Converting monsters from Dungeon Magazine

Shade · Apr 29, 2004

Shade said:
House hunters are large relatives of mimics. They have lost some of the latter's camouflage versatility but have gained the ability to live aboveground. They form hard shells that look like stone, wood, or thatch. Bony plates cover the shell openenings for their mouths and tongues (one tongue each; 2' of length per hit die), huge tentacles (two tentacles each; 1' of length per hit die), and eye stalks (two each; 6" of length per hit die). These bony plates resemble doors and shutters, and are opened and closed by strong muscles resembling those of clams. These plates may be forced open by making normal open-doors rolls.

Mostly flavor text. Strength check for forcing open plates?

Shade said:
There is a wide variation in the location of these openings. Some of these creatures have mouths and eyes at their fronts but their tentacles at the left and right sides. Ancient house hunters are likely to have extra limbs, with tentacles on multiple sides.

Flavor text?

Shade said:
A house hunter attacks by extruding its tongue and limbs, wrapping the appendages around nearby victims, one appendage per victim. Each appendage makes a to-hit roll at a victim (at -2 if it is striking blindly on that side.) A successful hit means the appendage has caught a victim and can constrict it for the given amounts of damage per round. The house hunter's tongues and tentacles are coated with musty-smelling adhesive slime; a successful strength check on 1d20 is needed to break away from an appendage's grip. A victim may either attack the appendage or attempt to pull free of it in a round, but cannot do both at once.

Borrowed from the mimic:

Adhesive (Ex): A house hunter exudes a thick slime that acts as a powerful adhesive, holding fast any creatures or items that touch it. An adhesive-covered house hunter automatically grapples any creature it hits with its slam attack. Opponents so grappled cannot get free while the house hunter is alive without removing the adhesive first.

A weapon that strikes an adhesive-coated house hunter is stuck fast unless the wielder succeeds on a DC X Reflex save. A successful DC X Strength check is needed to pry it off.

Strong alcohol dissolves the adhesive, but the house hunter still can grapple normally. A house hunter can dissolve its adhesive at will, and the substance breaks down 5 rounds after the creature dies.

Crush (Ex): A house hunter deals X+X points of damage with a successful grapple check.

Shade said:
An unresisting opponent is assumed to be dead and dropped after five additional rounds of constriction. Once all opponents have been dealt with, the bodies are picked up by the house hunter's tongue and pulled into its mouth at a rate of one per round. Anyone "playing possum" takes constriction damage one last time, but has one last chance to pull free in that round before being dragged inside. Once inside the creature's mouth, only small, hand-held, stabbing weapons the size of a short sword or smaller may be used to attack (vs. AC 10). If any damage is inflicted, the house hunter uses its tongue to pull the victim out of its shell and constricts until the victim ceases to resist for five rounds, the victim escapes, or the house hunter dies. Bodies are fully digested (and unrecoverable) after 1-4 turns.

Swallow whole?

Shade said:
It should be noted that the tongue, eye stalks, and tentacles are actually pseudopods. If one is amputated, the house hunter forms a replacement in 1-4 rounds, and all damage done to an appendage is taken from the total hit points of the creature.

Regeneration? Or just state that it regrows lost pseudopods in 1d4 rounds?

Shade said:
The underside of the creature has no armor; it's a slippery foot resembling the foot of a snail, though it is not especially adhesive. When the creature is moving, the outer shell raises slightly to allow movement over open ground, debris, etc.

Flavor text?

Shade said:
House hunters aren't damage by sunlight but don't like to expose their flesh and eyes to it. For this reason, they prefer to move by nihgt and always delay their attacks until night if possible. If they are forced to fight by day, all attacks are at -2 to hit. Their shells are thick enough to reduce fire-, heat-, and cold-based damage by 1 hp per hit die of damage. If damaged below 10 hp, a house hunter pulls in all appendages, shuts all of its openings, and tries to move away from its attackers.

Light Sensitivity (Ex): House hunters are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.

Resistance to cold 5 and fire 5?

Shade said:
House hunters are pack animals; they cooperate to capture their prey. They have good hearing and can sense the vibration of footsteps out to 120 yards. They are intelligent enough to delay attacking until they can reap the maximum reward. For example, they won't attack a single scout if there is a large party approaching. It is guessed that they communicate among themselves by telepathy, to a range of up to 10 miles.

Tremorsense 360 ft.?

Mention in languages line that house hunters communicate telepathically among themselves?

Shade said:
Young house hunters look like small buildings such as outhouses and sheds. They rarely attack until the adults have taken the initiative. Adults are the size of cottages and small houses. Ancient house hunters are larger still, with elaborate shells that can resemble inns, temples, or ruined towers. The reproduction of such creatures is a mystery, though an adult has been seen digging a large hole in the earth with its foot, then depositing its single live young in the hole. The young creature made its way out of the hole, then followed its "mother". Shells apparently grow in size with their owners, and can be shaped over long periods of time to resemble particular buildings that the house hunters have seen.

