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View Full Version : d20/3.5e/PF/any - Monster Creation help thread



Yora
2013-02-17, 10:10 AM
Working on monsters, I often get confused by minor things with no clue where to ask about it. So let's have a thread for that!

If you have a new question, please mark it with Q#:, if you reply to any question, mark it with A#:. Also tell what system the creature is going to be for.

Since there is often some room for interpretation or alternative approaches, multiple replies to the same question are welcome.

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If you want to post a full stat block, blank ones here here:
(click on "quote" and copy-paste the relevant part to your post to keep the formating)

Early 3rd Ed./SRD
Name
Size/Type: ?
Hit Dice: ?d? (? hp)
Initiative: ?
Speed: ?
Armor Class: ? (modifiers), touch ?, flat-footed ?
Base Attack/Grapple: ?/?
Attack: ?
Full Attack: ?
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: ?
Special Qualities: ?
Saves: Fort +?, Ref +?, Will +?
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10
Skills: ?
Feats: ?
Environment: ?
Organization: ?
Challenge Rating: ?
Treasure: ?
Alignment: ?
Advancement: ?
Level Adjustment: ?

Late 3rd Ed./Pathfinder
Name
CR ?
XP ?
Size type
Init +?; Senses Perception +?

DEFENSE
AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10 (modifiers)
hp ? (?d?)
Fort +?, Ref +?, Will +?
Defensive Abilities ?; DR; ? Immune ?; Resist ?; SR ?

OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee ?
Ranged ?
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks ?
Spell-Like Abilities (CL ??; concentration +?)
At will - ?
3/day - ?
1/day - ?
Spells (CL ??; concentration +?)
3 - ??
2 - ??
1 - ??

STATISTICS
Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 10 Wis 10, Cha 10
Base Atk +?, CMB +?, CMD ?
Feats ?
Skills ?; Racial Modifier +?
Languages ?
SQ ?
Combat Gear ?
Other Gear ??

ECOLOGY
Environment ?
Organization ?
Treasure ?

SPECIAL ABILITIES
-

Yora
2013-02-17, 10:24 AM
Q1: I want to make a specter-like incorporeal monster for PF, but at a much lower power level. Something like the ghost army from Asterix or the other ghost army that was a total ripoff of them in the Return of the King. :smallbiggrin:

I think of using the zombie-template as a starting point and modify it with traits from the ghost template:
Type: incorporeal
Armor Class: Charisma modifier as deflection bonus
Defensive Abilities: Rejuvination* (revived at next sunset)
Speed: Fly 30 ft. (good) (or better if the base creature has flight)
Special Attacks: Corrupting touch (1d6 per 2 points of CR)
Special Qualities: Not staggered like zombies
Abilities: +0 Dex, -2 Int, -2 Wis, +2 Cha; No Str or Dex
Feats & Skills: Since they are not mindless, they retain feats and skills.

*These specters usually appear in groups and are tied to a specific location. The members of the group share the same condition that ends their curse and triggering it destroys the entire group. (Though it can happen that two or more groups are tied to the same location while having different conditions to be destroyed.)

1: Is there anything obvious that I've been missing that really needs to be added?
2: Would you say using the CR for Zombies +1 would be a good estimate? They are considerably weaker than ghost and never benefit from class levels, and they only deal half damage. Since they are incorporeal, cauttion against using small numbers against low-level PCs is of course mandated.

Debihuman
2013-02-17, 11:42 AM
Type is Undead, Subtype is Incorporeal.

Since 3.5 and Pathfinder use different rules, they are not exactly interchangeable. It's fairly easy to go from one to the other but you have to decide which one you are creating for. For example Undead in 3.5 use d12 and in Pathfinder they use d8.

It is a lot easier to critique creatures when they use the format that matches the online SRD and not the new stat blocks because ALL the information is line by line and there's no going back and forth on lines.

If you cannot figure out which stat block I mean look at any monster in this: http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/monsters.htm.

I also recommend you read the top section there called: "Introduction (Reading the Entries)"

Pathfinder monsters are harder to critique in their standard stat block. You can look up a lot of information online here: http://www.pathfindersrd.com.

Debby