Special Conversion Thread: Supernatural Familiars
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Shade
Monster Junkie
Last one!
Veeru
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 9"/21"//18" (MC:B)
HIT DICE: 1+2
% IN LAIR: 5%
TREASURE TYPE: Q (x10)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-2
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Poison bite, singing
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Transparency
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 30%
INTELLIGENCE: Average
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic (see below)
SIZE: S (3’ long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: IV/ 200 + 2/hp
Veeru (singular and plural are the same word) roam widely, but when encountered are usually near water. They are elusive and generally avoid direct contact with other intelligent creatures. Veeru make floating nests of reeds to sleep in, or lair in trees or caves if they aren.t near water or reeds are unavailable.
A veeru bites with its long, toothy jaws for 1-2 points of damage per hit. Any creature bitten by a veeru must save vs. poison or become confused for 13-24 hours thereafter. The veeru’s other weapon is its song. Once per day it can sing a tune with its chimelike voice that will cause all within 3" to be affected as if by an Otto’s irresistible dance spell. Anyone within the area of effect, or anyone who enters the area while the song is going on, is allowed a saving throw vs. spell to avoid the effect. The veeru must halt its song if it is hit in combat or otherwise distracted, and in any event it cannot keep up the singing for longer than three rounds. The dance effect on victims lasts for 2-5 rounds beyond the time when the veeru stops singing.
Like the pseudodragon (to which it is loosely related), the veeru can see invisible objects. It can become effectively invisible (80% undetectable, like the pseudodragon) by making itself transparent. In this state, a veeru still reflects light, and when seen from certain angles appears as a shimmering rainbow of colors. Those able to detect invisible objects who succeed in the attempt will see the veeru in its true form, and not as a rainbow of colors. Veeru are nearperfect mimics, able to imitate words, short phrases, and bird calls with 90% accuracy. They do not learn languages; communicating instead (as does the pseudodragon) through a form of limited telepathy.
All veeru are chaotic and unpredictable in actions and motives. The majority (55%) are neither good nor evil, 40% are of evil inclination, and 5% are chaotic good. Evil veeru like to mislead those foolish enough to venture into swampy places, and they sometimes work in concert with will-o-wisps. If a chaotic evil or chaotic neutral magicuser acquires the services of a veeru as a familiar, it will be a type that matches the master’s alignment. (No chaotic good veeru will ever come as a familiar.) If master and familiar are touching, the magic-user gets the benefit of the veeru’s magic resistance, and the creature can transmit telepathically whatever it senses, as long as master and familiar are no farther than 24” apart.
In its natural (opaque) form a veeru appears much like a miniature gold dragon with long, slender, bat-like wings. Its scaly hide is gold, and it has glowing green eyes.
Veeru
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 9"/21"//18" (MC:B)
HIT DICE: 1+2
% IN LAIR: 5%
TREASURE TYPE: Q (x10)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-2
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Poison bite, singing
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Transparency
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 30%
INTELLIGENCE: Average
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic (see below)
SIZE: S (3’ long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: IV/ 200 + 2/hp
Veeru (singular and plural are the same word) roam widely, but when encountered are usually near water. They are elusive and generally avoid direct contact with other intelligent creatures. Veeru make floating nests of reeds to sleep in, or lair in trees or caves if they aren.t near water or reeds are unavailable.
A veeru bites with its long, toothy jaws for 1-2 points of damage per hit. Any creature bitten by a veeru must save vs. poison or become confused for 13-24 hours thereafter. The veeru’s other weapon is its song. Once per day it can sing a tune with its chimelike voice that will cause all within 3" to be affected as if by an Otto’s irresistible dance spell. Anyone within the area of effect, or anyone who enters the area while the song is going on, is allowed a saving throw vs. spell to avoid the effect. The veeru must halt its song if it is hit in combat or otherwise distracted, and in any event it cannot keep up the singing for longer than three rounds. The dance effect on victims lasts for 2-5 rounds beyond the time when the veeru stops singing.
Like the pseudodragon (to which it is loosely related), the veeru can see invisible objects. It can become effectively invisible (80% undetectable, like the pseudodragon) by making itself transparent. In this state, a veeru still reflects light, and when seen from certain angles appears as a shimmering rainbow of colors. Those able to detect invisible objects who succeed in the attempt will see the veeru in its true form, and not as a rainbow of colors. Veeru are nearperfect mimics, able to imitate words, short phrases, and bird calls with 90% accuracy. They do not learn languages; communicating instead (as does the pseudodragon) through a form of limited telepathy.
All veeru are chaotic and unpredictable in actions and motives. The majority (55%) are neither good nor evil, 40% are of evil inclination, and 5% are chaotic good. Evil veeru like to mislead those foolish enough to venture into swampy places, and they sometimes work in concert with will-o-wisps. If a chaotic evil or chaotic neutral magicuser acquires the services of a veeru as a familiar, it will be a type that matches the master’s alignment. (No chaotic good veeru will ever come as a familiar.) If master and familiar are touching, the magic-user gets the benefit of the veeru’s magic resistance, and the creature can transmit telepathically whatever it senses, as long as master and familiar are no farther than 24” apart.
In its natural (opaque) form a veeru appears much like a miniature gold dragon with long, slender, bat-like wings. Its scaly hide is gold, and it has glowing green eyes.
demiurge1138
Inventor of Super-Toast
OK, irresistable dance is way too powerful. Fascinate might be a better model.
Shade
Monster Junkie
Here's the 2e pseudodragon for comparison:
Dragonet, Pseudodragon
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate or subtropical forests and caves
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Day
DIET: Omnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Average (8-10)
TREASURE: Q (x10)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral (good)
NO. APPEARING: 1 (50% chance of 1-8 in nests)
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVEMENT: 6, Fl 24 (B)
HIT DICE: 2
THAC0: 19
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-3+special
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Poison sting
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Chameleon power
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 35%
SIZE: T (1½' long)
MORALE: Champion (15)
XP VALUE: 420
3e scores: Str 6, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10
It looks like the veeru has similar Int (and probably other mental scores) and AC (so probably similar Dex), deals less damage (so maybe drop Str to 4-5) and bonus hp, so maybe boost Con to 15?
Dragonet, Pseudodragon
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate or subtropical forests and caves
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Day
DIET: Omnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Average (8-10)
TREASURE: Q (x10)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral (good)
NO. APPEARING: 1 (50% chance of 1-8 in nests)
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVEMENT: 6, Fl 24 (B)
HIT DICE: 2
THAC0: 19
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-3+special
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Poison sting
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Chameleon power
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 35%
SIZE: T (1½' long)
MORALE: Champion (15)
XP VALUE: 420
3e scores: Str 6, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10
It looks like the veeru has similar Int (and probably other mental scores) and AC (so probably similar Dex), deals less damage (so maybe drop Str to 4-5) and bonus hp, so maybe boost Con to 15?
demiurge1138
Inventor of Super-Toast
I'm fine with that plan.
Shade
Monster Junkie
Cleon
Legend
Making them a Tiny Dragon certainly seems the right thing to do.
The higher Con works for me, but I'm not sure about the lower Strength. They're the same 3-foot length length as the SRD Pseudodragon, so I would think they'd have the same Strength. Maybe just their bite damage dice 1d2?
As for the Dancing Song, while I certainly think irresistible dance would be too powerful, I don't like the fascination approach. The victims aren't standing quietly admiring the song, they're dancing. Maybe have the targets be able to move and attack while dancing, but at significant penalties - as if they were entangled or under a slow spell?
