Converting Forgotten Realms monsters

[Shade]

Part Two.

Original thread closed due to exceeding 1,000 post count.

 

[Shade]

Spiny Sleeper
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Arctic oceans, rivers of the Great Glacier
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: School
ACTIVE TIME: Any
DIET: Scavenger
INTELLIGENCE: Non- (0)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
NO. APPEARING: 10-40
ARMOR CLASS: 10
MOVEMENT: Sw 15
HIT DICE: 1/2 hp
THAC0: 20
NO. OF ATTACKS: Nil
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Nil
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: T (1-2’ long)
MORALE: Unreliable (2)
XP VALUE: 35

Tiny silver spines cover the body of this plump fish, which has a white belly and long whiskers like a catfish. If a character (or creature) handles the sleeper carelessly (for instance it a character not wearing gloves or other protection fails a Dexterity check), a spine may pierce his flesh, injecting him with a powerful toxin. If the affected character (or creature) fails to save vs. poison, he immediately suffers the effects similar to a temporal stasis spell, and an ice-like glaze forms over his body. Neutralize poison or a similar spell negates the effect, as does certain herbal treatments known by some Ulutiun healers.

Ok, Tiny, 1/4 HD like the black burner? Basically your generic fish with poison. I guess it should be an injury toxin, but it almost seems like it could be contact since the spines don't seem to do damage.

Agreed. We should either increase the damage to 1 point, or switch it to contact poison.

 

[freyar]

I think I prefer contact. Doesn't seem like we do that a lot.

 

[Cleon]

I think I prefer contact. Doesn't seem like we do that a lot.

Well the original's definitely injury, since the poison only works if a spine pierces the flesh.

 

[Shade]

Well the original's definitely injury, since the poison only works if a spine pierces the flesh.

So your vote's for upping the damage to 1?

 

[freyar]

What about adding a Ref save on contact? As small as it is and as fine as the spines seem to be, I don't like having them do damage.

 

[Shade]

Hmm...the fact that the original called for a Dexterity check to avoid contact definitely supports the Reflex save idea.

If we go the injury route, the fact that it can be avoided by wearing gloves makes me think it would function somewhat like a whip (which deals no damage to any creature with an armor bonus of +1 or higher or a natural armor bonus of +3 or higher).

 

[Cleon]

So your vote's for upping the damage to 1?

Yes.

Unless someone can come up with a precedent for an injury poison having effect on a "0 damage" attack I think we have to.

Hmm...the fact that the original called for a Dexterity check to avoid contact definitely supports the Reflex save idea.

Dang it, I was going to suggest we use one of the "spiny defense" type SAs we came up with but didn't get around to it. It's certainly a Ref-save attack.

If we go the injury route, the fact that it can be avoided by wearing gloves makes me think it would function somewhat like a whip (which deals no damage to any creature with an armor bonus of +1 or higher or a natural armor bonus of +3 or higher).

Adding an armor bonus restriction makes excellent sense.

Hmm, can you poison a Whip? It does Slashing damage but it's nonlethal. Injury poisons take effect when an attack does damage, but I can't find anything in the rules saying it has to be lethal damage.

How about we make the spines do nonlethal damage plus injury poison?

 

[Shade]

How about we make the spines do nonlethal damage plus injury poison?

Works for me.

 

[Cleon]

Works for me.

Let's do that then.

Base the stats on a Bloatfish as the Spiny Sleeper is similarly Tiny, plump and 1-2 feet long?