Converting "Real World" Animals and Vermin

[Shade]

Str 10, Dex 13, Con 11, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 8

Nereidae are predominantly marine organisms that may occasionally swim upstream to rivers and even climb to land (for example Lycastopsis catarractarum). They are commonly found in all water depths, foraging in seaweeds, hiding under rocks or burrowing in sand or mud. Nereids are mainly omnivorous but many are active carnivores. All are semelparous - (they reproduce once at the end of their life) and the majority undergo epitoky.

Aquatic/Amphibious or hold breath?

5 ft. land speed?

Racial bonus on Hide checks?

 

[demiurge1138]

I like aquatic with hold breath.

 

[Shade]

Hmmm...on further research, it appears the Nereis in the article is referring to the Common clam worm (Nereis succinea). In that case, it probably won't leave the water, right?

Added to Homebrews.

 

[demiurge1138]

Well, there are ragworms that crawl around on beaches and mudflats. Let's keep the hold breath.

 

[Shade]

Ahh...sure enough!

Didn't we do a "reverse hold breath" for water-breathers in a semi-recent conversion?

 

[freyar]

We did water dependent for the greater sea giant, but I'm not sure that's what you're thinking about. We can just reverse hold breath, though, pretty straightforward.

 

[Shade]

Ah, OK. We really need to come up with a better name for it, though.

Third, all of these worms are capable of regenerating lost hit points if they retain at least 50% of their original hit points (in the real world, regeneration takes several weeks; for AD&D game purposes, however, it is far more rapid). One-half of the lost hit points will be recovered the first night, and 1d6 hp are recovered per day thereafter. As a result, the DM might rule that a 32-hp Diopatra (q.v.) which takes 15 hp damage in one round suddenly flees combat, withdrawing deep into its dwelling tube to emerge the next morning (to the surprise of the characters) at nearly full power.

How do we want to handle that?

If a sword of sharpness or vorpal weapon neatly cuts a worm into two parts, both parts flee (each having half the hit points the worm formerly did, counting the damage it took from previous attacks and from the attack that cut it in two). They each then regenerate into two separate worms, but each new worm recovers only one-half the total hit points the original worm possessed after one night, and no new hit points are gained thereafter. Thus, a 40-hp worm might be cut into two parts after taking other damage as well; each half is assumed here to have 12 hp. Each half regenerates after one night into a new, smaller worm with 32 hp. If either new worm is wounded, the usual rules for regeneration are followed.

Shall we modify this?

Split (Ex): Slashing and piercing weapons deal no damage to a black pudding. Instead the creature splits into two identical puddings, each with half of the original’s current hit points (round down). A pudding with 10 hit points or less cannot be further split and dies if reduced to 0 hit points.

Maybe limit to slashing weapons?

This worm prefers plant material for food, but it does attack animals small enough to swallow in one gulp (1’ or less in size).

Swallow whole (two or maybe three sizes smaller than itself)?

The bristles on the Nereis are primarily used to gain purchase while the worm is moving. These bristles may cause minor damage to an attacker, however, doing 1-2 hp damage to anyone who touches the worm.

Another modification of barbed defense?

 

[demiurge1138]

I think hold breath works just fine for the name of the ability.

Agreed to a weak barbed defense.

 

[freyar]

Also agreed to barbed defense.

On the "regeneration," why not just say that they get 4x the normal hp back from rest or something?

Split needs to be limited to slashing, but also something that could conceivably cut them in half. Not sure what's a good condition, though.

 

[Cleon]

Based on other worms, I'd say Medium for the sizes listed in the original stats. Abilities seem good.

I'd add Improved Grab (for the hooked jaws) and Swallow Whole (if the target is small enough). If a standard (Medium) giant nereis can swallow creatures a foot long (Diminutive) that'd be three size categories different, but that seems a bit high in comparison to SRD swallow whole monsters. The Tyrannosaurus and Behir can swallow two size categories difference, which seems a better fit. I don't think they should be as good at Swallow Whole as Purple Worms and Remorhaz which can manage one size step difference, they presumably are more specialized in gulping down victims.

So, Swallow Whole versus Tiny or less? It doesn't make any difference to most PCs (unless they're reduced or have familiars), although halflings had better watch out around giant nereis that have advanced to Large size.