Converting Planescape monsters

[Cleon]

He's unique because he's the only one barmy enough to try it!

Never underestimate the amount of barminess in the multiverse.

More seriously, I'm a bit worried about a template having too many options because of all the different modron types. However, it seems like maybe this isn't too bad. Basically, you keep all the physical characteristics of the base modron (HD/hp, attacks, damage, AC, SR, Str, Dex, Con) and replace the modron mental characteristics with those of the base humanoid. Keep the modron telepathy and perhaps SLAs.

Yeah, it's pretty straightforward as most of the entries will be "same as the modron" apart from its class-equivalent spellcasting.

So, first question is what are we calling the template!

Modronoid Transplant? Brainswapped Modronoid? Modronoid Hierarch?

I'd rather the procedure be doable on base modrons in the Tridrone and Pentadrone range as well as Hierarchs. Would exclude the Monodrone and Duodrone as I don't think their "skulls" would accomodate a sapient brain.

Come to think of it, according to how regular Modronoids work the original modron's brain should still be alive or else the whatever-we-call-it modronoid will die.

Presumably the modron brain is stuck in a jar somewhere cut off from all sensory input, since it seems unlikely whoever captured the modron would put the construct's brain in another body.

That can't be pleasant.

Hold on, that'd mean that if this modronoid dies, its corpse vanishes apart from the hijacker's brain, which presumably splats on the ground.

There's no mention of that in the adventure!

 

[freyar]

Valran says he keeps part of the modron brain in the body, so that must be enough.

Modronoid Hierarch sounds the best to me, but it doesn't really work if we're allowing non-Hierarch modrons. How about Brainswapped?

 

[Cleon]

Valran says he keeps part of the modron brain in the body, so that must be enough.

Modronoid Hierarch sounds the best to me, but it doesn't really work if we're allowing non-Hierarch modrons. How about Brainswapped?

Let's go for Brainswapped Modronoid then.

 

[Cleon]

Brainswapped Modronoid (Template)
Description.

Background.

Creating a Brainswapped Modronoid
"Brainswapped Modronoid" is an acquired template that can be added to any animal, beast, giant, humanoid creature, magical beast, or monstrous humanoid [with a base Will save of at least +#?] (referred to hereafter as the base creature) whose brain is implanted into the body of a modron (the host modron).

A brainswapped modronoid's abilities are primarily those of the host modron.

Size and Type: Same as the host modron. The modronoid's size category must be [larger?] [equal to or larger?] than the base creature.

Hit Dice and Hit Points: A brainswapped modronoid has the construct hit dice of the host modron. If the base creature had more hit dice than the host modron, the brainswapped modronoid's hit dice are increased to match the base creature by adding levels from the base creature, much like multiclassing as the base creature and gaining the appropriate Hit Dice. These additional Hit Dice modify the modronoid's base attack bonus and base saving throw bonuses accordingly.

Speed: Same as host modron.

Armor Class: Same as host modron.

Attack: Same as host modron.

Full Attack: Same as host modron.

Damage: Same as host modron.

Special Attacks: A brainswapped modronoid retains the special attacks from the base creature's class levels plus the base creature's spell casting and spell-like abilities. It gains all the special attacks from the host modron's construct levels plus the host modron's spell-like abilities but is unable to use the host modron's spell casting ability.

Special Qualities: A brainswapped modronoid has all the special qualities of the host modron and retains any special qualities from the base creature's class levels. It gains the following trait.

Modronoid Madness (Ex): Modronoids use their Charisma modifier on Will saves instead of their Wisdom modifier and have immunity to insanity effects. A modronoid cannot be restored to sanity by any means short of a miracle or wish spell.

*The racial madness of the modronoids provides a –2 penalty to their Wisdom scores. A modronoid restored to sanity gains 2 points of Wisdom.

Abilities: Brainswapped modronoids have the mental ability scores of the base creature with –2 to Wisdom due to their modronoid madness. They use the physical ability scores of the host modron.

