Converting monsters from Dragon magazine
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Cleon
Legend
Fine by my. I'll present the original stats in my next post.
I'm leaning towards folding the two Sea Serpents together, since the only difference in the original stats was the Many-Finned had a higher AC and lower Swim speed.
As for future batches, I hadn't got anything laid out beyond those outlined in my "batches to come" post.
Cleon
Legend
Great Orm original stats
Great orm: In July 1966, an oddly-shaped prehistoric worm was described to the scientific community. Tullimonstreum gregarium was only a few inches long (a school of them, possibly young ones, had been buried in a cloud of sediment and preserved that way), but it looked for all the world like a miniature plesiosaur. It had a small but distinct head (unusual for worms), a slender, swanlike neck, a torpedo-shaped body with a pair of paddle-like flippers up front, and a tail that looks like an ace of spades. In an amazing example of convergent evolution, this worm from the Carboniferous period came to look like a plesiosaur, and undoubtedly lived like one. In his book, The Great Orm of Loch Ness, F. W. Holiday stated his opinion that Nessie and sea serpents in general are giant forms of Tullimonstreum.
Holiday gives a number of good reasons for his theory. The loch has been checked by sonar a number of times, sometimes showing creatures, sometimes not. If the creatures in the loch were lying, wormlike, on the bottom, the sonar would not distinguish them as separate objects. Also, an aquatic worm would mainly breathe through gills, so it would not have to surface for air, explaining why more sightings are not made. In his second book on this subject, The Dragon and the Disc, he mentions a case from the past where an “orm” came ashore, got itself wedged in a crevice or something, and died. The awed locals reported that it “melted away” without leaving any traces behind. Since worms are soft-bodied, shell-less invertebrates, they would leave no bones or other remains behind once their flesh had rotted away.
Another bit of evidence is the fact that close views of Nessie instill far more revulsion in people than would seem to be warranted by a good look at a plesiosaur, long-necked seal, etc. One witness actually described the body as “wormy; creepy. The entire body had movement all over it all the time.” Echoing these sentiments was a woman who actually took two photographs of a similar beast in a different loch. She said she would not like to see the animal again because she did not like the way it moved when it swam. The two photos showed a head that merged imperceptibly into the neck (no eyes or other features were visible), and a body that changed shape as it swam. Another witness said the “obscene” thing reminded him of a giant stomach with a long, writhing gut attached. Charming! In an early sighting after the Loch Ness fracas began, a Mr. and Mrs. Spicer saw the thing flop across a road and plunge into the loch. They said that more than anything else, it looked like a giant slug. There are many descriptions of these lake monsters leaving trails of slime behind them when they come out on land. Whatever game system you use, don’t be surprised if your NPC hirelings, colleagues, or whatever take to their heels at the first sight of the thing.
Use the Elasmosaurus stats from MC3 with the following modifications: ACTIVITY CYCLE Any; HD 20; THAC0 5; DAMAGE/ATTACK 3-30; SPECIAL DEFENSES Poisonous secretions from its warty flesh (save vs. poison at -1 if you touch it with bare flesh, or die); SIZE G (100’); XP Value 14,000.
Great orm: In July 1966, an oddly-shaped prehistoric worm was described to the scientific community. Tullimonstreum gregarium was only a few inches long (a school of them, possibly young ones, had been buried in a cloud of sediment and preserved that way), but it looked for all the world like a miniature plesiosaur. It had a small but distinct head (unusual for worms), a slender, swanlike neck, a torpedo-shaped body with a pair of paddle-like flippers up front, and a tail that looks like an ace of spades. In an amazing example of convergent evolution, this worm from the Carboniferous period came to look like a plesiosaur, and undoubtedly lived like one. In his book, The Great Orm of Loch Ness, F. W. Holiday stated his opinion that Nessie and sea serpents in general are giant forms of Tullimonstreum.
Holiday gives a number of good reasons for his theory. The loch has been checked by sonar a number of times, sometimes showing creatures, sometimes not. If the creatures in the loch were lying, wormlike, on the bottom, the sonar would not distinguish them as separate objects. Also, an aquatic worm would mainly breathe through gills, so it would not have to surface for air, explaining why more sightings are not made. In his second book on this subject, The Dragon and the Disc, he mentions a case from the past where an “orm” came ashore, got itself wedged in a crevice or something, and died. The awed locals reported that it “melted away” without leaving any traces behind. Since worms are soft-bodied, shell-less invertebrates, they would leave no bones or other remains behind once their flesh had rotted away.
