Grassling

[the Jester]

Hmm. I'm not familiar with the original, but this really looks like a Plant to me, rather than a Fey. It's even made of grass. It grows in soil, needs sun, etc.

 

[Cleon]

Tweaked further, based on feedback.

Will have a look at it when I have the time.

As for my attempt, after reviewing it I'm satisfied with the result except for a clunky bit in the Description so I'm changing "(grasslings are hermaphrodites who fertilize their seeds via windblown pollen" to "(grasslings are hermaphrodites who fertilize each other's seeds via windblown pollen)." and adding it to my Completed Fifth Edition Creatures Index.

 

[CaseyReeseKunst]

This really looks like a Plant to me, rather than a Fey.

It does, doesn't it? I've changed the Monster Type.

 

[Cleon]

It does, doesn't it? I've changed the Monster Type.

That was a step too far for me.

I was assuming the original author(s)* meant it when they made the grassling a Fey, and changing it might have consequences they didn't want. For example, spells that affect plants would now affect the grassling.

* Whoever that was. The Pathfinder #129 credits don't say which of the four authors listed in the Bestiary credits wrote which monsters.

 

[Cleon]

Will have a look at it when I have the time.

I've got time!

Okay, it still looks way more complicated than it needs to be, but to each their own.

If you're lowering the CON to 14 (+2) it'll have Hit Points 55 (10d6 + 20), not the old version's 65 hit points.

The Pathfinder version of Bleed does not stack. That is, if a creature has three 1d6 bleed wounds they roll 3d6 but only take the highest dice damage.

Your version appears to be cumulative but with lower damage, so if it has three bleeding wounds a creature would take 3d4 damage.

It's important to say when the target takes the bleeding damage, the main choices being "at the start of each of the wounded creature's turns" or "at the end of each of the wounded creature's turns."

EDIT: Just realized that the latter is the only way to give a wounded creature with only a hit point or two left a chance to stop themselves bleeding to death, so I'm amending the Cleon Grassling to have end of turn bleeding. :ENDEDIT
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Finally, with Nimble Escape, Pack Tactics, several Resistances and a minimum DPR of 40 [four claws for 30 (4d6 + 16) slashing plus 10 (4d4) from bleeding) I reckon this version is nastier than Challenge 3.

The CR Calculator says it's anything from CR 4 to CR 6 depending on what Monster Features I flag for its abilities.