Converting Psionic Creatures

[Cleon]

Regular fast healing, immunity to stunning work. We can remove the dispelling bit from mind blank; the "random thoughts" bit can go above in the flavor text, I guess.

I'll have to get back to the death throes later, but I'm not sure I like the feeblemind idea.

Maybe have it do damage to a random mental ability, plus Confusion?

Where did the 12 tentacles come from? I didn't see those in the original monster stats just now. But if that's the only difference, I'd rather leave different species as flavor and take care of it mechanically with a note on advancement (ie, they get 2 extra tentacles at such and such a HD level).

Here's the entirety of the 12 tentacled species:

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Secrets of the Magister — "Sages believe that a slightly larger, slower, twelve-tentacled subspecies of alkada has now died out."

Menzoberranzan — "(old tales and records suggest that there was once a related species that had twelve tentacles—and additional powers not possessed by wonders today)"

Dragon's Bestiary (Issue 40) — "A rare (20% of all Wonders) type is omnivorous and has 12 tentacles."

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The Menzoberranzan Wingless Wonders "eat mainly fruits and vegetables" and the Dragon's Bestiary ones which don't have 12 tentacles "eat only fruits and vegetables".

The Secrets of the Magister "Walking Egg" version will eat offal, creature waste and refuse, so it looks like that's the omnivorous species.

So, I propose making the "Walking Egg" the omnivorous version and having it become 12 tentacled if it Advances to Medium-sized.

 

[freyar]

How about Confusion plus Int damage, save negates Confusion and halves the damage?

I'll agree with your 12-tentacled proposal. Put it into the Walking Egg advancement.

 

[Cleon]

How about Confusion plus Int damage, save negates Confusion and halves the damage?

That's pretty much what I was thinking, except the damage goes to a randomly selected mental ability.

I'll agree with your 12-tentacled proposal. Put it into the Walking Egg advancement.

That'll have to wait for tomorrow.

 

[freyar]

I'd rather not introduce quite so much randomness; this has plenty already! But let the amount be random: 1d4 Int ok for you?

 

[Cleon]

How about Confusion plus Int damage, save negates Confusion and halves the damage?

I'd rather not introduce quite so much randomness; this has plenty already! But let the amount be random: 1d4 Int ok for you?

Too much randomness? There's barely enough! We should have a random table for the psionic death throes' effects!

d12 Roll Result
1 Target takes 3 Int damage
2 Target takes 4 Wis damage
3 Target takes 1 Wis damage
4 Target takes 1 Int damage
5 Target performs "I'm a little teapot" for 1d12+1d7 rounds (treat as irresistible dance)
6 Target takes 4 Int damage
7 Target takes 2 Wis damage
8 Target takes 3 Wis damage
9 Target takes 2 Wis damage unless they're a half-elf, in which case they take 7 Cha damage.
10 Target takes 2 Int damage
11 Target's brains turn to rhubarb custard
12 Target takes 1 Wis damage

*Ovoido The God of the Walking Eggs thinks half-elfs is ugly!

I'll agree with your 12-tentacled proposal. Put it into the Walking Egg advancement.

Updating the "Walking Egg" Working Draft.

 

[Cleon]

We need a time for it to regrow severed tentacles. I'm thinking the Fast Healing would mean Wingless Wonder grow tentacles back pretty quickly.

Giant Cephalopods (e.g. the SRD Kraken) regrow them after 1d10+10 days, we should aim for less than that.

1d12+12 hours? 1d4+4 days?

Hmm, the Egg version doesn't have Fast Healing, so 1d4+4 days for the Walking Egg and 1d12+12 hours for the Fast-Healing Wingless Wonder?

 

[freyar]

I can go for those regrowth times.

Here's what I say to your d12 table:
I'm a little teapot, short and stout! Here is my handle, here is my other handle. OOOPS! I'm a sugar bowl!
OK, so can we keep to 1d4 Int?

 

[Cleon]

I can go for those regrowth times.

Updating the Walking Egg Working Draft and Wingless Wonder Working Draft.

Here's what I say to your d12 table:
I'm a little teapot, short and stout! Here is my handle, here is my other handle. OOOPS! I'm a sugar bowl!

Serves you right for rolling a 5!

OK, so can we keep to 1d4 Int?

Oh very well, you know I'm going to Cleon Special a "random mental stat" version anyway.

So, we're talking something like:

Death Throes No. 1 (Ps): A dying wingless wonder lashes out with a powerful psionic blast, covering a 60 ft. cone directed towards whichever opponent killed it. All creatures within the cone take 1d4 Int damage and are confused for Y [1d4?] rounds. If a creature succeeds at a DC Z [14?] Will save they take half damage and are not confused. This is a mind-affecting effect. The save DC is Charisma based and includes a +Z-12 [+2?] racial bonus.
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Alternatively, we could use a circular area of effect, like so:

Death Throes No. 2 (Ps): A dying wingless wonder lashes out with a powerful psionic blast. All creatures within X [60 ft.?] feet of the wonder take 1d4 Int damage and are confused for Y [1d4?] rounds. If a creature succeeds at a DC Z [14?] Will save they take half damage and are not confused. This is a mind-affecting effect. The save DC is Charisma based and includes a +Z-12 [+2?] racial bonus.
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Hmm, the original conical blast did 2d12 hit points of physical damage from "mind burn" plus the confusion/feeblemindedness. Do we want it doing hit points of damage too?

Death Throes No. 3 (Ps): A dying wingless wonder lashes out with a powerful psionic blast, covering a 60 ft. cone directed towards whichever opponent killed it. All creatures within the cone take X [2d12?] points of force damage, 1d4 Int damage and are confused for Y [1d4?] rounds. If a creature succeeds at a DC Z [14?] Will save they only take the X force damage. This is a mind-affecting effect. The save DC is Charisma based and includes a +Z-12 [+2?] racial bonus.
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I'm liking No. 3, although I'd consider reducing the force damage.

 

[freyar]

The force damage was only taken by victims that saved successfully in the original. It's just too complicated in the original version, I think. Also, having a force blast vs wonder blast is a point of differentiation between the walking egg and wingless wonder, so I don't really want to dilute that by putting force damage in the wingless wonder death throes. And the death throes are already quite potent for a 2HD critter.

I probably prefer option 2, but the cone is a little closer to the complicated original.

Did I sway you, or should we get out the dice?

 

[Cleon]

The force damage was only taken by victims that saved successfully in the original. It's just too complicated in the original version, I think. Also, having a force blast vs wonder blast is a point of differentiation between the walking egg and wingless wonder, so I don't really want to dilute that by putting force damage in the wingless wonder death throes. And the death throes are already quite potent for a 2HD critter.

Yes I know, but "only taking damage on a failed save" didn't seem a great idea. Could you qualify whether it's the fact that it's force damage or the fact that No 1. does physical damage what bothers you.

How about reducing the amount of damage and making it untyped?

I probably prefer option 2, but the cone is a little closer to the complicated original.

So, are you fancying a No. 2 in a cone, then?

Death Throes No. 4 (Ps): A dying wingless wonder lashes out with a powerful psionic blast, covering a 60 ft. cone directed towards whichever opponent killed it.. All creatures within the cone take X [1d4?] Int damage and are confused for Y [1d4?] rounds. If a creature succeeds at a DC Z [14?] Will save they take half damage and are not confused. This is a mind-affecting effect. The save DC is Charisma based and includes a +Z-12 [+2?] racial bonus.

Did I sway you, or should we get out the dice?

Like I need an excuse to get out the dice!