Another bit of evidence is the fact that close views of Nessie instill far more revulsion in people than would seem to be warranted by a good look at a plesiosaur, long-necked seal, etc. One witness actually described the body as “wormy; creepy. The entire body had movement all over it all the time.” Echoing these sentiments was a woman who actually took two photographs of a similar beast in a different loch. She said she would not like to see the animal again because she did not like the way it moved when it swam. The two photos showed a head that merged imperceptibly into the neck (no eyes or other features were visible), and a body that changed shape as it swam. Another witness said the “obscene” thing reminded him of a giant stomach with a long, writhing gut attached. Charming! In an early sighting after the Loch Ness fracas began, a Mr. and Mrs. Spicer saw the thing flop across a road and plunge into the loch. They said that more than anything else, it looked like a giant slug. There are many descriptions of these lake monsters leaving trails of slime behind them when they come out on land. Whatever game system you use, don’t be surprised if your NPC hirelings, colleagues, or whatever take to their heels at the first sight of the thing.
Use the Elasmosaurus stats from MC3 with the following modifications: ACTIVITY CYCLE Any; HD 20; THAC0 5; DAMAGE/ATTACK 3-30; SPECIAL DEFENSES Poisonous secretions from its warty flesh (save vs. poison at -1 if you touch it with bare flesh, or die); SIZE G (100’); XP Value 14,000.
Cleon
Legend
Yes, I did notice that the AD&D Great Orm has 20 HD to the 10 HD of the basic 3E Elasmosaurus, so it makes sense to advance the latter from Huge to Gargantuan. The AD&D Elasmosaurus has 15 HD, incidentally.
Furthermore, the Great Orm is 100 feet long, while the AD&D Elasmosaurus is 50 feet and the 3E version is 30 feet, which also suggests the former is one size category bigger than the latter.
Well I guess I should start up a Working Draft using a 20 HD Gargantuan elasmosaurus as a foundation.
Cleon
Legend
Cleon
Legend
Great Orm Working Draft
Great Orm
Gargantuan Vermin (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 20d8+160 (250 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 20 ft. (4 square), swim 50 ft.
Armor Class: 15 (-4 size, +2 Dex, +7 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+39
Attack: Bite +23 melee (3d8+18)
Full Attack: Bite +23 melee (3d8+18)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Frightful presence, poison
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, vermin traits, water dependent
Saves: Fort +20, Ref +8, Will +7
Abilities: Str 34, Dex 14, Con 26, Int —, Wis 13, Cha 7
Skills: +20
Feats: —
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 21-30 HD (Gargantuan), 31-60 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: —
A titanic worm longer than many ships. Its loathsome body writhes bonelessly within a coat of vile slime. Periodically, its back bunches up into a line of rubbery humps the shape and size of capsized rowboats.
Great orms are gargantuan aquatic worms. They live in both fresh and salt water and are even able to make short forays onto land, usually to travel from one body of water to another. Many, if not most, great orms dwell in the depths of the ocean, but humanoids are only likely to see orms that inhabit coastal regions or freshwater, since they are most likely to be seen on the surface. Sightings of great orms are the cause of many legends about a lake or loch being home to a "loathly wyrm" or "monster snake".
Great orms also live in subterranean water systems or use them to travel about. Some surprisingly small pools have a resident great orm. These are invariably very deep sinkholes that connect to an underground river or sea.
The body of a great orm is 5 feet in diameter and 80 feet long, weighing about 40,000 pounds.
Combat
A great orm acts purely on instinct. A hungry great orm will try to bite anything it recognizes as a meal. They will attack opponents that injure them, but rely on their venomous slime as their first line of defense.
Frightful Presence (Ex): A great orm can unsettle foes with its mere presence. The ability takes effect automatically whenever the great orm attacks, charges, or suddenly appears. Creatures within a radius of 180 feet are subject to the effect if they have fewer HD than the orm. A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a DC 18 Will save remains immune to that great orm’s frightful presence for 24 hours. On a failure, creatures with 4 or less HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Poison (Ex): Any creature that grapples a great orm or hits it with a natural weapon is exposed to its poison.
