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I am running "The Automatic Hound" from Dungeon #148 for a group of 4 3rd-level PCs. I found that converting the runehound (the first creature encountered) and the stained glass golem (the second creature encountered) wasn't hard. However, the spirit of the wild, the end encounter, was a challenge, especially since my party will still be 3rd level for that encounter and the original is CR 6. Here is my conversion. I'd sure like some opinions, and suggestions if you have any.
SPIRIT OF THE WILD
CR 5
XP 1,600
CN Large outsider (chaotic, extraplanar)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +7
AC 18 (+1 Dex, +8 natural, -1 size), touch 10, flat-footed 17
hp 45 (6d10+12)
Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +1
Resistance fire 5/acid 5/cold 5/lightning 5
Spd 40 ft.
Melee 2 claws +11 (ld6+5 plus grab) and bite +8 (1d8+5)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks pounce, rake (2 claws +11 (1d6+5), roar
Special Qualities amorphous, manifest
Str 18, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 14
BAB +6; CMB +11 (+15 grapple); CMD 24
Feats Improved Natural Attack (claw), Multiattack
Skills Acrobatics +7, Climb +10, Perception +7, Stealth +7, Survival +6, Swim +10
Amorphous (Ex) A spirit of the wild is not subject to critical hits.
Grab (Ex) If a spirit of the wild hits with a claw, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. The spirit of the wild has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use its claw to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a –20 penalty on its CMB check to make and maintain the grapple, but does not gain the grappled condition itself. each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals the damage indicated for the attack that established the hold or it can use its rake attack.
Manifest (Su) Each round as a free action, a spirit of the wild may manifest one of the following traits. Manifesting a new trait replaces the previous one. Possible traits include: shell or chitin (+2 enhancement bonus to its natural armor), tentacles or pseudopods (+4 competence bonus on CMB), extra legs (5-foot bonus to its base land speed), and antennae (+2 competence bonus on Perception checks)
Pounce (Ex) If a spirit of the wild charges a foe, it can make a full attack, including rake attack.
Rake (Ex) A spirit of the wild can use its two claw attacks against a grappled foe but must begin its turn already grappling to use its rake—it can’t begin a grapple and rake in the same turn.
Roar (Ex) Once a day, as a standard action, a spirit of the wild may unleash a scream that resounds on every note of the audible spectrum. All creatures within 60 feet must succeed on a DC 15 Will save or be stunned for ld4 rounds. Creatures that save successfully are immune to this spirit of the wild's roar for 24 hours. This is a sonic mind-affecting effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.
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It looks about like a CR5 foe to me.
That said, I'd hesitate on sending it against a 3rd level party. With pounce and rake is has an ok chance of killing a PC of that level outright on a charge. I'd expect that party to win handily anyway, but a I'm not big on PC death like this.
I often convert or combine enemies. What I tend to do is combine a couple monsters, taking a handful of attacks that I will use and ignoring attacks that I won't use. And how I use them is more about making the battle cinematic and progressive.
Example: that ROAR potentially renders players useless for 1d4 rounds. Four rounds of nothing is boring, so consider nerfing the die. (1d2—a 2 still sucks) Nerfed or not, I would only use the roar as my opening move while the party is barely in reach.
Then I would plan out my attack based on the success of the roar. If 1-2 players are stunned, my next attack is a charge. I'll clobber the player (unless others prevent the charge), but my lowered AC will increase the odds of not-stunned players getting some hits in.
I stun most/all players for multiple rounds, my next move is to growl. Any player who is not stunned gets a round, maybe two, to RP a sort of staring contest, battle of wills, or whatever. Don't back down, don't make sudden moves, don't look weak... there are stall attempts that may work. Or the 1-2 players who can just rush the creature knowing that stunned players will snap out of it and save their butts.
If you nerfed the die to 1d2—attack even if all are stunned! Consider a grapple + RAKE, so it's one devastating attack that takes two rounds but doesn't screw over the player. It's just really scary! Others snap out of stuns and save the tackled PC.
I would either never POUNCE, or only pounce to hit multiple targets as if my full attack is a sort of limited whirlwind.
When I'm about to die, MANIFEST + multiple attacks if players can survive it. The newly grown legs could be nerfed, meaning I can hit more targets but for less damage. Maybe the new "legs" are malformed and spraying acidic blood so that wizard hiding behind that shield-fighter gets a taste.
Typically, my tactics as GM are all about hurting every player and dropping one or none, so my converted enemies are meant to make the party a bloody mess, but ultimately alive and victorious.