I'm currently converting some 3.5e adventures (okay, a whole campaign setting), and am running into a situation where I need specific creatures that haven't shown up in the PRD yet.
Specifically, the other sphinx other than the Gynosphinx currently listed.
For example, I like how heavy horses just have the Advanced template as explanation of where it went (and I've dealt with the missing "light" horses that had 60' speed, because that's a fairly easy fix).
My concern is that the Gynosphinx doesn't seem like a straight conversion. If anything, it seems a mix of the 3.5e Andro and Gyno stats.
This makes some sense overrall, I guess (they are supposed to be the male and female counterparts).
However, it leaves me at a loss on how to convert the others. And the text specifically mentions that the androsphinx should have drastically different stats.
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I guess the question is, how should I proceed?
1. Keep all the physical stats (12 HD, etc), remove the spellcasting, and add appropriate natural weapons as needed (gores and bites, etc).
Will the loss of spellcasting drastically alter the CR enough that I'll need to recheck/rebalance against the monster building charts?
2. Build each one from the ground up, picking HD and damage as appropriate to how "different" they were from each other in 3.5e.
So the Criosphinx was tougher overall, but dumber and not as Dexy... oh, and more HD. Should I pump those stats over and above the Pathfinder stats?
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Final question. Why does the pathfinder gynosphinx have 2d6 claw damage? To fit the damage for it's CR? It's two steps higher than it should be for the creature's size...
Note that despite having basically the same casting ability in pathfinder, it's gotten much meaner physically (double damage and hitpoints), for the same CR.
In case anyone is interested, or looking for Sphinx conversions...
Here's what I created:
CRIOSPHINX
N Large magical beast; CR 7
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +16
AC 20, touch 9, flat-footed 20 (+11 natural, -1 size)
hp 85 (9d10+36)
Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +6
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 60 ft. (poor, 12 squares)
Melee gore +14 (1d8+6) and 2 claws +14 (1d8+6, 19-20)
Atk Options pounce, rake (2 claws, +14, 1d8+6, 19-20)
Base Atk +9; CMB +19; CMD 29 (33 vs trip)
Str 22, Dex 11, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 11
Feats Hover, Improved Critical (claw), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Fly -6, Perception +16, Stealth +12
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HIERACOSPHINX
CE Large magical beast; CR 5
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +11
AC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 18 (+2 Dex, +9 natural, -1 size)
hp 57 (6d10+24)
Fort +9, Ref +7, Will +4
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 90 ft. (poor, 18 squares)
Melee bite +9 (1d8+4) and 2 claws +10 (1d6+4)
Atk Options pounce, rake (2 claws, +10, 1d6+4)
Base Atk +6; CMB +11; CMD 23 (27 vs trip)
Str 18, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 6, Wis 15, Cha 11
Feats Hover, Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (claws)
Skills Fly -4, Perception +11
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The damage might be slightly on the high side, however they have no other special abilities (no magic, etc), and their major advantage (flying = keep out of reach) means losing that extra damage... sort of a non-synergistic effect. I feel that makes it fit okay for the CR.
They make good sudden strikers though. They lack the ambush tactics of the dire lion (stealth and perception through the roof for the CR), but the dive/strike option can mean almost double the average damage expected for the CR for that first round of combat.
Please respond if you like it, see anything that doesn't fit right, or have any better ideas for this kind of conversion!