Skills: Brainswapped modronoids retain the skill ranks of the base creature. Skills are modified by their new ability scores.

Feats: Same as base creature.

Environment: Same as base creature.
Organization: Solitary or command (1 plus 25–144 modronoids) [?]
Challenge Rating: ???
Treasure: Same as base creature.
Alignment: Always chaotic (any). [?]
Advancement: As host modron or by character class. [?]
Level Adjustment: None.

Sample Brainswapped Modronoid
The following sample creature has gained the brainswapped modronoid template.

Valran Stonefist
Human male 13th level wizard brainswapped modronoid decaton
Size Type
Hit Dice: d+ ( hp)
Initiative: +–
Speed: ft. ( squares)
Armor Class: 1 (+– size, Dex, + natural), touch 1, flat-footed 1
Base Attack/Grapple: +/+
Attack: X + melee (d+); or Z + ranged (d+)
Full Attack: X + melee (d+) and Y + melee (d+); or Z + ranged (d+)
Space/Reach: ft./ ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: —
Saves: Fort +, Ref +, Will +
Abilities: Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
Skills: Skill
Feats: Feat, Bonusᴮ
Environment: Any/Temperate/Cold/Warm aquatic/plains/deserts/forests//hills/marshes/mountains/tundra/underground/[A Plane]
e.g. Cold or temperate plains and forests
Organization: Solitary or ()
Challenge Rating: #
Treasure: None/Standard/% coins, % goods and % items/Double/Triple
Alignment: Always/Usually/Often lawful/neutral/chaotic good/evil/neutral
Advancement: – HD () or by character class
Level Adjustment: —/+#

Description.

Background.

Combat
Tactics.

Ability (Ex/Su/Sp/Ps): .


Skills: .

Originally appeared in The Great Modron March (1997).

 

[freyar]

First things first, should these have both base creatures and base modrons?

 

[Cleon]

First things first, should these have both base creatures and base modrons?

Yeah although it would seem prudent to call the latter the "host modron" to avoid confusion with standard base modrons (e.g. monodrones to pentadrones), especially if the sample creature has its brain implanted in a hierarch modron!

 

[freyar]

"Host modron" is fine.

Does the modronoid version of Valran (or the decaton) have ability scores anywhere? My instinct is that the physical stats should be those of the host modron and the mental stats are the base creature with some modifiers (penalty on Wis especially), but there's nothing to compare!

 

[Cleon]

"Host modron" is fine.

Agreed.

Does the modronoid version of Valran (or the decaton) have ability scores anywhere? My instinct is that the physical stats should be those of the host modron and the mental stats are the base creature with some modifiers (penalty on Wis especially), but there's nothing to compare!

It's pretty much as you predicted.

Valran has all the decaton's abilities apart from its spellcasting. It can even use a decaton's SLAs and telepathy.

Here's the "modronoid version" statblock:

VALRAN STONEFIST (Pl/Ø modronoid/M13/N): AC 2; MV 15, Fl 3(E); HD 10+10;hp 90; THAC0 11; #AT 10; Dmg 1d4 (×10); SA spells; MR 10%; SZ M (7′tall); ML steady (13); Int exceptional (16); XP 11,000.
 Notes: Telepathic communication to a range of 44 miles. Though decatons normally cast spells as 10th-level clerics, Valran doesn’t receive spells from Primus; he does, however, retain his wizardly spellcasting abilities. Spell-like abilities only affect modrons, 1/round, at will: cure 1 point of damage for all modrons within 144 feet, cure disease in a 12-foot radius; heal by touch up to 10 modrons/round; and remove paralysis by touch, 10 modrons/round.
 Personality: Valran’s barmier than ever.
 Spells (5/5/5/4/4/2): 1st—color spray, friends, hypnotism, mending, shocking grasp; 2nd—bind, forget, shatter, stinking cloud, web; 3rd—blink, lightning bolt, slow, suggestion, wraithform; 4th—Evard’s black tentacles, fumble, polymorph other, shout; 5th—cone of cold, fabricate, telekinesis, wall of iron; 6th—disintegrate, globe of invulnerability.​

For comparison, here's Valran's human statblock. It's from a lot earlier in the adventure so he's a lower-level magic-user to balance the lower level PCs.

