Converting Planescape monsters

Shade · May 5, 2009

That is a bit sad. I could see giving them a slight HD bump and/or making the "bane of nightmares" ability rather potent.

freyar · May 5, 2009

Maybe we could give them favored enemy (nightmare) two or three times, perhaps with threats always confirming? Depends on how potent you want this to be.

Shade · May 6, 2009

That might work. Let's look at the nightmare's other advantages...

Flaming Hooves (Su): A blow from a nightmare’s hooves sets combustible materials alight.

We could consider resistance to fire 5 to remove this advantage.

Smoke (Su): During the excitement of battle, a nightmare snorts and neighs with rage. This snorting fills a 15-foot cone with a hot, sulfurous smoke that chokes and blinds opponents. Anyone in the cone must succeed on a DC 16 Fortitude save or take a –2 penalty on all attack and damage rolls until 1d6 minutes after leaving the cone. The cone lasts 1 round, and the nightmare uses it once as a free action during its turn each round. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Because of the smoke it gives off, a nightmare has concealment against creatures 5 feet away and total concealment against creatures 10 feet or farther away. The smoke does not obscure the nightmare’s vision at all.

The sohmien could gain a bonus on save vs. this, could have a limited blindsight/blindsense, or could have a "gust of wind" style breath weapon to dissipate it. Of course, it could also just put up with it, and maybe take Great Fortitude as a feat to improve its chances.

Astral Projection and Etherealness (Su): These abilities function just like the spells of the same names (caster level 20th); a nightmare can use either at will.

This will be a huge problem for sohmien. Perhaps a limited-range dimensional anchor?

The nightmare's good fly speed could also prove problematic.

demiurge1138 · May 6, 2009

I like blindsight 10 feet and the fire resistance, but I think the dimensional anchor is a bit too much.

freyar · May 6, 2009

I like fire resistance.

I'd say immune to the penalties from the smoke plus blindsight.

Limited range dimensional anchor but only effective vs nightmares?

Shade · May 8, 2009

How about a nightmare hit by one of its fired spines must make a save or lose access to its flight and plane-hopping powers for some duration (or until the spine is removed)?

demiurge1138 · May 8, 2009

Shade said:
How about a nightmare hit by one of its fired spines must make a save or lose access to its flight and plane-hopping powers for some duration (or until the spine is removed)?

Ooh, I like that.

freyar · May 10, 2009

demiurge1138 said:
Ooh, I like that.

I do, too.

Shade · May 11, 2009

How's this?

Bane of Nightmares (Su?): Sohmien hate nightmares above all other creatures, and seek the eradication of all nightmares from the multiverse. As a result, sohmien possess powerful attacks to aid them in this endeavor.

A sohmien gains a +4 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against nightmares. It also gets a +4 bonus on weapon damage rolls nightmares, and a +4 bonus on rolls made to confirm critical hits vs. nightmares.

A nightmare hit by one of a sohmien's fired spines must succeed on a DC X Fortitude(?) save or lose access to its astral projection and etherealness abilities, as well as the ability to fly, for x rounds (or until the spine is removed). The save DC is Constitution(?)-based and includes a +4 racial bonus.

demiurge1138 · May 11, 2009

How does this treat the flying ability being canceled? Is it like dispelling a fly spell, so they drift down gently, or do they just plummet?

My vote's for plummet.