Converting monsters from the second edition Monstrous Compendiums

[BOZ]

woohoo! that's another 10 done. time to take a BREAK. will start some more conversions probably in an hour or two.

(although, i have one ready for this thread that i can post right now if you like...)

 

[Shade]

Go ahead and post it...I'm bored.

 

[BOZ]

as you wish. this one is one of my choices, from MC14 Fiend Folio:

Fyrefly

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any Tropical, Sub-tropical, or Temperate
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Night
DIET: Herbivore/Scavenger
INTELLIGENCE: Average (9)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral

NO. APPEARING: 1 (but see below)
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVEMENT: Fl 18 (A)
HIT DICE: 1 hp (Attacks as 5 HD)
THAC0: 20 (15)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Starts Fire
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune To Fire Attacks
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: T (1")
MORALE: Steady (11)
XP VALUE: 175

The fyrefly is a large, slow-moving black insect with red wings and reddish eyes. It is normally a benign insect which flits from plant to plant, eating leaves and rotting vegetation. For most of its life, it causes no harm to anyone. It is during the creature's reproductive cycle when it becomes dangerous to other creatures.

Combat: When a fyrefly is doused with water or hit with a cold-based spell, it falls into dormancy. It appears dead, but will awaken in 24 hours and begin its feeding process again.

When a fyrefly comes in contact with a flammable object, there is a chance it will burst into flame. To determine this chance, first determine the flammability of the object in question. On an average fighter, for example, perhaps only 10% of his/her attire would be flammable, while on a wizard almost 90% would be. On any hit, roll percentile dice to see if the fyrefly hit a flammable object. Any flammable object hit by a fyrefly, adult or larval, must save vs. normal fire or be set ablaze. Persons in burning clothing suffer 1-6 hit points of damage per round until the fire is extinguished. Hits that do not strike burnable objects are assumed to hit flesh, causing 1 hit point damage.

The fyrefly will only attack living creatures while it is in its larval stage, immediately after it has reproduced (see below.) At this time, it becomes frenzied, and will seek to set fire to any living creature. When the fyrefly is in this agitated state, it becomes extremely aggressive, and attacks as a 5 HD monster (THACO 15). Because of its extreme quickness, it becomes much more difficult to hit, with an effective Armor Class of 5. (If, for some reason, a larval fyrefly is resting, its Armor Class falls to 9.) During its aggressive phase, it flies at anything that moves, believing itself to be invincible.

When in its larval state, the fyrefly is immune to fire and fire-based attacks, but cold-based attacks will immediately cause the creature to fall dormant. Water splashed on a larval fyrefly will also cause dormancy if the insect fails a saving throw vs. paralysis.

Larval fyreflies will swarm, and area of effect spells will have a reasonable chance to take out most of the creatures, but 10% of the creatures will always survive such an attack. Remember that larval fyreflies; usually swarm around a creature, and an area of effect spell will undoubtedly affect that creature, also.

Habitat/Society: The adult fyrefly is a solitary insect, which lives in forested areas. Fyreflies spend most of their time gathering food and sleeping, waiting until the day they are to reproduce. Fyreflies voluntarily avoid others of their species, moving off into their own separate feeding areas. They sleep during the day, and feed constantly at night, pausing only to move to another leaf.

A swarm of larval fyreflies are born from one fyrefly which has fed constantly for two months. The fyrefly will seek out a fire to fly into in order to reproduce. The 'fly is not killed by the fire, but rather reverts to its larval state to reproduce. It metamorphoses into a small, insect-shaped mote of extremely hot fire. This may be noticed by a much brighter area inside the fire into which the fyrefly has flown. At this time, it begins a process of division, which, if left unchecked, will produce dozens of tiny balls of flame. If the fire is quenched while the parent fyrefly waits to split, the fly will be unable to reproduce, and will bum out in 10 minutes. If the fyrefly is undisturbed, it will produce two larval fyreflies after 10 minutes in the fire. The original 'fly dies, but its two offspring remain in the fire. For each succeeding round, each will generate two offspring, after which they leave the flame. So, two rounds after the first split, 2 fyrefly larva leave the main fire, 4 the following round, then 8, then 16, then 32, and finally 64. The final 64 fyreflies are incapable of producing any more offspring at this time. After a larval fyrefly leaves the fire, it burns until it is killed or sent into dormancy, or until 10 rounds have elapsed, when it falls dormant on its own and begins its transition to adulthood. This transition takes 9 days.

