Converting Oriental Adventures creatures

[freyar]

This looks fine to me.

Any ideas on skills and feats? I have to admit that I'm feeling a little blank.

 

[Shade]

Agreed. Updated.

It prowls the temperate forests, looking for meat which forms its main diet. It is particularly attracted to the scent of oxen and sometimes attacks the animals as they work in the farmer's fields.

The feelers are the beetle’s primary sensory organs, providing a powerful sense of smell. With them, a jishin mushi can smell prey up to 100 yards distant.

Perhaps give them max ranks in Survival, and give 'em Track and "tracking by scent" bonuses?

Maybe even keen scent like a shark?

For the other feat, 'tis a shame that Improved Grapple requires Improved Unarmed Strike. How about Power Attack?

 

[Cleon]

Agreed. Updated.

Perhaps give them max ranks in Survival, and give 'em Track and "tracking by scent" bonuses?

Maybe even keen scent like a shark?

Maxing out Survival doesn't feel right to me.

I'd prefer splitting its skill points between Listen and Spot and giving it keen scent (with track bonus) and either blindsight or blindsense.

Maybe give it a +4 racial bonus to Spot when its "blindsense" is working, like a whale's sonar bonus?

For the other feat, 'tis a shame that Improved Grapple requires Improved Unarmed Strike. How about Power Attack?

Power Attack's fine. I can see an Advanced version going down the Improved Bull Rush / Awesome Blow path.

 

[freyar]

I don't particularly like blindsense or blindsight for these. What about Listen 3, Spot 3, Survival 2 for ranks and keen scent for the tracking bonus. Power Attack works.

 

[Shade]

I don't particularly like blindsense or blindsight for these. What about Listen 3, Spot 3, Survival 2 for ranks and keen scent for the tracking bonus. Power Attack works.

Agreed. I'd considered tremorsense, but scent is highly emphasized as their primary sensory input.

 

[Cleon]

I don't particularly like blindsense or blindsight for these. What about Listen 3, Spot 3, Survival 2 for ranks and keen scent for the tracking bonus. Power Attack works.

I can go along with that, I'd forgotten keen scent had such a long range.

Keen Scent (Ex): A jishin mushi can notice creatures by scent in a 180-foot radius and detect blood in the air at ranges of up to a mile.

The skills are OK by me. I find it amusing we had such arguments about giving Survival to other predatory animals and now we're giving it to a beetle!

 

[Shade]

The skills are OK by me. I find it amusing we had such arguments about giving Survival to other predatory animals and now we're giving it to a beetle!

I don't mind giving it to creatures with the Track feat, but otherwise it's essentially useless.

I'm glad Pathfinder separated the two.

 

[Cleon]

I don't mind giving it to creatures with the Track feat, but otherwise it's essentially useless.

I'm glad Pathfinder separated the two.

OK, we seem to be agreed on the following:

Skills: Listen +3, Spot +3, Survival +2* (+6 following tracks by scent)
Feats: Power Attack, Track

As for the rest.

Challenge Rating: 4?
Advancement: 6-9 (Large); 10-15 HD (Huge) ?

 

[Shade]

I'm not sure we're agreed on Listen and Spot. I find them redundant due to its super-scent. Freyar?

 

[freyar]

Uhh, I'll agree that Listen is redundant, but Spot could help pinpoint hiding enemies. How about we split the Listen ranks between Spot and Survival?