Hello.
I am not really good at converting characters so I ask for some help and suggestions. I am converting a AD&D2E NPC from an old Ravenloft adventure, a necromancer from Alphatia named Meredoth.
This is taken from the adventure "Ship of Horror"
Meredoth
20th-level Necromancer
AC -2; MV 12; hp 50; Str 10, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 19, Wis 16, Cha 5; # AT 1; Dmg by spell or
weapon (staff, dagger, darts); AL CE; THAC0 14
Equipment: cloak of protection +3, bracers of defense AC 4, six potions of extra healing,
potion of fire resistance, potion of speed, ring of shooting stars, rod of smiting (11
charges), staff of the serpent (python), wand of flame extinguishing (16 charges), bag of
holding, folding boat, snowshoes of varied tracks (identical to boots of varied tracks, but
enable wearer to stay on top of soft snow; bear, goat, rabbit and wolf prints), broom of
flying, decanter of endless water, hat of stupidity.
Spells *: 5 1st, 5 2nd, 5 3rd, 5 4th, 5 5th, 4 6th, 3 7th, 3 8th, 2 9th
* As a necromancer, Meredoth can memorize one additional spell per level, as long as one
necromancy spell is memorized per level.
Background
Meredoth has resided in Ravenloft for nearly a century. Although he ages slightly,
the powers of Ravenloft have kept him alive long beyond his natural life span.
This wizened old mage stand just over six feet tall. He has piercing, cold blue
eyes, and flowing frosty-white hair, beard and mustache. His skin is pale and milky in
color and bears deep crevices and wrinkles. His long fingers end in twisted, claw-like
nails, and his hands have a purplish tint, like that of a corpse. His skin is always cold to
the touch, and his hands are icy cold.
Meredoth typically wears black or purple woolen robes and purple moccasins. The
cold climate on his island does not seem to bother him. The temperature in his
underground home never rises above 45 degrees Fahrenheit. His wardrobe is of little
importance to him, as he does not need to dress to keep warm.
The powers of Ravenloft carved this underground home out of the permafrost and
underlying rock. It resembles Meredoth’s dwelling on his home world, but he has made
some modifications using the snow to stone spell. He developed this spell specifically for
this use.
Meredoth views life as an enormous experiment. He views living creatures as so
many experiments waiting to happen. He has no regard for the value of life, considering
humans to be nothing more than a crop waiting to be harvested (much as humans harvest
berries in the wild). He cares little for the origin of the bodies he uses in experiments.
Combat
If Meredoth’s home is infiltrated, he considers it to be an “extermination” problem
-- mere vermin requiring slaughter and eventual experimentation. Meredoth has set
several traps in his home for this purpose. He typically arrives at a trap to ensure that it is
sprung, then exits to another part of his home. Occasionally, he observes the struggles of
his victim from a safe distance. If any creatures survive the trap, he simply springs
another.
Meredoth has little desire to enter melee, but he will do so if threatened. Only if all
his traps have been sprung, his creatures have been killed, and he is backed into a corner
will he enter combat.
This necromancer is ruthless in combat. He never enters battle without first
placing protective spells on himself (unless the urgency of the situation prohibits such
precautions). He then maintains a safe distance as long as possible, casting spells at their
maximum ranges.
Following is a list of Meredoth’s spell books. These books were filled before
Meredoth arrived in Ravenloft, so they are subject to all the rules governing spells in this
realm. The DM should consult Chapter IX, Spells in Ravenloft, in the RAVENLOFTTM boxed
set for the changes in these spells.
