Special Conversion Thread: Moldvay's Undead

[freyar]

Speaking of feats, should we get down to those now?

 

[Shade]

Sure thing.

It looks like we'll need two Extra Spell feats. That leaves 5 more. I'd like to see Improved Critical (slam) and maybe even Improved Natural Attack (slam) to help get it closer to its original damage output.

 

[freyar]

That sounds fine, but can't we just peg the base slam damage a little higher and save a feat?

Also, I don't see Extra Spell in the SRD. Is it there somewhere?

I might nominate going for Spell Focus (conjuration) to get Augment Summoning, but I'm not sure. Spell Focus (necromancy) and Spell Penetration seem like good choices, though.

 

[Shade]

That sounds fine, but can't we just peg the base slam damage a little higher and save a feat?

Absolutely, especially since this is a unique being.

Also, I don't see Extra Spell in the SRD. Is it there somewhere?

D'oh! It's not. It's one of those "no brainer" feats that I'm surprised aren't in there. We could probably still use it, though, since it doesn't really require explanation.

I might nominate going for Spell Focus (conjuration) to get Augment Summoning, but I'm not sure. Spell Focus (necromancy) and Spell Penetration seem like good choices, though.

I agree with the latter two.

 

[freyar]

That from Complete Arcane or something? I tried looking in the Netbook of Feats for an OGC equivalent, but the best I see is Unique Spell. 'Course, I don't know if using one of their feats is better than using something from a splat.

So, so far we have Spell Focus (necromancy) and Spell Penetration. If we bump the base natural damage but use Improved Critical, we still have 2 or 4 slots depending on what we do about Extra Spell. Greater Spell Focus? Greater Spell Penetration? Something metamagic?

 

[Shade]

Yep, Complete Arcane, and I believe Tome & Blood before that.

If we really want to give him extra spells, but don't want to use a non-SRD feat, we could always just give him a special ability that grants him more spells known than normal for a sorcerer of his level. Maybe something like:

Ancient Knowledge (Ex?): Over its centuries of unlife, Le Grand Zombi has learned more spells than normal for a sorcerer of its level.

 

[freyar]

Hmmm, well, that has the extra advantage of freeing up a couple of feats. I'm fine with using a special ability. Let's see if demiurge has an opinion on that.

 

[demiurge1138]

Ancient Knowledge sounds good to me. Make it one additional spell per level.

Demiurge out.

 

[Shade]

Ancient Knowledge (Ex): Over its centuries of unlife, Le Grand Zombi has acquire a wealth of arcane knowledge. As a result, Le Grand Zombi has one additional spell known than normal for a sorcerer of its level.

Spells: Le Grand Zombi casts spells as a 22nd-level sorcerer and can also cast cleric spells and those from the Darkness, Death, Destruction, Evil, and Madness domains as arcane spells.

Typical Sorcerer Spells known (9/8/8/8/8/8/7/7/7/7)
0th - daze, detect magic, ghost sound, inflict minor wounds, mage hand, message, open/close, read magic, tough of fatigue, 1 more
1st - chill touch, deathwatch, doom, inflict light wounds, mage armor, ray of enfeeblement
2nd - desecrate, darkness, ghoul touch, scare, spectral hand, 1 more
3rd - animate dead, contagion, haste, vampiric touch, 1 more
4th - armor of darkness, enervation, inflict critical wounds, unholy blight, 1 more
5th - bolts of bedevilment, mass inflict light wounds, unhallow, waves of fatigue, 1 more
6th - create undead, greater dispel magic, harm, 1 more
7th - control undead, destruction, mass inflict serious wounds, mass invisibility
8th - create greater undead, horrid wilting, maddening scream, unholy aura
9th - implosion, time stop, wail of the banshee, 1 more (energy drain?)

 

[freyar]

I think you mean "one additional spell known per level."

0 - ray of frost?
2 - blindness/deafness or maybe see invisibility
3 - dispel magic seems like a good one
4 - crushing despair?
5 - permanency? But I kind of like magic jar for an undead mastermind...

More suggestions later...