Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
A creature with a natural Fly speed can take the "Run" action while flying.
A creature using a Fly spell cannot.
-Hyp.
Butterfly familiar?
A creature with a natural Fly speed can take the "Run" action while flying.
A creature using a Fly spell cannot.
-Hyp.
Butterflies IRL:
Yes, they're fairly decent flyers--much of the "flutteriness" is us projecting. As someone else pointed out, you sorta need a net to catch one, unless it's very cold out. OTOH, compared to most other winged insects, they're fairly clumsy flyers, and the toxic ones are often low-endurance and low-power, too.
The real issue for butterfly flight isn't one of skill, it's one of mass and area: they have a *lot* of surface area, relative to their mass--even compared to other insects--so every little wind eddy catches them. Some of the flitting we see is deliberate, a defense mechanism; some of it is due to eddies, too small for us to detect.
On the ground, they can take off fairly quickly (though nothing compared to flies and bees), but they're otherwise very clumsy--the big wings are sails.
No, they don't have biting mouths--they're only mouthpart is a long proboscis--without a piercing end--that can be coiled up. They have a strictly liquid diet, and only liquid that isn't "hidden".
butterflies in D&D3E:
I'd go with Good maneuverability--seems a reasonable approximation. But i wouldn't give them very high dex--they're not good flyers, as insects go, and not very dextrous in other ways, either. I don't think the size-category adjustments are sufficient for a butterfly in flight. First, they should get some sort of dodge bonus whenever they're in the air, due to their unpredictable movements 2nd, something to represent the fact that, if they're in the air, most attacks will push them out of the way, rather than harm them. I don't know for certain, but i suspect that if you tried to hit one with a sword or club, you'd never makeactual contact, just push the butterfly out of the way. Not sure how to do this one--maybe DR, maybe discount physical attacks, maybe knock them all down to 1pt, maybe discount all but str bonus? I dunno.
As for balancing them as a familiar: i'd say the biggest problem is going to be fragility. *if* you hit one, it's got 1hp, tops. Though i suppose extra familiar hps mostly takes care of that one.
Bonuses: how about the scent ability? Butterflies have really amazing noses (well, antennae--but you get the point). Cha bonus? i like the dodge bonus idea.
Yes, they're fairly decent flyers--much of the "flutteriness" is us projecting. As someone else pointed out, you sorta need a net to catch one, unless it's very cold out. OTOH, compared to most other winged insects, they're fairly clumsy flyers, and the toxic ones are often low-endurance and low-power, too.
The real issue for butterfly flight isn't one of skill, it's one of mass and area: they have a *lot* of surface area, relative to their mass--even compared to other insects--so every little wind eddy catches them. Some of the flitting we see is deliberate, a defense mechanism; some of it is due to eddies, too small for us to detect.
On the ground, they can take off fairly quickly (though nothing compared to flies and bees), but they're otherwise very clumsy--the big wings are sails.
No, they don't have biting mouths--they're only mouthpart is a long proboscis--without a piercing end--that can be coiled up. They have a strictly liquid diet, and only liquid that isn't "hidden".
butterflies in D&D3E:
I'd go with Good maneuverability--seems a reasonable approximation. But i wouldn't give them very high dex--they're not good flyers, as insects go, and not very dextrous in other ways, either. I don't think the size-category adjustments are sufficient for a butterfly in flight. First, they should get some sort of dodge bonus whenever they're in the air, due to their unpredictable movements 2nd, something to represent the fact that, if they're in the air, most attacks will push them out of the way, rather than harm them. I don't know for certain, but i suspect that if you tried to hit one with a sword or club, you'd never makeactual contact, just push the butterfly out of the way. Not sure how to do this one--maybe DR, maybe discount physical attacks, maybe knock them all down to 1pt, maybe discount all but str bonus? I dunno.
As for balancing them as a familiar: i'd say the biggest problem is going to be fragility. *if* you hit one, it's got 1hp, tops. Though i suppose extra familiar hps mostly takes care of that one.
Bonuses: how about the scent ability? Butterflies have really amazing noses (well, antennae--but you get the point). Cha bonus? i like the dodge bonus idea.
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
Yeah. If the mage has 40 hit points, his familiar has 20 hit points, whether it's a cat, a hawk, a turtle, or a butterfly. And if he's 10th level, the familiar has a +5 Natural Armor, whatever sort of animal it is.
Fragility isn't an issue.
-Hyp.
Silver Griffon
Explorer
Hypersmurf said:
Really? I thought they could only exceed their base speed with a dive. Does that mean a flying creature with a base speed of 30 ft. could "run" at 4x and dive at 2x, therefore traveling 150 ft. (4x plus 2x equals 5x)? I'd sure hate to have that land on me!
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
Really? I thought they could only exceed their base speed with a dive. Does that mean a flying creature with a base speed of 30 ft. could "run" at 4x and dive at 2x, therefore traveling 150 ft. (4x plus 2x equals 5x)? I'd sure hate to have that land on me!
No - to 'run' requires the Run action, and to dive requires the Charge action. Can't do both at the same time.
-Hyp.
Jondor_Battlehammer
First Post
The ability to cast control weather once per week...
Or, how about one additional favored class, to represent a butterly's metamorposis from a cattapillar.
Or, how about one additional favored class, to represent a butterly's metamorposis from a cattapillar.
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Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
The ability to cast control weather once per week...
... but only on the other side of the world
I like that. A lot.
-Hyp.
