Converting Planescape monsters

[Cleon]

Quasi-Elemental, Negative, Vacuum

Vacuum Quasi-Elemental, Small
Small Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 1d8 (4 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: Fly 100 ft. (perfect)(20 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +1 deflection), touch 15, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/–4
Attack: Slam +4 melee (1d4)
Full Attack: Slam +4 melee (1d4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Void storm
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, natural invisibility, negative adaptation, susceptibility to air
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +5, Will +0
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +2, Spot +2
Feats: Flyby Attack, Improved Initiativeᴮ, Weapon Finesseᴮ
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Vacuum (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 2 HD (Small)
Level Adjustment: —

Vacuum Quasi-Elemental, Medium
Medium Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 3d8+6 (19 hp)
Initiative: +9
Speed: Fly 100 ft. (perfect)(20 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (+5 Dex, +2 deflection), touch 17, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+3
Attack: Slam +7 melee (1d6+1)
Full Attack: Slam +7 melee (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Void storm
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, natural invisibility, negative adaptation, susceptibility to air
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +8, Will +1
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 21, Con 14, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +3, Spot +3
Feats: Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiativeᴮ, Weapon Finesseᴮ
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Vacuum (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 4–5 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —

Vacuum Quasi-Elemental, Large
Large Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 6d8+18 (45 hp)
Initiative: +11
Speed: Fly 100 ft. (perfect)(20 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (–1 size, +7 Dex, +3 deflection), touch 19, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+10
Attack: Slam +10 melee (2d6+2)
Full Attack: 2 slams +10 melee (2d6+2)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Void storm
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/–, darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, natural invisibility, negative adaptation, susceptibility to air
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +12, Will +2
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 25, Con 16, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +4, Spot +5
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiativeᴮ, Weapon Finesseᴮ
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Vacuum (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 7–11 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: —

Vacuum Quasi-Elemental, Huge
Huge Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 12d8+48 (102 hp)
Initiative: +13
Speed: Fly 100 ft. (perfect)(20 squares)
Armor Class: 21 (–2 size, +9 Dex, +4 deflection), touch 21, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+21
Attack: Slam +16 melee (2d8+4)
Full Attack: 2 slams +16 melee (2d8+4)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Void storm
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/–, darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, natural invisibility, negative adaptation, susceptibility to air
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +14, Will +4
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 29, Con 18, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +7, Spot +8
Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiativeᴮ, Mobility, Weapon Finesseᴮ
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Vacuum (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 13–17 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

Vacuum Quasi-Elemental, Greater
Huge Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 18d8+72 (153 hp)
Initiative: +14
Speed: Fly 100 ft. (perfect)(20 squares)
Armor Class: 26 (–2 size, +10 Dex, +8 deflection), touch 26, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+26
Attack: Slam +21 melee (2d8+5)
Full Attack: 2 slams +21 melee (2d8+5)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Void storm
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/–, darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, natural invisibility, negative adaptation, susceptibility to air
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +21, Will +8
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 31, Con 18, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +12, Spot +13
Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiativeᴮ, Iron Will, Mobility, Power Attack, Weapon Finesseᴮ
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Vacuum (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 19–23 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

Vacuum Quasi-Elemental, Elder
Huge Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 24d8+96 (204 hp)
Initiative: +15
Speed: Fly 100 ft. (perfect)(20 squares)
Armor Class: 27 (–2 size, +11 Dex, +8 deflection), touch 27, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +18/+32
Attack: Slam +27 melee (2d8+6)
Full Attack: 2 slams +27 melee (2d8+6)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Void storm
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/–, darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, natural invisibility, negative adaptation, susceptibility to air
]Saves: Fort +12, Ref +25, Will +10
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 33, Con 18, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +15, Spot +16
Feats: Alertness, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Flyby Attack, Improved Initiativeᴮ, Iron Will, Mobility, Power Attack, Weapon Finesseᴮ
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Vacuum (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 25–48 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

Vacuum Quasi-Elemental, Monolith
Gargantuan Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 36d8+216 (378 hp)
Initiative: +15
Speed: Fly 100 ft. (perfect)(20 squares)
Armor Class: 31 (–4 size, +11 Dex, +14 deflection), touch 31, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +27/+50
Attack: Slam +34 melee (4d8+11/19-20)
Full Attack: 2 slams +34 melee (4d8+11/19-20)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./20 ft.
Special Attacks: Void storm
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 15/—, darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, natural invisibility, negative adaptation, susceptibility to air
Saves: Fort +18, Ref +31, Will +16
Abilities: Str 32, Dex 33, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 17
Skills: Listen +23, Spot +24
Feats: Alertness, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Great Cleave, Improved Critical (slam), Improved Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack, Iron Will, Mobility, Power Attack
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Vacuum (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 17
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 37–54 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: —

A shifting distortion hovers before you, like an amorphous bubble full of nothingness.

