Converting Planescape monsters

[Cleon]

The other thing good about the hurricane version is that a standard-size Medium modronoid would take damage from being blown away. That makes them more vulnerable vs the usual just moved back 40 ft, which seems like the intent. So let's go with that version.

Agreed.

Updating the Modronoid Working Draft.

 

[Cleon]

I keep toying with the idea of changing the "Vulnerability" to "Susceptible" or "Susceptibility" but then swing back to vulnerability.

It's not important though.

We agreed on spell resistance 10 so I'd better put it in too.

That leaves Environment, Organization and Advancement.

 

[freyar]

I'm happy with no Advancement and Any Land for Environment.

I'm leaning toward making Valran unique, so no other decaton modronoids. That would cut the unit from the org line. I am also not clear humanoids would really work with them, so that cuts the workforce. So I could see a team of 2d6 to match the 7 I think are found together in the prison in the adventure. I guess I could see a larger unit of just standard modronoids too if you really want. What do you think?

 

[Cleon]

I'm happy with no Advancement and Any Land for Environment.

Works for me.

Updating the Modronoid Working Draft.

I'm leaning toward making Valran unique, so no other decaton modronoids. That would cut the unit from the org line. I am also not clear humanoids would really work with them, so that cuts the workforce. So I could see a team of 2d6 to match the 7 I think are found together in the prison in the adventure. I guess I could see a larger unit of just standard modronoids too if you really want. What do you think?

That's OK I guess.

The adventures don't have any mixed modronoid or modronoid and humanoid encounters, but the story is about Valran and the Tacharim wanting to create an army of modronoids for sinister purposes, so I'd be inclined to have the flavour text mention that they'll likely have a creator or commander to give them directions.

That mention of "armies" makes me wonder about using military units for the collective nouns.

After all, that's what the Manual of the Planes Web Enhancement (2001) used:

Monodrone: Squad 12 (plus 1 duodrone), patrol 13–48 (plus 1 duodrone per 12 monodrones), platoon 49–84 (plus 1 duodrone per 12 monodrones), battalion 85–120, or company 121–144 (plus 1 duodrone per 12 monodrones and 3 tridrones)
Duodrone: Solitary, squad 1 (plus 12 monodrones), pair 2
Tridrone: Solitary or company (2–4 plus 12 duodrones and 144 monodrones)
Quadrone: Solitary, squad 12, or battle (16 quadrones plus 864 monodrones, 295 duodrones, 164 tridrones, and 12 messenger monodrones)
Pentadrone: Solitary, regiment (5 pentadrones plus 32 quadrones, 1,728 monodrones, 590 duodrones, 328 tridrones, and 24 messenger monodrones)​

Hmm, I'm not keen on the organization going up to the size of a battalion (600 to 900) or regiment (several thousand) so maybe have it cap at company size, which is the smallest actual military unit. Note that a battalion is LARGER than a company, not smaller. They got the sizes the wrong way around.

That also roughly matches the largest organisation entries for communal humanoids, such as goblins (40-400), hobgoblins (30-300), kobolds (40-400) and orcs (30-100).

So how about:

Organization: Solitary, team (2–4), squad (5–12), patrol (13–25), platoon (26–84), or company (85–144)​

 

[Cleon]

We've still got Skills and Feats to assign.

 

[freyar]

Yes, that Org line will work.

What about Spot 5, Listen 4? I tend to like those skills.
Power Attack, Cleave, Iron Will for feats, perhaps? And could you remind me why these have a bonus feat?

 

[Cleon]

Yes, that Org line will work.

Updating the Modronoid Working Draft.

What about Spot 5, Listen 4? I tend to like those skills.

Better check what skills Base Modrons have in Third Edition first.

Let's see, in the 3.5 Dragon #354 their skills are:

Monodrones have Craft (any one) +1, Listen +2, Spot +2.
Duodrones have Craft (any one) +1, Listen +3, Spot +3.
Tridrones have Listen +3, Search +8, Spot +10, Survival +5.
Quadrones have Craft (any one) +6, Diplomacy +2, Knowledge (any two) +6, Listen +12, Sense Motive +11, Spot +12.
Pentadrones have Gather Information +4, Hide +11, Knowledge (any one) +9, Listen +12, Search +11, Spot +16, Survival +11, Tumble +8.
​

The earlier 3.0 Wizards of the Coast versions are:

