine each by first rolling 1d8 for the spell level of spell, then choosing a spell randomly from the list. A sea hermit is considered a 16th-level mage; 9th-level spells are beyond its capabilities. For skills, roll 2d10 for the number available and determine the exact skill randomly. Alternately, the DM can assign skills, including racial and class abilities according to the humanoid forms adopted by the sea hermit.
The sea hermit's big advantage is its shapechanging ability. This ability functions like the 9th-level wizard spell shapechange, except that it is a natural ability. The sea hermit can imitate only intelligent creatures that it has studied. It requires one round to change shape, after which the sea hermit possesses full the natural, nonmagical abilities of the form assumed.
Habitat/Society: Sea hermits are sages of deep, undersea kingdoms who seek to trap the unwary in order to study their memories. Through arcane processes, these memories are extracted to teach the sea hermit new skills, spells, and reveal other information about the people who dwell on the surface. Sea hermits have no qualms about the deception they employ or the fatal methods of memory extraction. To them, the situation is no different from collecting and dissecting insects to learn about them. These are simply the methods that are available.
The sea hermit captures its specimens alive when possible, taking them back down to the undersea kingdom where it can better perform its work. This sometimes requires that the
hermit keep up its guise for hours, lulling its victims into a false sense of security. Sea hermits do not view themselves or their undersea life as superior or inferior, just different. They exploit those on land for knowledge and skills to provide themselves with greater power in their own undersea kingdoms.
Ecology: The sea hermit is a deep sea creature. Its true lair is far from coastal waters; it only comes to shore to collect samples. A sea hermit never wanders far from its shell-home while in humanoid form for fear of losing it. Finding a new, unoccupied shell requires a long and dangerous undersea quest, with the sea hermit lacking its strongest form of protection. The creature takes any steps necessary to protect its home, and this is one of the creature's few weaknesses.
Some parts of a sea hermit's natural form can be used in magical preparations that deal with water breathing and shapeshifting. A rumor persists that a wizard has one of these great shells enchanted to act like Daern's instant fortress.
Lair: This majestic structure is it squat, conical shell. It is approximately 20 feet across at its base (60 feet in circumference) and spirals upward 30 feet to a final room only 10 feet in diameter. In some areas, the overlapping spirals bend some of the ceilings, making the overall architecture lack the hard edges and corners to which most races are accustomed. In areas of sharp upward slope, the sea hermit has formed a polished stairway from the shell's glossy mother-of-pearl interior. The effect is quite beautiful.
The first 40 feet of the shell, as it wraps around the first curve, is where the sea hermit in its natural form fits. When posing as a humanoid, this portion is cluttered with driftwood and minor implements, suggesting a craft workshop or junk storage area. Past this, the shell has been reshaped to form archways, stairs, and rooms, including a laboratory and cells for prisoners. A few secret door, may tie installed, perhaps some ending in traps for overcurious guests; those often involve spring-loaded tridents tipped with the poison of an exotic fish (THAC0 11, inflicting 1d10+4d8 points of damage; a successful saving throw vs. poison reduces damage to 1d10+2d8 points).
Savage Coast Lore
The sea hermits hold a special animosity for jorries, a mischievous otter-like mammal, some of which can see through their guise. Jorries will often watch a sea hermit and try to warn any potential victims of the creature. A sea hermit will sometimes out of its way to run off any nearby dens of jorries before setting tip its trap.
The few sages who know of the sea hermit and araneas have tried to find a link between their abilities. This has been unsuccessful; the sea hermit's ability is far more advanced, as it can quickly assume the form of any intelligent creature, not just a single humanoid.
-From RED STEEL MC Online, #2524
Sea Hermit
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any coastal
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Omnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Genius (17-18)
TREASURE: Nil (H)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 0/3
MOVEMENT: 6, Sw 12
HIT DICE: 10+5
THAC0: 9
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d8/2d8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spell use
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 15%
SIZE: G (40' long)
MORALE: Champion (15-16)
XP VALUE: 8,000
The legendary sea hermit poses a significant danger to the unwary. When first encountered, this creature appears to he nothing more than a lonely, benevolent person living in a huge shell on a deserted beach. It can appear as a human, demihuman, or humanoid, acting the role of a recluse happy to have visitors, and offering travelers shelter within its shell-home. Surprisingly, the shell is indeed large enough, a majestic form spiraling upward into a small tower roughly 20 feet in diameter at the base and rising 30 feet high. The shell is usually white with deep blue and red markings.
