The Sczaracen - Constructive criticism wanted!

[Craer]

Being that I'm in the midst of creating my own campaign world, I thougt I'd share with you fine folks one of the more fearsome examples of native fauna. The monster is based off of the Bug at the end of the movie "Men In Black". If I've incorrectly done the saves or attacks, please tell me. Otherwise, I'd appreciate coments. Thanks! (Apologies if this is the wrong forum for this.)

Sczaracen
Large Aberration
Hit Dice: 10d8+30 (70 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 40 ft., burrow 30 ft., Climb 20 ft.
AC: 21 (-1 size, +8 Dex, +4 natural)
Attacks: Bite +13 melee, 2 arm slaps +11
Damage: Bite 2d6+7, arm slap 1d6+7
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, Rend 4d6+10, Swallow Whole
Special Qualities: Tremorsense, Hive Mind
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +11, Will +6
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 27, Con 17, Int 20, Wis 8, Cha 15
Skills: Listen +4, Climb +8
Climate/Terrain: Underground, Mountains, Swamps
Organization: Solitary, Group (2-4), Hive (200-500)
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: 25% Items, 10% Goods
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Advancement: 13 HD (Huge); 14-18 HD (Gargantuan)

Combat

Rend (Ex): If a sczaracen hits with both arm slaps, the small hooks and spines in the creature’s limbs dig in and tear the flesh of the victim, dealing an automatic 4d6+10 extra points of damage.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the sczaracen must hit with its bite attack. If it gets a hold, it deals automatic bite damage each round the hold is maintained.

Swallow Whole (Ex): A Sczaracen can unhinge it’s jaw and swallow creatures that normally would not fit in it’s mouth, often storing them in it’s stomach for days at a time, slowly digesting them. After succeeding at an Improved Grab check, an opposing strength check must be made. If the check is successful, the Sczaracen has swallowed the victim. A Sczaracen may hold up to 1 medium creature in its stomach, 2 small, 4 tiny, or 16 fine creatures at once. Swallowed creatures take 1d6 acid damage and 1d6 bludgeoning damage per round. A creature may cut itself free with a small piercing or slashing weapon by dealing 15 points of damage to the stomach lining, AC 14. After cutting an opening, muscular action closes the hole, forcing another swallowed creature to cut another hole out.

Tremorsense (Ex): Sczaracen can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in contact with the ground.

Hive Mind (Su): If two or more Sczaracen are within 30 feet of each other, they know exactly where the others are, and none may be flanked if there is at least one Sczaracen who is not flanked. This ability is active at all times.

 

[Teflon Billy]

I've got to tell you. I love that "Hive Mind" ability...did you make it up?

The monster itself seems an asskicker for high levels. A group of them would give Rogues fits

Is the name pronounced "Saracen"? because I think that means "Arab"

 

[Craer]

I've got to tell you. I love that "Hive Mind" ability...did you make it up?

The monster itself seems an asskicker for high levels. A group of them would give Rogues fits

Is the name pronounced "Saracen"? because I think that means "Arab"

As far as I know, I made the Hive Mind ability up, although it may appear elsewhere. Hey, it's a good idea. The CR still needs some tweaking, though.

The name is pronounced "CZAR-ass-ehn". If it means something, it was unintentional.

As for the asskicking component, this is just the base monster. Now, imagine one of these with about eight to thirteen levels of wizard.

Hee hee hee.

 

[lambdaZUG]

Lets see...
Aberration—
Hit Die: D8. Avg HP for 10 dice: 45; Con bonus +3, +30 hp. Final hp: 75. (note: average per die is 4.5 not 4.0).

Attack Bonus: As cleric. (10hd = +7 bab)
Strength: 25 (+7). Final attacks: +14, +9

Looks like your attack bonuses are a little off: Bite +14 melee, 2 arm slaps +9 (note: you had the slaps be only -2, whereas it is -5 normally, -2 with MultiAttack/MultiDexterity.) Also "slap" sounds a little silly, perhaps change to "slam?"

Damage: Str 25 +7; Primary: +7, secondary: +3. Your damages should be Bite 2d6+7, arm slap 1d6+3 because secondary attacks only do 1/2 Str damage, like an off-hand weapon.

Saves: Aberration has good Will save. At 10 HD: +3 Fort, +3 Ref, +7 Will.
Stat bonuses: +3, +8, -1. Final saves: +6, +11, +6. Perfect.

Skill Points: 2×Int score. +2 per extra HD. Int is 20, so Skill Points should be 40+18 = 58. You have used 5 points so far, so you get lots more to spend. Also note that creatures with a climb movement rate get a +8 racial bonus to their Climb score, so your creature should have at least a climb of +15.

