Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[Shade]

Here's the revised sword spider...

Sword Spider
Large Vermin
Hit Dice: 5d8+10 (39 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft. (2 squares), climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 17 (-1 size, +8 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+11
Attack: Leg +6 melee (1d6+4) or bite +1 melee (1d8+2 plus poison)
Full Attack: 8 legs +6 melee (1d6+4) and bite +1 melee (1d8+2 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Impalement, poison
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., vermin traits
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +1
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 10, Con 14, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 3
Skills: Climb +12, Hide +0, Jump +4, Spot +12
Feats: -
Environment: Warm forest and underground
Organization: Solitary or brood (2-5 in drow pens)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: +3

Impalement (Ex): Against formidable prey, a sword spider jumps high into the air to land atop an opponent, with all eight legs together in a tight mesh of blades. It makes only a single attack roll (+5 melee), but if that attack is successful, the opponent takes damage from three leg blades if size Small or smaller, four blades if Medium, five blades if Large, six if Huge, and all eight if Gargantuan or larger. If the spider descends more than 20 feet to make this attack, it adds +1 point of damage to each leg.

Poison (Ex): Bite, Fortitude DC 16; initial and secondary damage 1d6 Strength. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Skills: Sword spiders have racial bonuses of +4 on Hide checks, +6 on Jump checks, and +12 on Spot checks.

A sword spider has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.

 

[Cleon]

Here's the revised sword spider...

Sword Spider

The Leaping Sword spider is basically a 3 HD Medium-Sized version of that.

I suppose as it's "Leaping" we should give it a racial bonus to Jump.

Hmm...

We could simply give it the racial bonuses of a Monstrous Hunting Spider, which include a +10 racial bonus to Jump?

 

[Cleon]

Here's the revised sword spider...

Sword Spider

By revised, I assume you mean this is the Drow of the Underdark version, rather than the Monsters of Faerûn version, seeing as how these are 3.5 stats.

 

[Cleon]

Oh, and am I right in assuming you want to convert this to a Magical Beast, so it can have Int 6 and a Chaotic Evil alignment like the AD&D original?

I certainly want to!

 

[Shade]

The Leaping Sword spider is basically a 3 HD Medium-Sized version of that.

I suppose as it's "Leaping" we should give it a racial bonus to Jump.

Hmm...

We could simply give it the racial bonuses of a Monstrous Hunting Spider, which include a +10 racial bonus to Jump?

Sounds good.

By revised, I assume you mean this is the Drow of the Underdark version, rather than the Monsters of Faerûn version, seeing as how these are 3.5 stats.

Yes.

Oh, and am I right in assuming you want to convert this to a Magical Beast, so it can have Int 6 and a Chaotic Evil alignment like the AD&D original?

I certainly want to!

Yes again!

 

[Cleon]

Leaping Sword Spider Working Draft

Spider, Xakhun, Leaping Sword Spider
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 3d10+3 (19 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 17 (+1 Dex, +6 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+5
Attack: Leg +6 melee (1d4+2) or bite +5 melee (1d6+1)
Full Attack: 8 legs +6 melee (1d4+2) and bite +3 melee (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Impalement
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., web
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +2
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 6, Wis 13, Cha 7
Skills: Balance +3, Climb +10, Hide +10, Move Silently +5, Jump +8, Spot +13, Tumble +6
Feats: Multiattack, Weapon Focus (leg)
Environment: Warm forest and underground
Organization: Solitary or platoon (2-5 in drow pens)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 3-4 HD (Medium); 5-9 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: —

This tower shield-sized spider has a sleek, hairy black body, striped with dark brown fur. Its legs end in bladelike chitinous plates.

The Xakhun breeding programs have modified the subterranean sword spider into a smaller, nonvenomous variety capable of incredible leaps.

Leaping sword spiders are ill-tempered and difficult to train. Occasionally, one goes berserk, attacking both crew and vessel. When situations like this arise, it is generally left to the rigging spider to regain control, by slaying the offending sword spider.

The Xakhun drow sail the skies in windships in groups known as Xan Krabans. Lolth created the various Xakhun spiders to bolster the fighting capability of the Xan Krabans, although some can be found in traditional subterranean drow cities, serving priestesses of the Spider Queen. Xakhun spiders normally hide in the crew compartment of the windship until called upon to attack nearby ships and enemies. Leaping sword spiders and the Xakhun's drop spiders instinctively attack each other, so they are never kept in the same ship or building.

A typical leaping sword spider has a body 6 feet long and weighs about 300 pounds.

COMBAT

Leaping sword spiders are cunning creatures who ambush opponents whenever possible, usually dropping from above to inflict the most damage with their sword-like legs. Even without the advantage of surprise, they viciously leap into melee, focusing their fury upon one opponent at a time.

Impalement (Ex): Against formidable prey, a leaping sword spider jumps high into the air to land atop an opponent, with all eight legs together in a tight mesh of blades. It makes only a single attack roll (+6 melee), but if that attack is successful, the opponent takes damage from three leg blades if size Tiny or smaller, four blades if Small, five blades if Medium, six if Large, and all eight if Huge or larger. If the spider descends more than 20 feet to make this attack, it adds +1 point of damage to each leg.

Web (Ex): Leaping sword spiders often wait in their ship's rigging or in trees, then lower themselves silently on silk strands and leap onto prey passing beneath. A single strand is strong enough to support the spider and one creature of the same size.

Skills: Leaping sword spiders have racial bonuses of +4 on Move Silently checks, +8 on Climb and Hide checks, +10 on Jump checks, and +12 on Spot checks. A leaping sword spider can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.

 

[Shade]

CR 3 looks spot on.

I'd like to put 5 skill points in Tumble, enough to get the synergy bonus to Jump. Maybe drop the last point in Jump itself.

For feats, probably Weapon Focus (leg) and Multiattack.

 

[Cleon]

CR 3 looks spot on.

I'd like to put 5 skill points in Tumble, enough to get the synergy bonus to Jump. Maybe drop the last point in Jump itself.

For feats, probably Weapon Focus (leg) and Multiattack.

The above sounds good to me, except I'd rather put the point in Hide.

Updating Working Draft.

 

[freyar]

Do you have the racial bonus on Jump checks in the Skills line yet? But this looks pretty good.

 

[Cleon]

Do you have the racial bonus on Jump checks in the Skills line yet? But this looks pretty good.

Yes, but it has a -6 penalty for having speed 20 ft.

+2 Str +10 racial +2 synergy -6 speed = 14 - 6 = +8.