cult of the dragon conversions

[freyar]

Dracimera

Large Dragon
Hit Dice: 12d12+72 (150)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 60 ft. (poor)
Armor Class: see table
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+24
Attack: Bite +20 melee (2d6+8)
Full Attack: Bite +20 melee (2d6+8) and bite +20 melee (1d8+8) and gore +20 melee (1d8+8) and 2 claws +18 melee (1d6+4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon (see table)
Special Qualities: Darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision, scent, immunity to sleep, paralysis, and energy (see table)
Saves: Fort +14, Ref +10, Will +11
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 14, Con 23, Int 7, Wis 13, Cha 12
Skills: Hide +13*, Listen +18, Spot +18, Intimidate +16
Feats: Alertness, Hover, Iron Will, Multiattack, Power Attack
Environment: Temperate hills
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: see table
Treasure: Double Standard
Alignment: Always LE or CE (see table)
Advancement: 12-18 HD (Large); 19-29 HD (Huge); 30-36 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: -

Combat
Breath Weapon (Su): The breath weapon of a dracimera is the same as that of a young dragon of the same variety and can be used every 1d4 rounds. In addition, 6 times a day, a dracimera may make its breath weapon more potent. This greater breath weapon is the same as the breath weapon of a juvenile dragon of the same variety. See the table below. A successful DC22 Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 racial HD + Con modifier) reduces damage by half.

Alignment, AC, Energy Immunity, CR by variety

Dragon    AL     AC                                 Immunity     CR
Black     CE     19                                 Acid         13
                 (-1 size, +2 dex, +8 natural)
                 touch 11, flat-footed 17
Blue      LE     20                                 Electricity  14
                 (-1 size, +2 dex, +9 natural)
                 touch 11, flat-footed 18
Green     LE     20                                 Acid         14
                 (-1 size, +2 dex, +9 natural)
                 touch 11, flat-footed 18
Red       CE     23                                 Fire         14
                 (-1 size, +2 dex, +12 natural)
                 touch 11, flat-footed 21
White     CE     19                                 Cold         13
                 (-1 size, +2 dex, +8 natural)
                 touch 11, flat-footed 17

Breath Weapon by variety (greater breath weapon values in parentheses)

Dragon    Weapon                                   Damage
Black     60ft line of acid                        6d4(8d4)
Blue      60ft (80ft) line of lightning            6d8(8d8)
Green     30ft (40ft) cone of corrosive (acid) gas 6d6(8d6)
Red       40ft cone of fire                        6d10(8d10)
White     30ft cone of cold                        3d6(4d6)

 

[freyar]

Went back to the mantidrake and gave the red variety a 40ft cone breath weapon, so the breath is the same as a young dragon in all cases. And am updating that in homebrews. I'll use some similar approach for the dracimera.

 

[freyar]

Ok, I think the basic stats on the dracimera are done. How does the CR look?

 

[freyar]

Ur-Histachii (2e)

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Tropical jungles or subterranean areas beneath tropical regions
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Band
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Nocturnal
DIET: None
INTELLIGENCE: Semi- (2-4)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
NO. APPEARING: 2d8
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVEMENT: 9
HIT DICE: 4+2
THAC0: 17
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACKS: 1d4/1d4/1d3
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Berserker rage
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to hold, charm, sleep, and coldbased spells, death magic, and poison
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: M (5-6 feet tall)
MORALE: Fearless (19-20)
XP VALUE: 420

The necromancers of the Cult of the Dragon’s cell in and under the Vilhon Reach’s city of Hlondeth have created this undead perversion. Ur-histachii are made from histachii, which are yuan-ti-created abominations formed from unfortunate humans who are forced to drink a specially brewed elixir (discussed in the entry on histachii in the MONSTROUS MANUAL tome).

Like its living counterparts, an ur-histachii is hairless, and its skin is a mottled gray to gray-black in color, often with patches of green or yellow mold growing from old, open wounds. A small reptilian head-fin starts atop the undead creature’s skull and grows down its back as a spinal ridge that ends at the tip of the ur-histachii’s vestigial tail. An ur-histachii’s undead eyes are empty sockets filled by blackness, and a scabrous reptilian tongue flicks out between its broken teeth in an instinctual effort to taste the air it no longer breathes. Ur-histachii emit a faint scent of rust and acid, along with that of musty decay.

Ur-histachii do not speak, per se, vocalizing only grunts and broken hisses, but understand the commands of their creators and other yuan-ti so long as they are spoken in common or the yuan-ti tongue.

