Converting monsters from Dungeon Magazine

[Shade]

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

I recently read a Manual of Quickness of Sarcasm.

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?

Yeah, that's what I meant. As for the mental stats, how about increasing Wis and Cha by 2 (or even 4) at each age category?

Listen bonus… +4?

Sounds good.

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?

They should increase with age (or more appropriately, size), so we can figure it out later. I generally look at the kraken and squids for comparable sizes, and work from there.

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

"In the year 2000..."

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?

Giant squid gets double normal reach for tentacles, while kraken gets four times (!!!!) its normal reach with tentacles, and double normal reach with its tongue. So maybe something like:

10/10 (20 with tongue)
15/15 (30 with tongue)
20/20 (40 with tongue)

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.

Excellent!

 

[BOZ]

Yeah, that's what I meant. As for the mental stats, how about increasing Wis and Cha by 2 (or even 4) at each age category?

how about Wis by +2 and Cha by +4 – that seems to work. so, (fixing the labels), we have:

Young: Str 23, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 10
Adult: Str 31, Dex 10, Con 25, Int 7, Wis 15, Cha 14
Ancient: Str 39, Dex 10, Con 29, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 18

Are the mental stats too high?

Giant squid gets double normal reach for tentacles, while kraken gets four times (!!!!) its normal reach with tentacles, and double normal reach with its tongue.

so, normal reach for the tentacles, and extended reach for the tongue. Sounds kosher! (do you notice how it oddly works out that the space and reach equals HD and therefore, the tongue is double that?)


One question – each house hunter has a blind side(s) where the eyes are not. Is there an applicable rule for this, or was this aspect eliminated when the facing rules were changed?


the rest of the text for each:

The house hunter is a larger relative of the more common mimic. This creature lacks the versatility of form of its lesser cousin, but makes up for this with a greater array of powers. These creatures live aboveground, unlike mimics, and have learned to take the form of man-made buildings and structures.

A house hunter forms a shell around it that looks like stone, wood, thatch, and other commonly used building materials to heighten its disguise. House hunters form their shells to resemble particular buildings that they have seen while traveling, and the shell can grow and change in size and shape as the house hunter grows. Young house hunters often choose forms such as sheds or outhouses, while adults tend to take the forms of houses, and ancient ones have the ability to resemble much larger and more elaborate structures such as inns, temples, and ruined towers. If the house hunter’s shell is cleaned out thoroughly, it can be converted into a crude dwelling. The creature’s treasure is usually found inside its stomach, or imbedded in the shell wall, and consists of the indigestible remains of victims.

Doors and shutters are created to cover openings in the shell, to protect and hide the mouth, long eyestalks, and huge tentacles. These apertures are opened and shut by strong muscles like those of clams. The mouth, eyes, and tentacles can be on any location on the body, and on any side. This monster is able to produce a bioluminescence at any body opening, to give the illusion of candles or lanterns inside the structure. The unarmored underside of a house hunter has a large, slippery foot-like organ like that of a snail, which allows the creature to move around.

House hunters form packs made up of several individuals of varying ages. Thus, a pack of house hunters can look very much like an odd little village (with no people). House hunters dislike sunlight greatly, and lock up their openings tightly during the day to keep their eyes from exposure. A successful Strength check can force open any of the protective bony plates. A house hunter will likewise close up and try to flee if opponents bring it close to death. Unless fleeing attackers, a house hunter usually only moves around at night.

Adult and ancient house hunters speak a crude form of Common. House hunters are able to communicate telepathically amongst themselves, up to a range of 10 miles. A house hunter will not negotiate for food, and will use unintelligible speech, animal noises, and domestic sounds like bells and chimes to lure prey in.

COMBAT
House hunters cooperate as a pack to capture prey. Their powerful senses and keen intelligence allows them to anticipate the right time to strike to reap maximum reward. The adults usually strike first, with the others following their lead.

A house hunter will attack by extruding its pseudopod appendages and wrapping each one around a nearby victim. The long tongues and even longer tentacles are coated with a musty-smelling slime that adds a strong adhesive to the grip. If a grabbed opponent does not resist for five full rounds, the house hunter assumes it to be dead and drops it. Once all opponents have stopped moving, the house hunter will begin picking them up on at a time with a tongue attack, to swallow them. If any swallowed creature successfully attacks a house hunter, the house hunter will extract the creature with its tongue, and crush the creature until it ceases to resist for five more rounds.

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.

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.

Swallow Whole (Ex): A house hunter can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of (X) or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. The swallowed creature takes X points of crushing damage plus X points of acid damage per round from the house hunter’s gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal X points of damage to the (X)’s gut (AC X). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out.

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

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

Sound Imitation (Ex): A house hunter can mimic any voice or sound it has heard, as a free action. Listeners must succeed on a Will save (DC X) to detect the ruse. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Skills: A house hunter has a +4 racial bonus on Listen checks.

