Converting Planescape monsters

[Oryan77]

Okay, checked those pages and I must have been thinking of something else with the Grafts/Template. Maybe some later product with Modron elements?

The Modronoids in The Great Modron March are definitely regular monsters. There are two types equivalent to Base Modrons and Hierarch Modrons. The majority are humanoid-modron cyborg constructs covered with metal plates with retractile arm-blades but Valran Stonefist is basically a human mind in a Decaton body. However, his [its?] abilities are identical to a regular Decaton apart from spellcasting: the Decaton Modronoid has Varan's wizard spellcasting abilities rather than the Primus-based cleric spellcasting of a true Decaton.

It's kind of strange because Modronoids are given their own stats, but the descriptions for how they are created sound more like a template (modron) being added to a humanoid. For example, the npc ally named Xaldra ends up appearing as a Modronoid (pg 56). The PCs clearly recognize it as Xaldra covered in metal plates with bladed arms. When it dies, the metal parts fade away (Modrons vanish back to Mechanus when killed) and Xaldra's mutilated body is all that remains.

The Modronoid stats on pg 59 are identical to the Modronoid Xaldra. So it seems like the humanoid parts are just visually distinct, but the stats are all the same. I suppose this would still be a living construct?

Like you pointed out, the Valran Stonefist Modronoid on pg 109 keeps his wizard spell casting, but has the decaton spell-like abilities. Would the Hierarch Modrons use a Modronoid/humanoid template to gain any existing spellcasting abilities, lose the modron spellcasting, and keep the modron spell-like abilities?

 

[Cleon]

It's kind of strange because Modronoids are given their own stats, but the descriptions for how they are created sound more like a template (modron) being added to a humanoid. For example, the npc ally named Xaldra ends up appearing as a Modronoid (pg 56). The PCs clearly recognize it as Xaldra covered in metal plates with bladed arms. When it dies, the metal parts fade away (Modrons vanish back to Mechanus when killed) and Xaldra's mutilated body is all that remains.

The Modronoid stats on pg 59 are identical to the Modronoid Xaldra. So it seems like the humanoid parts are just visually distinct, but the stats are all the same. I suppose this would still be a living construct?

I read it that a Base Modronoid has some resemblance to the humanoid it used to be but is basically an entirely new creature.

If it was a template-equivalent then wouldn't some of the common Modronoids in the adventure have class levels or class abilities?

Like you pointed out, the Valran Stonefist Modronoid on pg 109 keeps his wizard spell casting, but has the decaton spell-like abilities. Would the Hierarch Modrons use a Modronoid/humanoid template to gain any existing spellcasting abilities, lose the modron spellcasting, and keep the modron spell-like abilities?

If you went that route I'd say a Hierarch Modronoid would use the host humanoid's mental attributes, or possibly a modification of them, since they are a humanoid brain in a modronoid body.

 

[freyar]

It sounds to me like a case could be made either for a template or a regular monster. What if we made it a kind of template that erases class levels but keeps some class features?

 

[Cleon]

It sounds to me like a case could be made either for a template or a regular monster. What if we made it a kind of template that erases class levels but keeps some class features?

Well the base Modronoid looks like a regular monster.

Could go for a template with the Hierarch Modronoid as described above. Figuring out how the CR / EL for such a Template would work may prove troublesome.

Although is such a Template terribly different from a wizard taking over a decaton's body using magic jar or casting shapechange and assuming the form of a decaton? Apart from it being permanent and due to some weird brain transplant rather than a spell. The game mechanical elements of it would be more or less the same.

Come to think of it, if the Template can give a character the body of a decaton or other Hierarch Modrons, then can it give a character the body of a Base Modron too? Can you have, say, a quadrone with the mind of a dwarf paladin or a Tridrone elf rogue?

But if the Template is some kind of brain transplant it begs the question as to what kinds of creatures the template allows a crazy wizard to stick a brain in, and what sort of donor said brain can come from. Science this mad might not be limited to humanoid brains in modron bodies!

Dang it, the whole thing is too vaguely defined. The basic idea is simple but the implications are too complicated.

The standard issue Modronoid is a lot clearer.

Let's start working on that one and see if we can come up with a better handle on the Brain-Transplant Modronoid later.

 

[Cleon]

Anyhow, here's the relevant extracts from The Great Modron March:

Modronoid Xaldra
The first Modronoid encountered by the PCs is a buddy of theirs who vanished during a night of revelry and reappeared as a monstrous cyborg thing! She'd been kidnapped by thugs hired to get "experimental subjects" for the modron-grafting research of the mad wizard Valran Stonefist.

