D&D 3E/3.5 Converting monsters from Mayfair Games Role Aids product line
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
One bit of flavor that I'd like to use is the idea that these animalistic creatures have an instinctive need to put sentients to sleep.
Anyway, you do description, and I'll do
Tactics: A sandman will try to sneak up on its intended victims and spray them with sleep sand. If some of the victims resist falling asleep and attack, the sandman will fly out of melee reach and attack with abrasive sand blasts.
Anyway, you do description, and I'll do
Tactics: A sandman will try to sneak up on its intended victims and spray them with sleep sand. If some of the victims resist falling asleep and attack, the sandman will fly out of melee reach and attack with abrasive sand blasts.
Cleon
Legend
I fancy a "stubbornly resists falling asleep and attacks." in the tactics, but apart from that I'm OK with it.
So how about:
Floating on the air is a cloud of fine sand gathered into a roughly manlike shape.
Sandmen are mysterious creatures that are usually encountered in chambers filled with still air and sand or dust, such as abandoned bedrooms or desert caves. They are driven by a compulsion to put intruders to sleep with their sedative sand.
Sandmen do not need to eat, drink or breathe. They may somehow derive sustenance from the creatures they put to sleep.
Sandmen cannot speak.
Combat
A sandman will try to sneak up on its intended victims and spray them with sleep sand. If a victim stubbornly resists falling asleep and attacks, the sandman will fly out of melee reach and attack with abrasive sand blasts.
Cleon
Legend
That's OK Shade, I wasn't in a hurry.
Besides, the way things are going it looks like you won't be adding stuff to the CC anytime soon.
Cleon
Legend
Inspired by Bootchie's recent additions to the Mayfair Games Role Aids Monster Index I think we should start converting some of these Mayfair monsters.
To get things moving, I'll start with the very first creature in the list, which is also one of the easy ones:
Methinks the name "Elite Giant Rat" needs changing, I'd go for "Ratbear".
To get things moving, I'll start with the very first creature in the list, which is also one of the easy ones:
ELITE GIANT RATS
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVEMENT: 12"/6" (swimming))
HTK: 3d8+3
NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE: 2-5, 2-5, 2-7
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Disease
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Semi-
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: Six feet, standing
Elite Giant Rats are actually a crossbreed between a Giant Rat and a Brown Bear. These creatures are specifically bred by Greasel Greedigutt in order to have a guard which has an ability to fight like a bear and also have the love for the sewers that is characteristic of a rat.
Elite Giant Rats look just like rats except they are six feet long. They are able to swim like rats and fight on their hind legs (if trained) as do bears. The bite of an Elite Giant Rat has a 10% chance per wound inflicted of contracting a serious disease. Unlike Giant Rats, Elite Giant Rats have absolutely no fear of normal fire, and if they are in the presence of Giant Rats, there is a 70% chance that the Giant Rat will show no fear of fire.
Elite Giant Rats are collectors of many items, but they are selective. They seem to have some knowledge of what trinkets they find are worth keeping.
Originally appeared in Deadly Power (MFG #716).
Seems pretty straightforward, just average a Dire Rat and a Brown Bear (which results in a set of stats pretty close to a Black Bear) and give the result a disease bite and incidental treasure for the "trinkets".ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVEMENT: 12"/6" (swimming))
HTK: 3d8+3
NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE: 2-5, 2-5, 2-7
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Disease
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Semi-
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: Six feet, standing
Elite Giant Rats are actually a crossbreed between a Giant Rat and a Brown Bear. These creatures are specifically bred by Greasel Greedigutt in order to have a guard which has an ability to fight like a bear and also have the love for the sewers that is characteristic of a rat.
Elite Giant Rats look just like rats except they are six feet long. They are able to swim like rats and fight on their hind legs (if trained) as do bears. The bite of an Elite Giant Rat has a 10% chance per wound inflicted of contracting a serious disease. Unlike Giant Rats, Elite Giant Rats have absolutely no fear of normal fire, and if they are in the presence of Giant Rats, there is a 70% chance that the Giant Rat will show no fear of fire.
