Converting monsters from Dragon magazine (Part Two)

[Shade]

Let's stick with two attacks, since other creatures with similar builds (like linnorms) have multiple claw attacks.

Also note that the dinosaurs you mentioned list "talons". Like some birds, its seems they lump them into a single attack representing both sets striking at once. It makes sense for a diving eagle or hawk, but I don't get it for the dinos.

 

[freyar]

Looks really good!

I like the length and weight. It might be a little big to be Large (same length as Huge remorhaz, but only 1/5 the weight), but I think it's ok due to the low weight.

 

[Cleon]

Let's stick with two attacks, since other creatures with similar builds (like linnorms) have multiple claw attacks.

Also note that the dinosaurs you mentioned list "talons". Like some birds, its seems they lump them into a single attack representing both sets striking at once. It makes sense for a diving eagle or hawk, but I don't get it for the dinos.

I think I'll blame the counter-intuitive terminology of 3E attacks, since an bird of prey has a set of "talons" on each foot, it can attack with one or two sets, although in 3E each would probably be called a 'claw/talon attack'.

Come to think of it, the Digester makes a better argument. That's got a similarly armless biped build to a lindorm and only has one claw attack.

 

[Cleon]

Looks really good!

I like the length and weight. It might be a little big to be Large (same length as Huge remorhaz, but only 1/5 the weight), but I think it's ok due to the low weight.

I just scaled-down the Guivre/Knocker's length and weight and rounded the weight to the nearest thousand. 2000 pounds at 20 feet works out as 3.2 times heavier than a scaled down Purple Worm (20 tons and 80').

As for the Remorhaz, they have a body 5 feet wide which doesn't appear to taper much, plus lots of legs. A lindorm which, say, has a body 3 feet wide at its thickest point, tapers more rapidly and only has two smallish legs could easily be 20% of that weight.

 

[demiurge1138]

Come to think of it, the Digester makes a better argument. That's got a similarly armless biped build to a lindorm and only has one claw attack.

Yes, but lindorms are serpentine. Their bellies are right down near the (short) legs, and they can rest on them/use them for locomotion whilst clawing. A digester (poor thing), would just tip over if it tried to do the same.

 

[freyar]

Actually, demiurge, although I prefer the picture you present, lindworms are birdish (see Shade's flavor text). The original monster description states

It looks like a two-legged dragon, rather like a wyvern, but without wings or the wyvern’s poison stinger. The lindworm has a typically draconic head and long neck, but the creature’s body is built like that of a huge scaly bird. Its color and other details of its appearance are similar to those of its parents.

Combat: The lindworm has three physical attacks: a bite (1-8 hp), a clawing attack (1-6 hp; only one clawing attack can be made, since the lindworm must have one leg to stand on), and a tail lash (1-12 hp).

Unless we're changing the body shape, I think I'd have to agree with Cleon that we should go to 1 claw (or 1 talon, whichever).

 

[Leopold]

Yes, one claw or a bite, not both claws. Picture a chicken if you want to look at something. A gigantic scalely chicken.

 

[Cleon]

Looks like things are swinging towards "One Claw Attack To Rule Them All", and I didn't even have to resort to bribery or the use of dark powers.

Oh, and if they really look like giant scaly chickens it's hardly surprising they don't have Frightful Presence.

 

[freyar]

Really, despite the fact that I had been originally thinking of them as like linnorms, I now think that the lindworm is really supposed to look like a big but slightly wimpy wyvern with a breath weapon rather than poison tail. Note that wyverns can only get talon attacks when flying, too.

 

[demiurge1138]

OK, fair enough. I was going by my (wrong) mental image. One claw attack it is.