Shade
Monster Junkie
I've been meaning to do this for a long time. This thread will serve as a repository for all the "secrets" we come across while converting monsters, and as a quick link to various conversion resources. This thread is locked to prevent clutter, but please post anything you find beneficial in this thread.
Official Conversion Guides
2E to 3E Conversion Manual
D&D v.3.5 Accessory Update Booklet
Player's Guide to Faerûn Web Enhancement (updates FR monsters from various sources to 3.5)
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Checklist
Does monster have a climb or swim speed? If so, add +8 racial bonus and "always take 10" info to skills entry.
Note speed bonuses or penalties to Jump modifier.
Note size bonuses or penalties to Hide modifier.
If monster wears armor, don't forget max dex bonus and armor check penalties.
Does monster have only a single natural attack? If so, add Str and a half to damage.
Many skills are noted as granting a synergy bonus to the use of another skill when you have 5 or more ranks in the first skill. This synergy bonus increases by +2 for every additional 20 ranks you have in the skill. For instance, if you have 5 or more ranks in Tumble, you get a +2 synergy bonus on Balance checks. If you have 25 or more ranks in Tumble, this synergy bonus increases to +4, with 45 or more ranks to +6, and so on.
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Construct Creation
Source: Rules of the Game - Constructs (Part Two)
Creating a fairly elaborate construct such as a golem or shield guardian requires the Craft Construct feat (described on page 303 in the Monster Manual). The process of construct creation is just like creating a magic item. The process is described in Chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master's Guide and in Rules of the Game: Making Magic Items. Here are the highlights:
Prerequisites: A construct has a list of prerequisites, which is included in the creation section of the construct's description. A list of prerequisites might include one or more feats, spells, and miscellaneous requirements such as level, alignment, skills, and race or kind.
A construct's creator must have a caster level high enough to cast any prerequisite spell the construct has.
In most cases, the construct's creator must provide any required spells personally; you can't have another character cast them for you, but you can use a scroll that you activate yourself.
Cost: A construct's description (usually) includes a market price and a cost to create the construct. To calculate the creation cost for a construct, subtract the cost of any special materials the construct requires from the market price. Divide the remainder in half. The result you get represents the basic materials you must buy to build the construct. This basic cost includes the cost of the construct's body. Most construct descriptions include a separate cost for the body to allow DMs and players to use the Craft skill to create the body.
The total cost to create the construct is the basic cost plus the cost of special materials. For example, a construct with a market price of 100,000 gp and 10,000 gp worth of required special materials has a creation cost of 55,000 gp. (Here's the math: 100,000 - 10,000 = 90,000; then 90,000/2=45,000; then 45,000 + 10,000 = 55,000 gp.)
Making the construct also requires experience points equal to 1/25th the market price minus the cost of special materials. The construct from the previous example has an XP cost of 3,600.
You can make an advanced version of a construct (one that has more Hit Dice than shown in the creature description). Each extra Hit Die adds 5,000 gp to the construct's market price. If you add enough Hit Dice to increase the construct's size, add an extra 50,000 gp to the construct's market price.
Time: For every 1,000 gp in a construct's market price (or fraction of 1,000 gp), the creator must spend one day working on the construct. The construct from the previous example would require 100 days of work.
Environment: Creating a construct requires peace, quiet, and comfort, just as preparing spells does (even when the creator doesn't need to prepare spells). Any location a character uses for construct creation also must have enough space to hold any special equipment and materials the construct requires.
Equipment: Some constructs also require a specially equipped laboratory similar to an alchemist's lab. The cost for setting up such a laboratory (if it is required at all) is given in the construct's description. The cost for a lab is not included in the construct's market price or base price. Once you set up a lab, you can use it over and over again.
