Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[Cleon]

Well, I did think we'd did some other symbionts in a simplified way, but I can't remember which they were. :/

I vaguely remember doing a Hazard as a pseudo-symbiont but think it was a homebrew.

Let's go with Aberration (extraplanar) with something in the symbiosis that they can't be banished when bonded with a host. SNIP I'd drop Advancement.

Works for me.

UNSNIP Sleepless can probably be combines with Constant Vigilance, right?

I'd be fine removing Sleepless from the ability descriptions if we have "immunity to sleep effects" in the SQ line and a mention in the Constant Vigilance description that it's why the creature is immune to sleep effects.

Updating Worry-Wart Working Draft.

I'm of two minds on the Dex. The eyestalks can move around, but these are pretty immobile. Maybe there's a better way of dealing with damage to them than giving them AC and putting their highest attribute in Dex. Wis should probably be highest if they're good at seeing stuff.

The Armour Class is for the Worry-Wart when it's flying about free, symbionts use their host's AC when attached:

A symbiont never takes damage from attacks directed at the host. Like a worn magic item, a symbiont is usually unaffected by spells that damage the host, but if the host rolls a 1 on its saving throw, the symbiont is one of the "items" that can be affected by the spell. A symbiont uses its host's base saving throw bonuses if they are better than its own.

The original monster's AC 0 is equivalent to AC 20 in 3E. Since it's fine-sized 8 points of that comes from its size adjustment so it has another +2 from some other source. Natural Armour seems unlikely and a +2 Dex bonus seems the most obvious solution, although I'd be willing to entertain arguments for another source such as deflection or insight.

I'd be willing to considering a higher Wisdom modifier but would be more inclined to give it a racial bonus to Spot and Search if we wish to increase its perceptive ability. The flavour text doesn't suggest it's that "wise" in the self-awareness and understanding sense.

 

[Cleon]

The Armour Class is for the Worry-Wart when it's flying about free, symbionts use their host's AC when attached:

Come to think of it, I should add the Symbiont Traits to the Worry-Wart Working Draft…

…done!

 

[freyar]

This seems more complicated than how we did the skullcap ivy, though in principle I like using more standardized symbiont traits. But I guess I can go along with Dex 14, Wis 13, Cha 10. Maybe even Cha 8, since these things sound kind of annoying often.

 

[Cleon]

This seems more complicated than how we did the skullcap ivy, though in principle I like using more standardized symbiont traits. But I guess I can go along with Dex 14, Wis 13, Cha 10. Maybe even Cha 8, since these things sound kind of annoying often.

How about Charisma 9 or 7 so it has three odd ability scores and three even scores?

I guess we should do Infestation before Constant Vigilance. I'll have a stab at a rough draft…

Infestation (Ex): If a worry-wart lands on a living creature (which may require a +10 melee touch attack to make contact) it can attempt to merge with the target. If the creature succeeds at a DC 15 Fortitude save, their physiology rejects the worry-wart and that particular nibish-riule can never infest the creature (although another worry-wart might succeed). Should the target fail the saving throw, the worry-wart bonds to the creature's skin and becomes indistinguishable from an ordinary "beauty mark" or wart. The worry-wart then slowly grows a network of tiny fibers throughout the creature's body that link the worry-wart to its host's nerves and blood vessels. Every week or so another "beauty mark" wart pops up from the host's skin where the network forms a cluster

After 2d10+20 days the symbiotic network is completed with a total of 1d4+2 beauty marks. The worry-wart gains the ability to communicate with its host telepathically and grants its host the benefits of its constant vigilance ability. Each "beauty mark" of a complete network is an eye the worry-wart can open to view its surroundings. These eyes can pop out on stalks to peer around itself, the flexible eyestalks can easily curl round to stare at the host's body or face.

Worry-warts are very hard to get rid of once they infest a host. A worry-wart can be surgically excised by ??? (each attempt does ??? damage) or removed by the spells ???. [Or just plaster over them???.]

The saving throw is Constitution-based and includes a +5 racial bonus.

 

[Cleon]

You know, as written the Worry-Wart ought not have some of the standard Symbiont traits. For a start, it shouldn't be possible to target the symbiont with attacks like a worn magic item since the thing's a network spread throughout the host rather than a separate discrete targetable object.

Also, the main point of Constant Vigilance is its perception is independent of the host, so the "It is not flat-footed unless its host is, and it is aware of any danger its host is aware of" shouldn't apply.

Actually the more I think about it the fewer of the Symbiont traits apply. I'm not sure any of them should, except the "A symbiont never takes damage from attacks directed at the host" and possibly the "uses its host's base saving throw bonuses if they are better than its own".

If the "Any spell the host creature casts on itself automatically also affects the symbiont" applied the host could simply kill the worry-wart by doing a couple of points of damage to itself with spells. We might have to introduce an addendum that the network simply grows back if it is not destroyed/removed in some special manner.

I guess we'd better rename the special quality "Symbiont Network" or something.

 

[abe ray]

Don’t forget telepathy that only works with it’s host!

 

[Cleon]

Don’t forget telepathy that only works with it’s host!

Already got that in Infestation: "The worry-wart gains the ability to communicate with its host telepathically".

Is it worth clarifying that with "The worry-wart gains the ability to communicate with its host (and only its host) telepathically"?

 

[abe ray]

For flavor text: it changes color inishialy to match it’s hosts main skin color.

 

[Cleon]

For flavor text: it changes color inishialy to match it’s hosts main skin color.

We normally leave the flavour text until after we finish the mechanical gubbins. There's still quite a bit to decide on regarding the special abilities of this beastie.

 

[abe ray]

How about low-light vision & darkvision? I’m not sure on the range on either though.