Spine-Back

[Yunru]

Medium Beast, unaligned

Armour Class 13 (natural armour)
Hit Points 33 (6d8+6)
Speed 30 ft.

[TABLE="class: grid, width: 100%, align: left"]
[TR]
[TD]STR[/TD]
[TD]DEX[/TD]
[TD]CON[/TD]
[TD]INT[/TD]
[TD]WIS[/TD]
[TD]CHA[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]13 (+1)[/TD]
[TD]15 (+2)[/TD]
[TD]12 (+1)[/TD]
[TD]3 (-4)[/TD]
[TD]12 (+1)[/TD]
[TD]6 (-2)[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4
Languages –
Challenge 1/4 (50XP)

Actions

Spine Volley. The Spine-Back makes three Spine attacks at disadvantage against a creature in range.

Spine. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 30 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, Reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) piercing damage.

 

[fil512]

Love it! Need a description of what it looks like. I am using this in my next encounter with poison needles to up the CR.

 

[aco175]

I would make spine volley an encounter power where it can be used 1/rest and not every round. Also take away the disadvantage and allow it to target creatures within 5ft of each other.

Give it a melee attack and a description since right now I picture it more like a boar/porcupine. If its spines are its primary attack like a porcupine, then lower its strength since it is not needed and give the spine attacks something where there are no opportunity attacks to use it in melee.

Blindsight makes it feel like a skunk and 10ft does not do much. If it is a cave dwelling monster, make it 30ft, or give darkvision since not much has blindsight.

The spine damage being 1d8 feels a bit much for a CR1/4 monster, maybe make it 1d6 instead.

 

[cmad1977]

Love it! Need a description of what it looks like. I am using this in my next encounter with poison needles to up the CR.

I’m seeing a really large porcupines. With fantasy flourishes.

 

[Yunru]

I would make spine volley an encounter power where it can be used 1/rest and not every round. Also take away the disadvantage and allow it to target creatures within 5ft of each other.

The disadvantage is carefully balanced against the extra attacks for Challenge calculations, where as making it 1/rest with no disavantage would make it too strong (boundaries for low CR monsters are tiiiight).

Give it a melee attack and a description since right now I picture it more like a boar/porcupine. If its spines are its primary attack like a porcupine, then lower its strength since it is not needed and give the spine attacks something where there are no opportunity attacks to use it in melee.

I did consider giving it a bite attack, but decided it took up unnecessary space. As for looks, I picture a cross between a wolf and a porcupine, with the wolf's fur running backwards and actually made out of fire-able spines.

Blindsight makes it feel like a skunk and 10ft does not do much. If it is a cave dwelling monster, make it 30ft, or give darkvision since not much has blindsight.

Blindsight is actually just an artifact from when I C+P'd the template from one of my other creatures. Oops.

The spine damage being 1d8 feels a bit much for a CR1/4 monster, maybe make it 1d6 instead.

At an offensive CR of 1/2, the boundaries are 6-7, which 1d8+2 falls into perfectly.

 

[fil512]

It’s a bit like a non-flying manticore

 

[Unwise]

One little thing, make it unsummonable. Imagine the combat slowing to a crawl if somebody summons 8 of these and they all make 3 attacks with disadvantage each. 48 dice rolls per round per summons spell.

 

[Leatherhead]

I have to ask the ecology of this thing. Spines are typically a defensive countermeasure, and this thing has the intelligence of a hunter.
As for giving it a melee attack, it shouldn't change the CR unless it somehow does more damage than it's spines. Even just using the spine attack in melee range should be ok.

 

[Yunru]

I have to ask the ecology of this thing. Spines are typically a defensive countermeasure, and this thing has the intelligence of a hunter.

Ah but these are [biobabble] shootable spines!
It stalks its prey, then shoots them full of spines. Then eats them.

Also added a Bite.

 

[Laurefindel]

At 33hp and 6 hit dice, it is more than twice as durable as most CR 1/4 critters. At first glance, that's 14 hp above the most durable CR 1/4 beast (the axebeak with 19 hp) - just that is more than the total hp of a panther - and three times as much as the wolf and boar (11 hp), for comparable damage output. I'd consider its range attack and flurry of spikes comparable with the trip/pounce/charge abilities of other beasts of its category.

Personally I'd drop it to 3 hit dice max, or up its CR to 1/2 before accepting it in my game. Good for land-druid and summon spells otherwise.

[edit] It's otherwise a very nice fantasy-beast addition. As others said, add a short flavourful description, and you're all set. Good job!