Another Creature Catalog query for Dragon?

[Shade]

Just for fun, I thought we could start odds on each creature's chances of acceptance. Here are my predictions:

Cave Fisher - 100 to 1 (might be too similar mechanically to the bonespear)
Rot Grubs - 2 to 1 (classic, fills a niche not really covered, interesting new approach as a swarm)
Scarecrow - 50 to 1
Tabaxi - 500 to 1 (catlike humanoids? Just ask the rakasta how well that's going)
Piercer - 1,000 to 1 (WotC disliked them so much that they created the darkmantle to replace them)
Hammer Golem - 5 to 1 (golems are always popular, and this one is interesting)
Crystal Ooze - 500 to 1 (aquatic oozes are fairly well-represented in 3E)
Firedrake - 500 to 1 (probably too similar to a wyrmling red dragon)
Wolfwere - 500 to 1 (they did the jackalwere, so there's a slim chance)
Mustard Jelly - 2 to 1 (classic critter, unique abilities...it's a near-lock)
Voadkyn - 100 to 1 (not that different from the MMII forest giant)
Magic Golem - 5 to 1 (another interesting golem, and wild magic needs love)
Pegataur - 500 to 1 ( think they'll see "winged centaur" and move on)
Giant Troll - 1,000,000 to 1 (after the MMIII, I'd say the chance of seeing another troll is slimmer than the return of THACO)
Urd - 500 to 1 (people in other threads already think they are represented by winged dragonborn or kobolds with the winged creature template)
Living Web - 20 to 1
Al-mi-raj - 1,000 to 1 (Unibunny...'nuff said)
Baku - 500 to 1
Guardian Familiar - 100 to 1
Death Watch Beetle - 3 to 1

I think the mustard jelly, rot grubs, death watch beetle, hammer golem, magic golem, and living web have the best shots, in that order.

I'll eat this thread if the giant troll or piercer is picked.

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

I think the mustard jelly, rot grubs, death watch beetle, hammer golem, magic golem, and living web have the best shots, in that order.

i'd say that's fairly accurate. though, i would put the cave fisher a bit higher on the odds. it's sort of halfway between the bonespear and roper, but nostalgia might carry it a bit farther.

as for the rest, well... as always, we're just tossing them out there to see what happens.

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

OK, finished up the last few. given that the writeups are spread out over the 1st page, i'm just reposting them all here. let's firm up the CRs where they are questionable, and make final decisions on creature types where needed. also, if you can think of any way to rephrase the description, or any aspect of the creature from the original text that i didn't use which would make it sound more appealing, this is your chance to speak up.


Cave Fisher
Magical Beast, CR 2
These large, cave-dwelling insectoid creatures resemble both spiders and lobsters. A cave fisher can fire a strong, sticky filament that attaches to a creature due to its powerful adhesive. The cave fisher reels in the filament to get better attacks on its prey.
Originally found in Monster Manual II (1982)

Rot Grub
Vermin (Swarm), CR X
These little worm-like creatures hide in garbage, dung, or corpses, and attack any living creatures that wander too close. They burrow into a victim’s skin, dealing damage every round until the victim is dead.
Originally found in Monster Manual (1977)

Scarecrow
Construct, CR 4
This creature is built to look like a humanoid with a gourd for a head. Its attack allows it to fascinate foes, making them unable to act. A scarecrow is immune to cold, but vulnerable to fire.
Originally found in Fiend Folio (1981)

Tabaxi
Humanoid, CR 1
These CN feline humanoids have spotted reddish coats. They are able to attack with their sharp claws and teeth, and sometimes use primitive weapons. Tabaxi are excellent hunters, and use their markings to hide and ambush prey.
Originally found in Fiend Folio (1981)

Piercer
Aberration/Vermin, CR 1/4
These creatures resemble stalactites and hang from cavern ceilings. They drop down to impale opponents, dealing significant damage on a critical hit.
Originally found in Monster Manual (1977)