Spell Book 1: cantrip, chill touch, dancing lights, detect undead, erase, gaze reflection,
identify, light, magic missile, read magic; continual light, darkness 15’ radius, fog cloud,
knock, levitate, magic mouth, pyrotechnics, spectral hand, wizard lock; dispel magic,
explosive runes, feign death, fly, gust of wind, haste, hold undead, lightning bolt,
protection from evil 10’ radius, vampiric touch
Spell Book 2: burning hands, enlarge, feather fall, find familiar, protection from good,
shield, shocking grasp, spider climb, unseen servant, wall of fog; detect good, detect
invisibility, ESP, flaming sphere, stinking cloud, summon swarm, web; clairvoyance,
Leomund’s tiny hut, Melf’s minute meteors
Spell Book 3: monster summoning I, secret page, sepia snake sigil, wind wall; dimension
door, fire trap, massmorph, minor globe of invulnerability, polymorph other, polymorph
self, remove curse; conjure elemental, contact other plane, dismissal, fabricate, passwall,
stone shape, teleport
Spell Book 4: contagion, enervation, Evard’s black tentacles, ice storm, monster
summoning II, wall of ice; animate dead, Bigby’s interposing hand, cloudkill, cone of cold,
magic jar, sending, summon shadow, wall of force
Spell Book 5: anti-magic shell, death fog, disintigrate, globe of invulnerability, invisible
stalker, Otiluke’s freezing sphere, repulsion, stone to flesh; control undead, delayed blast
fireball, finger of death, limited wish, monster summoning V, reverse gravity; clone
Spell Book 6: chain lightning, contingency, death spell, enchant an item, reincarnation;
banishment, phase door, power word: stun, spell turning, teleport without error, vanish;
Bigby’s clenched fist, incendiary cloud, screen
Spell Book 7: glassteel, permanency, polymorph any object, power word: blind, Serten’s
spell immunity, trap the soul; energy drain, gate, imprisonment, meteor swarm, power
word: kill, prismatic sphere, wish
Meredoth’s Powers of the Domain
Like all lords of Ravenloft, Meredoth has powers over his lands. First, he has
control over the seas that surround his islands. Ordinarily, he keeps the waters in a 50-
foot radius around his island calm and peaceful. Beyond that border for one mile, the sea
is boiling and turbulent. This is primarily to keep out intruders.
Second, Meredoth is instantly aware of anyone setting foot on the island of
Todstein.
Third, Meredoth is immune to all attacks and effects of undead creatures of five or
fewer Hit Dice.
Meredoth can also close the borders of his domain by generating such turbulence
in the waters that they become impassable. Fifty-foot-high waves and mile-wide
whirlpools ensure that those within do not escape with their lives.
New Spells
Frost Shroud (Alteration)
1st-Level Wizard Spell
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 1
Area of Effect: 10’ square per level
This spell enables a wizard to cover a surface of the designated size with a thick
coating of frost. Any type of surface may be affected, but the spell is used to best
advantage if the frost blends in with surrounding ice or snow, thus obscuring the covered
surface.
The surface to be affected must be cold enough to enable water to freeze. The
spell remains in effect until temperatures warm sufficiently to melt surrounding ice or
snow. In an arctic climate, the spell could last permanently. Warming the affected surface
melts the frost temporarily, but if temperatures are cold enough, the frost forms again
after one round.
Similar spells have been known to exist, creating shrouds of moss, mold, grass,
etc.
The material component for the spell is a pinch of powdered glass mixed with
several drops of water.
Vision Stone (Divination)
4th-Level Wizard Spell
Range: Special
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 4 segments
Area of Effect: One gem or item per level
Saving Throw: None
This spell enables the caster to enclose a telepathic message in a gem or other
object. The caster is able to set the conditions under which the message will be revealed.
These conditions can be as generic or as specific as the caster desires, following the
criteria for the magic mouth spell. When a designated creature holds the object in his
hand, the object glows and pulses and the message is delivered mentally to the creature.
The message remains in the object until the conditions for delivery are met.
The spell enables the caster to place a 50-word message or a one-minute vision
into the designated object. When the conditions of the delivery are met, the message is
delivered mentally to the recipient -- no one else can hear the message.
The caster can create one vision stone per level of spell ability, as long as all
objects are imbued with the same message and the same criteria for the delivery of the
message. Thus, if a 10th-level caster desires to create ten objects with the same message,
only one spell is required. If a 10th-level mage desires to imbue ten objects with ten
different messages, ten spells are required. The object on which the vision stone spell is
placed disintigrates after the message is delivered.
Wizards below 15th level of ability can enchant only gems and objects worth 100
gp or more. Wizards of 15th level and above can enchant gemstones of any value and
fabricated items of any value. Thus, a 15th-level mage could not enchant a broken tree
branch, but he could a small wreath woven out of tree branches.
