Converting Oriental Adventures creatures

[Cleon]

The working draft is based on the standard Fire Elemental with some tweaking to match the Flame Spirit's stats (mainly slower speed, DR X/magic for the least and lesser and an intelligence score in the original's 5-7 range).

You may have also notice that I've modified the Fire Shuriken writeup so the standard and full attacks have different numbers of fire shuriken and it has a "max shuriken per day" limit.

Incidentally, I recall reading somewhere 9 shuriken is the traditional number carried by a ninja. I don't know how authentic that is though.

Hmm... Flame Spirit Ninjas.

Fire Shuriken (Su): Flame spirits can create shuriken formed of magic fire. A least flame spirit can create up to 3 such shuriken per day, a lesser flame spirit can create up to 6 and a greater flame spirit up to 9 fire shuriken. These fire shuriken can be thrown as a normal ranged attack with a range increment of 20 feet. Fire shuriken threaten a critical hit on a roll of 19-20, and deal 2d6 points of fire damage each on a successful hit. Any additional damage dealt by the fire shuriken (including Strength bonus) is also fire damage. A flame spirit can throw a single fire shuriken as a standard action; a lesser flame spirit can also throw 2 fire shuriken as a full attack, while a greater flame spirit can throw up to 3 fire shuriken as a full attack. The shuriken disappear when they hit, so they cannot set fire to combustibles or damage objects.

 

[freyar]

Pretty good so far. I'd increase the fiery eyes just a little since the damage is only half the slam damage and doesn't have burn; maybe bump by 1 die size in each case? (The damage is also quite a lot less than the shuriken, but I wouldn't mind adding a burn rider or something to the shuriken, too.)

Also, I notice that you have the shuriken listed as a melee attack in the attack lines. Shouldn't they be thrown and therefore ranged?

 

[Cleon]

Pretty good so far. I'd increase the fiery eyes just a little since the damage is only half the slam damage and doesn't have burn; maybe bump by 1 die size in each case? (The damage is also quite a lot less than the shuriken, but I wouldn't mind adding a burn rider or something to the shuriken, too.)

I want the fiery eyes to be a less damaging attack than either the slam (to encourage them to close) or the shuriken (since they have a limited number of those).

Also, I notice that you have the shuriken listed as a melee attack in the attack lines. Shouldn't they be thrown and therefore ranged?

Oh blast, that's just carelessness. I copy-and-pasted and forgot to change melee to ranged.

I'll fix it. EDIT: Fixed. :ENDEDIT

Oh, and what do you think about the amended fire shuriken?

 

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

By the way, what do you think of the idea of making their melee "fire whip" a touch attack like the flame blade spell?

I like this idea. It does sound more like a touch attack than a slam.

Flame Tendril (Ex): A flame spirit lashes out with a snaky tendril of fire. Attacks with a flame tendril are melee touch attacks, dealing damage as listed on the attack lines above.

I would then modify Burn as follows...

Burn (Ex): Those hit by a flame spirit’s flame tendril attack also must succeed on a Reflex save or catch on fire. The flame burns for 1d4 rounds. The save DC varies with the spirit’s size (see SA lines above). A burning creature can take a move action to put out the flame. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Creatures hitting a flame spirit with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take fire damage as though hit by the spirit’s attack, and also catch on fire unless they succeed on a Reflex save.

 

[freyar]

Changing the slam to a touch attack is fine, but then I really think it's too much better than the eye rays.

 

[Shade]

In that case, I herefore throw my support to the "boost/restore eye rays" movement.

 

[freyar]

Would we be ok with a compromise of boosting the eye rays to 1d6/1d8/1d10 for least/lesser/greater?

Also just a random question: why is the fire damage fo the slams 1d4/1d6/1d6 while the slam damage itself is 1d4/1d6/1d10? There's something weird about both of those progressions.

 

[Shade]

If we replace slams with flame tendrils, I'd suggest all fire damage (no physical damage).

As for as the current progressions...dunno.

 

[Cleon]

Changing the slam to a touch attack is fine, but then I really think it's too much better than the eye rays.

I'd rather keep them melee slams, but I threw the idea out to see whether it would catch.

Would we be ok with a compromise of boosting the eye rays to 1d6/1d8/1d10 for least/lesser/greater?

I would not be OK with that, I'm afraid.

It still makes their fiery eyes better than the slam attack in all respects, unless the target has some resistance to fire.

Also just a random question: why is the fire damage fo the slams 1d4/1d6/1d6 while the slam damage itself is 1d4/1d6/1d10? There's something weird about both of those progressions.

I just forgot to change the Greater version's fire damage. A Large Fire Elemental has 2d6 slam + 2d6 fire, so I guess the Greater Flame Spirit ought to be 1d10 slam + 1d10 fire.

 

[Cleon]

I'm wondering about giving them a higher Strength to (a) distinguish them more from a standard Fire Elemental and (b) compensate a bit for them only having 1 slam when full-attacking.

Maybe Str 12/14/18 for Least/Lesser/Greater?

That's 2 points lower than a Water Elemental of the same size.