Ecology: Fyreflies are the creation of the mad wizard Grebdews, who accidentally allowed his "pets" to escape into the world.

Fyreflies would pose no problem to mankind were it not for their peculiar breeding habits. They are prized for use in many fire-based potions.

 

[Shade]

Magical beast or vermin?

Combat: When a fyrefly is doused with water or hit with a cold-based spell, it falls into dormancy. It appears dead, but will awaken in 24 hours and begin its feeding process again.

Merging a modified froghemoth ability and the comatose effects of the eyebite spell..

Partial Immunity to Cold (Ex): The fyrefly is partially immune to cold damage. Each time it would normally take damage from a cold attack, it takes no damage but is instead falls into a catatonic coma for 24 hours. During this time, it cannot be awakened by any means . This is not a sleep effect.

When a fyrefly comes in contact with a flammable object, there is a chance it will burst into flame. To determine this chance, first determine the flammability of the object in question. On an average fighter, for example, perhaps only 10% of his/her attire would be flammable, while on a wizard almost 90% would be. On any hit, roll percentile dice to see if the fyrefly hit a flammable object. Any flammable object hit by a fyrefly, adult or larval, must save vs. normal fire or be set ablaze. Persons in burning clothing suffer 1-6 hit points of damage per round until the fire is extinguished. Hits that do not strike burnable objects are assumed to hit flesh, causing 1 hit point damage.

How about this from the magmin?

Combustion (Ex): Anyone a magmin touches must succeed on a DC 12 Reflex save or take an extra 1d8 points of fire damage as clothes ignite or armor becomes searing hot. The damage continues for another 1d4+2 rounds after the magmin’s last successful attack. Magmins can also ignite flammable materials with a touch. The save DC is Constitution-based.

The fyrefly will only attack living creatures while it is in its larval stage, immediately after it has reproduced (see below.) At this time, it becomes frenzied, and will seek to set fire to any living creature. When the fyrefly is in this agitated state, it becomes extremely aggressive, and attacks as a 5 HD monster (THACO 15). Because of its extreme quickness, it becomes much more difficult to hit, with an effective Armor Class of 5. (If, for some reason, a larval fyrefly is resting, its Armor Class falls to 9.) During its aggressive phase, it flies at anything that moves, believing itself to be invincible.

Modified rage with an AC bonus?

When in its larval state, the fyrefly is immune to fire and fire-based attacks, but cold-based attacks will immediately cause the creature to fall dormant. Water splashed on a larval fyrefly will also cause dormancy if the insect fails a saving throw vs. paralysis.

Vulnerability to Water (Ex): Contact with water or a spell with the water descriptor has the same effect as its partial immunity to cold, except the fyrefly is allowed a DC X Fortitude save to negate the effect.

Larval fyreflies will swarm, and area of effect spells will have a reasonable chance to take out most of the creatures, but 10% of the creatures will always survive such an attack. Remember that larval fyreflies; usually swarm around a creature, and an area of effect spell will undoubtedly affect that creature, also.

Swarm subtype?

Habitat/Society: The adult fyrefly is a solitary insect, which lives in forested areas. Fyreflies spend most of their time gathering food and sleeping, waiting until the day they are to reproduce. Fyreflies voluntarily avoid others of their species, moving off into their own separate feeding areas. They sleep during the day, and feed constantly at night, pausing only to move to another leaf.

Environment: Warm or temperate forests?

A swarm of larval fyreflies are born from one fyrefly which has fed constantly for two months. The fyrefly will seek out a fire to fly into in order to reproduce. The 'fly is not killed by the fire, but rather reverts to its larval state to reproduce. It metamorphoses into a small, insect-shaped mote of extremely hot fire. This may be noticed by a much brighter area inside the fire into which the fyrefly has flown. At this time, it begins a process of division, which, if left unchecked, will produce dozens of tiny balls of flame. If the fire is quenched while the parent fyrefly waits to split, the fly will be unable to reproduce, and will bum out in 10 minutes. If the fyrefly is undisturbed, it will produce two larval fyreflies after 10 minutes in the fire. The original 'fly dies, but its two offspring remain in the fire. For each succeeding round, each will generate two offspring, after which they leave the flame. So, two rounds after the first split, 2 fyrefly larva leave the main fire, 4 the following round, then 8, then 16, then 32, and finally 64. The final 64 fyreflies are incapable of producing any more offspring at this time. After a larval fyrefly leaves the fire, it burns until it is killed or sent into dormancy, or until 10 rounds have elapsed, when it falls dormant on its own and begins its transition to adulthood. This transition takes 9 days.