The vision stone may not be used to deliver magical spells or command words.
The material components are the item to be enchanted, and an eyelash and a tooth from
any creature.
Transmute Snow to Stone (Alteration)
5th-Level Wizard Spell
Range: 10 yards per level
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 5 segments
Area of Effect: One 20-foot cube per level
Saving Throw: None
This spell functions like transmute rock to mud. Any naturally occurring snow can
be transformed into relatively solid rock resembling white porous marble. The rock can be
chipped with a hammer or chisel, but fragments revert to snow immediately. Stone created
with this spell can be cut or quarried like normal stone for purposes of construction.
Buildings and other items created of snow can be transformed to stone, retaining their
shape.
The reverse of the spell transforms stone to snow. If the stone is formed into a
statue or building of sound construction, there is a 50% chance that it retains its shape.
Otherwise, it collapses into piles of clean snow. Stairways and bridges transformed to
snow collapse immediately.
Creatures standing on the stone when it reverts to snow sink initially to a depth of
1d6 feet. They do not sink farther on subsequent rounds.
Stone created through this spell can be changed back into snow through a dispel
magic or transmute stone to snow spell. The stone suffers the effects of heat as if it were
actual marble.
The material components are a chip of white marble, a pinch of salt and a teardrop.
Where would you start?
Some items don't seem to have a direct conversion , and some were not yet invented at the time this adventure was released (headbands of intellect for instance) so i am a bit fought between doing a straight conversion (converting magic items and spells as well) and a more "customized" one.
Where would you start?
Some items don't seem to have a direct conversion , and some were not yet invented at the time this adventure was released (headbands of intellect for instance) so i am a bit fought between doing a straight conversion (converting magic items and spells as well) and a more "customized" one.
I think it depends on how he is going to be used. If this is an NPC, then you don't have to change much, I don't think. figure out his BAB, Saves, redo his HP (with a Con of 15 he averages 4hp per level, so about 80hp or so), CMB, CMD.
Next do his feats. He gets 11 normal feats and 4 bonus feats from the wizard class.
He needs skills as well. He gets 7 per level. The easy way to do it is to pick 7 skills and dump 20 ranks each into them. High on the list should probably be Spellcraft, Knowledge (arcana). You might want to dump points into Heal since he is an amateur surgeon of sorts.
After that does he have a familiar or an object focus. Probably object focus, so pick what that is. Object foci can also be magic items as you can enchant them without the relevant crafting feat, so is there something he would likely have enchanted his object focus to be? Perhaps its a magic staff being that he is level 20?
Lastly are the tough parts, spells and gear. I'd be inclined keep the gear about the same. If you wanted to be nitpicky about it, you could add its value up and check it against the suggested NPC wealth of 123,000gp for a level 20 NPC, but that sounds like a lot of work. For spells there really isn't much geting around that you need to check and see what spells have changed from 2nd Ed. Wizards are for people that like book keeping, that is for sure. Also he may have different restricted schools of magic, although you might just keep it the same.
Lastly you will want to note his spell school abilities.
good luck
Might want to use the Dread Necromancer for 3.5. I did a PF conversion found at mediafie.com/ElghinnLightbringer. I think its in the Beguiler to Psychic Warrior file.
Might want to use the Dread Necromancer for 3.5. I did a PF conversion found at mediafie.com/ElghinnLightbringer. I think its in the Beguiler to Psychic Warrior file.
Why should a specialist wizard (necromancer) be converted into a Sorcerer variant?
As for converting him I have converted several of my Iconics from 2e to pathfinder and it isn't too hard but somethings you will have to create rules for because they do not exist in pathfinder such as magic items. Just follow the logical progression through the character creation process; Race, stats etc then figure out how much money he should have roughly and equip him.
Don't make this any harder then it needs to be. If you are attempting to make a perfect conversion dead on it probably isn't going to happen so focus on bringing the spirit of the character over to the Pathfinder system as close as possible.
Thanks for the suggestions. I am converting the NPC point by point, however I am now a bit stuck with feats (16 if you include Scribe Scroll!), although I think I will manage. What would you suggest for this character?
I chose arcane bond with his Spernt Staff (a magic item i have to convert, if i can0t find 3.5 version of it).