This large shell is the creature's natural home. The sea hermit is actuality a creature of the deep - a powerful being from an underwater kingdom who is studying the surface world.
Its natural form is very similar to that of a giant hermit crab. In this natural state, it is 10 feet wide and almost 40 feet long. Large arms ending in huge pincers extend from its body near the front. Its large, black eyes are on stalks, which can be pulled into armored niches for protection, and its two pairs of large feelers can sense heat, motion, and sound. The creature's body is naturally armored in a dark red carapace, and it has six skinny legs that help pull it along the sea bottom and allow it to swim clumsily, dragging the majestic shell along behind it.
The sea hermit can speak several languages, including the common tongue. It can also communicate with most intelligent sea-dwelling creatures.
Combat: The sea hermit rarely attacks while in humanoid form. Occasionally, if it has lured people into its shell, it might attack while they sleep. Normally it prefers to capture specimens live. While in humanoid form, the sea hermit possesses the natural Armor Class of that form. If attacked, the creature will shapechange back to its natural crab form during the first round of combat.
In its crab form, the sea hermit fights with two devastating pincer attacks, each inflicting 2d8 points of damage, Further, if the sea hermit makes a natural attack roll of 19 or 20, the victim must make a successful saving throw vs. death magic or lose a limb (determined randomly). The creature's horny carapace is Armor Class 0 in the front and AC 3 for the softer shell at its rear. If the creature is in its majestic shell with only its front carapace exposed, it is AC 0; the shell is too thick and well armored to break through during the fast-paced action of combat. People trapped within the shell, thinking to strike at the softer armor toward the creature's back, will often find themselves suddenly dealing with several hundred gallons of water as the creature dives under the sea, allowing the seals to break long enough to flood the lower spiral of its shell.
Special Abilities: A sea hermit has a 20% chance to have the use of spells and skills of its previous prey. If so, the number and levels of any spells do not increase as with other spellcasters. Roll 4d10 for the actual number of spells learned previously, then determine each by first rolling 1d8 for the spell level of spell, then choosing a spell randomly from the list. A sea hermit is considered a 16th-level mage; 9th-level spells are beyond its capabilities. For skills, roll 2d10 for the number available and determine the exact skill randomly. Alternately, the DM can assign skills, including racial and class abilities according to the humanoid forms adopted by the sea hermit.
The sea hermit's big advantage is its shapechanging ability. This ability functions like the 9th-level wizard spell shapechange, except that it is a natural ability. The sea hermit can imitate only intelligent creatures that it has studied. It requires one round to change shape, after which the sea hermit possesses full the natural, nonmagical abilities of the form assumed.
Habitat/Society: Sea hermits are sages of deep, undersea kingdoms who seek to trap the unwary in order to study their memories. Through arcane processes, these memories are extracted to teach the sea hermit new skills, spells, and reveal other information about the people who dwell on the surface. Sea hermits have no qualms about the deception they employ or the fatal methods of memory extraction. To them, the situation is no different from collecting and dissecting insects to learn about them. These are simply the methods that are available.
The sea hermit captures its specimens alive when possible, taking them back down to the undersea kingdom where it can better perform its work. This sometimes requires that the
hermit keep up its guise for hours, lulling its victims into a false sense of security. Sea hermits do not view themselves or their undersea life as superior or inferior, just different. They exploit those on land for knowledge and skills to provide themselves with greater power in their own undersea kingdoms.
Ecology: The sea hermit is a deep sea creature. Its true lair is far from coastal waters; it only comes to shore to collect samples. A sea hermit never wanders far from its shell-home while in humanoid form for fear of losing it. Finding a new, unoccupied shell requires a long and dangerous undersea quest, with the sea hermit lacking its strongest form of protection. The creature takes any steps necessary to protect its home, and this is one of the creature's few weaknesses.
Some parts of a sea hermit's natural form can be used in magical preparations that deal with water breathing and shapeshifting. A rumor persists that a wizard has one of these great shells enchanted to act like Daern's instant fortress.
