Converted Creatures

Actually, I really have not with the exception of common animals like lions, tigers, sharks, and bears.

Like REH, conan's most dangerous opponents weren't monsters, but men.
 
Yogah of Yag said:
rgrove0172 said:
Ill agree, I dont find many of the D&D critters to really work.

I 2nd that.
AD&D critters in Hyboria would ruin the atmosphere/feel.

I disagree. Conan fought a number of oddities and "abominations" that D&D creatures are suited well to represent.

I've used a modified Alip, Darkmantles, 2nd Ed. Quagoth (sort of a werecat), and some other things here and there.

Trolls, goblins, bugbears, and such are better left to Tolkein, but some of the wierder creatures, especially ones with sorcerous origins are easy to adapt. Of course, Im hoping that the Bestiary Mongoose intends to put out this summer will be packed with a glut of REH inspired monsters.
 
Well of course to each their own but as it has been well documented here in another post, monsters are pretty much a rarity in our campaign. We've been playing now for 7 months for example, 9 4-6 hour sessions and essentially 3 major adventure plots without a monster yet.
 
Depending on where your games are set; I think quite a few 2nd Ed AD&D creatures are usable (don't have 3rd ed. so can't comment on it).
Rem: you can rename them.
For example, avoiding the ones already used in Conan TIKO:-
Aarakocra (Bird-men)
Ankheg (nasty wormy/beetly things)
Bats (of all kinds)
Carrion Crawler (another wormy thing)
Centipede, Giant
Fish (Pirhana, shark, pike, stingray etc.)
Frog, poisonous (watch out for what's on those spears!)
Fungus, various (spores, puffballs etc.)
Gargoyle (animated statue; all self-respecting sorceres should have one)
Golem (Iron, clay, stone, Flesh (from a Clark Ashton Smith story))
Hydra ( a one-off perhaps, but worthy of a quest)
Kuo-toa (as CoC Deep Ones)
Gorgon ( as per Akhlat the Accursed)
Minotaur ( a one-off or perhaps the result of crossing the Temple of Anu (and being caught!))
Mummy/Greater Mummy
Plant, dangerous (flesh-eating plants, trees, stranglevine, the Lotus etc)
Quaggoth (feline-like, semi-intelligent)
Remorhaz (mentioned by REH, the frost-worm of the snows)
Roc (legendary, worthy of a quest. Remember to take an elephant or two)
Satyr (legendary, but could be in the woods near to civilisation).
Undead
Slug, giant (down the sewers)
Stirge (in ruins, nasty blood-draining things)
Toad, giant (in the marshes, baragoon, marsh gibberer etc.)
Troll (actually ogre, I'm thinking Grendal and his mommy here)
Wyvern (mentioned in a pastiche I think, but probably more usable than "traditional" dragons)
Yeti/Bigfoot (depending on where you are)

Also, there is a lot of stuff in Clark Ashton Smith, I hadn't noticed until recently but part of Zamora is labelled as "The Desert of Yondo". One of his stories had a rather nasty brain-eating thing; admittidly it was found on Mars but it might have gone on holiday.

I agree that orcs, goblins and the like would ruin the flavour; but if for orcs you read sub-human cannibalistic tribesmen from the hills, then they too can have their place.

And there is all the CoC stuff as well!
 
I still play D&D, but the Conan rules are a lot better! I like how Reflex bonuses goes to Initiative rolls, how you can have a kick-ass character without the need for +whatever magic junk, the core classes feel more right (no spell-chucking rangers and all magic-casters are folded into one class), that NPCs use core classes used by PCs, the way magic works also feels right (even if its limited in spells and vary complex), and no goddamn Alignment.

I like to use the Conan rules in my D&D games. Its not that hard (until you apply magic). Let us look at the Succubus from D&D (MM 3.5).

Before we start, lets up all the ability scores by one (for having a of HD 6) and add 4 to her Dex to make her more agile (Str 14, Dex 18, Con 14, Ini 17, Wis 15, Cha 27).

Lets start by changing her sub-type to Demon.

Now add her Ref save to her Initiative (4 + 5 = +9).

Then look up her Dodge Defence under the Barbarian class (she has good Ref save). Humm... 6HD is a +4. Now, add a +1 for the Dodge feat and add her Dex bonus. And, now you get a Dodge Defence of 19 (10, +4 Dex, +5 natural).