These spells don't seem to have a PFRPG equivalent, can you confirm?
conjure elemental
death fog
death spell
enchant an item (now useless)
ESP
feign death
gaze reflection
glassteel
hold undead
invisible stalker
massmorph
minute meteors
summon shadow
vanish
wall of fog
These spells don't seem to have a PFRPG equivalent, can you confirm?
conjure elemental
summon shadow
These can be replaced with summon monster spells of the appropriate level, as they now include elementals. Just add shadow to the appropriate level list (level 4 or 5 sounds right), and make sure to note it as [Chaotic, Evil].
death fog
This could easily be represented with the stats for the acid fog spell; I would just lower the damage slightly (1d10/level) and remove the elemental type. Obviously, it would also be necromancy instead of conjuration.
death spell
This is now called circle of death.
enchant an item (now useless)
This is replaced by feats, so clearly make room for them in his feat selections (staff, wondrous item, and wand are good)
ESP
This is now called detect thoughts.
glassteel
You can probably hand-wave this spell as part of any item crafting procedure, so that a whole new spell is no longer necessary.
hold undead
This is now called halt undead.
invisible stalker
This is probably best represented with a planar binding spell of the appropriate level, as the stalker can stay around a lot longer than the normal summon monster spells would allow. Also, the stalker has a lot more latitude and independence in carrying out its mission. Just remember that the stalkers LIKE killing people, so compelling them to go stalk and kill someone is right up their alley. I would recommend at least the regular planar binding (it fills the same spell level slot).
minute meteors
I think this was ignored because it tended to violate the actions/round economy that was part of 3.x design philosophy. It gave the wizard too many actions for his intended role.
wall of fog
This is now called fog cloud.
feign death
gaze reflection
massmorph
vanish
I don't have my old 2e stuff to remind me what these did, but I would look towards converting them if they're absolutely appropriate to the character concept (like feign death probably is). Otherwise, I'd look at replacing them with other PFRPG spells.
Thank you very very much!
I don't think I will convert any of these spells, after all I could just replace some of them with their closest equivalent and wait for the APG to come out, looks like there will be some ideas for manipulating spells into other energy forms... (i.e. Acid Fog to its Necromantic counterpart). Or then just rule out on the spot their modified effects.
I finally made up a spell list.
I also added all the Necromancy spell on the PHB (after all this guy is supposed to be the most powerful necromancer in my game world).
I noticed detect good and reincarnation are now cleric and druid spells respectively, I just ignored the restriction.
Here's the new spellbook
Dancing Lights 0 Evocation
Detect Magic 0 Divination
Disrupt Undead 0 Necromancy
Light 0 Evocation
Read Magic 0 Divination
Touch of Fatigue 0 Necromancy
Burning Hands 1 Evocation
Chill Touch 1 Necromancy
Detect Good 1 Divination cleric
Detect Undead 1 Divination
Enlarge Person 1 Transmutation
Erase 1 Transmutation
Feather Fall 1 Transmutation
Frost Shroud 1 Transmutation
Identify 1 Divination
Magic Missile 1 Evocation
Protection from Evil 1 Abjuration
