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<blockquote data-quote="BOZ" data-source="post: 1886418" data-attributes="member: 1241"><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/index.php?threads/109179/" target="_blank">too sweet!</a></p><p></p><p>OK, check that out… the stuff we do here would be perfect for this feature!</p><p></p><p>And you have it here, from the horse’s mouth, “converted creatures from older editions are as welcome as new creatures” – it’s almost like he wrote that whole response just for me. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" /></p><p></p><p>OK, anyway… back to business. The first step spelled out by James Jacobs, which is what I was going to anyway, is to come up with a theme. The theme should be pretty specific, but not so specific that it will be out of reach for most DMs. What I mean is, “Undead” is too general, and “Undead that serve this particular wizard in his artic tower base” is too specific. “Arctic Undead” and “Undead servants for wizards” would be OK.</p><p></p><p>All of the monsters should tie in to each other somehow. Some ideas… “Friends of Elves,” “Carnivorous Plant Creatures,” “Humanoids of the Forest,” “Silly Monsters,” etc. note that James Jacobs did mention “Denizens of the Nyr Dyv” or “Dragon Minions of Chult” as example themes – so, at the very least, we can assume that Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms are useable, and chances are we could probably get Mystara and some other settings as themes.</p><p></p><p>So, here is our first step. Come up with one, two, five, ten, or however many viable themes as you can think of that you’d be interested in. Have at least one creature in mind when you come up with your theme, so that we have something to work with. For example, the cooshee would work with “Friends of Elves”, and the black willow and mantrap for “Carnivorous Plants”. </p><p></p><p>When it comes down to choosing which monsters go with which theme (our second step, we’ll do that later) I’d say it would be excellent if we have a good CR spread – maybe CR 1-7, or 5-12, or 8-17 or something like that, rather than have them all at the same level. Also, from hints supplied by Mr. Jacobs, we should look for critters that are not too similar to a creature in the Monster Manual (oh, I got this tentacled humanoid that lives underground and eats brains! Oh, wait…), and creatures that are visually interesting (it, uh, looks like a rock. With eyes.).</p><p></p><p>So, what monsters can we use? Well, for one thing, besides conversions, our own original creations. As for conversions, what is available? Anything that is owned by TSR/WotC, and has not yet had an official conversion in 3E. So yes, we can use a conversion in the Tome of Horrors or any other d20 book – as long as we reconvert it. We can use anything that is in the Creature Catalog, but I am waiting for a response from Scott as to whether we would need to reconvert it or just rewrite the flavor text. And, of course, we can use anything that has not yet been converted, any setting, any edition, any book. And we CAN USE DRAGONS – WotC publishing does not have the same format problems that the CC has. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> We can also use illithid-related, beholder-related, and anything else not in the SRD, and probably also creatures that relate to monsters in books besides the MM. You like the sound of that? <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Do you need to cooperate with us? No. You can submit your own article queries, and write articles of your own independently. You don’t even have to communicate with us about it, but it would be nice if you told us what you were working on so that we can make sure to work on something else. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Do all the queries and articles have to be submitted by me? Hell no! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> We can set up a sort of “ghost writer” system. Say, if we come up with 20 or so good themes. I can submit 5 to Dungeon, Shade can submit 5, Knight Otu can submit 5, and someone else can submit the other 5. Then, we come back here, work on them together, and that person submits the article and credits the rest of us with helping.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="BOZ, post: 1886418, member: 1241"] [URL="https://www.enworld.org/index.php?threads/109179/"]too sweet![/URL] OK, check that out… the stuff we do here would be perfect for this feature! And you have it here, from the horse’s mouth, “converted creatures from older editions are as welcome as new creatures” – it’s almost like he wrote that whole response just for me. :D OK, anyway… back to business. The first step spelled out by James Jacobs, which is what I was going to anyway, is to come up with a theme. The theme should be pretty specific, but not so specific that it will be out of reach for most DMs. What I mean is, “Undead” is too general, and “Undead that serve this particular wizard in his artic tower base” is too specific. “Arctic Undead” and “Undead servants for wizards” would be OK. All of the monsters should tie in to each other somehow. Some ideas… “Friends of Elves,” “Carnivorous Plant Creatures,” “Humanoids of the Forest,” “Silly Monsters,” etc. note that James Jacobs did mention “Denizens of the Nyr Dyv” or “Dragon Minions of Chult” as example themes – so, at the very least, we can assume that Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms are useable, and chances are we could probably get Mystara and some other settings as themes. So, here is our first step. Come up with one, two, five, ten, or however many viable themes as you can think of that you’d be interested in. Have at least one creature in mind when you come up with your theme, so that we have something to work with. For example, the cooshee would work with “Friends of Elves”, and the black willow and mantrap for “Carnivorous Plants”. When it comes down to choosing which monsters go with which theme (our second step, we’ll do that later) I’d say it would be excellent if we have a good CR spread – maybe CR 1-7, or 5-12, or 8-17 or something like that, rather than have them all at the same level. Also, from hints supplied by Mr. Jacobs, we should look for critters that are not too similar to a creature in the Monster Manual (oh, I got this tentacled humanoid that lives underground and eats brains! Oh, wait…), and creatures that are visually interesting (it, uh, looks like a rock. With eyes.). So, what monsters can we use? Well, for one thing, besides conversions, our own original creations. As for conversions, what is available? Anything that is owned by TSR/WotC, and has not yet had an official conversion in 3E. So yes, we can use a conversion in the Tome of Horrors or any other d20 book – as long as we reconvert it. We can use anything that is in the Creature Catalog, but I am waiting for a response from Scott as to whether we would need to reconvert it or just rewrite the flavor text. And, of course, we can use anything that has not yet been converted, any setting, any edition, any book. And we CAN USE DRAGONS – WotC publishing does not have the same format problems that the CC has. ;) We can also use illithid-related, beholder-related, and anything else not in the SRD, and probably also creatures that relate to monsters in books besides the MM. You like the sound of that? :) Do you need to cooperate with us? No. You can submit your own article queries, and write articles of your own independently. You don’t even have to communicate with us about it, but it would be nice if you told us what you were working on so that we can make sure to work on something else. :) Do all the queries and articles have to be submitted by me? Hell no! :) We can set up a sort of “ghost writer” system. Say, if we come up with 20 or so good themes. I can submit 5 to Dungeon, Shade can submit 5, Knight Otu can submit 5, and someone else can submit the other 5. Then, we come back here, work on them together, and that person submits the article and credits the rest of us with helping. [/QUOTE]
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