From Page 56:

SNIP …the characters hear a strange dragging and hissing outside their door. A moment later, something heavy and metallic strikes against the door, knocking several times. Before they can answer, the door bursts inward, revealing a gleaming thing with pieces of flesh squeezed between metal plates. Crazed eyes stare at them and blades slowly extrude from its arms. The creature has Xaldra’s form underneath the metal — but the barmy look in its eyes tells the PCs that there’s nothing left of her mind in this thing.​

 The Xaldra-creature attacks them immediately, howling its fury and dismay. In its agony, it mistakes the PCs as the source of its anguish; it fights to the death, wanting only to slay them all or be released from this state.​

​

MODRONOID XALDRA: AC 2 (metal plates); MV 9; HD 6; hp 31; THAC0 15; #AT 2; Dmg 1d6+2 (arm blades); SW metal-affecting spells; MR 10%; SZ M (5′ tall); ML fearless (20); Int average (10); AL CN; XP 420.​

​

If the modronoid’s killed, the metal parts fade away, leaving only the mutilated body of Xaldra behind. Her eyes don’t even look like they’ve found peace. The creature can be incapacitated, but the PCs need to find a way to keep it unconscious. If they allow it to wake, it immediately attacks again. There’s no way to communicate with Xaldra’s spirit either — the modron-working that’s been foisted on her body seems to have driven the spirit from her flesh already.​

Now you might wonder why the metal parts of the Modronoid vanish when it dies. Well the answer is… disturbing. Those parts are grafts from a Base Modron who is still alive. The life force of the unwilling modron donor and the humanoid host are surgically linked, so if one dies so does the other. Since the Modron is an extraplanar outsider, if it dies its body vanishes, including any severed parts grafted onto a Modronoid.

Turning a Humanoid into a Modronoid normally drives it insane. Crazed modronoids tend to try to kill themselves, attack everyone they meet, and pace like rabid wild animals (see 10b Modronoid Prison and 8 Prison, below).

However, there are ways around this "modron madness," for example, Xaldra can be restored to sanity by restoring her memories and mind, which presumably also somehow returns the spirit which was driven "from her flesh"…

From Page 58:

7. SENSORIUM: Like a smaller version of the Sensates’ sensoriums in Sigil, this room holds dozens of recorder stones, filled with Valran’s experiences and those of his guests and victims. The PCs can find Xaldra’s memory-stone here, sparkling like her personality… SNIP.​

 If the PCs’ve brought the modronoid-Xaldra here, they can place the stone on her chest and her memories will slowly filter back into her. This restores her mind, but her body remains twisted and partially metallic.​

The madness can be "fixed" by a modron brain graft, as explained by the Modronoids' creator Valran Stonefist below (see New Modronoids).

Original Modronoids
The following encounter Locations relate to the first batch of Modronoids, which included Xaldra. Note how the Modronoids have identical stats despite being made with grafts from three different ranks of Base Modron (pentadrones, tridrones and monodrones).

From Page 59:

10B. MODRONOID PRISON: Though Ildurn informed the PCs that 10 of these creatures existed, he was wrong. Three of them perished during the day, having succumbed to modron madness and taken their own lives in moments of lucidity. The remaining creatures are thoroughly restrained by a massive web spell. One of the modronoids has been steadily sawing through the material, and they’ll all burst free when the PCs confront Valran. If they’re freed before that, they immediately attack.​

 The modronoids strike at anyone in their path. They have no fear of anything — death only offers them release.​

​

MODRONOIDS (7): AC 2 (metal plates); MV 9; HD 6; hp 31 each; THAC0 15; #AT 2; Dmg 1d6+2 (arm blades); SW metal-affecting spells; MR 10%; SZ M (5′ tall); ML fearless (20); Int average (10); AL CN; XP 420 each.​

​

10E. MODRON PRISON: The captured modrons are kept here — both the whole and dismembered ones. Valran does his best to ensure that all his prisoners are treated well, even those that’ve already been mutilated to serve as parts. He’s well aware that his process links the life force of the modrons and the humanoid victims: When the humanoid host dies, so does the modron whose pieces are grafted on to it. If the modron manages to expire first, the host dies as well. Valran’s learned to combine only one modron with one host; it cuts back on the possibility that a deceased host or modron will destroy a whole batch of experiments.​

 Valran keeps the modrons from acting as a unified whole by “recruiting” modrons separated by more than one caste, which prevents them from communicating with each other. He currently has five monodrones, three tridrones, and one pentadrone. Xaldra’s metal parts were taken from one of the tridrones.​

New Modronoids
Considerable later in the adventure, the PCs discover Valran Stonefist in a decaton's body who reveals he has invented an improved version of the Modronoid that is often sane enough to follow orders! Fortunately for the party, all these New Modronoids are away on various tasks so the PCs doesn't have to fight any. Still, it would have been nice to have seen if their stats were any different from the insane Original Modronoid described above.