Venomous Slime: Contact, Fortitude DC 28, initial damage 1d12 Con, secondary damage 1d12 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Water Dependent (Ex): Great orms can survive out of the water for 5 minutes per 2 points of Constitution (after that, refer to the drowning rules).
Skills: A great orm has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform a special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #190 (1993).
Great Orm
Gargantuan Vermin (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 20d8+160 (250 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 20 ft. (4 square), swim 50 ft.
Armor Class: 15 (-4 size, +2 Dex, +7 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+39
Attack: Bite +23 melee (3d8+18)
Full Attack: Bite +23 melee (3d8+18)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Frightful presence, poison
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, vermin traits, water dependent
Saves: Fort +20, Ref +8, Will +7
Abilities: Str 34, Dex 14, Con 26, Int —, Wis 13, Cha 7
Skills: +20
Feats: —
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 21-30 HD (Gargantuan), 31-60 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: —
A titanic worm longer than many ships. Its loathsome body writhes bonelessly within a coat of vile slime. Periodically, its back bunches up into a line of rubbery humps the shape and size of capsized rowboats.
Great orms are gargantuan aquatic worms. They live in both fresh and salt water and are even able to make short forays onto land, usually to travel from one body of water to another. Many, if not most, great orms dwell in the depths of the ocean, but humanoids are only likely to see orms that inhabit coastal regions or freshwater, since they are most likely to be seen on the surface. Sightings of great orms are the cause of many legends about a lake or loch being home to a "loathly wyrm" or "monster snake".
Great orms also live in subterranean water systems or use them to travel about. Some surprisingly small pools have a resident great orm. These are invariably very deep sinkholes that connect to an underground river or sea.
The body of a great orm is 5 feet in diameter and 80 feet long, weighing about 40,000 pounds.
Combat
A great orm acts purely on instinct. A hungry great orm will try to bite anything it recognizes as a meal. They will attack opponents that injure them, but rely on their venomous slime as their first line of defense.
Frightful Presence (Ex): A great orm can unsettle foes with its mere presence. The ability takes effect automatically whenever the great orm attacks, charges, or suddenly appears. Creatures within a radius of 180 feet are subject to the effect if they have fewer HD than the orm. A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a DC 18 Will save remains immune to that great orm’s frightful presence for 24 hours. On a failure, creatures with 4 or less HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Poison (Ex): Any creature that grapples a great orm or hits it with a natural weapon is exposed to its poison.
Venomous Slime: Contact, Fortitude DC 28, initial damage 1d12 Con, secondary damage 1d12 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Water Dependent (Ex): Great orms can survive out of the water for 5 minutes per 2 points of Constitution (after that, refer to the drowning rules).
Skills: A great orm has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform a special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #190 (1993).
Last edited:
Cleon
Legend
Okay, the above is basically just an enlarged Elasmosaurus with a Poison special attack pencilled in and the dimension cribbed from the SRD Purple Worm.
So how do you want to tweak it?
Firstly, do we want to keep the Animal type or change it to Vermin (which seems more appropriate for a giant worm)?
Secondly, are there any changes you'd like to the ability scores?
I'm thinking we ought to reduce the Intelligence to either 0 or 1 since, (a) it's a worm, and (b) the AD&D Plesiosaurus has Int 0 and the AD&D Elasmosaurus has Int 1.
Thirdly, how about giving it some kind of "Revolting Appearance" special ability, since the description goes to great length about how loathsome it looks.
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
I could go for a giant Vermin, which would make it Int -. Nessie should definitely get good Hide skills, too.
I think I'd go Str -2, Dex +4, Int -, Cha -4 for the abilities.
You read my mind about the "Revolting Appearance" ability. We could model it on Frightful Presence but acting on the sickened/nauseated scale, rather than fear.
I think I'd go Str -2, Dex +4, Int -, Cha -4 for the abilities.
You read my mind about the "Revolting Appearance" ability. We could model it on Frightful Presence but acting on the sickened/nauseated scale, rather than fear.
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