Converting "Real World" Animals and Vermin

[freyar]

The tactics and treasure look good to me!

The difference I see between the roper and the sabella is that the sabella is much bigger. And the tentacles are melee attacks, so the sabella should be able to pull them back basically instantly. It's like this: if I have a 10 ft pole or javelin, I can pull back something stuck to it quickly by lifing the pole. OTOH, if I have an arrow tied to a string, it takes me a little longer just to pull the string.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

All done?

 

[freyar]

Think so.

 

[Leopold]

Finished, nothing to add on them.

 

[Shade]

Terebella
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
NO. APPEARING: 1-10
ARMOR CLASS: 8
MOVE: Nil
HIT DICE: 3-10
% IN LAIR: 100%
TREASURE TYPE: See below
NO. OF ATTACKS: Nil
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Nil
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Non-
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: L (see below)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

The Terebella is a fat, short worm with a jumble of stringy tentacles extending out of its head. The 5’ body is concealed in a tube, while the tentacles may extend up to 40’ in all directions. These tentacles feel for small objects, which are then transported back to the mouth along a ciliated groove in the tentacle. At the mouth, the objects are sorted; edible items are ingested, and the others are dumped in a pile near the tube. When prodded, this worm withdraws into its tube, while slowly retracting its tentacles.

Worms of this type are relatively harmless, although a character might become entangled within the tentacles for 1-4 rounds. Coins are occasionally found in the pile of discarded rubble near the mouth of the tube (8% chance of 1d20 gp). A large concentration of coins might indicate the presence of a buried shipwreck nearby.

Terebellidae - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Terebellidae: Definition with Terebellidae Pictures and Photos
Spaghetti Worm - Eupolymnia crassicornis
European Marine Life - Photo of Terebella lapidaria - # - Annelid Biology
Fan-worm - Terebella conchilega

 

[Cleon]

The tactics and treasure look good to me!

The difference I see between the roper and the sabella is that the sabella is much bigger. And the tentacles are melee attacks, so the sabella should be able to pull them back basically instantly. It's like this: if I have a 10 ft pole or javelin, I can pull back something stuck to it quickly by lifing the pole. OTOH, if I have an arrow tied to a string, it takes me a little longer just to pull the string.

I don't mind giving it nigh-instantaneous swallow attempts.

Although I think that analogy is flawed. It'd be easier eating something stuck on an arrow and a 10' piece of string than a 10' javelin. Lifting the javelin wouldn't bring the point any closer to your mouth, you have to pull in the shaft to get the point near your head, and maybe turn the whole thing around. In any case, the lighter, shorter arrow would be easier to manoeuvre.

 

[Cleon]

Updated.

All done?

Looks done, except I missed out a couple of commas from the tactics section, as follows:

If they take more than three-quarters damage (300 hp), or lose more than half their tentacles, they retreat into their tubes.
​

 

[Cleon]

Terebella

Looks like a non-combat scenery creature to me. Apart from the possibility of it having a chemical defence it doesn't have much going for it.

The long tentacles could entangle the PCs as they're menaced by another monster, I guess, or be mistaken for a Sabella.

 

[Rappy]

I agree. The terebella looks more like a hazard than a full monster.

 

[demiurge1138]

Again, terebella = dungeon dressing.