VALRAN STONEFIST (Pl/♂ human/M7/Society of Sensation/CN): AC 3 (bracers of defense AC 4, Dex); MV 12; hp 18; THAC0 18; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6+1; SZ M (5′ tall); ML steady (13); XP 420 each.
 S 6, D 15, C 10, I 16, W 9, Ch 12.
 Personality: Valran is barmy, no doubt about that. His manner is a collection of odd ticks and jerks, and he swings from one mood to another with no warning. He’s fanatically devoted to the pursuit of knowledge.
 Special Equipment: staff of striking (20 charges), eyes of minute seeing, helm of comprehending languages and reading magic.
 Spells (4/3/2/1): 1st—friends, hypnotism, mending, shocking grasp; 2nd—bind, forget, web; 3rd—suggestion, wraithform; 4th—polymorph other.​

Also, The Great Modron March Appendix offered this statblock for the hierarch host modron:

DECATON: AC 2; MV 15, Fl 3(E); HD 10+10; hp 90; THAC0 11; #AT 10; Dmg 1d4 (×10); SA spells; MR 10%; SZ M (7′ tall); ML fearless (20); Int high (13); AL LN; XP 9,000.
 Notes: Telepathic communication to a range of 44 miles. Decatons cast spells as 10th-level clerics.
 SA—Spell-like abilities only affect modrons, 1/round, at will: cure 1 point of damage for all modrons within 144 feet, cure disease in a 12-foot radius; heal by touch up to 10 modrons/round; and remove paralysis by touch, 10 modrons/round.
 Spells(4/4/3/3/2): 1st—combine, protection from evil, sanctuary (×2); 2nd—aid, find traps, slow poison, withdraw; 3rd—dispel magic, prayer, water breathing; 4th—neutralize poison, protection from evil 10-foot-radius, spell immunity; 5th—dispel evil, dispel good.
​

 

[freyar]

As is common in those days, the modronoid version doesn't list all the abilities, but it does say he is barmier than ever.
So, shall we say that the modronoid has the SLAs and telepathy of the host modron, the Str, Con, Dex of the host modron, the Int and Cha of the base creature, and Wis -2 of the base creature?

 

[Cleon]

As is common in those days, the modronoid version doesn't list all the abilities, SNIP
So, shall we say that the modronoid has the SLAs and telepathy of the host modron, the Str, Con, Dex of the host modron, the Int and Cha of the base creature, and Wis -2 of the base creature?

The modronoid version of Valran has an identical statblock to a regular Decaton apart from lacking the clerical spellcasting, so if we follow that example the template should retain the modron's SAs and SQs apart from spells, such as All-Around Vision, Damage Reduction, Resistances, Telepathy et cetera.

That'd include the Breath Weapon of the pentadrone if we're allowing for high-ranking Base Modrons to be the host.

but it does say he is barmier than ever.
SNIP , the Str, Con, Dex of the host modron, the Int and Cha of the base creature, and Wis -2 of the base creature?

How about stealing borrowing from the Madness trait of a Derro?

Madness (Ex): Derro use their Charisma modifier on Will saves instead of their Wisdom modifier, and have immunity to confusion and insanity effects. A derro cannot be restored to sanity by any means short of a miracle or wish spell.

*The racial madness of the derro provides a +6 bonus to their Charisma scores and a -6 penalty to their Wisdom scores. A derro restored to sanity gains 6 points of Wisdom and loses 6 points of Charisma.

Neither of the original monsters are immune to confusion and insanity like a derro is, but that's a simple enough tweak.

If we did that we'd have to consider adding "Modronoid Madness" to the regular Modronoid too, but that'd be a simple copy-paste.