Converting original D&D and Mystara monsters

[freyar]

The new Opportune Critical looks good.

I agree, the "high jump bonus" is just strange. I suppose we could ditch it or try to come up with a simpler but thematically similar bonus. Maybe a bonus on the Opportune Critical?

 

[Cleon]

The new Opportune Critical looks good.

I agree, the "high jump bonus" is just strange. I suppose we could ditch it or try to come up with a simpler but thematically similar bonus. Maybe a bonus on the Opportune Critical?

Hmm... I guess something along those lines might work.

We could just give it a racial bonus with Opportunity Kick attacks against creatures affected by critical hits.

Opportunity Kick (Ex): An ovinaur is able to leap into the air and make attacks of opportunity with its front or rear hooves. It instinctively aims for its opponent's vulnerable spots, such as the head, so gains a +4 [?] racial bonus on the attack roll unless the opponent is immune to critical hits. Attack bonus +X melee (+XX melee without racial bonus), damage 2d4+Y.

...or just give it a flat bonus...

Opportunity Kick (Ex): An ovinaur is able to leap into the air and make attacks of opportunity with its front or rear hooves. It instinctively aims for its opponent's vulnerable spots, gaining a +4 [?] racial bonus on the attack roll. Attack bonus +X melee, damage 2d4+Y.

 

[freyar]

A flat racial bonus would work for me. But I'm ok with some conditional, like putting leaving the Kick the same and changing Opportune Critical as so:

Opportune Critical (Ex): If an ovinaur rolls a critical hit with a melee attack, it can make an opportunity kick attack with a +4 [?] circumstance bonus to the attack roll. This additional attack counts as a normal attack of opportunity.

 

[Cleon]

A flat racial bonus would work for me. But I'm ok with some conditional, like putting leaving the Kick the same and changing Opportune Critical as so:

Opportune Critical (Ex): If an ovinaur rolls a critical hit with a melee attack, it can make an opportunity kick attack with a +4 [?] circumstance bonus to the attack roll. This additional attack counts as a normal attack of opportunity.

So we're talking:

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.

Opportune Critical (Ex): If an ovinaur rolls a critical hit with a melee attack, it can make an opportunity kick attack with a +4 [?] circumstance bonus to the attack roll. This additional attack counts as a normal attack of opportunity.

Sure, that'll do. It's not an exact match, but the original "jumping to head height" approach is rather cumbersome and begs a lot of questions.

Come to think of it, should we add a few provisos to the opportune kick to clarify whether:

a) it get opportune critical kicks against creatures immune to critical damage.
b) it gain the +4 to attack with its opportune kick against creatures immune to critical damage.
c) it need to confirm the critical.
d) the melee attack that triggers the opportune critical does its normal critical damage.

 

[freyar]

I think (a) no and therefore (b) no. As for (c), I always thought scoring a critical hit requires confirming it, but it doesn't hurt to specify. Maybe just change "rolls a critical hit" to "confirms a critical hit." And (d) but of course!

 

[Cleon]

I think (a) no and therefore (b) no. As for (c), I always thought scoring a critical hit requires confirming it, but it doesn't hurt to specify. Maybe just change "rolls a critical hit" to "confirms a critical hit." And (d) but of course!

Okay, how about this:

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.

Opportune Critical (Ex): If an ovinaur confirms a critical hit with a melee attack, it can make an opportunity kick attack with a +4 circumstance bonus to attack against the target of that critical hit. This additional attack counts as a normal attack of opportunity.

 

[freyar]

Those look good. I was going to suggest that the +X and +Y for the kick should be the same as for the gore attack, but then I got weirded out that these have such a low Str. Seems weird for a Medium centaur-ish critter. Anyway, what do you think about matching the kick to the gore?

 

[Cleon]

Those look good. I was going to suggest that the +X and +Y for the kick should be the same as for the gore attack, but then I got weirded out that these have such a low Str. Seems weird for a Medium centaur-ish critter. Anyway, what do you think about matching the kick to the gore?

There's not much we can do about that unless we want to break with the -2 Strength penalty of the original.

I guess it makes sense. They're basically a cross between a halfling and a domestic goat, neither creature is noted for being that powerful.

I guess we could give it Weapon Finesse if we wanted to improve the attack values.

 

[freyar]

We should definitely think about Weapon Finesse.

Anyway, shall we match the kick attack and damage modifiers to the gore modifiers?

 

[Cleon]

We should definitely think about Weapon Finesse.

Yup! We can leave that until we do the feats, or should that be feat?

Anyway, shall we match the kick attack and damage modifiers to the gore modifiers?

Hold on a second. That gore attack is a holdover from the Caprine. Ovinaurs don't have gore attacks. Indeed, it's unclear whether they have horns - they're basically a centaur arrangement of a halfling from the waist up on a goat body.

I'm strongly tempted to putting a regular hooves attack in their Attack/Full Attack line, since kicking seems to be their thing.

In which case we'd have something like:

Attack: Weapon +2 melee (??) or hoof +2 melee (1d4–1)
Full Attack: Weapon +2 melee (??); or 2 hooves +2 melee (1d4–1)

Opportunity Kick (Ex): An ovinaur can strike with both its front hooves or both its rear hooves as an attack of opportunity. It resolves this action with a single attack roll, dealing 2d4 damage plus 1½ times the ovinaur’s Strength bonus. A typical ovinaur's opportunity kick is attack bonus +2 melee, damage 2d4–1.

Opportune Critical (Ex): If an ovinaur confirms a critical hit with a melee attack, it can make an opportunity kick attack with a +4 circumstance bonus to attack against the target of that critical hit. This additional attack counts as a normal attack of opportunity.