Monsters of Legend 2
- Thread starter The Wolf
- Start date
45 Monsters converted and some of these won't be 1:1 conversions from the d20 book. I've had to do what I did with both Spider God's Bride (re-write) and SGB 2 - I have tweaked some, removed powers from others and added things which are Legend themed.
I have also made sure in the case of the Sentinel, that it doesn't have a 235% combat skill. Because that's what happens if you 1:1 convert it using +35*5 and the creatures base of 60 in combat.
A bit tooooo scary for my tastes
All in all, as long as no major things happen the core text for MoL 2 will be done by Friday this week. It'll take a day or so to edit and put into the Mongoose style guide - so I would expect Matthew to get it on Monday next week.
Darren
I have also made sure in the case of the Sentinel, that it doesn't have a 235% combat skill. Because that's what happens if you 1:1 convert it using +35*5 and the creatures base of 60 in combat.
A bit tooooo scary for my tastes
All in all, as long as no major things happen the core text for MoL 2 will be done by Friday this week. It'll take a day or so to edit and put into the Mongoose style guide - so I would expect Matthew to get it on Monday next week.
Darren
warlock1971
Mongoose
Awesome news - I will definitely be buying it! 
Prime_Evil
Emperor Mongoose
The Wolf said:
Good news!
Thanks once again. Some of these may well be pushovers in many cases, but some of them are downright nasty. I've tried to cherry pick at least 60 monsters and rather than inventing a ton of traits to add to the front of the book, I've put several special traits as per the d20 in with the monster descriptions so you don't have to keep on leafing back/forth.
Where possible I have tried to do a conversion of the old stats, but for a lot of them I have tweaked the numbers due to several factors. Kind of like the work I did with SGB re-write and SGB 2 to be honest.
I'm also thinking that since Legend is CC I might do a few of my own monsters for sale as well, putting my own take on the Succubus etc.
Edit: 4 left!
Where possible I have tried to do a conversion of the old stats, but for a lot of them I have tweaked the numbers due to several factors. Kind of like the work I did with SGB re-write and SGB 2 to be honest.
I'm also thinking that since Legend is CC I might do a few of my own monsters for sale as well, putting my own take on the Succubus etc.
Edit: 4 left!
warlock1971
Mongoose
The Wolf said:
Awesome sauce!
Prime_Evil
Emperor Mongoose
Please do! I've got a list of monsters that I'd love to see for Legend to fill in some of the gaps in the system. I can post it here if you're interested. I'm a bit surprised that Monsters of Legend 2 doesn't address some of the obvious gaps, but I suppose that you can't have everything. I was hoping to see some of the creatures on my list released as OGC, but it seems that this won't happen in a hurry...
alex_greene
Guest
I have to ask: does the book contain anything resembling saurians, lizard people and the like? Or anything I've covered in my freebie documents out on the web already?
Prime_Evil
Emperor Mongoose
The Wolf said:Please do, Prime_Evil and I shall at least see what I might be able to come up with when I have some spare time
Here's my wish list of creatures that could form the basis of the next Monsters of Legend
. I trawled through more than a dozen RPGs to assemble a list of creatures that seem popular but are currently missing from Legend and post them here for your amusement - the RPGs analysed include various editions of D&D, Rolemaster, the HERO system, Warhammer, etc. There are a couple of additional entries that I added for my own reference based upon my own ideas, but you can feel free to ignore these. One thing that is still missing is the category of oozes and slimes - this role was covered by the Gorp in MRQ I, but that is clearly Issaries product identity. Apparition
Barrow Wight (a modified version of the Draugr from Vikings of Legend)
Banshee
Bat, Giant
Beastman (A generic version of the Gloranthan Broo with a Warhammer vibe)
Brownie
Catfolk
Chimera
Demon
- Demon, Hellion
- Demon, Imp
- Demon Knight
- Demon Lord
- Demon, Nightmare
- Demon, Succubus
Doppelganger
Eagle, Giant
Genie
- Djinn
- Efreet
- Marid
- Jann
Ghoul
- Ghoul Lord
Ghost Hound
Griffin (there is a version in the MRQ I SRD)
Hell Hound
Hippocampus
Hippogriff
Hobgoblin
Homonculous
Hydra
Hyena
Leprechaun
Lizardfolk
Lich (there is a version in the MRQ II Necromantic Arts book, but it's not OGC and is quirky)
Naga
Nymph (there are versions of these in the MRQ I SRD, but theyneed a quick update...)
- Dryad
- Hag
- Naiad
- Nixie
- Oread
Owl, Giant
Pegasus
Phoenix
Piranha, Swarm
Pixie
Ratfolk (Skaven types)
Sea Serpent (OpenQuest has a version of this that could be converted).
Serpent Folk
Spectre
Sphinx
Squid, Giant
Titan
Toad, Giant
Troglodyte
Vampire (an expanded version of the entry from Monsters of Legend I)
- Vampire, Fledgling
- Vampire, Elder
- Vampire, Ancient
Vampire Blossom (a lethal plant with sleep-inducing pollen that feeds on blood...)
