Converting Oriental Adventures creatures

freyar said:

Let me just get this straight first. It's an incorporeal (undead?) critter in light but turns into a corporeal monster in regions of dim light? Odd.

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I'm presuming it turns into a literal bodiless shadow in light (the absence-of-light kind, not an incorporeal undead), but becomes substantial in shadowy or darker conditions.

freyar said:

Agreed on 6HD Medium undead?

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Yes.

The first version suggests it could be a template, but I'm leaning toward the simplicity of a straight monster. Especially as I believe the 3E Oriental Adventures Ninja and Yakuza are non-OGL.

I can't say I like such a perfect defense mechanism. Usually we've modified monsters that had abilities like that. Besides which, the stats (as opposed to text) says that it regenerates in shadow. I'd prefer something like that, maybe also turning incorporeal.

Definitely regular monster for me.

freyar said:

I can't say I like such a perfect defense mechanism. Usually we've modified monsters that had abilities like that. Besides which, the stats (as opposed to text) says that it regenerates in shadow. I'd prefer something like that, maybe also turning incorporeal.

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Oh yes, it definitely should have Fast Healing when in "shadow form".

I'd be OK giving it something resembling incorporeality when it's a shadow, although I don't fancy true incorporeality - it oughtn't to be able to walk through walls, I think. That said, I'd like to give its shadow-form the additional abilities of being able to slip "two dimensionally" under doors and through cracks of any widths as well as being able to move across any wall, ceiling or other non-transparent surface as if it were solid ground.

freyar said:

Definitely regular monster for me.

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Agreed, although it should get some Yakuza/Ninja class abilities as special abilities and probably maybe have "by character class" advancement.

Anyhow, I'll start a Working Draft, although it won't have much in it.

Ninja Spirit Shadow Working Draft

Ninja Spirit Shadow
Medium Undead (Spirit)
Hit Dice: 6d12 (39 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (+4 Dex, +1 deflection, +2 monk bonus), touch 17, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+5
Attack: Bastard sword +5 melee (1d10+3/19-20) or unarmed strike* +7 (1d6+2)
Full Attack: Bastard sword +5 melee (1d10+3/19-20); or unarmed strike* +7 (1d6+2); or unarmed strike flurry of blows* +5/+5 melee (1d6+2)
*The ninja spirit shadow can attack with a kama, nunchaku or siangham with the same attack bonus and damage as its unarmed strike.
Space/Reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Acrobatics, flurry of blows, martial artistry, +2d6 sneak attack, unarmed strike
Special Qualities: Darkvision 90 ft., evasion, fast healing 2, hide in plain sight, immune to turning, shadow form, uncanny dodge, slow fall 20 ft., undead traits
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +7
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 18, Con —, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 15
Skills: Balance +12, Bluff +8, Climb +12, Hide +12, Jump +12, Listen +10, Move Silently +12, Search +8, Spot +10, and Tumble +14
Feats: Alertness, Stealthy, Weapon Finesse
Environment: Ruins and underground
Organization: Solitary, team (2-4) or gang (1-4 plus 2-8 shadows)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: —

A compactly built humanoid, dressed all in tight-fitting dark cloth, with a hood covering its head. Peering through the gaps in its garments reveals there's nothing inside but blackness, there's no sign of eyes or flesh.

The origins of ninja spirit shadows are mysterious. Some ninjas are thought to have transformed into these undead spirits through secret occult rites, much as a monk becomes an outsider. In other cases, they seem to be victims of a powerful curse. Whatever their origin, ninja spirit shadows are formidable opponents, combining martial skill with the magical ability to fade into shadows.

Ninja spirit shadows are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the bastard sword, handaxe, kama, nunchaku, sai, sap, shortbow, shuriken, siangham, and short sword. Ninja spirit shadows are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

A ninja spirit shadow is between 5 and 6 feet tall and weighs about 150 pounds. They can speak Common in an eerie whisper, but rarely do so.

Combat
Ninja spirit shadows prefer to strike quickly, then fade into shadow form until they can strike again. When ambushing opponents, they can combine flurry of blows with their sneak attack to great effect.

