Converting Monsters from Dungeon Magazine

[Cleon]

Since the "venom glands" produce fire, how about, rather than poison, the bite deals lingering fire (and/or acid) damage, and deals double damage (or a die higher) damage to plants?

Good idea. I think I prefer acid over poison.

Hmm... hows about its breath does half acid and half poison, with lingering acid, and the acid damage is boosted against Plants.

Good call. DR /magic or /-?

I was thinking DR 5/- or thereabouts.

I like it! Here's a stab at a rough draft...

Undermine (Ex): A burrowing bulette-mutation that passes beneath a structure deals damage as if it were actively making a sunder attack against the structure. If the bulette-mutation makes a full attack against an object or structure while burrowing, it deals double damage.

A burrowing bulette-mutation also damages plants it passes beneath. An affected plant creature takes xd6 points of damage and may attempt a DC X Fortitude saving throw for half damage. A plant that isn’t a creature doesn’t receive a save and immediately withers and dies. The save DC is Constitution-based.

I borrowed the second paragraph from the blight spell. Is that too powerful?

I was thinking it should damage plants that are rooted in the ground, by toppling them or destroying their roots.

Something like:

Undermine (Ex): The bulette-mutation can disrupt creatures and structure on the surface of the earth by burrowing beneath them. If it burrows beneath a creature smaller than itself, that creature must make a DC X Reflex save or fall prone. Creatures its own size or larger are unaffected. The save DC is Constitution-based?

A burrowing bulette-mutation that passes beneath a structure deals xdx damage against the structure. If the bulette-mutation makes a full attack against an object or structure while burrowing, it deals double damage.

A burrowing bulette-mutation can also damage plants rooted in the ground, doing the same amount of damage as it does to structures. Rooted plant creatures may attempt a DC X Fortitude saving throw for half damage. The save DC is Strength-based.

 

[freyar]

I'd boost the HD and DR a bit myself.

I like the idea of a fire poison, and Cleon's undermine looks very interesting.

 

[Cleon]

I'd boost the HD and DR a bit myself.

I like the idea of a fire poison, and Cleon's undermine looks very interesting.

I wondered about that, but shouldn't it have low enough HD for the 15 HD White Boar to have a good chance of beating, otherwise those Nature Gods are going to look kind of foolish setting Whitey-Tuskey on him.

Also, the White Boar had to deal with the Bulette-Mutation's arcane master too.

For an alternative way of thinking about it, maybe this 10 HD version is just a Bulette-Mutation, a cross between a regular Bulette and the original sample.

 

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

I added some rough drafts of the breath weapon and burning bite.

 

[freyar]

The rough drafts are pretty good, though maybe we should either say what neutralizes the burning bite or get rid of that part.

 

[Shade]

The rough drafts are pretty good, though maybe we should either say what neutralizes the burning bite or get rid of that part.

I'm fine with either option. I lifted the text straight from the acid arrow spell, which I presume worded it that way due to the lack of core spells that neutralize acid.

 

[freyar]

I'm fine with either option. I lifted the text straight from the acid arrow spell, which I presume worded it that way due to the lack of core spells that neutralize acid.

I'd either allow a Fort save to avoid the second round damage or just make it automatic. Leaning toward making it automatic.

 

[Cleon]

I'd either allow a Fort save to avoid the second round damage or just make it automatic. Leaning toward making it automatic.

I'd make the damage automatic and have it do more damage against Plant creatures - how about d10s instead of d6s?

 

[freyar]

The acid already does 1d8 to plants. What if we also bump the fire to 1d8?

Automatic damage it is.

 

[Cleon]

The acid already does 1d8 to plants. What if we also bump the fire to 1d8?

Automatic damage it is.

I wouldn't increase the fire damage, since I imagine it's just plain fire. However, 1d8 acid vs plants is only a point extra damage on average, and I'd like a little more, since these creatures are supposed to devastate forests.

Hence I was thinking 1d10 or doubling the acid damage vs plants, something like:

Breath Weapon (Su): 20-foot cone, once every 2d4 rounds, damage 3d6, half acid and half fire, Reflex DC 20 half. This breath is especially devastating to plant creatures, which instead take 3d10 points of damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Burning Bite (Su): A bulette-mutation deals an extra 1d6 points of fire damage and 1d6 points of acid damage every time it bites an opponent. Unless somehow neutralized, the burning lasts for another round, dealing another 1d6 points of fire damage and 1d6 points of acid damage in that round. The acid is especially devastating to plant creatures, which instead take 2d6 points of acid damage.