Converting "Real World" Animals and Vermin
- Thread starter Shade
- Start date
Shade
Monster Junkie
I'm taking the day off tomorrow, so here's Nemo to keep you busy. 
Clownfish, Giant
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Tropical, subtropical, and temperate oceans
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: School
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET Omnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Animal (1)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: neutral
NO. APPEARING: 2-12
ARMOR CLASS: 8
MOVEMENT: Swim 9
HIT DICE: 1+2
THAC0: 19
NO. OF ATTACKS: Nil
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Nil
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to paralysis
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: S (3’ long)
MORALE: Unsteady (5-7)
XP VALUE: 65
Larger versions of the tiny tropical clownfish, or clown anemonefish, the giant clownfish is brightly colored, its body a brilliant orange vertically striped with wide bands of white. Each white band is bordered on both sides with a narrow black band, and the tail and fins are each black at the tips. Like their smaller cousins, they are immune to the stings of the sea anemone and spend much of their time safely within the waving tentacles of such creatures. Giant clownfish are often called “bogeyfish” or “bogeys”.
Combat: Giant clownfish are harmless to man-sized creatures, as they have no teeth and can swallow only creatures smaller than their own mouths. In extreme situations they can ”head butt” creatures that get too close, but this maneuver causes no damage, merely passes on the information “you.re not welcome here”. However, giant clownfish are associated with several much more formidable sea creatures.
In the wild, giant clownfish are most often encountered within the vicinity of a giant sea anemone (details on these creatures are found in MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM Volume 4: DRAGONLANCE® Appendix under “Anemone, Giant”). Clownfish exude a slimy coating that protects them from the anemone’s paralytic stings, so they are safe from most creatures while nestled within the anemone’s tentacles. If egg-eating fish or small marine creatures move too close to a clownfish’s nest, it can scare off the intruders by making loud clicking sounds.
In addition, many giant clownfish are raised by sea sprites, who like them for their vivid coloration and often use the clownfish as riding mounts. The clownfish do not mind such servitude, as they are then protected not only by the sea sprites but also by the barracudas that many sea sprites use as guards and pets. Barracudas in service to a sea sprite community do not attack giant clownfish also in service.
Habitat/Society: Because they like staying close to the giant sea anemones, giant clownfish are often found living together in small schools. Clownfish are frequently preyed upon by sharks, rays, and large fish as well as ixitxachitl, sahuagin, and crabmen.
In addition, the giant sea anemone serves as a food source for the clownfish, who often eat the tiny sea creatures that occasionally are caught in the anemone.s tentacles. They also eat algae that forms on sea coral.
The female lays hundreds of reddish-orange eggs at a time, usually along the sea floor next to a giant sea anemone. The male, smaller than the female, follows in his mate.s wake and fertilizes the eggs immediately after they’re laid. It is the male’s job to guard the eggs during the two weeks or so that it takes for them to hatch. Newly-hatched clownfish are translucent and immediately go off on their own to feed. They gradually take on the standard coloration and find homes for themselves among giant sea anemones.
Ecology: Giant clownfish make their homes in shallow, tropical waters. They are seldom encountered far from giant sea anemones or sea sprites, preferring the safety afforded them by either of these creatures. Sea sprites can swim much faster than clownfish but still enjoy using them for riding mounts when they aren’t in any particular hurry. Many giant clownfish spend their entire lives in sea sprite communities, even when not being used as a means of transport -the clownfish are safer there, and the sprites enjoy the sight of their brightly-colored “bogeys” swimming around back and forth.
The giant clownfish’s immunity to sea anemone stings carries on to other forms of paralysis. For this reason, giant clownfish blood is often used in the inks by which scrolls of protection from paralysis are made.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #250 (1998).
Clownfish, Giant
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Tropical, subtropical, and temperate oceans
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: School
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET Omnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Animal (1)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: neutral
NO. APPEARING: 2-12
ARMOR CLASS: 8
MOVEMENT: Swim 9
HIT DICE: 1+2
THAC0: 19
NO. OF ATTACKS: Nil
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Nil
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to paralysis
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: S (3’ long)
MORALE: Unsteady (5-7)
XP VALUE: 65
Larger versions of the tiny tropical clownfish, or clown anemonefish, the giant clownfish is brightly colored, its body a brilliant orange vertically striped with wide bands of white. Each white band is bordered on both sides with a narrow black band, and the tail and fins are each black at the tips. Like their smaller cousins, they are immune to the stings of the sea anemone and spend much of their time safely within the waving tentacles of such creatures. Giant clownfish are often called “bogeyfish” or “bogeys”.
