Converting original D&D and Mystara monsters

[Cleon]

This really should be in homebrews I guess, but still...

As I had a few minutes over the weekend I applied the Mystaran Gargantuan template to a balor! I've attached it as a pdf.

Apologies to any groups it is inflicted on.

Saying that the DCs for its spell-like abilities are woefully low.

Regards
Mortis

Well somebody had to do it.

As for the DCs, that's a problem with many templated spellcasting monsters.

 

[Shade]

How about including a mobat-mounted "beast rider" ranger in the writeup, both in the Organization and as a sample advanced shazak?

Sounds good.

Skills: 6

Put most skill ranks into Survival? Or something like Hide/Move Silently?

Looking over the original text, nothing really suggests stealth, but nearly everything suggests Survival.

Feats: 2

 

[freyar]

Does that mean converting the mobats, too?

Ok, Survival it is.

Alertness and Track? Or is that too generic?

 

[Shade]

Does that mean converting the mobats, too?

Ok, Survival it is.

Alertness and Track? Or is that too generic?

Alertness is fine, but I'm thinking since most are rangers and will get Track for free, it might be wasted on the regular fellows. How about Multiattack like standard lizardfolk?

 

[Mortis]

Alertness is fine, but I'm thinking since most are rangers and will get Track for free, it might be wasted on the regular fellows. How about Multiattack like standard lizardfolk?

Following that logic a lot will also get Two Weapon Fighting for free as well.

How about (the boring) Self-Sufficent?

I'd also like to include the mobat in the list of animal companions for druids and rangers.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

I forgot to mention that the mobat is in the Tome of Horrors Revised, 3.5 and OGL, so we won't need to convert it.

We might mention dire bats as an alternative (or addition) as well.

 

[freyar]

Alertness and Self-sufficient may be boring, but it works.

Mobats plus dire bats are good.

 

[Shade]

No Multiattack?!?

I'd prefer Multiattack plus Alertness or Self-sufficient.

 

[Cleon]

No Multiattack?!?

I'd prefer Multiattack plus Alertness or Self-sufficient.

I prefer Multiattack plus one other feat. If we give them a racial bonus to Survival checks (+2?) as previously discussed we can give them Alertness.

Regular Lizardfolk have Balance 2 ranks, Jump 2 ranks, Swim 1 rank.

Shazak have a higher Strength bonus, so we could cut the ranks in Jump by 1 and keep the modifier the same, then we'd have enough to put a rank each in Spot and Listen. Maybe cut the Balance by 1 rank and put a rank in Survival?

Shazak Skill Ranks: Balance 1, Jump 1, Listen 1, Spot 1, Survival 1, Swim 1

That'd works out to:

Shazak Skills: Balance +5, Jump +7, Listen +3, Spot +3, Survival +3, Swim +7
Skills: A shazak lizardfolk has a +2 racial bonus to Survival checks.

 

[Mortis]

Let's cheat a bit - how about Multiattack as a bonus feat?

Cleon's skill ranks look okay - they'd be even better with the bonus for Self-Sufficent added

Regards
Mortis