Lair: This majestic structure is it squat, conical shell. It is approximately 20 feet across at its base (60 feet in circumference) and spirals upward 30 feet to a final room only 10 feet in diameter. In some areas, the overlapping spirals bend some of the ceilings, making the overall architecture lack the hard edges and corners to which most races are accustomed. In areas of sharp upward slope, the sea hermit has formed a polished stairway from the shell's glossy mother-of-pearl interior. The effect is quite beautiful.
The first 40 feet of the shell, as it wraps around the first curve, is where the sea hermit in its natural form fits. When posing as a humanoid, this portion is cluttered with driftwood and minor implements, suggesting a craft workshop or junk storage area. Past this, the shell has been reshaped to form archways, stairs, and rooms, including a laboratory and cells for prisoners. A few secret door, may tie installed, perhaps some ending in traps for overcurious guests; those often involve spring-loaded tridents tipped with the poison of an exotic fish (THAC0 11, inflicting 1d10+4d8 points of damage; a successful saving throw vs. poison reduces damage to 1d10+2d8 points).
Savage Coast Lore
The sea hermits hold a special animosity for jorries, a mischievous otter-like mammal, some of which can see through their guise. Jorries will often watch a sea hermit and try to warn any potential victims of the creature. A sea hermit will sometimes out of its way to run off any nearby dens of jorries before setting tip its trap.
The few sages who know of the sea hermit and araneas have tried to find a link between their abilities. This has been unsuccessful; the sea hermit's ability is far more advanced, as it can quickly assume the form of any intelligent creature, not just a single humanoid.
-From RED STEEL MC Online, #2524
BOZ
Creature Cataloguer
some preliminary stats for the sea hermit:
Sea Hermit
Gargantuan (Magical Beast?) (Aquatic, maybe Shapechanger?)
Hit Dice: 10dX+X (X hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: 20 ft (4 squares), swim 30 ft
Armor Class: 20 (-4 size, +X Dex, +X natural), touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+X
Attack: Pincer +X melee (2d8+X)
Full Attack: 2 pincers +X melee (2d8+X)
Space/Reach: 20 ft/15 ft
Special Attacks: spells
Special Qualities: alternate form/change shape, spell resistance X
Saves: Fort +X, Ref +X, Will +X
Abilities: Str X, Dex X, Con X, Int 18, Wis X, Cha X
Skills: 78 Swim +X
Feats: 4
Environment: (Any aquatic?)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Gargantuan); 21-30 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: ---
A sea hermit can speak Aquan, Common...
A sea hermit is 10 feet wide and almost 40 feet long without its shell, and weighs X pounds.
COMBAT
Originally found in Red Steel Monstrous Compendium Online (X) and MCA 4
Sea Hermit
Gargantuan (Magical Beast?) (Aquatic, maybe Shapechanger?)
Hit Dice: 10dX+X (X hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: 20 ft (4 squares), swim 30 ft
Armor Class: 20 (-4 size, +X Dex, +X natural), touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+X
Attack: Pincer +X melee (2d8+X)
Full Attack: 2 pincers +X melee (2d8+X)
Space/Reach: 20 ft/15 ft
Special Attacks: spells
Special Qualities: alternate form/change shape, spell resistance X
Saves: Fort +X, Ref +X, Will +X
Abilities: Str X, Dex X, Con X, Int 18, Wis X, Cha X
Skills: 78 Swim +X
Feats: 4
Environment: (Any aquatic?)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Gargantuan); 21-30 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: ---
A sea hermit can speak Aquan, Common...
A sea hermit is 10 feet wide and almost 40 feet long without its shell, and weighs X pounds.
COMBAT
Originally found in Red Steel Monstrous Compendium Online (X) and MCA 4
Shade
Monster Junkie
So...it looks like the Red Steel Monstrous Compendium Online and Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium are indeed the same, as they have the same ID # (2524). 
I like Magical Beast (Aquatic, Shapechanger).
Ability scores of comparable creatures:
Monstrous Crab, Gargantuan: Str 33, Dex 11, Con 14, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 2
Siege Crab: Str 30, Dex 6, Con 21, Int 0, Wis 10, Cha 2
Both have constrict, improved grab, amphibious; Monstrous Crab also has scent.
A siege crab is almost 20 feet in diameter, stands 15 feet tall, and weighs over 30 tons. No height/weigh is given for Monstrous Crab.
I like Magical Beast (Aquatic, Shapechanger).