Originally found in Dungeon Magazine #19 ("The Vanishing Village," September/October 1989, Marcus L. Rowland) and Monstrous Compendium Annual One (1994).

 

[Shade]

how about Wis by +2 and Cha by +4 – that seems to work. so, (fixing the labels), we have:

Young: Str 23, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 10
Adult: Str 31, Dex 10, Con 25, Int 7, Wis 15, Cha 14
Ancient: Str 39, Dex 10, Con 29, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 18

Are the mental stats too high?

I think those stat blocks should work. I don't think the stats are too high. In fact, Intelligence may be too low. A standard mimic has an Int of 10.

so, normal reach for the tentacles, and extended reach for the tongue. Sounds kosher! (do you notice how it oddly works out that the space and reach equals HD and therefore, the tongue is double that?)

I noticed that too, and though it was quite interesting.

One question – each house hunter has a blind side(s) where the eyes are not. Is there an applicable rule for this, or was this aspect eliminated when the facing rules were changed?

Yeah, no facing in 3E/3.5 (unless you count flanking). So the only implication I could see this having is if it were normally immune to flanking for its type or abilities, we'd need to mention that it could be flanked. But I don't think this is the case.

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.

Do we want to stick with DC 16 like the mimic? Or do we assume that the mimic's DCs were Con-based (DC 10 + 1/2 of 3 HD + 3 for Con 17 = 16) and adjust the house hunters likewise?

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

Crush should equal slam damage if we go by the mimic.

Swallow Whole (Ex): A house hunter can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of (X) or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. The swallowed creature takes X points of crushing damage plus X points of acid damage per round from the house hunter’s gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal X points of damage to the (X)’s gut (AC X). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out.

This should differ based on size.

 

[BOZ]

I think those stat blocks should work. I don't think the stats are too high. In fact, Intelligence may be too low. A standard mimic has an Int of 10.

I don’t consider these “superior” mimics – just bigger ones. nothing wrong with being mentally inferior to the ones with better shapeshifting powers…

Yeah, no facing in 3E/3.5 (unless you count flanking). So the only implication I could see this having is if it were normally immune to flanking for its type or abilities, we'd need to mention that it could be flanked. But I don't think this is the case.

right. In fact, the description leads one to believe that sneaking up behind them is more than possible. Those eyestalks are long, but they are not long enough to reach all the way around the mimic.

As for the rest of your comments, yes all of that should vary based on the creature’s size and abilities.

 

[Shade]

I don’t consider these “superior” mimics – just bigger ones. nothing wrong with being mentally inferior to the ones with better shapeshifting powers…

Yep. Nothing wrong with that.

right. In fact, the description leads one to believe that sneaking up behind them is more than possible. Those eyestalks are long, but they are not long enough to reach all the way around the mimic.

Indeed. Perhaps we could give them a penalty to Spot checks to account for this?

 

[BOZ]

i don't see why.

Here are some updated stat blocks to work with.

I realize I probably need to come up with a description for Mimic Shape.

Also, should tentacle be the Attack line? I don’t think tongue would be used as much.


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: 10 ft/10 ft (20 ft with tongue)
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 +8 Ref +3 Will +8
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: 11-14 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: ---

A young house hunter is 10 feet tall, and weighs (many) pounds.


House Hunter Mimic, Adult
Huge Aberration (Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 15d8+105 (172 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 10 ft (2 squares)
Armor Class: 20 (-2 size, +12 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +11/+29
Attack: X
Full Attack: Tongue +19 melee (3d6+10) and 2 tentacles +14 melee (3d6+5)
Space/Reach: 15 ft/15 ft (30 ft with tongue)
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 +12 Ref +5 Will +11
Abilities: Str 31, Dex 10, Con 25, Int 7, Wis 15, Cha 14
Skills: 18
Feats: 6

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: 16-19 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: ---

An adult house hunter is 15-20 feet tall, and weighs (many) pounds.


House Hunter Mimic, Ancient
Gargantuan Aberration (Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 20d8+180 (270 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 10 ft (2 squares)
Armor Class: 20 (-4 size, +14 natural), touch 6, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+41
Attack: X
Full Attack: Tongue +25 melee (4d6+14) and 2-4 tentacles +20 melee (4d6+7)
Space/Reach: 20 ft/20 ft (40 ft with tongue)
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 +15 Ref +6 Will +15
Abilities: Str 39, Dex 10, Con 29, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 18
Skills: 46
Feats: 7

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: 21-40 HD (Gargantuan); 41-60 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: ---

An ancient house hunter is 30-40 feet tall, and weighs (many) pounds.

 

[Shade]

I just reread the description, and it sounds like the tongue is the primary attack.

