Creature Catalogue Overhaul Project Revisited

[freyar]

Let's do 1/4 HD.

Go with Weapon Finesse and drop Alertness, I think.

Agreed to dropping natural.

Str 1 could make good sense and won't affect anything.

I'm fine with revisiting the rest! Gives us something to do!

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

All the sprites have Dodge and Weapon Finesse as bonus feats. Wanna do that here, too? Retain Alertness as its normal feat?

[demiurge1138]

Yes. Otherwise, it won't qualify for Weapon Finesse (also +1 BAB).

[freyar]

Good point!

I'm not actually seeing anything in the original text that calls for DR, but I'm not averse to giving them DR 1/cold iron.

Max out all the skills from the 3e version but drop Wilderness Lore?

[demiurge1138]

Well, Survival?

[freyar]

We could cut a few ranks of the other ones for Survival, but it's not clear to me that these are really screaming for that skill.

[demiurge1138]

Fair enough.

[Shade]

Updated.

Let's revisit the SLAs...

In addition to these mundane abilities, gorse have limited magical attacks and defenses available to them. Once per day, each gorse can cast the cantrips exterminate (to defeat threats that, while minor to humans, are major to things the size of gorse), sprout (usable only on thorn bushes but useful in blocking a miniature path through a bush), and distract (see details on these cantrips in the AD&D 1st Edition volume, Unearthed Arcana, pages 46 and 48). The latter spell, along with the spell mirror image (which they can also each cast once daily) is used to confuse an enemy long enough to allow to escape. One gorse in 10 can also cast one spike growth and a goodberry spell daily to be used in defending the lair and bribing intelligent creatures not to attack them. All spell effects are at 10th level.

In addition to their weapons, gorse have limited magical abilities and defenses available. Each day, a gorse can cast one mirror image, as the 2nd-level wizard spell, and three minor magical effects. Each of minor effect occurs if performed with the 1st-level wizard spell cantrip, and each takes place in its entirety within the round it is cast. Typical uses include:

Distract: Causes anyone watching the gorse to look at an area of the caster’s choice within 10 feet, those of average intelligence or better receive a saving throw;

Exterminate: Kills a single creature no larger than a field mouse, or all insect-sized creatures in a 1/2 cubic foot area, magical or enchanted creatures receive a saving throw vs. death magic;

Sprout: Causes thornbushes in a 1 cubic yard area to add an inch of new growth (good for blocking a minature path).

One gorse in 10 can also cast one spike growth and one goodberry spell each day. These are used to defend the lair or to bribe intelligent creatures not to attack them.

Distract might be a fascination effect, or simply a better version of ghost sound.

Exterminate might work like an arrow of slaying, but only affect Fine and Diminutive creatures.

Sprout could function like a more limited form of briar web or wall of thorns.

[demiurge1138]

Distract being a fascination effect, I like. I think sprout should create difficult terrain. Exterminate... perhaps we should limit it to animals and vermin. Otherwise, they could do a lot more havoc killing familiars (which are properly magical beasts)

[freyar]

But magical beasts get saving throws. I can see limiting to animals and vermin based on fey flavor, anyway. I'm not sure about making exterminate an arrow of slaying, though, since that can't get all Fine creatures. Sounds like it's all Fine or one Diminutitve, huh?

Let's go with fascination for distract. I think we're getting to the same place on sprout; I'm thinking of a lesser version of entangle.

[Shade]

Good points on exterminate. We don't want to make them "familiar killaz".

Sprout converts light undergrowth to heavy, but someone can choose to treat it as light but instead suffer 1d3 points of piercing damage?

[freyar]

That all sounds about right to me.

[demiurge1138]

Sounds reasonable.

[Shade]

Attempting to format them...

Distract (Sp): Once per day, a gorse may create a distraction, directing attention to an area of the gorse's choice within 10 feet. Creatures must succeed on a DC X Will save or be fascinated by the specified area for 1 round. This is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability, and is the equivalent of a 0-level spell.

Exterminate (Sp): Once per day, a gorse may attempt to slay miniscule vermin. All Fine animals or vermin within a designated 5-foot-square must succeed on a DC X Fortitude save or die. Alternatively, the gorse may target a single Diminutive animal or vermin within x feet with this ability. This is a death effect, and is the equivalent of a 0-level spell.

Sprout (Sp): Once per day, a gorse can cause thornbushes in a 5-foot-square area to rapidly grow. Any creature moving through the area must either treat it as heavy undergrowth (and avoid the thorns), or treat it as light undergrowth but suffer 1d3 points of piercing damage from the thorns. This effect lasts for x rounds/minutes. This is the equivalent of a 0-level spell.

[freyar]

Seems pretty good.

Exterminate needs a range for the 5ft square option, also. I suggest making it the same as the Diminutive creature option and setting them both to 20 ft.

1 minute for Sprout?

Since these are Sp, saves are automatically Cha-based?

[Shade]

All sounds good, and yes, as SLAs, an implied DC of 10 + spell level (0 in this case) + Cha modifier.

[Shade]

Updated.

In addition, 10% of all gorse arrows will be coated with a weak poison that causes confusion for 2d4 rounds if the victim fails a save vs. poison.

Gorse prefer to dwell in the green, thorny flower-bushes they're named after, making lairs forbidding to most predators too large to maneuver through the thorns as the gorse do. If creatures larger than twice their height attempt to enter their bushes, those creatures each take damage equal to 1 hp per round if of AC 6-10, or 1 hp every other round if of AC 4-5. Movement rates through gorse bushes for beings of size S to L are slowed to one-quarter normal; larger and smaller beings are unhampered. If threatened, gorse will retreat deeper into their bushes, luring attackers through the most thickly thorned regions and possibly over logs, pits, and other hard-to-see natural obstacles.

This sounds more like a terrain feature than an actual ability.

Should gorse have woodland stride?

[freyar]

Gorse-arrow Poison: Injury, Fortitude DC X, Confusion for 2d4 rounds, none?
(Never can remember if that's the right format.)

I don't see any problem with woodland stride, though my feeling was that these are just small enough to avoid these kind of obstacles. Agreed that this seems like a terrain feature. Maybe we should say that they live in heavy underbrush?

[demiurge1138]

Woodland stride seems eminately reasonable.

[Shade]

Updated.

Skills: 28
Previous version had Concentration +5, Craft (trapmaking) +5, Escape Artist +12, Hide +12, Listen +8, Move Silently +12, Spot +8, Wilderness Lore +6

I think most of those skills are worth keeping, although I'd recommend adding Sense Motive to the mix. And of course, Wilderness Lore becomes Survival.

Feats: 1
Currently it has Alertness, Weapon Focus (miniscule sword). I'm thinking Weapon Focus and Dodge as bonus feats (like sprites). Suggestions for the standard feat?