Converting World of Greyhawk monsters

[Shade]

If you like, I can take another look at the mechanics of the partial imprint process -- there are about three pages of detailed history, background and mechanics in the adventure but I'm sure I can distill that down to a few relevant facts.

Yeah, that would probably help. Thanks!

 

[Echohawk]

Sorry for the delayed reply. I've only just been able to get back on the boards.

Here's a summary of the text on Keraptis-Imprints:

• There are two types, the complete K-imprint which turns someone into a False Keraptis, and partial K-imprints that bestow spell-like abilities on the target.
• Quiescent K-imprints take a written form, either a scroll or in a spellbook.
• Memorising a K-imprint "spell" activates it, and gives the host one of the abilities I listed earlier (dimension door (twice per day as a 10th-level caster) or fireball (once per day as a 5th-level caster) or magic missile (three times per day as a 9th-level caster) or raise user's magic resistance to 40% (twice per day for 1 hour) or wall of force (once per day as a 10th-level caster)).
• Each of those partial imprints also has a name: K:door, K:fire, K:missile, K:resistance and K:wall.
• Only spellcasters can use the partial K-imprints, with the exception of the K:fire one. (Anyone can activate a complete imprint.)
• K-imprints occupy a 1st-level spell slot (or consume 1 point of Intelligence for non-spellcasters).
• To memorise a K-imprint requires a save vs. spell with a +4 bonus. Success means nothing happens. Failure means that spell is memorised. This happens even if a spellcaster was attempting to cast directly from a scroll.
• Anyone who hosts a K-imprint has 1d4+2 months of normal life before degenrating into a mindless husk under the control of one of the existing four False Keraptis. This is either the one from whose domain the scroll was taken, or else determined randomly.
• Once subsumed, the host loses all levels, Intelligence, Wisdom and personality becoming a 0-level creature with 4hp. They are capable only of eating, drooling and staring without the direction of their leaders.
• This process happens slowly, with the first side effects (rolled randomly on a table of six options) occuring three days after memorisation.
• An additional side effect is added every 24 hours and the effects can stack.
• The K-imprint can be transferred to someone else, but if that happens the host loses only the benefits of the spell-like ability. The side effects remain and the subsumption process continues.
• The process can be temporarily halted by leaving the plane, but continues when the host returns.
• The process can only permanently stopped by recalling the real Keraptis to this plane.
• Slaying an existing False Keraptis also halts the subsumption process, but the heirarchical mind reseats itself, and one of the slain False Keraptis' husks (possibly the ex-PC) immediately becomes a new False Keraptis.

Phew. Who knew trying to convert skinpuppets would involve a detour via Mossmutter, False Keraptis and partial K-imprints?

 

[Shade]

Thanks! I couldn't get in on Monday, and freyar had trouble yesterday and part of today. 'tis a crazy DNS problem.

And yeah, this is probably the craziest conversion side trek we've encountered. It reminds me of those nested dolls...or an old cartoon where every door they open has another door behind it.

 

[freyar]

This is probably also one of the most complicated, along with the aruchai.

What I'm thinking is something simpler. After all, the skinpuppets are created just through the spore disease, right?

 

[Echohawk]

Yes. I'm inclined to agree that because the skinpuppets are not hierarchical mind husks of quite the same nature as those associated with the other False Keraptis, they can probably be converted without worrying about most of the imprinting business.

(But that still leaves the conversion of the False Keraptis "template" in limbo...)

 

[Shade]

Well, we've started all three conversions, so I'm fine with proceeding with any of them, then following with the other two.

 

[freyar]

Yes. I'm inclined to agree that because the skinpuppets are not hierarchical mind husks of quite the same nature as those associated with the other False Keraptis, they can probably be converted without worrying about most of the imprinting business.

(But that still leaves the conversion of the False Keraptis "template" in limbo...)

Is the difference that skinpuppets can act without direction from the hierarchical mind?

I'd really like to unify this some more.

 

[Echohawk]

Is the difference that skinpuppets can act without direction from the hierarchical mind?

Well, that and the fact that the other husks aren't a crusty mass of fungal goo.

The other husks subsumed into hierarchical minds as a result of partial imprinting don't seem to undergo any physical transformation at all, except maybe a slackening of the jaw and a build up of drool as they shuffle around.

There is a stat block for a "Subsumed gnome" in the back of the book which might be useful to highlight the statistical impact of becoming a husk:

Subsumed gnome: AC 10; MV 9; hp 4; THAC0 20; #AT 1 (short sword); Dmg 1d6; SA spell channeling; SW no independent actions; SZ S (3 1/2' tall); ML steady (12); Int non- (0); AL NE; XP 35.
Special abilities: SA -- can join with two additional subsumed minds from the same hierarchy to provide a channel for spells; SW -- cannot take independent actions.

 

[freyar]

I'm seriously beginning to dislike exception-based design.

I have a small proposal: let's first write the Hierarchical Mind and Partial Imprint as abilities of the false Keraptis template, since those are things they do. Then let's do a Subsumed Mind template. Mossmutter and skinpuppets can be slightly(?) exceptional examples of those templates. Also, I'm in favor of allowing some kind of actions for general subsumed minds and/or a little less freedom for skinpuppets, just to keep things a little simpler.

 

[Echohawk]

*bump*

Methinks that perhaps Shade has forgotten about this messy skinpuppet/Mossmutter/false Keraptis/subsumed gnome conversion can of worms