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Special Conversion Thread: The Ghazneths

This is probably the right way to go. Should we throw earthquake in the 8th level spell list? Do you think this gets him down to CR 12-13?
 

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Ok, let's fill in some Xs. CL 18?

Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (nobility & royalty), Listen, Search, Spellcraft, Spot ?

Feats: Combat Casting, Empower Spell, Quicken Spell, Spell Penetration

I'm very flexible with the feats, though.
 

I like most of that. Since Quicken Spell is essentially useless for sorcerers, I replaced it with Extend Spell.

Updated.

Luthax is 6 feet tall and weighs x pounds.

Anything else?
 

Oh, I always forget that about spontaneous metamagic.

Well, he's supposed to be heavy, so 300lb?

Edit: And I'd say he's done.
 
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Last one!

Xanthon the Baneful
Climate/Terrain: Cormyr and surrounding lands
Freq: Unique
Organization: Band
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Special (see below)
Intelligence: High (14)
Treasure: P
Alignment: Neutral evil
# App: 1
AC: -1
Move: 18
HD: 9 (60 hp)
THAC0: 11 (10 in melee)
# Attacks 3 or 1 weapon
Dmg/Att: 1d4+3/1d4+3/1d6+3, or by weapon +3 (Strength bonus)
SA: Swarms (see below), -2 initiative bonus
SD: hit only by iron weapons, regeneration
Magic Resistance: Special, see below
Size: M (6' tall)
Morale: Champion (16)
XP: 11,000

A slender, shadowy figure that can easily be mistaken for a man--at least until his clothes rot and reveal the tiny wings sprouting between his shoulder blades--Xanthon the Baneful is the Scourge of Swarms, the youngest of the ghazneths. In bad light, his fading humanity can be seen in his bladelike nose and the slender tuft of beard hanging from his chin. In better illumination, his face turns mantislike and skeletal, with hollow cheeks and ovoid eyes tinged the color of blood.

Xanthon became a ghazneth less than a year ago, after swearing vengeance on King Azoun IV. Although his transformation is far from complete, Xanthon is the eager instigator behind Cormyr's current troubles.

Combat: Young and reckless, Xanthon is spoiling for a fight. Xanthon enjoys a -2 Initiative bonus during any round he is not surprised, while his Strength (18/45) gives him a +3 damage bonus. Xanthon suffers damage only from weapons made of cold-forged iron, regenerates up to 6 hp per round, and absorbs any magic used against him. (See introduction for details)

Xanthon cannot hide behind his wings, so he suffers the full effects of any spell striking his body, though only for as long as it takes to absorb the spell levels. Should he be killed, he instantly becomes undead and rises the following round, after he has used the magic to regenerate.

Xanthon's primary weaon is the power of swarms. See Ecology for more details on this power.

Habitat/Society: As teh "scourge of the day", Xanthon is the only living ghazneth. His fellow ghazneths view him as an annoying younger brother, though they are grateful to him for digging them out of their tombs and tolerate his presence, as long as he doesn't presume to offer suggestions.

Ecology: Having been a ghazneth for less than a year, Xanthon can store only one magic level at a time. His life is a constant search for magic, which he expends as quickly as he absorbs it to make room for more. For each level he expends, he can:

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

2. For one turn, automatically cause all poisonous, stinging, disease-bearing, and blood-sucking creatures within 1 yard of him to multiply 1d10x10 times; or

3. Regenerate 6 hit points; or

4. Infest any single building, campsite, field, copse, or similar area with a swarm of reptiles, rodents, insects, or arachnids (any species he chooses). This infestation requires 1 round per square yard of area. If Xanthon is forced to leave before the infestation is complete, only the vicinity around him is infested.

5. He may summon a swarm of 2d10x10 rodents and direct their actions in a general manner; there is a 25% chance that such swarms bear a contagious and deadly disease.

6. He can imprint instructions on any single poisonous, disease-bearing, stining, or blood-sucking creature he touches; such instructions are subject to mistakes and misinterpretations, and can never consist of more than fifteen words.
 

Huzzah!

My feeling is that he should be a much lower CR than the others, since he's barely going to be able to use his special abilities. For stats, looks like he's Str 19, Dex 14-15, and Int 14. How about also Con 15, Wis 12, Cha 19-20?
 

Actually the Str is only 16-17, and since he was originally weaker than Luthax, whom we gave 16, I'd go no higher than that. The other stats look good.

Added to Homebrews.
 

Oh, right, we're doing str by damage bonus rather than the stat listed in the combat text. Yeah, let's go with 16.

For "2. For one turn, automatically cause all poisonous, stinging, disease-bearing, and blood-sucking creatures within 1 yard of him to multiply 1d10x10 times," let's say

Increase Vermin (Su): Automatically cause all vermin within five feet of him to multiply in number 1d10x10 times. This uses one level of magic per hour.

Think it's ok to simplify to vermin?
 

Hmmm...we probably need to limit that on size. We don't want a devastation beetle to multiply 100 times!

For #5, simply summon a rat swarm (which already bears disease)?

For #6, allow him to command vermin or venemous animals as an evil cleric commands undead?
 

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