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Want to make this thing a viable threat. It's called the Mage Fiend, and is from the d20 Atlas Games - Penumbra Fantasy Bestiary.
To be honest, it's not that much of a threat to spellcasters, but it's supposed to be. Don't really see it though. First of all, it's lacking SR. Also, I didn't realize that 3.0 had less feats on its monsters, and no grapple checks. Were feats only 1 per 4 HD? I changed the Space/Reach from the Face/Reach already, and added grapple (pretty sure my math's right). The claws are off, and need to be changed so that they're both +11, and not like an actual melee weapon attack. There aren't any resistances whatever. It doesn't have extraplanar. Other than the few SLA it has, and bite attack that has energy drain for spellcasters only, I don't see this thing being much of a threat to a 3rd level party, let alone level 5.
Personally, I'd increase the CR by 1 just to give it resist fire/cold/electricity 10, immune to electricity and poison, and SR 11+CR. I'd also consider giving it DR 5/good or cold iron. If a quasit can have DR, so should this thing. As for the missing feat, give it Blind Fight like half the demons do. I was thinking adding see invisibility or true seeing, but with detect magic, it could do an area dispel if it thought anyone was hiding.
Large outsider (chaotic, evil)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +9 Spot +10
Languages Abyssal
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AC 16, touch 9, flat-footed 16 (-1 size, +7 natural)
HP 52 (7d8+21)
Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +7
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee 2 claws +11/+6 (1d6+5), bite +9 (1d8+2 plus energy drain), and gore +9 (1d4+2)
Base Atk +7; Grapple +16
Space 10 ft. Reach 5 ft.
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Abilities Str 20 (+5), Dex 10 (+0), Con 16 (+3), Int 8 (-1), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 8 (-1)
SA energy drain, spell-like abilities (CL 3rd - dispel magic 3/day, detect magic-at will; CL 7th spell turning 3/day)
Feats Improved Initiative, Multiattack
Skills Balance +6, Climb +6, Hide +6, Listen +9, Move Silently +10, Search +6, Spot +10; -4 Hide for Large size
Climate/Terrain Any land and underground
Organization Solitary or mated pair
Treasure standard
Challenge Rating 5
Alignment Always chaotic evil
Advancement 8-14 (Large)
Energy Drain (Su): Against arcane spellcasters only, the mage fiend's successful bite attack drains 1 level from the target. For each negative level, the character suffers -1 to all skill and ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws, and -5 hit points, and whenver the character's level is used in a die roll or calcuation, reduce it by one for each negative level. If the victim casts spells, he loses access to one spell as if he had casted his highest-level, currently available spell. When he next prepares spells or regains spell slots, he gets one less spell slot at his highest spell level. This loss persists until the negative level is removed. Negative levels remain until 24 hours have passed or until they are removed with a spell, such as restoration. If a negative level is not removed before 24 hours have passed, the affected creature must attempt a Fortitude save (DC 12). On a success, the negative level goes away with no harm to the creature. On a failure, the negative level goes away, but the creature’s level is also reduced by one. A separate saving throw is required for each negative level.
A character with negative levels at least equal to her current level, or drained below 1st level, is instantly slain. Depending on the creature that killed her, she may rise the next night as a monster of that kind. If not, she rises as a wight. A mage fiend gains 5 temporary hit points for each negative level it inflicts.
This is what I ended up changing it to:
CR 6
XP 2,400
CE Large outsider (chaotic, demon, evil, extraplanar)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +12
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AC 16, touch 9, flat-footed 16 (-1 size, +7 natural)
HP 59 (7d10+21)
Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +6
Defensive Abilities DR 5/cold iron or good; Immune electricity, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 17
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee 2 claws +11 (1d6+5), bite +11 (1d8+2 plus energy drain), and gore +9 (1d4+2)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attack energy drain (DC 12)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th)
3/day—spell turning
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd)
At will—detect magic
3/day—dispel magic
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Abilities Str 20 (+5), Dex 10 (+0), Con 16 (+3), Int 8 (-1), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 8 (-1)
Base Atk +7; CMB +13; CMD +23
Feats Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Multiattack
Skills Acrobatics +10, Climb +9, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Knowledge (planes) +6, Perception +12, Spellcraft +7, Stealth +6
Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Draconic, telepathy (100 ft.)
