Converting World of Greyhawk monsters

[Shade]

Oh, Shade, I'm sure this won't be the last monster we finish converting!

I agree, if for no other reason than the fact that it is holding up the remaining Greyhawk conversions!

Suggested "standard" false K?

 

[freyar]

Hmmm, let's try this:

Partial Imprint (Su): Each false Keraptis has the ability to impose a partial imprint of Keraptis's mind on other creatures. This is usually accomplished by the creation of cursed scrolls (any creature that reads the scroll receives the partial imprint), but methods may vary from one false Keraptis to another. The victim of the partial imprint eventually receives the Subsumed Mind template (and possibly other templates, as well, depending on the false Keraptis) and enters the Hierarchical Mind (see below) of the controlling false Keraptis.

A standard false Keraptis may curse any scroll corresponding to one of its spell-like abilities as a standard action. Any creature then reading the scroll (whether casting the spell from the scroll or not) then immediately gains that spell as a spell-like ability usable once per day (?). After 1dX days, however, the victim gains the Subsumed Mind template and becomes part of the false Keraptis's Hierarchical Mind.

Echohawk, suggested tweaks? Anyone think the victim should get a Will save to avoid the whole thing?

 

[Echohawk]

In RtWPM the abilities conferred by the scroll are based on a fairly short list, rather than on all of (the false) Keraptis's SLAs. There is also a table of random side-effects that the victim starts to accumulate, but I think that including all of that into the ability write-up might be too much. I'm happy with your more streamlined version for the conversion.

For the Subsumed Mind portion, I'd suggest a Will save every X days, with the victim gaining the template after failing Y saves. I thinks that might create the gradual sense of doom in the victims that the adventure was aiming for.

 

[freyar]

Oooh, and some kind of penalty for each failed save. Maybe a -1 Int penalty and a -1 morale penalty to some kind of check?

What do you suggest for X and Y based on the original?

 

[Echohawk]

Here's the original text:

Partial Imprints: The hosts of partial K-imprints are destined to become the subsumed minds from which the hierarchical minds draw their power. Anyone who has ever hosted a K-imprint can count on 1d4+2 months of normal life before degenerating into a mindless husk-just another "brain cell" of one of the four False Kerapti-typically the one from whose domain the party took the offending K-imprint scroll. (If it is not clear which False Keraptis controls a particular subsumed mind, roll 1d4 to decide.) At the time of subsumption, hosts lose all their character levels, Intelligence points, and Wisdom points, as well as their personalities, becoming 0-level creatures with 4 hit points each. No longer capable of any independent action except eating, drooling, and staring, they move and speak only at the direction of their leaders. This destiny becomes apparent slowly. Anyone who memorizes a partial K-imprint begins to experience strange side effects 3 full days later. At that point, roll 1d6 for the affected character every 24 hours of game time and apply the indicated result from the "K-Imprint Side Effects Table." Any side effect can occur more than once, or the DM can devise additional effects if desired. Those who question these odd episodes should eventually realize (through revelation in a dream, if not on their own) that they result from the victim’s ongoing incorporation into a hierarchical mind.

The "1d4+2 months of normal life" seems somewhat inconsistent with new side effects "every 24 hours". So perhaps a save every 1d4 days, with five (or more?) failed saves leading to subsumption, and maybe a -1 penalty to Int and Wis after each failure.

 

[freyar]

Even that seems kind of slow maybe. I mean, Mossmutter just has to swallow someone and spit them out, right? What would you think about a save every 2 days and 5 failed saves? -1 to Int and Wis for each failed save?

 

[Echohawk]

Mossmutter's spores also take a while (1d6+6 days) to change someone into a skin puppet:

[Mossmutter] infects victim with spores (save vs. death magic drops duration to 1 round and prevents infection; active infection negates natural healing and turns victim into a skin puppet in 1d6+6 days if not cured; infection is curable only by a cure disease cast at 20th level, a wish, or a dose of disinfector spores from Mossmutter's garden).

But a save every 2 days and 5 failed saves works for me -- I think that would work for Mossmutter and the other False Kerapti.

 

[freyar]

Good idea! Let's write this up:

Partial Imprint (Su): Each false Keraptis has the ability to impose a partial imprint of Keraptis's mind on other creatures. This is usually accomplished by the creation of cursed scrolls (any creature that reads the scroll receives the partial imprint), but methods may vary from one false Keraptis to another. The victim of the partial imprint eventually receives the Subsumed Mind template (and possibly other templates, as well, depending on the false Keraptis) and enters the Hierarchical Mind (see below) of the controlling false Keraptis.

A standard false Keraptis may curse any scroll corresponding to one of its spell-like abilities as a standard action. Any creature then reading the scroll (whether casting the spell from the scroll or not) then immediately gains that spell as a spell-like ability usable once per day (?). Every 2 days, however, the victim must make a Will save or take 1 point of Int and Wis drain. After 5 failed saves, the victim gains the Subsumed Mind template and becomes part of the false Keraptis's Hierarchical Mind. The save DC is Charisma-based (DC = 10+1/2 HD +Cha bonus of the false Keraptis).

Then we can write up something similar for Mossmutter in his stats.

 

[Echohawk]

Looks good. Once per day is fine for the SLAs. Although potentially a problem if someone reads a lot of cursed scrolls, but then I guess they are making a save for each scroll they've read, which will add up quickly.

Is Mossmutter going to be the sample False Keraptis, or do you want to convert one of the more ordinary False Kerapti as the sample, and deal with Mossmutter separately?

 

[freyar]

I hate to say it, but I think we need to do both a standard false K and Mossmutter.