Converting "Real World" Animals and Vermin

[freyar]

I always thought the issue with the tentacles was that these "peaceful" creatures who always had to run away were starting to get quite good damage for their HD.

Speaking of running away, shouldn't we make the ink cloud luminescent? And the octopus?

 

[Shade]

I always thought the issue with the tentacles was that these "peaceful" creatures who always had to run away were starting to get quite good damage for their HD.

That too.

Speaking of running away, shouldn't we make the ink cloud luminescent? And the octopus?

Good call.

Its skin has a bioluminescent pigment that it manipulates with great facility. Thus, in the absolute darkness of the ocean’sdepths, it appears as a floating; shifting arrangement of greenish lights. Under sunlike illumination, it can be seen that the deep-dweller has a whiter skin and larger body sac than its shallow-dwelling relative. Its illuminating pigment aside, a deep-dwelling octopus possesses no ability to camouflage itself.

A common ploy is for the octopi to approach their victims from above, having "turned off" their luminescence. In such cases characters take a -2 penalty to their surprise rolls.

Should this provide some benefit other than shedding light equivalent to a candle/torch and the ability to "turn it off"?

Typically, they emit a burst of glowing ink (sepia), turn off their own luminescence, and flee the area. At short range, the cloud obscures vision; at long range, it may be mistaken for an actual deep-dwelling octopus. Furthermore, the cloud of ink is naturally cohesive. Characters or objects caught in the cloud (all within a 10’ sphere must save vs. breath weapon at -2 to avoid) continue to glow for 4d4 hours; the effect is similar to a faerie fire spell.

Adapt the standard octopi ink to include the faerie fire effect?

 

[freyar]

Maybe turning off the light grants a Hide bonus in low-light conditions?

Yes, I like the faerie fire. And maybe a camouflage effect (ink cloud can mimic the glowing octopus).

 

[Cleon]

Maybe turning off the light grants a Hide bonus in low-light conditions?

I interpreted that as just a combination of concealing darkness and a good skill modifier in Hide and Move Silently.

 

[Shade]

Yeah, I supposed "turning off the lights" in the ocean depths would grant them the usual benefits of darkness. Speaking of which, I see I neglected to give them darkvision. Fixed.

 

[freyar]

I think there should be a couple of abilities here. Did we intentionally resize the ink cloud up? I put it back at the 10 ft cube below, but we can change it.

Naturally Luminescent (Ex): A deep-dwelling octopus naturally sheds light as a torch. The octopus can extinguish or reinstate this light as a swift action. If the octopus is in an area of low illumination or darkness, it gains the usual benefits of the low light level when it is not luminescent.

Ink Cloud (Ex): A deep-dwelling octopus can emit a cloud of luminescent ink 10 feet high by 10 feet wide by 10 feet long once per minute as a free action. All vision within the cloud is obscured due to the clinging light, providing total concealment. At a distance of 20 ft or more, it takes a DC X Spot check to distinguish the ink cloud from a luminescent deep-dwelling octopus.

Need to clean that up, maybe?

 

[Shade]

I'd change "Naturally Luminescent" to "Bioluminescent", but other than that it looks good.

We also need to add the faerie fire side effect of the ink.

 

[freyar]

Ooops, I meant to put faerie fire in! Go ahead and change the luminescence name, too.

Ink Cloud (Ex): A deep-dwelling octopus can emit a cloud of luminescent ink 10 feet high by 10 feet wide by 10 feet long once per minute as a free action. All vision within the cloud is obscured due to the clinging light, providing total concealment. At a distance of 20 ft or more, it takes a DC X Spot check to distinguish the ink cloud from a luminescent deep-dwelling octopus. In addition, any creature that enters the ink cloud must succeed at a DC X Reflex save? or be affected as if by the faerie fire spell for 1 minute? The save DC is Constitution-based.

 

[Cleon]

Yeah, I supposed "turning off the lights" in the ocean depths would grant them the usual benefits of darkness. Speaking of which, I see I neglected to give them darkvision. Fixed.

While it is a standard ability of Magical Beasts, giving them darkvision does rather undermine their bio-lights, since they can see perfectly well without their glow on. I decided to cut it out in my take on the creature.

I'd change "Naturally Luminescent" to "Bioluminescent", but other than that it looks good.

We also need to add the faerie fire side effect of the ink.

Great minds think alike! I called it bioluminescence in my "monster" version.

 

[Shade]

While it is a standard ability of Magical Beasts, giving them darkvision does rather undermine their bio-lights, since they can see perfectly well without their glow on. I decided to cut it out in my take on the creature.

But it gives them the tactical advantage of "shutting off their lights" described in the text. What do you think, freyar?