Fiend Factory (White Dwarf) conversions

[Dr Simon]

I've recently been going through the early issues of White Dwarf (1 - 50) and picking out one (sometimes two) creatures per issue from the Fiend Factory column, converting them into 5E for fun and ... well... fun.

I'll post probably one a week, if anyone else wants to dip in with alternatives suggestions or even (if you're an old grognard like me) any of the other creatures from that issue. For various reasons to do with forum rules and the interface, I'm only going to post the most basic details about the original 1st Ed version, and my final conversion, for the selected monster for each issue, but if you want more details of the other monsters, including pictures, they're over on my blog (I'll post a specific link with each entry).

Oh, and, I haven't been on ENWorld for about 7 years. Good to be back!

 

[Dr Simon]

Issue 2: The Spinescale

Issue 1 doesn’t have any monster stats, and barely anything mechanical at all apart from the non-serious (and dubious taste by modern standards) “Pervert” character class.

And so I start with Issue 2, in which the Treasure Chest column features a selection of “Wilderness Monsters” all written by the editor Ian Livingstone.

Of these, I chose Spinescale, which is a kind of venomous mutant frog caused by alchemical pollution. It’s nice and straightforward, not too silly, simple enough and believable enough within a fantasy setting, and it comes with a nice little backstory.

“Spinescales are a frog mutation which were created unknowlingly by the Master Alchemist Vollan. During his experiments to produce a new acid, certain untreated chemical wastes from his laboratory found their way into the drainage system with eventual contamination of nearby streams and ponds. Fortunately, no other forms of life were affected besides the frogs.

“Within a short period of time, the frogs mutated to become 3 feet in length and had a tough outer skin of leathery scales save for a small area around its underside. They grew razor-sharp teeth and also developed two fangs on their palates with which they could inject poison into their prey. From insects, they developed a taste for human flesh and would sit motionless in the shadows of shallow pools waiting to tear apart the legs of some foolish traveller who unwittingly stepped into the water.”

All pretty simple to convert. It’s described as cumbersome on land, which in the original means that it fights as a 1HD creature. I gave it a weak land move compared to a swim speed for simplicity. The description of weapons bouncing off its skin sounds like damage resistance to me (I’ll give it resistance and not immunity, since we can assume that damage that gets through is via the weak spots). I’ll give it advantage to Stealth checks specifically if it’s in the water and the viewer is on land, and finally it causes an extra 1d8 poison damage with its bite, which pretty much writes itself for 5th Edition.

And there we are:

Spinescale
Small beast, unaligned
Armour Class 13 (natural armour)
Hit Points 9 (2d6 + 2)
Speed 10 ft., swim 30 ft.

STR​	DEX​	CON​	INT​	WIS​	CHA​
11 (+0)​	12 (+1)​	12 (+1)​	3 (-4)​	10 (+0)​	6 (-2)​

Proficiency Bonus +2
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages –
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Amphibious. The spinescale is able to breathe air and water Camouflage. The spinescale has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks to hide in water, when viewed from land. ACTIONS

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 +1) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) poison damage.

For more details of the other monsters in this issue, including pictures, check out my blog post Fiend Factory 5E: Issue 1 and 2 Spinescale

 

[Cleon]

It's only "normal edged weapons and clubs" that bounce off its skin, meaning it's affected normally by piercing attacks. Presumably those target the "vulnerable spots" of its eyes and belly.

2d6 Hit Dice seems too low. The original monster's 2d8 Hit Dice is twice as much as an Original D&D Orc or Skeleton, suggesting it's a fairly tough combatant for its size. Plus it has weapon-resistant skin and a venomous extra-damaging attack.

For comparison, 2d8 Hit Dice is what Gnolls get in 1974/1977 editions of D&D. In Fifth Edition, a basic Gnoll has 22 hit points. That's considerably more than the 9 hit points you've awarded it.

As for the "hit dice reduced to 1" when fighting out of water, I'd have interpreted that as the Spinescale having disadvantage on attack rolls when on land, and maybe have enemies gain advantage on attack rolls against it too?

