| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Lothlos |
Posted - 20 Feb 2014 : 19:01:43
Has anyone have a good system for converting 4e monsters to 3.5e monsters?
Thanks in advance. |
| 10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Diffan |
Posted - 22 Feb 2014 : 05:58:50
quote:
Originally posted by Lothlos
@Diffan I really like your conversion.
Thanks for your hard work.
No problem, I hope it works out well for you. Conversions aren't that hard, espically when there is just SO much info out there for 3.5 that 9 out of 10 times you can easily find what your looking for. |
| Lothlos |
Posted - 22 Feb 2014 : 04:19:54
@Diffan I really like your conversion.
Thanks for your hard work. |
| Diffan |
Posted - 21 Feb 2014 : 19:31:00
quote:
Originally posted by Lothlos
@Diffan Thanks that was a real help - PC's 16-18
No problem.
So, 16 - 18 level means that you'll want these creatures to be approx. CR 15 or 16 if you want to throw multiples at them. So now we look at monsters of appropriate size, challenge rating, and similarities to monsters already created with 3E. There's a ton so it's easier to have the previous system do all the heavy lifting and us to just adjust and tweak here and there.
So for something quick, I'll use a Nightshade (Nightcrawler) as a base template for most of the stats since it's a CR 18 and worm-like. I'll also grab some features from other monsters for Improved Grab and Constrict plus pounce and poison. After that, I did some quick conversions with the Ability scores that apply to saves and HP and this is what I came up with....
Shadow Snake
Large Outsider (Augmented Magical Beast, Extraplanar)
Hit Die: 21d10 + 105 (165 HP)
Initiative: +10
Speed 35 ft. (7 squares); Climb 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 33 (+6 Dex, -1 size, +28 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 28
Base Attack/Grapple: +21/+36
Attack: Bite +28 melee (4d6+14/19-20 plus poison)
Full Attack: Bite +28/+23/+18/+13 melee (4d6+14/19-20 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Constrict, spell-like abilities, poison, pounce
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/silver and magic, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to cold and poison, shadow blend, spell resistance 27
Saves: Fort +17, Ref +19, Will +10
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 22, Con 20, Int 4, Wis 14, Cha 20
Skills: Hide +20, Intimidate +14, Listen +30, Move Silently +20, Spot +31, Survival +9
Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Grapple*, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Quicken Spell-like Ability (dimensional door), Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 16
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —
Shadow snakes appears as large pythons or constrictors but with a near jet black skin and can stand upon their coiled, muscular folds. Their quick grace and speed belie their size and they’re extremely strong and intimidating. They’re often revered by the Yuan-ti due to their belief that shadow snakes were created by Zehir, the god of night and poison, as a manifestation that embody all of their god’s qualities.
A shadow snake measures about 3 feet in diameter and it’s 12 to 15 feet long from it’s toothy maw to the tip of its ebony tail. It weighs approx. 350 to 500 lbs.
Combat
Shadow snakes employ the tactics of hit and run, using their stealth to strike first and often attempting to inject a creature with its paralyzing poison while darting back into the shadows. When their prey is paralyzed, the constrict it with their coils then devour it alive. When cornered or badly hurt the shadow snake will use its shadow jaunt power (a dimensional door spell-like ability, but only usable through shadows) to teleport to a safe haven, usually their nest which is often hidden within close proximity to where it hunts.
A shadow snake’s natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.
Constrict (Ex)
On a successful grapple check, a shadow snake deals 2d8 + 7 points of damage.
Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, a shadow snake must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an Attack of Opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and constrict.
Poison (Ex)
Injury, Fortitude DC 20, initial and secondary damage 2d6 Str plus paralysis (1d4 hours). The save DC is Constitution-based.
Pounce (Ex)
If a shadow snake charges a foe, it can make a full attack. Its poison can only be applied to one successful attack during this action.
Shadow Blend (Su)
In any condition of illumination other than full daylight, a shadow snake can disappear into the shadows, giving it total concealment. Artificial illumination, even a light or continual flame spell, does not negate this ability. A daylight spell, however, will.
Spell-Like Abilities
3/day—quickened dimensional door (shadows only)
*NOTE: OK, so I'm not sure how balanced this is with other CR monsters but I've eye-balled it and it should be pretty good to go. The skills are the only thing that I just threw together hodge-podge because 1) Skill points are dumb and 2) plugging in 21 levels of Skill points is even dumber. I went with what shadowy creatures of approx. CR have and plugged those in. Other than that, the saves look right (Good Fort, Ref; poor Will) and the BAB is based on a Fighters.
So it's a shadowy snake. It shares a poison ability (in 4E, it's just poison damage but in v3.5 it can paralyze too). It can move and attack without provoking attacks of opportunities via Spring Attack. It can blend into the shadows with Shadow Blend as well as minor teleport via Dimensional Door with a caveat of only using shadows (similar to 4E's Vanish into the Night ability). I added the constriction and pounce to give it a bit more lethal effect.
Let me know what you think... |
| Lothlos |
Posted - 21 Feb 2014 : 16:23:02
@Diffan Thanks that was a real help - PC's 16-18 |
| Diffan |
Posted - 21 Feb 2014 : 09:16:45
3E to 4E I can do, the reverse is more difficult. What level are your PC's and what sort of challenge do you want these snakes to represent? This will help set the base for creating your monster. It'll determine it's Hit Die, feats, skills, and features. Looking at the 4E creature, it's a 16th level Skirmisher. That means it's fast and attacks on the run while employing ambush tactics. Feats like Spring Attack, Pounce, and spell-like abilities such as Dimensional Hop, Shadow Walk, or Shadow.Jump can work well. It's also important if you want to include venom and what sort of possibilities comes with a Poison. |
| Fellfire |
Posted - 21 Feb 2014 : 03:37:20
Dono much 4th, but I do know that 2nd and/or 3rd had the shadow asp |
| The Arcanamach |
Posted - 20 Feb 2014 : 22:21:44
I don't think there's a conversion 'system' available anywhere but, honestly, it should be easy enough to use a 3e snake as a base critter and just give it powers similar to its 4e counterpart.
And I'm going back to 2e with the alt rules myself. 3e has lost its luster for me (though I'm happy to play in it...I will never DM another 3e game). |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 20 Feb 2014 : 21:30:05
While there is a good chance that monsters from 4E do exist in prior editions, each edition has always had its unique critters... And people may not always have access to earlier editions.
And even if someone doesn't like a particular edition, that doesn't mean it has nothing at all to offer them.
If anyone has a good system for converting 4E monsters to earlier editions, I think it should be shared far and wide... Besides, converting one way can be done the other way, too, and that can be helpful.  |
| Lothlos |
Posted - 20 Feb 2014 : 21:03:58
Shadow Snakes are what I am wanting to convert |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 20 Feb 2014 : 20:33:53
I'm kind of stumped as to why you would convert anything from 4e to 3.5 but that's because im a 3rd edition purist and I'm horrified at the thought of 4th edition infecting 3rd edition with its nasty cooties.
3rd edition had more monsters than you could shake a pooh covered stick at (although not quite as many as 2nd edition). And all they did for 4e was completely wreck the ecologies and lore of the creatures that had been developed over 3 or more editions of dnd.
Apart from the attempts to give elementals more personality (although why call them archons) the monsters probably already exist in 3rd edition.
What monsters are you trying to convert? |
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