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Obscure Abilities and Where to Find Them
Airy (Plague Brush, MMIII)
Bioluminescence (Firefriend, not-yet-in-CC)
Bleeding Wound [similar to old wounding ability](Nycaloth, MMIII)
Change Size (enlarge/reduce for non humanoids, Efreeti)
Control Temperature (spell in Frostburn, shatjan)
Drown (Aballin, Monsters of Faerun)
Drowning Grapple (Skuz, Dragon #352)
Group Snatch (Dark Wing)
Size Change (Shimnus)
Swarmfighting (Illithocyte, Dragon #337, Dragon Beetle)
Venomous Blood (blue dragonet)
Alien Mind:
Alien Mind (Abomination of Diirinka)
Incomprehensible (Blood Elemental, WotC's site)
Inscrutable Mind (Phiuhl, Fiend Folio)
Rejuvenation Variants:
Morbid Rejuvenation (Charnel Custodian, Dragon #352)
Senses:
Deaf (Nupperibo, FCII)
Dweomersight (Balhannoth, MMIV)
Discriminating Hearing (Marruspawn, Sandstorm)
Fluidsense (Skuz, Dragon #352)
Greater Arcane Sight (Feystag)
Keen Scent (Sharks)
Lifesense (Illithocyte, Dragon #337, Presence)
Sense Emotions (Joystealer, MMIV)
Unnatural Senses (Presence)
Swallow Whole Variants:
Bury (Charnel Custodian, Dragon #352)
Tied to an Area:
Gravebound (Charnel Custodian, Dragon #352)
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Spell Resistance Guidelines
Demon = CR + 8
Devil = CR + 12
Linnorm = CR + 11
Magic Resistance translations:
5% = CR+2
10% = CR+3
15% = CR+4
20% = CR+5
25% = CR+6
30% = CR+7
35% = CR+8
40% = CR+9
45% = CR+10
50% = CR+11
55% = CR+12
60% = CR+13
65% = CR+14
70% = CR+15
75% = CR+16
80% = CR+17
85% = CR+18
90% = CR+19
95% = CR+20
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Deity Ability Score Arrays
35, 28, 25, 24, 24, 24. Deities also gain +1 ability point per divine rank, and the usual additional point per 4 HD/levels.
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Unsolved Mysteries
Official Conversion Guides
2E to 3E Conversion Manual
D&D v.3.5 Accessory Update Booklet
Player's Guide to Faerûn Web Enhancement (updates FR monsters from various sources to 3.5)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Checklist
Does monster have a climb or swim speed? If so, add +8 racial bonus and "always take 10" info to skills entry.
Note speed bonuses or penalties to Jump modifier.
Note size bonuses or penalties to Hide modifier.
If monster wears armor, don't forget max dex bonus and armor check penalties.
Does monster have only a single natural attack? If so, add Str and a half to damage.
Many skills are noted as granting a synergy bonus to the use of another skill when you have 5 or more ranks in the first skill. This synergy bonus increases by +2 for every additional 20 ranks you have in the skill. For instance, if you have 5 or more ranks in Tumble, you get a +2 synergy bonus on Balance checks. If you have 25 or more ranks in Tumble, this synergy bonus increases to +4, with 45 or more ranks to +6, and so on.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Construct Creation
Source: Rules of the Game - Constructs (Part Two)
Creating a fairly elaborate construct such as a golem or shield guardian requires the Craft Construct feat (described on page 303 in the Monster Manual). The process of construct creation is just like creating a magic item. The process is described in Chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master's Guide and in Rules of the Game: Making Magic Items. Here are the highlights:
Prerequisites: A construct has a list of prerequisites, which is included in the creation section of the construct's description. A list of prerequisites might include one or more feats, spells, and miscellaneous requirements such as level, alignment, skills, and race or kind.
A construct's creator must have a caster level high enough to cast any prerequisite spell the construct has.
In most cases, the construct's creator must provide any required spells personally; you can't have another character cast them for you, but you can use a scroll that you activate yourself.
