Special Conversion Thread: The Ghazneths

[Shade]

Oops...cut n' paste from some demon.

Ecology: Like all ghazneths, Suzara feeds on magic. When she is not spreading her blight or aiding her fellow ghazneths in terrorizing Cormyr, she hunts magic. At approximately 1,360 years of age, she can hold up to 1,360 levels.

For each level she expends, she can:

1. Detect magic up to 136 miles away for one day; or

2. For one turn, automatically cause all crop plants within 136 yards of her to contract a fungal disease and die within 1d10 days; or

3. Regenerate 11 hit points; or

4. Cause any one inanimate item of no more than 1,100 pounds to rot, crumble, or rust away within 1d10 rounds.

5. Cause any one living being she touches to make a successful saving throw vs. death magic or age 10 years.

Note that the first two powers are automatic; as long as Suzara has any magic levels available, she must expend them to keep these powers active.

It looks like fast healing should not be ongoing, but rolled into her "ghazneth powers" ability.

I'll have to look at the power levels of the other ghazneths to see whether she should get 10/cold iron or 15/cold iron.

 

[freyar]

It looks like fast healing should not be ongoing, but rolled into her "ghazneth powers" ability.

I'll have to look at the power levels of the other ghazneths to see whether she should get 10/cold iron or 15/cold iron.

Agreed about fast healing. For the rejuvenation, I'll just copy/paste from the ghost:

Rejuvenation (Su): Ghazneths are not destroyed through simple combat: When a ghazneth is reduced to 0 hp, it immediately heals as many hit points as possible through its remaining magic levels. If it has no magic levels remaining, the ghazneth lies dormant for 2d10 hours and then absorbs a level of magic directly from the Weave, at which point it heals itself. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. Typically, there is a unique means to destroy a given ghazneth. The exact means varies and may require a good deal of research to discover (a DC 15+CR? Knowledge (history) check).

 

[Shade]

Looks good. How does this look?

Expend Magic (Su): Suzara may expend stored magic to utilize the following powers.

Aging Touch (Su): Suzara may expend one stored magic level to cause a living being she touches to succeed on a DC X Fortitude save or age 10 years. This requires a successful melee touch attack. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Blight (Su): Suzara continuously causes all crops within 136 yards to conract a fungal disease and wither in 1d10 days. This ability drains one stored magic level per day.

Detect Magic (Su): Suzara continuously detects all magic (as the detect magic spell) within 136 miles. This ability drains one stored magic level per day.

Fast Healing (Su): Suzara may expend one stored magic level to gain fast healing 11 for 10 minutes.

Rotting Touch (Su): Suzara may expend one stored magic level to cause any one inanimate item of no more than 1,100 pounds to rot, crumble, or rust away within 1d10 rounds. (Saving throw?)

 

[freyar]

Looks pretty good. The blight ability should burn more levels, though, since it was originally 1 level per turn. Maybe 1 level per hour as a compromise? I'd say magic items should get a Cha-based saving throw for rotting touch.

 

[Shade]

Good points. I updated to 1/hour for blight and save for rotting touch.

Combat: Not one to seek out combat, Suzara is nevertheless quite capable of defending herself. Because of her incredible speed, she receives a -7 Initiative bonus during any round she is not surprised, while her supernatural Strength (19) provides a +7 damage bonus to her attacks. When pressed, she prefers to slash opponents with her talonlike nails and bite with her teeth for 1d4/1d4/1d6 points of damage plus Strength bonus.

All ghazneths have a bonus on Initiative checks. Her Dex modifier grants her exactly the right amount (+7 bonus). Do we want to give all of the Improved Init as a bonus feat as well, just to emphasize the bonus they were originally granted?

Do we want to give her a weapon? The attack lines in the original article note...

# Attacks 3 or 1 weapon
Dmg/Att: 1d4+7/1d4+7/1d6+7, or by weapon +7 (Strength bonus)

...but nothing in her description indicates any desire to use a weapon.

 

[freyar]

I think we choose Dex so high to account for the init bonus, so I don't see the need for Imp Init unless we want to drop Dex somewhat. What do you think?

Let's leave off weapons. If we really want, we can give her weapon proficiencies through feats, but I don't see the necessity.

 

[Shade]

Fair enough.

Damage reduction 15/cold iron?

Skills: 170 (17 max ranks)
Bluff 10, Diplomacy 9, Disguise 10, Intimidate 10, Knowledge (arcana) 17, Knowledge (history) 17, Knowledge (local) 17, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) 17, Listen 10, Search 10, Sense Motive 10, Spellcraft 10, Spot 10, Use Magic Device 10?

Feats: 5
Hover, Iron Will, Multiattack, Power Attack

Environment: Cormyr and surrounding lands?

Challenge Rating: 14? She's about on par with a nalfeshnee.

Treasure: No coins; triple goods (gems and jewelry); triple items?

Advancement: By character class?

Suzara is 6 feet tall and weighs x pounds. (She's gaunt, so maybe 130 pounds?)

Suzara speaks Common and Chondathan?

 

[freyar]

Damage reduction 15/cold iron?

Sure

Skills: 170 (17 max ranks)
Bluff 10, Diplomacy 9, Disguise 10, Intimidate 10, Knowledge (arcana) 17, Knowledge (history) 17, Knowledge (local) 17, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) 17, Listen 10, Search 10, Sense Motive 10, Spellcraft 10, Spot 10, Use Magic Device 10?

I think that's only 167 ranks (are those just the ranks?). Put the other 3 in diplomacy, listen, and spot?

Feats: 5
Hover, Iron Will, Multiattack, Power Attack

Ability focus (aging touch)?

Environment: Cormyr and surrounding lands?

I guess so.

Challenge Rating: 14? She's about on par with a nalfeshnee.

Treasure: No coins; triple goods (gems and jewelry); triple items?

Advancement: By character class?

Suzara is 6 feet tall and weighs x pounds. (She's gaunt, so maybe 130 pounds?)

Suzara speaks Common and Chondathan?

That all sounds good.

 

[Shade]

Advancement: By character class?

On second thought, in 1,300 years wouldn't she have taken a class by now if she were likely to do so?

I think I'll set Advancement to "-" and allow individual DMs to make that call.

 

[freyar]

Oh, right, I thought about that before and then forgot. I could say, "But she didn't have access to training!"