Thursday, March 10, 2011

Type II and Type III Conversion Help

Hey there,

So, here is how the monster descriptions & stat-blocks look for the Vornheim City Kit (not the design, just the info provided):

Narcissus Peacock
Appears to be an ordinary peacock--until it spreads its fan...
HD: 2
AC: 9 or 11
Speed: as human
Intelligence: Animal
Attack: Upon seeing any creature, the peacock will spread its fan. Creatures seeing the fan must then save or stand immobile and transfixed. (Theories differ as to what, exactly, a victim sees when it gazes into its tailfeathers – when a PC is frozen, ask the player what s/he sees). The peacock will then begin to eat the victim, causing d4 damage per round. Victims may make another save every time they take damage. The effect ends if the beast is slain.

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The current draft of the notes on how to use the stats in different versions of the game will say:

"If you are using a version of the game which requires more information than is provided in the statblocks, assume creatures attack as ordinary fighters of a level equal to the creatures' hit dice. Assume 5 hit points per die or roll d8 per HD. Assume smart monsters save as typical wizards/magic-users of a level equal to their hit dice, fast or sneaky monster save as rogues/thieves, and tough monsters as fighters/warriors."

So here's where I need your help:

I have never played Type II D&D and I have only played our own hacked and AD&D-ified version of Type III.5 D&D, so, I ask players of Type II and Type III (and 3.5) D&D: Is the information above enough for you to run a monster, or do you need something I left out?

3.5 people: Initiative bonus, right? Is there a simple way to do that? Equal to half HD (plus two for fast/sneaky monsters)? How's that? Addenda:...No, that's too high. 3.5 initiative modifiers = +1 for most monsters, + 2 for smart monsters, +3 for fast or sneaky monsters and and -1 for large, armored monsters.

Save difficulties for innate abilities are equal to 12 + creature's HD?

ADDENDA ON DCs:

I figure DC +12 gives us a DC of 14 for this peacock--which seems fair since it's a relatively weak monster.

Also: in this particular product, almost nobody over 10 hd has anything you'd to save against, so the max save dc is 22, which seems like a decent "be-smart-or-get-screwed" price point for 7th level PCs--the highest level PCs who'd be tangling with these monsters.

So basically the DCs go from 14-22 and PCs go from levels 1-7.

ANOTHER ADDENDA:
3.5 people: please stop telling me how to hit and save bonuses are derived from stats in 3.5. I know that, everyone knows that already. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REMIND ME WHAT THE RULES ARE. The question is, if I give you the bonuses and saves up front, why on earth would you need the stats? The bonuses are right there.

I appreciate your help.



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p.s. If you're Scarius1337 then check it...