Converting original D&D and Mystara monsters

[freyar]

I like it, but I'd like it better if we picked a positive or negative condition for both armor and encumbrance. Ie,

Great Speed (Ex): An ovinaur's land speed includes a racial bonus of +20 feet. This benefit applies only when the ovinaur is wearing no armor or light armor and carrying no load or a light load.

OR

Great Speed (Ex): An ovinaur's land speed includes a racial bonus of +20 feet. This benefit applies only when the ovinaur is not wearing medium or heavy armor and not carrying a medium or heavy load

 

[Cleon]

I like it, but I'd like it better if we picked a positive or negative condition for both armor and encumbrance. Ie,

Great Speed (Ex): An ovinaur's land speed includes a racial bonus of +20 feet. This benefit applies only when the ovinaur is wearing no armor or light armor and carrying no load or a light load.

OR

Great Speed (Ex): An ovinaur's land speed includes a racial bonus of +20 feet. This benefit applies only when the ovinaur is not wearing medium or heavy armor and not carrying a medium or heavy load

Fine by me. Of those, I prefer the first one.

Updating the Ovinaur Working Draft.

OK, so what next?

I'm thinking we'd better sort out its natural weapons. The original goatling had a "hooves" attack that does 2d4 damage and it has a special "Jumping kick" where it it can jump as high as its opponent's head it gains a +4 to hit with its hooves.

 

[freyar]

Here's the text on the hooves: "In addition to normal attacks, ovinaurs may use either their front or rear legs to kick any time they score a modified 20+ to hit with their normal attacks. A pair of ovinaur hoovers inflicts 2d4 blunt damage. Ovinaurs sometimes wear pairs of enchanted bracelets on their legs making their hooves equivalent to magical +1 weapons (or better)."

I'd say this part sounds a bit like Rend or Rake, except triggered on a crit. The bit about including it with a jump does imply it requires an attack roll, so I guess it's closer to Rake. I think that honestly, I'd drop the bit about needing a critical or whatever on a normal attack and make it something like Rake, except they can't use it in a grapple. I'd effectively give them Pounce and make that the only time they can use their hooves. If they jump high enough in the Pounce, they get the usual bonus to attack due to being higher than their opponent. What do you think?

 

[Cleon]

Here's the text on the hooves: "In addition to normal attacks, ovinaurs may use either their front or rear legs to kick any time they score a modified 20+ to hit with their normal attacks. A pair of ovinaur hoovers inflicts 2d4 blunt damage. Ovinaurs sometimes wear pairs of enchanted bracelets on their legs making their hooves equivalent to magical +1 weapons (or better)."

I'd say this part sounds a bit like Rend or Rake, except triggered on a crit. The bit about including it with a jump does imply it requires an attack roll, so I guess it's closer to Rake. I think that honestly, I'd drop the bit about needing a critical or whatever on a normal attack and make it something like Rake, except they can't use it in a grapple. I'd effectively give them Pounce and make that the only time they can use their hooves. If they jump high enough in the Pounce, they get the usual bonus to attack due to being higher than their opponent. What do you think?

Hmm... well are we keeping the "gains an additional hooves attack if it rolls a critical with a regular attack" mechanism of the original? I was thinking treating the "hooves" as a normal natural weapon would be way easier and more in keeping with 3E.

The "Jumping Kick" seems to be something different, presumably some kind of special attack.

 

[freyar]

As I mentioned above, I think something like Pounce would work well for the extra kicks (as something like a Rake attack). It fits the spirit of the original mechanic without being quite as tricky. Rend is actually closer, but I just don't get the logic for hitting with a weapon and then being able to kick like a horse also.

 

[Cleon]

As I mentioned above, I think something like Pounce would work well for the extra kicks (as something like a Rake attack). It fits the spirit of the original mechanic without being quite as tricky. Rend is actually closer, but I just don't get the logic for hitting with a weapon and then being able to kick like a horse also.

Well I'd interpret the original wording as that if the ovinaur hits particularly well (natural 20) it throws its opponent off-balance for an instant and instinctively uses that opportunity to kick them in the face. In 3E terms, that would be along the lines of:

Opportune Critical (Ex): If an ovinaur rolls a critical hit with a melee attack, it can make an opportunity kick attack of opportunity.

Opportunity Kick (Ex): An ovinaur can use its front or rear hooves to make an attack of opportunity. Attack bonus +X melee, damage 2d4+Y.

 

[freyar]

Hmmmm, ok, what about the extra bonus from jumping high? Anyway, I can go along with that assuming two points: (1) they can't use their kicks except as Opportunity Kicks and (2) Opportune Critical just says "opportunity kick attack (see below)" rather than "opportunity kick attack of opportunity" which is redundant with the description of the Opportunity Kick.

 

[Cleon]

Hmmmm, ok, what about the extra bonus from jumping high? Anyway, I can go along with that assuming two points: (1) they can't use their kicks except as Opportunity Kicks and (2) Opportune Critical just says "opportunity kick attack (see below)" rather than "opportunity kick attack of opportunity" which is redundant with the description of the Opportunity Kick.

The "Jumping High" kick is a separate issue.

We've got two separate kick special attacks here, the Opportunity Kick I'm proposing is an attempt at a 3E interpretation of the "extra attack on a 20" one.

 

[freyar]

Hmmm, I kind of figured the jump bonus was something they could try if they got the Opportunity Kick. But I'm willing to split it off, or else combine it with Great Leap. What do you think about my other points on the wording for Opportunity Kick?

 

[Cleon]

Hmmm, I kind of figured the jump bonus was something they could try if they got the Opportunity Kick. But I'm willing to split it off, or else combine it with Great Leap. What do you think about my other points on the wording for Opportunity Kick?

Hmm... the original "head kick" wording just gives it an attack bonus to kick attacks if it's able to Jump as high as its opponent's head. If we were to interpret this literally, it would be something like this:

Opportunity Kick (Ex): An ovinaur can use its front or rear hooves to make attacks of opportunity. If it is able to jump as high as its opponent's head by taking 10 on a High Jump check without a running start, the ovinaur gains a +4 racial bonus on the attack roll of its opportunity kick. Attack bonus +X melee (+XX melee with jump bonus), damage 2d4+Y, maximum High Jump distance Z feet.

It just seems a bit weird to me.

As for the "Opportune Critical" I just wanted to make clear these count against its allotment of attacks of opportunity. We could word it to be clearer...

Opportune Critical (Ex): If an ovinaur rolls a critical hit with a melee attack, it can make an opportunity kick attack. This additional attack counts as a normal attack of opportunity.