Converting Monsters from Dungeon Magazine

[Cleon]

How about just swapping Dex and Con?

Constitution 15 seems too high for a rather ordinary Tiny fish, I was thinking more Dex 13 and Con 13.

 

[Shade]

That works, too.

 

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews, using the spiny sleeper as a framework.

 

[Cleon]

Added to Homebrews, using the spiny sleeper as a framework.

I'm having a bit of trouble determining how big these fish grow. Most seem pretty small - the Spotted Scorpionfish (Scorpaena plumieri) is one of the biggest species in the Atlantic and only grows 8 to 18 inches long (usually closer to the former than the latter), with a 5 lb maximum weight.

According to this article on keeping them as pets "The largest member of this family can reach an adult size of over 20 inches in length in the wild". The Britannica Online Encyclopedia says the largest species approach a meter in length (implying a weight of 40 pounds or so, going by the Spotted species).

Aha! here we are, the Shortraker Rockfish Sebastes borealis is normally 40-60 cm and 1.5-4 kg (approx. 16-24 inches & 3.3-8.8 lbs) but its record is 108 cm and 16.2 kg. (42.5 inches and 35.68 pounds). Should have remembered to check fishbase first.

So, Small size is fine then, something like:

Most scorpion fish are between 7 and 15 inches long and 1 or 2 pounds in weight, the largest species can reach over 3 feet in length and weigh 30 pounds or so.

EDIT: Hold on! According to this and this S. borealis grows even larger, approaching 4 feet and 50 to 60+ pounds.

That suggests two possibilities, either we change the size to:

Most scorpion fish are between 7 and 15 inches long and 1 or 2 pounds in weight, record sized specimens of the largest species can approach 4 feet long and weigh 50 pounds or so.

...or we add a "Dire Scorpionfish" to our conversions!

EDITED EDIT: I've had trouble determining whether the Shortraker has venomous spines (not all members of the family are poisonous). If we do a "Dire Scorpionfish" that won't matter, of course.

 

[Shade]

That suggests two possibilities, either we change the size to:

Most scorpion fish are between 7 and 15 inches long and 1 or 2 pounds in weight, record sized specimens of the largest species can approach 4 feet long and weigh 50 pounds or so.

This one.

...or we add a "Dire Scorpionfish" to our conversions!

Egads, no! We've already got two conversions in one, we don't need a third!

 

[Cleon]

This one.

As you like, I'm thinking it's probably not very "real world" accurate but this is a Fantasy Game.

I've just spent far more time than I should spare rummaging around the internet trying to find confirmation on the Shortraker's toxicity. The closest I can find is this page on rockfish by the Alaskan Deptartment of Fish & Game, which says "The spines are mildly toxic and can cause pain and infection".

So poisonous, but only mildly so.

Scorpionfish venom seems to cause pain (presumably to discourage predators) but is rarely deadly, even for the most poisonous species. They're not killers like their relatives the Stonefish (Synanceia).

Maybe a sickened effect to represent the pain, plus a few points of ability damage for the poison?

Egads, no! We've already got two conversions in one, we don't need a third!

Spoilsport.

 

[Shade]

Scorpionfish venom seems to cause pain (presumably to discourage predators) but is rarely deadly, even for the most poisonous species. They're not killers like their relatives the Stonefish (Synanceia).

Maybe a sickened effect to represent the pain, plus a few points of ability damage for the poison?

That could work, or borrow from symbol of pain as usual for a pain effect? (As an aside, why didn't they just make pain a condition? Ditto for confused, insane, etc. Grrr.)

 

[Cleon]

That could work, or borrow from symbol of pain as usual for a pain effect?

Either works for me.

It depends what fish where modelling here. If we're talking scorpion fish like Scorpaena the venom is extremely painful so deserves symbol of pain stats. Many of the species in the family (like the rockfish) don't seem so bad from the rummaging around the internet I did.

So, shall we say these are "true scorpionfish" like the genus Scorpaena which cause agonizing pain?

In that case I'd like to change the size to the scale of Scorpaena, which don't grow as big as the large rockfish referred to earlier. Looking through the fishbase website, Scorpaena species average somewhere about 10-20 centimetres long (4 to 8 inches), with the smaller ones being under 2 inches long and the largest (e.g. S. elongata, guttata, izensis, mystes, plumieri, scrofa, stephanica and sumptuosa) averaging around 25-30 cm (10-12") and reaching max lengths of about 40-50 cm (18-20").

So, how about making them Diminutive with Advancement to Tiny and changing the size description to "Most types of scorpionfish are very small, typically 4 to 8 inches in length and an ounce or two in weight, the largest species can grow up to 18 inches long and 5 pounds in weight"?

(As an aside, why didn't they just make pain a condition? Ditto for confused, insane, etc. Grrr.)

I agree. If I were left to me I'd make those all conditions AND have three grades of each. Maybe make Dazed the "level 1" version of Confused with Beffudled inbetween as "level 2".

 

[Shade]

So, shall we say these are "true scorpionfish" like the genus Scorpaena which cause agonizing pain?

Good idea.

So, how about making them Diminutive with Advancement to Tiny and changing the size description to "Most types of scorpionfish are very small, typically 4 to 8 inches in length and an ounce or two in weight, the largest species can grow up to 18 inches long and 5 pounds in weight"?

That works for me.

I agree. If I were left to me I'd make those all conditions AND have three grades of each. Maybe make Dazed the "level 1" version of Confused with Beffudled inbetween as "level 2".

I like!

 

[Cleon]

Good idea.

That works for me.

I like!

Good! Getting back to the poison. How's this for an outline:

Scorpionfish Poison (Ex): Injury by spines; Fort DC X; initial damage agonizing pain equal to a symbol of pain (-4 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks) for 2d6? minutes; secondary damage agonizing pain equal to a symbol of pain for 1d4? hours plus 1d4 Con? damage. Save DC is Constitution-based.