Converting original D&D and Mystara monsters

[freyar]

I can go with your version of cause/remove fear. Though my intent on the "single note" was just to say that the caprine only had to spend the 1 standard action to trigger it and didn't have to keep up the music beyond the first round.

But I'm going to dig in on concentration for ferocity and morale. The "Benefits of Resonance" section of the original document says "If it sustains [damage?] from an attack. The caprine's music is interrupted and its effect ends. [sic]" That's actually stricter than requiring concentration.

 

[Cleon]

I can go with your version of cause/remove fear. Though my intent on the "single note" was just to say that the caprine only had to spend the 1 standard action to trigger it and didn't have to keep up the music beyond the first round.

Updating the Resonance Working Draft.

But I'm going to dig in on concentration for ferocity and morale. The "Benefits of Resonance" section of the original document says "If it sustains [damage?] from an attack. The caprine's music is interrupted and its effect ends. [sic]"

Yes, I realize where the issue comes from.

I'd rather not require concentration for abilities where the equivalent bardic abilities does not need concentration. The caprine's abilities are so obviously based on a Bard's it would seem odd not having them match. The Concentration issue is pretty much down to the change of edition between BECMI and 3rd Edition D&D.

So I'd say the caprine powers of charm, march to war, sound of death, taunt and probably killer cheese require concentration, but not covet, damper, fear/remove fear, ferocity, morale or sleep.

If pressed, I might agree to having the Caprine need to make a Concentration-dependent standard action or full-round action to START the ferocity/morale effect but have the remainder of the duration not require Concentration, but even is a stretch from the 3E precedent.

That would at least match the original text's "The caprine needs to play his instrument for one round for dungeon encounters" since it's the instrument-playing that can be interrupted in the original rules.

That's actually stricter than requiring concentration.

Actually it isn't stricter, but is pretty much the core of the BECMI/AD&D concentration rules, under which if you take any damage your concentration is automatically broken.

Spellcasters got it a lot easier in 3E. It's one of the many reasons they became such an unbalanced class, almost as significant as 3E's spell DCs vs Saving Throws scaling.

 

[freyar]

Hmmm. I think I can go with your proposal of the full round action with Concentration "start up" for ferocity and morale. As for "stricter," I did mean with respect to 3.X.

So, Concentration for charm, march to war, sound of death, taunt and killer cheese, full round starting with Concentration for ferocity and morale, and not for the rest?

 

[Cleon]

Hmmm. I think I can go with your proposal of the full round action with Concentration "start up" for ferocity and morale. As for "stricter," I did mean with respect to 3.X.

So, Concentration for charm, march to war, sound of death, taunt and killer cheese, full round starting with Concentration for ferocity and morale, and not for the rest?

That'd work for me.

How about this for the revised ferocity & morale:

Ferocity: A caprine with a resonance score of 1 or more can play a musical instrument and inspire ferocity in its allies (not including itself), improving their combat abilities. The caprine must concentrate the first round they use this ability but does not need to maintain concentration to continue playing on subsequent rounds. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the caprine's ferocious tune. Affected allies receive a +1 morale bonus on attack and damage rolls. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the caprine's music. Ferocity is a mind-affecting ability.

Morale: A caprine with a resonance score of 1 or more can play a musical instrument to inspire bravery in its allies (not including itself), improving their morale. The caprine must concentrate the first round they use this ability but does not need to maintain concentration to continue playing on subsequent rounds. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the caprine's courageous tune. Affected allies receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear and charm effects. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the caprine's music. Ferocity is a mind-affecting ability.

 

[Cleon]

Come to think of it, shouldn't most of these abilities have a "sonic" tag?

They all require audible music to function apart from mask.

Speaking of which, I'm not sure how playing a musical instrument allows one to change your face but it's magic, it doesn't have to make sense!

 

[freyar]

Those look good, and I agree that they should all be sonic.

I'll try to get back to this one soon. I'm too tired to think straight at the moment, but I want to get this posted.

 

[Cleon]

Those look good, and I agree that they should all be sonic.

I'll try to get back to this one soon. I'm too tired to think straight at the moment, but I want to get this posted.

Updating the Resonance Working Draft.

NOTE: I added the sonic, mind-affecting and compulsion tags to the current resonance abilities where appropriate plus "reminder notes" for the upcoming abilities.

 

[freyar]

OK, I've totally lost track of where we are on this, but I think we can move to the next ability, which would be charm.

The original text is

Charm: non-associated members within a 40' radius must save versus spell or be charmed and sit entranced while the caprine keeps on playing. The effect lasts as long as the caprine plays. (BECMI only*)

This actually seems more like the effects of the hypnotism spell. So something like
Charm: A caprine with a resonance score of 11 or more can play a tune that fascinates all creatures within 40 feet of the caprine. The caprine can choose to exclude any creature within range from this effect. Treat this power as if it were a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to the caprine's Hit Dice and a Will save to negate with DC equal to 11 plus the caprine's Charisma modifier. The fascination effect lasts for as long as caprine maintains concentration on its music. This is a mind-affecting sonic ability.
?

 

[Cleon]

OK, I've totally lost track of where we are on this, but I think we can move to the next ability, which would be charm.

The original text is


This actually seems more like the effects of the hypnotism spell. So something like
Charm: A caprine with a resonance score of 11 or more can play a tune that fascinates all creatures within 40 feet of the caprine. The caprine can choose to exclude any creature within range from this effect. Treat this power as if it were a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to the caprine's Hit Dice and a Will save to negate with DC equal to 11 plus the caprine's Charisma modifier. The fascination effect lasts for as long as caprine maintains concentration on its music. This is a mind-affecting sonic ability.
?

I'd just duplicate or modify the bard's fascinate ability since that's the official 3E version of AD&D Bardic Charm ability. The main differences of the caprine's version are the range (40 feet not 90) and number of targets (all non-allies not 1 plus 1 per 3 levels above 1st).

 

[freyar]

I'll agree to using bardic fascinate with those modifications. I'm not sure why I always forget to check those abilities.... But it ends up working pretty similarly. Want to stick something in the working draft for consideration?

Next up would be sleep, which is just as the sleep spell, not empowered. I guess they have to play a lullaby! Any thoughts on this one? Here's a draft, though 4HD feels light to me:
Sleep: A caprine with a resonance score of 11 or more can play a lullaby that puts up to 4HD into a magical slumber. Creatures with the fewest HD are affected first. Among creatures with equal HD, those who are closest to the spell’s point of origin are affected first. Hit Dice that are not sufficient to affect a creature are wasted. Sleeping creatures are helpless. Slapping or wounding awakens an affected creature, but normal noise does not. Awakening a creature is a standard action (an application of the aid another action).
Sleep does not target unconscious creatures, constructs, or undead creatures. Sleep is a mind-affecting sonic compulsion ability.