Converting "Real World" Animals and Vermin

[freyar]

Sounds like a holdover from 3.0, then.

Anyway, are we all happy with Cleon's proposal of skill ranks Listen 1, Spot 1, Survival 3 and Alertness for the feat?

Edit: I was ninjaed! I don't think it can take Improved Grapple as a feat, unless we also give it Imp Unarmed Strike as a bonus. I like the first line as a basic, and I could see Imp Grab as a special attack. You'll have a tougher sell with Rend, though, I think.

 

[Cleon]

Edit: I was ninjaed! I don't think it can take Improved Grapple as a feat, unless we also give it Imp Unarmed Strike as a bonus. I like the first line as a basic, and I could see Imp Grab as a special attack. You'll have a tougher sell with Rend, though, I think.

I was thinking something like the grapple, slam & bite built into the Menace Manual's version of the Chimp, whose Improved Grab description goes like this:

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the chimpanzee must hit a single opponent that is its own size category or smaller with both slam attacks in the same round. During any round that it grapples such a creature, the chimpanzee may make one additional grapple check as a free action at its highest attack bonus. On a successful hit with such an attack, it automatically deals bite and slam damage to its foe.
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[freyar]

That's a slightly weak improved grab (since it has to hit with both slams) plus what I think we've been calling Maul (bite damage in place of constrict). (But doesn't quite sound like rend, other than requiring two slams to hit.) I guess I could see weak Improved Grab plus Maul or else just regular Improved Grab. I'd like to know what everyone thinks, though. I just worry a little about improving too much vs baseline SRD monsters.

 

[Shade]

I'm not really feeling the improved grab love for chimps. Isn't the whole point of improved grab to avoid attacks of opportunity when initiating a grapple? Nothing about real-life chimps makes me think they couldn't be easily smacked while trying to grab onto you.

I could be convinced of a small racial bonus on grapple checks, though.

 

[demiurge1138]

A +2 on grapple checks, I would support.

 

[freyar]

Sounds fair.

 

[Cleon]

A +2 on grapple checks, I would support.

Works for me. I do want them to be good grapplers, and agree they shouldn't all be able to avoid AoOs.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

CR 1?

 

[demiurge1138]

CR 1 looks appropriate.

I'm also tempted to give it Multiattack, maybe as a bonus feat. Poor -2 slam attacks.

 

[Cleon]

CR 1?

Yes, Challenge Rating 1 seems to fit.

I'm also tempted to give it Multiattack, maybe as a bonus feat. Poor -2 slam attacks.

Not so sure about that, but I'm game if the others fancy Multiattack.