Converting monsters from the second edition Monstrous Compendiums

[BOZ]

except that i think the "spells known" list should be negotiable.

"A sea hermit has a 20% chance of being able to use the 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 rolling 1d8 for the level of spell, and then choose a spell randomly from the list."

it could know 2 1st level spells, 5 3rd, 7 4th, 1 6th, and 14 8th level spells, perhaps.

 

[Shade]

That could be cool, but we'll need a separate ability for learning spells. Maybe this would work easier for the poor DM?

Spell Memory (Su): A sea hermit does not possess a typical spells known list like most sorcerers. Instead, it can attempt to use a spell possessed by its previous victims. It may attempt to cast any spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list (up to the maximum level it can cast). To do so, it must succeed on a Spellcraft check (DC equals 15 + spell level). Failure indicates that it cannot remember that spell. If successful, it may cast the spell as if it were on its spells known list.

 

[BOZ]

that's got some promise...

 

[Mortis]

Spell Memory (Su): A sea hermit does not possess a typical spells known list like most sorcerers. Instead, it can attempt to use a spell possessed by its previous victims. It may attempt to cast any spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list (up to the maximum level it can cast). To do so, it must succeed on a Spellcraft check (DC equals 15 + spell level). Failure indicates that it cannot remember that spell. If successful, it may cast the spell as if it were on its spells known list.

I like this, but why are we limited to the sorcerer/wizard spell list? We could give it access to any spell possessed by previous victims, so bard spells, cleric spells...

Even actually especially spontaneous casters must have all the spells they know somewhere in mind!

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

So more like this?

Spell Memory (Su): A sea hermit does not possess a typical spells known list like most sorcerers. Instead, it can attempt to use a spell possessed by its previous victims. It may attempt to cast any spell from any spell list (up to the maximum level it can cast). To do so, it must succeed on a Spellcraft check (DC equals 15 + spell level). Failure indicates that it cannot remember that spell. If successful, it may cast the spell as if it were on its spells known list. All spells cast in this manner are treated as arcane spells.

 

[Mortis]

So more like this?

Spell Memory (Su): A sea hermit does not possess a typical spells known list like most sorcerers. Instead, it can attempt to use a spell possessed by its previous victims. It may attempt to cast any spell from any spell list (up to the maximum level it can cast). To do so, it must succeed on a Spellcraft check (DC equals 15 + spell level). Failure indicates that it cannot remember that spell. If successful, it may cast the spell as if it were on its spells known list. All spells cast in this manner are treated as arcane spells.

That's more like it!

Regards
Mortis

 

[BOZ]

shouldn't there be a caveat in there about having access only to spells that its victims knew? or are we just leaving it up to the DM to say, "yeah, i guess he killed something with whatever spell it is i want to use right now" every time it casts a spell?

 

[Mortis]

shouldn't there be a caveat in there about having access only to spells that its victims knew? or are we just leaving it up to the DM to say, "yeah, i guess he killed something with whatever spell it is i want to use right now" every time it casts a spell?

There probably should. You either have a spellbook/spells known approach or give the sea hermit a percentage chance of knowing any one spell (perhaps 100% for any 0 level spell and dropping 10% per spell level, so 90% for level 1 spells, 80% for level 2 spells etc.)

[edit] Actually I've just read Shade's write-up of the ability and it covers your concern. Yes the DM can want the sea hermit to have a certain spell but it still needs to make the spellcraft roll to remember it.

On a related note, does the sea hermit require all the normal components for each spell?

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

I figured it would be best to leave it up to the DM, as in most cases we wouldn't know anything about its previous victims.

As for the components, we could give it Eschew Material Components as one of its feats. It shouldn't have any problem with verbal and somatic, right?

 

[BOZ]

i only meant sticking something like "spells that it has stolen from another creature" in there and leaving it at that, for the DM to determine. naturally, unless the DM went and decided what victims the hermit has had previously and what spells those victims had, it should work essentially the way shade posted above. if, however, the DM has decided that maybe it only had one or two victims before, and those were both mages, he would have to restrict it to the wizard list.

is Eschew in a core book? if not, we could always just toss the text from the feat into one of its abilities.