 

[Dr Simon]

Good catch on the weapon type.
One thing I've noticed with the WD monsters is that they tend to be very low HD compared to 5th Ed. so that's a good thought. Keeping the d6 Hit Die as it's Small would out it up to about 5-6HD (with its +1 Con) to give a 22 hit point equivalent.
The disadvantage/advantage is a better idea (although I'd keep the varied speeds as well just to really make it rubbish on land).
Cheers, useful points!

 

[Cleon]

One thing I've noticed with the WD monsters is that they tend to be very low HD compared to 5th Ed. so that's a good thought.

Well, it's not just 5E. From 1E to 2E a select few monsters got noticeable power boosts (i.e. demons, devils, dragons, giants), in 3E many of them got a few more HD and they gained a Constitution modifier (or, rarely, Charisma) to their hit points.

In 5E a significant reason for the bump up in HD is they modifier the rules to flatten out the AC and adding HD was a convenient "slider" to keep a monster roughly as tough as its previous incarnations.

Basically, if a creature is hit 4/3rd more often for the same damage, it'd need 4/3rd as many hit points to last as long in a fight.

Let's see, you're doing monsters from White Dwarf #1 (June/July 1977) to White Dwarf #100 (April 1988), which covers Original D&D, 1st Edition AD&D and all editions of the Basic/Expert D&D but not its successors like the Rules Cyclopedia (1991).

All those rulesets tended to give monsters much lower hit points than the same beastie in 3E/5E.

Won't consider 4E as the rules aren't really comparable with other editions.

Keeping the d6 Hit Die as it's Small would out it up to about 5-6HD (with its +1 Con) to give a 22 hit point equivalent.

Well 5d6 + 5 give it 22 hit points on average (rounding down). Giving it 6d6 + 6 averages to 27 hp, which seems a bit high.

Or lower it to 14 (4d6 + 4), it doesn't have to be an exact match to an Orc.

 

[Dr Simon]

I'm only going up to Issue 50 - the Fiend Factory after that slides first into conversions from various book series (Majipoor Chronicles, Many Coloured Land etc) and then into relative obscurity. And issue 50 is the anniversary special that gives stats to the "White Dwarf Personalities", so it's kind of a jokey one.

But yes, the early issues are OD&D. They never really produce any material specifically for BECMI rules, but since they usually portray the stat blocks in a simpler fashion than standard AD&D, I think any halfway competent DM could have used them for either. Although there is a phase in the late 20s/early 30s where everybody loves psionics for some reason, even when they're not really thematically applicable to the monster.

As for HD, it's my sense that the Spinescale is meant to be more of a nuisance monster than a major threat, so let's go with 4d6 (which is an easy doubling of the original and probably a reasonable rule of thumb to stick to). There's one used in the WD scenario The Lichway, where its an obstacle in a "secret passage" area and not a major/necessary feature of the adventure. I reckon you could replace the giant frogs outside the Moathouse in T1 Village of Hommlet with a couple of these as well, although they are somewhat tougher with the resistances and poison.

Also, I see that you have a similar thread going - for simplicity should I just append any future conversion to that, save reinventing the wheel?

 

[Cleon]

Also, I see that you have a similar thread going - for simplicity should I just append any future conversion to that, save reinventing the wheel?

It's up to you.

If you're happy having me add your conversions to the General Monster Forum's White Dwarf Conversion Index I could just do that instead.

The Converting Monsters from White Dwarf Magazine for Fifth Edition thread is in the middle of converting the Gurgotch and I'd rather finish those conversions first before starting new ones there.

All of the WD Index conversions so far are collaborations with [MENTION=6947639]Casimir Liber[/MENTION], who hasn't posted on the forum since 18th February. Better ping them as they appear to have forgotten about it!

 

[Cleon]

All of the WD Index conversions so far are collaborations with [MENTION=6947639]Casimir Liber[/MENTION], who hasn't posted on the forum since 18th February. Better ping them as they appear to have forgotten about it!

Hmm, MENTION appears to have stopped working since a rebuild or two ago. Better PM Casimir.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Nice work on spinescale - agree about tweaking of hitpoints to 14 (4d6 + 4) - it has some resistance to weapon damage anyway. Would we consider giving it some Stealth bonus?

 

[Cleon]

Would we consider giving it some Stealth bonus?

It's already got Camouflage for advantage on Stealth. Were you proposing Proficiency in Stealth as well?