Combat: Giant clownfish are harmless to man-sized creatures, as they have no teeth and can swallow only creatures smaller than their own mouths. In extreme situations they can ”head butt” creatures that get too close, but this maneuver causes no damage, merely passes on the information “you.re not welcome here”. However, giant clownfish are associated with several much more formidable sea creatures.
In the wild, giant clownfish are most often encountered within the vicinity of a giant sea anemone (details on these creatures are found in MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM Volume 4: DRAGONLANCE® Appendix under “Anemone, Giant”). Clownfish exude a slimy coating that protects them from the anemone’s paralytic stings, so they are safe from most creatures while nestled within the anemone’s tentacles. If egg-eating fish or small marine creatures move too close to a clownfish’s nest, it can scare off the intruders by making loud clicking sounds.
In addition, many giant clownfish are raised by sea sprites, who like them for their vivid coloration and often use the clownfish as riding mounts. The clownfish do not mind such servitude, as they are then protected not only by the sea sprites but also by the barracudas that many sea sprites use as guards and pets. Barracudas in service to a sea sprite community do not attack giant clownfish also in service.
Habitat/Society: Because they like staying close to the giant sea anemones, giant clownfish are often found living together in small schools. Clownfish are frequently preyed upon by sharks, rays, and large fish as well as ixitxachitl, sahuagin, and crabmen.
In addition, the giant sea anemone serves as a food source for the clownfish, who often eat the tiny sea creatures that occasionally are caught in the anemone.s tentacles. They also eat algae that forms on sea coral.
The female lays hundreds of reddish-orange eggs at a time, usually along the sea floor next to a giant sea anemone. The male, smaller than the female, follows in his mate.s wake and fertilizes the eggs immediately after they’re laid. It is the male’s job to guard the eggs during the two weeks or so that it takes for them to hatch. Newly-hatched clownfish are translucent and immediately go off on their own to feed. They gradually take on the standard coloration and find homes for themselves among giant sea anemones.
Ecology: Giant clownfish make their homes in shallow, tropical waters. They are seldom encountered far from giant sea anemones or sea sprites, preferring the safety afforded them by either of these creatures. Sea sprites can swim much faster than clownfish but still enjoy using them for riding mounts when they aren’t in any particular hurry. Many giant clownfish spend their entire lives in sea sprite communities, even when not being used as a means of transport -the clownfish are safer there, and the sprites enjoy the sight of their brightly-colored “bogeys” swimming around back and forth.
The giant clownfish’s immunity to sea anemone stings carries on to other forms of paralysis. For this reason, giant clownfish blood is often used in the inks by which scrolls of protection from paralysis are made.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #250 (1998).
Cleon
Legend
The "Of course" line is perfect; I aimed for that and missed.
Alertness, CR 1, and Cleon's weight are good.
Cleon, we already have the 2HD base creature at Large. Let's stick to that and Shade's advancement. Besides, it should be pretty big to have a Medium-sized lure.
Oh, sorry, in that case I'd suggest increasing the weight to 500 pounds so they're within the standard weight range for a Large creature.
Cleon
Legend
No typos, but its Grapple and attack line don't include the adjustments for being Large, and its Full attack has two primary attacks separated by an "and" without explanation.
BAB/Grapple: +1/+8 [Grapple - +1 BAB +3 Str +4 size = +8]
Attack: Slam +3 melee (1d4+3) or bite +3 melee (1d4+3)
Full Attack: Slam +3 melee (1d4+3) and bite -2 melee (1d4+1)
I'd also suggest listing the attack and damage of its swift-attack bite when making its Bash 'n Bite attack. e.g.:
Bash n' Bite (Ex): If a giant damselfish hits with its slam attack, it may make a bite attack as a swift action. This bite attack is made with a +2 circumstance bonus (+5 melee and 1d4+3 damage for a typical giant damselfish).
Partly it's to makes things clearer, and partly to save the DM the time they'd need to figure it out.
Cleon
Legend
Yes, they're not the most fearsome creature we've ever converted, are they?
Give them a slam attack for their "head butt" or just an unarmed strike for nonlethal damage?
The 1+2 Hit Dice suggests they're pretty tough for their size - toughness, a high Constitution or both?
Cleon
Legend
I'd rather just give them Con 14-15 with neither Endurance or Toughness. They aren't pelagic fish, so don't need the stamina to swim all day, they can rest in the safety of their sea anemone.
What about its immunity to paralysation?
Our conversion of the Giant Sea Anemone has Str- and Dex-attacking poison, so immunity to paralysis would not help the Clownfish, it'd need immunity to poison.
Shall we give it a special immunity that only covers sea anemone venom?
Shade
Monster Junkie
Agreed. Even if the real-world version isn't quite so hardy, the "gigantification" evolution could account for it.
I'll make the suggested revisions to the damselfish. Thanks, Cleon.
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