Hammer Golem
Construct, CR 10
These golems were built by dwarven priests to serve both as guards and miners. A hammer golem looks like an oversized dwarf made out of stone, and in place of one hand is a pick, and in place of the other is a hammer. It has an attack that works like the repulsion spell which also deals force damage.
Originally found in Dragon #193, "Live Statues and Stone Men: Golems of the Underdark" (1993)

Crystal Ooze
Ooze, CR 4
This ooze is an aquatic variety of gray ooze. Its form is translucent and clear, making it nearly invisible in water. Like most oozes, it constricts foes and deals acid damage. It is immune to acid, cold, and fire.
Originally found in S4 Lost Caverns of Tsjocanth (1982)

Firedrake
Dragon, CR 3
This small creature resembles a young red dragon. It has a breath weapon, but otherwise lacks the special abilities common to dragons. Its blood is highly flammable, and any cuts the creature sustains cause the blood to ignite and burn the attacker.
Originally found in Fiend Folio (1981)

Wolfwere
Magical Beast (shapechanger), CR 4
This shapechanger can assume the form of a wolf (its true form), a humanoid, or a hybrid of the two. Wolfweres can slow other creatures that hear their song of lethargy, and eat any victims they can kill. Wolfweres are not lycanthropes, and do not pass on their abilities.
Originally found in S4 Lost Caverns of Tsjocanth (1982)

Mustard Jelly
Ooze, CR 7
This pile of goo is a translucent yellow-brown color and looks much like any other ooze. However, this ooze is intelligent, believed to be the result of a wizard’s magical mishap. It attacks with acid pseudopods like most oozes, and its vapors slow creatures who get too close. When it needs to move faster, the mustard jelly can split into two equal halves.
Originally found in Monster Manual II (1982)

Voadkyn (Wood Giant)
Giant, CR 5
These relatively small giants resemble oversized wood elves, with whom they get along well. They are masters at woodland camouflage, and can change form to resemble any humanoid creature.
Originally found in Dragon #119, "Dragon's Bestiary: A Walk Through the Woods" (1987)

Magic Golem
Construct, CR 6
The magic golem is made of iridescent yellow energy in the shape of a humanoid, and is the amalgam of a human merged with wild magic. The Zhentarim discovered this method of turning a living being into pure magical energy. A magic golem can absorb magic and release it in a flare of wild magic.
Originally found in Ruins of Zhentil Keep (1995)

Pegataur
Monstrous Humanoid, CR 4
These relatives of the centaur have a more elvish appearance, and large wings like a pegasus. They live in caves in the sides of mountains, and are more aloof than either centaurs or pegasi.
Originally found in M2 Vengeance of Alphaks (1986)

Giant Troll
Giant, CR 6
These creatures are the hideous result of trolls crossbreeding with hill giants. They look mostly like oversized pot-bellied trolls, with reddish-brown skin and red-rimmed eyes. They usually carry spiked clubs made from tree trunks. They have fast healing (rather than regeneration), and the rock throwing and catching abilities of giants. Giant trolls also have the ability to pick up opponents and use them as battering rams to bludgeon other opponents.
Originally found in Fiend Folio (1981)

Urd
Humanoid, CR 1
These creatures are distantly related to kobolds, though they have a pair of leathery bat-like wings that allow them to fly for long distances. These night hunters travel in great flocks, and use weapons called rock bombs which break into many pieces and spray shrapnel all about.
Originally found in Monstrous Compendium MC2 (1989)

Duleep (Living Web)
Ooze, CR 1
These creatures appear as ambulatory spider webs. They can fire an electricity ray, or shock with their touch. When damaged, they split into smaller creatures.
Originally found in Dragon Magazine 89 (1984)

Al-mi-raj
Magical Beast, CR 1
This creature resembles a large rabbit, with a long black horn like that of a unicorn. These unpredictable creatures can blink, and randomly pop from one place to another using dimension door. They are aggressive when threatened rather than timid, though a caster than can tame one will have a useful familiar.
Originally found in Fiend Folio (1981)