Now this gets a little tricky. To get her DR, just use her natural AC bonus (well, that was easy). Now, the tricky thing is to apply the Vulnerability (something that can bypass her DR) and Resistance (energy attacks that can be blocked by her DR). If you see her stats, she has a DR 10/cold iron or good and a Resistance 10 to acid, cold & fire. To me cold iron is for elves and fairies, and alignment is for cars! So, lets give her a Vulnerability to silver instead (that sounds right to me). Now, remove her DR & Resistance from Special Qualities. So put on her DR: 9 (resists acid, cold & fire, vulnerable to sliver).

Under Special Attacks, change spell-like ability to Spells (she counts as a level 6 Scholar) and change summon tanai'ri to summon demon (as the spell). Under Special Qualities, add alter self and manifest, and dont forget to remove DR & Resistance (as noted above).

Look up the Scholar class for Power Points, Magic Attack Bonus, and spells. Her PP is 8/24 (base 6, +2 Wis, x3 max), her MAB is +11 (+3 natural, +8 Cha), and give her spells from Hypnotism and Summoning (and maybe Curses or Immortality). Note: In the Conan game, demons count as knowing ALL of the spells, but you can limit this to make then less powerful.

Now make the adjustment to her the rest of the stats do to higher abilities.

Remove Challenge Rating, Treasure, Alignment, and Level Adjustment.

Finally, change her Advancement to: 7-12 HD (medium) or by character class (probably Temptress).

If you what to play the fight of Good vs Evil, then add the Divine sub-type to good outsiders and Demonic sub-type to evil outsiders (and apply the opposite to their Vulnerabilities). Undead types will be vulnerable to Divine attacks.

Wow, how was that? I picked the Succubus because is something that feels right for the Hyborian world and it helps to illustrate applying a new use for DRs and how to use the Scholar class to an outsider with spell-like abilities.

Is a bit of work, but I find that it works vary well.
 
succu-what?
nah just kidding great job on the conversion. Totally worked well with a little effort.

Yeah there can be some one-off creatures, but an evil sorceror is pretty vicious, and a challenging foe and more in Howard-ian spirit.
 
Sorry - meant to post her stats:

Vindhi, RAKSHASA, female
Medium Outsider (Native)
Hit Dice: 7d8+21 (52 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
DV Dodge:
DV Parry:
DR: 17 (+2 Dex, +5 race)
11 (+1 Str)
9
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+8
Attack: Claw +8 melee (1d4+1)
Full Attack: 2 claws +8 melee (1d4+1) and bite +3 melee (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Detect thoughts, spells
Special Qualities: Change shape, damage reduction 15/good and piercing, darkvision 60 ft., spell resistance 27
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +6
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 17
Skills: Bluff +17*, Concentration +13, Diplomacy +7, Disguise +17 (+19 acting)*, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Listen +13, Move Silently +13, Perform (oratory) +13, Sense Motive +11, Spot +11
Feats: Alertness, Dodge, Ritual Sacrifice
Environment: Warm marshes
Organization: Solitary
Advancement: By character class
A closer look at a rakshasa reveals that the palms of its hands are where the backs of the hands would be on a human.
A rakshasa is about the same height and weight as a human.
Rakshasas speak Common, Infernal, and Undercommon.
COMBAT
In close combat, which a rakshasa disdains as ignoble, it employs its sharp claws and powerful bite. Whenever possible, it uses its other abilities to make such encounters unnecessary.
Detect Thoughts (Su): A rakshasa can continuously use detect thoughts as the spell (caster level 18th; Will negates; MAB+12). It can suppress or resume this ability as a free action.
Spells: A rakshasa casts spells as a 7th-level sorcerer.
Typical Scholar Spells (MAB +6; BPP 7; Corruption 10): 3 Sorcery Styles (Curses, Oriental Magic, Hypnotism): Basic Spells Known – Lesser Ill Fortune, Calm of the Adept, Entrance; Advanced Spells Known – Hypnotic Suggestion, Warrior Trance, Darting Serpent, Gelid Bones, Domination.
Change Shape (Su): A rakshasa can assume any humanoid form, or revert to its own form, as a standard action. In humanoid form, a rakshasa loses its claw and bite attacks (although it often equips itself with weapons and armor instead). A rakshasa remains in one form until it chooses to assume a new one. A change in form cannot be dispelled, but the rakshasa reverts to its natural form when killed. A true seeing spell reveals its natural form.
Terror of the Unknown: DC 13.
Skills: A rakshasa has a +4 racial bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks. *When using change shape, a rakshasa gains an additional +10 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks. If reading an opponent’s mind, its circumstance bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks increases by a further +4. +10 to Intimidate for Corruption score.
 