Cost: A construct's description (usually) includes a market price and a cost to create the construct. To calculate the creation cost for a construct, subtract the cost of any special materials the construct requires from the market price. Divide the remainder in half. The result you get represents the basic materials you must buy to build the construct. This basic cost includes the cost of the construct's body. Most construct descriptions include a separate cost for the body to allow DMs and players to use the Craft skill to create the body.
The total cost to create the construct is the basic cost plus the cost of special materials. For example, a construct with a market price of 100,000 gp and 10,000 gp worth of required special materials has a creation cost of 55,000 gp. (Here's the math: 100,000 - 10,000 = 90,000; then 90,000/2=45,000; then 45,000 + 10,000 = 55,000 gp.)
Making the construct also requires experience points equal to 1/25th the market price minus the cost of special materials. The construct from the previous example has an XP cost of 3,600.
You can make an advanced version of a construct (one that has more Hit Dice than shown in the creature description). Each extra Hit Die adds 5,000 gp to the construct's market price. If you add enough Hit Dice to increase the construct's size, add an extra 50,000 gp to the construct's market price.
Time: For every 1,000 gp in a construct's market price (or fraction of 1,000 gp), the creator must spend one day working on the construct. The construct from the previous example would require 100 days of work.
Environment: Creating a construct requires peace, quiet, and comfort, just as preparing spells does (even when the creator doesn't need to prepare spells). Any location a character uses for construct creation also must have enough space to hold any special equipment and materials the construct requires.
Equipment: Some constructs also require a specially equipped laboratory similar to an alchemist's lab. The cost for setting up such a laboratory (if it is required at all) is given in the construct's description. The cost for a lab is not included in the construct's market price or base price. Once you set up a lab, you can use it over and over again.
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Obscure Abilities and Where to Find Them
Airy (Plague Brush, MMIII)
Bioluminescence (Firefriend, not-yet-in-CC)
Bleeding Wound [similar to old wounding ability](Nycaloth, MMIII)
Change Size (enlarge/reduce for non humanoids, Efreeti)
Control Temperature (spell in Frostburn, shatjan)
Drown (Aballin, Monsters of Faerun)
Drowning Grapple (Skuz, Dragon #352)
Group Snatch (Dark Wing)
Size Change (Shimnus)
Swarmfighting (Illithocyte, Dragon #337, Dragon Beetle)
Venomous Blood (blue dragonet)
Alien Mind:
Alien Mind (Abomination of Diirinka)
Incomprehensible (Blood Elemental, WotC's site)
Inscrutable Mind (Phiuhl, Fiend Folio)
Rejuvenation Variants:
Morbid Rejuvenation (Charnel Custodian, Dragon #352)
Senses:
Deaf (Nupperibo, FCII)
Dweomersight (Balhannoth, MMIV)
Discriminating Hearing (Marruspawn, Sandstorm)
Fluidsense (Skuz, Dragon #352)
Greater Arcane Sight (Feystag)
Keen Scent (Sharks)
Lifesense (Illithocyte, Dragon #337, Presence)
Sense Emotions (Joystealer, MMIV)
Unnatural Senses (Presence)
Swallow Whole Variants:
Bury (Charnel Custodian, Dragon #352)
Tied to an Area:
Gravebound (Charnel Custodian, Dragon #352)
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Spell Resistance Guidelines
Demon = CR + 8
Devil = CR + 12
Linnorm = CR + 11
Magic Resistance translations:
5% = CR+2
10% = CR+3
15% = CR+4
20% = CR+5
25% = CR+6
30% = CR+7
35% = CR+8
40% = CR+9
45% = CR+10
50% = CR+11
55% = CR+12
60% = CR+13
65% = CR+14
70% = CR+15
75% = CR+16
80% = CR+17
85% = CR+18
90% = CR+19
95% = CR+20
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Deity Ability Score Arrays
35, 28, 25, 24, 24, 24. Deities also gain +1 ability point per divine rank, and the usual additional point per 4 HD/levels.
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Unsolved Mysteries
- How to determine construct market price.
- How to determine a true dragon's spell resistance
- Do Spell Focus feats apply to spell-like abilities?
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