From Page 107 & 109:

Valran explains. “As you know, I’d been working on transplanting living humanoid minds into the shells of modrons, making the best of both worlds, as it were. By keeping a piece of the modron brain within the body, not only do we cure the modron madness, we also ensure that there’s a build-in tendency to follow orders in the new modronoids. Of course, it tends to slow down the mental processes of some bashers, and it still drives others completely barmy, but that’s a small price to pay for an army of creatures like this, eh?”.​

From Pages 109-110:

2. MODRONOID BARRACKS: This petal houses most of the modronoids. When the PCs show up, the modronoid force is out scavenging materials and supplies for the Flower, so they won’t play a direct part in this adventure. The room is littered with odd personal effects, but the litter is strangely ordered, as if each piece had been purposely dropped in a specific spot. It’s as though the inhabitants were trying to assert their individuality while still conforming to a greater pattern.​

​

3. LIFE SUPPORT: The pieces of the modrons that’ve been used for grafts hang here, some from chains, others in baths of sludgy goo. The setup’s devoted to keeping these modrons alive so the modronoids can continue their reign of terror. Twenty modrons hang here, and they twitch feebly as the PCs enter. Slaying these modrons frees their essences and kills the modronoids attached to their pieces.​

​

8 PRISON: The prison contains many cells, and all of them are full. Some cells hold modronoids that haven’t yet reconciled themselves to their fates, SNIP, though the modrionoids pace like crazed beasts at all hours. SNIP​

 PCs here have no trouble picking out Crasad’s younger brother, Tairish. He’s been recently converted to modronoid status, and he howls with frustration and fury. If the PCs speak to him calmly and gently, they can soothe him and gain some useful information. SNIP​

 In a lucid moment, Crasad begs the PCs to kill him and then erupts into howling fury again. If the PCs don’t want to draw the attention of the guard, they’ve got no choice but to finish Tairish off or knock him unconscious. SNIP​

 

[freyar]

Are these the only stats we have? Looking at the actual statblocks, I have to say that Xalra/base modronoids look like monsters and not templates, a lot like a vampire spawn is a monster. As for Valran, at the moment I'm inclined to make him a unique modronoid monster, though that depends if there are other possible "special" modronoids statted out that we could use to make a template that would include Valran. But I don't see stats for Valran that would even allow us to convert a monster!

 

[Cleon]

Are these the only stats we have? Looking at the actual statblocks, I have to say that Xalra/base modronoids look like monsters and not templates, a lot like a vampire spawn is a monster.

Yes, the Base Modronoid are definitely not templates since there's no difference between one made from a monodrone and one made from a pentadrone.

As for Valran, at the moment I'm inclined to make him a unique modronoid monster, though that depends if there are other possible "special" modronoids statted out that we could use to make a template that would include Valran.

Valran is the only "Special." While the Xalradrone has a name in the adventure, mechanically it's no different from the other Modronoids.

But I don't see stats for Valran that would even allow us to convert a monster!

I'll post Valran's stats later. My post above was just for the regular Modronoid.

Didn't want to do both in one post as I thought it'd be confusing.

 

[Cleon]

Oh heck, let's get this ball rolling…

 

[Cleon]

Modronoid
Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 6d10+12 (45 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+8 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+8
Attack: Arm blade +9 melee (1d6+4/19-20)
Full Attack: 2 arm blades +9 melee (1d6+4/19-20)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Arm blades
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., living construct traits, linked modron, low-light vision, spell resistance 10, vulnerability to metal-affecting powers
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +3
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 9
Skills: Listen +6, Spot +7
Feats: Alertness, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (arm blades)
Environment: Any land
Organization: Solitary, team (2–4), squad (5–12), patrol (13–25), platoon (26–84), or company (85–144)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic neutral
Advancement:—
Level Adjustment: —

A stocky man-shaped thing covered in gleaming metallic plates. Shorter and heavier than an average human, the gaps in its armor reveal glimpses of mutilated humanoid flesh forced into a mechanical frame. Chunks of its body have been sutured to or replaced by bizarre machine-like organs, including vicious blades that slide out of a sheathe implanted in each of its forearms. The creature still has humanoid eyes glaring from its helmet-like head. What's left of its face shows nothing but pain, despair and murderous fury.

