Converting World of Greyhawk monsters

[Shade]

Let's celebrate the thread's newfound freedom with something ridiculously easy!

Hiding behind one of the columns is a strange creature built like an upright lizard; at the end of its tail is a cluster of inhuman eyes and where its head should be is a large mouth with numerous rows of sharp metal teeth. It leaps out when a character comes close, giving its targets a -2 penalty to surprise rolls.

Quickbiter: AC 2; MV 15; HD 10; hp 78; THAC0 11; #AT 1; Dmg 2d6 (bite); SA bite acts as a sword of sharpness, +2 to initiative; SD +2 or better weapon to hit; SZ L (14' long); ML Fanatic (17); Int semi (2); AL NE; XP 4000

Note: If it hits with an attack roll of 18 or higher, it randomly bites off one of its targets limbs (as a sword of sharpness). The creature is immune to all fear-type attacks. Its metallic teeth can be used as materials for making a sword of sharpness. It is not known where Lyzandred found this creature; it might be from the regions near Blackmoor or perhaps from another plane entirely.

Originally appeared in Crypt of Lyzandred the Mad (1998).

 

[freyar]

Start with the basics: Large Magical Beast, 10HD. DR/magic, good Dex probably, decent natural armor, and some kind of severing bite (like Fenris wolf?). Sound right?

 

[GrayLinnorm]

The description of this creature also sounds like that of the ethereal marauder. I wonder if they're related.

 

[freyar]

Nice idea! And these might even be extraplanar --- should we assign them that subtype? In any case, the ethereal marauder is a good place to look for ability scores. Advancing one to Large gives Str 22, Dex 10, Con 15, with +5 natural armor. Given the init and higher AC of the original critter, I'd be happy with bumping Dex back to 12 or even 14, as well as increasing natural some. Also, Int is lower. Mental stats: Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 11?

 

[Cleon]

Nice idea! And these might even be extraplanar --- should we assign them that subtype? In any case, the ethereal marauder is a good place to look for ability scores. Advancing one to Large gives Str 22, Dex 10, Con 15, with +5 natural armor. Given the init and higher AC of the original critter, I'd be happy with bumping Dex back to 12 or even 14, as well as increasing natural some. Also, Int is lower. Mental stats: Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 11?

I'd hold off on Extraplanar, (a) it doesn't make much difference and (b) hey, maybe it is native to your gameworld.

If its 78 hit points are representative of a typical Quickbiter they suggest a higher Con. A 10HD AD&D monster would normally average 45 hp. A high Con may go with the steel teeth as well - perhaps its bones and skin are metallic as well?

So, Con 17 or 19?

I like Dex 12 or 14, and probably a better natural armour than an Advanced marauder - NA +7 or +8? It looks obvious to me that this creature's meant to be a mean melee combatant.

Also, the eyecluster tail just screams "all-around vision" to me. Good luck flanking one of these beasts.

 

[freyar]

Extraplanar can be something we think about. I just noticed the line in the original text that they might be from another plane and liked the connection to the ethereal marauder that GrayLinnorm noticed.

Well, with the d10 HD in 3e, it's already averaging 75hp with Con 15, but I could definitely see Con 17, maybe 19.

Dex 12, +8 natural?

Agreed to all-around vision.

 

[Cleon]

Extraplanar can be something we think about. I just noticed the line in the original text that they might be from another plane and liked the connection to the ethereal marauder that GrayLinnorm noticed.

Well, with the d10 HD in 3e, it's already averaging 75hp with Con 15, but I could definitely see Con 17, maybe 19.

Considering D&D3E's hit point inflation they should end up with more than 78 hp.

If it has ~78hp with d8 hit dice in AD&D, we could aim for around 78hp times the ratio of a d10/d8 hit dice for 3E.

Let's see, that's 78*5.5/4.5 = 95hp.

That's the average of 10d10+40, which translates as Con 19.

Dex 12, +8 natural?

Agreed to all-around vision.

I'm tempted to give it Dex 14 and +7 natural, (a) in case we want any Feats with a Dex 13 requirements and (b) the NA equals chainmail's bonus (5) plus the Large NA adjustment (+2), which seems appropriate.

So, at the moment I'm supporting:

Str 22, Dex 14, Con 19, Int 2, natural armour +7.

I'm thinking their mental stats are probably similar to a Gray Render, another Large, dumb 10HD magical brute.

Wisdom 13, Charisma 9?

I was tempted to increase the damage of their bite attack to 2d8 or 3d6, since they only have one attack so it needs to count, but if we give it a nice Sharpness special attack and maybe some kind of critical augmentation (threat range, damage multiplier) it would be enough.

 

[freyar]

Hmmm, how about Str 22, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 9, just to be a little different? I guess I'm coming around to the high Dex due to the initiative bonus it has.

 

[Leopold]

Unless you give it Improved Init as a feat?

 

[Cleon]

Hmmm, how about Str 22, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 9, just to be a little different? I guess I'm coming around to the high Dex due to the initiative bonus it has.

Fine by me, Str 22, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 9 it is then.

Unless you give it Improved Init as a feat?

Improved Initiative isn't terribly useful overall, I'd prefer more directly combatworthy feats like Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Improved Critical and Power Attack.

Hmm, those seem a pretty appropriate selection.

Now what are we doing about its bite attack, it would do with a critical augmentation, as I said. My first idea was giving it the same stats as a Large Longsword - 2d6/18-20 or maybe a scythe's critical damage multiplier - 2d6/×4, but upon reflection I prefer something in the middle.

Bite 2d6/19-20 ×3?

Its strength gives it a +9 damage bonus and if we give it Improved Critical (bite) the threat range increases to 17-20.

Attack: Bite +15 melee (2d6+9/17-20×3)

That's pretty mean, but I think it's supposed to be.