Feats: Int modifier + 1 per 4 levels: 7. You monster can have up to 7 feats.

AC is correct, Initiative is correct, Face/Reach is rather peculiar for a Large creature. Typical configurations are either 5 ft. by 5 ft./10 ft., or 5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft. If you are purposefully giving it a longer reach, you should note this as a special ability.

Your "hive mind" ability is a weaker version of the Axiomatic Template's (Manual of the Planes) Linked Minds ability, which is functional within 300 ft. and negates flat-footedness as well as flanking. Great minds and all that, donchaknow.

(edit: mismatched ubb codes)

 

[F5]

Skill Points: 2×Int score. +2 per extra HD. Int is 20, so Skill Points should be 40+18 = 58. You have used 5 points so far, so you get lots more to spend. Also note that creatures with a climb movement rate get a +8 racial bonus to their Climb score, so your creature should have at least a climb of +15.

Is that the way that skills for monsters works? I was never sure if that meant that they got 2X int +2 per extra hit die after the first, or +2 per extra hit die after the base given in the monster description. Probably could have reverse-engineered some MM creatures to see how the points worked out, but I never got around to it...

As for the CR of the Sczaracen, it seems pretty close; only playtsting will tell. It may be a little on the high side. The creature has high stats, a good AC, and lots of damage dealing potential (with reach), making it a scary fighter. But at 9th level a party's going to have all kinds of magical tricks to pull on it, and it doesn't have much defense against magic. Maybe take the CR down a point to account for its' relative vulnerability to the odd Hold Monster or Slay Living spell.

The thing that should really scare your players is the line that says "Organizaion...Hive (200-500)". Imagine winding up in a hive after a Teleport gone horribly, horribly wrong...

 

[Craer]

Egad. I guess I've got some work to do. Perhaps it will end up around CR 10.

Hee hee. Bad teleport... ::cackle::

Thanks folks, keep 'em coming.

-Craer

 

[Numion]

Looks like your attack bonuses are a little off: Bite +14 melee, 2 arm slaps +9

But size modifier -1 from size Large brings the main attack to +13.

Has anyone noticed that most monsters don't grow two size categories in MM when advanced? Also the advancement ranges seemed a bit odd. (When a creature grows two size categories, it becomes a bad-ass, because of the cumulative bonuses.)

 

[lambdaZUG]

Is that the way that skills for monsters works? I was never sure if that meant that they got 2X int +2 per extra hit die after the first, or +2 per extra hit die after the base given in the monster description. Probably could have reverse-engineered some MM creatures to see how the points worked out, but I never got around to it...

Well, it depends on the monster type. In the Dragon article, which I'm basing this on), Aberrations are marked "2 × Int score (+2/extra level)". The humanoid and giant types get "6 + Int modifier (+1/extra level)". Then for Dragons and Outsiders, they have a remark like "8/HD (int modifier applies per HD)". And finally, animals and vermin get a flat number of points with a little variation, such as "10–15". Feats are likewise screwy, some being Int modifier, some being 1 + Int modifier, some just being "1", &c.

As for the CR of the Sczaracen, it seems pretty close; only playtsting will tell. It may be a little on the high side. The creature has high stats, a good AC, and lots of damage dealing potential (with reach), making it a scary fighter. But at 9th level a party's going to have all kinds of magical tricks to pull on it, and it doesn't have much defense against magic. Maybe take the CR down a point to account for its' relative vulnerability to the odd Hold Monster or Slay Living spell.

Agree with high CR. I'd peg it circa 6-7. Compare with Ettin: both 10 die creatures, Ettin gets 4 attacks at 1d10+6, true it dosn't have rend or imp.grab, but consider that two Ettins are EL 7. Is a Sczaracen really worth two ettins? (or at CR 10, 5-6?) Doubtful. And there's the additional problem of there being a finite extent that one can reasonably stretch the magic-less damage hoses. (Behold the absurdity that is the 48 hit die Colossal Spider: bite attack +36 for 4d6+12 . . . cr 10).

The thing that should really scare your players is the line that says "Organizaion...Hive (200-500)". Imagine winding up in a hive after a Teleport gone horribly, horribly wrong...

Agree in entirety. Also comment that these things'd make absolutely brutal psions.

 

[lambdaZUG]

But size modifier -1 from size Large brings the main attack to +13.

Yeah, you're right. I always miss the size penalty to attack.

 

[Craer]

Poisons!! I knew I forgot something. Thanks, lambda!
Muah hah hah.

Later on, I'll post the updated stats for these things. Maybe give you one with a few levels of wizard as well.

-Craer