Protection from Good 1 Abjuration
Ray of Enfeeblement 1 Necromancy
Shield 1 Abjuration
Shocking Grasp 1 Evocation
Unseen Servant 1 Conjuration
Arcane Lock 2 Abjuration
Command Undead 2 Necromancy
Continual Flame 2 Evocation
Darkness 2 Evocation
Detect Thoughts 2 Divination
False Life 2 Necromancy
Flaming Sphere 2 Evocation
Fog Cloud 2 Conjuration
Fog Cloud 2 Conjuration
Ghoul touch 2 Necromancy
Gust of Wind 2 Evocation
Knock 2 Transmutation
Levitate 2 Transmutation
Magic Mouth 2 Illusion
Pyrotechnics 2 Transmutation
See Invisibility 2 Divination
Spectral Hand 2 Necromancy
Spider Climb 2 Transmutation
Summon Swarm 2 Conjuration
Web 2 Conjuration
Clairaudience-Clairvoyance 3 Divination
Dispel Magic 3 Abjuration
Explosive Runes 3 Abjuration
Fly 3 Transmutation
Halt Undead 3 Necromancy
Haste 3 Transmutation
Lightning Bolt 3 Evocation
Ray of Exhaustion 3 Necromancy
Secret Page 3 Transmutation
Sepia Snake Sigil 3 Conjuration
Stinking Cloud 3 Conjuration
Summon Monster III 3 Conjuration
Tiny Hut 3 Evocation
Vampiric Touch 3 Necromancy
Wind Wall 3 Evocation
Animate Dead 4 Necromancy
Black Tentacles 4 Conjuration
Contagion 4 Necromancy
Dimension Door 4 Conjuration
Enervation 4 Necromancy
Fire Trap 4 Abjuration
Globe of Invulnerability, Lesser 4 Abjuration
Ice Storm 4 Evocation
Reincarnate 4 Transmutation druid
Remove Curse 4 Abjuration
Spell Immunity 4 Abjuration
Stone Shape 4 Transmutation
Summon Monster IV 4 Conjuration
Vision Stone 4 Divination
Wall of Ice 4 Evocation
Baleful Polymorph 5 Transmutation
Cloudkill 5 Conjuration
Cone of Cold 5 Evocation
Contact Other Plane 5 Divination
Dismissal 5 Abjuration
Fabricate 5 Transmutation
Interposing Hand 5 Evocation
Magic Jar 5 Necromancy
Passwall 5 Transmutation
Permanency 5 Universal
Polymorph 5 Transmutation
Sending 5 Evocation
Summon Monster V 5 Conjuration 1 Large Elemental (CR 5)
Teleport 5 Conjuration
Transmute Snow to Stone 5 Transmutation
Wall of Force 5 Evocation
Waves of Fatigue 5 Necromancy
Acid Fog 6 Conjuration
Antimagic Field 6 Abjuration
Chain Lightning 6 Evocation
Circle of Death 6 Necromancy
Contingency 6 Evocation
Disintegrate 6 Transmutation
Freezing Sphere 6 Evocation
Globe of Invulnerability 6 Abjuration
Planar Binding 6 Conjuration
Repulsion 6 Abjuration
Stone to Flesh 6 Transmutation
Summon Monster VI 6 Conjuration 1d4+1 shadows (CR3)
Summon Monster VI 6 Conjuration
Banishment 7 Abjuration
Control Undead 7 Necromancy
Delayed Blast Fireball 7 Evocation
Finger of Death 7 Necromancy
Limited Wish 7 Universal
Phase Door 7 Conjuration
Power Word Blind 7 Enchantment
Reverse Gravity 7 Transmutation
Spell Turning 7 Abjuration
Teleport, Greater 7 Conjuration
Waves of Exhaustion 7 Necromancy
Clenched Fist 8 Evocation
Clone 8 Necromancy
Horrid Wilting 8 Necromancy
Incendiary Cloud 8 Conjuration
Polymorph Any Object 8 Transmutation
Power Word Stun 8 Enchantment
Screen 8 Illusion
Symbol of Death 8 Necromancy
Trap the Soul 8 Conjuration
Energy Drain 9 Necromancy
Gate 9 Conjuration
Imprisonment 9 Abjuration
Meteor Swarm 9 Evocation
Power Word Kill 9 Enchantment
Prismatic Sphere 9 Abjuration
Wail of the Banshee 9 Necromancy
Wish 9 Universal
I would like to play a bit with Contingency and Permanency spells. Any suggestions?
Detect Magic, Read Magic, See Invisibility look like the only ones that could be made permanent (among this spell list) so I'd probably go with this.
As for Contingency... teleport is always a first choice I guess.
