Converting original D&D and Mystara monsters

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

I left off the skills for now, until we can decide on Disguise vs. Hide.

For the feats, if we whittle down the purple worm's list, we can immediately remove Weapon Focus (sting). That leaves Awesome Blow, Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bite). I'd propose dropping Cleave.

 

[Leopold]

I agree with dropping cleave. One attack and it mashes and crushes stuff to pieces.

 

[demiurge1138]

If it helps my case any, the carcass crab uses Hide.

 

[Shade]

If it helps my case any, the carcass crab uses Hide.

It does. I'm convinced.

 

[freyar]

Proposed feats are good, as is Hide.

 

[Cleon]

I like the idea of armor as well as natural armor. Like Cleon, I'm thinking up to +3 from treasure. Cleon, did that AC come from the downsized purple worm? Wouldn't a downsized purple worm have natural AC +11? I'd be willing to go with natural +8, junk armor +3, even.

Hide vs Disguise, I'm not sure. I'm also not sure about Int 1 vs Int -.

No downsizing, I just gave it a regular-sized Purple Worm's NA since the AD&D version of the Slime Worm has a better AC than an AD&D Purple Worm. I like the idea of it being a tough nut to crack, and AC17 just doesn't seem enough to me.

Go on, give it another 4 points of natural armour, I know you want to.

I'm tempted to keep the Cleave feat so it has the potential to swallow more than one opponent in a round. Awesome Blow has its disadvantages: shouldn't it be trying to catch and swallow opponents, not knock them away? With its slow move speed it might never be able to get within reach of them again!

Although Awesome Blow's ability to knock an enemy prone is useful for the slime worm, since a prone opponent can't immediately run away, and the worm gets an AoO attempt to bite & swallow them if they stand up to flee.

So, I'd be tempted to change Improved Bull Rush to Improved Overrun, so it can get Cleave and still easily knock an enemy prone. An advanced Slime Worm presumably adds Awesome Blow and Improved Bull Rush to its feats.

 

[Shade]

Cleon, your reasoning is sound. I agree to the improved natural armor, as well as your feat suggestions.

Updated.

How are we handling the hide bonus/"mimic hoard" business?

 

[Cleon]

Cleon, your reasoning is sound. I agree to the improved natural armor, as well as your feat suggestions.

Thank you kindly.

I've been thinking we may want to add a slam attack to this beastie, so if it grabs a victim with its jaws but fails to swallow them it can still attack another enemy with a body-slam or tail-slap the next round (probably trying to knock them prone with an overrun), or when it gets an attack of opportunity. After all, a Purple Worm gets two attacks, why not a Slime Worm?

If you like the idea, I'd set the damage the same as its bite. With regular damage bonuses, that works out as:

Attack: Bite +17 melee (2d6+8) or slam +17 melee (2d6+8)
Full Attack: Bite +17 melee (2d6+8) and slam +12 melee (2d6+4)
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Oh, and the current conversion still has a Purple Worm's saves. I reckon they should be:

Saves: Fort +12, Ref +5, Will +2
​

How are we handling the hide bonus/"mimic hoard" business?

My first thought was a rewrite of the Mimic's ability Mimic Shape, something like:

Mimic Horde (Ex)
A slime worm can assume the shape and appearance of a pile of treasure that fills roughly 1000 cubic feet (e.g. a mound roughly 15 feet in diameter and 6 feet tall). The creature cannot substantially alter its size, though. A slime worm's gelatinous flesh is slimy and yielding, no matter what appearance it may present, although the treasure adhering to its hide may give it a rough and metallic texture. Anyone who examines the slime worm can detect the ruse with a successful Spot check opposed by the mimic’s Disguise check. Of course, by this time it is generally far too late.

[The 1000 cubic foot volume was set on the assumptions that a Slime Worm's flesh has the same density as a Gelatinous Cube or Gray Ooze (15 pounds per cubic foot), and an average worm weighs 15,000 pounds. Since it is the same thickness and 3/8th the length of a Purple Worm it seems reasonable to deduce it weighs 3/8th the Purple's 40,000 pounds.]
​

I guess you can change the Disguise to Hide, but I prefer the former since (a) it seems more appropriate and (b) it doesn't impose a size penalty.

 

[freyar]

That all works for me, I'm convinced. Edit: feats and natural armor, that is.

Speaking of being convinced, I thought we were convinced by Hide on the carcass crab. Edit: I guess I can see going either way on the two skills as far as myself. But I don't know about the shape and appearance. These are Int 1 (compare to Int 10 mimic) and shouldn't know to look like a pile of treasure. They should just instinctively use the treasure as armor, I think. That's why I'm torn on Hide and Disguise, leaning toward Hide like the crab --- this shouldn't be a deliberate Disguise.

Edit edit: You know, something like Camouflage makes the most sense to me -- static DC. This isn't really different than the plant critters looking like normal plants.

 

[Shade]

Camouflage is a perfect fit!

I'm fine with adding a slam attack, and will fix the saving throw line.