Converting "Real World" Animals and Vermin

[Cleon]

Dropping split is fine with me.

I'm impartial to the tube being a factor of the sabella's hit points. A flat 100 points seems just as good to me. But I can be swayed.

Look me in the eyes,
you are feeling sleepy,
You think tube hit points proportional to worm hit points is a good idea.
What, this isn't working.
Dang mind blank spells.

The CR is tricky. The issue I have with it is that with the tentacles being touch attacks, it has very little chance of ever missing. Add to that the high grapple modifier, and its almost a guaranteed swallow whole with each strike (unless the ridiculously overpowered freedom of movement is in play...which it will be).

Well, I was assuming the Sabella's tentacles worked a bit like a roper's strands, so it would take a few rounds to drag its victims to its mouth, giving them a chance to slice off a tentacle or two. Makes for a more dynamic combat if it drags its prey 10 or 20 feet closer each round.

Unfortunately, I forgot to mention that.

Besides, being swallowed by the thing isn't that bad, the Swallow Whole doesn't do a lot of damage. I would think about increasing the number of creatures it can swallow though, it is Colossal, after all.

Four times a Gargantuan Purple Worm's capacity? i.e. "A Sabella’s interior can hold 8 Large, 32 Medium, 128 Small or 512 Tiny or smaller opponents." Although I can see an argument for just doubling it to 4/16/64/256.

 

[Shade]

Let's stick with 100 hp for the tube, go with CR 14, and Cleon's suggested doubling of the number of swallowed foes.

Updated.

Did we ever determine swallow whole damage?

Anyone want to tackle description and tactics?

 

[freyar]

A quick survey of big CR 12+ critters suggests that swallow whole crushing damage is usually 2d8+Str (or even 1/2 Str), with some similar constrict damages. Since swallow whole is Sabella's only way to inflict damage, let's boost that a little to 3d8+Str and 1d8+Con acid (acid varies between flat numbers and rolled numbers, and I like my dice!).

 

[Shade]

I like. Any objections?

 

[demiurge1138]

I like it too.

 

[Cleon]

A quick survey of big CR 12+ critters suggests that swallow whole crushing damage is usually 2d8+Str (or even 1/2 Str), with some similar constrict damages. Since swallow whole is Sabella's only way to inflict damage, let's boost that a little to 3d8+Str and 1d8+Con acid (acid varies between flat numbers and rolled numbers, and I like my dice!).

I was going to go for 2d8+16 crushing but have no objection to 3d8.

1d8+8 acid damage is fine by me.

 

[Cleon]

So, does anyone have any response to my suggestion that its tentacles drag prey X feet per round towards its mouth, similar to a roper's strands?

 

[freyar]

I have to say that I favor regular Imp Grab/Swallow Whole here. The roper's strands are a ranged attack, while Sabella's tentacles are just long reach melee attacks. Plus these need to get things swallowed quickly to be any threat at all.

 

[Shade]

What freyar said.

Updated.

 

[Cleon]

I have to say that I favor regular Imp Grab/Swallow Whole here. The roper's strands are a ranged attack, while Sabella's tentacles are just long reach melee attacks. Plus these need to get things swallowed quickly to be any threat at all.

Well roper strands may be a ranged attack but they don't have a range increment, so there's little effective difference between a 50' ranged touch and a melee touch with a 50' reach, apart from the Attack of Opportunity.

Still, if neither of you backs the idea we'll just cut it.

That means it's about done, then. All that we are missing is tactics, which should be fairly simple. Something like:

These worms are mindless, fighting purely on instinct. A Sabella tries to seize any object within reach that is small enough to swallow, spitting them out or cementing them into their armoured tube if they prove inedible. If they take more than three-quarters damage (300 hp) or lose more than half their tentacles they retreat into their tubes.
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Also, I was wondering about adding some incidental treasure. Being sessile, any valuables of their victims may be scattered around their lair or cemented into their tubes. There won't be any cloth, leather or wooden items in the treasure, since those would be digested by the worm's stomach acids.

How about the following:

Treasure: 1/10th coins; 25% goods; 25% items (only non-organic treasure)
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