Flavor text?

Shade said:
All three sizes of this monster can produce dim flickering light (bioluminescence resembling candle or lantern light) at any body opening and can imitate domestic noises (muffled voices, clucking hens, the tolling fo a temple bell, etc.). Adults and ancients can talk, but only speak a crude form of the common tongue. They will not negotiate for food.

Bioluminescence (Su): A house hunter can produce light equivalent to a candle at any body opening.

Sound Imitation (Ex): A house hunter can mimic any voice or sound it has heard, anytime it likes. Listeners must succeed on a Will save (DC X) to detect the ruse.

Add to language line: Adult and ancient house hunters speak a crude form of Common.

Shade said:
Treasure is usually found inside the shell, either in the creature's stomach or embedded in the shell wall. Such treasure consists o fthe indigestible remains of the monster's victims, including coins, gems, and similar small items. Treasure may be encysted in layers of shell, like pearls, but these lumps have no jewel value. Occasionally, a magical item or rare antique may be found. A cursed item is especially likely, since anyone carrying a really powerful item could fight off a house hunter. Assume that adult house hunters each have a 5% change to contain a magical item; ancient ones have a 10% chance.

Treasure: Standard coins; standard goods; 50% items?

Shade said:
If cleaned out thoroughly, a house hunter's shell can be converted into a crude dwelling.

Flavor text?

BOZ · Apr 29, 2004

That’s a lot, but I promise to respond in the not-too-distant future.

Shade · May 3, 2004

The future is now. (Just kidding!

)

BOZ · May 10, 2004

Worked up the stat block a bit:
House Hunter Mimic, Young
Large Aberration (Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 10d8+50 (95 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 10 ft (2 squares)
Armor Class: 20 (-1 size, +11 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+17
Attack: tentacle?
Full Attack: Tongue +12 melee (2d6+6) and 2 tentacles +7 melee (2d6+3)
Space/Reach: X ft/X ft
Special Attacks: adhesive, crush, swallow whole
Special Qualities: bioluminescence, darkvision 60 ft, light sensitivity, mimic shape, resistance to cold 5 and fire 5, sound imitation, tremorsense 360 ft
Saves: Fort +X Ref +X Will +X
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 10
Skills: 13
Feats: 4

Environment: Any land
Organization: Pack (1-4 young, 1-6 adult, and 1-4 ancient house hunters)
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: X
Level Adjustment: +X

Then used it to come up with something for the other two:

House Hunter Mimic, Adult
Huge Aberration (Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 15d8+X (X hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: 10 ft (2 squares)
Armor Class: 20 (-2 size, +X Dex, +X natural), touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +X/+X
Attack: X
Full Attack: Tongue +X melee (3d6+X) and 2 tentacles +X melee (3d6+X)
Space/Reach: X ft/X ft
Special Attacks: adhesive, crush, swallow whole
Special Qualities: bioluminescence, darkvision 60 ft, light sensitivity, mimic shape, resistance to cold 5 and fire 5, sound imitation, tremorsense 360 ft
Saves: Fort +X Ref +X Will +X
Abilities: Str X, Dex X, Con X, Int 7, Wis X, Cha X
Skills: X
Feats: 5

Environment: Any land
Organization: Pack (1-4 young, 1-6 adult, and 1-4 ancient house hunters)
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: Standard coins; standard goods; 50% items
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: X
Level Adjustment: +X

House Hunter Mimic, Ancient
Gargantuan Aberration (Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 20d8+X (X hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: 10 ft (2 squares)
Armor Class: 20 (-4 size, +X Dex, +X natural), touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +X/+X
Attack: X
Full Attack: Tongue +X melee (4d6+X) and 2-4 tentacles +X melee (4d6+X)
Space/Reach: X ft/X ft
Special Attacks: adhesive, crush, swallow whole
Special Qualities: bioluminescence, darkvision 60 ft, light sensitivity, mimic shape, resistance to cold 5 and fire 5, sound imitation, tremorsense 360 ft
Saves: Fort +X Ref +X Will +X
Abilities: Str X, Dex X, Con X, Int 10, Wis X, Cha X
Skills: X
Feats: 6

Environment: Any land
Organization: Pack (1-4 young, 1-6 adult, and 1-4 ancient house hunters)
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: Double coins; double goods; 50% items
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: X
Level Adjustment: +X

Shade · May 10, 2004

Since the mimic has a LA of "-", I'd suggest we do likewise for the house hunters.

For advancement, do we want to treat the different versions as "age categories", and thus limit advancement only up to the next type's HD? Thus...

Young 11-14 HD (Large)
Adult 16-19 HD (Huge)
Ancient 21-40 HD (Gargantuan); 41-60 HD (Colossal)

...or do we want to follow the standard mimic and have each advance up to 3 times its HD, like so...

