Converting original D&D and Mystara monsters

[Mortis]

So are we going for the "noncombatant male" route?

Might as well - if it had been the other way round we probably wouldn't even discuss it.


Regards
Morts

 

[freyar]

Ok, then. Thoughts on stats? Int around 8 I think. Con looks to be pretty good, maybe 16-17. Str also seems fairly good.

 

[Mortis]

Ok, then. Thoughts on stats? Int around 8 I think. Con looks to be pretty good, maybe 16-17. Str also seems fairly good.

Str: 14-15 (from the +2 to damage they get - could persuaded to make it higher)

Dex: 12-15 (they get either a +4 or +5 [+5 or +6 with a shield] bonus to AC depending on if you use the BD&D base of AC 9 or the AD&D base of 10. I don't think that should all be Natural Armour. So +1 or 2 from Dex, the rest from NA? Again I could go higher - maybe 16-17 with a reduced Natural Armour?

Con: 12-13 (Don't think it should be as high as 16-17, the way I read the description is more of a lower Con but with the Endurance feat [or a special ability] to deal with the desert environment.

Int: 8-9 (I definitely favour an Int below 10)

Wis & Cha: 10? (Don't see anything out of the ordinary in the description for these so the standard lizardfolk score of 10?)

Sis’thiks are unaffected by normal fires and take only minimum damage from magical fires

Fire resistance 5 (I actually prefer 10 but that might be too high for their eventual CR).

Sis’thik have thick, leathery light tan skin that lets them blend in with the arid terrain

Racial bonus to Hide (deserts only)?

A sis’thik can travel long distances, and even fight in the midday sun, with a daily water intake of less than a quarter of the amount a human would need.

reducing water loss to a minimum

They have self-sealing nostrils and transparent membranous eye screens which allow them to function in the fiercest of sand storms.

The above three quotes would suggest the Endurance feat or a Desert Survival abilty (as I mentioned earlier).

The third quote could give them the benefits of blind fight (or blind sense) in sand storms or similar.

Finally for the start of the stat block:

Medium Humanoid (Reptilian)?
1st level warrior with scimitar (and shield)?

Regards
Mortis

 

[Cleon]

Str: 14-15 (from the +2 to damage they get - could persuaded to make it higher)

A +2 strength bonus is the equivalent to Str 18 in AD&D. That seems a bit high, so I'd go for Str 16 - giving it the same +3 Strength bonus as our Gurrash conversion (which also has a +2 DB in AD&D).

Dex: 12-15 (they get either a +4 or +5 [+5 or +6 with a shield] bonus to AC depending on if you use the BD&D base of AC 9 or the AD&D base of 10. I don't think that should all be Natural Armour. So +1 or 2 from Dex, the rest from NA? Again I could go higher - maybe 16-17 with a reduced Natural Armour?

It says they've got thick leathery skin, so I'd give them Dex 10-11 and +5 natural armour, like a standard Lizard Man Lizardfolk.

Con: 12-13 (Don't think it should be as high as 16-17, the way I read the description is more of a lower Con but with the Endurance feat [or a special ability] to deal with the desert environment.

They're a bit tougher than a Lizard Man, so I'd go for Con 14-15.

Int: 8-9 (I definitely favour an Int below 10)

Intelligence 8, as it says in their AC9 Creature Catalog entry.

Wis & Cha: 10? (Don't see anything out of the ordinary in the description for these so the standard lizardfolk score of 10?)

Agree to the standard 10-11 range.

Fire resistance 5 (I actually prefer 10 but that might be too high for their eventual CR).

Racial bonus to Hide (deserts only)?

The above three quotes would suggest the Endurance feat or a Desert Survival abilty (as I mentioned earlier).

The third quote could give them the benefits of blind fight (or blind sense) in sand storms or similar.

Finally for the start of the stat block:

Medium Humanoid (Reptilian)?
1st level warrior with scimitar (and shield)?

Regards
Mortis

Can we leave the above until after we sort out the basic ability scores?

I'd also be tempted to give them this:

Sandwalking (Ex): A sand cow can move across sand as if it were firm ground. It can even cross shifting dunes or quicksand without penalty.

Finally for the start of the stat block:

Medium Humanoid (Reptilian)?
1st level warrior with scimitar (and shield)?

I feel they should be 3 HD Humanoids (Reptilian) rather than come with a Warrior level as standard.

 

[Shade]

I feel they should be 3 HD Humanoids (Reptilian) rather than come with a Warrior level as standard.

Agreed.

 

[Cleon]

Agreed.

What about my ability score proposals?

To recap: Str ~16, Dex 10-11, Con 14-15, Int 8, Wis ~10, Cha ~10 +5 NA.

Call it Str 16, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 10, +5 NA.

That means they have racial bonuses of Str +6, Con +4, Int -2.

 

[Mortis]

Call it Str 16, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 10, +5 NA.

Looks fine, although I'd prefer Dex 12, +4 NA.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Cleon]

Looks fine, although I'd prefer Dex 12, +4 NA.

Regards
Mortis

There's no mention of them being dextrous or agile in the original description, so what justification is there to give them a Dex/NA different from the SRD Lizardfolk?

Dex 11, +5 natural armour!

 

[Shade]

What about my ability score proposals?

To recap: Str ~16, Dex 10-11, Con 14-15, Int 8, Wis ~10, Cha ~10 +5 NA.

Call it Str 16, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 10, +5 NA.

That means they have racial bonuses of Str +6, Con +4, Int -2.

Those appeal.

 

[Mortis]

There's no mention of them being dextrous or agile in the original description, so what justification is there to give them a Dex/NA different from the SRD Lizardfolk?

None at all other than personal inclination.

I just 'feel' that they should be more agile than standard lizardfolk.

Regards
Mortis