Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[Shade]

Let's make 'em Large, despite the "M" on the statblock. For starters, they are often mistaken for bears. Hyenas are Medium, and these are supposed to be "oversized hyenas".

Added to Homebrews, with the original Large ability scores.

Since they are only surprised on a "1", give 'em a +4 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks?

Should bite swap places with claw as primary attack?

 

[freyar]

I like Large and Brain Eating. Racial bonus to Spot and Listen also sounds right. And I agree that bite should be primary. You want to get rid of Sarkastodon from the Devastating Bite, though.

 

[demiurge1138]

I like them as Large, like the racial bonus to Spot and Listen, like bite as the primary attack. They should also get two claw attacks, not just one.

 

[Cleon]

Let's make 'em Large, despite the "M" on the statblock. For starters, they are often mistaken for bears. Hyenas are Medium, and these are supposed to be "oversized hyenas".

Added to Homebrews, with the original Large ability scores.

Since they are only surprised on a "1", give 'em a +4 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks?

Should bite swap places with claw as primary attack?

I have a slight preference for Medium, but Large is OK.

Bite should definitely be primary, and it needs a damage boost (1d10? 2d6?). I was even tempted to give it a dragon-style 1.5 times Strength bonus, but on reflection that doesn't seem necessary.

2 Claw attacks seem right to me.

I was assuming they'd have a sense skill bonus, maybe even more than +4 - say +6 or +8?

Since they're nocturnal, maybe Improved or Superior Low-Light Vision?

Devour Brain looks like it needs a little work. Shouldn't it be Supernatural not Extraordinar? I feel it also needs to make explicit it only works on a dead or dying target, something like:

Devour Brain (Ex): A getiet may spend a standard action to devour the brain of a dying or recently dead (within 1 hour) victim. Against a dying victim this attack automatically does standard bite damage (1d8+8) and only succeeds if it kills the victim.

A creature whose brain is devoured leaves a corpse to incomplete to be brought back to life with a raise dead spell, although a resurrection or other life-restoring magic will succeed. Upon devouring a brain, a getiet gains 1d8 temporary hit points and a +2 bonus to Strength that lasts for 10 minutes per HD of the victim.
​

 

[demiurge1138]

I think adding "dead or unconcious" before "victim" of Shade's write-up is all it needs.

 

[Shade]

Yeah, that should suffice. I do agree that it should be a Su ability, in retrospect.

I like the idea of adding superior low-light vision, and I'd be fine with bumping the bite up to 2d6. I also don't mind slightly higher racial bonuses on Listen and Spot.

Should we give 'em scent, too?

Updated.

Skills: 16
Listen and Spot, of course. Survival (if we give 'em Track)?

Feats: 2
Multiattack? Power Attack? Track (assuming we give 'em scent)?

 

[Cleon]

Yeah, that should suffice. I do agree that it should be a Su ability, in retrospect.

Dead/unconscious supernatural brain eating sounds fine by me.

I like the idea of adding superior low-light vision, and I'd be fine with bumping the bite up to 2d6. I also don't mind slightly higher racial bonuses on Listen and Spot.

That looks alright. I kinda prefer +6 to Listen and Spot rather than +8 though.

Should we give 'em scent, too?

Definitely. Indeed, I assumed it already had scent. Perhaps with a +4 racial bonus to Tracking, like a wolf?

Skills: 16

Listen and Spot, of course. Survival (if we give 'em Track)?

Don't forget Hide! It says it may use ambush, but doesn't much care for it, so may not be that good at it. May have a lowish racial bonus in that, say +4 in dark jungles.

4 ranks Hide, 5 ranks Listen, 5 ranks Spot, 2 ranks Survival?

Feats: 2
Multiattack? Power Attack? Track (assuming we give 'em scent)?

I'd be tempted to make Tracking a bonus feat, like the SRD Wolf or Wolverine.

I imagine these things are all about the biting, so I was thinking Weapon Focus (bite) rather than Multiattack.

Power Attack would work as the other feat, but is a bit conventional.

Hmm, these things talk and "it often harasses larger monsters simply for the pleasure of seeing their frustration". Are there any skills or feats that would help it torment its rivals and victims?

Maybe up its Charisma to 12, give it the Persuasive feat and transfer a couple of skill points from Spot & Listen to give Bluff and Intimidate, just to make it a bit different?

So, put that together and my proposals are:

Skills: Bluff +5, Hide +1* [+5 in dark jungles], Intimidate +5, Listen +10, Spot +10, Survival +3* [+7 track by scent]
Feats: Persuasive, Track (B), Weapon Focus (bite)

Cha 12, 2 ranks Bluff, 4 ranks Hide, 2 ranks Intimidate, 3 ranks Listen, 3 ranks Spot, 2 ranks Survival, +4 racial Hide-in-jungle, +6 racial Spot & Listen, +4 racial track-by-scent.

What do you think?

 

[Shade]

I'm fine with +6, scent, and Track as a bonus feat (plus the racial bonus when tracking by scent).

I'm not sure I like Persuasive, but I can agree to WF over Multiattack. Power Attack may be conventional, but it definitely fits creatures that hunt with brute force well.

What do the rest of you think about feats and skills?

 

[demiurge1138]

I prefer Multiattack to Weapon Focus, like Power Attack, like Track as a bonus feat and don't think it needs Intimidate or Bluff ranks.

 

[freyar]

I agree with demiurge on the feats and skills. I also like how this is shaping up, though I'm not sure I see why Devour Brain should be Su as it seems quite Ex to me (but I don't mind really).