Special Conversion Thread: Moldvay's Undead

[Shade]

We can be as flexible as we like. I see several options:

1.) Modify the skeleton template and allow for any spells (within reason)
2.) Modify the skeleton template and stick with specific gem types
3.) Stick with the 4-HD Medium monster and allow for any spells (within reason)
4.) Stick with the 4-HD Medium monster and stick with specific gem types

Preferences?

 

[freyar]

I'd be closest to option 1. Beef up the skeleton a little and maybe tie each type of gem to a school. Allow spells up to 3rd-4th level but give lower level spells more uses per day to even things out.

 

[Shade]

Anyone else have a preference?

 

[demiurge1138]

Freyar's suggestion strikes me as wise and understanding.

 

[freyar]

Freyar's suggestion strikes me as wise and understanding.

You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar.

Improving on the skeleton template a little:

Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to undead. It retains any subtype except for alignment subtypes (such as good) and subtypes that indicate kind. It gains the augmented subtype. It uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Hit Dice: Drop any Hit Dice gained from class levels (to a minimum of 1) and raise remaining Hit Dice to d12s. Increase the number of HD by 3? If the creature has more than 20 Hit Dice, it can’t be made into gem eyes by the animate dead spell.

 

[Shade]

Freyar's suggestion strikes me as wise and understanding.

I can't argue with such gentlemanly and scholarly praise.

Hit Dice: Drop any Hit Dice gained from class levels (to a minimum of 1) and raise remaining Hit Dice to d12s. Increase the number of HD by 3? If the creature has more than 20 Hit Dice, it can’t be made into gem eyes by the animate dead spell.

What if we just retained existing Hit Dice? Also, I'm not sure if 3e animate dead should be allowed to create gem eyes at all. Create undead may be more appropriate.

 

[demiurge1138]

Sounds good to me.

Edit: That is to say, freyar's version sounds good. I agree with Shade that create undead is a more likely spell to make a gem eyes, but I like the idea of HD + 3 for the template.

 

[freyar]

I agree with create undead being a better spell; animate dead was left as a place-holder from the skeleton template. I went with dropping HD from class levels because these just really seem like augmented skeletons, not retaining any knowledge of their past life at all.

 

[Shade]

OK, I'm convinced.

 

[freyar]

Ok, so now we have

Hit Dice: Drop any Hit Dice gained from class levels (to a minimum of 1) and raise remaining Hit Dice to d12s. Increase the number of HD by 3? If the creature has more than 20 Hit Dice, it can’t be made into gem eyes by the create undead spell.

Speed: Winged skeletons can’t use their wings to fly. If the base creature flew magically, so can the skeleton. Other speeds are unchanged.

Armor Class: Natural armor bonus changes to a number based on the skeleton’s size:
Skeleton Size Natural Armor Bonus
Tiny or smaller +0
Small +1
Medium or Large +2
Huge +3
Gargantuan +6
Colossal +10

I left natural armor the same because the AC in the original text was the same as the Dex + natural armor of a normal human skeleton. We could boost that, though.