Finished (unless you have some suggestion to refine it a bit)
Meredoth, CR 20
XP 307.200
Male Alphatian human necromancer 20
CE Medium humanoid (human)
Init +7; Senses Life Sight 40 ft., detect magic, read magic, see invisibility; Perception +3
DEFENSE
AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+6 armor, +3 Dex)
hp 130 (20d6+60)
Fort +11, Ref +12, Will +18
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 rod of the python +11 (1d6+1)
Special Attacks Grave Touch (10 rounds, 10/day)
Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 20th, Concentration +27, Combat Casting)
9th - energy drain (DC 28), meteor swarm (DC 26), prismatic sphere, wail of the banshee (DC 28), wish
8th - clenched fist, horrid wilting (DC 27), polymorph any object (DC 25), symbol of death (DC 27), trap the soul
7th - control undead (DC 26), finger of death (DC 26), greater teleport, reverse gravity, spell turning, waves of exhaustion
6th - acid fog, circle of death (DC 25), freezing sphere (DC 23), globe of invulnerability, planar binding, summon monster VI
5th - cone of cold (DC 22), transmute snow to stone*, waves of fatigue, teleport, interposing hand
4th - vision stone*, animate dead, contagion (DC 23), dimension door, dismissal (DC 21), enervation, wall of ice (DC 21)
3rd - clairaudience-clairvoyance, dispel magic, fly (DC 20), halt undead (DC 22), ray of exhaustion (DC 22), vampiric touch (DC 22), wind wall
2nd - command undead (DC 21), detect thoughts (DC 19), false life, ghoul touch (DC 21), spectral hand, summon swarm, web (DC 19)
1st - chill touch (DC 20), feather fall (DC 18), frost shroud*, protection from evil (DC 19), ray of enfeeblement (DC 20), shield, unseen servant
0 - dancing lights, disrupt undead, light, touch of fatigue (DC 20)
Prohibited Schools Illusion, Enchantment
TACTICS
Before Combat Meredoth has cast permamency on detect magic, read magic, see invisibility. He also has a contingency active for his teleport spell.
During Combat
Morale
STATISTICS
Str 10, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 24, Wis 16, Cha 5
Base Atk +10; CMB +10; CMD 33
Feats Augment Summoning, Combat Casting, Command Undead, Craft Rods, Craft Wondrous Items, Defensive Combat Training, Extend Spell, Forge Ring, Greater Spell Focus (Necromancy), Greater Spell Penetration, Improved Initiative, Quicken Spell, Scribe Scroll, Silent Spell, Spell Focus (Necromancy), Spell Penetration, Toughness
Skills Appraise +27, Craft +27, Fly +23, Heal+13, Knowledge (Arcana) +27, Knowledge (Planes) +27, Knowledge (Nature) +27, Knowledge (Nobility) +27, Knowledge (Religion) +27, Linguistics +27, Profession (surgeon) +13, Spellcraft +27.
Languages Common, Abyssal, Aklo, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Gnoll, Halfling, Ignan, Infernal, Orc, Sylvan, Terran, Undercommon, Ancient Baklunish, Flan, Nyrondese, Old Oeridian, Suloise, Velondi, Olman, Amedi
SQ Arcane bond (staff), Power Over Undead (10/day), Grave Touch (10/day), Life Sight (20 rounds, 40 ft.), Domain Powers
Combat gear potions of cure serious wounds (6), potion of resist energy (fire), potion of haste, ring of shooting stars, mace of smiting, rod of the python, rod of flame extinguishing, broom of flying; Other gear cloak of resistance +3, bracers of armor +6, bag of holding (Type IV), folding boat, snowshoes of varied tracks*, decanter of endless water, hat of stupidity*
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Power over Undead (Su): You receive Command Undead as a bonus feat. Channel energy 10/day, but only to use the selected feat. You can take other feats to add to this ability, such as Extra Channel and Improved Channel, but not feats that alter this ability, such as Elemental Channel and Alignment Channel . The DC to save against these feats is equal to 17. At 20th level, undead cannot add their channel resistance to the save against this ability.
Grave Touch (Sp): As a standard action, you can make a melee touch attack that causes a living creature to become shaken for a number of rounds equal to 10. If you touch a shaken creature with this ability, it becomes frightened for 1 round if it has fewer Hit Dice than your wizard level. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 10.
Life Sight (Su): At 8th level, you gain blindsight to a range of 10 feet for a number of rounds per day equal to your wizard level. This ability only allows you to detect living creatures and undead creatures. This sight also tells you whether a creature is living or undead. Constructs and other creatures that are neither living nor undead cannot be seen with this ability. The range of this ability increases by 10 feet at 12th level, and by an additional 10 feet for every four levels beyond 12th.
