Converting monsters from Dragon magazine
- Thread starter Shade
- Start date
Cleon
Legend
I'd prefer a racial bonus on Fort saves against Gas Attacks.
Anyhow, I think that's enough to start a Working Draft.
Cleon
Legend
Rigger Spider Working Draft
Spider, Xakhun, Rigger Spider
Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 4d10+4 (26 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 30 ft.
Armor Class: 16 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +3 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+10
Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d8+3 plus poison)
Full Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d8+3 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison, web
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, resistance to gas attacks, tremorsense 60 ft.
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +2
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 6
Skills: Climb +12, Hide +4*, Move Silently +6*, Profession (sailor) +6, Spot +8, Use Rope +10
Feats: Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Use Rope)
Environment: Any land
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 5-8 HD (Large); 9-12 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
A great orb spider, larger than a human, with the globular body, large spinnerets, and long, precise legs of a web-spinner. Its many eyes gleam with a curious attentiveness — or is it intelligence?
A rigger spider is specially bred to maintain and operate a Xan Kraban windship’s rigging. The rigger spider is second only to the captain in importance, and is closely guarded. It helps the drow crew by adjusting sails and yardarms, or spins silk webbing to repair damaged sheets and lines. Most windships are gifted with but a single rigger spider. All other Xakhun spiders are raised with an inbred respect for the rigger spider and never conceive of attacking one, even if the rigger spider strikes first.
A typical rigger spider's body is 8 feet long. It weighs about 700 pounds.
COMBAT
Rigger spiders have no interest in combat and usually leave fighting to the rest of the crew. However, they are easily enraged by threats to their precious rigging, bitterly attacking any intruder who harms their ship's sailing ability. An attacking rigger spider usually throws webs first, then closes in to administer its poisonous bite to entangled opponents.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 13, initial and secondary damage 1d8 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Resistance To Gas Attacks (Ex): Rigger spiders have a +4 racial bonus on all saving throws against gas attacks, including inhaled poisons and such spells as stinking cloud or cloudkill.
Web (Ex): Rigger spiders often wait in their ship's rigging or in trees, then lower themselves silently on silk strands and leap onto prey passing beneath. A single strand is strong enough to support the spider and one creature of the same size. Rigger spiders can throw a web eight times per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 50 feet, with a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective against targets up to one size category larger than the spider. An entangled creature can escape with a successful DC 15 Escape Artist check or burst it with a DC 19 Strength check; such escape attempts are standard actions. The check DCs are Constitution-based, and the Strength check DC includes a +4 racial bonus.
Rigger spiders often create sheets of sticky webbing from 20 to 60 feet square, depending on the size of the spider. They usually position these sheets to snare flying creatures but can also try to trap prey on the ground. Approaching creatures must succeed on a DC 20 Spot check to notice a web; otherwise they stumble into it and become trapped as though by a successful web attack. Attempts to escape or burst the webbing gain a +5 bonus if the trapped creature has something to walk on or grab while pulling free. Each 5-foot section has 12 hit points (14 hit points for a Huge-sized spider), and sheet webs have damage reduction 5/—.
A rigger spider can move across its own web at its climb speed and can pinpoint the location of any creature touching its web.
Skills: Rigger spiders have a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Spot checks, and a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks. A rigger spider can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. Rigger spiders use either their Strength or Dexterity modifier for Climb checks, whichever is higher.
*Rigger spiders have a +8 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks when using their webs.
Spider, Xakhun, Rigger Spider
Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 4d10+4 (26 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 30 ft.
Armor Class: 16 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +3 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+10
Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d8+3 plus poison)
Full Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d8+3 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison, web
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, resistance to gas attacks, tremorsense 60 ft.
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +2
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 6
Skills: Climb +12, Hide +4*, Move Silently +6*, Profession (sailor) +6, Spot +8, Use Rope +10
Feats: Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Use Rope)
Environment: Any land
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 5-8 HD (Large); 9-12 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
A great orb spider, larger than a human, with the globular body, large spinnerets, and long, precise legs of a web-spinner. Its many eyes gleam with a curious attentiveness — or is it intelligence?
A rigger spider is specially bred to maintain and operate a Xan Kraban windship’s rigging. The rigger spider is second only to the captain in importance, and is closely guarded. It helps the drow crew by adjusting sails and yardarms, or spins silk webbing to repair damaged sheets and lines. Most windships are gifted with but a single rigger spider. All other Xakhun spiders are raised with an inbred respect for the rigger spider and never conceive of attacking one, even if the rigger spider strikes first.