Baku
Outsider, CR 12
The baku is a powerful defender of Goodness. They have elephantine heads, trunks, and tusks; the forelimbs of a rhino and the rear legs of a lion; and their bodies and tail are short and reptilian, with scaled horny plates like a dragon. Baku have access to numerous psionic powers (including invisibility, astral projection, and etherealness), and their trumpeting roar deals damage to evil creatures and causes fear.
Originally found in Dragon #65 "Featured Creatures" (1982)

Guardian Familiar
Outsider, CR 5?
This small, black cat-like creature has the proverbial "nine-lives", coming back stronger every time it gets killed. A guardian familiar is usually summoned by a wizard looking for something to guard his valuable items.
Originally found in Fiend Folio (1981)

Death Watch Beetle
Magical Beast/Vermin, CR 6
This giant, dark green beetle covers itself in leaves, twigs, and other rubbish to take its victims by surprise. By vibrating its carapace rapidly, the beetle causes a vibration that deals sonic damage to all creatures within 30-feet.
Originally found in Monster Manual II (1982)

 

[Shade]

Rot Grub
Vermin (Swarm), CR X
These little worm-like creatures hide in garbage, dung, or corpses, and attack any living creatures that wander too close. They burrow into a victim’s skin, dealing damage every round until the victim is dead.
Originally found in Monster Manual (1977)

If a remove disease or Heal check can stop them, I'd peg 'em at around CR 7. If it takes more powerful magic, I'd go 10+.

Tabaxi
Humanoid, CR 1
These CN feline humanoids have spotted reddish coats. They are able to attack with their sharp claws and teeth, and sometimes use primitive weapons. Tabaxi are excellent hunters, and use their markings to hide and ambush prey.
Originally found in Fiend Folio (1981)

Is there anything interesting in their society/culture that might help sell them?

Piercer
Aberration/Vermin, CR 1/4
These creatures resemble stalactites and hang from cavern ceilings. They drop down to impale opponents, dealing significant damage on a critical hit.
Originally found in Monster Manual (1977)

Didn't the Ecology of the Piercer suggest some ways to make them more interesting?

Hammer Golem
Construct, CR 10
These golems were built by dwarven priests to serve both as guards and miners. A hammer golem looks like an oversized dwarf made out of stone, and in place of one hand is a pick, and in place of the other is a hammer. It has an attack that works like the repulsion spell which also deals force damage.
Originally found in Dragon #193, "Live Statues and Stone Men: Golems of the Underdark" (1993)

I converted these awhile ago and have been using them in my campaign, and CR 11 seems about right.

Firedrake
Dragon, CR 3
This small creature resembles a young red dragon. It has a breath weapon, but otherwise lacks the special abilities common to dragons. Its blood is highly flammable, and any cuts the creature sustains cause the blood to ignite and burn the attacker.
Originally found in Fiend Folio (1981)

Again, is there anything in their ecology, etc., to make them more "marketable"?

Voadkyn (Wood Giant)
Giant, CR 5
These relatively small giants resemble oversized wood elves, with whom they get along well. They are masters at woodland camouflage, and can change form to resemble any humanoid creature.
Originally found in Dragon #119, "Dragon's Bestiary: A Walk Through the Woods" (1987)

Should we stress the differences from the MMII forest giants? Namely, change shape and even better stealth? Honestly, I think the forest giants are the voadkyn, so these fellas might need a retcon to make them a separate creature (a la the malebranche).

Pegataur
Monstrous Humanoid, CR 4
These relatives of the centaur have a more elvish appearance, and large wings like a pegasus. They live in caves in the sides of mountains, and are more aloof than either centaurs or pegasi.
Originally found in M2 Vengeance of Alphaks (1986)

Society, culture, marketing....