Combat: Ur-histachii attack any nonreptile that enters their sensory range. They can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch just as well as a living histachii despite their apparent lack of visual organs. They also have 90-foot infravision. All but mindless, ur-histachii simply charge any such creatures that come within range, attacking with their filthy claws and teeth. Cult necromancers have somehow given the ur-histachii the ability to enter berserk rages up to three times in a 24-hour day. To induce an ur-histachii to become berserk requires a nonreptile to inflict some direct damage upon it. (For instance, a mage casting a magic missile would not trigger a berserk rage, though the ur-histachii would react to the attack. If that same mage stabbed an ur-histachii with his dagger, the ur-histachii would enter a berserk rage— provided it had not done so already three times that day.) The berserk rage of an ur-histachii grants it +2 bonuses to attack and damage rolls plus a +2 bonus to AC for 3d4 rounds.

Like most undead, ur-histachii are immune to sleep, charm, and hold spells, death magic, poisons, and cold-based spells. Holy water does 2d4 points of damage to an ur-histachii. Ur-histachii are turned as shadows.

Habitat/Society: The ur-histachii are known to exist only within the Cult of the Dragon’s cell beneath the city of Hlondeth, where the Cult necromancers and their yuan-ti associates use these undead creatures to guard important caches, secret meetings, and— since they require neither food nor air—sealed crypts and subterranean mausoleums. A few ur-histachii also have been teleported on occasion to the homes or courts of Cult enemies where the enemies’ guards are sure to incite a berserk rage from the ur-histachii. Thus far, these teleported ur-histachii have served as undead assassins or as diversions for other Cult activities involving that particular foe.

To make one or more ur-histachii requires at least one to three days, during which time the histachii to be transformed are slain in a hideous ritual, the necromancers performing the procedure perform other obscene rituals and incantations, and several expensive unguents and decoctions are poured over the corpses. No more than eight ur-histachii can be made at once due to the stress of the procedure on the lead necromancer performing the transformation.

The accelerated rage ability of ur-histachii appears to burn the undead bodies of ur-histachii out quickly. Few ur-histachii exist for more than one year, and to date, none have existed more than five years past their transformation into ur-histachii.

Ecology: Ur-histachii need eat nothing to exist, though residual impulses of their previous life as carnivores sometimes result in their idly chewing on carrion or catching and chewing rats, worms, other vermin, and yuan-ti leftovers, if such are left within their reach or enter their sensory range. Ur-histachii are different from many of the nonsentient undead in that they often grunt and hiss to themselves, “remembering” to be quiet, like most undead creatures, only when specifically instructed (or reminded) to do so by their creators or other yuan-ti. Yuan-ti find their presence and their lack of restraint annoying, like a persistent itch, and so rarely place them where they need often interact with them. Ur-histachii never guard yuan-ti brood chambers; apparently, their masters fear they will “forget” and eat the broodlings.

 

[freyar]

So I'm starting on the Ur-Histachii shortly. I notice that these are created from "histachii"; anyone know if this is the 2e name for something like a tainted one or brood guard (Monsters of Faerun)?

 

[Echohawk]

Yes, exactly so; histachii are what broodguards were called in 1st and 2nd edition.

 

[freyar]

I knew I could count on you! Wonder why the name change...

 

[freyar]

This conversion will be interesting, since the broodguard is a template in 3e. So I'll start with that template and modify it as seems necessary. Tentatively, then:

Ur-histachii is a template that may be applied to any human.

Type Changes to undead. Hit Dice become d12s. Gains undead traits.
AC +4 natural armor
Attacks Gains 2 claws and a bite as natural weapons. The claws deal 1d4 + STR bonus damage (as primary natural weapons) and the bite 1d3 +1/2 STR bonus damage (secondary).

Will add more later...

 

[freyar]

Continuing...

Special Attacks Same as the base creature plus
Rage (Ex) Three times a day, immediately upon being injured by a nonreptilian creature, an ur-histachii enters into a berserk state similar to a barbarian's rage. It gains +4 to Str, a +2 morale bonus to Will saves, and 6 additional hit points (these are not lost first the way that temporary hit points are), but it takes a -2 penalty to AC. Because it is undead, an ur-histachii does not become fatigued after its rage ends. An ur-histachii cannot control its rages.

Special Qualities Same as the base creature plus
Undead Traits:

• No Constitution score.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
• Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
• Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal ur-histachii.
• Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
• Uses its Charisma modifier for Concentration checks.
• Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.
• Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect ur-histachii. These spells turn ur-histachii back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.
• Ur-histachii do not breathe, eat, or sleep.

And more to come...

 

[freyar]

Hmm, type should probably be

Type Changes to Undead (augmented humanoid). Do not recalculate attack bonus or base saves.
HD Current and future hit dice become d12.

And continuing:

Abilities Dex +2, Con -, Int -8 (to a minimum of 3), Cha -4
Skills Adjust the total number of skill ranks for the ur-histachii's new Int but do not otherwise change skills.
Feats Gains Alertness as a bonus feat.
Climate Terrain Underground or Warm Land
Organization Clutch (2d4)
CR +1
Treasure None
Alignment Usually changes to chaotic evil.
Advancement ? By character class, I guess.
LA +3 ?

Ok, let me know what you think.