Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[Cleon]

OK, your revised frenzy text works for me. Let's go with 1d4 rounds.

I also like the heart attack paragraph.

Good!

Ready to insert the POWER and Infestation abilities? Oh, BTW, I think we should just call it POWER. That would be great!

With or without the ALL CAPS and the EXCLAMATION!!!!!! mark?

Updating Powerslug Working Draft with POWER!

Added a "The effects on the host are detailed below (see POWER!)" sentence in Infestation.

We also need to describe an end to POWER, tragic though that would be.

I've added the following:

If the infesting powerslug is removed, the host creature immediately loses all the physical ability bonuses and aggressiveness from the infestation, but they continue to be at risk of a fatal heart attack, retaining the Constitution check DC they had when the powerslug was removed. The damage to their heart can be healed as described above. Once the Con check is reduced to DC 1 or lower the host's heart is fully healed and the risk of a POWER! induced heart attack ends.​

Split the skill points equally between Hide and Swim? Something like Alertness or Stealthy for the feat?

I'm tempted to put it all in Swim, since it's got a –5 Strength penalty it'd have +5 with 2 SPs. Hide is +14 with 2 SPs.

I'm more inclined to put the two SP in Move Silently than Hide and maybe give it a +8 racial bonus to MS? It has Hide +12 from stats & size alone. Maybe a racial bonus to Hide or when Hiding in its preferred terrain? Or both?

I'm leaning slightly towards Alertness over Stealthy.

So:

Skills: Hide +12, Listen +1, Move Silently +6, Spot +1, Swim +12
Feats: Alertness

Skills: Powerslugs have a +8 racial bonus on Move Silently checks. A powerslug has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. Powerslugs use either their Strength modifier or Dexterity modifier for Swim checks, whichever is higher.

OR:

Skills #2: Hide +12* (+20 in jungles or swamps), Listen +1, Move Silently +6, Spot +1, Swim +12
Skills #3: Hide +16, Listen +1, Move Silently +6, Spot +1, Swim +12
Skills #4: Hide +16* (+20 in jungles or swamps), Listen +1, Move Silently +6, Spot +1, Swim +12

Skills: Powerslugs have a [+4 racial bonus on Hide checks checks #3 or #4] +8 racial bonus on Move Silently checks. A powerslug has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. Powerslugs use either their Strength modifier or Dexterity modifier for Swim checks, whichever is higher.
[* Powerslugs have a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks in their native environment (jungle vegetation or swamp water). #2 or #4]

SPs: Hide 0SP–4Dex+16size, Listen 0SP–1Wis+1feat+0/4/8racial, Move Silently 2SP–4Dex+8racial, Spot 0SP–1Wis+1feat, Swim 2SP–5Str+8racial

 

[Cleon]

We still need to decide on its Challenge Rating and whether to give it blindsense, blindsight and/or tremorsense and, if so, how much.

Leeches and Slugs are the obvious creatures to use as a model.

Our beloved Creature Catalogue gives a Psionic Leech blindsight 10 ft. and a Giant Leech blindsight 30 ft.

Official stats for leeches don't give them blindsight, although the Giant Leech in Stormwrack was blindsight 10 ft.

The Giant Leech in Dungeon #82 has no special senses, but it does have something we could adapt:

Salt Vulnerability: A handful or more of salt deals 1d4+1 points of damage to the leech on contact and causes it to detach itself from its victim.

The Giant Slug in Dragon #355 only has darkvision. No blindsight, blindsense or tremorsense.

So how about:

Special Qualities: Amphibious, phasing, salt vulnerability, scent

Salt Vulnerability: A pinch of salt does 1 point of damage to a powerslug on contact and causes it to flee, a larger amount (enough to cover the creature) kills the powerslug.

 

[abe ray]

What would a group of power slugs be called?

 

[Cleon]

What would a group of power slugs be called?

They're solitary, so wouldn't be encountered in groups, so there's little need for a collective noun.

But for the sake of argument, how about an escalation of power slugs, or perhaps a boost, clout or augmentation?

Or simply a power of slugs!

 

[freyar]

A wattage!

The addition to POWER! is good.

I prefer skills #2, and Alertness works.

I like the Salt Vulnerability, and I think I generally like blindsense for them, but I can see why you'd leave it off.

 

[Cleon]

A wattage!

Dang it, it's so obvious once someone else suggests it!

I'm tempted to add a larger group just to use the pun:

Organization: Solitary or wattage (2-5)

The addition to POWER! is good.

I prefer skills #2, and Alertness works.

I like the Salt Vulnerability,

Updating Powerslug Working Draft.

, and I think I generally like blindsense for them, but I can see why you'd leave it off.

I was tempted to give them blindsense 10 ft. so could add that in if you like. It doesn't really make much difference.

Apart from that, it's just the Challenge Rating, which I guess is pretty negligible as they're incapable of directly causing damage (maybe 1/10th like a Bat?).

A creature that's got a powerslug infestation would have a CR boost presumably. How much is +8 Str, +8 Con, +8 Dex worth? +1 Challenge Rating maybe, since it's accompanied by the risk of them dropping dead from a heart attack? They're maybe on the verge of +2 CR.

Or perhaps +1 CR if they are at "half-POWER" (two or three +4 ability bonuses from POWER!), +2 CR for "full-POWER" (one or more +8 ability bonuses from POWER!).

 

[Cleon]

A creature that's got a powerslug infestation would have a CR boost presumably. How much is +8 Str, +8 Con, +8 Dex worth? +1 Challenge Rating maybe, since it's accompanied by the risk of them dropping dead from a heart attack? They're maybe on the verge of +2 CR.

Or perhaps +1 CR if they are at "half-POWER" (two or three +4 ability bonuses from POWER!), +2 CR for "full-POWER" (one or more +8 ability bonuses from POWER!).

Come to think of it, weren't we going to do a "mini-template" for a creature fully infested by a power slug? Maybe call it a Powered Creature?

 

[abe ray]

For the chocolate golem:a group of them could be called a wonka of golems considring that they are made of chocolate. As for power slug maybe the mini-template sh include a timer effect to simulate a heart explosion instead of a savings throw?

 

[Cleon]

For the chocolate golem:a group of them could be called a wonka of golems considring that they are made of chocolate.

Well, firstly chocolate golems have "Organization: Solitary" like the 2E original so there's no need for a collective noun, and secondly using Wonka might not be agreeable to the estate of Roald Dahl!

As for power slug maybe the mini-template sh include a timer effect to simulate a heart explosion instead of a savings throw?

There already is a timer effect, or rather two timer effects. A wait of 1d4+1 rounds between each saving throw, and then it takes 4d4 rounds for the heart attack to kill them.

 

[freyar]

Let's go with blindsense, why not? And CR 1/10 makes sense. We should do a "simple template" for affected creatures. I can agree with +1 CR at the +4 bonus and +2 CR for the full +8. "Powered Creature" would be a good name for it!