Brass Jester said:
Aarakocra (Bird-men)
Ankheg (nasty wormy/beetly things)
Bats (of all kinds)
Carrion Crawler (another wormy thing)
Centipede, Giant
Fish (Pirhana, shark, pike, stingray etc.)
Frog, poisonous (watch out for what's on those spears!)
Fungus, various (spores, puffballs etc.)
Gargoyle (animated statue; all self-respecting sorceres should have one)
Golem (Iron, clay, stone, Flesh (from a Clark Ashton Smith story))
Hydra ( a one-off perhaps, but worthy of a quest)
Kuo-toa (as CoC Deep Ones)
Gorgon ( as per Akhlat the Accursed)
Minotaur ( a one-off or perhaps the result of crossing the Temple of Anu (and being caught!))
Mummy/Greater Mummy
Plant, dangerous (flesh-eating plants, trees, stranglevine, the Lotus etc)
Quaggoth (feline-like, semi-intelligent)
Remorhaz (mentioned by REH, the frost-worm of the snows)
Roc (legendary, worthy of a quest. Remember to take an elephant or two)
Satyr (legendary, but could be in the woods near to civilisation).
Undead
Slug, giant (down the sewers)
Stirge (in ruins, nasty blood-draining things)
Toad, giant (in the marshes, baragoon, marsh gibberer etc.)
Troll (actually ogre, I'm thinking Grendal and his mommy here)
Wyvern (mentioned in a pastiche I think, but probably more usable than "traditional" dragons)
Yeti/Bigfoot (depending on where you are)


YEAH, now you are talking. That is what I am talking about...

Most of them are in 3rd edition, but in different books... One of my favorite conversions is 1st Edition "Gambado".. Nasty things, poke out of holes and devastate the party...
 
Prof.Dogg said:
Sorry - meant to post her stats:

Vindhi, RAKSHASA, female
Medium Outsider (Native)
Hit Dice: 7d8+21 (52 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
DV Dodge:
DV Parry:
DR: 17 (+2 Dex, +5 race)
11 (+1 Str)
9
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+8
Attack: Claw +8 melee (1d4+1)
Full Attack: 2 claws +8 melee (1d4+1) and bite +3 melee (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Detect thoughts, spells
Special Qualities: Change shape, damage reduction 15/good and piercing, darkvision 60 ft., spell resistance 27
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +6
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 17
Skills: Bluff +17*, Concentration +13, Diplomacy +7, Disguise +17 (+19 acting)*, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Listen +13, Move Silently +13, Perform (oratory) +13, Sense Motive +11, Spot +11
Feats: Alertness, Dodge, Ritual Sacrifice
Environment: Warm marshes
Organization: Solitary
Advancement: By character class
A closer look at a rakshasa reveals that the palms of its hands are where the backs of the hands would be on a human.
A rakshasa is about the same height and weight as a human.
Rakshasas speak Common, Infernal, and Undercommon.
COMBAT
In close combat, which a rakshasa disdains as ignoble, it employs its sharp claws and powerful bite. Whenever possible, it uses its other abilities to make such encounters unnecessary.
Detect Thoughts (Su): A rakshasa can continuously use detect thoughts as the spell (caster level 18th; Will negates; MAB+12). It can suppress or resume this ability as a free action.
Spells: A rakshasa casts spells as a 7th-level sorcerer.
Typical Scholar Spells (MAB +6; BPP 7; Corruption 10): 3 Sorcery Styles (Curses, Oriental Magic, Hypnotism): Basic Spells Known – Lesser Ill Fortune, Calm of the Adept, Entrance; Advanced Spells Known – Hypnotic Suggestion, Warrior Trance, Darting Serpent, Gelid Bones, Domination.
Change Shape (Su): A rakshasa can assume any humanoid form, or revert to its own form, as a standard action. In humanoid form, a rakshasa loses its claw and bite attacks (although it often equips itself with weapons and armor instead). A rakshasa remains in one form until it chooses to assume a new one. A change in form cannot be dispelled, but the rakshasa reverts to its natural form when killed. A true seeing spell reveals its natural form.
Terror of the Unknown: DC 13.
Skills: A rakshasa has a +4 racial bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks. *When using change shape, a rakshasa gains an additional +10 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks. If reading an opponent’s mind, its circumstance bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks increases by a further +4. +10 to Intimidate for Corruption score.