Domain Powers (Su): Like all lords of Ravenloft, Meredoth has powers over his lands. First, he has control over the seas that surround his islands. Ordinarily, he keeps the waters in a 50-foot radius around his island calm and peaceful. Beyond that border for one mile, the sea is boiling and turbulent. This is primarily to keep out intruders. Second, Meredoth is instantly aware of anyone setting foot on the island of Todstein. Third, Meredoth is immune to all attacks and effects of undead creatures of five or fewer Hit Dice. Meredoth can also close the borders of his domain by generating such turbulence in the waters that they become impassable. Fifty-foot-high waves and mile-wide whirlpools ensure that those within do not escape with their lives.
Background
Meredoth has resided in Ravenloft for nearly a century. Although he ages slightly, the powers of Ravenloft have kept him alive long beyond his natural life span. This wizened old mage stand just over six feet tall. He has piercing, cold blue eyes, and flowing frosty-white hair, beard and mustache. His skin is pale and milky in
color and bears deep crevices and wrinkles. His long fingers end in twisted, claw-like nails, and his hands have a purplish tint, like that of a corpse. His skin is always cold to the touch, and his hands are icy cold.
Meredoth typically wears black or purple woolen robes and purple moccasins. The cold climate on his island does not seem to bother him. The temperature in his underground home never rises above 45 degrees Fahrenheit. His wardrobe is of little importance to him, as he does not need to dress to keep warm.
The powers of Ravenloft carved this underground home out of the permafrost and underlying rock. It resembles Meredoth’s dwelling on his home world, but he has made some modifications using the snow to stone spell. He developed this spell specifically for this use.
Meredoth views life as an enormous experiment. He views living creatures as so many experiments waiting to happen. He has no regard for the value of life, considering humans to be nothing more than a crop waiting to be harvested (much as humans harvest berries in the wild). He cares little for the origin of the bodies he uses in experiments.
Combat
If Meredoth’s home is infiltrated, he considers it to be an “extermination” problem — mere vermin requiring slaughter and eventual experimentation. Meredoth has set several traps in his home for this purpose. He typically arrives at a trap to ensure that it is sprung, then exits to another part of his home. Occasionally, he observes the struggles of his victim from a safe distance. If any creatures survive the trap, he simply springs another.
Meredoth has little desire to enter melee, but he will do so if threatened. Only if all his traps have been sprung, his creatures have been killed, and he is backed into a corner will he enter combat.
This necromancer is ruthless in combat. He never enters battle without first placing protective spells on himself (unless the urgency of the situation prohibits such precautions). He then maintains a safe distance as long as possible, casting spells at their maximum ranges.
New Spells
Frost Shroud
School Evocation [cold]; Level sorcerer/wizard 1
Casting time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a pinch of powdered glass mixed with several drops of water)
Range Touch
Target 10’ square per level
Duration Instantaneous
This spell enables a wizard to cover a surface of the designated size with a thick coating of frost. Any type of surface may be affected, but the spell is used to best advantage if the frost blends in with surrounding ice or snow, thus obscuring the covered surface.
The surface to be affected must be cold enough to enable water to freeze. The spell remains in effect until temperatures warm sufficiently to melt surrounding ice or snow. In an arctic climate, the spell could last permanently. Warming the affected surface melts the frost temporarily, but if temperatures are cold enough, the frost forms again after one round.
Similar spells have been known to exist, creating shrouds of moss, mold, grass, etc.
Vision Stone (Divination)
School Illusion [phantasm]; Level sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting time 1 round
Components V, S, M (the item to be enchanted, and an eyelash and a tooth from any creature)
Range Touch
Target One gem or item per level
Duration Instantaneous
This spell enables the caster to enclose a telepathic message in a gem or other object. The caster is able to set the conditions under which the message will be revealed. These conditions can be as generic or as specific as the caster desires, following the criteria for the magic mouth spell. When a designated creature holds the object in his hand, the object glows and pulses and the message is delivered mentally to the creature. The message remains in the object until the conditions for delivery are met.
