Converting "Real World" Animals and Vermin

[demiurge1138]

The poison is really ridiculously strong for a CR 1. I'd recommend lowering it for the CR 1, paralyzing a giant bee be damned.

 

[freyar]

You know, you're right. Upthread, I'd suggested either 1d6 or 1d8 primary and secondary Dex damage. I think 1d6 is enough at CR 1. It can always bite a few times.

 

[Shade]

Fair enough. I think 1d6 Dex compares favorably to the 1d4 Str and 1d3 Con of the CR 1 monstrous spiders and scorpions.

Updated.

 

[demiurge1138]

And with that, I think we're good.

 

[freyar]

Yup.

 

[Cleon]

Updated.

Finished with another one?

Well I can see a few quibbles.

Most crab spiders have very poor eyesight, relying on touch and vibration to know when an insect's blundered into arms-reach. I'd cut the racial bonus to Spot, or maybe shift it to Listen.

They also don't leap after prey, so the Jump racial bonus should go to (not that it's included in their skill modifiers).

It doesn't have any Chameleon-bonus for Hide checks, yet. Weren't you talking earlier about boosting the racial bonus to Hide to +12?

The poison is really ridiculously strong for a CR 1. I'd recommend lowering it for the CR 1, paralyzing a giant bee be damned.

I got around that problem with my conversion by having its poison do double Dex damage to creatures with the Vermin type. Keeps the bee-killing flavour and doesn't increase the threat to PCs.

 

[Shade]

Let's just drop the Spot bonus (it's got tremorsense for finding prey, anyway) and Jump bonus. I'll boost the Hide to +12 to compensate.

Updated.

 

[freyar]

Sounds good. Done now?

 

[Shade]

Jumping Spider
FREQUENCY: Common
NO. APPEARING: 1-12
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 18”/40”
HIT DICE: 2+2
% IN LAIR: 50%
TREASURE TYPE: J-N, Q
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1/2
DMG/ATTACK: 1-6/1-10
SPECIAL ATT.: See text
SPECIAL DEF.: See text
MAGIC RES.: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

The jumping spider has very keen eyesight thanks to her four large eyes. She stalks her prey by creeping slowly upon it, “freezing” whenever it looks her way. When “frozen,” the spider looks very much like a large rock. When she has come within range, she leaps upon her prey. The jumping spider is capable of leaps of at least 40 feet. The spider always has a safety dragline attached to herself, in case the leap does not produce the intended result.

The Dungeon Master should determine whether any damage results from the impact of the spider landing on her victim. If the target is within the bare limits of the spider’s maximum jumping range of 40 feet, a roll of 1 on d6 indicates a successful impact; within 30 feet, the leap will be a “hit” on a roll of 1 or 2 on d6; within 20 feet, a roll of 3 or less is needed; within 10 feet, a roll of 5 or less; and for any distance less than 10 feet, there is an automatic “hit” on the jump. The damage from this blow will be 1-10 points, perhaps modified upward depending on circumstances.

This spider may be found around cliffs, scurrying across open ground, or in rain forests.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #67 (1982).

Jumping spider - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[freyar]

Regular spider plus large Hide bonus when sitting still plus leap ability (with a kind of crush attack?). To go with the crush, we might want to make these toward the large end of monstrous spiders (at least Huge rather than Medium).