D&D 3.x 3.5 Seawolf

[Mortis]

Hi,

I've finally 'finished' converting the Seawolf to 3.5.

See attachments. Also see original thread here

Regards,
Mortis

 

[Olly]

Nice to finally meet another Englishman on these boards, Mortis!

First of all, let me say you've done a sterling job. I love the concept of a seawolf, and your decision to make it an animal, rather than a magical beast is just what I would have done. Even though it is, effectively, a hybrid creature, seal and wolf doesn't really seem that weird of a mix to me. You could tell me that that was a real creature, and, if I didn't know any better, I'd believe you.

And as for the greater and lesser varieties, you have my respect and awe, by merely showing that you know how the work the lycanthrope template without breaking off and having to lay down on the sofa with a tea towel over the lampshade, as I do.

However, I do have one minor constructive criticism, and that is that the Skills for your seawolf seem to be a little off. This may sound a bit rich, coming from me, the undisputed master of 'off stats', but bare with me. Your creature has a Swim skill of +10. However, seeing as it is basically a slightly modified wolf with a swim speed, which is, in itself a 2 Hit Die animal with an Intelligence score of only 2, it baffles me as to where these 10 'extra' skill points come from.

You might want to include something like this in it's Skills section, just underneath it's +4 racial bonus to tracking by scent.

Seawolves have a +10 racial bonus to Swim checks. A seawolf can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

 

[Mortis]

Nice to finally meet another Englishman on these boards, Mortis!

Likewise.

However, I do have one minor constructive criticism, and that is that the Skills for your seawolf seem to be a little off. This may sound a bit rich, coming from me, the undisputed master of 'off stats', but bare with me. Your creature has a Swim skill of +10. However, seeing as it is basically a slightly modified wolf with a swim speed, which is, in itself a 2 Hit Die animal with an Intelligence score of only 2, it baffles me as to where these 10 'extra' skill points come from.

:\ I using this bit from the SRD regarding creatures with a swim speed, but without taking the end of the sentence into account.

A creature with a swim speed... It gains a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform a special action or avoid a hazard.

So, you're quite right, there should have been this in it's Skill's section. The other 2 points should be accounted for in it's available skill points. In fact with an 8pt racial bonus and 3pts from Str it should be 11. I spent the points before changing a few things and it looks like I've 3 points to spend. So 1pt each in Hide, Move Slently and Swim.

A seawolf has a +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 Swim check, even if distracted or endangered.

I'll change the pdf's when I get home and post the updates Monday.

By the way there's a picture of it here together with it's 2ed stats.

Regards,
Mortis

 

[BOZ]

every monster in the 3.5 Monster Manual with a swim speed has that little section, and the +8 is automatically figured into its stats.

 

[Mortis]

Corrected pdf's.

Added racial bonus to swim explanation and corrected skill points.

Mortis

 

[Grazzt]

every monster in the 3.5 Monster Manual with a swim speed has that little section, and the +8 is automatically figured into its stats.

Correct you are...and the same can be said about monsters with a Climb speed.

 

[BOZ]

indeed