Special Conversion Thread: Moldvay's Undead

[Shade]

Here's a mockup. I increased her mental scores a bit, since her Int is "Exceptional" (and thus 15-16).

Black Annis
Large Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 11d8+22 (71 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 20 (–1 size, +1 Dex, +10 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +11/+22
Attack: Claw +17 melee (1d6+7)
Full Attack: 2 claws +17 melee (1d6+7) and bite +12 melee (1d6+3)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, rake 1d6+7, rend 2d6+10, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 2/bludgeoning, darkvision 60 ft., spell resistance CR+11
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +9
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 16
Skills: 5 at 14 ranks
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Great Fortitude, 1 more
Environment: Temperate hills?
Organization: Solitary or with Black Annis' Cat
Challenge Rating: x
Treasure: x
Alignment: Neutral evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: —

This creature looks like an ancient female human, but impossibly tall. It has deep blue skin and filthy black hair.

Flavor text..

Black Annis stands 10 feet all and weighs about x pounds.

Combat

Tactics.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, Black Annis must hit a Large or smaller opponent with a claw attack. She can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.

Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +17 melee, damage 1d6+7. Black Annis can attack a grappled foe with both claws at no penalty.

Rend (Ex): If Black Annis hits with both claw attacks, she latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the flesh. This attack automatically deals an extra 2d6+10 points of damage.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—detect magic; 3/day—animate dead, clairaudience/clairvoyance, confusion, deeper darkness, disguise self, dispel magic, fog cloud; 1/day—move earth. Caster level 12th.

 

[freyar]

Let's make her tomb-tainted, also. Think she's boosted enough?

 

[demiurge1138]

There's a line in the original that says that her one attack is either physical or "with a spell". Considering that she has no damage-dealing SLAs, I kind of want to give her an eldritch blast analogue. Ray of doom, anyone?

I agree that tomb-tainted is the way to go.

 

[Shade]

Sounds good.

Added to Homebrews.

Wanna write up that "ray of doom"?

 

[demiurge1138]

Ray of Doom (Sp): As a standard action, Black Annis may fire a ray of seething evil energy at an opponent within 60 feet. Creatures struck by this ray take 2d6 points of damage (and must make a DC X Fortitude save, Cha based, or be dazzled for 1 round?).

and add "or ray of doom +11 ranged touch (2d6)" to her attack and full attack lines.

 

[Shade]

Great! I like the secondary effect, too.

Updated.

For her cat, shall we take the smilodon stats, convert to magical beast, and remove the augmented critical (since it doesn't seem to have saber teeth)?

 

[demiurge1138]

I like the sound of the cat. Do smilodon have pounce/rake?

Edit: Since Black Annis is a unique, we should probably increase her Con to give her more staying power and bump her DR to at least 5. Perhaps 5/bludgeoning and good?

We should also come up with SLAs to give to a coven with Black Annis as its leader.

 

[Shade]

Yes to pounce/rake.

DR 5/5/bludgeoning and good appeals.

The specialized coven is an interesting idea.

 

[freyar]

This is looking good! Note also that her cat should be more intelligent, perhaps like a familiar for some appropriate level Wiz/Sorc.

Bump Con to 18 or 20 ish?

 

[Shade]

Updated with Con 20. Increased Cat's Int and Cha to 10 and 12, respectively.

I was thinking of suggesting allowing Black Annis to have an empathic link with her cat, like a familiar, but then a more flavorful idea presented itself. How about the cat either wears her hag eye on its collar, or even has it as a replacement for one of its own eyes?

Should the cat be tomb-tainted as well?