Converting First Edition Monsters


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Shade

Monster Junkie
Eel, Weed
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 10-60
ARMOR CLASS: 8
MOVE: 15”
HIT DICE: 1-1
% IN LAIR: 100%
TREASURE TYPE: O,P,R
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK : 1
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Poison
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Non-
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: S (6‘ long)

Weed eels are masters of camouflage, appearing as a patch of normal seaweed to any but a highly trained observer. They live in colonies, sharing food and home alike. Their bite is poisonous, and unless a saving throw is made the creature bitten will die. Weed eel colonies consist of a network of small (six to eight inch diameter) holes which all lead to several 6‘ diameter tunnels, and the latter lead to a communal cave about 30’ long, 20’ wide, and 20’ high. The eels use small stones, coins, gems, metal, etc. to floor this cave with. Colonies are found in both fresh and salt water, typically in water depths of 25’ to 40’. If an attempt is made to enter any hole, the eel to whom it belongs will always strike with incredible speed. If eels note the entrance of foreign creatures, they will leave their holes to protect the cave where young are raised.

Originally appeared in Monster Manual (1977).

Monstrous Manual version:

Eel, Weed #AP 10-60 AC 8 MV Sw 15 HD 1-1 THAC0 20 Att 1 Dmg/Att 1 Morale Unsteady (6) XP Value
120

The bite of the weed eel is poisonous; victims failing a saving throw vs. poison die in 1d4 rounds.

Weed eels are at home in both fresh and salt water, 25 to 40 feet deep. Each colony has a lair consisting of a central cave, roughly 30 feet long and 20 feet wide and high. The floor of the central cave is covered with small stones, coins, and gems that the eels have scavenged. Radiating from this central cave are a series of 6-foot-diameter tunnels, which in turn lead to a network of 6 to 8-inch-diameter holes. These are the homes of the individual eels that make up the colony. Weed eels are fiercely protective of their lairs, especially the central cave where their young are raised.
 
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freyar

Extradimensional Explorer
1HD, poor Con (maybe Con 8?). Not a lot else to go on, other than pretty deadly poison damage despite the presumably low DC.
 

Mortis

First Post
No bonus to damage, so Str 10-11?

Or perhaps increase the bite damage to 1d3 but lower the Str to, say, 6. (for 1d3-2 damage).

Fairly high Dex, say about 16

Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2?

Skills: Hide, Spot, Swim?. Maybe a racial bonus to hide due to their camouflage.

1 Feat: Alertness, Skill Focus (Hide), or Weapon Finesse?

Regards
Mortis
 

Cleon

Legend
The Weed Eel also has a Monstrous Compendium entry with a little more information:

Eel
Weed
Climate/Terrain: Warm fresh & salt water
Frequency: Very rare
Organization: Colonies
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Non- (0)
Treasure: (O, P, R)
Alignment: Nil
No. Appearing: 10-60
Armor Class: 8
Movement: Sw 15
Hit Dice: 1-1
THAC0: 20
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: 1
Special Attacks: Poison
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: M (6’ long)
Morale: Unsteady (6)
XP Value: 120

Eels are long, snake-like fish that are usually not aggressive. Nevertheless, nature has provided the various types of eels with interesting—and dangerous—methods of defense.

Weed Eels
These eels get their name from their remarkable resemblance to seaweed. In fact, they can be spotted by a trained observer only on a roll of 1 on 1d6. The bite of the weed eel is poisonous—victims that fail a saving throw vs. poison die in 1d4 rounds.

Weed eels are at home in both fresh and salt water, 25 to 40 feet deep. They live in loose, communal groups of 10 to 60 eels. Each colony has a lair consisting of a central cave, roughly 30 feet long and 20 feet wide and high. The floor of the central cave is covered with small stones, coins, and gems that the eels have scavenged. Radiating from this central cave are a network of six- to eight-inch-diameter holes. There are the homes of the individual eels that make up the colony. Weed eels are fiercely protective of their lairs, especially the central cave where their young are raised.

Originally found in MC2 - Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989).
 

Cleon

Legend
1HD, poor Con (maybe Con 8?). Not a lot else to go on, other than pretty deadly poison damage despite the presumably low DC.

I'd rather avoid giving it a Con penalty.

There are creatures that had 1-1 HD in AD&D that don't have Constitution penalties in 3E, such as Goblins (HD: 1-1 in AD&D, HD: 1d8+1 and Con 12 in 3E).

No bonus to damage, so Str 10-11?

Or perhaps increase the bite damage to 1d3 but lower the Str to, say, 6. (for 1d3-2 damage).

Split the difference to Str 8 for 1d3-1?

Then the average damage is 1 point, same as the original.

Fairly high Dex, say about 16

I would prefer Dexterity 14-15, maybe even 12-13, since the original creature has a very unimpressive Armour Class.

Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2?

Fine by me.

Skills: Hide, Spot, Swim?. Maybe a racial bonus to hide due to their camouflage.

1 Feat: Alertness, Skill Focus (Hide), or Weapon Finesse?

Regards

Mortis

Definitely a racial bonus to Hide, which means they don't need SF (Hide).

I'd give them Alertness plus Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat.
 

Mortis

First Post
Split the difference to Str 8 for 1d3-1?
I'll accept that if we go for Dex 14-15.

Just checked the small viper in the SRD (for a comparison) and it has
Str 6, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2

Although I can see the viper being a bit quicker than the eel.

Definitely a racial bonus to Hide, which means they don't need SF (Hide).

I'd give them Alertness plus Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat.
I agree with all that. It will obviously also get a racial bonus to Swim due to having a Swim speed.

Regards
Mortis
 

freyar

Extradimensional Explorer
I wouldn't want to go more than Con 10-11, though.

Anyone want to propose a stat line? Did anyone, and I missed it?
 

Shade

Monster Junkie
Those stats compare fairly well to those of the eel in Stormwrack:

Medium Animal (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 2d8+2 (11 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: Swim 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 13 (+2 Dex, +1 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+2
Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d4+1)
Full Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Attach
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
Skills: Hide +6 (+10 in coral reef, rock, or kelp), Listen +3, Spot +4, Swim +9
Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon FinesseB
Environment: Warm aquatic
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: ½
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 3-5 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: -

Despite the AC, I think we should use Mortis's higher Dex, as our eel seems weaker n' sleeker.

The Stormwrack eel gets a +4 racial on Hide checks in coral, reef, rock, or kelp. We can keep those first three, and boost the bonus to +12 for the weed eel in kelp and similar undersea vegetation.

Keep attach?

Alertness, as proposed above, or Improved Init, like the Stormwrack eel.

Added to Homebrews.
 

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