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4e 'Loths

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Mon, 2008-06-30 18:58
#1
Arytiss
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4e 'Loths

Couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd give converting some of our old friends to 4th ed starting with the Yugoloths. Just have one done so far, with others to follow. I wanted a bit of criticism though before I continued with my conversions.

I decided to start with the Marraenoloth, my second favourite among the 'loths and the one I've used in a game most recently.

Marraenoloth                           Controller Level 9
Medium Yugoloth                          XP: 350
Initiative: +8                           Senses: Perception +14; Darkvision
Resist: Poison 20
Speed 6, Swim 10
*****************************
Claw (Standard; at-will)
+5 vs AC; 1d6 damage
-----------------------------------------
Staff (Standard; at-will)
+6 vs AC; 1d6 damage
--------------------------------------------
Fear Gaze (Standard; at-will) Fear, Psychic
Ranged 8; +10 vs Will; The target takes 1d6+4 psychic damage and moves its speed away 
from the Marraenoloth by the safest route possible (Save ends).
------------------------------------------
Maeldur's Stride (Move; Recharge 5,6)
The Marraenoloth can teleport up to 10 squares
****************************************
Alignment: Neutral Evil            Languages: Common, Yugoloth
Skills: Insight +14, Planes + 13
Str 10 (+4)      Dex 14 (+6)      Wis 20 (+9)
Con 16 (+7)     Int 19  (+8 )      Cha 18 (+8 )
------------------------------------------
Equipment: Staff

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Mon, 2008-06-30 22:34
#2
Jem
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4e 'Loths

Heavens, but there's quite a bit missing from that. A marraenoloth needs his skiff, to start out with! Plus knowledge of the professional skills he'll need to nagivate the Styx, negotiate with passengers, etc.

I suppose the basic yugoloth abilities are detailed in one of the books I don't intend to buy... ;^)

Tue, 2008-07-01 09:30
(Reply to #2) #3
Arytiss
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4e 'Loths

Unfortunately, Yugoloths aren't likely to be detailed at all. (After all, they're demons now.)

I've never gotten the impression that Marreanoloths negotiate for passage. I'm just looking at my copy of the Planescape Monstrous Supplement now and it seems to suggest that the fees are fairly set. As for the skiff, I decided not to include it under equipment since most canny adventurers wouldn't want to risk it. I'd probably detail it seperately and use it to give the Marreanoloth the powers that it's more likely to use to ferry people around.

The sills were the best I thought suitable for the Marraenoloth's purposes:
Perception (Spot, Listen, that stuff) - After all, this is one of the things that the Marraenoloth's are learning about out there on the Styx. The importance of information.
Insight (Sense motive), for fairly obvious reasons.
Planes (Knowledge: The Planes): This is what all the listening is for.

The profession skills along with most of the flavour skills have been removed from 4th ed. so I did the best I could with what I had.

Tue, 2008-07-01 10:54
(Reply to #3) #4
Mask
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4e 'Loths

'Arytiss' wrote:
Alignment: Neutral Evil
I don't have the book (and I don't intend to buy it) so I might be wrong, but I doubt there is still a lawful evil alignment.

Tue, 2008-07-01 12:55
(Reply to #4) #5
Navarion
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There isn't, but if you want to play Planescape in 4E without totally crippling it you have to make some houserules.

Tue, 2008-07-01 13:39
(Reply to #5) #6
Jem
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'Arytiss' wrote:
Unfortunately, Yugoloths aren't likely to be detailed at all. (After all, they're demons now.)

In that case, you might want to note some of the standard abilities. The 2e Monstrous Compendium gives yugoleths in general the common spell-like abilities at will: alter self, animate dead, cause disease, charm person, improved phantasmal force, produce flame, and teleport without error. They can also gate in other yugoloths, though gated yugoloths are 25% likely to turn on the summoning yugoloth, either quarreling or attempting to be paid off by their opponents.

They're also immune to acid, fire and poison, with the suggestion that silver weapons can bypass some of their AC.

Quote:
As for the skiff, I decided not to include it under equipment since most canny adventurers wouldn't want to risk it. I'd probably detail it separately and use it to give the Marraenoloth the powers that it's more likely to use to ferry people around.

Indeed, a marraenoloth without its skiff has lost part of its self (I'd say "soul," but it's a yugoloth after all) -- I think that's canon, though I can't remember where I've seen it.

Tue, 2008-07-01 14:04
(Reply to #6) #7
Arytiss
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The main problem is that it's difficult to include all those without unbalancing everything. Most of the Tanari and Baatezu abilities have been removed. The closest I could get to the teleport without error was the Maeldur's Stride ability (my own name. I felt it was suitable.)

Mon, 2008-07-07 23:38
#8
Rhys
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1. That should be Arcana,

1. That should be Arcana, not The Planes, in keeping with the new arrangement for knowledge skills. As chant-brokers, traders, and travelers, I don't think being trained in Streetwise would be out of line. It seems odd to call a maernaloth "Streetwise," but the effect is good.

2. The 'loth doesn't seem flavorful enough as it is. Think about transporting passengers, fetching items, poison, the Styx, and striking bargains for inspiration. I don't think a fear effect suffices as the thing's sole power.

3. I don't think the damage is high enough for any of the maernaloth's attacks.

4. An ability called "Fear Gaze" absolutely needs the Fear and Gaze keywords, and probably doesn't need the Psychic keyword.

Tue, 2008-07-08 02:08
#9
Kobold Avenger
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It needs another power to

It needs another power to reflect it's tie to the River Styx, and their insidious natures as boatmen.  Something that says corruption in it, that's used as an encounter ability with a recharge.

For example:

The Call of Styx's Waters (standard; recharge 5 6)

Close Blast 3; +10 vs. Will; Target takes 1d8 + 4 poison damage and is stunned (save ends).

With a wave of it's hand the Marraenoloth conjures forth a spray of the corrupted and toxic waters of the River Styx.

 

As sort of the something unique, that's in some ways similiar to it's spell-like abilities of Poison, Produce Flame and Phantasmal Killer put together.

Tue, 2008-07-08 16:30
(Reply to #8) #10
Bob the Efreet
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It seems sort of like...

Rhys wrote:
1. That should be Arcana, not The Planes, in keeping with the new arrangement for knowledge skills.

I think Astral Dominions would be under Religion, rather than Arcana.

__________________

Pants of the North!

Thu, 2008-11-20 18:53
#11
Clueless
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Can this be added to the 4e

Can this be added to the 4e Conversion Project?

Tue, 2008-11-25 15:17
#12
see
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It's a pretty good

It's a pretty good 4e-ization.  Doesn't have the host of abilities that were attached to the 2e version, but it's strongly consistent with the original 1e charonadaemon (the general daemon powers were detect invisible, read magic, comprehend languages, invisibility, telepathy, and word of recall; the specific charanodaemon powers were teleportation and a fear gaze).

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