The spell enables the caster to place a 50-word message or a one-minute vision into the designated object. When the conditions of the delivery are met, the message is delivered mentally to the recipient — no one else can hear the message. The caster can create one vision stone per level of spell ability, as long as all objects are imbued with the same message and the same criteria for the delivery of the
message. Thus, if a 10th-level caster desires to create ten objects with the same message, only one spell is required. If a 10th-level mage desires to imbue ten objects with ten different messages, ten spells are required. The object on which the vision stone spell is placed disintigrates after the message is delivered.
Wizards below 15th level of ability can enchant only gems and objects worth 100 gp or more. Wizards of 15th level and above can enchant gemstones of any value and fabricated items of any value. Thus, a 15th-level mage could not enchant a broken tree branch, but he could a small wreath woven out of tree branches.
The vision stone may not be used to deliver magical spells or command words.
Transmute Snow to Stone
School Transmutation [cold]; Level sorcerer/wizard 5
Casting time 1 round
Components V, S, M (a chip of white marble, a pinch of salt and a teardrop)
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target up to two 10-ft. cubes/level (S)
Duration permanent; see text
This spell functions like transmute rock to mud. Any naturally occurring snow can be transformed into relatively solid rock resembling white porous marble. The rock can be chipped with a hammer or chisel, but fragments revert to snow immediately. Stone created with this spell can be cut or quarried like normal stone for purposes of construction.
Buildings and other items created of snow can be transformed to stone, retaining their shape.
The reverse of the spell transforms stone to snow. If the stone is formed into a statue or building of sound construction, there is a 50% chance that it retains its shape. Otherwise, it collapses into piles of clean snow. Stairways and bridges transformed to snow collapse immediately.
Creatures standing on the stone when it reverts to snow sink initially to a depth of 1d6 feet. They do not sink farther on subsequent rounds.
Stone created through this spell can be changed back into snow through a dispel magic or transmute stone to snow spell. The stone suffers the effects of heat as if it were actual marble.
Magic Items
Snowshoes of Varied Tracks
Aura faint Transmutation; CL 3rd
Slot feet; Price 2,000 gp; Weight 1 lb
DESCRIPTION
The wearer of these ordinary-looking boots is able, on command, to alter the tracks he leaves. The footprints of the wearer can be made as small as those of a halfling or as large as those of an ogre, bare or shod as desired. In addition, each pair of these boots has four additional track-making capabilities. Roll 1d4:
D4 Roll
Track Print Left
1 Bear
2 Goat
3 Rabbit
4 Wolf
Also enables wearer to stay on top of soft snow
CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, pass without trace; Cost 1,000 gp
Hat of Stupidity
Aura none; CL 9th
Slot head; Price -; weight -
DESCRIPTION
This hat is indistinguishable from any other magical hat, even when most carefully detected by magical means. Only by placing it upon the head can its powers be determined. Of course, once on the head, the wearer will believe that the hat is a beneficial item, for he will be overcome by stupidity. Intelligence is lowered to 7, or by -1 if the wearer has a 7 or lower Intelligence normally. The wearer will always desire to have the hat on—especially when he is engaged in any activity which requires thinking, spellcasting, etc. Without the benefit of a remove curse spell or similar magic, the wearer will never be free from the magic of the hat. If released, the wearer's Intelligence returns to its normal level.
CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, feeblemind; Cost -
Conversion notes
Magical Items: Meredoth has 240,362 gp worth of magic items instead of the standard 123,000 suggested for an NPC of his level. 128,812 are weapons, 45,000 are protection, 60,200 miscellaneous magic, 6,350 limited use magic items. This sum came out with a straight conversion from AD&D to PFRPG.
The boots of varied tracks and hat of stupidity no longer exist but have been converted on the fly (2,000 gp for the boots, no cost for the hat).
The rod of the python should not be used by evil characters, I just ignored the restriction.
Spells lots of spells no longer exist in this new edition, they are
* enchant an item
* feign death
* gaze reflection
* glassteel
* massmorph
* minute meteors
* vanish
Moreover, death fog has been tranformed into acid fog (with a special effect of cold draining necromancy), conjure elemental and summon shadows into summon monster, and invisible stalker into planar binding.
Detect good and reincarnate are now cleric and druid spells, I ignored the restriction.
I also added all Necromancy spells from the Core Rulebook to his list.