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#1 sterlingheart_paganpummel Aug 01, 2005 23:42:25

In my updating of the Descent series, there were obviously a lot of abilities possessed by the original drow, kuo-toa and Sverfneblin that 3.0 and 3.5 left out. Here's what they might have looked like (and what I'm using in my 1/2 done conversion of Queen of the Spiders): A few notes: This is a Greyhawk module, and with sticking to the stats presented in the original adventures, the characteristics scores for Drow encountered are calculated using G. Gygax’s ability score ranges listed under the drow entry at the back of each adventure. In addition, for those who wish to keep the Greyhawk drow much closer to the original, the additional level-based spells from the first edition stats are also included. 3.5 DM’s who want to keep the stats lower powered to the 3.5 monster Manual should simply disregard the bonus class/gender based spells original Greyhawk drow possess (with the exception of the ‘All Drow’ spells, which have remained unchanged). These include the following: All drow, 1/day: Dancing Lights, Darkness, Faerie Fire Any drow with 4 or more class levels, 1/day: Detect Magic, Detect good (Know Alignment was dropped in 3.0), Levitate Female Drow only, 1/day: Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Discern Lies, Dispel magic, Suggestion These spells are cast as a sorcerer of the drow’s total class level, or as a sorcerer at the minimum level required to use the spell in question. Ability Scores: The average ability score for Greyhawk drow females and males are listed below (rounded down). These are before any adjustment for character levels. Female: Str 11, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 14 Male: Str 8, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 12 Racial Abilities: +2 to Will saves vs spells & spell-like abilities, +2 to Enchantment magic saves, immune to magical Sleep, Darkvision 120’, Spell Resistance: 11+ class levels. +2 racial bonuses to listen, search and spot checks. Coming within 5’ of a secret door entitles the drow to a free spot check. Greyhawk drow are very stealthy (according to their original write up), gaining a +4 racial bonus to hide and move silently checks. Drow struck with bright light (such as sunlight, or a Daylight spell) are blinded for 1 round, and remained dazzled as long as they stay within the area of the illumination. Although there is no official rule for it, female drow might gain a +5 racial bonus to their intimidate checks vs. male drow, at your discretion (this would go a ways to countering the high intimidation score male fighters have, without neutering them against other males). Greyhawk drow weapons, Cloak and boots: Greyhawk drow weapons receive their magic-like pluses from the weird radiations of the drow homeland, as well as their mixture of adamantine alloy. As noted in the module, these items irreversibly rot when exposed to sunlight (Faerzress weapons from the Realms have borrowed upon this). Though fine weapons, Greyhawk drow arms are not always necessarily masterwork quality, nor do their magic-like abilities require them to be. Drow cloaks grant a +5 competence bonus to hide checks. Drow boots grant a +5 competence bonus to move silently checks. The bonuses for cloak and boots, as well as armor check penalty, have already been added to drow skill totals. All drow, unless otherwise noted, are assumed to be wearing the boots and cloak their race is noted for (for some hefty Hide/move silent mods for these elves). Greyhawk drow wear a fine mesh of black elven chain mail armor, similar to that found in the 3.5 DMG (does not impeded the drow’s normal 30’ movement speed, has an arcane spell failure of 20%, Max Dex bonus +4, armor check pent: -2, light armor, weighs 20 lbs). The armor check penalty for this chain mail has been added to the skill rank totals. All Greyhawk drow receive proficiency in the shortsword, hand crossbow (exotic weapon) and either dart or javelin as bonus weapon proficiencies. Drow hand crossbows are of the Small variety. Greyhawk Drow knockout poison requires a primary and secondary DC 15 Fort save or unconscious for 2d4 hours. Drow carry 1d4-1 doses each, and each dose is sufficient to cover 1 shortsword or 1 dagger, or 10 hand crossbow bolts. Kuo-Toan: There are a few differences between 1st ed. and 3.5 Kuo-Toan. Lightning generated by Kuo-Toan whips has been halved in power from 1st edition, but the requirements to generate the bolt have been lessened, as well as their frequency increased, so the module sticks with 3.5 for this effect. However, some other abilities of the 1st edition Kuo-Toan were also completely deleted. Fish Empathy, 75 % improbability water elemental creatures will attack them if a whip is near, Magic Missiles inflict but 1 hp/missile, Immunity to Illusion, Blindsight within 10’ (due to air vibrations). Spells which generally affect only humanoid-type creatures (charm person, hold person, sleep) have no effect on these creatures. While most of these dropped abilities are minor, a few together warrant an additional +1 CR above what is listed in the 3.5 monster manual. All encounters in this conversion assume each Greyhawk Kuo-Toa has these missing abilities and the CR will reflect this in the monster write-ups and CR levels. Svirfneblin Weapons: Gas Darts: When one of these darts strikes it is constructed so as to compact and break a small glass bead containing a gas. Any creature struck on its front parts must save Fort DC 18, or this puff of gas has reached the creature’s system; it will be stunned on the next round and slowed for the 4 rounds following that. (The effect duration was converted to 3.5 to keep in spirit with melee durations…otherwise, these darts would stun you for TEN 3.5 edition rounds) Acid Darts: A hit splashes acid which eats a small hole in armor in 1 round (Ref DC 18, or permanently lose 1 AC from the armor’s armor value…make a separate save for EACH dart, effects are cumulative), plus 2-8 acid damage to creature. A successful save negates the armor damage, but the acid still inflicts 2-8 hit points of damage. Greyhawk Deep-Gnome Racial Notes: Greyhawk Svirfnebli communicate with each other by a form of racial empathy when outside their own domains (i.e. they have no need to speak, thus endangering their location). All of these small creatures can converse with speaking creatures from the Earth Elemental Plane, and it is 90% unlikely that any such creature will harm a Svirfneblin, although the Deep Gnome might have to pay a heavy bribe in precious metal and gems to so escape. Note that a Greyhawk Svirfneblin of 6th level is likely to be able to summon an earth elemental with a Will DC 12 check. The type of earth elemental which can be summoned is found on this table (d20): 19-20 Summoning fails 16-18 Xorn, Average (7 HD) 11-15 Large earth elemental (8 HD) 7-10 Huge earth elemental (12 HD) 2-6 Xorn, Elder (15 HD) 1 Huge Elder Earth Elemental (24 HD) Elemental summoning can be attempted once per day. Summoned elementals must be paid in fine gems by the summoner, a commodity the deep gnomes are loath to give up. Note that unlike XP for defeating monsters from Summon Monster spells or the like, full XP should be given for any of these elementals, as the ability to summon such creatures is not a part of the deep-gnome CR. Stonecunning: This ability grants deep gnomes a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework. A deep gnome who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as though actively searching, and can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A svirfneblin can also intuit depth, sensing the approximate distance underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.