Climate/Terrain Any land and underground
Organization Solitary or mated pair
Treasure standard
Energy Drain (Su): Against arcane spellcasters only, the mage fiend's successful bite attack drains 1 level from the target. For each negative level, the character suffers -1 to all skill and ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws, and -5 hit points, and whenver the character's level is used in a die roll or calcuation, reduce it by one for each negative level. If the victim casts spells, he loses access to one spell as if he had casted his highest-level, currently available spell. When he next prepares spells or regains spell slots, he gets one less spell slot at his highest spell level. This loss persists until the negative level is removed. Negative levels remain until 24 hours have passed or until they are removed with a spell, such as restoration. If a negative level is not removed before 24 hours have passed, the affected creature must attempt a Fortitude save (DC 12). On a success, the negative level goes away with no harm to the creature. On a failure, the negative level goes away, but the creature’s level is also reduced by one. A separate saving throw is required for each negative level.
A character with negative levels at least equal to her current level, or drained below 1st level, is instantly slain. Depending on the creature that killed her, she may rise the next night as a monster of that kind. If not, she rises as a wight. A mage fiend gains 5 temporary hit points for each negative level it inflicts.
I'll be brutally honest. I haven't got a hot clue as to what I'm doing. I just know about the conversions, but I've never actually built a monster from scratch, nor added anything to it besides more HD or class levels.
Not sure how this works: spell turning is a 7th level spell, and it would take a 13th level wizard to cast it. I'm pretty sure that would require the CL to be at least 13 for that ability. But, the only thing that is affect by the caster level is the duration, so I'm not sure it matters.
Considering the spell lasts 10 minutes a level (130 minutes, or two hours, ten minutes; or just over an hour is using a 7th level caster) you can assume the creature has this ability up almost every encounter. That would mean the first 5 to 10 spell levels will be deflected back on the caster. As a CR six encounter, that would be the first and maybe the second offense spell, and likely to be the first three spells, if the casters aren't going all-out. Three rounds of near spell immunity (plus likely damaging the caster) means Spell resistance is pretty pointless.
As for skills, I would change spellcraft for Survival. That will allow him to actually track the mages he's after. Otherwise, he's just a guard really good at killing spell-casters. As a bonus, the skill is based off Wisdom, and not the fiend's 8 Intelligence. I really don't see this creature caring what spell its food is casting.
I would lose the multi-attack feat, and just make the appropriate attack primary attacks. Power Attack is a mean one to give to a hit base attack monster who eats hunts low AC casters, but other feats could also be useful/more appropriate.
You might want to add something to the description of Energy Drain saying it gets +5 temporary hit points. Its not required- though most creature with an energy drain attack has it), it will add a little extra something nasty against spell casters.
You added a long of common demon traits, especially resistances, which I wouldn't have put on there, Yes, it is a demon, but the other demons in the book list these traits in their stat block, and the mage fiend does not. Me thinks this is a lower form of demon, and lacks what all the others consider normal; a crippled demon, or sorts.
All in all, pretty cool. I went to make several corrections based on the books, but found that you were correct. Good job
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You added a long of common demon traits, especially resistances, which I wouldn't have put on there, Yes, it is a demon, but the other demons in the book list these traits in their stat block, and the mage fiend does not. Me thinks this is a lower form of demon, and lacks what all the others consider normal; a crippled...
The only issue I really had was I never had 3.0 so I couldn't really compare it to those and see what the standard resistances were, plus it's also a splat book which isn't always great for being overly accurate.
I'm just not sure it shouldn't have the resistances that most demons do. I'd think at least resist 5 like a tiefling.