Elite Giant Rats are collectors of many items, but they are selective. They seem to have some knowledge of what trinkets they find are worth keeping.
Originally appeared in Deadly Power (MFG #716).
Methinks the name "Elite Giant Rat" needs changing, I'd go for "Ratbear".
Cleon
Legend
Elite Giant Rat Working Draft
Ratbear
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 3d10+6 (22 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), swim 20 ft.
Armor Class: 14 (+1 Dex, +3 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+7
Attack: Bite+7 melee (1d6+4 plus disease)
Full Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d6+4 plus disease) and 2 claws +2 melee (1d4+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Disease, improved grab
Special Qualities: Dire, low-light vision, ratbeast, scent
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 4
Skills: Climb +8, Hide +3, Listen +4, Move Silently +3, Spot +4, Swim +12
Feats: Alertness, Endurance
Environment: Any land
Organization: Solitary or pair or pack (3-18)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: 1/10 coins; 50% goods; 50% items
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —
A burly rat-creature at least as big as a human. It has long claws and fangs like a bear instead of a rat's hand-like forepaws and gnawing incisors.
Ratbears are a magical hybrid of dire rat and brown bear. They are adaptable creatures who can live in almost any terrain, but favor swamps, forests and sewers. Ratbears instinctively collect shiny objects, so their lairs often have some treasure.
A typical ratbear is about 6 feet long, not including a yard or more of naked tail, and weighs about 300 pounds. They can rear up on their hind legs like a bear, standing up to 6 feet tall.
Combat
Ratbears rip prey with their claws and disease-carrying teeth. They usually stand on their hind legs to fight, to free their fore-claws for combat. Ratbears have no fear of normal fire.
Dire: A ratbear is considered to be a dire animal and has all good saves.
Disease (Ex): Filth fever—bite, Fortitude DC 13, incubation period 1d3 days, damage 1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a ratbear must hit with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Ratbeast (Ex): A ratbear is considered a dire rat for all abilities that have a special effect against rats, such as a wererat's rat empathy.
Skills
Ratbears have a +4 racial bonus on Climb checks. A ratbear has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some 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.
Ratbears can use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb and Swim checks if this is advantageous.
Ratbear
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 3d10+6 (22 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), swim 20 ft.
Armor Class: 14 (+1 Dex, +3 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+7
Attack: Bite+7 melee (1d6+4 plus disease)
Full Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d6+4 plus disease) and 2 claws +2 melee (1d4+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Disease, improved grab
Special Qualities: Dire, low-light vision, ratbeast, scent
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 4
Skills: Climb +8, Hide +3, Listen +4, Move Silently +3, Spot +4, Swim +12
Feats: Alertness, Endurance
Environment: Any land
Organization: Solitary or pair or pack (3-18)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: 1/10 coins; 50% goods; 50% items
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —
A burly rat-creature at least as big as a human. It has long claws and fangs like a bear instead of a rat's hand-like forepaws and gnawing incisors.
Ratbears are a magical hybrid of dire rat and brown bear. They are adaptable creatures who can live in almost any terrain, but favor swamps, forests and sewers. Ratbears instinctively collect shiny objects, so their lairs often have some treasure.
A typical ratbear is about 6 feet long, not including a yard or more of naked tail, and weighs about 300 pounds. They can rear up on their hind legs like a bear, standing up to 6 feet tall.
Combat
Ratbears rip prey with their claws and disease-carrying teeth. They usually stand on their hind legs to fight, to free their fore-claws for combat. Ratbears have no fear of normal fire.
Dire: A ratbear is considered to be a dire animal and has all good saves.
Disease (Ex): Filth fever—bite, Fortitude DC 13, incubation period 1d3 days, damage 1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a ratbear must hit with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Ratbeast (Ex): A ratbear is considered a dire rat for all abilities that have a special effect against rats, such as a wererat's rat empathy.
Skills
Ratbears have a +4 racial bonus on Climb checks. A ratbear has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some 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.
Ratbears can use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb and Swim checks if this is advantageous.
Last edited:
GrayLinnorm
Explorer
Since it's a magical hybrid, it should be a magical beast, not an animal.
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