Wraith
Yeti
alex_greene
Guest
Use the stats for ghosts from Spirit Magic, and give it the ghoul howl power from p. 76 of MoL I.Prime_Evil said:
- use the werewolf template from MoL I. If you are following the Cat People format, catfolk can only transform when they have sex.Prime_Evil said:
Use a form of ghost or spirit, which exists in an insubstantial form until it is hunting its target - whereupon it duplicates the character's physical characteristics - STR, CON, SIZ, DEX, but not INT, POW or CHA.Prime_Evil said:
I think I wrote a post here, where we statted up genies. It was a bit tongue in cheek. Use disembodied spirits perhaps, all INT, POW, CHA, and give them Sorcery powers which they can use like Sorcery enchantments?Prime_Evil said:
Ghouls are already covered on p. 76 of MoL. You can tie them in with Banshees, as described above. Ghoul Lords could be more sentient, more powerful versions of ghouls - add +6 to INT and POW and add some powers to magically Dominate lesser ghouls.Prime_Evil said:
Ditto, goblins are covered in MoL I - bulk up their STR and SIZ a bit, and you get a hobgoblin, maybe.Prime_Evil said:
- already covered that in my file here.Prime_Evil said:
- already covered that here.Prime_Evil said:
- you can work out something in the Spirit Magic document. Add some abilities from MoL I or something like Tap (POW) or Tap (CHA) from Legend Core Rulebook.Prime_Evil said:
If you want, I can work up something. I did, after all, do a lot of vampire-themed work for Night Stalkers for White Wolf's Hunter: the Vigil.Prime_Evil said:
Prime_Evil
Emperor Mongoose
PeteN said:You know, between RQ6, Monster Island and an article I wrote for Fenix, most of these are covered.Prime_Evil said:Here's my wish list of creatures that could form the basis of the next Monsters of Legend
Woah...that's awesome news!
Prime_Evil
Emperor Mongoose
alex_greene said:
Actually, I think there is room for an exploration of how to use insubstantial undead as opponents - Spirit Magic deals with how these entities work from a shaman's perspective, but doesn't analyse how to build or run encounters involving such beings.
alex_greene said:
Works for me.
alex_greene said:
That's a decent approach, but there is a need to expand on the motives and objectives of the doppelganger - I'd be tempted to follow Germanic legend rather than the D&D version of the Doppelganger though.
Speaking of which, maybe there is also room for an entry for Changelings as well as Doppelgangers, assuming that you are using authentic mythological elves rather than the variety derived from Tolkien.
alex_greene said:
I'd definitely go back to Islamic folklore for this one, with perhaps a small degree of influence from the 1940's Thief of Baghdad movie (one of my favourite fantasy films of all time, but sadly hard to find). I know that for many people, the image of the Djinn provided by 'I Dream of Jeannie' is the dominant one, but it's based on a very loose understanding of the source material (mixed with a fair amount of pure cheesecake). The idea of treating genies as a new variety of disembodied spirits is a good one though - it fits well with the idea that the Jinn were spiritual creatures formed from smokeless fire. I'm not sure how you would handle the amount of power that the Seal of Solomon grants over geniekind though - maybe the seal is enchanted with a Dominate (Djinn) spell that grants the person who frees an imprisoned genie the power to compel it to perform tasks?
alex_greene said:
I agree that the mechanical changes needed to make Ghoul Lords is fairly simple, but I think that the fluff describing their role in ghoul society could be interesting - read Lovecraft's Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath and / or Brian McNaughton's Throne of Bones for inspiration (Caution: graphic violence and sex in the McNaughton's book).
alex_greene said:
Hobgoblins seem to be a distinct class of entities in medieval and renaissance bestiaries and seem to be distinct from goblins. For example, Puck is described as a hobgoblin in a Midsummer Night's Dream. And then there's the figure of Robin Goodfellow. The exact relationship between the two species is obscure, but I seem to recall that Robert Kirk's 16th century folklore collection (with the brilliant title The Secret Commonwealth or an Essay on the Nature and Actions of the Subterranean (and for the most part) Invisible People heretofore going under the names of Fauns and Fairies, or the like, among the Low Country Scots as described by those who have second sight) lists hobgoblins as members of the seelie court but goblins as members of the unseelie court. The notion the Hobgobins are larger and more powerful versions of goblins seems to derive from Tolkien, but has become the dominant image in the RPG industry.
Hmmm...perhaps it is also worth listing the Boggart as an evil version of the Brownie? In either case, I suspect there is room for a sidebar on Faerie Morality and Ethics.
alex_greene said:
Oh...I forgot about that. Thanks!
alex_greene said:
Yes. Incidentally, I would definitely play up the distinction between Lizard folk and Serpent Folk - the Lizard Folk are primitive creatures who are inimical to humans but keep to their own territory. By contrast, the Serpent Folk are the last survivors of an ancient species who use alien sorcery and super-science. They can disguise themselves as humans and may survive down into modern times as the Reptoids who fill the US Congress
As an aside, does anybody remember the old Saurians book for Chivalry and Sorcery?
alex_greene said:
Agreed - but this is another example of an area where a treatment of insubstantial undead from the perspective of ordinary mortals rather than shamanic spellcasters might be useful. There is some relevant material in the Age of Treason Companion, but it could be expanded in a number of ways. I also think that one of the defining features of the spectre in folklore is their ability to inspire instinctive terror in all who behold them...
[/quote]alex_greene said:
Vampires are such versatile enemies that they really deserve an expanded treatment. I'm thinking it would be nice to have a discussion of how vampires grow in power and influence over time. White Wolf lifted the idea of extremely ancient vampires who slumber for centuries from Anne Rice, but it is an excellent idea
Lord High Munchkin
Mongoose
Yes, I have it.Prime_Evil said:
The dinosaur and mammal stats are totally inaccurate (they were a bit off-beam even when the book was first published), however, the saurian social background is still a gem.
