Converting Planescape monsters

[Cleon]

I thought we'd ruled out option 3 already.

How do option 1 and 2 differ? Let me count the ways...
Option 1 allows them to switch between shapes as some type of action and maintain the given shape with no cost. One shape or the other is always on. Option 2 requires an action to use, gives the cone as an instantaneous blast, and turns off the spherical aura for a short while. This also contrasts with option 3, which adds the cone on top of the sphere for a short blast without affecting the sphere.

Anyway, my reading of the original monster is closest to option 1, but I could be persuaded to go with another option.

Well I'm preferring Option 3, so we appear to be at an impasse.

 

[freyar]

Nah, no impasse. I'm not incredibly fond of the original mechanic. Let's go with option 3. It's simpler and keeps the spirit of the original anyway.

 

[Cleon]

Nah, no impasse. I'm not incredibly fond of the original mechanic. Let's go with option 3. It's simpler and keeps the spirit of the original anyway.

Fine, so we now need to settle on the range and damage.

 

[freyar]

How about a 100% range boost and at least double damage? I'd be willing to go with the table you gave above:

Small 5 ft. 1d3 aura, 10 ft. 1d6 cone
Medium 10 ft. 1d4 aura, 20 ft. 1d8 cone
Large 20 ft. 1d6 aura, 40 ft. 2d6 cone
Huge 30 ft. 1d8 aura, 60 ft. 2d8 cone
Greater 30 ft. 1d10 aura, 60 ft. 3d6 cone
Elder 30 ft. 1d12 aura, 60 ft. 3d8 cone
Monolith 40 ft. 2d6 aura, 80 ft. 4d6 cone

 

[Cleon]

How about a 100% range boost and at least double damage? I'd be willing to go with the table you gave above:

My numbers look reasonably I suppose, and it makes sense to keep the approach similar to a SRD Fire Elemental.

 

[freyar]

So something like the following? I'm adding a recharge time to the "breath weapon."

Cold Aura (Su): An ash quasi-elemental radiates an aura of cold energy that does cold damage every round to all creatures within range.

Small: 5 ft. range, 1d3 hp
Medium: 10 ft. range, 1d4 hp
Large 20 ft. range, 1d6 hp
Huge 30 ft. range, 1d8 hp
Greater 30 ft. range, 1d10 hp
Elder 30 ft. range, 1d12 hp
Monolith 40 ft. range, 2d6 hp

Cold Blast (Su): Once every 1d4 rounds, the ash quasi-elemental can create a cone-shaped blast of cold energy as a standard action, which damages all creatures in the area of effect (Reflex save for half damage).

Small: 10 ft. range, 1d6 hp, DC X
Medium: 20 ft. range, 1d8 hp, DC X
Large: 40 ft. range, 2d6 hp, DC X
Huge: 60 ft. range, 2d8 hp, DC X
Greater: 60 ft. range, 3d6 hp, DC X
Elder: 60 ft. range, 3d8 hp, DC X
Monolith: 80 ft. range, 4d6 hp, DC X

 

[Cleon]

So something like the following? I'm adding a recharge time to the "breath weapon."

Cold Aura (Su): An ash quasi-elemental radiates an aura of cold energy that does cold damage every round to all creatures within range.

Small: 5 ft. range, 1d3 hp
Medium: 10 ft. range, 1d4 hp
Large 20 ft. range, 1d6 hp
Huge 30 ft. range, 1d8 hp
Greater 30 ft. range, 1d10 hp
Elder 30 ft. range, 1d12 hp
Monolith 40 ft. range, 2d6 hp

Cold Blast (Su): Once every 1d4 rounds, the ash quasi-elemental can create a cone-shaped blast of cold energy as a standard action, which damages all creatures in the area of effect (Reflex save for half damage).

Small: 10 ft. range, 1d6 hp, DC X
Medium: 20 ft. range, 1d8 hp, DC X
Large: 40 ft. range, 2d6 hp, DC X
Huge: 60 ft. range, 2d8 hp, DC X
Greater: 60 ft. range, 3d6 hp, DC X
Elder: 60 ft. range, 3d8 hp, DC X
Monolith: 80 ft. range, 4d6 hp, DC X

Shouldn't we combine the two into one table?

I'm not sure about having a recharge for the "Cold Blast" - the original monster can do it as often as it likes.

For that matter, I'm not entirely sure about the name as it's described as a "sucking out heat" attack I'm wondering whether we could give it a name that is more in keeping with that.

 

[freyar]

It seemed more logical to me and easier to read to have separate tables for the separate abilities. But maybe an actual html table would look better.

I'm not entirely wedded to the recharge, but I'll point out that pretty much every breath-weapon-like ability either has a daily limit or recharge time. Besides, I'm pretty sure the original critter had to turn off the aura to use the cone as a balancing mechanic.

I kind of think "sucking out heat" is cold energy, isn't it?

 

[Cleon]

It seemed more logical to me and easier to read to have separate tables for the separate abilities. But maybe an actual html table would look better.

Well I'm presuming we'll be having a table (or two) once we get around to uploading these things.

I'm not entirely wedded to the recharge, but I'll point out that pretty much every breath-weapon-like ability either has a daily limit or recharge time. Besides, I'm pretty sure the original critter had to turn off the aura to use the cone as a balancing mechanic.

Well it's not a breath weapon and there 3E monsters with conical energy attacks that don't have recharge times.

I kind of think "sucking out heat" is cold energy, isn't it?

Sure it's cold energy mechanically, but it's feeding off heat so I'd like some phrasing in the description and/or power name that reflects that. Certainly it should be mentioned in the flavour text.

 

[freyar]

Let's sort out the abilities themselves, then we can figure out the table formatting.

OK, we can drop the recharge time, but what SRD critters are you thinking of without the recharge times (not counting SLAs)? I'm just blanking on that.

Do you have a better name?