Converting original D&D and Mystara monsters

Status
Not open for further replies.
Let's go with Bluff. They're quite chaotic, after all, and already get a racial bonus on it.

Updated.

We seem to have missed their fly speed:
Move: 9/24

Their movement is identical to a djinn, so Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 60 ft. (perfect)?

Or shall we save flight for the females?

Organization: Solitary, family (xdx plus xdx yaksini), or clan (xdx plus xdx yaksini)

Challenge Rating: 6?

Level Adjustment: +7?

A yaksha is about the same height and weight as a dwarf?

Yakshas speak Common, Infernal, and Undercommon?
 

log in or register to remove this ad

Let's go with Bluff. They're quite chaotic, after all, and already get a racial bonus on it.

Updated.

We seem to have missed their fly speed:

Their movement is identical to a djinn, so Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 60 ft. (perfect)?

Or shall we save flight for the females?

I like fly for both.

Organization: Solitary, family (xdx plus xdx yaksini), or clan (xdx plus xdx yaksini)

I'd use similar numbers as Stone Giants - "gang (2-5), band (6-9 plus 35% noncombatants), hunting/raiding/trading party (6-9 plus 1 elder), or tribe (21-30 plus 35% noncombatants plus 1-3 elders ".

Organization: Solitary, band (2-5), family (2-5 plus 2-5 yaksini plus 25% chance of 1-2 noncombatant children), hunting/raiding/trading party (6-9), or clan (10-15 plus 10-15 yaksini plus 25% chance of 1-6 noncombatant children)

Challenge Rating: 6?

Yes, they're pretty tough for their HD.

Level Adjustment: +7?

A yaksha is about the same height and weight as a dwarf?

Yakshas speak Common, Infernal, and Undercommon?

I'd say LA +6. Their special abilities are more on a par with Djinn than Rakshasa.

Height & weights OK.

Languages are a bit off - they're semi-divine earth/nature spirits, not fiends! Besides, they're chaotic so should talk to demons more than devils.

"Yakshi speak Common, Sylvan and and one alignment language (Abyssal or Celestial)."?
 

Updated. Any suggestions for description and flavor text? I'm not getting a good feel for them based upon the limited information available.
 


Updated. Any suggestions for description and flavor text? I'm not getting a good feel for them based upon the limited information available.

Well from what I could tell the ancient Indian variety just look like sturdily built humans, maybe a bit shorter than average or with an unusual skin colour (yellow, pink, red, blue, orange, purple et cetera).

It appears that further east (i.e. Singapore or Thailand) Yaksha havee on a more forbidden aspect, with beastial heads thay sport googly-eyes, huge ears and tusks from its lower jaw. These "demon" or "guardian" yakshas have strikingly coloured skin too.

The creatures we're converting is a "weaker demon" and "similar to the Rakshasas", so I think it makes sense to have use the beast-headed "demon" version so they resemble Rakshasas. We can note that they often use their alternate form to look more human.

How's this.

The being has a body like a man but its head is that of a bizarre monster, with flat but powerful jaws, tusks jutting from its lower lip, flapping ears like an elephant and goggling eyes. While the rest of his body looks human it is extraordinarily sturdy and muscular, almost dwarf-like in proportions. His skin is a bright and uniform color.

Yakshas are male nature spirits distantly related to rakshasas, the females of their race are the yakshini. Yaksha come in a wide range of colors - blue, green, orange and red are the most common, but black, purple, yellow or many other shades have been recorded. Most yakshas are benevolent or at worst neutral in alignment, only attacking those who despoil their wilderness home or threaten their kin. Evil yakshas can be maneaters as bloodthirsty as a rakshasa. Even good yakshas are fierce and unpredictable creatures.

Friendly yakshas habitually use their change shape power to make their heads look human while retaining their pastel skin color. They know that many races find their bestial faces disturbing, and may even consider their natural appearance an embarrassment. Yakshas are on good terms with many sylvan creatures and are known to associate with nagas, but even evil yashas mostly shun their rakshasa relatives due to the irreconcilable differences in their alignment.

Yakshas speak Common, Sylvan and and one alignment language (Abyssal or Celestial).
 


I like that. We can make the female enchantresses look more like the Indian version.

Updated.

Got anything for tactics? ;)

Well I just whipped this up...

Combat
A yaksha will usually be invisible when encountered. If they disapprove of their visitors, good or neutral yakshas will try to drive them away with mysterious noises, shouted warnings, frightening illusions and "warning shots" with hurled rocks. Evil yakshas will simply try to kill (and maybe eat) unwanted intruders as expediently as possible.

Yakshas are ferocious warriors but can be cunning too, they use magical trickery, shape-changing and traps to deal with opponents almost as often as their rocks and clubs. For example, they may offer opponents a feast created with create food and water and create wine in the hope of making their enemies gorged and drunken.

In battle, yaksha prefer to repeatedly ambush opponents with thrown rocks, using invisibility to withdraw and reposition themselves between each attack. They may negotiate with a stronger opponent to agree a ceasefire, or even give up territory or tribute, but usually fight to the death rather than be captured.
 


Updated.

On to the yasini!

Should they be an underbar to the yaksha, or a separate entry altogether?

Separate entry I think, and give them somewhat different powers to their blokes.

We should call them Yakshini, not Yasini, since we're using the "sh" spelling for their mates.

Better change the Yaksha's Org line appropriately:

Organization: Solitary, band (2-5), family (2-5 plus 2-5 yakshini plus 25% chance of 1-2 noncombatant children), hunting/raiding/trading party (6-9), or clan (10-15 plus 10-15 yakshini plus 25% chance of 1-6 noncombatant children)

There's also a typo in it - "but even evil yashas" instead of "evil yakshas".
 

Fixed.

So, same HD for the yakshini?

Make them sorcerers of a level equal to their Hit Dice?

Flip the Str and Int and Con and Wis scores? That would give us Str 13, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 19, Wis 13, Cha 19.

Drop rock throwing. Tinker with the SLAs?
 

Status
Not open for further replies.
Remove ads

Top