Dark Sun monster: Tembo

[karyant]

Tembo is a interesting Dark Sun monster. In despite to have few hit dice, on the other hand, can use a lot of powers and psionic effects.
My question is, the Tembo CR it's correct ?

The stats are given below...

Tembo

Medium-Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 4d8+16 (34 hp)
Initiative: +8 (Dex)
Speed: 40 ft.
AC: 16 (+4 Dex, +2 natural)
Attacks: +5 claws x 4, +2 bite
Damage: 1d4+3 front claws/ 1d6+3 back claws/ 1d8 bite.
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Level Drain, Death Field
Special Qualities: 13 % Magical Resistance, Psion, Dodge missiles, Immune to fear
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +4
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 14
Skills: Climb +8, Hide +10, Jump +8, Listen +8, Move Silently +8, Spot +10
Feat: Improved Initiative, Multiattack*

Climate/Terrain: Tablelands and mountains
Organization: Pack (1d6)
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: chaotic evil
Advancement: 5-10 HD (Large)

Combat

Though all Tembo love to fight, their battle tactics are unpredictable as these vicious beasts. Some prefer to sneak as close as possible to their victims and a short distance trying to kill them with Death Field. Others prefer, leap to leap into the target, meleeing their victims from the first round.

Death Field(Ex): This power allow Tembo, generate a field that drain life of the victims. This field reach 5 feet high, 5 feet wide, and 30 feet long, for 6 rounds; damage 6d6, Fortitude half DC 16. This field can through walls, stones and iron. Tembo can use this power 3 times a day.

Dodge Missiles(Ex): When attack from the distance, Tembo have a 40% chance to dodge ant non-magical missile.

The Way(Ex): Tembo can use the following psionic powers:

Shadow Body 2/day; Ectoplasmatic Form 3/day
At will: Chameleon, Dismissal, Highness sense, Immovability.

Immunity to fear: Tembo display no fear and prefer fight to the death rather that run. However Tembo can be affected by magical effects that cause fear, but gain a +6 bonus against fear.

Level Drain(Ex): The greatest danger of Tembo comes from its horrid mouth. When, Tembo strikes with its powerful jaws, the victim must make a Fortitude save or lose one life level. This loss is permanent, and must be made each time that Tembo lands a successful bite.

Feats: Multiattack is a bonus feat.

 

[rankarrog]

..just a few suggestions and mistakes I've noticed:
Tembo

Damage: 1d8 bite
Shouldn't the damage of the bite also get a strength bonus?

13 % Magical Resistance
Thats 2e, Today it's Spellresistance and should be around 10 +(Old Magical Resistance/5)

Death Field(Ex): <SNIP>
6d6 each round for 6 rounds? OUCH

Dodge Missiles(Ex): When attack from the distance, Tembo have a 40% chance to dodge an non-magical missile.

I'd suggest: Give them the "Deflect arrows" feat as an extraordinary abillity (works with their Ref+6 at an nearly to equal level(35%) and gets better if they advance).

Level Drain(Ex): The greatest danger of Tembo comes from its horrid mouth. When, Tembo strikes with its powerful jaws, the victim must make a Fortitude save or lose one life level. This
loss is permanent, and must be made each time that Tembo lands a successful bite.

I'd suggest: Give negative level instead (just like most Undead do).

 

[Devon]

I concur with ragnarok's suggestions, and have a few of my own to add, if I may:

Shadow Body 2/day; Ectoplasmatic Form 3/day
At will: Chameleon, Dismissal, Highness sense, Immovability.

I'd suggest phrasing this as:

Psionics (Su): At will: Chameleon, Dismissal, Highness sense, Immovability; 3/day: Ectoplasmatic Form; 2/day: Shadow Body. Treat all powers as having been cast by a psion of 4th level.

You can change the psion level that the Tembo uses... I just put in its hit dice. Shadow Body, for instance, is a pretty powerful power (8th level), so perhaps the Tembo is psionically gifted beyond its hit dice. You might also want to address its Attack/Defense modes.

I don't have the 3e PsHB in front of me, but I can't find "Highness Sense" in the SRD list of psionic powers. You may want to convert what I assume is 2e psionic power into a 3e equivalent, giving it a power level (like a normal spell), etc. Or, make it a special ability.

As for nitpicky things:
A magical beast gets skills at 2xint (26) + 1/EHD (which would be three for the Tembo), making 29. Unless I missed some synergy bonuses (and I fully admit I may have), the skill points used for its skills appear to be 33.

Its saves: As a magical beast of 4 hit dice, the base saves should be F+4/R+4/W+1, with +4 for Con, +4 for Dex, and +3 for Will, totalling to Fort +8, Refl +8, Will +4

It's attack bonuses are off: as a 4-hd magical beast, it gets its HD as its Base attack bonus (+4), +3 for its strength, so claws should be +7 melee, and its bite (as a secondary attack) should be +5

Attacks would be more clear if phrased as:
Attacks: 4 claws +7 melee, 1 bite +5 melee
Damage: Front claws 1d4+3, back claws 1d6+3, bite. 1d8.

Having the front and rear claws deal two different sets of damage seems to me to be a little inelegant, but I could be wrong. The rear claws may need to be made a secondary attack, at only +5 melee.

It might also make more sense, from a logical standpoint, to give it only two claw attacks (front paws) to begin with, and then add the abilities Pounce (make a full attack after a full move, including Rake if you have it) and Rake (doing the rear claw damage you desire). You'll want to consult other monsters with these abilities to get the phrasing right, but it's only a suggestion that makes the monster's attacks seem more logical.

This and other issues are just related to consistent naming conventions, which you will learn eventually by reading enough other monsters.

I would clock in the monster at about CR 5 or 6, but that may be modified depending on how you incorporate our critiques.