Ability scores of comparable creatures:
Monstrous Crab, Gargantuan: Str 33, Dex 11, Con 14, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 2
Siege Crab: Str 30, Dex 6, Con 21, Int 0, Wis 10, Cha 2
Both have constrict, improved grab, amphibious; Monstrous Crab also has scent.
A siege crab is almost 20 feet in diameter, stands 15 feet tall, and weighs over 30 tons. No height/weigh is given for Monstrous Crab.
BOZ
Creature Cataloguer
Shade said:So...it looks like the Red Steel Monstrous Compendium Online and Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium are indeed the same, as they have the same ID # (2524).
good to know.
Shade said:
toss out the mental stats entirely, since our boy is tres smart.
the other stats are debatable.Shade said:
is the siege crab Gargantuan? i definitely agree on Amphibious. scent, i am ambivalent. improved grab/constrict is not mentioned in the source text, but i don't have a problem with adding them if you want. we can worry about the weight later, but i'm sure it is in the tons.
i think we should write up the shell as a separate item since it is not a part of the hermit's body (see my previous post).
GrayLinnorm
Explorer
I'm sorry I'm late to the party; I was out for the weekend. Some comments:
Treasure: Why None? The Red Steel Monstrous Compendium gave it treasure type H. This is the same treasure type dragons used to get, so I'd give it double standard.
Spells: I think the easiest way to handle its spell ability is to just give the the spellcasting ability of a 16th level sorceror, in which case it should have a minimum Charisma of 18.
You forgot about its claws. Here's an early start:
Claws of Sharpness (Ex): On a successful critical hit with a claw attack, the sea hermit will sever a random limb. A successful Reflex saving throw (DC 10+damage inflicted) negates the severing effect.
3e needs more limb severing effects; otherwise what's the point of regenerate?
Alternate Form (Su): As a (free? standard?) action, a sea hermit can assume the form of any living creature it has studied. This works like a shapechange spell cast by a 16th level sorceror.
It should probably have the amphibious special quality.
As you can see, I've been mulling this guy in my head for a while. Did anyone else notice this is the second crablike creature we've converted in as many months?
Treasure: Why None? The Red Steel Monstrous Compendium gave it treasure type H. This is the same treasure type dragons used to get, so I'd give it double standard.
Spells: I think the easiest way to handle its spell ability is to just give the the spellcasting ability of a 16th level sorceror, in which case it should have a minimum Charisma of 18.
You forgot about its claws. Here's an early start:
Claws of Sharpness (Ex): On a successful critical hit with a claw attack, the sea hermit will sever a random limb. A successful Reflex saving throw (DC 10+damage inflicted) negates the severing effect.
3e needs more limb severing effects; otherwise what's the point of regenerate?
Alternate Form (Su): As a (free? standard?) action, a sea hermit can assume the form of any living creature it has studied. This works like a shapechange spell cast by a 16th level sorceror.
It should probably have the amphibious special quality.
As you can see, I've been mulling this guy in my head for a while. Did anyone else notice this is the second crablike creature we've converted in as many months?
Shade
Monster Junkie
BOZ said:toss out the mental stats entirely, since our boy is tres smart.
Absolutely. I just included as part of cut n' paste simplicity.
BOZ said:is the siege crab Gargantuan? i definitely agree on Amphibious. scent, i am ambivalent. improved grab/constrict is not mentioned in the source text, but i don't have a problem with adding them if you want. we can worry about the weight later, but i'm sure it is in the tons.
Yes, its Gargantuan.
BOZ said:
Sounds good.
GrayLinnorm said:
Good call.
GrayLinnorm said:
Agreed.
GrayLinnorm said:
While I agree with you on the need and am a huge fan of the sharpness quality, I think we should stick with the WOTC precedent and go with augmented critical and/or vorpal claws. See what they did to the iron tusker when they made it the razor boar in MM2.
GrayLinnorm said:
I hadn't noticed, and I've already forgotten...what was the other one?
GrayLinnorm
Explorer
The necroton.Shade said:Absolutely. I just included as part of cut n' paste simplicity.
Yes, its Gargantuan.
Sounds good.
Good call.
Thanks
Agreed.
While I agree with you on the need and am a huge fan of the sharpness quality, I think we should stick with the WOTC precedent and go with augmented critical and/or vorpal claws. See what they did to the iron tusker when they made it the razor boar in MM2.
I hadn't noticed, and I've already forgotten...what was the other one?
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