Planescape Converting Planescape monsters

[BOZ]

What would be the advantage of giving the molydeus both telepathy and detect thoughts? Detect thoughts allows you to read minds without them knowing, but does telepathy do that too?

 

[BOZ]

how about this in place of all-around vision?

Multiple Vision (Ex): A molydeus’ long prehensile snake head allows it to observe everything that happens behind it, giving it a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Search checks, and it can't be flanked. The dog head is especially alert, giving it an additional +4 racial bonus to Spot and Listen checks, and it is never caught flat-footed.

 

[Shade]

What would be the advantage of giving the molydeus both telepathy and detect thoughts? Detect thoughts allows you to read minds without them knowing, but does telepathy do that too?

Well, I was all set to post the telepathy spell and description and was shocked to find that no such spell exists! I can't believe with all the special abilities that have been granted by spells, they haven't come up with telepathy yet. There is Rary's Telepathic Bond, but it only lets you speak with willing creatures.

Anyway, as far as I can tell, telepathy works kinda like a walkie talkie. You say what you are going to say, and if anyone chooses to answer you, they do so. Otherwise, it is silent on the telepathic wavelength. I don't see anything in the special ability description that would imply that you can read thoughts.

So, I'd recommend giving it detect thoughts as well.

 

[BOZ]

so as far as i'm concerned, this is the only significant issue left to resolve:

The snake head will … inject a powerful venom into the victim. When injected with the poison, the victim must make a saving throw vs. poison. If he fails the save he will transform into a manes in 1-6 turns. A neutralize poison spell followed, by remove curse will eliminate the poison. However, once turned into a manes, the victim is irrevocably lost to any means short of divine intervention or a very carefully worded wish.

the snake head … injects a powerful venom (save vs. poison or transform into a manes in ld6 turns). A neutralize poison spell followed by remove curse eliminates the poison. Once transformed, the victim is beyond restoration, short of divine intervention or a very carefully worded wish.

 

[Shade]

Using the suggestion from Pants, here's a modified form of the aboleth slime ability to possibly meet our needs:

Abyssal Venom (Ex): A bite from a molydeus' snake-head can cause a terrible affliction. A creature hit by the bite attack of the snake-head must succeed on a DC X Fortitude save or begin to transform over the next 1d6x10 minutes, the flesh becoming increasingly pale and bloated, eventually riddled with maggots. At the end of the duration, the victim is permanently transformed into a manes. The save DC is Constitution-based.

A neutralize poison spell followed by remove curse will eliminate the venom. However, once turned into a manes, the victim is irrevocably lost to any means short of divine intervention or a very carefully worded wish.

 

[BOZ]

i like it!

Now, back to ideas for skills and feats:
Skills (198 ranks): Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (the Planes), Knowledge (any one), Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, Swim
Feats (6): Alertness, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Great Cleave, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability, Track, Weapon Focus (greataxe)

and posting our version of the molydeus in homebrews...

 

[Pants]

what, you don't want to be a manes?

I realize that my dream may not be the same as everyone else, namely that of turning into a squat, pallid humanoid that is crawling with maggots. Ah, sweet bliss

 

[Shade]

i like it!

Now, back to ideas for skills and feats:
Skills (198 ranks): Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (the Planes), Knowledge (any one), Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, Swim
Feats (6): Alertness, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Great Cleave, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability, Track, Weapon Focus (greataxe)

and posting our version of the molydeus in homebrews...

It's looking good...er, evil.

I'd vote for the following feats: Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Improved Critical (greataxe), Multiattack, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (greataxe). I'd give it Track as a bonus feat, or replace Combat Reflexes with it otherwise.

The save DC for the Abyssal venom should be 26.

I updated the spell-like abilities with save DCs:

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—animate object, baleful polymorph (DC 21), blindness/deafness (DC 18), charm person (DC 17), command (DC 17), darkness, detect good, detect law, Evard's black tentacles, fear (DC 20), greater invisibility, greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), sleep (DC 17), suggestion (DC 19), vampiric touch (DC 19); 7/day—lightning bolt (DC 19). Caster level 15th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

 

[BOZ]

posted a question regarding affect normal fires here: http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1227339#post1227339

pyrotechnics might be the closest thing we have nowadays, how's that?

 

[Shade]

pyrotechnics might be the closest thing we have nowadays, how's that?

Good call!