Giant Troll
Giant, CR 6
These creatures are the hideous result of trolls crossbreeding with hill giants. They look mostly like oversized pot-bellied trolls, with reddish-brown skin and red-rimmed eyes. They usually carry spiked clubs made from tree trunks. They have fast healing (rather than regeneration), and the rock throwing and catching abilities of giants. Giant trolls also have the ability to pick up opponents and use them as battering rams to bludgeon other opponents.
Originally found in Fiend Folio (1981)

Will we keep them at Large like trolls and hill giants? Maybe give them rock throwing/catching to help differentiate them from the horde of other trolls more?

Urd
Humanoid, CR 1
These creatures are distantly related to kobolds, though they have a pair of leathery bat-like wings that allow them to fly for long distances. These night hunters travel in great flocks, and use weapons called rock bombs which break into many pieces and spray shrapnel all about.
Originally found in Monstrous Compendium MC2 (1989)

Kobolds are CR 1/4, so flying kobolds would probably be 1/2.

Guardian Familiar
Outsider, CR 5?
This small, black cat-like creature has the proverbial "nine-lives", coming back stronger every time it gets killed. A guardian familiar is usually summoned by a wizard looking for something to guard his valuable items.
Originally found in Fiend Folio (1981)

I'd once again stress a name change to avoid confusion with the Complete Warrior guardian familiars. To what, I'm not sure.

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

If a remove disease or Heal check can stop them, I'd peg 'em at around CR 7. If it takes more powerful magic, I'd go 10+.

In 2E, cure disease killed them. So CR 7 for the swam then? you can also kill them with fire, but attacking an infested victim also deals damage to the victim.

Is there anything interesting in their society/culture that might help sell them?

Let's have a look at the Monstrous Manual:

Habitat/Society: Tabaxi clans contain equal numbers of males and females, and a full clan has 1d6+1 Hunts of 2d4 tabaxi. The Hunts work the area around the clan lair. Some lairs are temporary, but most are small villages of ramadas (huts with grass roofs supported by tall poles, and no walls). In a lair, 3d4 young with 1 HD each will be found. An elder with 4 HD leads the clan, and 50% of the leaders are aided by a 5th-level shaman. A clan has a 10% chance of owing allegiance to a tabaxi lord; these clans tend toward evil, warlike ways, and their shamans worship evil powers. Shamans of other clans worship powers related to sunlight, rain, or animals.
Tabaxi are reclusive and avoid other intelligent beings, even other tabaxi clans. They do not engage in trade, which they consider demeaning, but some few have agents who trade for them. Tabaxi speak their own ancient language. Legends tell of a great tabaxi civilization that was supplanted by other races.

Ecology: Tabaxi have few natural enemies. For food, they prefer the boar-like peccaries and huge rodents called capybaras; only a very degenerate clan attacks members of another intelligent species for food. Tabaxi are sometimes hunted for their pelts, worth up to 250 gp each. Their skins and claws are also useful in some types of natural magic.

Didn't the Ecology of the Piercer suggest some ways to make them more interesting?

Don't have that article handy, but I do have the Monstrous Manual again:

Habitat/Society: While piercers are nonintelligent, the piercers in a colony are aware of each other. They often fall simultaneously, to feed on those killed by other piercers (which makes the area suddenly very dangerous).
Piercers dwell in caverns, where they live in groups of about 10 members. They prefer to hang over high traffic areas, so they will usually be found near cave entrances. Aside from mating, the piercers are not social creatures. There are rumored to be great caverns deep underground that contain colonies of hundreds of piercers. Piercers are not attracted to treasure, only to food.

Ecology: The piercer is a mollusk, hatched from a hen-sized egg which the parent lays in clutches of six to eight in isolated areas of the cavern. When they hatch, the young appear to be slugs feeding on fungi. After several months, they climb the cavern walls, secrete a chemical that hardens into the familiar stalactite shape, and then wait for prey to come.
A piercer has a lifespan of four years and grows one Hit Die per year. In any group of piercers, the number of creatures with one, two, three, and four Hit Dice will be nearly evenly divided (e.g., in a group of 12 piercers, there will be three one Hit Die piercers, three with two Hit Dice, three with three Hit Dice, and three with four Hit Dice).
A piercer can go without food for months. It stores food in a second stomach that can preserve food for long periods of time; some alchemists seek out piercers to extract a substance from this organ and refine it for human use, as it can keep foodstuffs and precious ingredients fresh for weeks. Piercers also store large supplies of water, extracted from their victims. Piercers can maintain this water supply for months.
The taste of a piercer is said to resemble that of a snail, but with a bitter aftertaste. Their eggs and offspring are not traded on the open market.