A typical rigger spider's body is 8 feet long. It weighs about 700 pounds.
COMBAT
Rigger spiders have no interest in combat and usually leave fighting to the rest of the crew. However, they are easily enraged by threats to their precious rigging, bitterly attacking any intruder who harms their ship's sailing ability. An attacking rigger spider usually throws webs first, then closes in to administer its poisonous bite to entangled opponents.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 13, initial and secondary damage 1d8 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Resistance To Gas Attacks (Ex): Rigger spiders have a +4 racial bonus on all saving throws against gas attacks, including inhaled poisons and such spells as stinking cloud or cloudkill.
Web (Ex): Rigger spiders often wait in their ship's rigging or in trees, then lower themselves silently on silk strands and leap onto prey passing beneath. A single strand is strong enough to support the spider and one creature of the same size. Rigger spiders can throw a web eight times per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 50 feet, with a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective against targets up to one size category larger than the spider. An entangled creature can escape with a successful DC 15 Escape Artist check or burst it with a DC 19 Strength check; such escape attempts are standard actions. The check DCs are Constitution-based, and the Strength check DC includes a +4 racial bonus.
Rigger spiders often create sheets of sticky webbing from 20 to 60 feet square, depending on the size of the spider. They usually position these sheets to snare flying creatures but can also try to trap prey on the ground. Approaching creatures must succeed on a DC 20 Spot check to notice a web; otherwise they stumble into it and become trapped as though by a successful web attack. Attempts to escape or burst the webbing gain a +5 bonus if the trapped creature has something to walk on or grab while pulling free. Each 5-foot section has 12 hit points (14 hit points for a Huge-sized spider), and sheet webs have damage reduction 5/—.
A rigger spider can move across its own web at its climb speed and can pinpoint the location of any creature touching its web.
Skills: Rigger spiders have a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Spot checks, and a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks. A rigger spider can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. Rigger spiders use either their Strength or Dexterity modifier for Climb checks, whichever is higher.
*Rigger spiders have a +8 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks when using their webs.
Last edited:
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
Hmmm. I guess there's precedent for a bonus vs gas attacks, but I think it would be a cleaner fit into 3.X rules if we made it a bonus on saves vs inhaled poisons.
Let's take 2 ranks from MS for Hide and 2 for Profession.
Not sure how I feel about Ability Focus (web) for these (a bigger racial bonus feels better). I would like to give it Weapon Finesse. Maybe Ability Focus (poison), actually. Skill Focus (Profession (sailor)) , too, seems appropriate.
Let's take 2 ranks from MS for Hide and 2 for Profession.
Not sure how I feel about Ability Focus (web) for these (a bigger racial bonus feels better). I would like to give it Weapon Finesse. Maybe Ability Focus (poison), actually. Skill Focus (Profession (sailor)) , too, seems appropriate.
Shade
Monster Junkie
Agreed to all that.
I slightly favor Skill Focus to AF (poison), but definitely prefer a bigger racial bonus to web DCs.
Cleon
Legend
It specifically says their gas resistance encompasses gas-based spells as well as other gas attacks, as they "receive +4 to their saves vs. other gas-based attacks and spells".
Hmm, I'm now wondering whether their bonus should affect all "saves vs gas", not just Fort saves.
I definitely don't like Ability Focus (poison) since their poison is no stronger than a standard giant spiders. AD&D Phase Spiders have unusually potent venom (-2 to save), so it made sense to give them that Ability Focus.
Hmm, come to think of it there's no mention of their silk being any stronger than normal, they're just skilled in using it for ship's rigging. We could just give them Improved Initiative (like the Phase Spider), since the text says they're more "responsive" than an ordinary giant spider, as well as Skill Focus.
Also, it says they're trained in sailor skills, which implies they might use their own feats or skill ranks on Profession (sailor) or Use Rope rather than getting them as bonus feats or racial skill bonuses.
Shade
Monster Junkie
Cleon
Legend
Cleon
Legend
I already dropped the webstuff.
I think that's a hold-over of the Phase Spider, I just didn't cut the CR enough.
They're definitely nastier than the CR 2 Large Monstrous Spider - better saves, feats and skills, plus nastier poison (1d8 Con vs 1d6 Str) and the intelligence to use their webs in cunning stratagems.
Challenge Rating 3?
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