Converting original D&D and Mystara monsters

[Cleon]

Well, the original PDF says they are primarily fighters, so let's go with some fighting feats. Weapon Focus (battleaxe) and Imp Init maybe?

Hmm... the sample creature has a pretty feeble Will save, so how about Iron Will and Weapon Focus (battleaxe)?

 

[freyar]

Sure!

Are you happy with the organization, or do you want larger units corresponding to the communal structure?

There should probably be a variety of tactics depending on whether there are goatling casters around. If we only want tactics for a basic 3HD one, I suppose they'd enter combat with a ram attack and then attack with battleaxe.

 

[Cleon]

Sure!

Updating the Goatling Working Draft.

Are you happy with the organization, or do you want larger units corresponding to the communal structure?

We should really give them something a bit more elaborate than the basic outline in the current draft. They're more "civilized" than the goatfolk, and we gave those the following:

Organization: Solitary, gang (3-6 plus 1-3 1st-level rogues and 1 3rd-level rogue) or clan (12-30 plus 6-15 1st-level rogues, 2-5 3rd-level rogues, and 1-3 5th level rogues or clerics)

So, should we take the above, add a larger "tribe" organization, and then fiddle with the levels and classes?

There should probably be a variety of tactics depending on whether there are goatling casters around. If we only want tactics for a basic 3HD one, I suppose they'd enter combat with a ram attack and then attack with battleaxe.

Something along those lines would appear to be in order. Mention that "ram and chop" is their most basic tactic but they are as capable of complex stratagems as any human, frequently using spells and empowerment in combat.

 

[freyar]

Yes, let's enhance the goatfolk organization. I'd guess that the tribe/village should be quite large. We know that the Great Veil covers 70,000 goatlings, so that's still one to a few hundred goatlings per each of one to few hundred tribes/villages.

Tactics: Goatlings typically enter combat by ramming, following that up by attacking with a battleaxe. However, they are as capable of complicated strategies as any human, frequently making use of magic and their empowerment abilities in combat.

 

[Cleon]

Yes, let's enhance the goatfolk organization. I'd guess that the tribe/village should be quite large. We know that the Great Veil covers 70,000 goatlings, so that's still one to a few hundred goatlings per each of one to few hundred tribes/villages.

So shall we have the Org go up to tribe then?

Something like "Solitary, gang (4-8 plus 1 or 2 leader-types), band (20-50 plus 10% noncombatants plus some leaders), or tribe (30-300 plus 50% noncombatants plus some leaders)"?

Tactics: Goatlings typically enter combat by ramming, following that up by attacking with a battleaxe. However, they are as capable of complicated strategies as any human, frequently making use of magic and their empowerment abilities in combat.

That'll do.

 

[freyar]

That org line works for me!

Do you have any ideas for background? I guess we should mention that they commonly summon outsiders for discerping.

 

[Cleon]

That org line works for me!

I think including some numbers and levels might work better than "some leaders".

Do you have any ideas for background? I guess we should mention that they commonly summon outsiders for discerping.

Not really.

There's a lot of background in the original Goatmen of Kavaja, so we just need to paraphrase a little bit of that without ripping off Bruce Heard.

 

[freyar]

Heh, I must have just skimmed over that. Based on the original text, they're mostly fighters, so I'd make the leaders mostly fighters at the gang and band levels. Maybe 3rd level fighters for the gang and some 3rd and some 6th level fighters for the band? I'd increase that for the tribe and add some clerics or wizards, I guess, of at least 9th or 10th level, for use of calling spells.

 

[Cleon]

Heh, I must have just skimmed over that. Based on the original text, they're mostly fighters, so I'd make the leaders mostly fighters at the gang and band levels. Maybe 3rd level fighters for the gang and some 3rd and some 6th level fighters for the band? I'd increase that for the tribe and add some clerics or wizards, I guess, of at least 9th or 10th level, for use of calling spells.

We don't need to specify particular classes in the Org if we don't want to. There are plenty of monsters which just have "2nd-5th level leader" or the like, and I'd prefer that approach with the Goatling.

While Goatmen of Kovaja says they are primarily fighters, it says that about ALL the Goatkin "races". For our 3E conversion we don't have to treat that as meaning Fighter is their favoured class, it might just indicates that most of them are fighters or warriors, just like most combat-capable elves or gnolls are warriors. Besides, that would mean all the Goatkin have the same favoured class, which seems a bit unimaginative and doesn't fit with how different the various Goatkin are from each other.

I think it makes more sense to use one of their "optional" classes as a favoured class. Wizard seems most appropriate, since Goatmen of Kovaja says "If using AD&D rules, they they may be multiclassed Fighter/Magic-User of Fighter/Cleric"). It fits all the spell casting abilities they have.

When we get to other Goatkin I am thinking Druid for the Ovinaur and Bard for the Caprine.

 

[nijineko]

Part Three.

Original thread closed due to exceeding 1,000 post count.

did you happen to look at the official mystara 3.x site? (not much there, honestly, just curious if you did)