Converting Oriental Adventures creatures

[Cleon]

I think we have a 2D form for some monster somewhere --- do you remember where that comes from? We could do a 2D shadow form like that with fast healing. Then we say it can only be hit by magic weapons with a miss chance (or ghost touch?), like incorporeal creatures. What do you think?

I suggested a duodimensional Special Quality for the Artist Tasked Genie that we could adapt. We never used it for the Genie, so might as well get some use out if it. Here it is:

Duodimensional (Su): Twice per day, an artist genie can turn itself into a two-dimensional object, with height and width but no thickness. In this state the genie has vulnerability to weapons, taking 50% extra damage from any weapon attack that hits it, but it can automatically squeeze through extremely tight spaces (cracks as little as an eighth of an inch wide, provided they are long enough to accommodate the genie’s height or breadth), use its thinness to conceal itself from opponents (+15 circumstance bonus on Hide checks) or stand against a flat surface and pretend to be a lifesize portrait (Disguise check with a +10 circumstance bonus). The genie can stay duodimensional for a duration of up to 14 rounds.

In addition, an artist genie in duodimensional can turn itself "sideways from reality" and partially shift from the Material Plane to the Ethereal Plane as a free action, it can shift back from partially-Ethereal to Material form as a move action. The genie is incorporeal and invisible on the Material Plane while so "rotated", but is corporeal and visible on the Astral Plane. The artist genie will automatically return to the material plane if the duration of the duodimensional power runs out.

 

[freyar]

Well, that looks pretty good, but I think we should cut it down a bit. The ethereal bit should go, and the duration and times per day should change. I'm also not certain about the skill checks --- we might replace those with shadow blend or something similar.

 

[Cleon]

Well, that looks pretty good, but I think we should cut it down a bit. The ethereal bit should go, and the duration and times per day should change. I'm also not certain about the skill checks --- we might replace those with shadow blend or something similar.

I have a feeling there will be so many changes we're practically writing the ability up from scratch.

Anyhow, let's figure out what we want the ability to do first and then write that up. I'm thinking.

1. Assumes "Shadow Form" whenever it is in bright light, but is corporeal in shadowy or dark conditions.
2. Shadow Form is effectively incorporeal.
3. Shadow Form cannot move through solid objects, but may move through cracks, no matter how small, provided the space on the other size is large enough to accommodate the Ninja Spirit.
4. Shadow Form has some kind of bonus to its AC? (The original was AC 0 in light, AC 5 in shadow).

Anything missing from that?

 

[freyar]

I don't think we need part (4) given part (2) makes it invulnerable to normal weapons and grants a 50% miss chance vs magic weapons.

How about this?


Shadow Form (Su): Whenever a ninja spirit shadow is in conditions of bright illumination, it takes a shadow form with height and width but no thickness. In this state, the ninja spirit shadow is effecitvely incorporeal, gaining all the features of that subtype except the ability to pass through solid objects. Instead, it can automatically squeeze through extremely tight spaces (cracks as little as an eighth of an inch wide, provided they are long enough to accommodate the shadow’s height or breadth). In shadow form, a ninja spirit shadow can stand against a flat surface and pretend to be a mundane shadow (Disguise check with a +10 circumstance bonus).

 

[Cleon]

I don't think we need part (4) given part (2) makes it invulnerable to normal weapons and grants a 50% miss chance vs magic weapons.

How about this?

Shadow Form (Su): Whenever a ninja spirit shadow is in conditions of bright illumination, it takes a shadow form with height and width but no thickness. In this state, the ninja spirit shadow is effecitvely incorporeal, gaining all the features of that subtype except the ability to pass through solid objects. Instead, it can automatically squeeze through extremely tight spaces (cracks as little as an eighth of an inch wide, provided they are long enough to accommodate the shadow’s height or breadth). In shadow form, a ninja spirit shadow can stand against a flat surface and pretend to be a mundane shadow (Disguise check with a +10 circumstance bonus).

I like the start, but am not so sure about the "pretend to be a mundane shadow" bit. I like the idea of it following people around pretending to be their shadows, but should it be a Hide check rather than Disguise?

Come to think of it, they should probably have a adaptation of the Shadowdancer's Hide in Plain Sight ability:

Hide in Plain Sight (Su): A shadowdancer can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as she is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, a shadowdancer can hide herself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. She cannot, however, hide in her own shadow.


Hmm, after reflection I like the Disguise as shadow in bright light and the Hide in Plain Sight for shadowier conditions.


Shall I update the Working Draft with the above?

 

[freyar]

I'd be happy to have both the abilities. Strictly speaking, Hide in Plain Sight may not be part of its corporeal ninja abilities while in shadow, but it's thematic and a reasonable extrapolation to 3e given the Shadowdancer.

 

[Cleon]

I'd be happy to have both the abilities. Strictly speaking, Hide in Plain Sight may not be part of its corporeal ninja abilities while in shadow, but it's thematic and a reasonable extrapolation to 3e given the Shadowdancer.

Deal! I'll update the Ninja Spirit Shadow Working Draft.

Ready for the "Ninja Attacks"?

Currently it's got a 1d6 unarmed strike with the -2/-2 flurry of blows ability of a 4th level monk. In the previous draft it used the -1/-1 flurry of a 5th level monk.