Again, is there anything in their ecology, etc., to make them more "marketable"?

Monstrous Manual again:

Habitat/Society: Firedrakes are familial creatures, with a mated male and female taking up residence in a lair, which is generally a small cavelet or rocky shelf under a ledge or outcropping. Usually six to eight eggs are laid and tended by the pair, being kept warm by the ample heat of the bodies of the parents. The eggs, laid in early summer, take about 60 days to hatch. The young firedrakes learn to breathe fire even before they learn to fly, and are even more nervous than the adults, spouting flames several times a day in the lair or nearby during this period. Flight first occurs about 60 days after hatching.
The parents are very protective of their lair because of the young. Although firedrakes normally only range 1-2 miles from their lair, they may patrol up to twice that distance during the times at which their young are most vulnerable to attack.
Firedrakes leave the family lair early in the spring following their hatching, flying sometimes scores of miles before encountering a firedrake of the opposite sex willing to mate for life and establish a new lair. The rare mating fights that do occur are spectacularly fiery, although one male usually concedes and retreats before the battle becomes lethal.
Firedrakes gather no treasure, although they take no special care to remove the bones or effects of any that they defeat.

Ecology: Firedrakes have a short lifespan compared with their larger cousins, the dragons, usually living only 75 to 100 years.
Firedrake blood can be kept, in its liquid state, in a sealed and airtight container, or under water or some other inert liquid. It can then be used as a firebomb, equivalent to a torched flask of oil, or used to create flaming weapons. For instance, swords dipped in the blood immediately become flaming swords for 3-6 melee rounds, although the sudden, intense heat upon the blade creates a 2% cumulative chance per round of the sword breaking upon impact with each blow struck during the period in which flame engulfs it. After the flame ends, the sword is otherwise unaffected.
The blood of the firedrake actually burns within its veins, creating the shimmer of heat that always rises from these creatures. The burning of the blood also requires a high level of oxygen, hence the constant slow beating of the dragonet's wings, even at rest. If deprived of air, it will die of suffocation in about half the time of a similarly sized creature.

Should we stress the differences from the MMII forest giants? Namely, change shape and even better stealth? Honestly, I think the forest giants are the voadkyn, so these fellas might need a retcon to make them a separate creature (a la the malebranche).

Did I not mention the stealth and changing form already? I think the forest giants are similar in some respects, but they are not the same creature. Voadkyn, for example, are of good alignment.

Society, culture, marketing....

Don't think I have anything typed up for the pegataur at the moment... will have to work on that, unless someone can beat me to it.

Will we keep them at Large like trolls and hill giants? Maybe give them rock throwing/catching to help differentiate them from the horde of other trolls more?

Large size, no problem. As for the rest, I think I'm going to have to buy you a new pair of reading glasses.

I'd once again stress a name change to avoid confusion with the Complete Warrior guardian familiars. To what, I'm not sure.

We’ll worry about that on the off-chance that these things are accepted. until then, I don't feel like expending the mental energy on it.

given what they can do, would CR 5 sound about right? They start off at 1HD, but every time you kill it, it comes back at +1 HD. so, to kill this creature, you need to kill a 1-HD, 2-HD, 3-HD, and so on all the way up to a 10-HD creature to finally kill it for good.

 

[Shade]

In 2E, cure disease killed them. So CR 7 for the swam then? you can also kill them with fire, but attacking an infested victim also deals damage to the victim.

That sounds about right.