A modronoid is an artificial horror created by a deranged arcane spellcaster grafting parts from a base modron to a humanoid. This procedure is enough to drive both the “donor” modron and “host” humanoid completely insane, driven to kill everyone they see and, in their brief moments of lucidity, try to destroy themselves. Implanting part of the donor modron's brain into the host can prevent this “modron madness” to create a sane modronoid that will slavishly follow orders, although this complex procedure can still drive the modronoid crazy and does nothing to improve its intelligence.

The life force of a modronoid is linked to the life force of the modron its parts came from, so if one of them dies the other immediately perishes. The mutilated remains of the modron donors are restrained and kept alive in some secure place so they can't die and destroy their linked modronoid. The modrons too badly damaged to survive by themselves are kept alive in vats of a strange sludge. This life support ichor is probably a alchemical fluid of some kind, although rumors claim it's made from the processed corpses of modrons whose modronoid fusion surgeries failed. That should be impossible though, as such modrons would have their remains vanish back to Mechanus when they die.

A typical modronoid stands 5 feet tall and weighs about 300 pounds.

Combat
Modronoids attack with howling fury, hurling themselves into melee combat with their arm blades. An "insane" modronoid, or one left to its own devices, tries to kill any non-modron or non-modronoid it sees. A "sane" modronoid being directed by its creator, or a supervisor its master ordered it to obey, will slavishly and unimaginatively follow any order its controller gives it.

Unless otherwise directed, modronoids fight until they kill all their opponents or die. They have no fear of death, which would end the agonizing pain of their existence.

Arm Blades (Ex): Each of the modronoid's arms is fitted with a retractable short-sword sized blade. An arm blade does 1d6 piercing damage and threatens a critical hit on a natural attack roll of 19–20.

Linked Modron (Ex): A modronoid's construct parts are implants taken from a base modron that is kept alive in a helpless condition. If either the base modron or modronoid is killed, the link is severed and the other linked creature immediately dies. The modron's corpse will vanish back to Mechanus since it is an extraplanar creature, including the parts implanted into the modronoid. The base modron and modronoid are connected by a silver cord (see the astral projection spell) and do not need to be on the same plane of existence, but both die if the silver cord is severed.

Living Construct Traits: Immune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, disease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, and energy drain. Cannot heal damage naturally. Subject to stunning, ability damage, and ability drain. Subject to spells that target either constructs or living creatures.

Vulnerability to Metal-Affecting Powers (Ex): A modronoid takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from effects that target its metallic components, such as the chill metal and heat metal spells, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.

A modronoid is affected normally by rust attacks, such as those of a rust monster or a rusting grasp spell.

The spell transmute metal to wood gives the modronoid a –2 penalty on the attack and damage rolls of its arm blades and –2 reduction to its natural armor bonus. If it rolls a natural attack roll of 1 or 2 with a transmuted arm blade the weapon splinters, reducing the damage to 1d3+4 piercing with no critical threat multiplier. Every time a transmuted modronoid is struck with a natural attack roll of 19 or 20 it loses an additional point of armor bonus.

The spell repel metal or stone pushes a modronoid away from the caster as if it were a hurricane force wind that uses the caster's spell DC for its Fortitude saving throws. See the Weather rules for Powerful Storms for the wind effects of a hurricane.

In Planescape
Modronoids were invented by a barmy wizard named Valran Stonefist, a member of the Society of Sensation faction. Valran worked with the Tacharim, an outcast group of murderous and chaotic thugs, with the ultimate aim of creating an army of modronoids. The base modrons he used in his experiments were abducted from a highly abnormal Great Modron March. Every 289 years, a great host of modrons march around the Great Wheel on a tour of the Outer Planes, but this Great March did not match the 289-year cycle, which was truly strange behavior for the clockwork-like modrons.

Valran Stonefist ended up having his brain implanted into the body of a Decaton, becoming the first hierarch modronoid. Adventurers reportedly slew the decaton modronoid Valran at The Flower Infernal in Gehenna, the Tacharim's headquarters and main base.

Originally appeared in The Great Modron March (1997).

 

[freyar]

Yeah, these sound like they could be templates, but I think they're really just normal monsters with a single unique monster.

I see you have the possibility of a decaton modronoid in the org line. I don't recall seeing stats for those. Did I just miss them, or are they somewhere else?