Vacuum quasi-elementals inhabit the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Vacuum, which is formed from the junction of the Negative Energy Plane and the Elemental Plane of Air. They are naturally invisible, but effects that reveal invisible creature reveal the three-dimensional skins of force that outline their bodies, giving them an appearance similar to a transparent amoeba.

These quasi-elementals enjoy the company of their own kind and always try to gather into small groups. They do not like any other creatures, and hate to leave the comfortable emptiness of the Plane of Vacuum, typically attacking any creature who intrudes into their native plane.

Vacuum quasi-elementals are usually only encountered on other planes when they have been forcibly summoned there. Some spellcasters summon them to create vacuum chambers for experiments that require an area free of dust or gas. A vacuum quasi-elemental finds life in an atmosphere extremely uncomfortable, and most eventually perish from the stress. Those that survive are generally sealed inside an air-tight container they can empty of gases with their Void Storm ability. Some sages believe they may be comfortable in the airless void of space or the lifeless infinity of the Negative Material Plane, but this has not been confirmed.

A vacuum quasi-elemental has the same height as an air elemental of the same size and is completely weightless.

COMBAT
Vacuum quasi-elementals are hostile to material beings and usually attack them on sight, slamming into them with their invisible bodies. Exposure to atmosphere seems to enrage them, and they tend to employ their void storm ability as soon as they contact air, although most are cunning enough not to use all their rounds of void storm, reserving some capacity to attack air-breathing opponents.

Natural Invisibility (Su): This ability is constant, allowing the vacuum quasi-elemental to remain invisible even when attacking. This ability is inherent and is not subject to the invisibility purge spell.

Negative Adaptation (Ex): Vacuum quasi-elementals do not lose hit points or need to make Fortitude saves due to being in a negative-dominant environment.

Susceptibility to Air (Ex): If a vacuum quasi-elemental is hit by a spell with the Air descriptor whose caster level is equal to or greater than the vacuum quasi-elemental's Hit Dice, the quasi-elemental must succeed at a Fortitude save (using the spell's DC) or take Constitution damage equal to 2d6 plus the level of the spell.

Void Storm (Su): A vacuum quasi-elemental can suck all air within the listed diameter into itself as a free action. This process creates a wind of the strength listed in the Void Storm table below. All breathing creatures within the area of effect must succeed at a Fortitude save or suffer the listed damage due to air being ripped from their lungs.

A vacuum quasi-elemental becomes "filled up" once it has used its void storm for the maximum duration listed in the table. It cannot use this ability again until it has rested for an hour.

This ability only works in regions with an atmosphere, such as habitable worlds on the Prime Material Plane. The save DCs are Strength-based.

Vacuum Quasi-Elemental Void Storm Table

Elemental	Storm Strength Wind Force (Fort DC)	Storm Damage (Fort DC)	Void Storm Diameter	Maximum Duration
Small	strong (10)	1d4 (10)	10–20 ft.	2 rounds
Medium	severe (12)	1d6 (12)	10–30 ft.	5 rounds
Large	windstorm (15)	2d6 (15)	10–40 ft.	10 rounds
Huge	hurricane (20)	2d8 (20)	10–50 ft.	15 rounds
Greater	hurricane (24)	2d8 (24)	10–60 ft.	15 rounds
Elder	hurricane (29)	2d8 (29)	10–60 ft.	15 rounds
Monolith	tornado (39)	4d6 (39)	10–80 ft.	20 rounds

Originally appeared in Dragon #128 (1987)

 

[freyar]

This is pretty good so far. I'm happy enough with the wind strengths and storm damage. Should we take the void storm text from the air elemental's whirlwind and modify as appropriate?

 

[Cleon]

This is pretty good so far. I'm happy enough with the wind strengths and storm damage. Should we take the void storm text from the air elemental's whirlwind and modify as appropriate?

That was the plan.

We ought to sort out the beastie's Armor Classes first, which is mostly a question of deciding on the deflection bonus for each category.

 

[freyar]

The original has an AC of -1, which is 2 points better than the Salt already. So how about we follow the Salt's AC but bump by +2 at Small to +5 at Monolith (increasing by +1 at every other "age category")?

 

[Cleon]

The original has an AC of -1, which is 2 points better than the Salt already. So how about we follow the Salt's AC but bump by +2 at Small to +5 at Monolith (increasing by +1 at every other "age category")?

Hold on a moment, haven't we messed something up here?