Hope this helps.

- Devon

 

[karyant]

Damage: 1d8 bite
Shouldn't the damage of the bite also get a strength bonus?
I think about this but until the moment i prefer
stand this way.

13 % Magical Resistance
Thats 2e, Today it's Spellresistance and should be around 10 +(Old Magical Resistance/5)

The Name is wrong but the calculation it's correct, but i think that the calculation is 11 + (Old Magical Resistance/5)

Death Field(Ex): <SNIP>
6d6 each round for 6 rounds? OUCH

Death Field was psioninc power in 2nd edition, i dont remember exactly how this power works, but this power was very hard. (I need my psionic book come back.)

Dodge Missiles(Ex): When attack from the distance, Tembo have a 40% chance to dodge an non-magical missile.

I'd suggest: Give them the "Deflect arrows" feat as an extraordinary abillity (works with their Ref+6 at an nearly to equal level(35%) and gets better if they advance).

Good sugestion

Level Drain(Ex): The greatest danger of Tembo comes from its horrid mouth. When, Tembo strikes with its powerful jaws, the victim must make a Fortitude save or lose one life level. This
loss is permanent, and must be made each time
that Tembo lands a successful bite.

I'd suggest: Give negative level instead (just like most Undead do).

Good too

Thanks for comments.

 

[rankarrog]

13 % Magical Resistance
Thats 2e, Today it's Spellresistance and should be around 10 +(Old Magical Resistance/5)

The Name is wrong but the calculation it's correct, but i think that the calculation is 11 + (Old Magical Resistance/5)

Then I'd suggest to remove the "%"
SR 13 is a DC to be roll against with 1d20+Casterlevel not with a d100

 

[Devon]

Damage: 1d8 bite
Shouldn't the damage of the bite also get a strength bonus?
I think about this but until the moment i prefer
stand this way.

The secondary attacks (the bite) should get half the Str bonus (in this case, 1 pt). If you're worried about doing too much damage, change it to 1d6+1.

Also, see my comments above, which I was writing when you made your last post.

- Devon

 

[karyant]

I'd suggest phrasing this as:

Psionics (Su): At will: Chameleon, Dismissal, Highness sense, Immovability; 3/day: Ectoplasmatic Form; 2/day: Shadow Body. Treat all powers as having been cast by a psion of 4th level.

Good, but the original description of Tembo it was a psion 5th level, but yopu is right. Thanks.

You can change the psion level that the Tembo uses... I just put in its hit dice. Shadow Body, for instance, is a pretty powerful power (8th level), so perhaps the Tembo is psionically gifted beyond its hit dice. You might also want to address its Attack/Defense modes.

I agree that this is a powerful power, but in the original description given by the Wanderer's Journal, Tembo has this power. For the same reason i dont adress Attack/Defense modes to Tembo.

I don't have the 3e PsHB in front of me, but I can't find "Highness Sense" in the SRD list of psionic powers. You may want to convert what I assume is 2e psionic power into a 3e equivalent, giving it a power level (like a normal
spell), etc. Or, make it a special ability.

I think that is a similar power, but i could be wrong. In this case, i make it a special ability or a bonus skill in Listen and Spot.


As for nitpicky things:
A magical beast gets skills at 2xint (26) + 1/EHD (which would be three for the Tembo), making 29. Unless I missed some synergy bonuses (and I fully admit I may have), the skill points used for its skills appear to be 33.

No you is right, when i get the skills using 2xint + 2/EHD. I will correct my mistake, thanks.

Its saves: As a magical beast of 4 hit dice, the base saves should be F+4/R+4/W+1, with +4 for Con, +4 for Dex, and +3 for Will, totalling to Fort +8, Refl +8, Will +4.

It's attack bonuses are off: as a 4-hd magical beast, it gets its HD as its Base attack bonus (+4), +3 for its strength, so claws should be +7 melee, and its bite (as a secondary attack) should be +5

Attacks would be more clear if phrased as:
Attacks: 4 claws +7 melee, 1 bite +5 melee
Damage: Front claws 1d4+3, back claws 1d6+3, bite. 1d8.


Ok.


Having the front and rear claws deal two different sets of damage seems to me to be a little elegant, but I could be wrong. The rear claws may need to be made a secondary attack, at only +5 melee.




It might also make more sense, from a logical standpoint, to give it only two claw attacks (front paws) to begin with, and then add the abilities Pounce (make a full attack after a full move, including Rake if you have it) and
Rake (doing the rear claw damage you desire). You'll want to consult other monsters with these abilities to get the phrasing right, but it's only a suggestion that makes the monster's attacks seem more logical.


I can think about this, but thanks.


This and other issues are just related to consistent naming conventions, which you will learn eventually by reading enough other monsters.

I would clock in the monster at about CR 5 or 6, but that may be modified depending on how you incorporate our critiques.

Hope this helps.



Always, thanks again

 

[Gish Makai]

Just a reminder....CR is how you interpret the strength of your creation. I clock it at about a CR 8 using the method I adopted from Erica (DnDChick).

Also, have you checked out any DS sites for the conversion already? It might just be out there.

 

[Devon]

I clock it at about a CR 8 using the method
I adopted from Erica (DnDChick).

I thought I was using the same system, but I come up with a 5. I must be missing something. Erica or Gish, do you mind checking my math?

((hp/4.5) +1 or +2 for each special ability)/3

Are you interpreting the Psion ability as more than +1 or +2?

- Devon

 

[Gish Makai]

I thought I was using the same system, but I come up with a 5. I must be missing something. Erica or Gish, do you mind checking my math?

((hp/4.5) +1 or +2 for each special ability)/3

Are you interpreting the Psion ability as more than +1 or +2?

- Devon

Half HD = 2 +1 for each SA/SQ = 8