Let's have a look at the Monstrous Manual:

Habitat/Society: Tabaxi clans contain equal numbers of males and females, and a full clan has 1d6+1 Hunts of 2d4 tabaxi. The Hunts work the area around the clan lair. Some lairs are temporary, but most are small villages of ramadas (huts with grass roofs supported by tall poles, and no walls). In a lair, 3d4 young with 1 HD each will be found. An elder with 4 HD leads the clan, and 50% of the leaders are aided by a 5th-level shaman. A clan has a 10% chance of owing allegiance to a tabaxi lord; these clans tend toward evil, warlike ways, and their shamans worship evil powers. Shamans of other clans worship powers related to sunlight, rain, or animals.

Tabaxi are reclusive and avoid other intelligent beings, even other tabaxi clans. They do not engage in trade, which they consider demeaning, but some few have agents who trade for them. Tabaxi speak their own ancient language. Legends tell of a great tabaxi civilization that was supplanted by other races.

Ecology: Tabaxi have few natural enemies. For food, they prefer the boar-like peccaries and huge rodents called capybaras; only a very degenerate clan attacks members of another intelligent species for food. Tabaxi are sometimes hunted for their pelts, worth up to 250 gp each. Their skins and claws are also useful in some types of natural magic.

I don't like their chances any more now. It's got "generic anthropomorphic animal" race written all over it, and we all know how much Dragon likes those. :\

Don't have that article handy, but I do have the Monstrous Manual again:

Habitat/Society: While piercers are nonintelligent, the piercers in a colony are aware of each other. They often fall simultaneously, to feed on those killed by other piercers (which makes the area suddenly very dangerous).
Piercers dwell in caverns, where they live in groups of about 10 members. They prefer to hang over high traffic areas, so they will usually be found near cave entrances. Aside from mating, the piercers are not social creatures. There are rumored to be great caverns deep underground that contain colonies of hundreds of piercers. Piercers are not attracted to treasure, only to food.

Ecology: The piercer is a mollusk, hatched from a hen-sized egg which the parent lays in clutches of six to eight in isolated areas of the cavern. When they hatch, the young appear to be slugs feeding on fungi. After several months, they climb the cavern walls, secrete a chemical that hardens into the familiar stalactite shape, and then wait for prey to come.
A piercer has a lifespan of four years and grows one Hit Die per year. In any group of piercers, the number of creatures with one, two, three, and four Hit Dice will be nearly evenly divided (e.g., in a group of 12 piercers, there will be three one Hit Die piercers, three with two Hit Dice, three with three Hit Dice, and three with four Hit Dice).
A piercer can go without food for months. It stores food in a second stomach that can preserve food for long periods of time; some alchemists seek out piercers to extract a substance from this organ and refine it for human use, as it can keep foodstuffs and precious ingredients fresh for weeks. Piercers also store large supplies of water, extracted from their victims. Piercers can maintain this water supply for months.
The taste of a piercer is said to resemble that of a snail, but with a bitter aftertaste. Their eggs and offspring are not traded on the open market.

Now that's better. The fact that they are mollusks, and that they fill the role of cacti (water storage) in the Underdark helps give 'em a bit more personality.

Monstrous Manual again:

Habitat/Society: Firedrakes are familial creatures, with a mated male and female taking up residence in a lair, which is generally a small cavelet or rocky shelf under a ledge or outcropping. Usually six to eight eggs are laid and tended by the pair, being kept warm by the ample heat of the bodies of the parents. The eggs, laid in early summer, take about 60 days to hatch. The young firedrakes learn to breathe fire even before they learn to fly, and are even more nervous than the adults, spouting flames several times a day in the lair or nearby during this period. Flight first occurs about 60 days after hatching.
The parents are very protective of their lair because of the young. Although firedrakes normally only range 1-2 miles from their lair, they may patrol up to twice that distance during the times at which their young are most vulnerable to attack.
Firedrakes leave the family lair early in the spring following their hatching, flying sometimes scores of miles before encountering a firedrake of the opposite sex willing to mate for life and establish a new lair. The rare mating fights that do occur are spectacularly fiery, although one male usually concedes and retreats before the battle becomes lethal.
Firedrakes gather no treasure, although they take no special care to remove the bones or effects of any that they defeat.

