Converting "Real World" Animals and Vermin

[demiurge1138]

Don't hunting spiders have a racial bonus to Jump checks? I think that's what they're meant to simulate, as well as tarantulas.

 

[Cleon]

Sounds good. Done now?

Yup, looks done.

 

[Cleon]

Don't hunting spiders have a racial bonus to Jump checks? I think that's what they're meant to simulate, as well as tarantulas.

Yes they do, and a big Spot bonus to - they're already most of the way to being a Salticid.

I'd just give the SRD Hunting Spider a higher Jump bonus (+20?) and the ability to take 10 on Jump checks and apply Dex or Str to Jump. That puts it pretty close to a casual 40 foot leap:

Jump: 0ranks + 3Dex + 4 Speed + 20 racial = +27
Take 10 => 37 foot Jump.

Real-world jumping spiders aren't that big, so I'd keep them Medium at default.

Rather than a crushing attack I'd rather give them a "Leap" special attack that combines a Jump with a Charge (+2 attack bonus) and does double damage.

 

[Shade]

We could borrow from the jungle spider, sticking with the racial bonus on Jump checks and adding this ability...

Lunge (Ex): If a jungle spider charges a creature and incoporates a jump as the final part of the charge, it gains a +4 circumstance bonus to its attack roll. Additionally, for every 10 points by which the Jump check exceeds 20, the jungle spider's charge attack deals an additional +1d6 points of damage. For example, a Jump check result of 34 deals +1d6 points of damage, and a Jump check result of 41 deals +2d6 points of damage.

 

[freyar]

Any of that is fine with me; you folks are the real-world critter experts.

 

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

Additional +8 Hide bonus while immobile?

 

[Cleon]

We could borrow from the jungle spider, sticking with the racial bonus on Jump checks and adding this ability...

Lunge (Ex): If a jungle spider charges a creature and incoporates a jump as the final part of the charge, it gains a +4 circumstance bonus to its attack roll. Additionally, for every 10 points by which the Jump check exceeds 20, the jungle spider's charge attack deals an additional +1d6 points of damage. For example, a Jump check result of 34 deals +1d6 points of damage, and a Jump check result of 41 deals +2d6 points of damage.

That'd do, although plain double damage would be simpler, i.e.:

Jumping Attack (Ex): If a jumping spider charges a creature and incorporates a jump as the final part of the charge, it gains a +4 circumstance bonus to its attack roll and does double damage (2d6, or 3d6 on a critical) if it hits.

 

[Cleon]

Added to Homebrews.

Additional +8 Hide bonus while immobile?

I think a higher racial bonus to Hide in undergrowth would fit better, since many Jumping Spiders are cryptically coloured. I'd also suggest giving them a racial bonus to Move Silently checks, since they live by sneaking up to within leaping distance of their victim.

+8 racial bonus on Move Silently, plus +8 racial bonus on Hide when in undergrowth, the same as a web-spinning spider sneaking through its web?

 

[Shade]

Sounds good. I retained the immobile bonus as well, following the lead of the various landwyrms.

Updated.

 

[freyar]

Seems good.