Acrobatics (Ex): A ninja spirit shadow has a +5 competence bonus on Balance, Climb, Jump, and Tumble checks.

Evasion (Ex): if a ninja spirit shadow makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, it instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a ninja spirit shadow is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless ninja spirit shadow does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Fast Healing (Ex): A ninja spirit shadow heals only in areas of shadow.

Hide in Plain Sight (Su): A ninja spirit shadow can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as it is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, a ninja spirit shadow can hide itself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. It cannot, however, hide in its own shadow.

Martial Artistry (Ex): A ninja spirit shadow possesses the AC bonus, flurry of blows and unarmed strike abilities of a 3rd-level monk. It adds its inherent monklike abilities to any monk levels it might acquire. Thus, a 6th-level ninja spirit shadow monk possesses the AC bonus, flurry of blows and unarmed strike of a 9th-level monk.

In addition, martial artistry grants the ninja spirit shadow a +1 deflection bonus to AC; it loses this deflection bonus when it is wearing armor, encumbered, immobilized or helpless.

Shadow Form (Su): Whenever a ninja spirit shadow is in conditions of bright illumination, it takes a shadow form with height and width but no thickness. In this state, the ninja spirit shadow is effectively incorporeal, gaining all the features of that subtype except the ability to pass through solid objects. Instead, it can automatically squeeze through extremely tight spaces (cracks as little as an eighth of an inch wide, provided they are long enough to accommodate the shadow’s height or breadth). In shadow form, a ninja spirit shadow can stand against a flat surface and pretend to be a mundane shadow (Disguise check with a +10 circumstance bonus).

Slow Fall 20 ft. (Ex): This works the same as the monk class ability. If the ninja spirit shadow gains any levels in a class with the slow fall ability, such as a monk, it adds three levels to that class's slow fall ability. Thus, a 6th-level ninja spirit shadow monk can slow fall like a 9th-level monk.

Sneak Attack (Ex): This ability is just like the rogue's sneak attack and subject to the same limitations. If a ninja spirit shadow gets a sneak attack bonus from another source the bonuses on damage stack.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): A ninja spirit shadow can react to danger before its senses would normally allow it to do so. It retains its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if it is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, it still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

Originally appeared in OA2 - Night of the Seven Swords (1986)

Okay, statwise I'm thinking it should be comparable to a Ghast. Although we could also consider the Vampire Spawn, Wight or Wraith:

Ghast: Str 17, Dex 17, Con —http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#constitution, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 16
Vampire Spawn: Str 16, Dex 14, Con —, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 14
Wight: Str 12, Dex 12, Con , Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 15
Wraith: Str —, Dex 16, Con —http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#constitution, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 15

I don't think it should be quite as physically powerful as a Ghast or Wight, since it probably relies more on its speed and funky abilities. Maybe something like this...

Ninja Spirit Shadow #1: Str 14, Dex 17, Con —, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 15

I'm wondering about maybe increasing the Dex a step, perhaps:

Ninja Spirit Shadow #2: Str 14, Dex 18, Con —, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 15

Cleon said:

Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+?? [Maybe give it a BAB increasing ability?]

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I've just noticed the original monster has a pathetic THAX0 of 20 or 19, presumably because it fought as a 3rd level Ninja or Yakuza, so I think we should leave it with the low BAB.

Gives it more reason to stick to the sneaky special attacks.

Well, you know me, I'd probably prefer incorporeality, but I'll think about it.

I like your second set of ability scores.

And I also prefer the low BAB. It's not too high HD-wise, and it does lend itself to the sneak attack flavor/tactics.

freyar said:

Well, you know me, I'd probably prefer incorporeality, but I'll think about it.

I like your second set of ability scores.

And I also prefer the low BAB. It's not too high HD-wise, and it does lend itself to the sneak attack flavor/tactics.

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I'll update the Working Draft with those ability scores.

So, shall we start talking Special Abilities? I suppose we should start with the "Shadow Form", since that is its signature trick.

I think we have a 2D form for some monster somewhere --- do you remember where that comes from? We could do a 2D shadow form like that with fast healing. Then we say it can only be hit by magic weapons with a miss chance (or ghost touch?), like incorporeal creatures. What do you think?