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5E: Monstrous Arthropods for Fifth Edition
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<blockquote data-quote="Cleon" data-source="post: 9250363" data-attributes="member: 57383"><p>I'm also wondering about giving it an ability to counteract a flying target's ability to dodge out of the way, since Odonata specialize in catching flying insects that naturally would rather not be caught and eaten.</p><p></p><p>How about one of the following:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em><strong>Aerial Dogfighter #1.</strong></em> If a giant odonatid is flying and attacks a creature with <em>Dodging Flight</em>, <em>Evasive Flight</em> or a similar defensive ability, the target must have a DEX saving throw modifier higher than the odonatid's DEX +6 save to use the defense.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em><strong>Aerial Dogfighter #2.</strong></em> If a giant odonatid is flying and attacks a creature with <em>Dodging Flight</em>, <em>Evasive Flight</em> or a similar defensive ability, the target must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw to use the defense.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em><strong>Motion Camouflage.</strong></em> The giant odonatid selects a creature and flies towards it. The creature must succeed at a Wisdom (Perception) check against a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check by the odonatid. On a failure, the target cannot use <em>Dodging Flight</em>, <em>Evasive Flight</em> (or a similar defensive ability) to avoid attacks by the giant odonatid until the start of its next turn.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p><p>Of the above, I like <em><strong>Motion Camouflage</strong></em> the best.</p><p></p><p>Incidentally, Motion Camouflage (see <strong><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_camouflage" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></strong>) is a real thing.</p><p></p><p>I have no idea how many species of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonflies#Motion_camouflage" target="_blank">dragonfly use motion camouflage</a>. The Australian Emperor <em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_emperor" target="_blank">Anax papuensis</a></em> definitely does (there's a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/423604a" target="_blank">paper</a> in <em>Nature</em>), but it was observed using it in male-to-male fights rather than prey capture.</p><p></p><p>Still, a little thing like a lack of rigorous scientific proof doesn't stop us giving it to a D&D Monster.</p><p></p><p>Apart from its unnatural size, the D&D Giant Dragonfly has significant behavioural differences to a natural dragonfly. It attacks creatures on the ground for a start, and will make hit-and-run bite attacks against targets as big or bigger than it is. Neither of those are things real dragonflies do.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Cleon, post: 9250363, member: 57383"] I'm also wondering about giving it an ability to counteract a flying target's ability to dodge out of the way, since Odonata specialize in catching flying insects that naturally would rather not be caught and eaten. How about one of the following: [indent] [I][B]Aerial Dogfighter #1.[/B][/I] If a giant odonatid is flying and attacks a creature with [I]Dodging Flight[/I], [I]Evasive Flight[/I] or a similar defensive ability, the target must have a DEX saving throw modifier higher than the odonatid's DEX +6 save to use the defense. [I][B]Aerial Dogfighter #2.[/B][/I] If a giant odonatid is flying and attacks a creature with [I]Dodging Flight[/I], [I]Evasive Flight[/I] or a similar defensive ability, the target must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw to use the defense. [I][B]Motion Camouflage.[/B][/I] The giant odonatid selects a creature and flies towards it. The creature must succeed at a Wisdom (Perception) check against a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check by the odonatid. On a failure, the target cannot use [I]Dodging Flight[/I], [I]Evasive Flight[/I] (or a similar defensive ability) to avoid attacks by the giant odonatid until the start of its next turn. [/indent] Of the above, I like [I][B]Motion Camouflage[/B][/I] the best. Incidentally, Motion Camouflage (see [b][url='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_camouflage']Wikipedia[/url][/b]) is a real thing. I have no idea how many species of [url='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonflies#Motion_camouflage']dragonfly use motion camouflage[/url]. The Australian Emperor [i][url='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_emperor']Anax papuensis[/url][/i] definitely does (there's a [url='https://www.nature.com/articles/423604a']paper[/url] in [i]Nature[/i]), but it was observed using it in male-to-male fights rather than prey capture. Still, a little thing like a lack of rigorous scientific proof doesn't stop us giving it to a D&D Monster. Apart from its unnatural size, the D&D Giant Dragonfly has significant behavioural differences to a natural dragonfly. It attacks creatures on the ground for a start, and will make hit-and-run bite attacks against targets as big or bigger than it is. Neither of those are things real dragonflies do. [/QUOTE]
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