Here are the mimic's skills and feats:
Skills: Climb +9, Disguise +13, Listen +8, Spot +8
Feats: Alertness, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (slam)

I'd suggest we stick with these core skills and at least Alertness from the feat list. Lightning Reflexes wouldn't hurt either, to help cover one of its weak areas. Skill Focus (Disguise) would be another good candidate.

 

[BOZ]

Ok, I went ahead and put the tongue on the Attack line, though I still think tentacles are more easily utilized for that.

How’s this? How does the sentence in parenthesis look – I thought it needed a limitation.

Mimic Shape (Ex): A house hunter mimic can assume the general shape of a construction that fills roughly (X) cubic feet. (The house hunter can only change its form once every 48 hours, and it takes a full 24 hours to settle into a new form.) The creature cannot substantially alter its size, though. A house hunter’s body is hard and has a rough texture, no matter what appearance it might present. Anyone who examines the house hunter can detect the ruse with a successful Spot check opposed by the house hunter’s opposed Disguise check. Of course, by this time it is generally far too late.

Skills: A house hunter has a +8 racial bonus on Disguise checks.


Question – from the text, does it seem that a house hunter has adhesive anywhere other than its tongue and tentacles?

For your skill selections, I think those will work OK with the two younger types, but the ancient ones have far more skills than the others, so they might need an extra skill or 2.

For feats, how aboot:
Alertness, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Disguise), Weapon Focus (tongue)
Adult adds: Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative
Ancient adds: Iron Will

 

[BOZ]

Also…

Been looking at the old description, and it seems to me that only the grappling appendages (tongue and tentacles) have adhesive. Would it be enough to rewrite the adhesive description to remove references to things getting stuck to the house hunter itself? And does that change anything about the grapple?


Here are all the combat sections with variables, and some input on what we should add to them:

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.

(hp for tentacle/tongue – Y-5/10, Ad-10/20, An-15/30 – I’d say the tongue is much bigger, stronger, and tougher than the tentacles)
(withdraw – if it loses two appendages? Or maybe if it loses the tongue or both tentacles?)

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

(like the mimic, probably just repeated damage with the crushing member. Did we rule that both the tongue and tentacles crush? If so, we should probably list both damages as “X points of damage with its tongue or X points of damage with a tentacle” or something like that)

Swallow Whole (Ex): A house hunter can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of (X) or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. The swallowed creature takes X points of crushing damage plus X points of acid damage per round from the house hunter’s gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal X points of damage to the house hunter’s gut (AC X). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out.

(for comparison – behir, tyrannosaurus, dire shark, nightcrawler nightshade, purple worm, remorhaz, Tarrasque, tendriculous)
(size – is it necessary to list the size if it is the next category smaller?)
(crush – Y-2d6+6, Ad-2d8+10, An-2d8+14 - usually 2d6 or 2d8 with a + maybe Str bonus?)
(acid – Y-1d8+X, Ad-2d6+X, An-2d8+X - varies a lot, sometimes 8 or 12 sometimes a range like 1d8, 2d6, and 2d8 with a + )
(damage to gut – Y-20, Ad-25, An-35 – seems to be based on size – Huge is 25, Gargantuan is 35, Colossal is 50)
(gut’s AC – Y-15, Ad-16, An-17 – is 10 plus ½ natural armor)

Sound Imitation (Ex): A house hunter can mimic any voice or sound it has heard, as a free action. Listeners must succeed on a Will save (DC X) to detect the ruse. The save DC is Charisma-based.

(Y-15, Ad-19, An-24)

 

[Shade]

Ok, I went ahead and put the tongue on the Attack line, though I still think tentacles are more easily utilized for that.

If its really buggin' you, go ahead and change it.

How’s this? How does the sentence in parenthesis look – I thought it needed a limitation.

Mimic Shape (Ex): A house hunter mimic can assume the general shape of a construction that fills roughly (X) cubic feet. (The house hunter can only change its form once every 48 hours, and it takes a full 24 hours to settle into a new form.) The creature cannot substantially alter its size, though. A house hunter’s body is hard and has a rough texture, no matter what appearance it might present. Anyone who examines the house hunter can detect the ruse with a successful Spot check opposed by the house hunter’s opposed Disguise check. Of course, by this time it is generally far too late.

That should work.

Skills: A house hunter has a +8 racial bonus on Disguise checks.

But of course.

Question – from the text, does it seem that a house hunter has adhesive anywhere other than its tongue and tentacles?

Nope.

For your skill selections, I think those will work OK with the two younger types, but the ancient ones have far more skills than the others, so they might need an extra skill or 2.

Hide, Intimidate, Move Silently, Search, or Survival could all work.

For feats, how aboot:
Alertness, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Disguise), Weapon Focus (tongue)
Adult adds: Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative
Ancient adds: Iron Will

I like 'em, except I'd replace Iron Will with Lightning Reflexes, since that is the save most in need of assistance, and follows the mimic more closely.