So about a month ago, 4.0 published an article about how to hack monsters. http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ex/20080418a
The same day, they published a cool new monster called the Phane. http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ex/20080418b
It's right up my alley: it's creepy and weird looking, it has time manipulating powers. But it's a 25th level creature!
I'm not going to be running at that level any time soon.
The monster hacking guidelines say that: "This process works best for adjusting a monster’s level up to five higher or lower. Beyond that, the monster changes so much that you’d do better to start with another creature of the desired role and level range."
But frankly, 4.0 is so stripped down that it looks very easy to skin and reverse engineer. So I used the decreasing level method anyway.
"Decreasing a monster’s level works like increasing it, but in reverse. For each level down, reduce the creature’s attack rolls, defenses, and AC by 1 and drop its hit points based on its role. For every two levels, also reduce its damage by 1."
This is what I came up with:
Low Phane
Level 5 Elite Controller (-21 levels)
Large immortal magical beast
XP ????????
Initiative +2 Senses Perception +4; darkvision
HP 72; Bloodied 37
AC 20; Fortitude 17, Reflex 20, Will 17
Resist insubstantial
Saving Throws +2
Speed 10, fly 10
Action Points 1
Temporal Touch (standard; at-will)
Reach 2; +8 vs. Reflex; 1d8 + 5 damage, and the target is slowed until the end of the phane’s next turn. The phane shifts 4 squares before or after making this attack.
Wizening Ray (standard; at-will)
Ranged 10; +8 vs. Fortitude; 1d4 + 4 damage, and the target is dazed and weakened (save ends both). Aftereffect: The target is weakened (save ends). The target appears elderly until the effects of the wizening ray end.
Wizening Tempest (standard, usable only while bloodied; at-will)
Close burst 1; phanes are immune; +8 vs. Fortitude; 1d4 + 5 damage, and the target is stunned (save ends). Aftereffect: The target is dazed and weakened (save ends both). The target appears elderly until the effects of the wizening tempest end.
Temporal Fugue (minor; at-will)
By moving backward and forward in time, a phane can remove one effect afflicting it.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Supernal
Str ?? (+0) Dex ?? (+2) Wis ?? (+0)
Con ?? (+0) Int ?? (+1) Cha ?? (+0)
I took the hit points from a fifth level wizard ("controller") and doubled them because a phane is "elite."
I haven't thought much about the ability scores.
The caveat is this:
If you apply the guidelines straight, you get some ridiculous things when it comes to damage, like a fifth level phane that does 2d8 - 10 damage with an attack, or -8 to 6 points.
The solution is this:
Lowering the size of damage dice by one "step" is roughly equal to lowering the damage by one point on average. So, you divide the amount you need to lower the damage by 2. In this case, a twenty level reduction requires a ten point damage reduction. Then you give the creature a -5 penalty to damage, and lower the die type by five steps.
Wallah.
Is it right?
I dunno. It looks right compared to many of the monsters I've seen. I won't know if it is right until I use it in a playtest against my halpless players sometime in July or so.
The same day, they published a cool new monster called the Phane. http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ex/20080418b
It's right up my alley: it's creepy and weird looking, it has time manipulating powers. But it's a 25th level creature!
I'm not going to be running at that level any time soon.
The monster hacking guidelines say that: "This process works best for adjusting a monster’s level up to five higher or lower. Beyond that, the monster changes so much that you’d do better to start with another creature of the desired role and level range."
But frankly, 4.0 is so stripped down that it looks very easy to skin and reverse engineer. So I used the decreasing level method anyway.
"Decreasing a monster’s level works like increasing it, but in reverse. For each level down, reduce the creature’s attack rolls, defenses, and AC by 1 and drop its hit points based on its role. For every two levels, also reduce its damage by 1."
This is what I came up with:
Low Phane
Level 5 Elite Controller (-21 levels)
Large immortal magical beast
XP ????????
Initiative +2 Senses Perception +4; darkvision
HP 72; Bloodied 37
AC 20; Fortitude 17, Reflex 20, Will 17
Resist insubstantial
Saving Throws +2
Speed 10, fly 10
Action Points 1
Temporal Touch (standard; at-will)
Reach 2; +8 vs. Reflex; 1d8 + 5 damage, and the target is slowed until the end of the phane’s next turn. The phane shifts 4 squares before or after making this attack.
Wizening Ray (standard; at-will)
Ranged 10; +8 vs. Fortitude; 1d4 + 4 damage, and the target is dazed and weakened (save ends both). Aftereffect: The target is weakened (save ends). The target appears elderly until the effects of the wizening ray end.
Wizening Tempest (standard, usable only while bloodied; at-will)
Close burst 1; phanes are immune; +8 vs. Fortitude; 1d4 + 5 damage, and the target is stunned (save ends). Aftereffect: The target is dazed and weakened (save ends both). The target appears elderly until the effects of the wizening tempest end.
By moving backward and forward in time, a phane can remove one effect afflicting it.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Supernal
Str ?? (+0) Dex ?? (+2) Wis ?? (+0)
Con ?? (+0) Int ?? (+1) Cha ?? (+0)
I took the hit points from a fifth level wizard ("controller") and doubled them because a phane is "elite."
I haven't thought much about the ability scores.
The caveat is this:
If you apply the guidelines straight, you get some ridiculous things when it comes to damage, like a fifth level phane that does 2d8 - 10 damage with an attack, or -8 to 6 points.
The solution is this:
Lowering the size of damage dice by one "step" is roughly equal to lowering the damage by one point on average. So, you divide the amount you need to lower the damage by 2. In this case, a twenty level reduction requires a ten point damage reduction. Then you give the creature a -5 penalty to damage, and lower the die type by five steps.
Wallah.
Is it right?
I dunno. It looks right compared to many of the monsters I've seen. I won't know if it is right until I use it in a playtest against my halpless players sometime in July or so.
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