Converting Monsters from Dungeon Magazine

[freyar]

Let's get rid of the explicit reference to the symbol while we're at it. How about this?

Poison (Ex): Injury (spines or sting), Fortitude DC X; initial damage agonizing pain (-4 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks) for 2d6 minutes plus 1d3 Con damage; secondary damage agonizing pain for 1d4 hours plus 1 Con damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

I split the difference on the Con damage.

 

[Shade]

I'm happy with it.

 

[freyar]

Do we have a homebrews or draft of these somewhere?

 

[Shade]

We do now.

Skills: A monstrous scorpion has a +4 racial bonus on Climb, Hide, and Spot checks.

Do we want to retain the Hide and Spot bonuses?

 

[Cleon]

Let's get rid of the explicit reference to the symbol while we're at it. How about this?

Poison (Ex): Injury (spines or sting), Fortitude DC X; initial damage agonizing pain (-4 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks) for 2d6 minutes plus 1d3 Con damage; secondary damage agonizing pain for 1d4 hours plus 1 Con damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

I split the difference on the Con damage.

While I prefer separate damage I'm not that strongly attached to the notion, so that'd be OK by me.

 

[Cleon]

We do now.

Skills: A monstrous scorpion has a +4 racial bonus on Climb, Hide, and Spot checks.

Do we want to retain the Hide and Spot bonuses?

Well these Fish-Scorpions have the front half of a Monstrous Scorpion and a scorpion's main sense organs are on its legs and body, so I'd vote for keeping the +4 to Spot. Moray Eels are also good at hiding, so I'd keep the +4 Hide bonus too.

EDIT: I also think we should give it a higher bonus to Hide in reefs -
Maybe +8 instead of +4? ENDEDIT

Since it's got a scorpion's legs I'd also like to give it a land speed (maybe 20 ft.?) plus Water Dependency, so it can crawl out of the sea to attack folk on beaches. For the same reason, I fancy giving it a Climb speed (20 ft.?) as well as the usual skill text. Imagine these things climbing up cliffs and sea-rocks to reach their prey...

EDIT: Also, the long tail and more active hunting might make these things faster swimmers than a standard scorpionfish, which basically just sit their. Should we consider increasing the Swim speed to 30 ft.?

Here's the collated proposal:
Speed: 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft. [or swim 30 ft.?]

Skills: Fish-scorpions have a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Spot checks. A fish-scorpion has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Climb or Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

*A fish-scorpion's racial bonus to Hide checks increases to +8 if it is among reefs or sea rocks.

 

[Cleon]

How much damage does its Spiny Defence do?

I would be happy with 1 point of piercing like the original.

 

[Shade]

Here's the collated proposal:
Speed: 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft. [or swim 30 ft.?]

Skills: Fish-scorpions have a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Spot checks. A fish-scorpion has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Climb or Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

*A fish-scorpion's racial bonus to Hide checks increases to +8 if it is among reefs or sea rocks.

Agreed to all that, including the faster swim speed.

How much damage does its Spiny Defence do?

I would be happy with 1 point of piercing like the original.

Well, it's bigger than the scorpion fish, so I figured it would deal more damage. A howler (Large) deal 1d6+Str with its quills. Ditto for a quillflinger (M). So at the very least, I'd recommend 1d4. I'd recommend allowing it to use them offensively like those other creatures as well, adding it to the Full Attack line as a secondary attack.

 

[Cleon]

Agreed to all that, including the faster swim speed.

Well, it's bigger than the scorpion fish, so I figured it would deal more damage. A howler (Large) deal 1d6+Str with its quills. Ditto for a quillflinger (M). So at the very least, I'd recommend 1d4. I'd recommend allowing it to use them offensively like those other creatures as well, adding it to the Full Attack line as a secondary attack.

I'd be OK increasing the damage but insist it does less than the claws and sting, so 1d3 at most.

Secondary attack is OK I guess:

We haven't discussed feats yet, but I am strongly in favor of Multiattack.

That would make it:

Full Attack: 2 claws +3 melee (1d4+1) and sting +1 melee (1d4 plus poison) and spines +1 (1d3 plus poison)
Feats: Multiattack

Spiny Defense (Ex): Any creature that hits a fish-scorpion in melee with a natural or handheld weapon (but not a reach weapon) must succeed on a DC 12 Reflex save or take 1d3 points of piercing damage from its many spines and be exposed to its poison. The save DC is Dexterity-based.

I'm also thinking that any opponent being crushed by its claws is at risk from its spines, something like:

Constrict (Ex): A fish-scorpion deals automatic claw damage on a successful grapple check. The opponent must also make a Reflex save against the fish-scorpion's spiny defense (see below).

Spiny Defense (Ex): Any creature that grapples a fish-scorpion or hits a fish-scorpion in melee with a natural or handheld weapon (but not a reach weapon) must succeed on a DC 12 Reflex save or take 1d3 points of piercing damage from its many spines and be exposed to its poison. The save DC is Dexterity-based.

 

[freyar]

I think I like all of this. Looking good! EDIT: Are we going to let the spines break off like a howler's quills?