Converting Psionic Creatures

[freyar]

Let's move to the magical variety!

 

[Cleon]

Fixed.

Good!

Magic Leech then.

 

[Shade]

Leech, Magical
Climate/Terrain: Ravenloft wetlands
Frequency: Uncommon
Organization: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Magical energy
Intelligence: Non- (0)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 5-30 (5d6)
Armor Class: 10
Movement: 0, Sw 3
Hit Dice: 1 hit point
THAC0: 20
No. of Attacks: Nil
Damage/Attack: Nil
Special Attacks: Magic drain & energy burst
Special Defenses: Magic Resistance
Magic Resistance: 99%
Size: T (1” long)
Morale: Steady (11-12)
XP Value: 15

In the wet grasses of some realms lurk strange leeches capable of draining a wizard’s magical essence. They are a bane to any magic-wielding creature or those who depend on spellcasting in combat. When feeding, they disrupt incantations, drain spells from the minds of wizards or priests, and are even capable of rendering magical objects useless and mundane.

Magical leeches look no different from normal ones, save that they occasionally emit tiny sparks of purplish energy from their grotesquely bloated bodies.

As one might expect, these creatures have no language and do not communicate with other creatures in any way.

Combat: Magical leeches do not need to make physical contact with their victims to feed-simply being within 1 yard allows them to draw forth the tendrils of sorcery that feed them. This makes magical leeches difficult to detect, for there is often nothing for the victim to feel.

The very presence of a leech makes it harder for spellcasters to activate their powers. Whenever one or more of these creatures is within one yard of them, a spell user must make a successful Ability Check on Intelligence or Wisdom (as appropriate) to cast a spell. If the check is failed, the spell simply peters out and does not take effect.

Magical leeches may also drain memorized spells from the minds of wizards or priests. The chance that a spell will be drained each round is 10% plus 1% per leech within 1 yard. Magical leeches drain a caster’s highest-level spells first, with the exact enchantment lost being randomly determined. The absence of the spell is noticed only when the wizard or priest attempts to cast it.

Magical leeches can also feed on the energy of a magical object, although they prefer the taste of energy drained from the humanoid mind instead. Every round that leeches are present, there is a 5% chance, plus 1 % per leech, that one power, function. or plus of a magical object is destroyed. The exact effect of the leech’s feeding is determined randomly.

Removing a magical leech is a painful task. When touched, magical leeches release a fraction of the energy stored in their bodies as an electrical discharge that causes 1-2 points of damage. For every spell, ability, of other essence the leech has consumed within the last 8 hours, the burst causes an additional 1 point of damage.

Habitat/Society: Magical leeches live in swamps or even tall wet grasses. They never leave their habitat under their own power. Anyone who walks through an infested area is likely to pick up 1d6 of the creatures, though there are usually 5-30 actually present at a particular site.

Ecology: After draining its host of magical energies, the leech drops off as soon as its host enters a swamp or similar wetland in which it can spawn, The magical energies ingested by the leech allow the filthy creature to give birth to 1-6 new leeches in 3d4 days.

Originally appeared in Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness (1994).

 

[Cleon]

Leech, Magical

Originally appeared in Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness (1994).

These are basically the same as psionic leeches, except they drain spells or magical objects and have Spell Resistance.

 

[freyar]

Yes, though the spell draining mechanic is a bit different. I also think the sparking may be a bit more like a shocker lizard than what we had for the psionic leach.

 

[Shade]

Yes, though the spell draining mechanic is a bit different. I also think the sparking may be a bit more like a shocker lizard than what we had for the psionic leach.

Yeah, that seems a good analogy.

 

[freyar]

I have a feeling we've done a spell-thieving ability, too. Can you remember where? Memory moss seems too powerful of an effect.

 

[Cleon]

I have a feeling we've done a spell-thieving ability, too. Can you remember where? Memory moss seems too powerful of an effect.

It's not just spell-thieving, it can drain magic items too.

Are there any useful bits we can pick from a rod of absorption and the 3E Fiend Folio's Drain Magic special attack?

 

[freyar]

Oh, yes, probably those would work. Also, the ghazneths we did a while back could help.

 

[Cleon]

Oh, yes, probably those would work. Also, the ghazneths we did a while back could help.

Hmm, modifying the Gazneth's ability would work...

Absorb Magic (Su): A ghazneth can ready an action to absorb spells or spell-like abilities as a rod of absorption, although the ghazneth is stunned for one round for each level that it absorbs. In addition, a ghazneth can absorb charges from charged magical items, absorbing one charge per round of contact. A charge grants as many levels as appropriate to the effect (for example, a charge from a wand of magic missile gives 1 level, but a charge from a wand of fireball gives 3 levels). Charges of non-spell effects grant one level for every two caster levels of the effect (rounded up). The charges are forever lost to the magic item, as if they had been used normally.

Ghazneths may also spend one hour to discharge a permanent magical item (or one with daily charges) completely, rendering it a mundane item. This ability requires continuous contact. The ghazneth gains 10 spell levels per spell level of each effect of the magic item (or 1/2 the caster level of the effect, rounded up).

A ghazneth may store one level for each year of its age. At approximately 1,360 years of age, she can hold up to 1,360 levels.

It's a free action for a magic leech and doesn't stun the leech. The original wasn't reliable (10% of the time), so I'm thinking we could make it require a minute of "leeching" (per leech, i.e. 2 leeches = one check every 5 rounds, 5 leeches = every 2 rounds, 10+ leeches = once every round) and probably allow a Will save.

Have to figure out the level-equivalent for when it drains a non-spell magical item (assuming we retain that ability).