Monodrones have Hide, +4, Listen +2, Spot +2.
Duodrones have Diplomacy +3, Hide +4, Listen +5, Spot +5.
Tridrones have Diplomacy +5, Intuit Direction +4, Listen +8, Search +3, Sense Motive +4, Spot +8.
Quadrones have Diplomacy +5, Intuit Direction +6, Knowledge (planes) +5, Listen +10, Search +10, Sense Motive +6, Spot +14.
Pentadrones have Diplomacy +5, Intuit Direction +6, Knowledge (planes) +5, Listen +10, Search +10, Sense Motive +6, Spot +14.
​

Okay, so all of them have Listen and Spot as skills and when they have different ranks the Spot is higher than Listen.

So Listen 4 ranks plus Spot 5 ranks checks out, making:

Skills: Listen +4, Spot +5​

Power Attack, Cleave, Iron Will for feats, perhaps? And could you remind me why these have a bonus feat?

The bonus feat is a temporary placeholder, I wasn't proposing to give them one.

It's easier leaving a "Bonusᴮ" in my 3E monster template document than remembering what the Unicode for "ᴮ" is every time I want to insert one.

Let's consider what Feats the 3E Modrons have.

The Dragon #354 versions:

Monodrones have Dodge.
Duodrones have Monkey Grip.
Tridrones have Combat Reflexes, Multiweapon Fighting.
Quadrones have Multiweapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (longbow).
Pentadrones have Alertness, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Track.
​

The Wizards of the Coast versions:

Monodrones have Alertness.
Duodrones have Alertness.
Tridrones have Alertness.
Quadrones have Alertness, Rapid Shot.
Pentadrones have Alertness, Track.
​

Hmm… so none of the Base Modrons have any of the feats you proposed (Cleave, Power Attack, Iron Will).

That isn't much help!

The commonest feat among Base Modrons is Alertness, with six examples, all but one of which is for 3.0 incarnations of the creatures.

Next is Combat Reflexes, Multiweapon Fighting and Track, with two examples of each. All of them have problems.

• The Modronoid's Dexterity is too low for Combat Reflexes.
• It doesn't have enough arms for Multiweapon Fighting.
• Track is a Pentadrone-only feat that also doesn't "feel" right for a modronoid.

How about using your proposed feats and swapping one of them for Alertness? I'd go for Power Attack, as (a) that feat gets really overused, (b) the Modronoid's attack modifiers are pretty low so it'd likely just keep whiffing with its armblades, and (c) it can get hard to keep track of how many points of Power Attack each Modronoid in a mob of them is using, and (d) a lot of Modronoids are bonkers so would be unlikely to calculate how to Power Attack most efficiently..

Cleave is a lot easier to keep track of: the opponent just needs to hit.

Iron Will is good as it compensates for their pathetic Will save.

So that's be:

Feats: Alertness, Cleave, Iron Will​

Which'd mean:

Saves: Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +3
Skills: Listen +6, Spot +7​

That works for me, what about you?

 

[freyar]

That would be good except Power Attack is a prerequisite for Cleave. We could go with Blind-Fight, I guess. Lightning Reflexes or Weapon Focus (arm blades) could also work.

 

[Cleon]

That would be good except Power Attack is a prerequisite for Cleave. We could go with Blind-Fight, I guess. Lightning Reflexes or Weapon Focus (arm blades) could also work.

Dang it, how could I forget the prerequisite.

Blind-Fight doesn't do much for me but would accept either of the other two.

Let's see, Lightning Reflexes would act as a sort-of substitute for Combat Reflexes which two of the 3.5 Modrons have, and give the Modronoid:

Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +3
Skills: Listen +6, Spot +7
Feats: Alertness, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes
​

While Weapon Focus would make:

Attack: Arm blade +9 melee (1d6+4/19-20)
Full Attack: 2 arm blades +9 melee (1d6+4/19-20)
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +3
Skills: Listen +6, Spot +7
Feats: Alertness, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (arm blades)
​

I'm liking the higher attack bonus a bit more. Modronoids are ungainly freaks of flesh and metal, so I reckon their reflexes wouldn't be the best, but they ARE designed for fighting.

Do you favour one over the other?

 

[freyar]

Let's go with Weapon Focus. And I think we're then done with the stats.

Tactics: Modronoids attack with blind fury, howling their pain as they hurl themselves into melee. ??