Modify the modified split ability we gave the dhour?

Ecology: Fyreflies are the creation of the mad wizard Grebdews, who accidentally allowed his "pets" to escape into the world.

Supports magical beast, does it not?

Fyreflies would pose no problem to mankind were it not for their peculiar breeding habits. They are prized for use in many fire-based potions.

Flavor text only, or an actual game effect? Maybe potions that deal fire damage deal an additional point, while potions that resist fire add 1 to the resistance?

 

[BOZ]

i think Mag Beast should work. more comments when i am not holding a baby and typing one-handed.

 

[BOZ]

Merging a modified froghemoth ability and the comatose effects of the eyebite spell..

Partial Immunity to Cold (Ex): The fyrefly is partially immune to cold damage. Each time it would normally take damage from a cold attack, it takes no damage but is instead falls into a catatonic coma for 24 hours. During this time, it cannot be awakened by any means. This is not a sleep effect.

not sure about the taking no damage, but then again let's face it; if it has 1 hp, and it takes any damage from anything at all it dies. So, maybe the no damage is just fine.

Modified rage with an AC bonus?

actually, I was thinking Dex 18+ with Weapon Finesse would take care of that. I don't know about dealing with the larval stage. If we do use the rage ability, it will have to be heavily modified.

Swarm subtype?

only if we do the larva as a separate stat block.

Modify the modified split ability we gave the dhour?

naah, mostly flavor text.

Supports magical beast, does it not?

I agree!

Flavor text only, or an actual game effect? Maybe potions that deal fire damage deal an additional point, while potions that resist fire add 1 to the resistance?

flavor text, or both.

 

[Shade]

not sure about the taking no damage, but then again let's face it; if it has 1 hp, and it takes any damage from anything at all it dies. So, maybe the no damage is just fine.

My thoughts exactly.

actually, I was thinking Dex 18+ with Weapon Finesse would take care of that. I don't know about dealing with the larval stage. If we do use the rage ability, it will have to be heavily modified.

I'll ponder this further...

only if we do the larva as a separate stat block.

That might not be a bad idea.

naah, mostly flavor text.

Works for me.

 

[BOZ]

we can do a separate stat block for the larva, sure, but let's do an adult first.

 

[Shade]

Get her started.

 

[BOZ]

some preliminary stats for the fyrefly:

Fyrefly
Fine Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 1/4 d10 (1 hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: Fly 50 ft (perfect) (10 squares)
Armor Class: X (+8 size, +X Dex), touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+X
Attack: Bite +X melee (1d2-X plus 1 fire plus combustion)
Full Attack: Bite +X melee (1d2-X plus 1 fire plus combustion)
Space/Reach: 1 ft/0 ft
Special Attacks: combustion
Special Qualities: darkvision 60 ft, immunity to fire, low-light vision, partial immunity to cold, vulnerability to water
Saves: Fort +X, Ref +X, Will +X
Abilities: Str X, Dex 18+, Con 10?, Int 9, Wis X, Cha X
Skills: 4
Feats: 1

Environment: Warm and temperate forest
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral
Advancement: ---
Level Adjustment: ---

A fyrefly is one inch long

COMBAT

Combustion (Ex): Anyone a fyrefly touches must succeed on a DC 10 Reflex save or take an extra 1d6 points of fire damage as clothes ignite or armor becomes searing hot. The damage continues for another X rounds after the fyrefly's last successful attack. Fyreflies can also ignite flammable materials with a touch. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Partial Immunity to Cold (Ex): The fyrefly is partially immune to cold damage. Each time it would normally take damage from a cold attack, it takes no damage but is instead falls into a catatonic coma for 24 hours. During this time, it cannot be awakened by any means. This is not a sleep effect.

Vulnerability to Water (Ex): Contact with water or a spell with the water descriptor has the same effect as its partial immunity to cold, except the fyrefly is allowed a DC X Fortitude save to negate the effect.

Originally found in Monstrous Compendium MC14 - Fiend Folio Appendix (1992, Tim Beach).