Converting "Real World" Animals and Vermin

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

The 1e bombardier beetle dealt exactly the same damge, so we can simply copy its 3e damage.

 

[freyar]

So 1d4+Con=1d4+1?

The Daddy Longlegs will attempt to flee just after using her gas attack. In nature, the Daddy Longlegs has one other way to escape detection. She can hang from a web strand and rotate, or stand and vibrate, at so fast a rate that she becomes a near-invisible blur. In an AD&D adventure, characters seeking the Daddy Longlegs need to be very sharpsighted, or of the elven race, to detect a “spinning” spider, and then only if they are looking for it.

How about:

Spinning Concealment (Ex): A daddy longlegs can extrude a strand of webbing and hang from it as a standard action. As a full-round action, the daddy longlegs can begin to spin very quickly on its thread. When spinning, the daddy longlegs gains a +12 bonus to Hide checks and total concealment (50% miss chance). Even a true seeing effect is useless for determining where and how to strike the creature. The daddy longlegs can maintain its spinning by using a full-round action.

 

[Shade]

The damage sounds good.

I like the ability. I'll add it to the "daddly longlegs spider" variant bit at the bottom, since the real-world harvestman lacks this abiilty.

 

[freyar]

Looking good. You have an "iis" on the description line.

Environment: Any Land or Any Forests?
CR: 1
Nest works for me in organization.
Advancement: 3-5 HD (Huge), 6-9 HD (Gargantuan)?

 

[Shade]

Looks good.

Although it isn't a true spider, do we want to give it any of this?

Tremorsense (Ex): A monstrous hunting spider can detect and pinpoint any creature or object within 60 feet in contact with the ground.

Skills: Monstrous spiders have a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks. A monstrous spider can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. Monstrous spiders use either their Strength or Dexterity modifier for Climb checks, whichever is higher. *Hunting spiders have a +10 racial bonus on Jump checks and a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks.

 

[freyar]

Because their eyes cannot form images, they use their second pair of legs as antennae to explore their environment.

I'd say yes on Tremorsense based on that.

I think the racial skill bonuses look right except maybe the Spot checks. What if we take the Spot check bonus away for the harvestman but put it in for the daddy longlegs spider?

To deal with predators such as birds, mammals, amphibians, and spiders, some species glue debris onto their body, and many play dead when disturbed. Many species can detach their legs, which keep on moving to confuse predators, especially long-legged species vibrate their body ("bobbing"), probably also to confuse. This is similar to the behavior of the similar looking but unrelated daddy longlegs spider, which vibrates wildly in its web when touched. Scent glands emit substances that can deter larger predators, but are also effective against ants.

I'd say that the acid spray takes care of the scent glands. Do you think the spinning is justified for the harvestmen also based on this? Or should we give them some sort of distraction ability? Or just leave them as is?

 

[Shade]

Updated.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

The original creature had treasure. How about 1/10 coins, 50% goods, 50% items, which is what a monstrous spider gets?

 

[demiurge1138]

Treasure the same as that of monstrous spiders seems totally reasonable.

 

[freyar]

I'll have to agree with this treasure discussion, too.