Young 11-20 HD (Large); 21-30 HD (Huge)
Adult 16-30 HD (Huge); 31-45 HD (Gargantuan)
Ancient 21-40 HD (Gargantuan); 41-60 HD (Colossal)

BOZ · May 10, 2004

for advancement, i'll take the first option.

Shade · May 10, 2004

Cool. That's what I was hoping you'd say.

Any thoughts on the special abilities I detailed a few posts back?

BOZ · Jun 8, 2004

BOZ said:
I promise to respond in the not-too-distant future.

is this too distant?

some thoughts, as I was looking back over things…

for ability scores, we could always go the easy route on advancement:
Young: Str 23, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 10
Young: Str 31, Dex 8, Con 25, Int 7, Wis ?, Cha ?
Young: Str 39, Dex 8, Con 29, Int 10, Wis ?, Cha ?

However, I don’t think I want the Dex to suffer– I’m thinking that maybe, like dragons, they can keep a static Dex no matter how big they get. Sound OK?

“They have good hearing and can sense the vibration of footsteps out to 120 yards.”

besides tremorsense, also Listen bonus?

Shade said:
“It should be noted that the tongue, eye stalks, and tentacles are actually pseudopods. If one is amputated, the house hunter forms a replacement in 1-4 rounds, and all damage done to an appendage is taken from the total hit points of the creature.”

Regeneration? Or just state that it regrows lost pseudopods in 1d4 rounds?

How about, something like:
An opponent can make sunder attempts against a house hunter’s tentacles or tongue as if they were weapons. A house hunter’s tentacles have (X) hit points, and its tongue has (X) hit points. If a house hunter is currently grappling a target with one tentacle or its tongue, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the sunder attempt. Severing a house hunter’s tentacle or tongue deals damage to the creature equal to half the limb’s full normal hit points. A house hunter usually withdraws from combat if it loses (X) (tentacles) or (X) (tongue). A house hunter regrows severed limbs in 1d4 rounds.

More to come, hopefully today…

Shade · Jun 8, 2004

BOZ said:
is this too distant?

Why, I remember back in my younger days when we were still converting things to third edition D&D. I still remember those times fondly. Things just haven't been the same since new version 8.0 came out, what with its "cinematic pulp manga wetware metatheologic feel".

BOZ said:
some thoughts, as I was looking back over things…

for ability scores, we could always go the easy route on advancement:
Young: Str 23, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 10
Young: Str 31, Dex 8, Con 25, Int 7, Wis ?, Cha ?
Young: Str 39, Dex 8, Con 29, Int 10, Wis ?, Cha ?

However, I don’t think I want the Dex to suffer– I’m thinking that maybe, like dragons, they can keep a static Dex no matter how big they get. Sound OK?

Looks good, and yes to "static Dex" (isn't that a band?).

BOZ said:
“They have good hearing and can sense the vibration of footsteps out to 120 yards.”

besides tremorsense, also Listen bonus?

Sounds good to me. :heh:

BOZ said:
How about, something like:
An opponent can make sunder attempts against a house hunter’s tentacles or tongue as if they were weapons. A house hunter’s tentacles have (X) hit points, and its tongue has (X) hit points. If a house hunter is currently grappling a target with one tentacle or its tongue, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the sunder attempt. Severing a house hunter’s tentacle or tongue deals damage to the creature equal to half the limb’s full normal hit points. A house hunter usually withdraws from combat if it loses (X) (tentacles) or (X) (tongue). A house hunter regrows severed limbs in 1d4 rounds.

Excellent!

BOZ said:
More to come, hopefully today…

By "today", do you mean it in a broader sense, like "the world of today is much different than the world of yesterday", or really truly this day?

BOZ · Jun 8, 2004

Your smartass quotient really goes up when I’m gone for too long.

hehehh…

So the physical ability score adjustments look good – how, if at all, do you think Wis and Cha should change as the creature grows older?

Listen bonus… +4?

Glad you like the severing thing.

it’s a quality I found awhile back, and it works well for parts that can be severed… ideas on HP for the tentacles and tongue, or should they increase with age and we’ll just figure that out later?

By "today", do you mean it in a broader sense, like "the world of today is much different than the world of yesterday", or really truly this day?

“In The World of Tomorrow, We Will Have Flying Cars!”

about the tongue and tentacles:
“one tongue each; 2' of length per hit die” so… 20’ for young, 30’ for adult, 40’ for ancient?
“two tentacles each; 1' of length per hit die” so… half the above?
And how do these affect reach? The Space as standard should be 10/15/20 respectively?

Descriptive text:

Young:
This looks like a small wooden shed. Dim, flickering candlelight radiates out from a nearby window, and you can hear muffled voices and laughter coming from within.

Adult:
This looks like a nice wooden and stone cottage. Dim, flickering candlelight radiates out from a nearby window, and you can hear muffled voices and laughter coming from within.

Ancient:
This looks like a tall stone tower. Dim, flickering candlelight radiates out from a nearby window, and you can hear muffled voices and laughter coming from within.

Converting monsters from Dungeon Magazine

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