Converting Monsters from Polyhedron Magazine

[freyar]

I think I'd favor a save or be dragged under the water, immediately requiring Con checks to avoid drowning. There should be a means to escape each round, but I'm not sure what I'd go with. Progressively more difficult saves?

 

[Shade]

I haven't found an exact precedent. Here are some similar abilities...

Drown (Ex): The first victim hit by a dhour's pseudopods must make an opposed grapple check with the dhour. If the dhour wins the check, it draws the victim into its fluid body. The victim takes 2d6+6 points points of acid damage per round, and is also at risk of drowning (see Water Dangers in the Dungeon Master's Guide for the risks and effects of drowning). Because a dhour is composed of protoplasm, spells such as water breathing offer no help in surviving the effect of drowning in their fluids.

A trapped victim can attack the dhour or make additional grapple checks to escape its grasp. The character cannot cast spells with a verbal component or use any other item or ability that requires speech. If other characters use slashing or piercing weapons to attack a dhour while it is holding a victim, those attacks have a 25% chance of hitting the trapped character, and they do no harm to the dhour.

While holding a victim, a dhour continues to attack with its pseudopod, dealing slam damage to other characters. A dhour cannot move while holding a victim.


Drown (Ex): To use this ability, a breathweird must hit an opponent of Medium size or smaller with its slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and draws the victim into its fluid body. The victim is at risk of drowning (see Water Dangers in the DMG for the risks and effects of drowning). A trapped victim can attack the breathweird or make additional grapple checks to escape its grasp. The character cannot cast spells with a verbal component or use any other item or ability that requires speech. If other characters use slashing or piercing weapons to attack the breathweird while it is holding a victim, those attacks have a 25% chance of hitting the trapped character, and they do no harm to the breathweird. While holding a victim, the breathweird continues to attack with its pseudopods, dealing slam damage to other characters. Breathweirds have a +12 racial bonus on grapple checks (already figured into the Base Attack/Grapple entry above).


Drown: The first victim hit by an aballin's pseudopods must make an opposed grapple check with the aballin (the monster's bonus on this check is +11). If the aballin wins this check, it draws the victim into its fluid body. The victim is at risk of drowning (see Water Dangers in the DMG for the risks and effects of drowning). Because the aballin is composed of acid, not water, spells such as water breathing offer no help in surviving the effect of drowning in their fluids.

A trapped victim can attack the aballin or make additional grapple checks to escape its grasp. The character cannot cast spells with a verbal component or use any other item or ability that requires speech. If other characters use edged weapons to attack the aballin while it is holding a victim, those attacks have a 25% chance of hitting the trapped character, and they do no harm to the aballin.

While holding a victim, the aballin continues to attack with its pseudopods, dealing slam damage to other characters.

 

[Cleon]

Of the examples, the breathweird seems the closest.

Drown (Ex): To use this ability, a breathweird must hit an opponent of Medium size or smaller with its slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and draws the victim into its fluid body. The victim is at risk of drowning (see Water Dangers in the DMG for the risks and effects of drowning). A trapped victim can attack the breathweird or make additional grapple checks to escape its grasp. The character cannot cast spells with a verbal component or use any other item or ability that requires speech. If other characters use slashing or piercing weapons to attack the breathweird while it is holding a victim, those attacks have a 25% chance of hitting the trapped character, and they do no harm to the breathweird. While holding a victim, the breathweird continues to attack with its pseudopods, dealing slam damage to other characters. Breathweirds have a +12 racial bonus on grapple checks (already figured into the Base Attack/Grapple entry above).

Here's the relevant bit of the Rusalka's description:

Anyone who touches or is touched by the rusalka is subject to its embrace. The rusalka’s embrace pulls its victim beneath the water, causing a victim to drown unless a successful saving throw vs. breath weapon is made. The murderer must make this save with a -3 penalty. The victim may be revived if removed from the rusalka’s embrace (and from the water) and some means of resuscitation is applied within five rounds of being drowned. Those who successfully avoid the embrace must also make a swimming proficiency check or a strength check to break free. The saving throw vs. breath weapon must be repeated each round until the victim either breaks free, is pulled under, or is released by the rusalka.

So, something like:

Drowning Embrace (Su): A drowned maiden can try to drown any creature it touches (a melee touch attack) or who touches the maiden. Any creature touched by a drowning embrace must succeed at a DC X Reflex or Fortitude? save or be pulled underwater by an unnatural current. Anyone pulled under must immediately begin Constitution checks to resist drowning (see Water Dangers in the DMG for the risks and effects of drowning). A victim can escape a drowning embrace using the same rules as escaping a grapple, except the drowned maiden uses its Charisma modifier instead of its Strength modifier in the contest. A potoplenytsia can keep as many creatures in a drowning embrace as it can fit within its reach, with no penalties on its checks. The save DC is Charisma-based.

 

[freyar]

The only problem I see here is "who touches the maiden" bit; can you touch an incorporeal critter? As for the save, I think I'd go with Fort, though I'm actually tempted to say Will due to the incorporeality business.

 

[Shade]

The only problem I see here is "who touches the maiden" bit; can you touch an incorporeal critter?

Good point! It might be easier to just say "any creature that shares its space with a drowned maiden".

As for the save, I think I'd go with Fort, though I'm actually tempted to say Will due to the incorporeality business.

I could see any of the three.

Will if it's "beckoning" them.
Fort if it's essentially holding one's breath (prior to the normal holding one's breath of drowning).
Ref if it's avoiding being "pulled underwater by an unnatural current".

As its currently written, Ref makes the most sense.

 

[Cleon]

The only problem I see here is "who touches the maiden" bit; can you touch an incorporeal critter?

Yes, we'd better rephrase that. While I guess a creature can touch a drowned maiden in the sense of "touching the space it occupies", it can't make physical contact with one (as in a trip or grapple).

Come to think of it, the also SA needs to say the drowned maiden has to be manifesting to use its Drowning Embrace special attack, I'd better include that.

As for the save, I think I'd go with Fort, though I'm actually tempted to say Will due to the incorporeality business.

Fort is fine by me

Revising...

Drowning Embrace (Su): When manifested, a drowned maiden can try to drown any creature it touches with an incorporeal touch attack. Furthermore, a creature that hits a drowned maiden with a natural weapon or touch attack exposes themselves to the maiden's drowning embrace (the drowned maiden is usually immune to damage from such attacks, since it is incorporeal when manifested).

Creatures exposed to the maiden's drowning embrace must succeed at a DC X Fortitude save or be pulled underwater by an unnatural current. Any creature who can not breath water who is pulled under must immediately begin Constitution checks to resist drowning (see Water Dangers in the DMG for the risks and effects of drowning). A victim can escape a drowning embrace using the same rules as escaping a grapple, except the drowned maiden uses its Charisma modifier instead of its Strength modifier in the contest. A potoplenytsia can hold as many creatures in a drowning embrace as it can fit within its reach, with no penalties on its checks. The save DC is Charisma-based.

 

[Shade]

Cleon, did you see my post above yours (regarding the saves)?

 

[freyar]

Cleon, did you see my post above yours (regarding the saves)?

Well, I just did. Let's make it a Ref save.

 

[Shade]

Signs of life around here. Another person! I'd thought I'd missed the Zombie Apocalypse.

 

[Cleon]

Signs of life around here. Another person! I'd thought I'd missed the Zombie Apocalypse.

Brraaiinns...

Brainns...

Braains...

Brains... is what we need for the best decision.

Upon reflection, they'll be making Fort saves on their drowning checks if they're pulled under, so we might as well make initial save a Ref one to increase the variety.