I wanted the monk level's BAB to match the Ninja Spirit Shadow's +3 BAB, which meant a 4th or 5th level flurry of blows.

A 5th level Medium-sized monk does 1d8, but I wanted the damage to match the original's 1d6.

Speaking of 1d6 damage weapons, how about giving it a pair of kamas? Then it can flurry with its fists or a weapon and TWF with a sword and kama!

Attack: Bastard sword +5 melee (1d10+3/19-20) or kama +5 (1d6+2) or unarmed strike +5 (1d6+2)
Full Attack: Bastard sword +3 melee (1d10+2/19-20) and kama +3 (1d6+1); or bastard sword +3 melee (1d10+2/19-20) and unarmed strike +3 (1d6+1); or bastard sword +5 melee (1d10+3/19-20); or unarmed strike +5 (1d6+2); or flurry of blows [kama or unarmed strike] +3/+3 melee (1d6+2)
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Two-Weapon Fighting [?]

Hmm, maybe we should just drop the unarmed strike and leave it with a flurrying kama?

Attack: Bastard sword +5 melee (1d10+3/19-20) or kama +5 (1d6+2)
Full Attack: Bastard sword +5 melee (1d10+3/19-20); or bastard sword +3 melee (1d10+2/19-20) and kama +3 (1d6+1); or flurry of kamas +3/+3 melee (1d6+2)
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Two-Weapon Fighting [?]

Hmm, I would rather keep the unarmed strike. It seems appropriate for a Ninja. The Full attack looks unwieldy, so I'd add an asterisk to substitute a kama (or a nunchaku or siangham - why not!) for the unarmed strike:

Attack: Bastard sword +5 melee (1d10+3/19-20) or unarmed strike* +5 (1d6+2)
Full Attack: Bastard sword +3 melee (1d10+2/19-20) and unarmed strike* +3 (1d6+1); or bastard sword +5 melee (1d10+3/19-20); or unarmed strike* +5 (1d6+2); or unarmed strike flurry of blows* +3/+3 melee (1d6+2)
*The ninja spirit shadow can attack with a kama, nunchaku or siangham with the same attack bonus and damage as its unarmed strike.
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Two-Weapon Fighting [?]

That's much better!

 

[freyar]

Agreed!

I think some other special abilities would fit, as well. I definitely think sneak attack should go in, and we should think about the death attack like an assassin and uncanny dodge and/or defensive roll (as shadowdancer). EDIT: Evasion looks good, but I don't feel like giving it turning immunity. Maybe a small amount of turn resistance.

Oh, we forgot fast healing! Let's do it like the mephit: put fast healing 1 in the SQ line and add

Fast Healing (Ex): A ninja spirit shadow heals only in shadow form.

 

[Cleon]

Agreed!

After mulling it over, I would cut out the off-hand unarmed strike, making it:

Attack: Bastard sword +5 melee (1d10+3/19-20) or unarmed strike* +5 (1d6+2)
Full Attack: Bastard sword +5 melee (1d10+3/19-20); or unarmed strike* +5 (1d6+2); or unarmed strike flurry of blows* +3/+3 melee (1d6+2)
*The ninja spirit shadow can attack with a kama, nunchaku or siangham with the same attack bonus and damage as its unarmed strike.
Feats: Combat Reflexes [?]

The original monster didn't use Two-Weapon fighting, so I don't think this critter ought to.

I think some other special abilities would fit, as well. I definitely think sneak attack should go in, and we should think about the death attack like an assassin and uncanny dodge and/or defensive roll (as shadowdancer). EDIT: Evasion looks good, but I don't feel like giving it turning immunity. Maybe a small amount of turn resistance.

Oh, it's getting Sneak Attack for sure, the question is how much: +2d6?

I'd rather it not get Death Attack, but uncanny dodge or defensive roll are tempting.

I'm pretty insistent on Turning Immunity, though. None of the new undead "Spirits" in OA2 could be turned by clerics, so it seems to be a standard feature.

Evasion is fine.

Oh, we forgot fast healing! Let's do it like the mephit: put fast healing 1 in the SQ line and add

Fast Healing (Ex): A ninja spirit shadow heals only in shadow form.

The original has "Regen 1/r in shade", so its fast healing worked when it wasn't in shadow form.

Also, I'd rather make it 2 points per round of Fast Healing, possibly 3. It has more than twice the HPs of the original, and Fast Healing powers usually have HP inflation when converted from AD&D to 3E.

 

[freyar]

OK, I can go with those revised attack lines. Combat Reflexes seems as good a feat as any. Maybe also Weapon Finesse (if we're not going to make that a bonus feat).

+3d6 sneak attack, I think, like a 6th level rogue. Since we're possibly thinking about character class advancement, we should also consider making it stackable (like goatfolk).

Well, the standard thing to do would be to give it uncanny dodge to go with evasion. Of course, we could give it defensive roll instead to be a bit unusual. I'm not quite sure if giving it both is too much. Your thoughts?

I see about turning immunity now; it wasn't listed at all in the stats we have posted.

Hmm. Let's due fast healing 2.
Fast Healing (Ex): A ninja spirit shadow heals only in areas of shadow.