D&D 3E/3.5 Converting Star Spawn of Cthulhu to DnD 3.5e/Damage Reduction

[Shin Okada]

Well, there used to be d20 Cthulhu and stats for Star Spawn of Cthulhu was on WotC website. Now I am planning to use it in D&D 3.5e, just because I am planning to paint RAHM's Great Cthulhu metal mini. It will make a nice huge star spawn.

It is a CR 13 outsider with HD 20. I am planning to give it (Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar, Water) subtypes. Cthulhu is CE. So making it's spawn a kind of demon seems to be reasonable.

I don't bother giving it spells. Because with CHA of 10, DC will be miserable. And it is rather difficult to convert d20 Cthulhu spell rules into D&D 3.5e.

The main issue left is, it's DR. The stats was of 3.0e age. That means, the Star Spawn has DR 20/+2. If I convert this critter into 3.5e what kind of DR will be reasonable?

15/magic ?
15/Cold Iron and Good ?
or some weird requirement?

Any suggestions are welcomed.

 

[frankthedm]

I am planning to give it (Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar, Water) subtypes. Cthulhu is CE. So making it's spawn a kind of demon seems to be reasonable.

Well, the Obryth subtype from Feindish Codex 1 would be right up this things ally. Just don't forget that making it an extraplanar outsider does give it a nasty weakness to certain spells.

I don't bother giving it spells. Because with CHA of 10, DC will be miserable. And it is rather difficult to convert d20 Cthulhu spell rules into D&D 3.5e.

Don't gimp it just because of the mistake of a designer who just left the stat at the default 10. Just give them to the creature as supernatural special abilities with a CR appropriate DC and caster level.

The main issue left is, it's DR. The stats was of 3.0e age. That means, the Star Spawn has DR 20/+2. If I convert this critter into 3.5e what kind of DR will be reasonable?

Well, what kind of damage do your players deal out? DR really only matters to the combatants so to give the appropriate DR for CR, their damage output needs to be known. Right now I am thinking DR 10/- like a CR 11 elemental.

 

[Shin Okada]

Well, the Obryth subtype from Feindish Codex 1 would be right up this things ally. Just don't forget that making it an extraplanar outsider does give it a nasty weakness to certain spells.

Ah. The Dagon's race. Yes it seems to be reasonable. Regarding extraplanar subtype, creatures will get that subtype whenever they are not in their home plane. And the encounter will happen in a plane in which both demons and PCs will get that subtype. The critter has HD 20 at CR 14. And maybe I have to advance it's HDs when PCs meet the one. So I don't care too much about Banishment or Dismissal.

Don't gimp it just because of the mistake of a designer who just left the stat at the default 10. Just give them to the creature as supernatural special abilities with a CR appropriate DC and caster level.

I am intrigued to give it Grasp of Cthulhu as an at-will spell-like ability. Force spell which immobilize PCs and cause continual nonlethal damages seem to be interesting. The problem is DC. So, yeah, bumping up CHA or giving it some appropriate feats may work.

Well, what kind of damage do your players deal out? DR really only matters to the combatants so to give the appropriate DR for CR, their damage output needs to be known. Right now I am thinking DR 10/- like a CR 11 elemental.

Now they are at 14th level and warriors are mainly using either Adamantine or Starmetal two-handed weapons, with Power Attack. One of them is Dragon Disciple with really high strength　(now 30, 34 in the next level, including enhancement bonus) and the other is Duskblade who uses true-strike whenever needed. Thus, from time to time I have to roll saves for avoiding death from massive damages these days. By the time they meet this critter, their damage output will increase more.

The party Cleric often prepare Undead Bane and Mass Align Weapon spells. And the Sorceress is planning to learn Limited Wish (can copy Holy Sword). So, Good aligned weapon will be relatively easily available.

 

[Voadam]

Ah. The Dagon's race. Yes it seems to be reasonable. Regarding extraplanar subtype, creatures will get that subtype whenever they are not in their home plane. And the encounter will happen in a plane in which both demons and PCs will get that subtype. The critter has HD 20 at CR 14. And maybe I have to advance it's HDs when PCs meet the one. So I don't care too much about Banishment or Dismissal.

I would go with the demon theme. A Glabrezu is a CR 13 demon, it has DR 10/good as does the CR 14 nalfeshnee. The fat nalfeshnee seems a good match up for comparables.

I am intrigued to give it Grasp of Cthulhu as an at-will spell-like ability. Force spell which immobilize PCs and cause continual nonlethal damages seem to be interesting. The problem is DC. So, yeah, bumping up CHA or giving it some appropriate feats may work.

The saving throw for a supernatural ability is 10+1/2HD+ability mod+misc mod. so a 20 HD Cha 10 star spawn has a DC 20 spell-like ability before feats.

The saving throw for a spell-like ability is 10 + the level of the spell the ability resembles or duplicates + the creature’s Cha modifier. So it depends on the level of the Grasp of Cthulhu spell.

In comparison the CR 14 demon nalfeshnee's at will spell-like abilities range in DC from 18 (call lightning)-23(unholy aura). Its supernatural dazing attack has a DC 22.

 

[Thatwackyned]

through a Fast Heal of 10, maybe, in there.

 

[frankthedm]

I did up a star spawn as an alien dragon CR20 using a d20 modern template, though that might be tougher than you can use... yet http://www.enworld.org/forum/plots-places/77583-franks-advanced-monsters.html#post3133903

 

[Shin Okada]

The saving throw for a spell-like ability is 10 + the level of the spell the ability resembles or duplicates + the creature’s Cha modifier. So it depends on the level of the Grasp of Cthulhu spell.

In comparison the CR 14 demon nalfeshnee's at will spell-like abilities range in DC from 18 (call lightning)-23(unholy aura). Its supernatural dazing attack has a DC 22.

According to the suggestion in CoC d20 book, Grasp of Cthulhu is a Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 4 spell.

But I also found that spell DC in CoC d20 was 15 + Int bonus, both for spells and spell-like abilities. So the DC was meant to be 20 (the spawn has Int mod +5).

As you have suggested, I can change it to supernatural ability which duplicates the spell's effect. That way, if I use CHA as the key ability, the DC should be 20 for this critter.

 

[Thanael]

Use the wayback machine: Excerpts from the Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game

Or ask DnDChick if she has updated those stats...