Nice stats Prof.Dogg.

But, where are the Defence Values, what is '11 (+1 Str)' & '9', and how are you using DR 15/good and piercing in a game with no alighnment?

You know as a ongoing villain, you can boot her power by giving her Class levels, like Noble.

And, is she carrying any thing (clothing, items)?

NOTE: She will not get any Parry bonuses for monster HD, but she will get Dodge bonus as a Barbarian (+5, +1 for feat) as she has good Ref.
 
Does not really matter where the defense values are, that is a GREAT conversion.

I go with the flo as far as monsters. NO orcs, goblins (Standard tolkien stuff) but I do convert the cool wierd ones...
 
The Beowulf saga is a good one to go on. Grendal and his mother (the Sea Hag) terrorized the entire Danish nation! I'd perhaps go for some isolated coastal communities on the coast of the Pictish wilderness; fishing villages left alone by the Picts (at the moment) and having little contact with the rest of the world.
For Grendal I'd probably use either converted Ogre or Hill Giant stats (he was pretty tough). I think The Iron Chief posted some conversion notes a while ago (or was it Thulsa?) for 3rd Ed. Anyway, I used these as a base for my own system of converting 2nd Ed creatures which seems to work ok
I'd also probably add the twist that Marillion allude to in their track 'Grendal', in that the priests were conducting secret blood sacrifices and blaming Grendal for the killings.
 
Malcadon said:
Prof.Dogg said:
Sorry - meant to post her stats:

DV Dodge:
DV Parry:
DR: 17 (+2 Dex, +5 race)
11 (+1 Str)
9

Nice stats Prof.Dogg.

But, where are the Defence Values, what is '11 (+1 Str)' & '9', and how are you using DR 15/good and piercing in a game with no alighnment?

You know as a ongoing villain, you can boot her power by giving her Class levels, like Noble.

And, is she carrying any thing (clothing, items)?

NOTE: She will not get any Parry bonuses for monster HD, but she will get Dodge bonus as a Barbarian (+5, +1 for feat) as she has good Ref.

Sorry - looks like the copy & paste formatted weird. Here's what I had:

DV Dodge: 17 (+2 Dex, +5 race)

DV Parry: 11 (+1 Str)

DR: 9.

I left the DR from its original source becasue I created a plot device to kill her. Rakshashas can only be killed by a crossbow bolt blessed by a priest (hence D&D "good & puncturing"). So, I left the PCs trapped in a cave with the buried remains of a Khitan saint. The party used the dead man's ribs to attack the rakshasha. I treated it as a bane-weapon (+2d6) with an auto-kill if they critted.
 
Another thing I adjust in the game are Humanoid and Giant types with 2 or more HD. (I like to count Giants as Humanoid, as they are just large humanoids) I do not like how D&D make such monster, as they make for week characters when you throw some classes on them.

What I do is, knock down the Monster HD by one and add a Character Class to it. The Class has full benefits of a first level character (+3 HD worth of skills and full HP if a PC). Humanoid (plus Giant) HD has a Hit Dice of d8, average Attack, poor Dodge (or good, with good Ref), no Parry, one good save (typically Fort), gets (2 + Int) per HD (Class skills are: Climb, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Survival & Swim). The Monster HD do not limit the PC Class you have, as you all ways get 20 levels of PC class plus the base Monster HD, you get roll HP up to 10 PC levels plus all of the Monster HD. Once you are at 21 or more (in HD & Levels) you will not gain any more ability increases.

So, when I make an Ogre from the MM book. I get a Large Humanoid with 3 HD and a Barbarian at level 2 (for a basic type) or more (for a chieftain). Most monsters will use there favored class.
 
Malcadon said:
She will not get any Parry bonuses for monster HD, but she will get Dodge bonus as a Barbarian (+5, +1 for feat) as she has good Ref.

Dang! Forgot about the feat I assigned her. That gives her another +1 Dodge DV as you pointed out. Much obliged...
 
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