Ecology: Firedrakes have a short lifespan compared with their larger cousins, the dragons, usually living only 75 to 100 years.
Firedrake blood can be kept, in its liquid state, in a sealed and airtight container, or under water or some other inert liquid. It can then be used as a firebomb, equivalent to a torched flask of oil, or used to create flaming weapons. For instance, swords dipped in the blood immediately become flaming swords for 3-6 melee rounds, although the sudden, intense heat upon the blade creates a 2% cumulative chance per round of the sword breaking upon impact with each blow struck during the period in which flame engulfs it. After the flame ends, the sword is otherwise unaffected.
The blood of the firedrake actually burns within its veins, creating the shimmer of heat that always rises from these creatures. The burning of the blood also requires a high level of oxygen, hence the constant slow beating of the dragonet's wings, even at rest. If deprived of air, it will die of suffocation in about half the time of a similarly sized creature.

I'm not sure how to make 'em more marketable, but I do like the burning blood = needs more oxygen bit.

Did I not mention the stealth and changing form already? I think the forest giants are similar in some respects, but they are not the same creature. Voadkyn, for example, are of good alignment.

You did, but the forest giants have stealth (+4 racial bonus on Hide, +8 in woods), so that really only leaves the change shape, and possibly even greater stealth. Otherwise, they're still giants that look like elves and live in the woods.

Large size, no problem. As for the rest, I think I'm going to have to buy you a new pair of reading glasses.

Oh, that.

Note that the forest, mountain, and cave trolls also have fast healing rather than regen.

We’ll worry about that on the off-chance that these things are accepted. until then, I don't feel like expending the mental energy on it.

given what they can do, would CR 5 sound about right? They start off at 1HD, but every time you kill it, it comes back at +1 HD. so, to kill this creature, you need to kill a 1-HD, 2-HD, 3-HD, and so on all the way up to a 10-HD creature to finally kill it for good.

Fair enough, although I'd state in the query that we would change its name if it is accepted to avoid confusion. I'd just peg it as CR 3-6 for now to give us some wiggle room should we have the chance to actually work it up.

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

will do.

i will consider any suggestions that would make the tabaxi, firedrake, or voadkyn more interesting, as long as they build upon what i posted in post #45 above...

when the creature doesn't sell itself, we sometimes need to be the ones selling it.

honestly, i think the crystal ooze needs a bit of spicing up too. all it really says is "aquatic gray ooze" to me right now.

 

[Shade]

i will consider any suggestions that would make the tabaxi, firedrake, or voadkyn more interesting, as long as they build upon what i posted in post #45 above...

I honestly don't know what can be done with the tabaxi. If they can't do the rakasta, for whatever reason, I don't see how to make the tabaxi exciting enough to include them alongside the catfolk. The rakasta have interesting history, culture, ties to other creatures, and unique weaponry all going for them.

The firedrake has promise. Being similar to red dragons, we could tie them to the githyanki in some way. The fiery blood could have come from Tiamat, devils, or an evil creature from the elemental plane of Fire.

For the voadkyn, we could make them more like elves than the forest giants. Maybe give 'em the usual elf traits, as well as bonuses on Hide and Move Silently. We could give them elven blood, so they can qualify for elf prestige classes, etc., and focus on archery, and state that they sometimes become arcane archers.

honestly, i think the crystal ooze needs a bit of spicing up too. all it really says is "aquatic gray ooze" to me right now.

Good point. As it stands, the reekmurk and flotsam oozes cover its niche already. Perhaps we play up its "crystal" nature...rather than dissolving organic material, it could crystallize it, which might translate into Dex damage, a Dex penalty, slowed movement, etc.

 

[Mortis]

Urd - 500 to 1 (people in other threads already think they are represented by winged dragonborn or kobolds with the winged creature template).