The original Elementals had the following Armour Classes:

Ash: AC 3
Dust: AC –1
Salt: AC 1
Vacuum: AC –1

So, compared to the standard AD&D elemental's AC 2, the Ash is 1-point worse, the Salt is 1-point better and the Dust & Vacuum are 3-points better.

The 3E Elementals have Armour Classes as follows:

Size	Air	Earth	Fire	Water
Small	17	17	15	17
Medium	18	18	16	19
Large	20	18	18	20
Huge	21	18	19	21
Greater	26	20	24	22
Elder	27	22	25	23
Monolith	31	25	29	27

So far, our Quasi-Elementals have:

Size	Ash	Dust	Salt	Vacuum
Small	17	18	18	??
Medium	19	19	20	??
Large	20	21	21	??
Huge	21	22	22	??
Greater	22	27	23	??
Elder	23	28	24	??
Monolith	27	32	28	??

The Salt Quasi-Elemental is a bit better than the comparable Earth and Water Elemental's Armour Classes, but the Ash is doesn't have a lower Armour Class like the original.

Should we knock a couple of points of natural armour off our Ash Quasis, so they have an inferior AC compared to the Earth/Water Elementals like the original monster?

The Dust Quasi had a 3-point higher Armour Class than a standard Elemental, while our conversion has a point higher AC than an 3E Air Elemental. It is roughly three points higher than a 3E Fire Elemental, so I'm OK with it "as is", although I would prefer to give it an extra point of Str and Dex to bump it up another point of AC.

In either case, we should set the Vacuum Quasi-Elementals so its AC matches (more-or-less) our Dust Quasi.

Assuming we increase the Dust Quasi's Dex like I proposed, then if the Vacuum has the same Dex and NA bonuses as an Air Elemental we can figure out its deflection bonus by reverse-engineering from the Dust Quasi's AC:

Size	Dust	Vacuum
Small	19 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +7 NA)	19 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +3 NA, +2 deflection)
Medium	20 (+3 Dex, +7 NA)	20 (+5 Dex, +3 NA, +2 deflection)
Large	22 (–1 size, +5 Dex, +8 NA)	22 (–1 size, +7 Dex, +4 NA, +2 deflection)
Huge	23 (–2 size, +7 Dex, +8 NA)	23 (–2 size, +9 Dex, +4 NA, +2 deflection)
Greater	28 (–2 size, +8 Dex, +12 NA)	28 (–2 size, +10 Dex, +8 NA, +2 deflection)
Elder	29 (–2 size, +9 Dex, +12 NA)	29 (–2 size, +11 Dex, +8 NA, +2 deflection)
Monolith	33 (–4 size, +9 Dex, +18 NA)	33 (–4 size, +11 Dex, +14 NA, +2 deflection)

Hmm, so we'd only need a +2 deflection bonus at all size categories if we gave the Vacuum Quasi the same NA as an Air Elemental.

In that case, if we want the deflection bonus to increase we'll have to lower the NA bonus.

Something like:

Size	Dust	Vacuum
Small	19 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +7 NA)	19 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +3 NA, +2 deflection)
Medium	20 (+3 Dex, +7 NA)	20 (+5 Dex, +3 NA, +2 deflection)
Large	22 (–1 size, +5 Dex, +8 NA)	22 (–1 size, +7 Dex, +3 NA, +3 deflection)
Huge	23 (–2 size, +7 Dex, +8 NA)	23 (–2 size, +9 Dex, +3 NA, +3 deflection)
Greater	28 (–2 size, +8 Dex, +12 NA)	28 (–2 size, +10 Dex, +6 NA, +4 deflection)
Elder	29 (–2 size, +9 Dex, +12 NA)	29 (–2 size, +11 Dex, +6 NA, +4 deflection)
Monolith	33 (–4 size, +9 Dex, +18 NA)	33 (–4 size, +11 Dex, +10 NA, +6 deflection)

Would those AC changes to the Ash, Dust and Vacuum be OK by you?

 

[freyar]

Yes, that all seems reasonable to me.

 

[Cleon]

Yes, that all seems reasonable to me.

Good. I'll update them after I finish work today.

 

[Cleon]

Good. I'll update them after I finish work today.

Well I've finished work...

Updating Ash Quasi-Elemental.

Updating Dust Quasi-Elemental.

Updating Vacuum Quasi-Elemental.

 

[confluxfighter]

This is really great guys! Very helpful! I'm running a Pathfinder game using the planescape setting. Keep it going and tell me if you need some help.

 

[Cleon]

This is really great guys! Very helpful! I'm running a Pathfinder game using the planescape setting. Keep it going and tell me if you need some help.

Thanks for the kind words.

Feel free welcome to post any suggestions you come up with for the conversions - sometimes it gets quite 'round here with just Freyar and I working on these monsters.