Converting World of Greyhawk monsters

[Echohawk]

Here.

 

[freyar]

Thanks! You always know where everything is!

Looking at these, the text reads like a template, but the stats read like a monster. Interestingly, the stats list them as 3 ft tall (Small), like gnomes!

 

[Echohawk]

The template/creature overlap is not suprising. After all, these are a special case of the "Subsumed Mind" template adapted for Mossmutter in order to produce the Skinpuppets. I can see either a template or a creature working here.

 

[freyar]

I guess it's easiest to use a template. Start with the Subsumed Mind, have the type change, add in a couple mold-wyrmish qualities. What do you think?

 

[Shade]

Sounds good, with gnomes as the sample creatures.

 

[Shade]

Bone fragments incorporated into the skin puppet’s fingertips serve as claws for physical attacks, inflicting ld4 points of damage per successful hit. Furthermore, the gellike material of the creature’s inner body seeps down over the claws constantly, inflicting a lesser version of the mold wyrm’s spore cough on those who come into contact with it. Thus, every time the skin puppet inflicts damage with its claws, the victim must make a successful saving throw vs. paralyzation or suffer ld6 points of additional damage and cough violently for 1 round. While coughing, the victim receives a -2 penalty to all attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, and proficiency checks. Multiple failures in the same round result in cumulative penalties; that is, a 4 penalty for two failed saving throws, -6 for three, and so forth.) No secondary infection results from such contact, however.

A water-down, melee-centric version of this?

Spore Cough (Su): Once every 1d4 rounds a mold wyrm can release a cloud of greenish-gray spores. This spore cough is treated as a 30-foot-cone breath weapon. Creatures in the area must make a Fortitude save each round for 4 rounds (DC 24, +1 per previous check) or spend that round choking and coughing (they can take no actions, though they defend themselves normall). A character who chokes for 2 or more consecutive rounds takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage each round. In addition, any creature within the area must make a single DC 24 Fortitude save or contract spore blight (see below). The save DCs are Constitution-based.

Spore Blight: Inhaled DC 24, incubation 1 minute, 1d6 Con. Victims that die from spore blight transform into mold wyrms upon their death. This is a supernatural disease; successful saves do not allow the character to recover. Only magical healing can save the character.

 

[freyar]

Oh, these kind of slipped my mind! I think you're spot on about that, maybe just change the no actions bit to a penalty and drop the spore blight. Then we just have to add claws.

I suppose I'll try to modify the subsumed minds into skinpuppets soon, maybe if I get a chance tomorrow or on the weekend.

 

[freyar]

A first go on skin puppets, starting with the Subsumed Mind template. Strike-throughs will be changed later. Italicized stuff can be up for debate.

Skin Puppet (template)

Skin Puppets are the servants of the false Keraptis mold wyrm Mossmutter, and they act as Mossmutter's Subsumed Minds. See the entry for Mossmutter, the false Keraptis template, and the Subsumed Mind template for more information.

Creating a Skin Puppet

"Skin Puppet" is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature with an Intelligence score which has been affected by the partial imprint ability of the false Keraptis Mossmutter (henceforth referred to as the base creature).

Creatures of more than 20 racial HD cannot become Skin Puppets. If such a creature is affected by the partial imprint ability of a false Keraptis, the hierarchical mind will likely move to the more powerful body, leaving the original false Keraptis body as a Subsumed Mind.

A Skin Puppet has all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type: The base creature’s size is unchanged, and the type changes to plant.

Hit Dice: Drop any Hit Dice from class levels (to a minimum of 1). Change all Hit Dice to d8.

Speed: The natural speed and movement forms of the Skin Puppet are unchanged. Supernatural forms of movement are lost.

Armor Class: The natural armor of a Skin Puppet is unchanged. A Skin Puppet retains its armor proficiencies.

Base Attack: A Skin Puppet has a base attack bonus as normal for a plant of its hit dice (Base attack bonus equal to 3/4 total Hit Dice, as cleric).

Attacks: A Skin Puppet retains all the natural weapons, manufactured weapon attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature and gains two claw attacks (if it did not already have them). These attacks are subject to a -1 insight penalty.

Damage: Natural and manufactured weapons deal damage normally. A claw attack deals damage depending on the Skin Puppet’s size. (If the base creature already had claw attacks with its hands, use the Skin Puppet claw damage only if it’s better.)
Size Damage
Diminutive or Fine 1
Tiny 1d2
Small 1d3
Medium 1d4
Large 1d6
Huge 1d8
Gargantuan 2d6
Colossal 2d8

Special Attacks: A Skin Puppet retains the base creature's Ex special attacks except for those gained from class abilities. It loses all Su, Sp, and Ps special attacks. It also gains the following special attacks.

Instrument of Hierarchical Mind (Su): A Skin Puppet can act with the will of Mossmutter's Hierarchical Mind. If Mossmutter directs the Skin Puppet, the Skin Puppet may take actions as a normal creature. In addition, if Mossmutter chooses, it may channel spell-like abilities through its Skin Puppets. This functions as if the Skin Puppet had used one of Mossmutter's spell-like abilities, using Mossmutter's statistics. Each Skin Puppet may channel only one spell-like ability per round.

Claw Spores: Creatures damaged by a Skin Puppet's claw attack must make a Fortitude save or spend that round choking and coughing (they can take no actions, though they defend themselves normally). A character who chokes for 2 or more consecutive rounds takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage each round. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Special Qualities: A Skin Puppet retains the base creature's Ex special qualities except for those gained from class abilities. It loses all Su, Sp, and Ps special attacks. It also gains the following special qualities.

Single Actions Only (Ex): Skin Puppets have little will of their own and can perform only a single move action or attack action each round, except when they are directed by the Hierarchical Mind (see Instrument of Hierarchical Mind above).

Hierarchical Mind Awareness (Su): All Skin Puppets and Mossmutter share the awareness of the Hierarchical Mind. A Skin Puppet cannot be flanked unless all Skin Puppets within line of sight are flanked.

Saves: The Skin Puppet has base save bonuses appropriate for a plant of its hit dice (good Fortitude saves, poor Will and Reflex saves).

Abilities:The base creature's ability scores change as follows: Int - . Other changes?

Skills: A Skin Puppet has no skills.

Feats: The Skin Puppet keeps the feats of the base creature but may only use those for which it still meets the prerequisites.

Environment: Any.
Organization: Solitary, ganglion (2-6), or hierarchical mind (3-40 skin puppets plus possibly Mossmutter)
Challenge Rating: Depends on hit dice, as follows:
HD CR
1/2 1/6
1 1/3
2–3 1
4–5 2
6–7 3
8–9 4
10–11 5
12–14 6
15–17 7
18–20 8
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always evil.
Advancement: Same as the base creature.
Level Adjustment: —.

 

[freyar]

There's a working draft for the skin puppets. Note that we also might want to bump the claw damage, as the original Small skin puppets have 1d4.

 

[Shade]

Great start! Added to Homebrews.

I agree with bumping the claw damage.

I could see a Dex penalty and possibly a Con boost.