Plus, thanks to Races of the Dragon, a kobold can spend a feat to get a pair of wings.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

I honestly don't know what can be done with the tabaxi. If they can't do the rakasta, for whatever reason, I don't see how to make the tabaxi exciting enough to include them alongside the catfolk. The rakasta have interesting history, culture, ties to other creatures, and unique weaponry all going for them.

IIRC, Erik Mona refuses to print the rakasta unless they are well-done, and Mystara-rich. think the lupin article...

I'm thinking of asking around for ideas on making the tabaxi more interesting.

The firedrake has promise. Being similar to red dragons, we could tie them to the githyanki in some way. The fiery blood could have come from Tiamat, devils, or an evil creature from the elemental plane of Fire.

People need a little break from Tiamat... besides, firedrakes aren't evil, and I'd prefer to keep them that way. What tie to the githyanki were you thinking about exploiting?

For the voadkyn, we could make them more like elves than the forest giants. Maybe give 'em the usual elf traits, as well as bonuses on Hide and Move Silently. We could give them elven blood, so they can qualify for elf prestige classes, etc., and focus on archery, and state that they sometimes become arcane archers.

They already are more like elves than forest giants. they already had the +2 bonus vs. Enchantment, as well as +4 bonuses on Hide and move Silently in the forest. How shall we play up the elven nature? Just say that they have elven traits and elven blood?

Good point. As it stands, the reekmurk and flotsam oozes cover its niche already. Perhaps we play up its "crystal" nature...rather than dissolving organic material, it could crystallize it, which might translate into Dex damage, a Dex penalty, slowed movement, etc.

We could also make them waterbound, like the ToH version - that is, they take damage when out of water for too long.

I think the "crystal" nature comes more from the "crystal clear" aspect of its transparency.

There's something I didn't notice: it also paralyzes victims - sweet!

From the Monstrous Manual:
This creature is a variety of gray ooze which has adapted to living in water. It is 75% invisible when immersed in its natural element. It is translucent, mostly glassy clear, with an occasional milky white swirl in its substance.

Combat: Crystal ooze strikes like a snake, then attempts to flow over a victim and exude its paralyzing poison. Unlike its cousin, the gray ooze, this creature does not corrode metal, but its poisons attack wood, cloth, and flesh. Unless a victim successfully saves vs. poison, he becomes paralyzed and will be consumed by the crystal ooze in a short time. When prey is reduced to -20 hit points, it is totally consumed. Crystal ooze cannot be harmed by acid, cold, heat, or fire attacks, but electricity and magic missiles inflict full damage. Blows from weapons inflict only 1 point of damage per hit. A wooden weapon must save vs. acid or it will dissolve and break.

Habitat/Society: Crystal oozes live in any dim or dark body of water, though they can exist out of water for several hours. They reproduce by budding, like the gray ooze, but the crystal pods usually take seven to 10 days to hatch. Crystal oozes will eat their offspring, but occasionally, if the body of water is large enough and food is not scarce, a few of them might be found living in the same water.

Ecology: Crystal oozes are scavengers that leave metal and stone objects in their wake, so incidental treasure can often be found around and in their lairs.



And, this is from the Mystara Monstrous Compendium:

Habitat/Society: Pegataurs carve abodes in the sides of high mountains. These pegataur made caves, called tehir, are not dark and cramped, but are instead beautiful affairs with vaulted ceilings and intricately carved walls. Veins of rare crystals provide illumination at night.

A pegataur tribe usually has 2d10+10 adult members and is led by a male with 8 Hit Dice. In addition to the adults, a tribe also has 1d10+5 noncombatant foals and 3d6 pegasi.

Like elves, pegataurs are generally aloof, especially toward nonflyers, though their alignment makes them more approachable than may be initially believed. If paid well and treated with respect, pegataurs can be hired as troops or bodyguards, or for special tasks. Pegataurs never work for evil individuals.

Ecology: Pegataurs have been known to work with druids and phanatons to maintain the balance of nature in a given area. They also train pegasi mounts for ground dwellers.